KVR Audio

wagtunes · Post by **wagtunes** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 7:17 pm

This is something that has been driving me crazy forever.

As you know there are some vsts that have keyswitching built in. For example, One guitar library I have has keyswitching for mutes, palm mutes, etc. So one keyswitch may be at C-1. Okay, so I go to my Cubase piano roll and put the note at C-1 and then go play the track. Nothing happens. Turns out that this vst's C-1 is actually Cubase's C-2. And it's different for every vst. There is no consistency.

How do I keep all this straight so that I know when I want to put in C-1 keyswitch I actually have to put it at C-2? Because everything, right now, is trial and error and it's driving me crazy.

Why does Cubase do this?

ozinga · Post by **ozinga** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 7:47 pm

I do not think this is because of Cubase.
Cubase uses C3 as the middle C so I think some plugins probably consider C4 as the middle C and place the keyswitches according to that. So that is why their C-1 is C-2 in Cubase.

wagtunes · Post by **wagtunes** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:05 pm

ozinga wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 7:47 pm I do not think this is because of Cubase.
Cubase uses C3 as the middle C so I think some plugins probably consider C4 as the middle C and place the keyswitches according to that. So that is why their C-1 is C-2 in Cubase.

Okay, that's all well and good but it doesn't solve my problem. There has to be an easy way to set up keyswitching for each VST and then save it so I can load it in the next time I use that vst.

ozinga · Post by **ozinga** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:54 pm

Yes, the best way is to use expression maps and save the instruments as track presets.

wagtunes · Post by **wagtunes** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 9:56 pm

ozinga wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:54 pm Yes, the best way is to use expression maps and save the instruments as track presets.

Well, I tried doing that but I'm hopelessly lost. I followed the video AND the Cubase 14 documentation but I have no idea how to actually create a map. So I'll just have to continue doing what I'm doing. At least I eventually get there. I did discover today that Shreddage Rogue does follow the Cubase keys so at least there is no transposition with that one.

FreakBoy · Post by **FreakBoy** » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:42 pm

wagtunes wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 9:56 pm
ozinga wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:54 pm Yes, the best way is to use expression maps and save the instruments as track presets.

Well, I tried doing that but I'm hopelessly lost. I followed the video AND the Cubase 14 documentation but I have no idea how to actually create a map. So I'll just have to continue doing what I'm doing. At least I eventually get there. I did discover today that Shreddage Rogue does follow the Cubase keys so at least there is no transposition with that one.

Cubase 15 has simplified this process slightly, but it's still a bit clunky.

I've got Shreddage3 Jupiter and use the expression maps to do exactly what you're doing.

Maybe try this one:

Held · Post by **Held** » Sat Jan 24, 2026 9:24 am

wagtunes wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:05 pm
ozinga wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 7:47 pm I do not think this is because of Cubase.
Cubase uses C3 as the middle C so I think some plugins probably consider C4 as the middle C and place the keyswitches according to that. So that is why their C-1 is C-2 in Cubase.
Okay, that's all well and good but it doesn't solve my problem. There has to be an easy way to set up keyswitching for each VST and then save it so I can load it in the next time I use that vst.

You could ask the developers of your VST to implement the VST3 expression maps standard. That way, the instrument can tell Cubase which keyswitches are available.

https://steinbergmedia.github.io/vst3_d ... troduction

Need Help With Cubase 14 And Keyswitching