Just had a google search for this, and this has been posted as a feature request in the Cubase 9 boards, and I thought I’d repost it here.
When using mackie controllers, track selection only follows within the currently selected bank.
If Cubase would switch banks automatically like how Logic X does it, that’d make the life of all users of mackie controllers MUCH nicer.
For example, if my bank is set to track 1-8 my controller only follows Cubase track selection within that span. To be able to have it follow tracks 9-16 I need to manually change banks on my controller, and then track 9-16 follows.
It’s a really workflow breaking thing, and being able to have Cubase do the banking automatically would be a godsend.
This is frequently mentioned on internet articles and I don’t understand why Steinberg haven’t ever addressed. I have a couple of controllers which I rarely use now because of this issue. Woukd be such a benefit and surely can’t be hard?
Yeah!
It is something that makes me look at Logic with envy as this is a daily annoyance to me.
Cubase already knows which bank any given track is in, and surely it can work out which bank to switch to?
I hope this gets some kind of attention.
I think this behaviour is related to Mackie protocol limitations (another limitation is no level indicator for the Master channel as the other channels do ). I think HUI used by Apple in Logic is way more efficient than MC protocol. If they can implement this ( if possible ) it will be a real releif as huge number of controllers support this implementation oob…
but they can also do better than that… if Steinberg just creates a new MultiFader Controller ( and a protocol as VST that’s more advanced than the old MC )
I really dont like that idea. I dont see why, I would like to have it as it is for the avid controllers where you can lock things harder. You can lock a section/channels so they dont move. Perfect for buses. But of course, make things configurable can make everyone happy.
I’m a bit confused which idea you don’t like?
The autobanking?
If so maybe it’s unclear how it works? I just want Cubase to be able to change to whatever mackie bank the currently selected track is on.
As it is right now, if I change to track 9 my controller wont be able to control it unless I swap banks on the actual controller. It’s kind of a workflow breaker, as I need to pay attention more to my controller being on the right bank than working the actual controls to help me.
I think I understand your idea. But I dont like it, I put my console where I want it and play around with other stuff, and still I can adjust the thing a have selected for the controller. Your idea reduce the parallelism that is bad thing. But for sure there are lot of things needed to be done in this area. Having options to follow selections like for example CMC’s do is one thing. I think it would have been a lot more useful if you could select what mixer view it should follow. And if it would also be good if you could be split. So that one section followed mixer-view 1 some other the arranger mixer. And some “sync-view” commands that jumps MCU to first selected. (Dont forget that you can have many selections on a mixer so it is not obvious what is should follow). What did you think it should do if you have 16 channels MCU and two selected tracks that are more than 16 channels apart?
Firstly, this is all due to mackie controllers being limited and a bit awkward to me, so any solution is kind of a hack.
In this situation I’d be fine if the logic decides to select whichever bank the first selected fader is on, but it selecting the last one is fine as well.
This to me is a bit of an edge case though, as for these kind of selections aren’t that common. If you need tracks that far apart, you’re more likely to work with either vcas or group buses I’d guess. But a good question at least.
Like you said though, options… options are good.
Being able to enable autobanking, and/or auto follow track selection would make both of us happy here.
Either way, even if we look at MCU like it works today, it still does follow the selected track in Cubase though, so auto-banking wouldn’t make anything worse (?) Mind you I only use a single fader controller, so this may differ quite a lot if you use a 8 fader controller (please tell me if it does, I’m curious now). If you select track 9 in Cubase, can you still change faders on the first bank of 8? Or does it prompt you to change bank to be able to change anything?
For me, my single fader controller is entirely disabled for all track controls if I select a track outside the bank… this is what I want to remedy.
I don’t think the MCU protocol is public domain, and Mackie is not selling licenses for it. I dont think it is a good idea to support non compatible unauthorised version. And certainly not making design changed based on them. Ask your vendor to do a cubase driver for there hardware. There is SDK for it. (And push Steinberg to open the SDK so you can make your own driver if vendor can not).
I do agree with you, and also I disagree haha.
I mean you are right, but I am hoping Steinberg can still do something as Logic has this feature, which is a game changer for many.
Asking for a Cubase specific driver from Behringer or Presonus is a very long shot that is unlikely to ever happen unfortunately.
If there was an open SDK however, yeah that’d be the real game changer. That’s for a different feature request though.
I still hope this gets attention, as we know it can be done. Option to use it or not would be a good thing obviously though.
Thanks for your input though, it’s been good to hear more than “i agree” or “i disagree”
I’m pretty sure that it’s only Logic that does have this feature, isn’t it? Due to that anomaly, You can only presume that auto-banking is not part of the standard MCU spec that DAW creators adhere to.
For any DAW controllers using MC protocol, yes I think its only Logic, and that added feature with Logic only appeared in just that past few versions.
I have followed the auto-bank issue for years in numerous threads at Gearslutz. Recently, I was corrected, and I think he is right, that the problem isn’t MC protocol that prevents auto-banking, but it is what should or can come after the protocol by whatever developer, such as what Logic has done. As a matter of fact, one person is developing a controller using MCU with autobank, but I believe it’s for Reaper. Another guy achieved success, going to great extents including using Max to create auto bank in Cubase. But the process is so convoluted, unless he could simplify everything he did, it’s not worth marketing the process.
Yes, MC Protocol is limited to mix console 1. unless you link consoles 2 and 3. Of course having 2 extra mix consoles is I think a Cubase feature not found in other DAWs?
Just to clarify, the auto-bank issue:
select channel 1 in Cubase. Observe channel 1 is selected on your MC protocol controller.
now select channel 10 in Cubase. Observe channel 10 is selected on your MC protocol controller, but the controller didn’t auto-bank to 9-16. It stayed at 1-8. Instead you manually have to press the bank shift button to observe channel 10 is focused on your controller.
What i’m not sure of is who created the actual MC implementation for Cubase, did Mackie create it, and Steinberg revise it and move the original implementation as the ‘compatible’ mode? Or did Steinberg create both?
I guess what i’m asking here is whether it’s even Steinbergs responsibility to manage this moving forwards, or even if they’re aware of how to go in and deconstruct what’s there.
I’m a long time Logic user, and only really been using modern incarnations of Cubase since v9.5, so i’m unaware of how it’s progressed over the years.
However, when i see something like NI’s Komplete Kontrol support, i presume that is an NI lead development, not Steinberg.
I just wish that whoever owns the responsibility for the MC implementation were to make it open source for the community to improve it. Just imagine features like auto-banking and being able to use the faders for EQ control etc.
One thing to be very grateful about, after i used Studio One, there’s absolutely no marking or indication as to which 8 channels your MCU is focused on. At least Cubase makes this very clear in the mixer view.
I think if you read the last couple pages, you may find some accurate comments regarding MC Protocol and DAW implementation. However it won’t answer your above question. I guess I just assumed Steinberg created Cubase Mode as opposed to Compatibility mode but I could be wrong.
Hello, I use visibility agents in my mix console, for example, 1 the drums, 2 Percussion, 3 bass and so one … and all my audio channels are linked to a single VCA, one for each family … Then what happens, that every time I change an agent, it selects the VCA for me … if you use several VCAs, the Macro would have to be modified to perform the action. for me, that’s how it works. I use a Frontier Alphatrack
