Novation Nocturn - first impressions not good

Virtual instruments Virtual Effects and Add-ons
1

Hi

i just bought one of these yesterday, i was sold by the video tutorials on the Novation website, and by general good reviews all round. I have to say i’m extremely disapointed with the " out of the box" experience!!

Having installed the latest version of Automap, i scanned my plugs - ticking VST ones only, then when i started C6 it began to scan the mapped ones but crashed, I restarted the Mac, ran C6 again and most of my plugs except the native C6 ones are mapped. I’m using Cubase 6.0.2 on a Macbook (10.6.7) with the latest version of Automap - 3.7.4 - and basically hardly anything works as it should- none of the native C6 plugs are mapped, most of my other plugs - Nomad Factory, Lexicon reverb - are all over the place.

The most disapointing thing to me is not being able to control basic C6 plugs, like Studio EQ, Compressor etc - i wanted the controller just for these, anything else would be a bonus!

I realise that with work i could probably sort out the plugs that are mapped - reconfigure buttons etc - but my point is that this is being sold as a unit that is basically plug and play - i dont want to spend hours programming.

Anyone elese in the same boat?

dk

2

  1. Make sure you have properly directed the Novation plugin manager to the folder where the C6 plugins you want are housed. There is a choice in the Novation plugin manager to add additional folders for scanning.

  2. The Automap software ‘shakes hands’ with the parameters of each plugin in the order which the manufacturer presents them. Therefore, when the Automap first comes up, the parameters are not assigned in any logical fashion from the users viewpoint. Learn how to use the Automap interface window to remap parameters and then save the remapping and set it as the default parameter for that plugin. There is a fair amout to learn to understand how to fully utilize all the parameters so you can step through parameter choices as opposed to simply twisting a dial … but it is well worth it.

  3. Automap Pro has several superior features … not sure which automap version you have.

  4. You can have the same parameter on as many different pages as you like … a handy way to keep things like the main cutoff and resonance of a synth always at hand while you tweak different parameters of the LFO or other filter parameters on different pages.

Como

3

Hi Como,

thanks for posting. I have calmed downa bit now and am starting to make progress…

You said - “There is a choice in the Novation plugin manager to add additional folders for scanning.” Well in my version of Automap - 3.7.4, this option is not there. Anyway, i’m pretty sure the plug in manager IS seeing all my plugs.

Even though the C6 native plugs do not seem to be supported, I opened a few of them - Compressor, Mono Delay - and the Nocturn WOULD control them out of the box! I had to make a few changes to the Studio EQ setup, which I was able to save and then import into another project to verify that it works. My major crib is that on first view, the native plugs do not have the “automap” extension, so I automatically assumed that they wouldnt work with the Nocturn.

So for anyone thinking of buying or if you are in the same situation, first impressions were not good but it actualy works very well with a little bit of work - like most things in life!

I will check out the Pro version when i get to grips with what I have now!

Thanks again,

dk

4



Como`s right!

Nocturn also responds to the “Quick Controls” (QC) in Cubase. You can use the “Learn”-function to assign certain parameters of a plug-in/instrument to the QC and control them with the buttons of your keyboard. You`ll see the bars in the QC moving then.

Best wishes

JC

5

Hi Joan,

thanks for your reply, i will look in the quick controls, sounds good!

I still cant find any way in the plugin manager to tell C6 to add additional folders, even though i dont really need to anyway - maybe this is a Windows only option? I have attached a screen shot of my plugin manager screen - there are no options to add other folders!

dk

Screen shot 2011-06-22 at 14.54.55.png
Screen shot 2011-06-22 at 14.54.55.png497×601 67.5 KB

6

Hi,

I admit, the Quick Controls option is not a true solution to your problem since they only control audio-, midi- & group tracks.

Below you`ll find a screenshot of the Plug-in Manager which shows the box where you can add VST plug-in folders.

All the best

JC
Automap Plug-in Manager.jpg

7

Ah, i see that you are using Windows, the Mac version does not give such an option.

Many thanks,

dk