I would like to make a feature request, I love the fx chain preset feature but really wish there was a native Cubase version of Blue Cat’s patchwork, basically a “plugin” that would allow multiple plugins to be loaded in a chain while only using 1 insert, I can’t see how this is not a thing already, loading fx chain as it stands means you can only load 1 fx chain per channel, if you try adding another fx chain it just overwrites the current one (unless you do some tedious work around like loading only a dummy channel then copying over), this is the sort of feature that makes Ableton so creative, just like the modulators that Cubase finally added, anyway thats my rant
This has been already requested several times here, like:
or here
and probably others I cannot find. None of those got a lot of tracktion, though.
I generally like the idea of a more flexible plugin container like Metaplugin, but for it to make really sense, you would need another feature request fulfilled: renaming insert slots…
I would like something like this native inside Cubase/Nuendo too, and other threads have been around as @fese points out.
For the time being, you’ve got plenty of options on the market – you already mentioned Blue Cat (and BTW they have a couple different products with different features that are pretty cool that can host plugins), but my favorite is DDMF’s Metaplugin. They also make a more “user-friendly” simple version called Superplugin.
There are others on the market that host third-party plugins, including Waves StudioRack, Modalics Plugin Buddy, Excite Audio KSHMR Chain, etc…
Lots of good options. DDMF and Blue Cat are top notch though IMO. Just grab one and be done with it for now. Maybe Steinberg will one day add this feature, and I support this request and other threads on this topic of course, but there’s no reason not to do this now with what’s available. Cheers!
I think what bugs me about the other options, namely patchwork, is that you are looking through the vst folder, which contains instruments and effects, I would want to drag and drop from Cubase’s browser where I have all my plugins categorised as well as having screenshots, just easier to navigate.
my fault, I searched for the same topic but didn’t search hard enough apparantly.
I don’t really see how something like a renameing insert slots feature would affect creating a self contained fx chain feature, maybe I’m missing something.
Well, one problem I have with many of the existing plugin chainers (like Metaplugin or Blue Cat) is that the insert slot is simply named with the name of the chainer plugin. If I now have several of those in a project, I don’t really know what is behind those chainer plugins, and I have to open each to check. It would be much more useful if I could give that insert slot a custom name, e.g. “ParaComp” or “MS processing”, so you have a clue what is happening inside just by looking at the mix console.
Yep, agreed, and this is another good reason why it would be nice to have this integrated inside Cubase/Nuendo. My previous post was not to dismiss this idea, but rather support the idea and also share my own practical view to handle the current reality and IMO we just have to deal with it for now and use the various solutions on the market.
But yes, there are many good reasons why it would be nice to have this built in to Cubase/Nuendo, I’m all for it! Perhaps for Cubase 15!
Yep, another good reason to have this integrated in Cubase/Nuendo.
Frankly we could come up with a lot of reasons. Another one for me, for example, is that as of Cubase/Nuendo 14 with the modulators features, I’d like a very simple/integrated way of linking modulators to plugin parameters in chains. Using a third-party chainer right now, for example, adds a layer of abstraction that certainly can slow things down (depending on which chainer, it can be more or less annoying).
Again, I’m fine living with it for now, but I’ll continue to support threads like this because if Steinberg did a built-in chainer feature the RIGHT way, the user experience would cover all these kinds of workflow needs, and it would be potentially awesome and unleash even more creativity.
thats a good point and I agree, being able to name the insert slot would help a lot!
It could also be something like, if you create a self contained FX chain, the name of the preset you created shows as the plugin name “FX Chain - delay guitar” for example.
