# CUBASE Macros - ideas



## bengoss (May 11, 2019)

Hi guys,

Can you please share some macros you’ve came up with for workflow speed up or some cool things 

I’m using lemur with Cubase 10.

Example,
I did a macro, when midi part is selected to split all voices in different midi tracks. Great for starting that strings arrangement from your ensemble patch.

Thanks for sharing!
Ben


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## The Darris (May 11, 2019)

I wouldn't call these macros but in the sense of making things universal and saving me loads of time. I re-mapped the numpad on my keyboard to match the numpad workflow in Sibelius. I'm able to quickly change the grid values and duple/dotted rhythmic lengths which really makes editing in the midi editor a breeze. 

I also mapped the quantize note end to W so all I have to do is tap Q+W to get a nice and clean midi part for exporting to orchestrators or Sibelius in general. 

I'd say those are the most used "re-mapped" features that I've done to Cubase. It has saved me the most time out of any of the changes I've made to keybindings or macros within Cubase.

Best,

C


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## Rob Elliott (May 12, 2019)

bengoss said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Can you please share some macros you’ve came up with for workflow speed up or some cool things
> 
> ...


Ok Ben - please share with us this macro you've comes up withy. EVERYTIME I work out the parts in an 'ensemble' patch (strings, brass, wds) - I think of 'is there a macro that can split these parts out to existing template midi tracks'. I personally would surely be grateful for this 'share'.


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## bengoss (May 12, 2019)

Rob Elliott said:


> Ok Ben - please share with us this macro you've comes up withy. EVERYTIME I work out the parts in an 'ensemble' patch (strings, brass, wds) - I think of 'is there a macro that can split these parts out to existing template midi tracks'. I personally would surely be grateful for this 'share'.


Hey Rob,

The way I did it it’s not as perfect as press one button but it works)

So when you select the midi part that you want to split the parts from you have to go to score editor and then - scores tab - function- explode.

My macro is:
Editors - Open Score Editor
Score functions - Explode
Then executed by the Project Logical Editor.

Cons:
You have to drag the part to an empty midi track first because it will open the vst instrument on all your extracted parts otherwise.
Also you have to uncheck Split Note in the small window that will come out (check pictures) after the first split it will stay unchecked.
If your ensemble part has 4 voices then you need 3 new number of tracks. The highest voice always stays in the midi track you are dissolving.

I just haven’t found a way to move the selected part to a new midi track and implement it into the macro.

Hope this helps as it saves a lot of my time)

Ben


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## brenneisen (May 12, 2019)

doesn't "MIDI - Dissolve Part" work for you?


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## bengoss (May 12, 2019)

brenneisen said:


> doesn't "MIDI - Dissolve Part" work for you?


No it doesn’t.


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## Rob Elliott (May 13, 2019)

Thanks for this. I'll look into this AND the 'MIDI - Dissolve Part'.


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## bengoss (May 13, 2019)

Anyone else? Some interesting ideas and shortcuts.

B


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## Henu (May 13, 2019)

I've got one longer one which I use on a daily basis- especially when mixing things.

It basically opens all folders (which I usually have from 10 to 20, holding around 30-100 tracks + groups, FX, etc), zooms all the individual tracks within those into certain size and closes the folders again. Then it finally zooms the closed folders as large as as it can withing the space of my monitor and does the horizontal zoom as well to fit the project range. With one click, I'm able to make the horrible zoom disaster disappear and see a tidy, organized workspace within a second.


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## Hywel (May 14, 2019)

Henu said:


> I've got one longer one which I use on a daily basis- especially when mixing things.
> 
> It basically opens all folders (which I usually have from 10 to 20, holding around 30-100 tracks + groups, FX, etc), zooms all the individual tracks within those into certain size and closes the folders again. Then it finally zooms the closed folders as large as as it can withing the space of my monitor and does the horizontal zoom as well to fit the project range. With one click, I'm able to make the horrible zoom disaster disappear and see a tidy, organized workspace within a second.


Would love to see the transcript of this....


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## Henu (May 14, 2019)

Sure thing! It's actually not even that complicated, you just need to make sure everything happens in right order and use the exact right zoom commands as they tend to have small variations on the result despite of giving the impression of doing the exact same thing. Trial-and-error! 

First, do two Project Logical Editor commands: "Open Folders" and "Close Folders".



Spoiler: OPEN FOLDERS



*Filter Target*
[Container Type is] [Equal] [FolderTrack]
*Action Target*
[Track Operation] [Folder] [Open]
*Function*
[Transform]
*Macro*
[Not Set]





Spoiler: CLOSE FOLDERS



*Filter Target*
[Container Type is] [Equal] [FolderTrack]
*Action Target*
[Track Operation] [Folder] [Close]
*Function*
[Transform]
*Macro*
[Not Set]



Then, go to your Key Commands and click to show macros. Make a new macro called whatever you wish, and insert these in the following order:

1. Process Project Logical Editor: OPEN FOLDERS
2. Zoom - Zoom 8 Tracks
3. Process Project Logical Editor: CLOSE FOLDERS
4. Zoom - Zoom Full
5. Zoom - Zoom Tracks Full

Assign a key command for this and enjoy a clean and OCD-satisfying view of your project within a second. 
You may want to adjust the number at "Zoom 8 Tracks" according to your preferences- for me it is the best height for my taste.


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## Hywel (May 14, 2019)

Henu said:


> Sure thing! It's actually not even that complicated, you just need to make sure everything happens in right order and use the exact right zoom commands as they tend to have small .... according to your preferences- for me it is the best height for my taste.



Cheers, thanks for that @Henu , I've not been a big Macro user so far, but I feel I'm mature enough now in Cubase (used it since before it was called "Cubase") to investigate further and become more streamlined... hopefully.


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## iMovieShout (Aug 12, 2019)

Has anyone found a way to speed up / reduce the run time needed to execute Cubase macros and Project Logical Editor presets?


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## Rob Elliott (Aug 12, 2019)

I haven't noticed a lag here. Is there a difference with 'constrain delay compensation' on or off?

btw - Macros really are the holy grail for speeding up our workflow. Just getting my head into this more to consider others that would benefit me.


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## bengoss (Aug 12, 2019)

jpb007.uk said:


> Has anyone found a way to speed up / reduce the run time needed to execute Cubase macros and Project Logical Editor presets?


No problems here at all. 
Are you using shortcuts or something like Lemur?


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## iMovieShout (Aug 12, 2019)

bengoss said:


> No problems here at all.
> Are you using shortcuts or something like Lemur?


I'm using Lemur, but the macros and PLE presets are first created in Cubase. Running them from within Cubase is slow. For example to open all 600'ish folders at the same time takes about 6 minutes using a PLE preset or macro, and the same time from Lemur.


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## iMovieShout (Aug 12, 2019)

jpb007.uk said:


> I'm using Lemur, but the macros and PLE presets are first created in Cubase. Running them from within Cubase is slow. For example to open all 600'ish folders at the same time takes about 6 minutes using a PLE preset or macro, and the same time from Lemur.


I should add that each folder name starts with "----" for level 0, ">>>-" for level 1, ">>--" level 2, etc all the way to level 4 which is ">>>>".


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## colony nofi (Aug 12, 2019)

I do know what you mean by it sometimes feeling a little slow. I've gone head-first into automating a bunch of things in cubendo, and am surprised with how long some things take.

However, I've never seen *those* kinds of figures - but i understand it given your high number of tracks / folder tracks etc. Sounds like something in the code needs some serious revisiting.

Just some ideas of some of the things I do with macros.

I have one that takes imported audio and places them on their named tracks. It requires a separate PLE command for each track - but if say you've got a bunch of drum tracks (but not in the order they are in inside nuendo) then just drag them in any which way and it will copy them up to the correct track. Boom. (we actually use it for dialog editing for animation too - but thats another story!)

Frequently use PLE to rename tracks using the search and replace function. Not as a macro though.

Really quick one - play with preroll from the current selection






Oh a couple others in my list that look useful (I'm sorry if I'm repeating those that come with nuendo - other folk use this computer at times and I cant remember what is what! I'm just trying to find some uncomplicated ones)

So :






And (I think this might be one that comes with nuendo???)






Anyway - you can get WAY more complex...

So for example. Atmosphere editing. Once you've detected the cuts in your video (damn I love that feature) you can quickly make cycle markers from the normal markers. (Macro!)
I then go thru them and turn them into "scenes" - manually.
Then just wack your audio layers in for your atmospheres however you'd like.
I then have a macro that trims all tracks in my atmosphere folder to the bounds of the scene, extend by 1 frame either side, and put in a 1 frame fade on each audio file. Boom.
(I have another version that does 2 frames in / out as well - sometimes this feels better)

In our main room, the editor uses a macro where he hilights the audio where a breath is, and with one command it deletes it, and then edits the audio before and after with fades in / out to his liking.

He can debreath a voice read in the same time it takes to play it thru.

The fun really starts when you install some additional software. I use a streamdeck XL, and then have that control Keyboard Maestro. There are a bunch of things KM allows you to do that are not covered by key-commands in cubendo. Its a rabbit hole. But satisfying when you get things that work for YOUR workflow to really help you.

Examples : Changing the name of multiple tracks when PLE isn't powerful enough. (Search and replace only goes so far. KM allows you to use all sorts of tricks...


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## Andrew Goodwin (Aug 19, 2019)

These are cool ideas! About to research some new stuff soon. I did make one the other day that sets any highlighted automation points to 0db. I used Cubase key command + Apple script

Set a key command for "Edit Info Line" in Cubase. (the info line has to be visible for it to work)

Send (that key command)
Send Tab
Send 0
Send Command + Enter (this ensures the value will change multiple points)

I then trigger this with Osculator and Touch OSC.


Windows
This can also be done with Autohotkey which is free to download.

Applescript comes with all mac stuff


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## jononotbono (Aug 20, 2019)

Not sure if any of this stuff helps or gives any ideas but I made a video on workflow ideas a while a go using Macros, PLE, and LE commands...


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## McSound (Sep 12, 2020)

Recently I discovered Metagrid for myself)


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## jononotbono (Sep 12, 2020)

McSound said:


> Recently I discovered Metagrid for myself)



It's a great app.


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