Timo,
What happens is you can only control 8 channels at a time. But you can cycle through a bank of 8 channels.
I use CubaseS SX3 so I will explain with that as reference.
If I have 20 channels in Cubase, then the first bank of 8 is for channels 1-->8, then 9-->16 and finally 13-->20, so cycling through the banks gives me access to these channels. Alternatively you can cycle one channel at a time.
There are 3 modes (fader mode - where each fader is a channel in Cubase, selected channel mode - where each fader is some kind of parameter for a single channel in Cubase, or Global mode for making global alterations)
Whilst you can control all 8 faders at once, only one channel can be selected (just like in Cubase when you can only have the edit panel open for one channel at a time) at any one time.
Whilst a channel is selected if I press the EQ button then the assignment of each of the controller channels is changed to control the EQ parameters of the currently selected channel.
So If I am in bank 1-->8 and I select channel 4 and the press EQ, then each fader now controls channel 4's EQ settings (note this is the standard Cubase EQ) and will continue to do so until I put the controller into a different mode.
I may next select to alter the 1st insert effect's parameters on channel 4, so by pressing Insert, the faders now correspond to each of the parameters on the effect plugged into insert slot 1. So if the Effect is a reverb then fader 1 may become the room type, fader 2 the decay and so on.
The name of the parameter is digitally displayed at the top of the board, so you are never in any doubt as to which parameter or channel you are working on.
If you prefer to work with the V-pots you can flip the control over to them instead of the faders.
If you find that you are having to flip through banks all the time you can either alter the order they appear in Cubase and this immediately swaps them round in the MCU (Mackie Controller Universal) or you can use functionality in Cubase to assign multiple channels into groups of banks, particularly to be used in this scenario.
Of course the faders are motorised so you can record all your automation on the controller - no need for a MIDI controller to do filter sweeps etc...
(And you can watch them move on their own - magical).
PS I highly recommend you don't tell your girlfriend about this before she sees it - when she first sees those faders move on their own for the first time it will scare the shit out of her! Hilarious!
Drammy
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