Can You Make The DP Controls More 'Steinberg-ish'?

[DSS3]

Alright - I was waiting for DP to be released for Intel Mac's, and on quite a few recommendations (James Murphy's being the icing on the cake), I picked up a copy of 5.1.

So far, so good, but I'd like to customize it a bit... I'm comming from working off Cubase SX3, and have come to love certain things about it, mainly:

Playback wiper returning to it's start point when playback is stopped.
Single clicking to move the playback wiper to the desired beat/bar.
Being able to hit the S, R, and M key's to solo, record enable, and mute (respetively) a selected track.
Hitting the left/right keys to move backwards/forwards to a bar/beat.
Hitting the up/down keys to move between tracks.
Pan tracks/alter volume/change plugins without using the mixer.

I've looked through the manual's index, but I'm afraid the terminology between the programs might be very different, and I couldn't find anything I was looking for using the Steinberg terminology. That, and the manual is quite intimidating - I've never seen such a huge and included manual with a program!

Also, I know there are different Command key banks that you can load into DP - is there an archive of these anywhere, or does anyone know where I can find a Cubase-styled one?

Thanks!

[Frodo]

Playback wiper returning to it's start point when playback is stopped.

In the Transport, there is an 'M' with a triangle. That is the Auto Rewind, which sends the wiper back to the last start position upon stopping. The start position is set in the Transport as well at the bottom: Memory> Start.

Single clicking to move the playback wiper to the desired beat/bar.

1. You may place the cursor along the top of the Tracks Overview window near the bar numbers (about the same height). The cursor will *change*, at which point you can single click to make the wiper jump to position. If you want to jump to subdivisions, use you Zoom +/- in the lower right corner of the Tracks Overview.

2. If you have markers set, you may have your Markers window open, and just single click the Markers to jump to position.

Being able to hit the S, R, and M key's to solo, record enable, and mute (respetively) a selected track.

Hitting the left/right keys to move backwards/forwards to a bar/beat.

Hitting the up/down keys to move between tracks.


I believe all of these features are user programmable. Using Up/Down arrows already works for moving between tracks.

Go to Setup menu> Commands. All key commands listed can be changed and saved.

Open the Commands window and type in the feature you want, then hit enter. The window will jump to that feature and will either have a default key command in place or none at all. Either way, you may change it and save it.

Pan tracks/alter volume/change plugins without using the mixer.
That's a tricky one.

[standingwave]

Pan tracks/alter volume/change plugins without using the mixer.
That's a tricky one.

Does he mean draw by mouse?

This can be done in the sequence editor window (not tracks overview window) click the 'insert' drop down on the left hand side of a track.

Or use the bottom half of the graphic editor.

[DSS3]

Thanks for the quick reply!

The M with the triangle just sets to return to a previously chosen point - I want it to return to the point it started from... IE: click on bar 4, push play, push stop, it returns to bar 4, without having to set the marker to bar 4.

Got the single click problem fixed, thanks!

Up/down by default for me is setting a track to record or not - it doesn't switch between tracks.

I've used the search features and edited the commands to no avail - it's still not doing what I want it to.

Is there anyone with Cubase experience that could help me out? I hate dual booting to XP to record, but I may have to if I can't get DP to work out how I want it.

[CornFed]

Is there anyone with Cubase experience that could help me out? I hate dual booting to XP to record, but I may have to if I can't get DP to work out how I want it.

You could try Parallels. I think that doesn't require a dual boot. But I decided to just get rid of Cubase and Windows for DP.

[Frodo]

At some point DSS3, DP will be DP and not Cubase. Cubase is different-- I used to use it. Cubase and DP have much in common, but they each do things the other won't.

I'm not sure exactly what you want to do by using the up/down arrows. Do you mean to select the entire track by highlighting the entire track? I know this can be done by single clicking on the track name, I believe. I don't think there is an entire track-select-toggle for this, but I could be wrong.

But customizing DP to more closely match Cubase will involve finding out what DP's commands do first, then changing them if the can be changed. It's not a process that is ever complete. After 10 years of using DP I'm still refining my key commands as needs dictate.

[DSS3]

Cornfed, it's not dual booting that bugs me, it's the fact that I have to run that piece of •••• called Windows to record, and there are so many bugs in running it on an Apple - no dual monitor support (which is essential for mixing on a laptop), and my Apple keyboard isn't recognized for brief periods of time every 15 minutes or so.

Frodo, I understand what you mean. My problem is that DP just shouldn't be as hard as it seems to be, especially with as much acclaim as it gets.

By the up/down movement, in Cubase/Nuendo, the track that was selected (opened mixer on left side window, enabled shortcuts keys for it, etc) could be changed simply by pressing the up/down arrows. Paired with the S/R/M keys, you could go from one channel to the next, enabling a record on the first and mute the second, in a matter of 3 keystrokes. From what I understand so far with DP, you'd have to bring up the mixer, click mute on the 2nd track, and click record on the 1st. This is MUCH slower than 3 keystrokes.

It just seems to me that DP was designed for having an interface infront of you to control it with, like a console or something, you know?

[DSS3]

Is there some kind of bare-basics guide to DP that isnt 800+ pages long, like the manual?

[swiftness]

DP really isn't that hard, you just want it to be another program and are comparing everything it does to another program. It's kind of like comparing a new girlfriend to an old one, if you keep looking for things that the new girl is missing, you'll overlook all of the qualities she brings to the relationship that your ex lacked!

Check here for a DP DVD Turtorial that is supposed to be quite good:
http://www.macaudiolab.com/

[Mr_Clifford]

So far, so good, but I'd like to customize it a bit... I'm comming from working off Cubase SX3, and have come to love certain things about it, mainly:

Hi DSS3, I came over to DP from Cubase a few months ago and am loving it. It takes a little bit of time to learn the 'tricks' but I've found that pretty much everything I liked to do in Cubase is achievable in DP - and actually is better once you get used to it. I'll try and shed some light on things.

Playback wiper returning to it's start point when playback is stopped.
Single clicking to move the playback wiper to the desired beat/bar.

Doesn't work exactly the same as Cubase but there's lots of options here with memory locations etc. I usually highlight the area I'm working on and have 'link memory to selection' turned on (the M triangle thing), then you just hit option+command+C (or customise your own key command) to go to the start of the selection. Or else you can hit the period key on the numpad and type the bar number. Or setup an auto memory return. Like I said, different, but lots of options.

Being able to hit the S, R, and M key's to solo, record enable, and mute (respetively) a selected track.

OK, I don't like DP's solo function - agree with you there. I would prefer it to be like a normal mixer solo button. I'm sure it has its uses though (like remembering which tracks to solo and toggling between the two). I don't use the keys for mute & record enable, usually I just click on the track - will get to that in a second....

Hitting the left/right keys to move backwards/forwards to a bar/beat.
Hitting the up/down keys to move between tracks.

There's lots of key commands for moving back and forward by beats/bars/markers etc. go through the commands setup and find the ones that work best for you then set them to the keys you want.
The up/down key moves the record enabled track up or down one track - I actually prefer this to how Cubase worked, and I like that you can set audio tracks to multi-record whilst the MIDI tracks are one at a time - Cubase couldn't do that. To move the 'selected track' up or down you use option+shift+up/down, this also moves any selection in the tracks window up or down, again I think this works better than Cubase.

Pan tracks/alter volume/change plugins without using the mixer.

Would be nice wouldn't it. DP doesn't have the 'inspector' like Cubase. Maybe a little volume icon in the track column which would pop up a little fader would be nice (one for the requests box). What I do is set up a window set that puts a single fader from the mixer into the consolodated window on the left of the tracks window. You select 'scroll mixer to selection' and then whenever you select a track, the fader jumps to that track. Very handy for adjusting MIDI volumes while you sequence. I then set up a second window set that reverts back to a 'big' mixer page on my second monitor.

I've looked through the manual's index, but I'm afraid the terminology between the programs might be very different, and I couldn't find anything I was looking for using the Steinberg terminology. That, and the manual is quite intimidating - I've never seen such a huge and included manual with a program!

The terminology is definitely different. For instance 'bounce' on Cubase means 'merge soundbites' in DP and it means something different again in Pro Tools.

Also, I know there are different Command key banks that you can load into DP - is there an archive of these anywhere, or does anyone know where I can find a Cubase-styled one?

I'm sure if you start working on one, then future Cubase => DP immigrants will thank yo for it. Unfortuately because a lot of the concepts are different, I suspect that you might find it doesn't work to do a straight 'translation' of the ley commands. I tried to change my Cubase keys to match Pro Tools once and it didn't work because the tools and functions were just too different. Maybe Cuabse to DP will be more straightforward.

[CornFed]

Cornfed, it's not dual booting that bugs me, it's the fact that I have to run that piece of •••• called Windows to record, and there are so many bugs in running it on an Apple - no dual monitor support (which is essential for mixing on a laptop), and my Apple keyboard isn't recognized for brief periods of time every 15 minutes or so.

That's precisely why I switched over to DP. Windows is horrible, and I had finally had enough of it. It did take me a while to learn DP, but man, I wouldn't go back to Cubase or Windows for anything.

[DSS3]

Alright, I'm getting the hang of this! Got shortcuts set up to enable record and solo modes on tracks, get inserts and whatnot done... with my dual monitor setup, I have no problem keeping the mixer open at all times, definitely allowing for quick editing as compared to the MacBook's 13.1" screen.

The true test will be in September, when DFHS support is released for Intel Mac's, and we'll see how it holds up. Cubase has the best MIDI editor I've ever seen, so it'll be fun to see how DP holds up.


Also, does anybody know where I can get a free Multi-Band Compressor, or other plugins? I'm really just in need of a Multi-Band Compressor and nice L2-ish plugin, as those were key things in my Cubase mixes, especially on the drums and master bus. Waves just charges altogether way too much for me to even consider it (had em pirated before, I have to admit. 2 grand for a bunch of .dll files is rape).

[Frodo]

Also, does anybody know where I can get a free Multi-Band Compressor, or other plugins? I'm really just in need of a Multi-Band Compressor and nice L2-ish plugin, as those were key things in my Cubase mixes, especially on the drums and master bus. Waves just charges altogether way too much for me to even consider it (had em pirated before, I have to admit. 2 grand for a bunch of .dll files is rape).

There is a free plugin thread-- not sure what's listed in the way of UB...

free UB? So soon? Time to Google. If I find anything I'll put it here.

I take it the MasterWorks MB comp isn't cutting it for you?

[mongoose]

There is a reatively usable multi-band compressor here: http://www.geocities.jp/webmaster_of_sss/vst/#c3. It's not *great,* but it is pretty decent and free.

BTW I also came to DP from Steinyland. My first reaction was similar to yours--not too pleased at the big difference in UI. However, I have to say that after just a couple of weeks I found I vastly prefer the DP way of doing things to that in Cubendo; now when I'm forced to go back to fish out old projects done wth the Steiny stuff it's painful.

-m

[DSS3]

Thanks again guys! I didn't even realize there was an MB Comp built in.

Mongoose, that C3 doesn't appear in my plugins list - I assume this is because it's non-UB.


That said, when I select an effect as an insert, from the mixer window... how do I bring up the plugins control surface to edit it? So far I just have the window that Shift+F brings up. [/code]