The New MIDI Remote is

digitallysane · May 3, 2022, 10:24am

For a keyboard approach, totally.
And that’s exactly the problem. That in the current implementation, devices like knobs and sliders are reduced to emulating keyboard strokes.
Contrast this with the old mackie protocol and how it makes possible to have a Jog wheel for transport.

I’m not saying the keyboard pair commands should be changed.

I’m saying that the functions themselves (like Cursor or Zoom or Nudge) should be available to be tied to knobs and sliders.

So you have Time Cursor and if you link it to a knob, it is implicit that turning the knob left will move the cursor left, turning it right will move it right etc.

Should also be a bit smoother than keyboard emulations.

ggmanestraki · May 3, 2022, 10:57am

Fully agree.

It would be a dream if this was possible in the surface editor too.

Yes. I tried to script a page or two, and what actually worked best for me was to forcibly lock the knob in the middle (by setProcessValue to 0.5 (? I must check it out?), and set the value of the twist right custom variable to 1 for the knob >0.5 or to 1 for the twist left custom variable for knob <0.5 . Curiously it works. But it feels wrong seeing the poor knob writhe and shiver in place, and I can’t see what the command is about (the assignment is just blank in the GUI), and I have to be very deliberate and foresighted when creating pages.

I’m having a blast with the MIDI remote so far, though! It was awesome work for its very first appearance!

MarcoPolux · May 9, 2022, 2:15am

UPDATE:
iCon Platform M+ works GREAT (also the Mini Akai MKii and the X-Touch mini… I will continue in a month or so to install others like Arturia BeatStep Pro, Launchpads . . . . . )
Works SUPER! Motorized faders and endless encoders (knobs)… --Almost Perfect ***–

I was able at last to make my motorized faders wokr as if I designed them. I divided them into a 4 channel motorized mixer, and 4 channel quick controlls and what not…

What I had to do is VERY SIMPLE:
1- Eliminate the Mackie Controll Script.
2- Configure the Platform buttons to CC (not tone, as its default)
3- in Cubase midi Remote, create the graphic controller step by step taking care of choosing the correct button (slider, button, toggle…)
4- assign the functions

That´s it. It just works. As I said, almost perfect. Except:

***The physical Midi Controller buttons don´t light up while toggled
(Using the Mackie controll and TONE instead of CC´s, they light up and work perfectly… but just limited to the Mackie controll… )

I configured also the check box “Transmit to Hardware” . . . . so there is not much else to do.

Does anyone knows how to tell Cubase to light up the buttons from the midi controller?

robw · May 9, 2022, 5:49am

I just obtained an icon Platform M+ myself and was about to embark on this adventure. Glad to hear it can work as I hoped.
I’m a little confused by what you mean by “CC (not tone…”?
By Tone do you mean Note Numbers? (which is common for Mackie).

Also are the motorized faders being used a Pitch Bend or CC (i.e. are they high resolution as they are in Mackie mode)?

Be great if you could share your MIDI remote files.

MarcoPolux · May 9, 2022, 6:35pm

Glad you did. It´s a nice non-expensive Motorized faders midi controller that has very good components and it is very well made. So you get a very good unit at a very good price.
1- I enter the configuration of the Platform M+ using its own software, went to USER mode and change its values. (see attached image)
2- Motorized faders I didn´t touch at all, leave them as they were (pitch bend)
3- In CUBASE, Do NOT configure the Platform as Mackie controller… in fact, do not configure, just go straigt to create the Midi Remote image as you want to.
(use Relative Signed Bit for the encoders. The buttons are standard and Absolute)

Good luck! let us know how it went.

Dave_B · May 9, 2022, 10:19pm

There is in JavaScript. I confirmed that it does create a “sideways” fader.

MarcoPolux · May 10, 2022, 1:13am

Maybe I am misunderstanding the question, but if not, I would respond there is no need to enter into the JavaScript rabbithole…

In the Midi Remote editor… right there, when you place a Fader, click on the left plus-ish sign to make it horizontal, and the right one … (see image)

Dave_B · May 10, 2022, 1:42am

Cool! I was not aware of this feature! I didn’t notice this prior. Is this new to 12.0.20? Not sure how I missed that, though I’m coding JavaScript for a variety of reasons.

MarcoPolux · May 10, 2022, 4:26am

Don´t really know, I´ve been learning Cubase only this past week, still on trial version but definitively I´ll get my license soon.

I love to code also, but not an expert and no time for me to engage in a new system´s quest…

… do you know a way in JS to tell the Platform M+ to light up its LEDs when toggled? that is all that keeps me from my dream work set, it all works suoper fine now, except that.

Dave_B · May 10, 2022, 11:13am

Not sure for your case, but control of the LCD displays (for one example) for the SL MK3 is only allowed in InControl mode and only available through code, thus one of the reasons I’m going that route. Were I able to accomplish what I want without coding, that would certainly be preferred.

MarcoPolux · May 11, 2022, 3:19am

Good luck, it is fun to code… I might have to do it later if Cubase don´t fix this bug.

I think I will create a new topic only for this.

robw · May 11, 2022, 3:44am

I have a few weeks leave coming up and intend on coding up the Platform M+ connection - hopefully with all the lights and keeping zoom functions etc. Not sure that is possible with MIDI Remote (yet) but once I get my Cubase 12 update and have some time it will be fun trying.

MarcoPolux · May 11, 2022, 6:33pm

Everything you mentioned is possible and I have it working with MIDI Remote EXCEPT, … the lights… the LED’s on the Platform M+

It may well not be, but I believe it could be something about the Platform M+; it seems that its LEDs only work with NOTE, not CCs… You could try first configuring the Platform M+ using the default values for the buttons… I might give this a try also, but maybe next week.

It would be great if you did get that to work. Please let us know

robw · May 21, 2022, 11:08pm

@MarcoPolux I’ve made a start on the midi remote script for the Icon Platform M+. You can follow along with the progress with my fork of the midiremote-userscripts repo - GitHub - woodcockr/midiremote-userscripts: A place for user created MIDI Remote API scripts

You will need to modify lines 18 and 19 of icon_platformmplus.js to be the correct midi port (probably Platform M+ v2.15) then it will auto detect. I have some virtual midi port names in their so I can monitor the MIDI traffic to figure out what the M+ is sending.
At this stage I’ve only scripted the basic surface layout - no connection into Cubase functions yet.
The Icon Platform M+ should be in the DEFAULT MCU Mode - I’m anticipating using MCU mode will provide both complete functionality and support other Mackie devices (at least folks can take the code as a start and use it elsewhere).
I’ve included in the surface some additional elements for the “Flip” and “Zoom” simultaneous pressing functionality. Along with all “touch” CC changes messages for the fader and knobs.
The additional functions like jog wheel in Zoom mode don’t always show their on/off state in Midi Remotes display. The MIDI data for Note On/Off is sent but they have the exact same time stamp so I’m pretty certain its just not updating the display. If you connect it to a VST synth you can here the very short note play!
LED Lights - figured them out. The will turn on with a Note On Event with Velocity above 0 and off with a Note On Event of velocity 0 (that is not a typo, it is a On Event). The Note number matches the MCU mapping.

There maybe some other functionality I’ve not figured out how to send/receive yet but there is enough to be getting on with.
Next job will be figuring out how to get MIDI Remote to:

pass data into Cubase functions
receive data from Cubase events
Put a transform of some sort in the path of both 1 and 2 so I can map the functions and values to that which is required by Cubase/Platform M+.

I’m hopeful there is an example buried in the scripts somewhere on how to do insert a function in the middle. The code I’ve seen so far only does direct connections. Still plenty more code to look at though!

cubace · May 22, 2022, 6:55am

Cubase is not sending much information. I it send some meta data that was not present on previous Generic Remote. Like channel color and name. It is polished, but it is still same old problems.

harshajayman · May 24, 2022, 8:18am

Strange. I cannot see a topic for icon platform there under your name . What I see is an alesis one
Thanks

robw · May 24, 2022, 9:03am

It’s on the develop branch. I forgot to mention that.

it isn’t complete yet but I have the lights all responding to presses. Also discovered some the lights do different colours but haven’t figured how yet.

My current goal is to get the full surface interaction running. Mapping commands and setting up alternate pages seems to be straight forward after that.

I am open to suggestions on possible mappings. I might start a new thread though to capture those once I get the first working release done.

UK.SANTS · May 26, 2022, 9:37pm

Have more controllers been added to cubase 12?

MarcoPolux · June 3, 2022, 12:27am

Hey! cool that you are working on the Platform.

I have everything working as I wanted (except the LEDs). With Cubase 12 Midi Remote… you can do whatever you want in terms of buttons and funcionality, SUPER EASILY. BUT!!! the darn LEDs, that is another story, I can’t get them to work, not as CC, not as Note…, not as button, nor as toggle button… something in Cubase is not completing the “hand shake” I believe, and I am hoping that in an update this could get addressed. I hope Steinberg is watching.

Also, I’ve been watching that the Toggle button is kind of glitchy sometimes, because something there is still not checked in totallity (I believe, for it’s programming in Cubase, it needs to address more scenarios to not leave certain combinations out and not letting the controller or even Cubase itself, that the toggle should be off or on. Example: I press a macro to unmute and un/solo everything at once, and Cubase doesn’t tell the midi controller to toggle off the button, so I have to press it 3 or more times to let it keep its real current state. NOTE: I experiment with CCs, with Notes and with Toggle and regular buttons… none works correctly)

Pages are super straight up and easy to configure, and as many as you want.

Quick Controlls are GREAT! and transmit immediatly back to the motorized faders.

Some buttons I assigned functions and Macros that I’ve created. Everything here does function super well (except, you guessed it… the LEDs! )

I don’t know if it is possible here in this forum, but I might send a Video, which will be 1000 more explanatory than my attempt to redact clearly.

So, at the moment, the following issues need to be fixed in CUBASE’s Midi Remote…>
1- The LED’s don’t work correctly.

2- We need maybe a SCREEN watermark message, maybe at center right, that last X configurable time, maybe a fraction of a second, to let us know what function you pushed… or configure to always show the last command entered… to me that would be great to not have to double check.

3- BitWig, for example, adds a color flag above the parameter you are controlling with a spescific fader or knob, so you know that your fader 3, for example, is red… you see a parameter you want to controll on screen that has the red flag… you go direcly to that fader. … as it is right now, sometimes I don’t get it right the first time and have to wiggle the fader to check what is controlling…takes you out of focus and it robs you precious time. Because of this, I haven’t used more than 2 PAGES yet, I better reserved my faders to QuickControlls.

4- The Surface controll band that Cubase adds to the tracks side thats to your left, to let you know that those are the tracks the current BANK selection is controlling. . . . this is not working properly also. And you can’t edit its color (as you can in Logic Pro X, for instance) so if you have more than one Midi controller. . . . they are not just overlaped, but the same color… and you can discern between them … (I will explain better)

All this above are just minor things to have it all working meticulously pefect.

In the meantime, as I have the setup right now, Iam doing better (WAY BETTER) than with just a little more than the Mackie Controller that other DAW’s can offer, mostly for this motorized faders. So I am happy, but still looking for the perfect setup.

robw · June 3, 2022, 6:02am

Working fine with my scripted version. If you aren’t using the scripting I can understand why they would not work.

This kinda exists - in the toolbar for the midi-remote it shows the last pressed button. Trouble is it seems to trigger some other buttons (most notably Stop) so it isn’t really the last button pressed but the last function triggered.

Yeah I get this. Also when you first initialise the midi-remote it reverts to the first bank even if you currently have a track selected in an entirely different bank. This seems to be causing some initialisation issues that require selecting tracks so the midi-remote mixer bank and track selection variables all catch up with reality.

I’m curious how you have your Channel Selection setup. I can’t seem to arrive at a nice conclusion for the mapping just yet.

Feel free to try out my full script so you get your leds working.