Does anyone understand BlueCats Gain Suite? (NOOB ALERT!!)

[ulrichburke]

Dear Anyone.

What I needed was some way to automate volume levels in VSTs that didn't accept CC changes. (CC 7) So I downloaded Blue Cat's Gain Suite because it said it had MIDI LEARN and would accept CC Changes. But I can't make it play ball for love nor money, I have read the manual so often I could probably quote most of it. So here goes.

I've got the VST I'm using the GAIN control on, on Channel 4. And the CC Change is 7. I've tried just clicking on 'LEARN' and when it hits the automation control on my DAW, Quick Score Elite Level 2, it thinks it's on Channel 1, CC 64. No idea why. So I turned LEARN off and just typed the numbers in the little boxes, 4 in the Channel box and 7 in the CC box. And the moment it hit the automation control it reverted to 1 and 64 again. So instead of using the overall menu, I activated the little menus under the control knobs and put the numbers in those instead. Same thing. The moment it hit the controls, they changed to 1 and 64.

Then I read the manual for about the 20th time, couldn't see what I was doing wrong. Have noticed one thing, though. In their photo of the automation menu, the automation control is greyed out. As it is in my real-life version. But they don't seem to say anywhere, unless I've somehow missed it, how to UN-grey that out. I don't know if it would make any difference, though.

How do I make the channel and CC numbers NOT change when it hits the controller? Which is DEFINITELY on Channel 4, CC change 7!

Or if it's a dodgy plug-in, does anyone know of any other volume control/gain control (the two are synonymous in how I'm using them, I just want to make VSTs with nice sounds on but no CC changes built-in a bit louder or quieter in places, that's all.) plug-ins with CC 7 automation capabilities?

Just to make life more awkward for you guys - must be 32-bit, sorry. Old DAW. I'm disabled and it's the best one for my disability cos I can't play a keyboard, I just use a mouse and notation. There's GOTTA be SOMETHING out there that's automatable to control volume levels, hasn't there?

Yours a little frustratedly

Chris.

[dmbaer]

You may be getting confused about a control with MIDI learn enabled vs. using automation. Automation is where the DAW remembers control changes which may have been made using the mouse or other mechanism that changes the control's setting. MIDI messages affect a MIDI-learned control. Two different things entirely.

Oh, and Blue Cat plug-ins are definitely not dodgy, but I do find them a bit confusing in this general area.

[jancivil]

caveat: I cannot do 32-bit. this is on up-to-date OS and all that

it works here, both host automation and MIDI CC automate that gain knob.

I guess the same look here?:

BC Gain auto.jpeg

But, its MIDI Learn has to be set up in my host, VE Pro. Works after that. Its MIDI Learn by itself does nothing. I think typing values in there may just be useless tbh. I could not get MIDI from Cubase to do it; host automation however works.
If there is a way to properly determine in the host you want x channel n controller...