Why Why Why can I not save my External FX Routing?

[digi001]

I spend so much time re-configuring External FX.
Why cant they make this easier?

I just don’t get it?

[ResonantMind]

@digi001

I spend so much time re-configuring External FX.
Why cant they make this easier?

I just don’t get it?

Yes, this is a neglected part of Cubase without a doubt… I brought it up in this behemoth of a thread.

@ResonantMind

You guys, the External FX user interface and protocol is so terrible to look at and work with. It would be one thing if all you had to do was set it and forget about - but Cubase is always breaking my connections so I’m having to go into it and reconnect ins and outs ALL the friggin time. It’s so bad. And there are no template presets, so you have to reset one by one ALL THE SENDS AND RETURNS.

Full size image:
External FX UI.png

This whole thing needs to get worked, not just the GUI, but the connectivity and how different parts of Cubase can access it.

First of all, GUI wise… Get rid of the whole collapsible tree list. Each External FX should just be a nice big wide row, with all information visible at all times. Everything nice and big and clear. Like 100 pixel width. I want to be able to add 100x100 thumbnail pictures of my hardware on the far right. Alternating row colour shades for easy looking.


-Connections should never break. Just split the connections between mono inputs and the returns.

-The user should be able to activate External FX Channel Strips that show up in the mix console, instead of having to use the External FX plugin.

-You should be able to use External FX plugins on events by using DOP, even though that’s not an offline process, it could be done.

-You shouldn’t HAVE to use an external FX insert, you should be able to just use your track sends directly to the External FX.

-An oscillator that can be activated in the connections panel to test send/return and gain stage.

-The External FX insert plugin - needs an update - Look at StudioOnes Pipeline. Input/Output metering, realtime waveform comparison overlay of dry signal and return wet signal.

@ResonantMind

It should at the very least be this, but even this photoshop isn’t that great

full size:
External FX fix rev 1.png


Get rid of all the lines, add some mini meters for send and return, add an oscillator button.

Want to do more? have a “turn on channel” per external fx, but turning this on/off has virtually no effect on anything. It would be the equivalent of visibility hiding or unhiding a track. If you put inserts on, the inserts will still be on if you hide it. External FX Channels.

[Carvin_Man]

+100000000000000

[SteelyDani]

Absolutely agree!!!

[Retired-1]

+1

[lordadb]

+1
It’s a fake hardware support.

[ResonantMind]

I’m glad this thread keeps getting bumped.

It’s incredibly terrible to work with

[The_dman]

I get the feeling that hardware users are such a small percentage of DAW users that it’s not a priority. This has been broken forever

[Sonik]

+1

[Elien]

Originally I did not understand the problem (simply because I am only using one or two external devices). In the meantime I am aware of the issues.
I strongly support you with this request - high time to really improve it and simplify it!

+1!

Ernst

[ResonantMind]

Will all the 500 series gear lust, eurorack, and effect pedals as powerful as studio rack effects… I don’t really get how Steinberg has not improved this section in the past 5 years…

Essentially, they designed it for people who have 128 channels of AD/DA and don’t need to worry about conflicting ins/outs - which is a small percentage of users… But the amount of people who have desktop filters, or a pedal board by their DAW or 16 channels of different 500 series gear - but they also only have 16 AD/DA ins of which 16 mic pres also use… is very high.

[Jorge_Ruiz]

I completely agree. I think it’s about time for a revamp of the external hardware support in Cubase. In fact, this feature is my number 1 request whenever I fill the Steinberg’s surveys.

[Jorge_Ruiz]

And it’s kind of weird that we can create and save presets for the whole Inputs and Outputs sections, but not for the External FX and External Instruments.

[Mister_9_Volt]

Yes yes yes. Would be cool if external FX could be saved!!

[Sunshy]

+1 I’m about ready to give up and just hardwire everything.

[dayzk]

+1 … majorly!

This is insane that Cubase does not remember the External Plugin Efx channel routings! If someone has 8, 16 or 32 inputs and outputs on their interface and most of which is being used for external effects or plugins as HARDWARE INSERTS, and maybe even summing outside the box, and coming back in - all routing should be remembered! The fact it isn’t for a 10.x product, and so much else done that is doing laps around other DAWs, to have such minimal support when many users have or are getting even just 1 piece of rack gear or 500 series lunchbox and many effects is quite preposterous when in fact many people clearly need it.

I don’t understand what the difficulty is, but it must be something or a forced limit? Why it as software doesn’t recall what I tell the software e.g. JUST REMEMBER I DEFINED THE EFFECTS ROUTING EITHER GLOBALLY OR BY PROJECT… either would be fine.

Thank you Steinberg!

Best -

Dayz

[PleaseDontBanMe]

@dayzk

+1 … majorly!

This is insane that Cubase does not remember the External Plugin Efx channel routings! If someone has 8, 16 or 32 inputs and outputs on their interface and most of which is being used for external effects or plugins as HARDWARE INSERTS, and maybe even summing outside the box, and coming back in - all routing should be remembered! The fact it isn’t for a 10.x product, and so much else done that is doing laps around other DAWs, to have such minimal support when many users have or are getting even just 1 piece of rack gear or 500 series lunchbox and many effects is quite preposterous when in fact many people clearly need it.

I don’t understand what the difficulty is, but it must be something or a forced limit? Why it as software doesn’t recall what I tell the software e.g. JUST REMEMBER I DEFINED THE EFFECTS ROUTING EITHER GLOBALLY OR BY PROJECT… either would be fine.

Thank you Steinberg!

Best -

Dayz

Also super annoyed by this

[lordadb]

I hope Cubase begins again to look at the professional and hybrid studios. Now, it’s became a home studio oriented software.

[PleaseDontBanMe]

@lordadb

I hope Cubase begins again to look at the professional and hybrid studios. Now, it’s became a home studio oriented software.

Well this is a bit of a contradiction… The way External FX is setup currently - IS for professional studios that have huge consoles and more ins and outs than they need - so they can create one template, and have AD/DAs dedicated to external FX, and never touch it again.

What we need actually is External FX designed for professional-home studios - No console, less AD/DA but utilizing pieces of outboard every once and a while, but not always… or different setups. We have to get creative with our 16 AD/DA

for example,
I track a project using all 16ins and during this I only need 2-6 outputs (2 for main outs, then 2-4 monitor mixes for the musicians). Thus some Ext.FX outs can remain connected to hardware ins. The hardware ins would however be broken though if they share the same outs as monitors - fine.

But I’m done tracking now, and I want to mix. Don’t need the headphone monitor outs anymore, and can be used for hardware. but, I need to now connect them one by one.

Alright that’s done, now I want to sum using 16outs… got to connect all is outs to the summer now? oh sh!t… I just got a call from another band and they want to come in now and record after hours… now I have to change this and break connections again.

Crazy town.

[Funkybot]

@PleaseDontBanMe

What we need actually is External FX designed for professional-home studios - No console, less AD/DA but utilizing pieces of outboard every once and a while, but not always… or different setups. We have to get creative with our 16 AD/DA

I think if they took an approach more akin to Studio One’s “Pipeline” plugin, they’d be able to satisfy both sets of users. I posted about this in the FR forum, but it’s basically a generic “External FX” plugin where you can setup the inputs and outputs on a per-instance basis, and save them as presets. Everything is saved in the project on a per-instance basis.

On top of that, you’ve got the send/return levels External FX has, but you could do things like add a wet/dry mix, and a waveform display to make sure you’re not clipping anything on the way in or out. Plus, it makes changing the inputs/outputs on a per instance basis because if something moved, you’re doing the setup all from the plugin interface so you’re not having to stop, go to audio connections → External FX → etc.

That type of “Generic External FX Plugin” approach would allow studios large and small to be flexible as to how they chose to integrate External FX. The only downside of the Studio One/Pipeline-style approach compared to the current Cubase implementation is you can’t name each instance.

But…this could probably done in addition, rather than instead of, the current Cubase implementation. So if you’re happy with hardwired External FX, fine…keep them. But if you want more flexibility, use the [hypothetical] new generic External FX plugin.