Summary of Midi settings to be used in a DAW

[dobo365]

Thought it would be good to have some summary of the settings to be used in a DAW.
Please shine in to help me with this.
All to be adapted / completed / confirmed

Synth with keyboard

On PC without multi Midi port - Option 1

• disable main Midi settings of DAW (eg; Ableton preferences)
• can the main Midi settings of the panel be set and used as in the standalone?
• Is it needed to use the output to plugin host / input from plugin host?

On PC without multi Midi port - Option 2

• keep main Midi settings of DAW
• leave main Midi settings of panel set to None
• check ON Enable output to plugin host
• check ON Enable input from plugin host

On PC with multi Midi port

• can the main Midi settings of the panel be set and used as in the standalone?
• Is it needed to use the output to plugin host / input from plugin host?

On Mac with multi Midi port

• can the main Midi settings of the panel be set and used as in the standalone?
• Is it needed to use the output to plugin host / input from plugin host?

Desktop module with separate controller

On PC without multi Midi port - Option 1

• disable main Midi settings of DAW (eg; Ableton preferences)
• can the main Midi settings of the panel be set and used as in the standalone?
• Is it needed to use the output to plugin host / input from plugin host?

On PC without multi Midi port - Option 2

• keep main Midi settings of DAW
• leave main Midi settings of panel set to None
• check ON Enable output to plugin host
• check ON Enable input from plugin host

On PC with multi Midi port

• can the main Midi settings of the panel be set and used as in the standalone?
• Is it needed to use the output to plugin host / input from plugin host?

On Mac with multi Midi port

• can the main Midi settings of the panel be set and used as in the standalone?
• Is it needed to use the output to plugin host / input from plugin host?

[damiensellier]

macOS is multi client from the get go, you can set multiple programs to use the same MIDI ports.
Windows is now capable of multi client with the latest MIDI drivers MS is going to include in late feb 2026 for Win11
https://microsoft.github.io/MIDI/
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/windows-music-dev/windows-midi-services-rollout-known-issues-and-workarounds/

Windows MIDI 2.0 is also available for Windows 10

No need to use loopback and virtual MIDI ports anymore neither free the port used by CtrlrX on the DAW

[dobo365]

So we should push Win10 users to install Midi 2.0, right?
But you didn't explain what the settings are when using a CtrlrX in a DAW.

Shall we use the main Midi settings (Input/Controller/Outoput) and their channels
OR
The plugin ones (output to host / input from host); What channels then? Any channel to also define in the DAW itself?

Then, anything to set from the THRU menu?

Actually, I don't know what to advise and I'd like to describe a working setup in my manuals.

[dobo365]

Still no clear answer from anyone...

[damiensellier]

Je prendrai le temps de te raconter la semaine prochaine ;)

[damiensellier]

Oh and actually the new windows midi 2.0 stack won't be available for windows 10 (there's no updates since Q2 2025).

@dobo365 what would be the typical setup you want to use Ctrlrx and midi 2.0 with? Controling synth hardware from cubase with your ctrlrx plugin? As soon as you want to send pure vst automations (no midi) from the host to the synth via the plugin (converting param automations to midi messages to the hardware) you need to enable the midi thru host to hardware and enable the comparator. This is why I set them on by default since 5.6.34 because 99% of the time this is what people really want to use Ctrlrx for.

[dobo365]

I'm not speaking about Midi 2.0; just general Midi setup in DAW depending on what synth you have (simple desktop with separate controller or synth with its own keyboard)
Different usages:

• indeed, automations of some parameters
• editing the synth from the DAW while working on a track (is it better to put the editor on a Midi or audio or separate track)?

[damiensellier]

Actually It's not midi 2.0 protocol per se, it's because the new drivers for windows 11 which handle the multi client is called MIDI2.0

As a plugin, as soon as you record/play Ctrlrx panels automations inside your daw you would need the "Input to plugin host" enabled with the "input from host to comparator" on. This setup is made to be used with your Ctrlrx midi input set to none since the daw is handling the midi in from your keyboard or controller.

In real world terms, you enable your Juno keyboard in your daw midi in, you create an instrument track with your Juno Ctrlrx panel, your instrument track is set to midi in Juno, you enable/monitor the midi in on this track, the panel should have midi input device to none or you'll have duplicate midi messages and you can record automations and even midi messages in. You need to set ctrlx panel midi out to the synth you control i.e. your Juno 106.

It depends on how you actually handle your midi instrument. Either you only record midi input messages to a midi track (midi thru recorder/player)or you record Cubase plugin parameter data automations which is different (ex: cutoff freq param automations, no midi cc, if you know what I mean)
Your daw is acting as a data to midi comparator or just as a midi thru recording device (midi track).

I would say, midi track vs host automations depends on if your panel translate midi via lua or use sysex for parameters.

On my side, to control audio Fx racks which requires sysex to change parameters' value I am using host data automations to ctrlrx with the ctrlrx midi out set to the rack fx midi in. This is the most common setup.

Do you usually record your automations as midi cc on a midi track?

Edit: Those 2 configs can work hand in hand. You can record parameters to the daw automation lane and also have a midi track to record incoming messages from the synth and play them back to the synth. Beware of the loop though.

Cubase instruments track can handle both midi data and VST parameters' automations data on the same track. Which is really handy.

[damiensellier]

You can also select the synth as device in and device out in ctrlrx and enable the thru device in to host and thru device out to host, it would require you select as midi in and midi out the ctrlx plugin midi on and out. There's also a risk of feedback loop depending on your routing.

There's several ways to achieve the same thing actually. I know I can do the 2 different ways explained above on Cubase but not sure on other Daws and also It depends on the plugin type, vst3 being the most flexible.