Is a 'simple' Multi-in/1-out VST audio switcher with Cubase even possible?

[djskope]

hallo all,

i'm looking for a Multi-in/1-out VST audio switcher (for example 3 instances of massive [set to different patches] going to 1 audio output and rapidly switching between them with a CC or Prg Chg). this technique is workflow efficient and great for creating rapidly changing dubstep or dnb basslines tonight i have been experimenting with 1 instance of massive and sending program changes to change patches but the non-multitimbral massive does not respond to these PrgChgs quickly enough so there is glitching and stuttering (but not in a good way )

problem 1 -

so i looked around kvr and there were a few threads for vsts which sadly seem to have disappeared into vst heaven as they are a few years old, for example

SwitcherPack / 4-1 Switcher by RedShift Media

http://aurati.com/index.php?addComment= ... aPlug=1016

and maybe

Silsic SimpleRouteur

http://en.audiofanzine.com/misc-plugin/ ... ideos.html

problem 2 -

how would one go about using one of these useful utilities in cubase. i did manage to find Soma_Scanner_Lite (OUT), has 4 input channels

http://www.asseca.com/soma/audio_scanners.html

which sounds like it *should* do the job but i can't see how to send each audio output of each massive instance to what i imagine are it's 4 indivdual inputs. it loads as a vst instrument, not an effect so i'm even more confused. would the input only be visible in something like energy xt (which i don't know how to use). i'm looking for an uncomplicated and neat solution for what should be a 'simple' and useful cc controllable 4->1 audio switcher. does this even exist for cubase?

thanks for any light you can shed and apologies if my tone is slightly and unintentionally off - it's now 4:35am (time for bed!)

[sin night]

Disclaimer: I didn't try if this works (I don't have a midi periferal connected right now), but it should...


1 - Load as many instances as you want of your synth, either as instrument track or vst instrument in the vst rack (in this case, create the corresponding midi track)
2- Make sure your synth has a volume output control and that this control is midi remotable (I think almost every synth has it... maybe neon doesn't have it).
3 - Make sure each volume control responds to the same midi control number (this is important if you're stacking different synths!)
4 - Set the output volume of each synth to the maximum, you will compensate it in the mixer (either using the gain control on the top - if you have the full version of cubase - or by inserting a gain plugin in the first slot if you have a reduced version like studio or essential)
5 - Now, on the first track, activate the input transformer:

6 - Set up the first condition. On the top of the window you will choose the right midi CC (in this case is 7, which is the standard for midi volume) and a range (the range goes from 0 to 127 and you have to divide this range between the various synths; I considered an example with 3 synths so it seems to me that 0-43 is a good range). Please notice that you must choose "ouside range" (so it's working on values outside 0-43) and that the conditions are set to "and", not to "or. On the bottom of the window there's the transformation we're doing: value 2 is set to 0. In other words, when the knob on our controllers goes outside the 0-43 range, cubase sets it to 0. I'm sure you'll say "but now the synth will play only wery soft", but we'll correct this on the next step. Oh, don't forget to turn on the condition number 1 checking the corresponding "active module" checkbox.

7 - Now set up condition number 2: in the top part of the window you will set up a condition very similar to the previous one, but you will affect the values inside the chosen range. On the bottom part you set up a transformation to set value2 to 127. So now the control change works like a mute button for the track.

8 - Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 for each track, changing the affected range (for example the second synth you may choose something like 44-88).
9 - When you have set up all the tracks, arm all of them and play!



Side notes:
a - I'm not sure this works completely fine, maybe it's best to keep 0 and 127 outside of every range (I'm not sure if the input transform conditions work in series or in parallel, it may be a problem if they work in series... I didn't check in the manual).
b - A range of 44 points may be a big movement on the controller... well, it's not big but you may want a smaller movement when you're playing: if this is the case, choose a smaller range for each synth (for example 0-20). Experimentation will give you the best results.
c - If you have a midi controller with programmable buttons, why don't you set some buttons (one for each synth) to send the same midi cc but with a different value (for example, a number between 0 and 43 for the first, between 44 and 88 for the second)? This will give you will have "direct access" to the sounds (if you use a knob or a fader you will have to change in sequence...
d - If you have a bcr/bcf2000, there is a trick to send more than a message from the same physical control (you need a pc editor to do this): this way you could set up a generic remote which controls the mutes of each channel by using just a physical control (the generic remote limits you to use assign only a function per midi cc, so you need to send more midi cc from the controller if you want to achieve this result). I'm not sure at all, but maybe also the korg nano series could be set up to send more that a midi cc from the same physical control.



edit: on the second and third screenshot, on the first colum you have to choose respectively "type", "value 1", "value 2"... the screens are not clear on that as cubase displays a different string after you have choose them, in accord to the previous conditions)

[djskope]

Hi Sin Night,

Thank you very much for replying - I've only just seen your post. It sounds like a very innovative and interesting approach with the input transformers. I will experiment with your method at some point in the near future.

It sounds like it should work but I'm not sure if it's 'workflow efficient' and quick to set up - I was hoping to find a small individual application / VST effect. I may be wrong here but there are tens of thousands of Cubase users out there who have no easy way of accomplishing this 'simple' task. Also very ironic if I am correct in thinking that Cubase invented the VST standard but don't natively provide this basic VST routing ability in a straightfoward, neat and discrete package at the year 2012. Do we really have to jump though multiple input tranformer hoops per channel for this functionality each time we want to do this? /rant

Anyway, I spent last night poking around with the modular energyxt for the first time - it was fairly straightforward to progam this process. This is the result which seems to do the job pretty well and neatly and it runs as a VSTi (container) in cubase..



Soma's excellent scanner lite can then be automated via CC2 with a LFO or by pressing midi buttons to switch / crossfade / rotate between the 4 instances of massive (or even different synths) each with a different gnarly bass patch loaded

Now I'm looking forward to thrashing out some morphing dnb basslines this afternoon