MIDI Remote / Channel Strip: Inconsistent Mapping & Missing "Exclusive Solo" Command

Cubase Forum Summary: The Hybrid Control Strategy

1. The Hybrid Concept: “Front Row & Deep Access” Stop treating the 8-ID limit as a wall. Instead, treat it as your “Front Row.” Use the modern Quick Controls for the first 8 parameters and 80s MIDI technology for everything else.

2. The PG-200 & VSL “Äquator” Implementation:

  • Slots 1–8: Let the Cubase Quick Controls handle the primary 8 parameters of your plugin/instrument (e.g., standard macros, cutoff, resonance). This gives you the visual feedback in the Inspector and the “Focus” flexibility.

  • Slots 9 and beyond: Use classic MIDI CC commands directly from your hardware (PG-200/Pro 88) to control all additional parameters.

  • The “Why”: Since Cubase’s MIDI Remote forces 3rd-party instruments into a 1-to-8 slot prison, you simply walk around the prison. By using direct MIDI CC for parameters 9, 10, 20, or 30, you gain full, simultaneous access to the “Äquator”—just like the original 80s hardware was designed to do.

3. Internal Cubase Parameters (EQ, Sends, etc.):

  • Method: Direct assignment via the MIDI Remote Mapping Assistant.

  • Benefit: Absolute fixed control for a “console feel” (e.g., a dedicated EQ knob always stays an EQ knob, independent of the 8 focus-slots).

4. Final Conclusion: Don’t choose between “New” and “Old”—combine them. Use the MIDI Remote for the first 8 “Focus” parameters, and use the raw, unrestricted power of 80s MIDI CCs for everything else. This is how you build a professional cockpit without limitations.

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