I have never understood why some parameters exist both in the automation lanes and as MIDI ccs. Volume might be an example. I think it is probably true that MIDI 1 cannot control many Cubase functions and this is why automation was created. Could anyone enlighten me as to why this duplication. I think I once found all the ccs also buried in the automation menus. What’s the story? I ask in relation to orchestrations
Thank you
Z
CCs come from the desire to control one synth from another, circa early 80s, when MIDI was invented/designed/established.
Automation comes from the desire to automate a mixing desk, circa early 70s, I think. API?
In a DAW, CCs are still mostly for interacting with instruments and automation for automating the mix.
Right or wrong, I’m sure we will find out!
In short, Cubase runs on a VST engine. This is not limited to plugins, as many people conceive. In fact, VST plugins plug themselves into the VST engine.
On the other hand there is Midi. Midi 1.0 has one big thing going for it: It is supported by almost everything and their mother in the music world. Other than that it is in many ways inferior.
In Cubase you can either use Midi or VST events or you can mix them.
This is what you see on screen.
Automation in the lanes is higher resolution (64-bit float) than MIDI CC messages (usually 7-bit, 128 steps).
Cubase has a long history. It started in 1989 as a pure MIDI sequencer that used MIDI control data exclusively to control external hardware sound generators. With native audio processing in 1996 (Cubase VST 3.0), audio tracks were added. Automation for audio channels, effect parameters and the new VST plug-ins was added, and MIDI CC was also incorporated into the new, progressive automation system. This made it possible to draw MIDI control data for internal VST instruments and external devices directly on the tracks in the Arrangement View and automate it with the modern Read/Write/Latch modes, just like audio channel faders. However, the conventional method of recording and editing MIDI controller data in the Key Editor was retained, probably for compatibility reasons, and remains so to this day.