Excellent simple and concise explanation. Thank you for including the VST focus quick controls, even though you do not like them. Characteristic of a great teacher/instructor. Cheers!
So useful! Returning from another DAW, I've been struggling to understand the difference between MIDI CC and QCs, let alone the distinction between Track QCs and VST QCs. Your extensive knowledge and soft spoken, precise tuition is exactly what's required. Thank you! Liked and subbed! 🙂🙏👍
These have been extremely helpful, thank you so much! Quick question (I can't seem to find this anywhere on the internet), regarding mapping at 5:30, do you know the difference between Focus QCs & Selected Track QCs?
Yes - Track QCs are exactly what they say - a dedicated area of functionality designed specifically to do exactly that job. Focus QCs, on the other hand, are context-sensitive. Sometimes they are Track QCs, and in this guise are functionally identical, but if you open and select a plugin they switch focus to that plugin instead, and become VST Quick Controls. If you check out my Expert Guide to QCs I go into more depth on the subject and show you how to control what Focus QCs do.
If Steinberg could add VST QCs to the Inspector as well, and make it more obvious which VST you're controlling at any one time, I think there's room for both options. I have run into that problem using VST QCs myself, and I agree it can be frustrating. Great video!
Thank you! I'd love it if you did something on Get Default QCs from Plug-in and how that interacts with the VSTi tab in the Right Zone. What's in the Track and Rack instruments, and layouts in the Remote Control Editor. I find there's so much unusual interaction from Set Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls in the VSTi tab, Edit Instrument in the VSTi tab (which has the Edit Channel Settings icon instead of the Edit Instrument icon!) , and how Layouts, Pages, and Labels work in the Remote Control Editor.
Hi James, I can certainly give that some thought. It goes way beyond a "basic" guide though, so I'll reserve that for a full deep-dive on the subject. Consider it added to my to-do list :)
Thanks for all of your great videos, Anthony! One issue I have with Quick Controls is that they seem mostly limited to controlling 1 track at a time. I often like to automate a VSTi parameter from 2 different tracks/synths simultaneously. I have my controller mapped to Quick Controls of specific channels in via MixConsole > Mixer Bank Zone > Channels which is doing the trick, but of course I have to be mindful of which position my desired tracks are in. Do you know of a simpler way to do it?
Thanks for the feedback! They're really not well suited to spanning tracks - it's an inherent weakness of the QC design that they are fundamentally track-oriented. I don't personally span automation in that way (since it's just too much hassle!), so I'm afraid it's not something I can offer any pearls of wisdom upon.
At 4:50, when you say "Cubase is waiting for me to physically move a control on my device", I find that moving a control completely deletes the fader I'm trying to link. I was surprised to hear you say at 0:39 that Quick Controls are user-friendly and intuitive. They're the most frustrating feature of a DAW I've come across in 12 years, and every instruction I read or watch about them leaves out vital information that prevents the rest of it from being useful.
Well, IDK if this is due to me using the latest version which doesn't exactly resemble this, but the only way I got QC 1-8 assigned was a little extra-looking window above what's shown here which seems redundant but the larger main window with knob icons does absolutely nothing here. This is not intuitive, it's a nightmare to work with. I last tried to make a controller work 3-4 yrs ago and I'm still baffled. I gave up then, on a Korg NanoKontrol as a generic or Mackie type (which has zero support, and no one has it working in modern Cubase under OSX, let alone MacOS).
I have controllers which you assign in its interface that need nothing to work, which is why I've not used QC in the past. This feels like early, early personal computer shite like I'm living in 1990.
@@Civilizashum I have a Korg NanoKontrol Studio, not the original NanoKontrol, and I find I can get it working best by ignoring a lot of people's instructions on Quick Controls. The best functionality I get so far is in Mackie mode on Cubase, which works well for controlling the mixer in whatever track it lands on, and in Reason, Mackie mode can't be used, and it works best for a mode somewhat like Assignable Mode if you take it OUT of Assignable Mode and use it in ... Studio One mode. Yep! I can also set it up as assignable in Cubase to work with some VIs, but not with Quick Controls in any of the ways I've seen it described in videos. I guess that the nightmare of different protocols and hosts may be a big part of the reason why MIDI controller manufacturers come out with new products so infrequently. NanoKontrol Studio is the only MIDI controller other than a keyboard that I've been happy to buy in 12 years of using DAWs, but it would be a stretch to say that it works as the manual says.
I think Steinberg should unify all controls, for instance Track Controls should also get / lose the focus. I want to be able to control whatever currently has the focus, being the Channel Strip, and VST Effect or a VSTi or anything else, like scrolling in a menu, or clicking a check box or a button in a dialog box.
Two types of QCs and still no way to assign multiple parameters to the same QC. Other DAWs like Logic Pro, Ableton Live and Bitwig have been offering this for a long time. In Logic Pro you can even set various response curves for their Smart Controls. This allows you to design interesting performance knobs that control many parameters from the instrument and track insert effects at the same time. Lots of creative possibilities with this feature but Steinberg, as always, lags behind.
It feels like the entire area needs a ground-up re-write. Backwards compatibility is probably holding them back. (Just look at what a mess the Studio Setup Dialog is, with all the deprecation notices lying around.)
Excellent simple and concise explanation. Thank you for including the VST focus quick controls, even though you do not like them. Characteristic of a great teacher/instructor. Cheers!
I appreciate you saying so, thanks for the feedback :)
So useful! Returning from another DAW, I've been struggling to understand the difference between MIDI CC and QCs, let alone the distinction between Track QCs and VST QCs. Your extensive knowledge and soft spoken, precise tuition is exactly what's required. Thank you! Liked and subbed! 🙂🙏👍
You're very welcome, and thanks for the very kind feedback, it's much appreciated!
These have been extremely helpful, thank you so much!
Quick question (I can't seem to find this anywhere on the internet), regarding mapping at 5:30, do you know the difference between Focus QCs & Selected Track QCs?
Yes - Track QCs are exactly what they say - a dedicated area of functionality designed specifically to do exactly that job. Focus QCs, on the other hand, are context-sensitive. Sometimes they are Track QCs, and in this guise are functionally identical, but if you open and select a plugin they switch focus to that plugin instead, and become VST Quick Controls. If you check out my Expert Guide to QCs I go into more depth on the subject and show you how to control what Focus QCs do.
great tutorial, well and concise explained!!
Much appreciated, thanks for the feedback!
thank you! great explanation
You're welcome!
great tutorial, thank you.
Thanks :)
Yep, great info!
Glad you think so, thanks!
Nice!
Thanks!
If Steinberg could add VST QCs to the Inspector as well, and make it more obvious which VST you're controlling at any one time, I think there's room for both options. I have run into that problem using VST QCs myself, and I agree it can be frustrating. Great video!
Thanks! Couldn't agree more - the baked-in nature of Track QCs makes them far more appealing.
Thank you very helpful. Cheers Dave
You're welcome, thanks for the feedback :)
Really helpful. Thanks Anthony!
My pleasure, thanks for the feedback!
Thank you! I'd love it if you did something on Get Default QCs from Plug-in and how that interacts with the VSTi tab in the Right Zone. What's in the Track and Rack instruments, and layouts in the Remote Control Editor. I find there's so much unusual interaction from Set Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls in the VSTi tab, Edit Instrument in the VSTi tab (which has the Edit Channel Settings icon instead of the Edit Instrument icon!) , and how Layouts, Pages, and Labels work in the Remote Control Editor.
Hi James, I can certainly give that some thought. It goes way beyond a "basic" guide though, so I'll reserve that for a full deep-dive on the subject. Consider it added to my to-do list :)
Thanks for all of your great videos, Anthony! One issue I have with Quick Controls is that they seem mostly limited to controlling 1 track at a time. I often like to automate a VSTi parameter from 2 different tracks/synths simultaneously. I have my controller mapped to Quick Controls of specific channels in via MixConsole > Mixer Bank Zone > Channels which is doing the trick, but of course I have to be mindful of which position my desired tracks are in. Do you know of a simpler way to do it?
Thanks for the feedback! They're really not well suited to spanning tracks - it's an inherent weakness of the QC design that they are fundamentally track-oriented. I don't personally span automation in that way (since it's just too much hassle!), so I'm afraid it's not something I can offer any pearls of wisdom upon.
At 4:50, when you say "Cubase is waiting for me to physically move a control on my device", I find that moving a control completely deletes the fader I'm trying to link. I was surprised to hear you say at 0:39 that Quick Controls are user-friendly and intuitive. They're the most frustrating feature of a DAW I've come across in 12 years, and every instruction I read or watch about them leaves out vital information that prevents the rest of it from being useful.
Sorry about that. I can't imagine what's different about your setup that's causing QCs to fail, since I've always found them to be rock solid.
Well, IDK if this is due to me using the latest version which doesn't exactly resemble this, but the only way I got QC 1-8 assigned was a little extra-looking window above what's shown here which seems redundant but the larger main window with knob icons does absolutely nothing here. This is not intuitive, it's a nightmare to work with. I last tried to make a controller work 3-4 yrs ago and I'm still baffled. I gave up then, on a Korg NanoKontrol as a generic or Mackie type (which has zero support, and no one has it working in modern Cubase under OSX, let alone MacOS).
I have controllers which you assign in its interface that need nothing to work, which is why I've not used QC in the past. This feels like early, early personal computer shite like I'm living in 1990.
@@Civilizashum I have a Korg NanoKontrol Studio, not the original NanoKontrol, and I find I can get it working best by ignoring a lot of people's instructions on Quick Controls. The best functionality I get so far is in Mackie mode on Cubase, which works well for controlling the mixer in whatever track it lands on, and in Reason, Mackie mode can't be used, and it works best for a mode somewhat like Assignable Mode if you take it OUT of Assignable Mode and use it in ... Studio One mode. Yep! I can also set it up as assignable in Cubase to work with some VIs, but not with Quick Controls in any of the ways I've seen it described in videos. I guess that the nightmare of different protocols and hosts may be a big part of the reason why MIDI controller manufacturers come out with new products so infrequently. NanoKontrol Studio is the only MIDI controller other than a keyboard that I've been happy to buy in 12 years of using DAWs, but it would be a stretch to say that it works as the manual says.
I think Steinberg should unify all controls, for instance Track Controls should also get / lose the focus. I want to be able to control whatever currently has the focus, being the Channel Strip, and VST Effect or a VSTi or anything else, like scrolling in a menu, or clicking a check box or a button in a dialog box.
I think this is what they're aiming for, they just keep missing ;)
New video idea.
“The quick guide to basic controls in Cubase” 😊
Lol, hadn't thought of that! V Nice :)
Two types of QCs and still no way to assign multiple parameters to the same QC. Other DAWs like Logic Pro, Ableton Live and Bitwig have been offering this for a long time. In Logic Pro you can even set various response curves for their Smart Controls. This allows you to design interesting performance knobs that control many parameters from the instrument and track insert effects at the same time. Lots of creative possibilities with this feature but Steinberg, as always, lags behind.
It feels like the entire area needs a ground-up re-write. Backwards compatibility is probably holding them back. (Just look at what a mess the Studio Setup Dialog is, with all the deprecation notices lying around.)
still toooo complicated....