VST 5.0 Remote: Cubase Remote Banks File (*.xml) and PC1600+ presets
  Gilbert Poliquin - 2001/08/01
** Version 1.00
 I. DESCRIPTION
  
   This package of utilities for Cubase VST 5.0 includes:
	- A collection of 31 Banks used by Cubase VST 5.0 to map incoming 
	  messages from the PC1600x to various Cubase functions (mostly 
	  the audio/VSTi/Group and MIDI channels);
	- A series of 31 corresponding PC1600x presets, designed to work in 
	  tandem with the above set of banks.
	- Together, these allow remote control of many Mixer functions in Cubase
	  5.0, including : 
		- Volume, Pan, Mute, Solo, 4 EQ, 8 Effects Send, Master EQ bypass 
		  and Master Send Effects Bypass for all 8 Stereo Groups, 32 VSTi 
		  output channels and 64 Audio channels;
		- Volume, Pan, Mute and Solo for up to 64 MIDI channels;
		- Levels for R+L Master, up to 3 pairs of busses and all 8 Effects 
		  Returns;
		- PLAY, STOP, RECORD, REWIND and FAST FORWARD, as well as other 
		  Transport commands (Cycle on/off, etc.).
	  You could call this a poor man's HOUSTON ;-)
	- Three Word '97 templates, which you can print out and place over 
	  your PC1600x to see at a glance which fader/button is assigned 
	  to which VST function.
   NOTE: these files were created on a PC. They *should* also work on Apple 
	  computers but I do not currently have access to one, so I have not 
	  been able to test/verify. Try at your own risk.
 II. WHAT's NEW
	- Initial release.
 III. CONTENTS
   This archive contains the following files:
	- 08X02 Matrix.xml: the Cubase VST 5.0 collection of remote Banks; 
	- VST Remote.syx: the corresponding PC1600x Presets in sysex format;
	- VST Remote.pmi: a Memory Image of the PC1600x, containing the same 
	  Presets, in PvC format;
	- PC1600x to VST Mapping.txt: a standard text file showing what the
	  various buttons and faders do in each Preset.
	- VST Master & Returns.doc | Word97 colour templates showing what the
	- VST 01-32.doc            | various buttons and faders do in each
	- VST 33-64.doc            | Preset.
	- VST 5.0 Remote Readme.txt: this text file.
 IV. INSTALLATION
	1. 08X02 Matrix.xml: Place this file in your Cubase Installation 
	   folder (or anywhere else you can find it easily). Start Cubase, go 
	   to OPTIONS > CONFIGURE REMOTE > CONFIGURATION. Select Generic Remote
	   and select the MIDI Input and output Ports that are connected to your 
	   PC1600x; click OK. In the small Window that appears next, click 
	   the Edit button on the right side. Finally, click IMPORT in the next 
	   window and navigate to the folder where you put 08X02 Matrix.xml. 
	   Select 08X02 Matrix.xml and you're done.  Please refer to your Cubase 
	   manual for further details;
	2. PC1600+ presets: set your PC1600+ MIDI channels to 01 for sysex
	   dump. If you use PvC (a great program - really a must for anyone
	   serious about using their PC1600(x), just load the *.pmi file and 
	   send the Memory Image to your PC1600x. 
 V. NOTES
   A. Overview:
	1. VST Remote Banks and PC1600x Presets are "linked" so that calling 
	   up a Preset on the PC1600x automatically calls up the corresponding 
	   Bank in Cubase.
	2. There are Presets for 64 channels of Audio, 32 Channels of VSTi 
	   Output, all 8 (stereo) Group channels and 64 MIDI Channels, which 
  should be plenty enough for most users. 
	3. These follow the same pattern; each channel uses two adjacent faders 
         and buttons, assigned as follows:
 		- Odd numbered fader   : Volume
		- Even numbered fader  : Pan
		- Odd numbered Button  : Mute
		- Even numbered Button : Solo
	   In addition, the DATA wheels (and CV1) can be used to select the 
         active channel within the channels controlled by the current Preset.
	4. As a result, the above Presets each cover 8 Mono channels or 4 
	   Stereo ones (or combinations of the two). They are grouped as follows:
		- Audio Channels 01-08;
		- Audio Channels 09-16;
		- Audio Channels 17-24;
		- Audio Channels 25-32;
		- Audio Channels 33-40;
		- Audio Channels 41-48;
		- Audio Channels 49-56;
		- Audio Channels 57-64;
	--------------------------------------
		- VSTi Channels 01-08;
		- VSTi Channels 09-16;
		- VSTi Channels 17-24;
		- VSTi Channels 25-32;
	--------------------------------------
		- Group Channels 01-04;
		- Group Channels 05-08;
	--------------------------------------
		- MIDI Channels 01-08;
		- MIDI Channels 09-16;
		- MIDI Channels 17-24;
		- MIDI Channels 25-32;
		- MIDI Channels 33-40;
		- MIDI Channels 41-48;
		- MIDI Channels 49-56;
		- MIDI Channels 57-64.
	5. In addition to the above, There are Presets for each "family" of
         Channel Strips, organised as follows:
		- Audio Channels 01-32 EQ;
		- Audio Channels 01-32 Effect Sends;
		- Audio Channels 33-64 EQ;
		- Audio Channels 33-64 Effect Sends;
	--------------------------------------
		- VSTi Channels 01-32 EQ;
		- VSTi Channels 01-32 Effect Sends;
	--------------------------------------
		- Group Channels 01-08 EQ;
		- Group Channels 01-08 Effect Sends;
	--------------------------------------
		- MIDI Channels 01-32 EQ;
		- MIDI Channels 01-32 Effect Sends;
		- MIDI Channels 01-32 EQ;
		- MIDI Channels 01-32 Effect Sends;
	6. Channel Strips control the relevant parameters for the selected
	   channel. Channels can be selected with the DATA wheel, either from 
	   a channel Preset (restricted to the specific channels covered by that 
	   Preset) or from a Channel Strip Preset in which case, one out of up to
	   32 channels (01-32 or 33-64 for Audio/MIDI) can be selected. 
   
	7. Finally, there is one Preset for the Master section, the right half of 
         which controls the all-important effects return levels. The buttons 
         are, for the most part, assigned to Transport Controls (Play, Stop, 
         etc.).
   B. Tips and tricks
	1. Use a white colour pencil to draw lines between faders 4-5, 8-9 and
	   12-13 on your PC1600x. This makes it much easier to distinguish the 
	   four groups of 4 faders/buttons. Don't use permanent ink.
	2. You may not need all possibilities. If so, load just the Presets that 
	   you need, in order to conserve PC1600x memory for other uses (each 
	   Preset represents approximately 400 blocks of memory). For example, I 
	   currently use no more than 32 channels of Audio and 32 channels of 
         MIDI, so I have not loaded the Presets covering Audio and MIDI 
         channels 33-64.
	   This will not affect the Preset to Bank mapping.
	3. For Stereo channels (e.g. Groups):
		- The on-screen faders in Cubase are linked by default. This means 
	         that two separate PC1600x faders may both control the volume for 
		  one stereo pair. In order to control the left and right sides 
		  separately, press the ALT key on the computer keyboard as you 
               move the PC1600x fader.
            - The messages sent by the PC1600x fader assigned to PAN Channel 
 		 Right are reversed, so that having the fader at the bottom of 
              its throw places the signal at the extreme right of the 
              soundstage (R63). This allows you, e.g., to start with the left 
              and right signals at opposite ends of the soundstage and move 
              them simultaneously towards the center by moving their 
              respective faders upward together.
		- The DATA wheel is used to select the left and right channel, in 
               the Channel Strips (e.g. for Volume and Pan).   
	4. The Word97 Templates can be glued back-to-back. For instance, you 
         could have VST 01-32.doc (which covers both Channels and EQ/FX Send 
         Channel Strips) on one side and VST Master & Returns.doc on the flip 
         side. I find that using heavier paper works best.
	5. You can call up some of the more relevant VST Windows (e.g. the Send 
	   Effects Rack) with certain buttons in the Master Preset. In addition, 
	   you could call up and arrange windows as you use them with your 
         Presets, and save the results as Window sets in Cubase. In VST r6 (PC), 
	   you could even assign these Window sets to combinations of (computer) 
         keyboard keys EDIT > PREFERENCES > KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS> WINDOWS MENU).
 
   C. IMPORTANT:
	
	1. When Remote Control is active, you cannot use your PC1600x for 
	   anything else (e.g. to change settings on VSTi instruments). You 
	   can deactivate Remote Control by selecting NONE under 
	   OPTIONS > CONFIGURE REMOTE > CONFIGURATION.
	2. The Word97 Templates must be printed on Legal (8½ X 14) or A5 format 
	   paper.
 VI. HISTORY
   Version 1.0 
	First release
 VII. FINAL
   Thanks to Kris Rhen for creating PvC, an editor for the PC1600(x). It's a
   real timesaver. Check it out at http://216.29.21.69/krhen/pvc/pvc.htm
   All comments are welcome.
Have fun,
Gilbert Poliquin
gilbert_poliquin@hotmail.com 
2001/08/01