Workflow Suggestion for Switching Audio Connections/External FX

Cubase
1

Hi there,
I’m an experienced Cubase user and have struggled for many years to find a good workflow to switch my Audio Connections between Recording and Mixing.
I use an RME UFX with two RME Multifaces and I like to have all of the inputs available for tracking. But when I mix, I usually have a few pieces of outboard gear that I run some of my busses through. I have presets for all of my input configurations and I have saved my External FX as favorites. I also use a variety of Control Room output configurations (also saved as presets), depending on whether I am tracking, mixing or mastering.

PROBLEM: the External FX favorites do not load the I/O drivers when I select them and this behaviour differs from the Presets I can load for my Inputs or Control Room outputs. I have to re-assign all of the Inputs and Outputs for my External FX and then I have to click through a dialog “The selected device port is already used. Selecting the port for this bus will replace any previous connection.” for each port that needs to be re-assigned. This procedure is rather cumbersome and slow.

QUESTION: Is there a better way of doing this?

Thanks in advance.

2

The glib answer is to use another DAW. Literally every other DAW has a better way of handling this than Cubase. The plugin solution used by other DAWs isn’t even particularly difficult to implement, so it’s hard to understand why Steinberg still hasn’t fixed this after all these years.

However, the new feature in C14 where an input can be assigned to both an input bus and an external fx should make this a simpler process.

1 Like
3

Thank you GlennO for your response.
I have not updated to C14 yet but intend to in a month or so. By the sounds of what you’re describing, C14 should be able to do what I want.

However I am still missing the option to “Update Preset” (as I wrote in a separate thread here), so that whenever I change the configuration to an existing preset, I do not have to create a new one or, as I currently do, retype the EXACT name of the preset to then Overwrite it. This is also a bit cumbersome imo.

4

I do the same thing :grinning:. Again, the plugin design used in other DAWs would solve that problem.

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5

Hi there,

I posted a hack here, some time ago. It look as though C14 finally improved on this issue, but I haven’t upgraded so far.

my hack: https://forums.steinberg.net/t/external-fx-please-steinberg/846872/4?u=alexandre_de_faria

1 Like
6

Hi Alexandre,

Thanks for your workaround suggestion, of course it’s a drag to have to restart Cubase. Hopefully C14 makes this problem redundant!

1 Like
7

I’m looking forward to trying out the new possibilities for external FX as I too use a hybrid mix system but have to split ‘tracking’ from mixing.

In theory C14 solves this issue and I can hard wire everything now and use for tracking and mixing.

M

1 Like
8

So if I understand it correctly, C14 now allows non-exclusive (i.e. multiple) assignments to an input or output DAC driver?

9

It has nothing to do with drivers just physical IO’s

So as an example: if I have my Avalon 737Sp set up as an input device for tracking then i can’t use it again when mixing if I wanted to run a track through it as the IO would have been taken on the inputs.

Now in C14 i can set it up as an external FX as well and use the same inputs/outputs.

M