Cubase 8.5 here any day now...and the day has come

[lfm]

@ lfm Thanks for the Macro - will definitely try that.

If the MIDI key can be assigned I guess you could record a MIDI sequence on a MIDI track with just this key playing at the correct time and it would trigger the operation on each loop. I can't test this at the moment but if it works it might be the ticket.

That's a cool idea, thank you for that.
If you can direct output from a played back device, or you can do physical loopback of midi so it cannot tell where it come from - from inside daw or outside.

[SJ_Digriz]

I apologize, you were indeed saying external instrument, but my brain was processing external FX.

Here is an example of how I use the combination of External FX and external Instrument.

I have quite a few external FX that are MIDI enabled. MF-104-SD, MF-108, Strymon stuff, T-Rex stuff etc... Basically multi-purpose stomp.

I use the 4th output of my MIDI interface going to a MIDI Splitter which gives me 4 identical streams.
I have Cubase sending clock on that MIDI Output
I set each Stomp Pedal to a unique MIDI channel
I go from the MIDI Splitter to whichever stomp(s) I'm going to use in the chain.

I created Device Panels for each Stomp Box (these are the external instruments).
Each device panel is locked to the 4th output of my MIDI device.
Each panel is locked to the MIDI channel I set the corresponding stomp box to.

I have quite a few ways I use external FX which is why I want presets.
I decide between serial mono, serial stereo(two channels), parallel mono (multiple channels tied up my IO), or parallel stereo (up to 8 channels tied up on my IO).

The majority of the time I end up using serial mono or serial stereo. So, I've kind of defacto relegated Input 7/8 on my interface to external FX. So I configured it that way in the VST settings. It's only when I want to do some parallel stuff that it gets complicated to set up again.

Now that those are set up, I just add the MIDI Device panel for the FX I want to control and add either mono or stereo audio track routed to the external FX buss ... hit ping.

It was a PITA to set up the first combination. But, once I figured out the loop it is awesome. Being able to tempo sync the various stomps via CC is awesome. For example I can automate setting the beat division of my MF-104 right out of the MIDI track.

[Andy Gone]

The multitrack presets is a huge time saver!

[SJ_Digriz]

The multitrack presets is a huge time saver!

lol, it would be if it saved folders, groups and FX tracks and routings.

This is now my #1 long standing request ...
#2 is to fix the keycommand focus issue

[lfm]

The multitrack presets is a huge time saver!

I don't understand the track presets fully - how and why they implemented it that way.

I see a preset that load everything as stored the instant you load it.
After that is should be stored in project as such for everything loaded.

But there is another idea behind it, I think, since you save the preset in the field, and you cannot remove it once loaded - only replace with another preset.

What happends when you load a project again - does the preset load again and are settings altered after loading presets lost?

To me it is confusing....

And drag n drop a preset onto workspace - does it create all the tracks for you?
A lot of remarks about that it only can be applied if already existing tracks and of same type.

2.5 years ago I bought Cubase Elements 7 - and had a support ticket on how to get rid of loaded track preset as I did in Inspector.

Reply I got from support were asking for a screen dump - because they had no idea what fields I was talking about.

Sending screen dump they explained, that field was removed in Cubase 7.5 so that's why they did not see it.

I sense only problems using things I don't understand and where even Steinberg support is not fully updated.

[Andy Gone]

The multitrack presets is a huge time saver!

I don't understand the track presets fully - how and why they implemented it that way.

....

Actually I use them to send track settings I like from project to project. Especially if I work on an album with tracks recorded in a similar way, sometimes I like to send setting I achieved in one song to another song.

Hope it makes sense

[SJ_Digriz]

What is in the project will always be in the project. Once a preset is loaded you can adjust the track data and it will be saved with the project. This will not be written back to the preset. Presets are to add content to a project in a "known" configuration. What you do after that is up to you.

Multi-track presets could be a godsend. Once you've created a multi-output multi-timbral configuration of tracks, it's awesome just to reload with all of the audio and midi track routings taken care of. However, I use a lot of group track summing with the fx primarily on the group tracks. These can't be saved with the multi. Same for Folders and FX routing. Folders I quit using because they don't work properly in conjunction with muting and soloing between the mixconsole and project window.

[lfm]

The multitrack presets is a huge time saver!

I don't understand the track presets fully - how and why they implemented it that way.

....

Actually I use them to send track settings I like from project to project. Especially if I work on an album with tracks recorded in a similar way, sometimes I like to send setting I achieved in one song to another song.

Hope it makes sense

Sure it makes sense - we use presets all the time for various things.
The part I don't get is why you cannot unload them, or just blank that field out - or why they are saved there in the first place.

That's what I meant by instant use and once applied what is the deal after that. A bit like FXP files, you load and you are done.

I remember StudioOne hade a clever approach - having presets listed together the instrument and you could just drop preset in a free spot in track view and track with instrument and settings were created for you. No need to save anything anywhere once that was done.

But now Cubase makes a little bit of a fuzz over you cannot unload them - but once settings are applied you are done, kind of - nothing need to be saved other than with project.

Just some choices devs made are a bit strange to me. Trackpresets have to be loaded on the same type of track it was created - when what they could do is just create the same type of track, if another type.

It's quite some space in manual explaining these things. Just create whatever is not there - is my drift.

Multitrack preset - just create the bleeding tracks with plugins and whatnot - routing and busses and so on. And you have what other daws call track templates. Extremely useful and timesaving.

So as a common template setup I use - Superior Drummer, with 7 stereo outs named and ready to load plugins if you want. And a midi track to go with it, inside a folder track. Then a bus typically called DrumsBus where these are routed.

Cubase preset style, you should have an instrument track ready, with seven audio tracks on outs, and the same I mentioned - and then apply a track preset?
And that track preset must be loaded on the very same setup - what is the timesaving in this.

What works well is track archives in Cubase for this. Just preparing an archive with various common setups you use - load archive, check what to load and done. But you have to do multi out instruments as instrument tracks - not loaded as rack


Track presets are obsolete as it seems to me.

Some daws have effect chains as a preset, that I also get right away in it's context what it's for.

It's just track presets I don't get what it's for - as it's implemented now.
Like devs had a good idea at some time what to do with it - and never got the time to finish the job.

So what Digriz said - do routing and busses and the lot - and it's useful. I have not checked if MediaBrowser just as well can reach and list track archives - and you have that functionality already.

And Steinberg just added what track archives do, direct from existing projects - but much less functionality. No routing, not all track types etc. So it overlaps what track archives do to 90% - what is the purpose?

So just loading and old project and save as track archive would be a big deal - no instead they use programmer resources to do a worse version direct from projects.

A bit what I meant before just so many patches with various functionality - and many overlap each other to a larger part and they pretend it's something new.

[Greg Houston]

Skipping 8.5, and honestly the only things that really interest me for upgrading at this point are bezier curve automation and a fully configurable docking system that includes the mixer and transport. Unlimited inserts per channel would be an additional bonus.

[SJ_Digriz]

So what Digriz said - do routing and busses and the lot - and it's useful. I have not checked if MediaBrowser just as well can reach and list track archives - and you have that functionality already.

And Steinberg just added what track archives do, direct from existing projects - but much less functionality. No routing, not all track types etc. So it overlaps what track archives do to 90% - what is the purpose?

Unfortunately even the track import process still doesn't get you the routing for folders, Groups and FX. Until that's addressed none of the solutions are complete. This is true for track presets as well as multi-track presets.

Multitrack presets are absolutely necessary if we ever want to get rid of template projects. I have a 1200 track orchestral template. It's faster to load that and delete out the things I don't need than it is to add multi-track presets and create all the group and fx routings. The export, archive and import processes don't fix this problem.

[lfm]

So what Digriz said - do routing and busses and the lot - and it's useful. I have not checked if MediaBrowser just as well can reach and list track archives - and you have that functionality already.

And Steinberg just added what track archives do, direct from existing projects - but much less functionality. No routing, not all track types etc. So it overlaps what track archives do to 90% - what is the purpose?

Unfortunately even the track import process still doesn't get you the routing for folders, Groups and FX. Until that's addressed none of the solutions are complete. This is true for track presets as well as multi-track presets.

Multitrack presets are absolutely necessary if we ever want to get rid of template projects. I have a 1200 track orchestral template. It's faster to load that and delete out the things I don't need than it is to add multi-track presets and create all the group and fx routings. The export, archive and import processes don't fix this problem.

Thanks - tested and made a track archive(export selected tracks) with instrument track with superior drummer, and 7 named stereo outs(only visible in mixer then for instrument track), and these routed to a drumsbus grouptrack - worked just fine, all restored on track archive import in a new project.

Folders - didn't test, but don't think they are supported - but not the end of the world since instruments tracks multi outs don't have all outs visible other than in mixer anyway.

So the reduced direct import from project is lacking in a way one wonder why even bother release it. Hopefully even maintenance later will address this.

I just make a bunch of exports(archive) with these things I resuse over and over, or a more giant one and just select the parts that I want from that. This is good enought for me - it saved like 15 minutes every time to set SD up.

Don't know if there is a way to make these multi outs for instrument tracks visible in project tracks view as well?

If automation ever will be considered on these, but nothing major.

About earlier and Check User Delay for External Instruments - manuals says it should be there - but found no way to get that option on delay column.
Will file a ticket on this if a typo or bug?

Otherwise things are looking good - found more things I really like. The handling of trim automation and freezing options for that - how lovely, I really am in control there. Sonar has a similar thing, but have no idea what I did and when. Steinberg nailed that one.

[SJ_Digriz]

Thanks - tested and made a track archive(export selected tracks) with instrument track with superior drummer, and 7 named stereo outs(only visible in mixer then for instrument track), and these routed to a drumsbus grouptrack - worked just fine, all restored on track archive import in a new project.

hmm ... maybe we are saying 2 different things. I just tried to archive a BFD multi-out setup with routings to group tracks and a couple of FX tracks and the routings did not restore for the FX and Groups. I'll have to play with it some more. Because basically that is what I need. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

So the reduced direct import from project is lacking in a way one wonder why even bother release it. Hopefully even maintenance later will address this.

Exactly, if you can't get the track back in it's end to end process state, it is pointless. It's just as fast to start over.

By the way, you can see the outputs for instrument tracks in the project window. This is a typical Instrument configuration I use for various libraries. I save these as multi-track presets. I do it this way so that I can have a different expression map per channel. I can then route the instruments into various summing groups. Once configured it's a great workflow for me. Then I use filters to only show tracks with events. That combination makes it easy to work with really large track counts.

[ObsoleteAcc99]

[DELETED]

[SJ_Digriz]

I must admit if cubase had decent cut filters (i can't find any way to vary the slope itself) i'd be using those too and saving some eq insert cause the bell and shelves are fine. If anyone is reading this and i am missing something and there ARE slopes available for the built in cuts, please let me know!

A better pre filter was requested and added during the C7 releases. I don't know if this serves the purpose. But, I use this on pretty much every track.

[SJ_Digriz]

FYI, access to the pre section is available in most of the other eq editors, so you don't have to use the mixconsole to get at it.