With Cubase 12, I’m wondering if there’s a way to build a PLE preset to insert a specific plugin onto a track so that I could trigger this with a key command or MIDI interface? Or if not, that would be my feature request please. I tried doing something with Keyboard Maestro, but it was not particularly stable.
Or, if not the PLE, is there another way to do this - say with Generic Remote?
Afraid that’s not possible. with the PLE or macros.
Pity - would speed up workflow for the most used plugins (ex. adding Pro-Q3).
You could make a preset or export your standard track and import it. I use a directory track archives with full configurations including folder tracks and then import them.
Can you build a macro to import a specific track preset? If not, this seems slower than just inserting a plug-in via a mouse?
Not that I could find. And yes it is slightly slower, but not if you are adding multiple plugins and their configurations, or multiple tracks in a configuration with sends etc.
In the simple case, there isn’t much difference. It isn’t that much slower. In the complex case, track archives are just as easy as the simple case. So I prefer to do it one way and have it be just as easy every time.
In fact if you want a preset for a whole folder, you have to do it as an archive. So, that sold me on doing it the one way, and not worrying about it any more.
I use AutoHotKeys for this sort of thing. To insert the Slate VMR plugin on insert 4 I hit ALT+I which triggers the AutoHotKeys macro to open the channel settings for the selected track then opens insert 4 and types in the name of the plugin. I even added some code so that after the plugin opens the mouse pointer moves to the VMR patch dropdown so I can immediately select a preset. It’s cool.
Do you know of a Mac software that could do the same thing? Mouse clicks etc…
There are plenty of macro apps for Mac, but I’m not sure that any of them provide the deep programmable integration that AHK does. For that you might need to write your own AppleScripts or use Automator.
Keyboard Maestro supports similar functions in Mac, but I’ve found in my testing it doesn’t really work for this use case consistently. For example, if you have a plugin already inserted or if you have the accordion menu closed in the inspector, etc. These apps work based on detecting what they see on screen and then clicking in a pre-determined area. It’s a hack at best and not very stable. I don’t believe Cubase exposes this insert ability in the AppleScript interface either.
Yes, for the reasons you describe I open the Channel Setting window where I have the layout configured to always display the inserts. As long as I don’t change the layout of the Channel Settings window my AutoHotKey script works every time.
Yes works amazingly that way!
it´s not slower if you insert several plugins and each one with some pre configuration.
Anyway, better than this for me is to use a template with most of my common tracks already loaded and configured and if I need more tracks I duplicate one of those with all the settings.
I use keyboard maestro on mac and it works really well.
I have some keys mapped to Add specifics plugins to specific slots. Then I map those shortcuts to my Avid Dock and now I have a button to add specific plugin. VERY useful for me!
Would you share your script? I am just trieng to get it to work that way with little success…
Here you go.
;F5 = insert VMR on i4 of selected channel
F5::
Send, e ; opens the channel setting dialog
sleep 500
WinGetTitle, Title, A
WinGetPos, X, Y, W, H, %Title%
varMoveX := (w - 1200)
MouseMove, varMoveX, 200 ; move mouse pointer to i4 slot xy location
Sleep 100
MouseClick, left
Send, Virtual Mix Rack{Enter}e ; enter text into plugin search field {enter} and then close channel settings dialog
Sleep 1500
WinGetTitle, Title, A
WinGetPos, X, Y, W, H, %Title%
varMoveX := (w - 1000)
MouseMove, varMoveX, 90 ; move mouse pointer to VMR preset box for easy preset selection
return
You may need to modify the x/y coordinates depending on the resolution of your screen.