# How do I auto-set CC values on all new MIDI clips in Cubase?



## blaggins (Jan 20, 2022)

I find myself pasting MIDI onto new instruments all the time, for example when taking a line from a piano sketch and plopping it onto some instrument or another, copy/pasting individual lines for doubling, etc. One thing that I'm finding is that when Cubase creates the clip, the CC data is empty (to be expected) but I then I always go and manually set CC1 and CC11, pretty much every time. This is kind fo a chore after a while.... is there a way to force Cubase to put in default values for the CCs on all new clips?

Obviously I could copy/paste any existing CC data from one clip to another as I go, but this isn't quite what I want. It's nice for a new instrument to start with a "clean" slate so I can draw in the automation I want rather than having to change all the existing automation that probably doesn't quite fit the new track (especially when copying across instrument families). A default value is good too though since the previous clip may have just ended with CC1 and 0 which would then be carried over.

Or maybe I'm approaching copying lines from one place another wrong, in which case I welcome any suggestion on workflow improvements!


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## Hadrondrift (Jan 20, 2022)

I don't know if it solves your problem, but in Cubase there is a MIDI insert effect called "MIDI Control". With the help of this insert you can set values for all CCs for each track.






MIDI Control


This generic control panel allows you to select up to 8 different MIDI controller types and set values for these. You can then use the plug-in as a control panel to adjust the sound of a MIDI instrument from within your host application.




steinberg.help


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## blaggins (Jan 20, 2022)

Thanks @Hadrondrift, I don't think this is quite what I'm looking for though. I have a fader controller so I can play in the CC data easily enough when I'm recording, but what I'm looking for is specifically for when I'm *not* recording, but instead copying and writing in MIDI and CC data by hand, like while arranging. I could be doing something stupid (likely in fact) but I've found myself manually drawing in a CC1 and CC11 value dozens of times in my most recent project. Pretty much did it every time I doubled a line or copied a voice out of my piano sketch to plop it down on an instrument.


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## Zedcars (Jan 20, 2022)

Why not just create 1 MIDI Part (in Cubase-land they are called “Parts”, rather than “Clips”) with all your default CC values. Then just copy paste that Part in to the beginning of your tracks. This could be stored in a “Dummy” MIDI track not connected to anything called Setup.

I don’t usually operate as you seem to be with regards to CC values. I just leave the defaults alone that the VI is using and enter the CC data when I need to. Neither is the correct way of doing things, just different ways.

Obviously you could have the MIDI Part with only CC data in it saved in your template (if you have one) and then you only have to do this process once.


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## Zedcars (Jan 20, 2022)

In the old days when everyone was making MIDI songs you would always have headers which set up the tracks in your General MIDI device so that all the volume, expression, effects, panning, Program changes and various other MIDI CC values were set before the song actually played. This was what the “Pro” MIDI song creators did. You can still download some of these cheesy MIDI songs and have a look at the headers for yourself.

A kind of mini version of that is what I’m suggesting you do.


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## ed buller (Jan 20, 2022)

Hans has a neat trick. Button on the touchscreen called "Track Init". This sends default values to all CC' deemed important. So CC1,7,11 [email protected] You push this BEFORE you play anything. Then make sure it's glued to the region with the notes...and viola.

best

ed


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## Barrel Maker (Jan 20, 2022)

> I can play in the CC data easily enough when I'm recording, but what I'm looking for is specifically for when I'm *not* recording


To my knowledge, that type of CC data can only be inserted while recording. It can be edited while not recording, but a value has to exist. Hopefully, I'm wrong, as I would love the ability to do what you want too.

As others have suggested, either setting up CC "flags" at the beginning of your project, or creating macros is a good solution. I created a Metagrid button called "Default CCs," which, as the name suggests, sets default values for CC1, CC7, CC11, etc. Cubase has to be recording for them to be inserted, but after they are, you can create additional buttons to increment/decrement those values as needed.


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## victor_nf (Jan 20, 2022)

Hi, isn't a template meant to resolve this (amongst many other topics)? Not only CCs in "header bars -1 and 0", but also typical plugins /EQs and stuff. If then you need to "duplicate" a track, it would carry all of those. Or maybe I misunderstood?


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## blaggins (Jan 20, 2022)

Thanks for the responses everyone. @Barrel Maker and I seem to have the same issue. Yes I could easily set it at the beginning of every track, but my workflow seems to be something like this.

(just a made-up example)
Bar 5 - paste some MIDI to create a violin line whatever, draw in automation, nice CC1 fadeout at the last held note, sounds great.

<do a bunch of work on other tracks>

Bar 112 - insert some other violin line... play it back. Ooops can't hear anything, I bet my CC is still set from the last part. Go and manually draw in a value for both CC1 and CC11 (oh and probably CC21 as well b/c who knows where I left my vibrato) by hand in the MIDI editor, now playback is fine.

My issue with setting all the values at the beginning of the track is that parts I'm automating elsewhere in the song will have the effect of leaving the CC values at the last value set in the previous part (whatever previous part that is for the track in question). This is of course totally expected, I'm not sure I have an objection with the way Cubase does this part. I just wish there was some way to *always* set a default value on a new part if no data exists for some specified CC lanes.


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## blaggins (Jan 20, 2022)

ed buller said:


> Hans has a neat trick. Button on the touchscreen called "Track Init". This sends default values to all CC' deemed important. So CC1,7,11 [email protected] You push this BEFORE you play anything. Then make sure it's glued to the region with the notes...and viola.
> 
> best
> 
> ed


The Hans trick sound nice, I can do something pretty similar by wiggling my faders a bit right before playing something in. I actually do the fader wiggle thing already when I'm recording MIDI, but when I'm in "arranging and/or orchestration" mode, I seem to gravitate towards a lot of mouse-and-computer-keyboard only work. At that point I'm mostly creating parts by copy-paste from other parts, typically the piano sketch, which I then massage further by editing the note durations, CC values, sometimes the notes themselves etc. But by this point I'm entirely in MIDI editor land and not playing anything at all from the keyboard. If that all makes sense.


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## olvra (Jan 21, 2022)

tpoots said:


> If that all makes sense.


It does. 

Something like this?

View attachment InitInsertCC.mp4


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## blaggins (Jan 21, 2022)

olvra said:


> It does.
> 
> Something like this?
> 
> View attachment InitInsertCC.mp4


Yes! Exactly! What manner of wizardry is this? 🧙‍♂️


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## olvra (Jan 21, 2022)

tpoots said:


> Yes! Exactly! What manner of wizardry is this? 🧙‍♂️


You'll need some Logical Editor knowledge to adapt this to your needs.

1. Create LE presets
















2. Create a macro






(Select a note before triggering the shortcut)


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## blaggins (Jan 21, 2022)

Thanks a bunch @olvra, that is very helpful. I wasn't previously aware of PPQ but reading up on it now. I'll be implementing this today I think


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## olvra (Jan 21, 2022)

tpoots said:


> Thanks a bunch @olvra, that is very helpful. [...]


Glad to help!

If you wanna do CC combos (like my video example) you just add "Navigate - Right" after every Reset so the first note can be selected again:


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## blaggins (Jan 21, 2022)

Cool, I got a simplified version of what you've done working! Minor bonus, I discovered that if you "Navigate - Left" on a MIDI part when nothing is selected (aka if you've just opened it in the MIDI Editor) then the first note is automatically selected, or at least this seems to work in all the cases I've tried so far. My variant just plops down a value for CC1, 11, and 21 right at the start of first note.

The macro looks like:






And the "Set CC X to Y" PLEs look like:







Now I can open a part, hit the "[" key which I bind to the "Set Default CCs" macro, and voila. The defaults are in.

Thanks again @olvra, this is a great improvement to my workflow.


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## ed buller (Jan 27, 2022)

Barrel Maker said:


> To my knowledge, that type of CC data can only be inserted while recording. It can be edited while not recording, but a value has to exist. Hopefully, I'm wrong, as I would love the ability to do what you want too.
> 
> As others have suggested, either setting up CC "flags" at the beginning of your project, or creating macros is a good solution. I created a Metagrid button called "Default CCs," which, as the name suggests, sets default values for CC1, CC7, CC11, etc. Cubase has to be recording for them to be inserted, but after they are, you can create additional buttons to increment/decrement those values as needed.


you can just hit the button then hit retrospective record , done

e


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## Nick Weathers (Feb 24, 2022)

tpoots said:


> Cool, I got a simplified version of what you've done working! Minor bonus, I discovered that if you "Navigate - Left" on a MIDI part when nothing is selected (aka if you've just opened it in the MIDI Editor) then the first note is automatically selected, or at least this seems to work in all the cases I've tried so far. My variant just plops down a value for CC1, 11, and 21 right at the start of first note.
> 
> The macro looks like:
> 
> ...


This is perfect. Thanks for sharing! The only issue is, I have to open the midi clip/event and click somewhere in the piano roll view for that specific midi event for it to apply. Does anyone know how to set this automation data by just clicking a midi event in the main window? I would like to highlight a bunch of midi clips, or better click a track, press a button, and CC data is changed. 

For context, I'm trying to create a workaround for negative track delay and articulations. I have all the track delays set for each articulation on separate tracks. I record in using Spitfire plugin with Tightness @ 100% so my timing is good. Then I want to press a button to toggle Tightness to 0 for playback. The provided solution works, but I have to open the event and click somewhere before the first note. It would be faster to not open anything and be able to toggle this. I could just use a midi controller and slider to do this, but I want the change to be permanent(actual CC data on CC18) once I finish a part. Maybe there is a better idea? We really need negative delay per articulation so we can finally use Expression maps. Otherwise, they are mostly useless.


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## blaggins (Feb 24, 2022)

> We really need negative delay per articulation so we can finally use Expression maps.


OMG yes we do, here's to hoping they are revamping the expression maps stuff for v12. Glad you are finding it helpful. I totally get what you are saying btw. Off the cuff I'm thinking *maaaybe* there's something automateable using copy/paste workflow?. You can (for example) copy a midi CC event and paste it to another part right at the beginning of that part by doing something like:

copy cc event
select part in main window
macro to set the cursor to the beginning of the selected part
paste at cursor location
merge

and for something like this you don't have to have the part open. I do things like this manually when I have some expression/mod wheel data that I want to copy from one part to potentially many different parts. I just paste it on top of the parts without opening any of them. 

I don't know how you could iterate through all the different parts automatically but this should be possible to automate for just a single part. Hoping other folks have better answers, I'm very interested in the results as well.


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## blaggins (Feb 24, 2022)

might also mention that they way I automate cursor position to the beginning of the part is to do:

"Locators to Selection"
"Transport - Go to Left Locator"

it messes with your locators of course, but I haven't found a better way yet.


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## Nick Weathers (Feb 24, 2022)

I could record enable all active midi tracks and then use a midi controller fader to move all the tightness levels up or down. I'm sure there is a preset for record enable all midi tracks or ones that are selected. As long as I don't bump that fader during recording, there won't be any data to contend with. The copy and paste suggestion is a good idea for cc in general. I'll make a preset later.


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