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Introduction :
Discover my 33 sets of Cubase 5 mixer maps - designed for the EWS64 !
Take full advantage of the 5,545 controls and 2,173 switches of the EWS64.It's never been so easy to access all MIDI functions of the EWS64 synth !
Utilize all parameters of the EWS64 in Steinberg's Cubase 5.x !
Contents:
- What are mixer maps ?
- Special features
- Why 33 mixer maps ?
- System requirements
- How to install
- Where to download
- Further details on the development of these mixer maps
- Very useful - my Cubase patchname scriptfile for the GSSBK320.94B or my GSSBK320.tts sound set
- Also very useful - my Cubase Drum Maps for the GSSBK320.94B or my Drumkits.tts sound set
1. What are mixer maps ?
Introduction:Mixer maps are used to trigger different devices with a MIDI interface (such as synths, mixers, sound modules, soundcards and more) via Steinberg Cubase 5 mixing tracks. The different elements of the mixer maps are able to transmit the necessary MIDI messages to change available device settings.
They're like software editors that you might've use with your synths or sequencers on a PC (or maybe your Atari) to edit all the values for your device's MIDI parameters comfortably on screen.
But there are also MIDI devices without any buttons, controllers or switches like, for example, the integrated synthesizers of PC soundcards (EWS64, Yamaha DB50XG/SW60XG and others).
Such devices are mainly controlled by a lot of MIDI data.
For example, the Yamaha XG sound modules come with thousands of controllable sound parameters, the EWS64 too allows you to modify more than 7000 sound parameters !
All these devices have one main problem in common:
All the sound parameters are changed with different MIDI data, but nobody can remember all those different commands simultaneously!
In addition, many commands are based on MIDI SysEx Data. These are lines of hexadecimal code like 'F0,43,10,4C,02,01,40,48,00,F7'.
Any editing of such SysEx data by hand is anything but easy or comfortable.
What this unfortunately means in practice:
Until now, most owners of an EWS64 or Yamaha XG synth could only partially use the advanced features of their synthesizers!!!
...time for my mixer maps to appear.
These mixer maps offer easy access to nearly all available parameters using 'Virtual Surfaces' for instruments, drum kits or master MIDI settings with named switches and knobs.
You don't need to remember obscure MIDI commands anymore - you can now vary any possible setting intuitively.
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2. Special features
- I. Precise naming
The legend of all knobs and switches are complete and in English. Every EWS64 user with basic synth experience should be able to understand the function of each knob or switch.
- II. Overview
I've tried to clearly arrange all controllers into 'logical function groups'.
For this reason, these mixer maps are visually separated into different areas - Oscillator, Filter, Amplifier, LFO, Envelope, Part and other settings appear in separate frames.
For instance, you'll find any possible adjustments of a filter available only in the 'filter' of that special mixer map (and nowhere else).
You're therefore able to clearly view all available settings.
- III. The mixer maps are complete
Nearly all of my mixer maps include all possible settings - meaning full access to the sound unit!
- IV. All knobs and switches are scaled
You can regulate all knobs only inside the scale they are appointed to. When it only makes sense, for example, to adjust the 'Global Tune Transpose' in an area of #28 to #58, the specific knob will only use this scale.
It's therefore impossible to send invalid (out of range) MIDI commands with these mixer maps.
- V. Adjustment notes
Many of the controllers (where applicable) include an absolute range scale. Let's take the switch 'Global Tune Transpose' again. The 'Global Tune Transpose' can be varied inside a range of +/- 24 semitones. Therefore the scale of this knob is -24 up to +24.
Important note:
For a huge amount of knobs there are no special values given because these knobs create an offset to instrument specific default values.
In this case the values will be:
A. On knobs with a scale from 0 to max - '0' for lowest and 'max' for highest.
B. On knobs used to change a default value - 'low' for decreasing and 'hi' for increasing this setting. In most cases the setting #64 ('center') will keep the default setting without any offset.
- VI. Note on default settings
I've integrated the information for default settings as additional text inputs into my mixer maps also (where applicable). For example, the default setting for 'Global Tune Transpose' in the Master mixer map is #64. This is named 'flat' (= no change). With this setting all sounds are played at their original tuning.
The text input '64 = flat' means when you choose value #64 there will be no change in pitch.
- VII. Default Snapshots
When opening a mixer map in Cubase 5 there is always the problem of non corresponding default values in Cubase and the opened device!
To solve this irritating problem in Cubase 5, I integrated 'Default Snapshots'.
One click on such a snapshot and all buttons will change to their default values and match the real settings of the device.
You can find particular information under 'further notice' in the different mixer maps.
- VII. In Summary
You're now able to control all settings intuitively! No need to remember details of MIDI commands anymore.
Concentrate on the most important thing - Playing Music!
- PS: Automation of the mixer map settings in Cubase 5:
It`s simple to store variations of any sound setting in a Cubase song dynamically (via 'Dynamical mixer track recordings').
Please read the Cubase manual (MIDI Mixer.pdf) for further information.
3. Why 33 mixer maps ?
- There are 16 Channel mixer maps for MIDI channel 01-16 (or part 00-15) to give you complete control
for each single MIDI channel or part.
(see also: The EWS64 Voice mixer maps for channel 01-16) - Each of my 16 Drum mixer maps for MIDI channel 01-16 (or part 00-15) are able to control up to 72 voices of
a drumkit simultaneously. Every drum kit voice can be controlled separately (Level, Pan, Tune, Reverb and Chorus).
(see also: The EWS64 Drum mixer maps) - The master mixer map allows variation of all EWS64 FX settings, the global MIDI settings (global volume,
global tune fine/coarse) and the Voice/Drum-Mode settings for each MIDI channel.
(see also: The EWS64 Master mixer map)
4. System requirements
Use of these 33 mixer maps require:- An EWS64 S, L, XL or XXL
- The program Steinberg Cubase VST 5.x or Cubase SX 3
- Screen size of 1024 * 768 pixels (or higher)
- A creative and experimental spirit
These mixer maps don't work with Cubase VST versions earlier than 5.0 (like VST 3.7), also you can't use them with Cubase SX 1 or 2!
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5. How to install
It is strongly recommended that you read the installation manual and strictly follow the instructions 'as they are'- otherwise the mixer maps won`t work !
Follow this link for detailed installation instructions :
Installation of the EWS64 mixer maps
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6. Where to download
You can download the mixer maps here:Download EWS64 mixer maps
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7. Further details on the development of these mixer maps
I. Introduction:After purchasing the EWS64 and a glance at the manual, I realised that I had bought a soundcard equipped with a huge amount of dynamic MIDI controls for nearly all sound parameters, just like an advanced hardware synthesizer. Very soon I thought of using the EWS64 in Cubase5® with suitable mixer maps as an easy way to utilize it's enormous possibilities.
II. It's been a very long road from that initial idea to these mixermaps...
...on one hand, the EWS64 synth uses different kinds of MIDI commands:
- 'Control Change Commands' (standard MIDI controllers)
- 'RPN Commands' (Registered Program Numbers)
- 'NRPN Commands' (Non Registered Program Numbers)
- 'SysEx Commands' (device depended data rows of hexadecimal code)
- For the 'Global Fine Tuning' of the EWS64, so called 'Nibblized MIDI data' is used.
At this point I would like to thank the Terratec support team for their detailed help!
Without their friendly advice, I wouldn't have been able to create the 200 fine tuning switches of the EWS64 Master mixer map.
The creation of RPN and NRPN switches are especially very complex - the online 'help' of Cubase 5 isn't much use here...
The study of other, non EWS64, mixer maps with RPN/NRPN controls made it possible for me to insert such controls into my mixer maps.
Pitfalls were the often incorrect MIDI documentation supplied with the Terratec EWS64 (manual wavetable.pdf) -
- Parts are confused with MIDI channels
- Some stated values are just wrong
- The real effects of different adjustments are not clear
- The existence of an additional modulation oszillator (called 'LFO3' in my mixer maps) is whithout any documentation
Through empirical testing, I learnt about MIDI programming the EWS64 the hard way
(nearly bringing me to a nervous breakdown...)
...but these mixer maps became reality !
IV. What does this now means for you
No more hassles!
All the problems I encountered are addressed in these mixer maps.
You'll find notes as to the settings and scales for all knobs and switches in the detailed help tables.
What's left is just for you to start...
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8. Very useful - my Cubase patchname scriptfile for the GSSBK320.94B or my GSSBK320.tts sound set
This script allows you to recall every sound or drum kit for this soundbank by name immediately.You don't need to remember program and/or bank numbers for instruments/drumkits anymore
(goto: EWS64 Scriptfile for the soundset GSSBK320.94B).
9. Also very useful - my Cubase Drum Maps for the GSSBK320.94B or my Drumkits.tts sound set
These EWS64 Drum Maps for Cubase VST 5 and Cubase SE/SL/SX offer easy access by name to all the available instruments of the drum kits of the EWS64 sound sets GSSBK320.94b or my Drumkits.tts (view page Hints to the EWS64)(goto: Drum Maps EWS64).
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C/O 2002-2012: Werner Ogrodnik (Cologne, Germany)