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TutorialJune 15, 20265 min read

Insert any Cubase plugin straight from your iPad

By The MetaGrid team

The Cubase integration in MetaGrid Pro 1.7 just went to the next level. You can now add your favorite plugins to any slot on the selected channel, thanks to support for the new MIDI Remote Cubase Plugin Manager API in the latest Cubase and Nuendo.

Our updated MIDI Remote script collects every plugin and virtual instrument available in Cubase and sends that catalog to your iPad for direct selection. Watch it in action above — here's the full walkthrough.

Requires the latest Cubase or Nuendo (with the MIDI Remote Plugin Manager API) and the updated MetaGrid Pro MIDI Remote script.

Build a plugin button

Say you want a button that adds the Studio EQ plugin to the currently selected track.

  1. In MetaGrid Pro, tap Edit and select the button you want to configure.
  2. Open the Inspector and tap Macro (for Mac, or for Windows).
  3. Tap Add and choose the Cubase Plugin action.

You'll see the complete catalog of plugins available in Cubase. Sort it by category, vendor, or collection — or just search by name. Open the EQ section, select StudioEQ, and the Cubase Plugin action is added to your macro.

Choose where it lands

Each Cubase Plugin action has an insert destination:

  • User Selectable (default) — when you tap the button, MetaGrid Pro shows the slots for the selected channel so you pick where it goes.
  • First Free — drops the plugin into the first empty slot, no prompt.
  • Specific slot — always target the same slot number.

Tip: Turn Editor on to have the plugin's interface open automatically the moment it's inserted.

Using the button

Now the button inserts Studio EQ exactly how you set it up:

  • With User Selectable, a tap shows the insert slots for the current track — including the inserts already loaded — so you can drop it cleanly into your chain.
  • With First Free, MetaGrid Pro inserts it directly, without asking.

Virtual instruments, too

It isn't just inserts. Select an instrument track and choose your instrument from the catalog — MetaGrid Pro recognizes it's a virtual instrument and loads it onto the selected instrument track.

Let AI Builder do it in bulk

Building a whole bank by hand? AI Builder in 1.7 streamlines it. Select a group of buttons, tell AI Builder to create buttons for your UAD plugins, pick a color scheme and layout — and you're done. Your favorite plugins, right under your fingers on the iPad.

The Cubase Plugin Manager ships in MetaGrid Pro 1.7. Grab the latest build from the Download page, and see the full Cubase setup on the Integrations page.