MIDI control of Helix Native in C12

Hello, I’m hoping to get some clues on how to MIDI control Helix Native in C12. This VST doesn’t have MIDI remote mapping for the individual parameters, just for the quick controls.

I’m using the Qube Audio Mobi One as a controller, and have set up an audio track with Native as an insert, and a MIDI track with the Mobi as the MIDI in, and Native as the MIDI out.

I can set up the quick controls easily enough, but I’m having less luck with setting up parameter-based controls - the Mobi has a lot of encoders and ideally I’d love to be able to control multiple blocks within Helix Native.

I can use MIDI Learn or set the CC manually to map an encoder to a parameter in Native, BUT turning the dial sets the value of the parameter to either 0 or 100%, there is no ‘continuous control’.

Any idea how I can fix this? Is there a hardware, Cubase or Native setting somewhere that I need to change? When use MIDI learn, I can’t find any settings for the controls similar to the absolute versus Relative Twos Complement setting in MIDI remote - am I missing something?

Many thanks in advance.

Hi,

What kind of values does it send? Isn’t it sending the increase/decrease values by any chance?

Hello @Martin.Jirsak , thanks for the response.

I don’t know I’m afraid - is there a way I can check?

It works as expected for quick controls so I’m puzzled as to why it’s behaving differently for MIDI learn.

Thanks, John.

Hi,

Do I understand you correct, you want to use the MIDI Remote, right? If it works with the Quick Controls, it has to work with the MIDI Remote too. Make sure, you code the correct mode.

Could you attach the screenshot of the MIDI binding in the MIDI Remote, please?

Hello again @Martin.Jirsak and sorry for the delay.

I’m not entirely sure what you mean by the MIDI Binding in MIDI Remote. This is an example of one of the encoders which I can link to any of the Steinberg effects / VSTs, but not the parameter in HX Native (unless I map them to the quick controls first).

Does this help? Thanks, John.

Hi,

Yes, this is it. Change the Value Mode to Jump, please.

Hi @Martin.Jirsak , “Jump” isn’t showing as an option… I have:

  • Absolute
  • Relative Signed Bit
  • Relative Binary Offset
  • Relative Twos Complement

Thanks again.

Hi,

Set Absolute, please.

Sorry, I don’t use the Mapping Assistant often, much more I do the scripting.

Hi @Martin.Jirsak, that hasn’t helped I’m afraid. The mapped knob when turned right turns the parameter all the way down, turned left turns it all the way up.

I may not be explaining myself very well. With Native, I can only map the quick controls to MIDI Remote, not the standard parameters. This is what I see when I right click on one of the parameters:

If I select “automation assign”, I can choose to assign it to a knob, which I can then map in turn to a quick control, and it will work perfectly.

The controller has 30 assignable knobs though, and the VST has a vast number of assignable parameters, so I’d like to use more than the 8 quick controls. So I’ve selected “controller assign” instead and mapped to a MIDI CC. The assigned knob then does interact with the parameter - but as above, it sets it to either max value if I turn the knob left, or min value if I turn the knob right.

I can’t understand why the knob is behaving as expected under MIDI Remote mapping, but not when I assign it to a MIDI CC (or use MIDI Learn) - any ideas?

Many thanks!

Hi,

Could you use any MIDI Monitor (for example a MIDI Monitor as a MIDI Insert on the MIDI Track) to know, what MIDI data does the hardware sends out?

Now it seems to me, it’s one of the increment/decrement modes. Try all of them, please.

Hello again @Martin.Jirsak , this is new territory to me but it feels like we’re getting closer.

The knob matched to the quick control isn’t showing anything on the MIDI monitor, I assume that’s ok.

The knobs which are mapped by MIDI CC are producing their CC number as value 1 and then for value 2 either 4 (up) or 124 (down), as per screengrab below.

Where do I find / change the increment / decrement modes please? Thanks again, John.

Capture

Hi,

Try these options in the Mapping Assistant > Knob Properties, please:

Hello again,

I really thought would work! unfortunately not though… do those mappings only apply to MIDI remote, or to the overall mapping of the unit even when using other means of control?

I have however found a workaroud using Generic Remote. I’ve mapped some of the Helix Native parameters to MIDI CC numbers corresponding to the Mobi outputs (although some are reserved by HX Native eg CC0-4 so creativity is required).

Then I’ve used the generic remote to set up each Mobi dial to send those MIDI CCs to the plug-in, with flags Receive and Relative set.

The only issue arises if I change the parameter setting via mouse rather than the hardware, in which case when using the hardware again, the value jumps back to the last value set by the Mobi. Still it’s usable and if I get it mapped correctly then hopefully I’ll stick to the unit rather than mouse.

Let me know if you think this sounds like the best solution, I would still love to use MIDI Remote but this solution is definitely better than nothing!

Thanks again for your help, John.

Hi,

These mappings apply to the MIDI Remote only.

Could you attach a screenshot, how did you set it up, please?

Thanks for confirmation on MIDI remote.

Sure - on the Helix Native side, it’s basically the same screenshot as the one in post #9 on this thread, then select a MIDI CC number for the parameter (cc9 and cc11 for the example below).

Then move into Generic Remote, switch on Learn and assign address 9 (and then address 11) to the chosen dials as you move them.

Then change the flags so that Receive and Relative are selected - I also have Pick-up on the first one shown here, I was trying out verious combinations but any combinations including R,R seem to work.

Finally, I changed the control names to match the labels on the unit.

Hope this makes sense, please ask if not clear.

@Martin.Jirsak I didn’t tag you in the message above, doing so now in case you missed it.

Hi,

I’m sorry, I run out of the ideas.

I would say I’ve of the modes have to work too in the MIDI Remote.

Jspoons1, when you create a new page for the MIDI remote, without any assignments, do the knobs on screen turn as smoothly as the physical ones, or are they jumping around?

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Thanks @Martin.Jirsak I’m further ahead than I was so thank you for your input - if nothing else I’ve learned about Midi Monitor. Cheers!

Hi @ggmanestraki , they do turn pretty smoothly. If Helix Native mapped to MIDI Remote I think this would have been a very short thread… the Generic Remote workaround is less satisfying and harder work but will I hope keep me going until (hopefully) an upgrade somewhere in the chain fixes things properly.

Unless you have a suggestion of course…?

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