For every plug‑in window in Cubase 12, a dedicated Quick Control configuration panel can be opened.
Cubase 12’s new MIDI Remote features make it easier than ever to get hands‑on with your plug‑in effects and virtual instruments.
One of the most significant features introduced in all editions of Cubase 12 was the new MIDI Remote system. It’s intended to replace Cubase’s long‑standing Generic Remote system (for backwards compatibility, of course, that ‘legacy’ system remains) and makes it incredibly easy to configure almost any MIDI controller to work with Cubase. Let’s explore the possibilities.
Around & Around
A new Focus Quick Control (FQC) system provides similar functionality to the older Quick Controls (discussed way back in SOS July 2009), but Quick Controls were separate from Generic Remote — the FQCs are incorporated within the new, much slicker, MIDI Remote system. Any hardware controller which includes at least eight endless rotary controllers is a perfect candidate for assigning to this FQC system, and for the examples I’ll assume this is what we’re working with: an eight‑knob MIDI controller.
In this example, I’ve positioned the virtual encoders in two rows of four to reflect the layout of my hardware controller.
Setting up a MIDI Remote and FQC combination system involves two main stages: each plug‑in has FQC slots and these must be mapped to the parameters in that plug‑in you wish to control; and, using Cubase’s MIDI Remote editing system, you must link your hardware MIDI encoders to the FQC system. You can configure these stages in either order, but I’ll take them in the order I’ve just listed them, because the first stage quickly demonstrates why doing the second is such a no‑brainer!
As before, every plug‑in, whether a bundled or third‑party one, has eight Quick Control slots available. For many plug‑ins, these will have key parameters pre‑assigned; click on the QC button (at the top‑right of every plug‑in window) and a Quick Control panel will display the current assignments. To edit/add a new assignment, simply click on the L button (Learn, far left), select the QC slot you wish to edit, and adjust a control somewhere in the plug‑in’s UI. In this instance of the plug‑in, that control will then be linked to the selected QC slot. That’s stage one done: so simple!
Remote Working
Now to link the hardware controls to Cubase’s FQC system. This takes more effort but, once configured, your hands‑on control of the FQC system should work in all Cubase projects. The configuration is performed in the MIDI Remote tab, in the Project window’s Lower Zone. Cubase already includes scripts for some popular keyboard controllers and if Cubase recognises your device you may be able to skip much of what follows. But let’s assume no such script exists, and you have to start from scratch.
Click on the large plus (‘+’) button to add a new controller to the system, then enter a suitable name/label and specify the MIDI ports associated with the hardware device. With that done, click the Create MIDI Controller Surface button — the MIDI Controller Surface Editor panel will appear, and this lets you lay out a virtual combination of rotary knobs, faders and buttons. To add the controller’s eight rotary knobs, all you need to do is select the Knob option (from the list at the left), and move each hardware knob in turn. As each control is moved, a new virtual knob will be added to the MIDI Controller Surface Editor window automatically, complete with the necessary connections (MIDI channel, MIDI CC number, and so on), and you can then move, re‑size or delete the virtual knobs as desired. While the virtual positioning of the controls isn’t critical (you’ll be using the hardware controls not the software ones, after all), a layout that approximates that of the hardware will make it easier to keep track later.
Having linked the hardware knobs to their MIDI Remote virtual representations, we can move on to the final step: mapping the virtual knobs to controls/parameters in Cubase. In this example, we want to map them to the Focus Quick Controls, so click the Go To Mapping Assistant button at the bottom‑right of the MIDI Controller Surface Editor window and two things will happen: in the MIDI Remote window, you’ll be presented with a different view of your virtual control surface; and the MIDI Remote Mapping Assistant window will open. Any configuration you do in the latter will be reflected in the former.
The button at the top‑right of the MIDI Remote Mapping Assistant window pops open a Functions Browser panel, which provides easy access to a list of Cubase commands for linking to the virtual hardware controls. In the screenshot, within that panel, I’ve popped open the Focus Quick Controls options. Linking one of the virtual knobs to any of the available options in the Functions Browser is simple: just select the virtual knob in the central portion of the MIDI Remote Mapping Assistant window and select the target parameter in the Functions Browser. Both selections will be displayed in the Mapping Assistant window’s top panel. Click the Apply Mapping button, and the link is established — repeat as required for the other controls (in our example, just linking our eight knobs to the eight FQCs) and that’s job done.
The Mapping Assistant and Functions Browser make it easy to link your hardware controls to specific parameters.
Fine‑tuning
A couple more things are worth noting. First, a more detailed list of each configured link can be found in the Mapping Assistant window’s Mappings section. Second, at the base of the Mapping Assistant window, a Mapping Configuration panel allows you to fine‑tune the behaviour of the target parameter in response to movements of its associated physical control. There are a number of interesting possibilities, and two in particular are worth highlighting.
First, the large ‘G’ in the screenshot indicates that the currently selected mapping is Global, which means it will apply to all Cubase projects (this is the best choice for our FQC needs). The alternative setting is Project, which, as the name implies, means the mapping applies only to the current project. It’s useful to be able to specify this. Second, the Value Mod option is set by default to Jump. Other options include Pickup, Scale and Toggle, and these can be useful when configuring things like faders or old‑school pots (ie. non‑continuous rotary encoders), where the current position of the hardware control won’t necessarily reflect the position of a Cubase parameter to which it’s mapped. For the endless rotary encoder knobs in our FQC example, the Jump setting works just fine.
Exert Control
Having made all the required connections, once you’ve closed the MIDI Remote Mapping Assistant window those connections become active — you should now have hands‑on control of the eight FQC parameters in the currently active/in‑focus plug‑in. Switch to a different plug‑in, and your hardware controls should follow your selection automatically. If, at least initially, you leave the new QC panel open at the top of your plug‑in windows, you’ll have an easy reminder of which parameters your controller is tweaking.
You can specify whether the Focus Quick Controls will influence only tracks, only plug‑ins, or both.One further setting is worth noting. In the Quick Control Focus section of the MIDI Remote window’s Toolbar, the Settings cog lets you choose between three ‘focus’ options. For our example, the default Track and Plug‑in Window Focus or Plug‑in Window Focus Only settings will work. The former allows your carefully crafted FQC mappings to work with both track‑based Quick Controls as well as with any plug‑in FQCs (it will control whichever item is currently selected, or in focus), while the latter provides FQC only for plug‑ins. The second option can be really useful while you adapt your workflow to take advantage of FQCs — it prevents inadvertent tweaks to track settings when you’re trying to change a reverb or synth parameter!
There is plenty more potential to explore in the MIDI Remote system, particularly in terms of controlling the MixConsole. But, as a starting point, the Focus Quick Controls are easy to configure yet could bring tremendous benefits in every Cubase session. Getting hands‑on control of Cubase has never been easier!
Published November 2022
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