Step by Step: pocketDial (rel.)  ---  Cubase VST 5

1) pocketEditor

There are Factory Presets(with relative Controllers) that can be used with Cubase VST 5 (Presets 111-114)

If you want to use these Presets, you can select the 4 Presets by simply sending the first Preset or you can use the Dip-Switches.

If you don't want to use the Factory Presets or if you have changed the Presets 111-114, you need to create 4 Presets with the event "Relative Ctrl Bin.Complement" and any Parameters, you can use for example the parameters: Controller 64-79,80-95,96-111,112-127.

You can send the 4 Presets together to the pocketDial by selecting the first Preset (here Preset 111) and "Send Banks 1-4" from the context menu (or simply F2).

It is not necessary to use the Presets 111-114, this is just an example.

If you want to be sure that these Presets are loaded automatically, set the pocketDial Dip-Switches as indicated by the Editor.

In this example I have used the Factory Presets 111-114

The picture below shows the first Preset (111) in the pocketEditor.

2) Cubase VST 5

In Cubase VST open the Remote Control Dialog

Options -> Remote Control -> Settings

(the Pictures below show the german Version of Cubase VST)

In the Remote-Control Dialog Box select Generic Remote as shown below, and select the Midi In corresponding to your pocketDial.

(no MidiOut port is required, choose any MidiOut port)

Then you need to edit the Remote Control-Settings (select EDIT in the following window).

This will open the Generic Remote Control Settings Window.

I have created an example Configuration that you can load into Cubase (choose import and select the file "pocketDial rel1.xml" included with this tutorial).

In this window it is possible to determine what will be controlled by your pocketDial and how it will be controlled.

This is just an example, of course it is possible to create your own configurations.

Probably the best way is to use always the same Preset in the pocketDial and create (different) configurations in Cubase.

To use a different configuration, just import it into Cubase VST 5.

This is what my example Configuration controls:

Bank1:

Audio Volume 1	Audio Volume 2	Audio Volume 3	Audio Volume 4	Audio Volume 5	Audio Volume 6	Audio Volume 7	Audio Volume 8
Audio Volume 9	Audio Volume 10	Audio Volume 11	Audio Volume 12	Audio Volume 13	Audio Volume 14	Audio Volume 15	Audio Volume16

 
Bank 2:

Pan 1	Pan 2	Pan 3	Pan 4	Pan 5	Pan 6	Pan 7	Pan 8
Pan 9	Pan 10	Pan 11	Pan 12	Pan 13	Pan 14	Pan 15	Pan 16

 
Bank 3:

Low Eq On/Off	Mid1 Eq On/Off	Mid2 Eq On/Off	High Eq On/Off	Low Eq Gain	Mid1 Eq Gain	Mid2 Eq Gain	High Eq Gain
VST Channel	Effect Send 1	Effect Send 2		Low Eq Freq	Mid1 Eq Freq	Mid2 Freq	High Eq Freq

 
Bank 4:

Midi Volume 1	Midi Volume 2	Midi Volume 3	Midi Volume 4	Midi Volume 5	Midi Volume 6	Midi Volume 7	Midi Volume 8
Midi Pan 1	Midi Pan 2	Midi Pan 3	Midi Pan 4	Midi Pan 5	Midi Pan 6	Midi Pan 7	Midi Pan 8

You can immediately test it:

* Open the VST Channel Mixer 1

Select Bank 1 or 2 on the pocketDial to change the Volume or Panorama of the different Audio Channels.

* Open the Eq and Effect Settings Window

Make shure that the Channel has been selected (here Channel 2) eventually use the mouse to select it by clicking on the channel number.

Select Bank 3 to turn on/off the EQs on the selected Channel, change the Gain and Frequency Settings or control Send Level1-2

You can use the alphaDial 9 (in Bank 3) to select the Cubase VST Channel.

Of yourse you can switch back to Bank 1 or 2 to change Volume and Panorama settings,...

* Open the Midi Track Mixer

Select Bank 4 on the pocketDial to control Volume or Pan of the Midi Channels 1-8.

!!! It is possible to move both the on-screen Knobs and Faders and the alphadials of your pocketDial without getting value jumps.

Editing the Configuration:

You can create your own configurations, depending on the functions in Cubase you want to control with your pocketDial.

Of course it is possible to use all 4 pocketDial Banks.

As an example, I will show now how to add a SOLO function for the currently selected VSt-Channel to Bank3.

There are two parts in the Cubase Generic Remote Editor.

The UPPER part allows you to create Control Elements and to define the Midi Command (channel, event, max value) by which they will be controlled.

The LOWER part will be used to assign Cubase actions to the different Control Elements.

Open the Generic Remote Settings Window and use the UPPER Insert Button, scroll down in the UPPER window it should look similar to the picture below:

The element "Fader1l" has been added. (This may be named differently in your window)

You can change its name (I have changed it to "Solo", see the picture below).

The Midi parameters can be set either manually or you can use the Learn function.

If you want to use the learn function:

* FIRST move the corresponding alphaDial on your pocketDial (here Bank 3, Dial 12)

* THEN press the Learn Button. (eventually repeat it until it changes to controller 107)

Make sure the Flags show R(eceive) and R(elative) !!!

The LOWER window should look like the picture below now:

(also check the settings in the UPPER window)

Actually the "Solo" control element is not yet associated with any Cubase function.

This must be done in the LOWER window (see the picture below)

Select "VST Mixer" as device, "Selection" as Channel/Category and "Solo" as Value/Action.

Now Preset 3 Dial 12 will control the SOLO function on the selected VST-Mixer channel.

In this example it is best to set the Flag T(=Toggle) in the LOWER window, so any move of the alphaDial will "toggle" the Solo state.

(Auswahl = Selection, this means the parameter of the actually selected Channel will be controlled)

Don't forget that (in this example configuration) you can use the alphaDial 9 of Bank 3 to select the active VST-Channel.

By using this procedure you can create your own configurations, depending on what you want to control in Cubase VST 5.

Up to 4x16 Control Elements can be controlled by your pocketDial.

!!! Don't forget to export (=save) your configuration!