I own a BCF2000 which I have set up in order to send CC 1,21,7 and 11 thru its faders. This works in Kontakt (specifically Spitfire libraries) as a standalone and in Cubase 9.5 (notice that I didn’t set up a Generic Remote in Cubase in order to get it working).
I would like for the motorized faders to follow the CC in each track (expression, modulation, etc). I partially achieved this by setting a Midi Send in different tracks and this indeed made the motorized faders move along the CC. Now the issue is that I can’t make this work individually for each track. For instance if I have two tracks that have CC information on them playing, the faders will go crazy following the CC info of both tracks rather than being able to follow the CC of just one of the tracks.
I also tried doing it with automation but it seems to much of a hassle just to make the faders move. This also reminds of the a post (I think in this forum) showing how to make Lemur display articulation information for each track.
A quick search of youtube shows there are some set-up videos about this there. You’ll have to set-up a Generic Remote. Even older videos from the SX versions should still pretty much apply to this part of the program. Yes, it will take time to get this work, but, do check the videos. I think it should be possible to get the faders working to some degree. I don’t think your device is on the list of pre-defined controllers, so you’ll have to roll your own. Good luck.
I don’t know the Kontakt system so can’t speak to that.
I can get the BCF to send MIDI but I can’t make it receive MIDI just from the selected track, it automatically receives MIDI from all the tracks at once. I also tried making it a Quick Control but that only modifies automation not really CC unfortunately.
I’ve actually made a post about this. Basically in a Midi Track there is an option to Send Midi Data, but some strange reason this same option is not available in an Instrument Track!! Boggles my mind.
So Cubase needs to just move this functionality that they already have built into the Instrument Track and motorized faders will follow midi CC.
People have put in requests for it so lets hope it makes it into the Program at some point.
I made it work with MIDI tracks but the problem that I came across was that the fader will receive MIDI from all tracks at once rather than just the selected one. How did you make it work with a MIDI tracks? Would you mind explaining me how you set it up?
Check the MIDI settings in the device and see if you can turn set the MIDI Mode to Omni Off/Poly. Perhaps deselect “all midi in” from the port connected to the device? Sounds like you need some adjustment to your MIDI settings.
Yes, so, if you use an instrument track but find you also want MIDI sends, then, create a MIDI Track, move the part to that MIDI Track and use that MIDI track’s MIDI sends. It would be “nice” if instrument tracks had MIDI Sends or an option to active them if needed.
For anyone who might need it. Here’s an example of adding MIDI Sends to an Instrument Track. Groove Agent SE is used in the example, but this works for any Instrument Track. (Cubase Pro 9.0.4)
Kit 1 – Instrument Track created (select, load kit), create part. Realize, “oh, I need a send.”
Add Midi Track to Instrument Track.
Move Part to Midi Track (suggest move, not copy)
Kit 2 - Instrument Track created (select, load kit)
Activate MIDI Send on Kit 1’s Midi Track Midi Send.
Set MIDI Send Out Kit 1 to Kit 2’s Main In.
Optional: Insert MIDI effects if wanted (Transformer used in example).
Result: Kit 1 Plays original part, Kit 2 Plays the identical pattern, but the Transformer, when active, produces random notes and velocities.
Yes, so, if you use an instrument track but find you also want MIDI sends, then, create a MIDI Track, move the part to that MIDI Track and use that MIDI track’s MIDI sends. It would be “nice” if instrument tracks had MIDI Sends or an option to active them if needed.
This is not a very usable solution as I’m sure that no one with say 50 instrument tracks would want to copy a midi file over to a new Midi Track for each track just to be able to send midi data. That would just be such a time waster and create so many unnecessary tracks. Cubase just needs to take the functionality that they have already created in a Midi Track and move it to the Instrument Track as well.
In any case the result, with regard to the what the OP is actually requesting, would be the same. The data will be output from all the sends to the device, resulting in a flood of midi data. The question is about how to keep the device in sync with whatever in on the selected track.
You need a way to filter the midi output based on which track it’s coming from, or if the BCF can be set to pick-up mode that would give you a possibly viable method.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible in this manner just using Cubase. But I’m a similar thing using a couple CMC-FDs. Simply put, to keep the LEDs in the CMC-FDs in sync with the controller values, I set the CMCs to ‘pick-up’ mode, and I loop the midi data back to them through a script. While the device might appear to be displaying controller values from the track, it’s not connected to the track’s output. It’s just displaying the result of the filtered and recalculated values from my script, and avoids the problem of the flood of midi data from all tracks.
That function is, in a simple way, like a device driver, and I used Bome Midi Translator to put this together.
Would you mind explaining me how you have the Midi Translator configured? I’m not really sure if the BCF2000 has something like a ‘pick up’ mode at all but I definitely wanna give a shot to this.
In short- the device sends commands to bome’s midi input, bome translates them into continuous controller message, (they started as pitchbend).
I set up variables that retain the last value sent for a given fader, and that value is fed back to the device continuously and on the fly, so to speak.
Scripting like this only requires a rudimentary understanding of programming concepts- variables, boolean operations,simple math operations, and learning the actions and built in stuff that B.M.T. provides.
I tried doing so with Midi Pipe (I can’t afford M.T.P. haha) I could really get to ‘solo’ the outgoing CC from one track to my fader, I still get the CC from all the tracks playing at the same time. I’m wondering also, since you are setting your faders to pitchbend how can you decide which one controlls what? For instance one controlling CC1, another one CC11.
Edit: Oh ok I guess you could have pitchbend messages from different MIDI channels. What about the vairables tho? I still can’t really understand the way you have set up those.
I actually have something similar setup in my template that send the articulation information to Lemur and then displays it in Lemur. It’s pretty useful but I also haven’t been able to get that idea to work with this.
I don’t know Lemur so can’t offer any useful suggestions about it. Generally speaking, it’s odd to me that MIDI Sends aren’t on the Instrument Track Inspector. So, the best work-around I’ve found is to add a MIDI track to the same instrument and then use its MIDI Sends as needed. I’ve been back and forth on this, and, as you know, If the same instrument is put into the Rack, then you’re still back to having a MIDI track and the Stereo Out (or multi-out) of the instrument – either way you end up in more or less the same place. What I prefer about Instrument Tracks is that it’s a neat package – audio functions and MIDI data together in one place, it’s almost like a mini folder.
I try to avoid fader clutter, but, I’ve also accepted that having lots of faders is just part of the system. I’ve gotten better at using Configurations and Visibility Tools to deal with it all. I digress.
You can set every midi track you want with a midi SEND to the BCF2000 port, and keep it switched off. Then create a Generic Remote that switches on only the selected track. I did it, it works.
Set the BSF200 in S-4 (or U-4) mode.
set a midi SEND (send 1), on every midi track, to transmit to BCF2000.
switch off every midi SEND.
with loopMIDI, create a port (eg. “PORT 1”) and uncheck it from “All MIDI”, (see image).
create a Generic remote 1 (See image) → purpose: on track selection, Cubase send to PORT 1 a CC chn1, val 126
create a Generic Remote 2 (See image) → purpose: on receiving from PORT 1 a CC ch1, val 126, Cubase activates the midi send 1)
Do not forget to set the midi port of the receiving BCF2000 in “All MIDI”.
in Cubase preferences “Project & MixConsole” → “Sync Selection” must be checked, otherwise nothing happens.
