Repurposing CMC series devices as MIDI controllers

[Martyprod]

Searching desesperatly a CH one...

very very sorry to discover yesterday when i wanted to purchase them that they were all discontinued, it's very sad. i have hand and ears issues, and using a tactil fader is perfect ! i would be ok to go to a CC121 but it's very expensive, and the faderport i read so much horrible story about it, that i don't know if it worth it...

i'm just afraid the motorised fader will make too much noise for my ears (oversentive hearing).
so the tactil is the only way to do it.
i'm as well missing a modwheel on my keyboards, and it 's the perfect solution for me, i'm only very sad that once again, after the houston biggest joke 15 years ago, they once again discontinue products very early after it has been released but it seems this time that the CMC series are great stuff !

i know i'll buy discontinued producs with the issue that "when they will stop working ?"
it's still working in windows 10 x64 and cubase 9, i just hope it will nost stop in 9.5 or 10 ahhaha ... (why why why ) .

still searching an used CH...

[Blackout]

chances of a new one are slim (although they do come up on Ebay ) youre probably gonna end up with a 2nd hand one.

Steinberg have promised to continue to support them forward with drivers for future Cubase... which is at least something. I sure am going to hold them to their promise...

[Martyprod]

chances of a new one are slim (although they do come up on Ebay ) youre probably gonna end up with a 2nd hand one.

Steinberg have promised to continue to support them forward with drivers for future Cubase... which is at least something. I sure am going to hold them to their promise...

Thanks ! i found several FD, i'm buying two of them right now, but no CH i found one, but the guy doesn't want to ship it

[-steve-]

They are extremely handy, I use 2 FDs to control CCs with a Bome Midi Translator script. On their own they just output pitch bend.

[Martyprod]

They are extremely handy, I use 2 FDs to control CCs with a Bome Midi Translator script. On their own they just output pitch bend.

yes, that's exactly what i want to do !

I wanted to use one to act as a modwheel with bome midi translator (i don't have a modwheel on my U1). I'm trying to get my hand on a CH, but the one i found has been sold .

as there is 4 channel controler per unit, is it possible to control the master output by one of them, all the time ?
if not possible as i'll have in few days 2xFD, can i use one to control the master out only and the other FD to act normally ?

I read that the point is to plug the one to be used "not normally" after cubase started. i have a Usb Hub with on/off switch, i hope it will do the trick. really too bad that these beautiful small piece of hardware didn't met his audience.

[-steve-]

Yes. You basically described how I am using it.

[Martyprod]

Yes. You basically described how I am using it.

!

[Martyprod]

Yes. You basically described how I am using it.

Hi steve, i just received my two CMC FD ! they are just FANTASTIC ! very happy with it in cubase pro 9 ! if i don't find a CH and a TP, i'll certainly by a 3rd FD.

Anyway, i'm asking a litte help, i have some difficulties to transform the signal of the fader of the FD in CC 1 (modulation) with bome translator. any tip ?

[-steve-]

What info do you need? Have you familiarized yourself with BMT already? The documentation is pretty good.

[Martyprod]

What info do you need? Have you familiarized yourself with BMT already? The documentation is pretty good.

Well yes and no.

Im using it as a shortcut keyboard in windows by using my nanokey from korg (i have hands issues, and it help me a lot to do Control+C , etc ... by playing just a midi key or a pad). but transforming the pitchbend ofthe FD in modulation, I don't really know how to do it.
and no i never read the manual (yet).

i will read the manual hoping it will not be too much difficult to understand.

[Martyprod]

What info do you need? Have you familiarized yourself with BMT already? The documentation is pretty good.

Hi, thanks for you tips with the manual i succeded to make it working ! but i have an issue !!

due to the new fonctionnallity in cubase 9 where when we plug a usb midi device the device is identified immediatly, once cubase has been launched, the FD work as FD immediatly !! so it's not possible anymore to have it working as a normal midi device by turning them on AFTER the boot of cubase, and having them working as FD normally by turning them "on" before launching cubase.

do you have a trick to make it working ?

[-steve-]

No, I just go into Device setup and remove them manually - have not found a way to stop Cubase from grabbing it.

(Edit- for whatever reason Cubase is not grabbing them these days.)

[Martyprod]

No, I just go into Device setup and remove them manually - have not found a way to stop Cubase from grabbing it.

ok so, same as me ! There is an another solution maybe ? reprogramming the FD exactly as it's actually working in Bome with one preset, and when we want to switch we launch the preset who goes with it (we can rename the bome .exe with the name of the preset or use a .bat script command for that, called cubase, it would launch bome, the preset and then cubase !.

i'm afraid the solution is there. Thanks anyway for your help ! I still love my FDs .
one last question, is there a way to have one unit always disconnected in cubase at boot ? so i would be ok to buy a 3rd one only as a controller. i didn't check if there was such a possibility !

[-steve-]

If you control the output using rules in Bome, you can set it to be whatever you want, no real need to have several bome executables.

I have some keystrokes that switch between "presets" by changing what CC's are sent from the individual faders.

If you learn how to use variables and rules in Bome, you can create whatever configuration you want, and change it on the fly using the alpha keyboard or the buttons on the CMC-FDs.

[Martyprod]

If you control the output using rules in Bome, you can set it to be whatever you want, no real need to have several bome executables.

I have some keystrokes that switch between "presets" by changing what CC's are sent from the individual faders.

If you learn how to use variables and rules in Bome, you can create whatever configuration you want, and change it on the fly using the alpha keyboard or the buttons on the CMC-FDs.

Thanks ! i'm completly new to Bome in fact, so will take my time to learn it fully ! thank you for your help !

[-steve-]

You won't be sorry. You might consider getting a CMC-TP instead of another FD, then you get some buttons and 1 more fader.

[Martyprod]

You won't be sorry. You might consider getting a CMC-TP instead of another FD, then you get some buttons and 1 more fader.

Yes i'm searching since 2 weeks a CMC TP and CH ! I'm getting a Korg Nanopad tomorrow, for launching articulation of libraries, but yes, trying my best to find a CH and TP ! but so hard to find ! but i don't give up !
I would have loved a PD as well instead of the nanopad but didn't find one yet too... Patience, patience .

[Martyprod]

Well, it seems i'm a good luck, found a "like new" CH on ebay 10 seconds ago. a bit expensive but, i took it ! i'm in france, and it's coming from USA, i hope it will not take too much time to come and will work well ahahah, now a TP and i'll be happy Thanks again for all your help and tricks !

[Martyprod]

You won't be sorry. You might consider getting a CMC-TP instead of another FD, then you get some buttons and 1 more fader.

Hi steve, i think i found the solution , maybe for you too, to stop disconnecting manually the FD in cubase !
the yamaha USB midi driver is what make the unit to work as a midi gear

but the CMC application is WHAT make the module to act as "steinberg FD" in cubase !
uninstall this application, and the module will be seen as a normal midi controlleur !
no need anymore to manually remove them in cubase each time to be able to do something else with it !

positive point : no more manual removing. act like any midi controler in cubase.

negative point : the fader is seen as a pitch bend command who is not accepted as a controller in the Midi protocol, but a controler of his own.
it's seen as "unknown" in the generic controller set up.

To change this, bome is of course the solution !

second negative point who can be bypassed with some patience i think :
a) by doing this, the FD can't anymore work in "normal steinberg FD mode", until reinstalled the CMC application.
I didn't tried it yet but i'm sure it's possible: changing each fader as a CC. from this point, we just need to create a new generic controler in the hardware config panel of cubase and re create how the FD was working with the CMC application !
page + and- as shorcut , fader as fader controler in the mix console etc !

from there, we could load one bome preset with "FD legacy mode", and it will work as a Fader mix console normally.
and let's write a second preset called "Fader to CC / Keyswitch" as CC01, CC07 CC16, CC17 etc ...

much faster than going in the panel and each time removing the module.

[Blackout]

just fyi everyone, ive fried one of my CHCs (PD) because even though i power down my PC the CMCs still get USB power from my hub. Its really worth turning them off when not in use to save them. I still dont know what happened to my old PD really or why. But its spare parts now. I found another PD in a drum store (thank god)...i use my PD in "F16" mode so all 16 pads can be a separate Cubase function. Incredibly handy. One button is labelled "normalize"...another one "render" etc. just reach over and press...gold.

ALso go to a hardware store if you have several CMCs like the FDs, and get some white plastic U -shaped trim. Theres one about 1cm wide that works really well, you clip it across the top of the CMCs all together and it holds them tight and in place on your desk, saves you chasing them around and separating from each other (even when using those dodgy clips). keeps em nice and tight and neat.

Cheers,
Blackout

[Blackout]

here ya go it looks like this (pointing at it)....

cmcs.JPG

(1.88 MiB) Not downloaded yet

[Martyprod]

just fyi everyone, ive fried one of my CHCs (PD) because even though i power down my PC the CMCs still get USB power from my hub. Its really worth turning them off when not in use to save them. I still dont know what happened to my old PD really or why. But its spare parts now. I found another PD in a drum store (thank god)...i use my PD in "F16" mode so all 16 pads can be a separate Cubase function. Incredibly handy. One button is labelled "normalize"...another one "render" etc. just reach over and press...gold.

ALso go to a hardware store if you have several CMCs like the FDs, and get some white plastic U -shaped trim. Theres one about 1cm wide that works really well, you clip it across the top of the CMCs all together and it holds them tight and in place on your desk, saves you chasing them around and separating from each other (even when using those dodgy clips). keeps em nice and tight and neat.

Cheers,
Blackout

Hi ! for my FD (and soon CH), i use a usb Hub who have a turn on/off button for EACH PORT. it's the only solution. i could point to ama*on the one i'm using but don't know if we're allowed to do this here. it's a 4 usb 3.0 hub plugged in an another 2.0 hub (my computer is 5 meters away from me, and only usb 2.0 have very long cable, not usb 3.0). so i turn on each CMC and turn off like that !

your picture is cool ! i must find same paper to label each button, it's look so nice !

i'm searching desesperatly a CMC PD. didn't found one yet . i use the clip shipped with the CMC to keep them together. work pretty well. don't know what a plastic U shped trim is, i'll look into it (my english is not that good !).

Now i'm trying to make the FD to work as it would with CMC application but without it ! not easy ! i don't know how to send from cubase, the position of the fader in the mixer to the FD ! Don't know if it's possible, or if only the CMC application make this possible. time to read the manual of C9 Pro....

[-steve-]

Martyprod, I wonder what's different in our setups? When I turn on my hub with Cubase running, the CMC-FDs and CMC-TP that are plugged in to it are not seen by Cubase.

[Martyprod]

Martyprod, I wonder what's different in our setups? When I turn on my hub with Cubase running, the CMC-FDs and CMC-TP that are plugged in to it are not seen by Cubase.

Good question !!! Would love to have it not recognized when turned on in cubase !! we have the same Pro cubase 9 version ! (0.20).
i use the last CMC firmware and last usb midi driver and last CMC application (for now i removed it).

that would be cool to know how you do it to have it not recognized after cubase started running, so i don't need anymore to try to understand how to reprogram everything lol !

[Martyprod]

Martyprod, I wonder what's different in our setups? When I turn on my hub with Cubase running, the CMC-FDs and CMC-TP that are plugged in to it are not seen by Cubase.

Partial answer !

i have 2 FD !

2xFD turned on before cubase = both are seen normally in cubase as CMC controler.
2xFD turned off and once cubase is launch i start the 2xFD, the first one is launched in FD CMC normal mode.
only the second one stay disconnected !

in the Midi port : i don't know why, but the first one has Midi "active", and the second one has "Inactive" Midi !
normally both of them AFTER cubase, they must be inactive, but i don't know why, the first one is active, and not the second one.

Still better than having the 2 FD seen as active at least, i can use one with Bome ! .