automation of FX and instruments in Cubase SX

[zion train]

Hi, I've just recently bought a second hand scope project card and am using it with cubase SX2. Can anyone help with automating the scope's onboard FX and instruments?

The previous owner said the XTC mode wasn't very reliable and was wondering if it is better with more recent drivers (I've currently got version3), or is there another way of controlling the FX / instrument parameters via cubase?

cheers in advance

[next to nothing]

hello there.

Easiest way to control SFP synths in cubase:
- Set up a midi control track in cubase which sends Midi to Creamware Midi Out.

-In Scope/SFP enviroment, connect Sequencer Midi Source to the device you want to control.

-Right-click on the controller you want to automate, type in the Midi CC number you want to use as control under the "new" tab, then press the "+".

-Alternatively you can draw some controller values in you Cubase track, press play in cubase, go to Scope enviroment, right click the knob you want to control. the CC number cubase is sending will pop up under the "new" tab. then just press the "+" and you are done.

[Liquid Len]

I don't think there has been any dramatic improvement in XTC drivers. It's like this - running the card in SFP mode, rather than XTC, is not as intuitive, at first. Did you ever do recording work before the advent of computer recording? Most sound cards do their work completely 'inside' the recording app, but SFP mode treats cubase like a big tape recorder, just one component of a studio. You get a routing window (a patchbay) where you 'draw' connections between your components. There will be ins and outs marked 'ASIO' - this is how you send audio signal to / collect signal from Cubase, which you can now regard as 'just a big tape recorder'. You connect the outs from Cubase into the ins of a mixer, and the outs of the mixer to your monitoring device. It's a big strange to go from a standard soundcard to working in this mode, but after a while it becomes a lot easier (and much more powerful), because that's how real recording studios work. Connect MIDI out from Cubase into the MIDI ins of whatever you want to automate, determine just what midi controller messages you want to use (Creamware devices let you assign any midi controller message to automate any parameter, very flexible).

PS Congrats on your purchase!! You don't know this yet, but your pulsar will eventually become your Favorite Material Possession.

[the19thbear]

well i have to say that i find sfp mode not as useful.. For instance if i have a "living"/ automated track in cubase and route it out via the asioouts to the scope mixer, stuff starts going wrong. see i can't apply , lets say, a compressor to this track, because it will be going up and down volumewise (when the automated track goes up and down in volume..)and then the compression wouldnt be fixed.. If i do this in xtc mode and insert a xtc comp in cubase, everything is perfect!! any workaround for that???

But i must say that byuing a scope card is the biggest step i have made into prof. sounding recording! the flexibility is amazing! iLOVE it!

[Liquid Len]

Workaround would be to control the mixer in Scope using MIDI (in Cubase, use Generic Remote to accomplish this). It probably will take you time to get it all going the first time. To each his own, it all depends on how you work and what is most important to you, I just like the sound of the Scope mixers better than the Cubase mixers, and find it much more convenient to integrate outboard gear into my mixes.

[next to nothing]

bear, i take it you are automating the volume by automating the Cubase mixer , not routing the audio out full volume to multiple asio outs and then automating the sfp mixer?

[next to nothing]

[hubird]

see i can't apply , lets say, a compressor to this track, because it will be going up and down volumewise (when the automated track goes up and down in volume..)and then the compression wouldnt be fixed

This is not a 'fault' that should be 'worked around', as you seem to present it somehow
You as engineer have to decide how to route signals depending of what you wanne do and where.
You can compress in Cubase and automate the SFP mixer channel, or do everything in SFP, or 'in XTC'.
Every method needs it's own approach.
I wouldn't call any of them a 'workaround'

[zion train]

ok cheers for the advice - the guy I bought the card from did mention using different midi control numbers to automate with so I'll give it a go.

One more thing - is it possible to automate the creamware effects during mixdown?

When mixing to stereo its necessary to route the creamware back into an available stereo track in cubase? So playing the mix back into cubase in realtime would capture all the automation affecting creamware instruments / FX triggered in cubase?

In the routing window setup I've currently got 'mix L+R' going to the analogue destination for monitoring, but should I be using this to route back into cubase for mixdown or is there another output from the creamware that anybody would recommend?

[hubird]

yes, you can do it while recording, recorded automation will do it's job, and you can do it even 'life'.
And yes, you can record from the mix out.
You can even split the mix-out to monitor the signal and to record it in Cubase at the same time, just cable.
WThis way, wat you hear is what you get
But you can also use a bus channel for specific situations, or even the monitor out.
You can always go from one to two, but not from two to one, as you'd need a mixer for the latter.
You could use the monitor out for monitoring and the mix out for master recording, like in 'real' studios usually is done.
I just use always the mix-out

[zion train]

thanks for the quick response!

So how do you automate the creamware FX from cubase?

I think i understand how it is done with the creamware instruments but I'm not sure how it is possible with the FX....

[next to nothing]

same procedure.

[zion train]

ok cheers guys