VSTs (VST3) can be queried for a list of automatable parameters. Usually one would choose out ot them what to map to some controllers or QC.
Now there seems to be some set of “standard” parameters, or some defined order, so probably there’s a query that returns a list of all existing parameters in some order.
For instance cubase’s track quick controls has this feature “Get Default QCs from Plugin”. Some hardware controllers have similar features, like my nektar it has an instrument mode and selects the “default” parameters of the plugin, whatever that means.
What is happening here exactly and do I have any influence on it.
The both things from above don’t seem to be the same thing, since the “default QCs” selection in cubase has nothing to do with the parameters my hardware controller chooses. They’re completely different, at least for some plugins.
Do I have any chance to configure what they look like, so I would have some reasonable parameters for my VSTs to control in my nektar’s instrument mode, or is it just bad luck when a plugin decides to give the parameters out in some arbitrary but meaningless order.
Why is track QCs default different, how are they defined?
The parameter order is normally gathered via the arrangement set in the remote control editor, see here:
When you make changes to the standard layout and ‘apply’, next time you insert that plugin it will use that order as default.
Nektar is a little different as they have their own mapping system, you can create mappings in the nektarine software and then copy it across to Cubase. i.e.
Sorry, I forgot to answer (sorry for the wall of text, feel free to ignore it, maybe someone wondering the same thing reads it and gets some clarification):
Thank you, and yes you are right. My nektar does have its own presets - I somehow was under the impression, it would retrieve some configuration from the plugin, but it only identifies what plugin there is and then have it’s own preset, which can be configured. That’s a nice feature and it works as described.
Another thing is the “Get default QCs from plugin” in the Track Quick Controls section in the Inspector. I don’t really get where they are coming from, meaning: whether there is some extra definition somewhere in the plugin that says “these are my 8 recommended QCs” or if its just a list of all parameters and cubase decides the first 8 go into the track QC when that button is pressed.
I had the strange idea it could be possible to somehow configure that, but it’s probably on the plugin developer to do so.
Probably using track presets would be the way to approach this, I could create presets that already have the right Quick Controls preset for the respective plugin. I just can’t get myself to use them because it’s way more clicking and typing than just hitting the new instrument track hotkey, clicking the VST list, type 3 letters and hit enter.