My alternative device to the CC121 after the production has ceased

Steinberg Hardware CC121
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  • Connected to a project, I’m beginning to find my way around with the cheat sheet. But: the fader doesn’t “fly” as I flip tracks with the Prev/Next buttons. It does work i.e. when I use the fader it affects the Cubase level, but drags my track slider to wherever the physical device is if I touch it. Can I enable the fly-to-current-level behaviour? (I’ve tried with the correct PSU in case I wasn’t feeding it enough power, same behaviour, no flying fader).

Hello AllanP,
I assume it’s about a track where automation was recorded?
If this is the case, the motorfader will be forced to move to the volume associated with the project cursor as long as “read” automation is set.
With the “read” button, you must therefore decide whether the automation data determines the position of the motorfader (= read on) or whether YOU want to determine the position of the motorfader (= read off).
So if you set “read” automation to off for all tracks in the project and then go through the tracks with Prev/Next, it should work the way you want it to.

There is also a Motorfader Mode “off” in the script, with which you can switch off the motor of the fader. If the fader does not move back and forth when you switch from track to track, you may have switched the motorfader to off, but the motorfader is always on at the beginning.

  • I’m hoping there’s an easy way to do EQ. I am already looking at the blank space where my CC121’s dedicated 12 knobs for 4 bands of EQ sit.

It takes a while to get used to how it’s done in the script, but then it feels very good when the operation is intuitive, I think. There are also a few exclusive extras in the script, such as resetting parameters, LED displays and the special memory functions.

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Thanks Butterfly. I’ve not even found the instructions for accessing EQ yet… RE the flying fader, I didn’t touch the default script yet. And all my tracks have no automation,except one group (my Master) has a fade out automation on the ending. Is that why its not working as expected? Not back on mac till later to check anything..

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You can do a simple test, AlanP: Start Cubase; create an empty project; then the script should be in Pan Mode (yellow pan LED ); create 5 audio tracks; switch through the tracks with Prev/Next and set different volumes with the motorfader. If you then switch through the tracks with Prev/Next, the motorfader should automatically jump back and forth accordingly. If it doesn’t work that way you might have a serious power problem.

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@AlanP

Yes, that little test that @butterfly listed should work. If not, then something is not normal.

Regarding the functionality of the EQ Mode: As this is one of the first functions I implemented, the instructions are composed of several passages in the release notes and the quick reference guide at the moment. It should also be possible intuitively.

Best regards
CKB (Christian) :innocent:

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Hello @AlanP,
I have tried this and it cannot be the cause.

Let’s go back to the EQ Mode in comparison to the CC121. The easiest way to switch to this is with Bypass + Master.

Here is a summary of working with the EQ Mode:

In EQ Mode, you select the band with the 4 buttons Link, Pan, Channel, Scroll and the parameter with Click for Gain, Section for Freq and Marker for Q. The LED (Link, Pan, Channel, Scroll) associated with a band flashes when the band is selected.
This sounds cumbersome, but is very convenient when used over a longer period of time.

The 4 buttons Link, Pan, Channel, Scroll are used simultaneously to switch the bands on or off.

With the 3 buttons Click, Section and Marker you can simultaneously switch between the current setting of the parameter and the factory setting (reset). The CC121 cannot do this.

The LEDs of the 4 buttons Link, Pan, Channel, Scroll show the gains of the bands in a gliding color (negative = white to cyan, positive = white to red) or light up blue when the band is switched off. This color feedback on the FaderPort is very helpful. The CC121 cannot do this.

With the Write button, you can save all EQ parameters at once and load them back again with the Read button, even on a different track. There are 4 more such “special memories”. The CC121 cannot do this.

I also think that it is more convenient to operate with just one large encoder knob than with 12 small encoder knobs.

In practice, it is also often the case that only a few specific EQ parameters are set later in the project. As i said, after a while it becomes very intuitive, and then you realize that - compared to the CC121 - you don’t have to think about which of the 12 encoder knobs there to turn, because there is only ONE encoder knob on the FaderPort.

Then there is the possibility to switch between the EQ Mode and PF Mode (= PreFilter Mode) in the script for the FaderPort. The PF Mode offers numerous settings in the channel strip that cannot be adjusted with the CC121.

br * butterfly :wink:

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Thank you, Butterfly and Christian, for the above tips. I have come back to “macBook mode” (aka the Weekend!) and rebooted and my fader is flying like it should, with no change at my end. I’m still running it on the CC121’s PSU (which claims less output than the one that came with the Faderport). First impressions are that the fader is noisier on longer jumps than my CC121 but I will use the Faderport for a good bit and then compare. Thanks again for the tips, about to look at EQ after your excellent description, and hope to spend a bit of time in the next couple of weeks learning some of the capabilities of the script! Thanks again.

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@AlanP

There is a new update (July 15, 2025) of fp-wizard.

The operability of the Rotate Knob in the EQ Mode has been improved.
This should be interesting compared to the CC121, because you can now set the values of the parameters of the EQs more efficiently with the FaderPort than with the CC121. A high-resolution grid with practicable frequencies is now exclusively integrated in fp-wizard.

Best regards
CKB (Christian) :innocent:

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Amazing!! :laughing:
I think, no other DAW-Controller can do this
like with your script in combination with the FaderPort!

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Thanks @CKB, I have downloaded and am using. Updated first impressions:

  • I am getting used to the EQ stuff and it is working nicely for me now.
  • I don’t notice the fader noise in use much (though I think a comparison to the CC121 after a few months use will be interesting)
  • I do notice the fader sharp edges as per your documentation: need to find a UK supplier of the softer fader cap you mentioned (not ready to cannibalise my CC121 yet!)
  • The rotating big blue knob is a little stiff, waiting to see it loosen off.
  • Might have to do the flip of Solo/Mute buttons for my sanity
  • We have Mute, Solo and Record Enable (Arm) dedicated buttons, but no “Monitor” button for the selected track… Or is there? Haven’t found it.
  • I’m tempted to create a bigger manual where the tiny footnotes are in line next to the things they affect… So I can learn quicker..

So in general I’m happily using it instead of my CC121 and looking forward to embracing new capabilities..! Thanks again for your ongoing amazing work on this script.

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  • We have Mute, Solo and Record Enable (Arm) dedicated buttons, but no “Monitor” button for the selected track… Or is there? Haven’t found it.

Thank you for your nice posting, @AlanP.

There is a “press knob” column in the functional overview pdf.
In most cases, “Press (the Rotate) Knob” is used to toggle the monitor state, as with the special button on the CC121.

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Excellent, thanks for pointing me to that..

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This post today has I think just answered my next Faderport question, how to stop the midi notes I hear sometimes when using FP transport functions. Different MIDI controllers for Notes and CC messages - #2 by Martin.Jirsak

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Hi AlanP,
you’ll find the solution for this at the top of the second page of the setup PDF.
In this PDF you’ll also find solutions for other problems. I regularly add solutions to this PDF so that if it is a known problem, you don’t have to search for it in all the forum posts.

fp-wizard_setup.pdf (512.7 KB)

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Hi @CKB, could you please explain what this bit means, directly after the instruction to remove Faderport from the All Midi set? What capabilities am I losing by doing so?

But you have to enable this preference, if you want to work with the MIDI Remote script using there the Motorfader Mode direct.

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I think you can ignore this hint, AlanP. You’ll rarely use the special Motorfader Mode direct, perhaps never. Explaining what you can all do with it (= the scenarios) would be too extensive at this point. (There is a discussion within the long FaderPort thread.)

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Thanks.
I will improve the PF Mode (= PreFilter Mode) in the same way.
This will be included in the next update of fp-wizard.

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Very good. That’s useful for me too, as I like to work with ‘simple’ values. :smiley:

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A wee update, after a few weeks of using the Faderport with this script. In short, my (fully functional) CC121 sits looking pretty on the shelf while I continue to use the Faderport. And I can’t see that changing…. C14.0,20+ seems to have fixed earlier glitches with Midi Remoting, too, so everything just works now.

The few script functions I have mastered are so useful. Moving around the transport and setting up looping sections to work on (Cycle+Left-Arrow) etc. was the first game-changer, but there are several things like that which I used to do on keyboard that I now do automatically on the Faderport. The physical device fits better into many places on my desk / near my synths / in my travel kit than even the CC121 used to. The build of the device is definitely a pleasure (although it does seem to be a dust and cat-hair magnet… now I know why all the pictures of 2nd hand ones look scratched - it’s the cat hairs…). Anyway, it’s now my go-to number-one device to have connected before I start a Cubase session.

The tips in the document are helpful, thank you. I haven’t managed to secure a replacement fader slider cap or rubber ring for the ‘jog-dial’ (easier in the EU than the UK it seems) but I plan to. I am still planning to flip solo/mute in the script. Without good sticky labels it would make the Faderport more confusing when others come to use my rig, though, so I need to do the label thing first I think.

That tip about the EQ earlier in this thread helped clue me in to how to read the 1 page document a bit better. I’m still struggling with learning the new button combinations to use more of the functions. My muscle memory seems slow to internalise them. If I ever make myself a nice cheat sheet to remember the Shift+ Button to get to my top useful features, I will share it here!

So: for me, as long as this script continues to do what it does for us via effective Steinberg Midi Remote-ing: the answer to the question - what device after the CC121 - is asked and answered.