SYS EX vs CC (Help ?)

Cubase
#1

Hey folks,

This thread is regarding the programing of having Cubase call up the original exact settings (on my Nord keyboard) of the Preset configuration for the START of a song.

So, if i record in as a Midi Track a (say) Piano Patch on the Nord which (at the start of the song) is ‘dry’. Then halfway thu the song i activate the reverb switch (on the Nord) so that the Piano now has FX on it. This latter mentioned event gets recorded (in Cubase) as Midi information during the initial recording and subsequently turns the reverb ON (on the Nord) at the same point during playback. i may well come back to this later on in this thread, but for now my big question is this :-

i need Cubase to RESET (if thats the correct term) the Nord to having its reverb switch to OFF at the very start of the song. Just to be very clear about the scenario :-

When the song reaches the END the Nord Piano has the reverb ON. Now, if i want to replay the song i press rewind on the (Cubase) Transport Panel to move the Playback Line back to Bar #01. Now when i press Play, Cubase triggers all the notes on the Nord but the Nord (FX) is ‘wet’ (as it was at the end of the song). What i need is to get Cubase to RESET the Nord back to the original state required at the start of the song (ie. a Piano Patch with reverb turned OFF).

As far as i am aware (and after much experimentation) there are TWO possibilities to choose from. One would be to set within Cubase CC numbers/values so that they turn On/Off the various parameters as required. This would require dedicated Lanes/Tracks to be created (in Cubase) and then the approriate CC numbers/values configured in each of these Lanes (for example, drawn in with the Pencil icon). In the case of a Nord Patch consisting of settings for Organ Drawbars, Synth parameter tweaks, FX and EQ etc, this would make for a hell of a lot of CC numbers to be set and stored in Cubase !! Though of course this is possible and once you have worked out and written down the matching CC numbers, an so then you have got them for life.

The other way was to set up the Nord Patch up via SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE. i pressed Record (in Cubase) and then PATCH DUMP (on the Nord) and the information was sent. However, i am not at all sure how relaible this method would be. And also i would need to leave some kind of gap at the start of the song in order for the SYS EX to be Transmitted to the Nord (and set up the Patch) ??

i hope i have made my question clear and having only been learning Cubase since last year, i would value some expert advice here.

Thanks a lot…

Paul

#2

Moderator please remove this message. Thank you.

#3

Hello Paul - I don’t do that stuff w/ SYSEX and all, I tried once and it was too hard for me.

But can you put a command at the very start so that the reverb is “OFF” (similar to how you had it come “ON” in the middle of the song)? Failing that, maybe the very LAST command can be an “OFF”, not quite as useful, but maybe useful enough?

#4

EDITED : As I deleted the original post I have also removed the offensive quoted text.

Back to th topic: Alexis gave you the right answer.

#5

Thanks Alex/Jarno,

i had not thought about setting the CC numbers at the END of the song !! i have not tried it yet but i can’t see why this won’t work.

Personally, i would have thought System Exclusive dumping would be quite easy, though maybe i am wrong here. For what reasons do you choose not to use this option ??

Cheers,

Paul

#6
  1. It could be easy or not that easy. Depends on hardware. If it requires lots of menu browsing etc, I wouldn’t bother, if the same result can be achieved by using couple of CCs.
  2. It takes much longer for Cubase to send SysEx patch than it takes to send few CCs.
  3. Cubase doesn’t “chase” SysEx. You have jump to location of SysEx data to reset your synth.

You can of course use both:

  1. At the start of the track you have a part containing SysEx for your synth patch.
  2. Next you have a part containing CCs to reset all the changes your track might make to the patch.
  3. After this starts the real song.
    Now you only have to play SysEx part after loading your project.
#7

As Jarno put it, Sysex messages are not chased and they take time to make their way to the device. Not to mention the time it takes for the device to respond and execute the Sysex command.

Also: SysEx messages are device specific. You will have to look in the Nord manual to find the -exact- sysex message that will allow you to control the reverb (or whatever you are trying to control)

You will have to format the message yourself, which may include calculating a checksum for the message.
This can be a royal pain in the neck to get working.

After doing some research (digging into the MIDI implementation in the manual, looking on the web) You may find that a MIDI CC is all you need to control the reverb.

Good Luck,
:Miki.

#8

Thanks Jarno, thats really helpful. i had never heard the term ‘Chasing’ before but it seems to be widely used here.

#9

Thanks Miki,

Thats what i meant about going thru EVERY function on the Nord and writing down which CC#'s they represent (within Cubase). It would be a big job to start off with but as i say you would only have to do it once and write them all down for future reference.

#10

You might want to take a look at this too.
http://www.norduserforum.com/nord-stage-forum-f3/a-patch-editor-for-the-nord-stage-based-on-ctrlr-t1580.html

I just downloaded ctrlr now. Am checking it out.

#11

Hi Miki,

Thank you very much. i just took a look. But it looks really COMPLICATED and what you have to do to download and install it !! :open_mouth: i am not the greatest computer wizkid by a long stretch !!

So do you have a Nord yourself Miki ??

#12

@Monsterjazzlicks: I have an old Nord Rack 1. Had it for years.

I haven’t used it in a while, since I rebuilt my system. Maybe it’s time to break it out of mothballs. :slight_smile: