Practical Cubase Guide Ep.14 - Automation vs Midi CC (Controller Change)

In this series I show you how I use Cubase on a day-to-day basis - the practical stuff that gets you writing music with the minimum of fuss!

In this episode I describe how I prefer Automation data to Midi CC data, and how I configure Cubase to make the recording of this Automation as easy as possible.

Here are some links to my song projects as examples of how I use Cubase:

About me:

My name is Anthony Chisnall. I'm a musician and a songwriter. I've created this channel - One Man and His Songs - in order to share with you everything I learn as I strive to improve my songwriting skills. Watch my songs evolve each week - the rhythms, the melodies, the lyrics, the production... everything I need to learn in order to produce professional-sounding music of which I can be proud!

I play the electric and acoustic guitar, and the bass guitar, and record all of my own synth-based sounds myself too, but I can't sing very well (huge understatement!), and so my wife, Pauline, who has a lovely singing voice, has come to my rescue. You'll hear her on all of my songs.

All of my music is written in Steinberg's Cubase.

I want to build a community of music-lovers with whom I can share my experiences, and from whom I can gain valuable feedback as I pursue my dream of learning to write great songs. I really hope you'll join me on my journey!

Thanks to:

[MoonhareStudio]

Hi there - I just wanted to say this is the first clear explanation I've been able to find on this topic. I first used Cubase in the Atari ST days (ERK!) but came back to it about 2010 and have been using the CC controller lanes all that time. I'm very used to editing in those controller lanes but I think your clear and lucid explanation of automation lanes has convinced me to take a paradigm shift in workflow. I do loads of tutorials to help people out with Midi controllers, Cubase, VSTs etc so it's a delight to find someone there to help me out too. Keep up the great work. I know how much work it takes to put these vids together. Subscribed.

[douglashazelrigg]

I've been using Cubase for 25 years, but I'm ashamed to admit I was never clear on this distinction. I do a fair amount of work with sample libraries, and often saw others creating new lanes/parts for things like CC11 -- Expression, but never knew how they did it -- I have always recorded the CC data into the track itself, which was quite limiting. I decided this morning to get myself educated on the subject, and after going through a dozen videos, none of which addressed the subject, I found yours. Thank you very much for a clear explanation. Cheers

[DCPImages]

Very clear. Very practical. Very helpful. Thank you.

[BluesGuitarMadeEasy]

Great considerations. I did some research and found these differences between Automation and MIDI CC that users might want to consider:
- MIDI CC can be edited in the Key Editor. To edit automation you always have to jump to the Project window/area and back to the Key Editor, if you edit the MIDI Notes and MIDI CCs.
- MIDI CC can be edited with the incredibly powerful Logical Editor.
- Automation can handle many additional parameters like the channel’s fader, pan pot, mute button, solo button, ...
- Both Automation and MIDI CC can use 'Move Vertically', 'Scale Vertically', 'Tilt', curves etc.

[yams]

Very interesting indeed, learned a lot about CC and automation ! Thanks Anthony for explaining

[totalmusicfreedom]

I can't begin to tell you how much pain and anguish you have just put to the sword for me! I have always been confused between the differences of Midi CC and Automation and couldn't understand why Cubase would sometimes mysteriously combine both in the lanes in the lower pane - now I'm clear. Thanks so much for the great explanation!

[Composer_DanielPerez]

Clearly explained differences between midi cc's and automation, Thank you. You got a new sub!

[bonuebonue]

Very helpful and clear explanation! Thank you!!!

[monikamia]

I’ve watched this video a few times now, thanks so much!! I have a question though: when I enable writing automation on the track and move mod wheel, is still written as MIDI CC, it doesn’t jump over. What could be the reason?

[richardcraven]

This is great info. The penny has now dropped about this subject, thanks to your explanation . Thanks

[Film-Macher]

Nice, but I think you should have mentioned the Automation "Trim" Mode. A very useful feature to fine adjust the Automation.

[michaelhurst]

I've watched quite a few of the Steinberg videos on automation and none of them mentioned this - interesting

[DmitryLubenskiy]

Thank you. Question: Can I convert MIDI recorded automation (moving fader during recording) into an automation track?

[AlequeVision]

Nice explanation. So why even use MIDI CC? What's the point? And also, is there a way to automate pitch bend without MIDI CC?

[Xserey]

Hi, thanks for the information about this. One quick question, am I able to set the mod wheel as an "expression" wheel in cubase? So I am able to manipulate the volumes with the wheel instead of drawing them in myself? thank you!

[yams]

How have you worked out all these things out ? I gather, must be years and years of experience, blood sweat and tears :)

[JackstandJohnny]

I have Cubase Elements 11 and I dont have the "CC Automation Setup" option in the MIDI tab. Is it not there BECAUSE I have Elements? Do I need pro? I just need to send a command to my drum machine to start playing after my count in on Cubase. Its a simple start/stop command and nobody seems to know how to do that. I need Cubase to tell my Presonus Studio 1810c to send the song start command to my Korg EMX-1 sequencer. I have the paid version of Cubase Elements 11 but now Im worried that I need to cough up the extra money for "pro". Thanks in advance.

[SilverWolf]

There's a 3rd party vst that I'm using in an automation lane event, however it uses percentages from -100 to 100. The operation itself is very clunky and inconsistent. If I go to the info line to try to type in a value it doesn't really read that well. Is there a way to switch automation lane data to a 0-127 value instead of percent?

[Hash-vohi]

Any help please? I’ve got a new midi fader so I can use for string expression, dynamics etc. All the sliders (8) are automatically assigned to a different function. Is there any way I can change this so that the sliders will only work once I’ve assigned them, rather having them all already assigned? Thank you.

[Stewbert_]

Hi I am looking to do program and cc changes that I can export as midi file and import into a backing track player called m live b beat in order control my line 6 helix .
Is this easy to do in Cubase ?
I have failed attempt doing this in studio one where studio one and my laptop are successful in controlling the helix but as soon as try export that file into the b beat it doesn’t work.
Want pull trigger on Cubase if it works