Enable/Disable VEPro channel (on same machine) Using CC/PLE note on/off mute/unmute

[simyoda]

I’ve been watching this tutorial on YouTube and would love to be able to do this in my new template. The video is here in case anyone wants to look. Basically away to save ram via track disable but automating the disable in VEPro as well.
I would hope to substitute the use of a button in his midi controller for a single button in Metagrid Pro.

https://youtu.be/p0f4kVzzwL8

The other thing is assigning a remote midi type grid to change articulations in an expression map.

i like all the.Cubase grids that have been made so far. Am I able to import each one and create my own custom profile? I’m assuming this can be done with the individual Dropbox folders.

There’s also this Midi editing setup from Jason Graves.

https://youtu.be/r6XuVw-VKGM

This also sparked my interest as there’s a part where he edits multiple CC data from different tracks simultaneously. I was under the impression from the Steinberg forums that this along with velocity from multiple tracks is not possible since version 7.5 or something.

I am a novice Metagrid user and I can’t afford a stream deck! This all is exciting but I’m struggling to get my head around it. Thanks in advance to anyone who has this feature in their workflow. Cheers and all the best, Simon

[ravez]

Hi
It is fairly simple to enable/disable a track in both Cubase and VEP at the same time with a button in metagrid pro.
First create your setup in cubase by looking at the first video you posted, once that is working, all you need to do in metagrid pro is to create a "Track ON" button, in it create a macro with 3 actions, the first is the cubase action for "disable/enable track", the second one a pause action of 0.10 secs (to ensure the cubase track is on before sending the CC you have on the transformer) and the last action is the CC you chose in the transformer (i use cc96 with velocity zero).
Then you can create a "Track OFF" button, where you set the first action to be the CC (so in my case CC 96, velocity 127) and then the "disable/enable track" action, no need for the pause in this case.
As long as you have configured Cubase and Metagrid correctly with generic remotes and the midi controllers automation in vep, you should be good, it's working for me at least!
Also, you only need the transformer if you intend to use midi flags, otherwise you could just select all the tracks you want to enable and press the "Track ON" button, you can also automate it so that you can open a project with all disabled tracks, then press a button that selects all tracks that contain midi regions, then press the "Track ON" button, if you don't want midi flags

[simyoda]

Thanks so much Ravez!

As i said I'm still a relative Noob but your careful explanation should hopefully help. If you don't mind me asking a follow up question. What type of button is a "Track ON". Is this a standard default button in MG Pro or is it a specific type? Also I have no idea what a midi flag is? Thanks again for replying! VEP disabled looks like a neat way do do things. I tried a few track presets but the database takes forever. Cheers and all the best, Simon.

[ravez]

by "Track ON" i mean just a normal button which will turn on your track in VEP and cubase, just create a macro on it with the 3 actions i described above.
A midi flag is what you can see at the beginning of the first video you posted, those small regions, one per track, it basically will have a midi note inside, when you press play in cubase, that midi note will be played, but you need to have a transformer on the midi insert of every track, the transformer should be set to transform the midi note you have in the midi flag region (usually the highest note on the keyboard or a note you don't use anywhere else) into the CC value that you set in VEP MIDI Controllers section to trigger the Disable button of your instrument.
This is used so that when you want to start working, instead of opening your VEP server loading all the instruments you have which would quickly fill up you ram, you can instead load it all disabled, and in Cubase you open your song and press play, so when the playhead hits the midi flag region it will see that high note, the transofrmer will turn that note into the CC you chose (as i said i use CC 96) and in VEP server it will receive that CC96 which enables the corresponding track, provided you have set those all up in the MIDI Controllers section of the VEP server.
As i mentioned this is one way of doing it, the other way is to instead not having midi flags and transformers, but instead press the shortcut in cubase (or trigger it from a button in metagrid that uses that command) that lets you see only tracks that contain midi data, then press the button that you created to turn tracks on, i find this faster and less setup.
It's all very simple once you get the idea.
And i am a noob myself! Still setting up my template..

[simyoda]

Thanks so much!

I’ll fave to try it out all out and see how I go. Appreciate all the tech support! I was wondering, Are you running one track with multiple articulations switched with expression maps? The one articulation per track seems to easier in terms of mixing longs, shorts, etc. the presets I linked are great and free!

im pretty exhausted with it all at the moment but when I have more time I’ll hopefully get MG Pro up and running with a full Cubase profile.

I do a lot of composing in Dorico as I like to edit multiple dynamics, velocities etc. it is restricted in some ways but it’s good to look at the score. The Spitfire BBCSO Templates are pretty impressive. Percussion mapping and getting certain things to playback can really eat up time with 3rd party libs. I have had some success with converting Babylon Waves Art Conductor though.

I need to get a way to remote control the key switching for expression maps in Cubase but I can’t seem to find anyone who’s got this happening in Cubase Pro 12 and MG Pro. I guess a little Korg NanoKey could do it. If I spend any more money though my wife might throw me out! My overheated intel 12th gen to keepr me warm and an iPad to watch YouTube videos about gear I can’t afford!

Cheers mate. Best, Simon.

[ravez]

I know that website, but he uses directions, which i don't like.
Also I don't but presets, as i like to make things work my way.
I have built a system using Cubase with expression maps in attribute mode and Keyboard Maestro + Metagrid Pro.
With this setup i can have grids in MG with button that let me trigger the articulation i want to play and also to assign the articulations directly to the notes in the midi editor (that what i use KM for), all without mouse (i only use the mouse to lasso the notes i want to select).
I am doing this on Elite Strings, and will have to keep going for all my Synchron libraries which will take me months, but it's a hobby for me so i actually enjoy it.