Modify midi controller data on several tracks

Cubase
1

Hi all - I’m trying to figure out how modify midi controller data on several tracks at the same time in the key editor (or anywhere for that matter) - for example using the pencil or line tool to draw a new cc1 modulation curve.

I am currently doing this one track at a time which is very time consuming as sometimes I want the same controller data on multiple tracks. I can record say the mod wheel on multiple tracks - but can’t edit them together afterwards.

Appreciate any help!

2

Best tip: more practice on the mod wheel, in the end it will be faster than editing by hand.

Otherwise, the closest I can think of:

  1. Select several midi tracks in the project window and open your favorite editor, say the key editor, from the MIDI menu
  2. Draw a curve, select it->copy
  3. Place the transport at the 1:st point of the curve
  4. List through the different tracks with the “currently edited part”-button in the menu and do a paste in each
    /A
3

Thanks for the reply. Yes I of course use the mod wheel but for many reasons I often need to go back and “trim” the mod data. Samples don’t always track the mod wheel so nicely and how sample respond to controller varies between patches and between libs. And certain things like a very long fade in are often better to do with the tools. It seems quite absurd that if I want to make a change to one section (for example strings) that I must edit each part (v1 v2 va cl bs) separately. And it worse if I’m using divisi sections. Very time consuming. And very easy to make mistakes - miss editing one of the parts for example.

Really - this isn’t possible with Cubase 6?

4

No, I’m afraid it has never been possible, in Cubase, to edit simultaneuosly (other than by changing numerical values via the Info Line), controller data on multiple tracks. (slightly o.t… since Cubase 6, we can actually edit multiple controller lanes, but only within the same MIDI Part).
I think the best you could do, is to edit a single MIDI track, then copy the edited controller data from its lane, into the corresponding lane on the other track(s), by means of the Range Tool.

5

There we have a nice little feature request.

6

I typically use the the method outlined by TwinOak

But, if you have your MIDI routing set up with unique channels, you can

arm all of the alternate channels
set punch in/out where you want the CC data
put each track in Write mode
set cycle to merge
set MIDI to thru for the channel that has the good CC data
Use MIDI filter to route the CC back to the armed tracks.
Hit record …
DONE

7

Thanks for the replies.

For orchestral stuff I might record the mod wheel separately for each part just to have it a bit more realistic - slight timing variations and the samples don’t always respond similarly, but sometimes - especially if writing to film I may want edit the instruments together - maybe I’m trying to hit something with a swell or whatever. It’s just very inefficient jumping from track to track or copying. It’s really surprising Cubase doesn’t support this. But now I know - just have to work around it.

8

I don’t know if the following would be of any practical use to you, but…
providing you are using VSTis in the VSTi rack (or external synths, of course), piloted by regular MIDI tracks, rather than using Instrument Tracks, and provided you don’t need more than 5 instruments “ganged” together, you could always write your controller data on its own MIDI track, and make use of its MIDI Sends.

9

Instead of copy/paste commands, I drag and drop using the “range” tool whilst holding down the CTRL key (which causes a copy instead of a move)
FD