Cubase and CC control for VSTs

[Viny deWonderful]

Hello friends and musicians! I have done a look through the site and I couldn't find an answer to my query. Maybe it's simple and I just can't figure it out... Anyway I'll dive into the question:

I have the Cubase 7 and I am working on a project, so far I used to use Kontakt 5 for instruments, but now I am trying some VSTs and the CC pan, volume, etc... Are not working. It does control the pan, and volume easily with Kontakt, but when I use, say, TX16Wx, it doesn't affect it at all... Surely those VST plugins have their own pan and volume controls, but I am talking about the one that is under the track you can draw on the DAW, it doesn't change the instrument at all as it does for Kontakt. Does any one who works with Cubase knows what is going on? Any help is very appreciated!

[Nabeel Ansari]

The MIDI Standard is just a set of protocols. A software standard is literally a bunch of people saying "these numbers mean these things, make sure your software follows that".

Which means that, of course, there's lots of software that doesn't work with it. While DAW's present to you the CC's as "Pan", "Volume", etc. plug-in developers have no actual obligation and thus never get around to making the VST respond to those CC's. What you need to do is use the more common "MIDI Learn" system to make the plug-in automate a particular parameter according to the last CC that was changed. So if you have a hardware knob on your keyboard that changes the pan CC number, do MIDI learn on the "pan" inside of the VST and wiggle the knob, the VST should now link it, and now correctly respond to that CC number.

Alternatively, you can try to look up if TX16Wx responds to DIFFERENT CC numbers for its volume and pan. Simply automate those instead.

If the VST doesn't even have MIDI learn, I suggest moving on from it, if automating those parameters is important for your music. I personally have no patience for trying to force software to do what I want it to do. It's why I switched off of FL Studio, where this whole process in particular is about twice as complicated (the great piano roll isn't worth the huge time losses everywhere else, in mixing, arranging, automating, etc.). I am now in Studio One, where automating VST parameters is as simple as wiggling the VST's knob and then hitting a button for it to spawn the automation lane into the timeline. It should be very similar in Cubase, since S1 was designed by ex-Steinberg folks.

[Viny deWonderful]

Hello Neblix! Thank you so much for replying me! I'm sorry it took me so long to reply due to the holidays.

   When I started learning how to use DAWs I used to use FL Studio, now I use Cubase. The only reason I've changed is that FL Studio used to crash A LOT! Not very good at using the computer memory. I can do so much more on that department with the Cubase. Given that Cubase doesn't crash with me... But I did prefer FL Studio, the notation system I find better and I didn't have this issue that I am having. All VST plugins were easier to control, if I remember correctly.
   Anyway, I have tried all plugins I could find for free out there to run my soundfonts, but the sound quality in most of them is quite deplorable when running the same soundfonts! TX16Wx, I fear, is the best sounding one. And I really want to figure out how its automation track works.
   For other VSTs and for people with a similar problem I found out this method, by try and error:
1. First right click in this general area to make this list appear:

2. Then click on Switch to Generic Editor

3. Your VST will change into this Cubase-like layout.

4. Say you want to control the pan on the track; then you right click on the that bar to make Show "whatever" Automation Track

5. Finally under the VST Instruments Folder; under your VST folder, in this case Toad Nes drum, you'll find a new "whatever" in this case "pan" track.

 

Sadly with TX16Wx, the one VST I'm needing, I get this list for parameters but they don't have the Show Automation Track option.