CMC PD Velocity options

Please can we have some kind of option so that the pads will only trigger above a certain pressure/velocity? They are very sensitive which I’m sure is great if you’re using them for triggering drum samples etc. but when used to trigger key commands (e.g. opening a mixer window etc.) they are far too sensitive and it’s easy to trigger the wrong pad by mistake if you just brush past it. Would be very helpful to have them only trigger above a certain user selectable velocity.

I don’t have a PD, but can’t you set the velocity curve?

Yes you can set the velocity curves but that’s not my problem. I would like an option so that if you push the pads very lightly by accident (which is very easy to do as they are extremely sensitive, unlike the buttons on the rest of the CMC range), then no signal is sent. A signal would only be sent if you push the pad a little more firmly (ideally with a user definable pressure level). This would be much better for anybody using the pads to control Cubase functions rather than using it to trigger drum/VSTi sounds.

I understand, and again I’m going from just reading the manual from when I got my CMCs, I could have sworn you could set the “low” value. In other words you should be able to set the response to a single hard hit … Or, possibly what I was reading is that any hit is a hard hit? Anyhow, if you know about the curves and played with them, then I was of no help. Sorry about that.

I have the same problem.

None of the curves work and Ill explain why.

The functions seems to trigger with any midi value greater than zero.

So, even with the hardest curve (Curve#3, A Hard), it still triggers on the slightest touch because the slightest touch is greater than 0. Yes, the curve is very steep and it is very hard to get the velocity over 50 or so without hitting the pad hard.

There are two possible solutions as I see it (neither of which the user can do atm afaik):

  1. Add a new curve that is more of a binary curve (where any pressure less than ~50% sends out a ZERO value)
  2. Change the functions functionality to not be triggered by any non-zero velocity. Require ~greater than 64 (midi value) to trigger the function… then any curve would work.

cmc pd curve reference: ftp://ftp.steinberg.net/Download/Hardware/CMC/CMC_documentation/OperationManual/cmc_en_om_a0.pdf

Please let me know if I am missing something as this renders the pd nearly useless for a function controller (one of my buttons will delete a track.)

Thanks!

Yes - if you are using PD with option F-keys - pads are very sensible and it is very hard to use it!

For anyone who’s interested, I found a solution to this problem by using virtual MIDI port software and a Cubase MIDI plugin so you can set a minimum velocity threshold for PD buttons to trigger. (I have mine set at about 30 so if I push them at a velocity that’s below 30, nothing happens).

First you need to download and install this software:

  1. Set up a MIDI channel with the CMC-PD as an input.
  2. Use the ‘Context Gate’ MIDI insert to stop any low velocity signals from passing through.
  3. Set the output to LoopBe1
  4. Set up a Generic Remote with LoopBe1 as the input and programme your CMC buttons as you wish.
  5. Save this into your default song file so that you don’t have to set it up again!