Control performances with Cubase (midi)

    Any threads or tutorials out there on how to setup the kemper to work with Cubase 7 midi automation?
    Did not find any and trying to make it work by myself by gathering information here and there did not bring me any closer.


    At best, I managed to change slots a few times but then it stops and even freezes the kemper sometimes.
    So, what I'm trying to obtain is switching performances and slots (+ FX and stomps) automatically.


    From scratch, please ;)
    Much obliged!

    I don't use cubase but what's your set up? You have a external midi connection to your KPA? In the cubase project, create a midi track, set the midi channel to your output port and on omni so it communicates with the KPA. Then add the appropriate MIDI commands to the track at the right timing. The list for the CC commands is here snd on the KPA wiki site. Let me know how it works out.

    yeah, I also read Robrecht's topic but I guess it's just a minor thing that I must be overlooking.


    I will follow your steps, Lightspeeder.
    I think I'm just complicating things. I have my KPA connected to a Motu Hybrid 828 MKIII interface (Midi in & midi out) which in turn is connected with USB to my DAW.


    First thing I notice is that you put your output channel on "omni". I had it set on 1 which is the global setting of my KPA.Next thing I did was making a midi device in cubase (which represents the KPA).Then I created a midi track with Motu as its "midi in" channel and KPA-device as the "midi output".


    From there on it gets blur. I tried making performance switches by choosing a program change. For the slots I used the appropriate "CC's". I tried it by creating the midi controls in the KPA-device and then choosing them in the automation tracks as well as by choosing them directly in the automation tracks in cubase. In the best case I could trigger a few slot switches.


    As a matter of fact, where do you put the midi commands? And do you need to create an external device at all?

    Not sure what could be going wrong, especially since it does work the first couple of times.


    I don't work with Cubase myself so I don't know the specifics there. Just one question -- why do you choose the Motu interface as "midi in" for the midi track? You're only trying to send midi out (to the Kemper, via the Motu interface). I assume you created a midi device in Cubase to simplify things (make the correct parameters available as automation tracks etc.); as long as the midi device targets the Motu (and thus the Kemper) as its midi out, it should work.


    Oh, and something else I just thought of: since you're working in Performance mode as you said, I assume you're using CC#50-54 for slot changes. Sending a non-zero value for one of these CCs should switch to the corresponding slot: e.g., sending CC#51=1 switches to slot two. However, if you set a CC#51=1 in Cubase when CC#51 already has a value of 1, Cubase may not send this value again. So you need to make sure you set these CCs back to zero after triggering a slot change. Setting them back to zero will not do anything by itself, but it will ensure that the next time you set them to a non-zero value, this is perceived as a value change by Cubase (but like I said, I'm not familiar with Cubase so this is speculation).

    And another thing you could check: when changing a CC value (e.g. from 0 to 1), some DAWs send the original value (in this case 0) as well as the new value (1), virtually at the same time, instead of sending only the new value.


    This is because a "step" in an automation lane actually consists of two nodes:


    [Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/Ovqi9GF.jpg]


    In the example above, there are two steps: I want to change the value to one at bar 5 (step up), and back to zero at bar 9 (step down). So the nodes circled in blue are actually redundant and could confuse your Kemper.


    To avoid this, your automation should look more like this, with just a node at one and then a node at zero:


    [Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/BpqxE20.jpg]


    At least, that's the way it is in Ableton Live, where only nodes (one at bar 5, zero at bar 9) will be sent out as midi values, not the lines in between.

    Quote from Chilipepper

    thank's, Robrecht (sorry for the confusion with Robbert )


    :D No problem at all -- my name invites misspellings and I quite enjoy seeing all the different forms it takes. :D


    Quote from Chilipepper

    So you don't have to use the midi in here, right?


    If I understood you correctly then no, you don't. You're only sending midi instructions to the Kemper, so no need to receive anything from it. I assume you've connected your Kemper to the interface using only one midi cable (interface's midi out => Kemper's midi in), so the interface's midi in port isn't receiving anything anyway.

    pfft, now I'm totally lost. I don't even get the slightest reaction from the KPA.


    So, here's what I tried:


    disconnected the midi in from my audio interface (only midi out from Motu to the KPA).
    Inserted a midi-track with output to the Motu interface.
    Channel= omni (midi channel on KPA = 1)


    Next I opened an automation track for cc50 - cc51 - cc52 - cc53 and cc54 (so I have 5 different automation lanes in my midi track)
    I made a curve as described by Robrecht above.


    I can see the values for the cc's changing and there's midi activity on the midi track, but nothing happens in the KPA.


    Also, I should mention that, for changing performances, which is in fact a program change, I have no clue where to do this in cubase.
    I guess I must have been lucky the first time when I managed to trigger a performance change.


    I guess I will have to start all over and check the cubase manual again for new leads.


    Just hope nothing happened with the settings of the KPA in the process.
    I find it really weird that all of a sudden KPA is not responding any longer.

    :( Too bad. Sounds like you're doing everything correctly. Uh... your Kemper is in Performance Mode, right? :)


    Note that I'm not positive the single-node-versus-step thing works the same way in Cubase as it does in Ableton Live. In any case, the idea is to avoid re-sending the current CC value, and only send the new one. Anytime the relevant CC goes from zero to non-zero, the Kemper should switch to its corresponding slot...


    And yes, like @paults said, try using channel 1 like you were originally since it was working the first time...


    Quote from paults

    (I'm not a Cubase user, so I can't help with details)


    If you just want to change performance slots, you can send MIDI PC changes, instead of CC changes.


    True, if you can get midi PC changes working you can select performance slots directly. Each performance slot has its own PC number.

    okay, guys
    thx for the tips


    another day in paradise :)


    First, I will update the firmware.
    By the way, I have a PC working under Windows 7.


    The PC changes seemed the most logical procedure as each slot has its own number.
    I just have to figure out where to enter them.


    to be continued

    next episode


    Tried a couple of tips but without any succes.


    Then I tried to manipulate the KPA from my desktop computer on which I have Cubase 4 Essential installed.


    Although I had to set up 3 midi-tracks for performing 3 different slot changes, it works perfectly
    So I figured maybe I could try this on the DAW.
    No result.


    Then I exported the Cubase 4 project (desktop - windows Vista) and imported it in Cubase 7 (DAW - windows 7).
    No result eather.


    Here's a pic of the settings in Cubase 4:


    You see 3 midi tracks, conveniantly named CC50, CC51 and CC54.
    In the Cubase Inspector you can directly set a bank and program number for the midi track.
    As you can see the bank for midi track CC50 is 0 and the program = 6, meaning I am in performance 2.
    The slots are then switched by means of the automation track within each midi track.
    Probably there are other ways, but this works like a charm in Cubase 4.


    So, why not in Cubase 7 ?