Released · v1.0.0 · Free
ControllerHelper
“Follow selected track” for the UF1, unlocked in PreSonus Studio One.
The SSL UF1 already follows the selected track in some DAWs. In PreSonus Studio One , the MCU pathway the surface depends on doesn't deliver track-selection events the same way — so selecting a track outside the surface's current 8-channel window leaves the UF1 behind. SSL documents this as a limitation in their own support notes.
ControllerHelper is a small Windows utility that closes that gap. It sits between the UF1 and Studio One, watching for the track-selection events the DAW already broadcasts. When the selected track lives outside the surface's current view, the bridge quietly brings the UF1 to it. The rest of the MIDI stream passes through untouched.
Setup is a one-time configuration. Install loopMIDI (a free virtual-MIDI utility), then follow the user manual to wire ControllerHelper between the UF1 and Studio One. After that, the bridge launches with Windows and stays out of sight in the system tray.
Inside Studio One, ControllerHelper presents itself as several Mackie Control devices — one per 8-channel block of your session — and only intervenes at the boundaries between them. Studio One sees nothing unusual. The UF1 follows.
Capabilities
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Track follow across unlimited banks
A track selected in Studio One re-banks the UF1 instantly. Sessions from four channels to one hundred and twenty-eight are equally supported.
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Plug-in mode handoff
When the Plug-In button is pressed on the UF1, ControllerHelper steps aside so Studio One's native plug-in mode operates as it would with a single Mackie Control.
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Three configurable global hotkeys
Bind to a keyboard shortcut or a UF1 assignable button via SSL 360, for hardware Track-Follow ON/OFF that fires from anywhere.
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Dynamic bank count
One to sixteen banks per session. Adjust to match the DAW's External Devices configuration.
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Quiet by default
Lives in the system tray. No log files are written unless logging is explicitly enabled for troubleshooting.
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Optional Windows autostart
Ready in the background before the DAW opens, when enabled.
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News and update banners
Surface only when something material has changed. Both banners are dismissible; both are silent offline.
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Free, with no account
No telemetry. No registration. No upsell. One standalone executable.
How it works
In words
ControllerHelper speaks the Mackie Control Universal
(MCU) protocol on both sides — to the UF1 over its
virtual MIDI ports, and to Studio One through four
loopMIDI virtual port pairs configured once
during setup. When Studio One emits a selection event for
a track outside the UF1's current bank, ControllerHelper
re-banks the surface accordingly. The rest of the MIDI
stream is forwarded unchanged.
Full setup — loopMIDI port creation, Studio One External Devices configuration, SSL 360 settings, and the ControllerHelper port assignments — is documented in the user manual.
Decisions
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Channel-strip controls go quiet during plug-in editing.
Studio One's plug-in mode has a protocol-level limitation that would make fader, mute, solo, and knob behavior inconsistent if those messages passed through. ControllerHelper closes those messages while plug-in editing is active.
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Track Follow is binary on or off, not paused.
A simpler mental model holds up better in daily use.
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No auto-connect on startup.
Confirm the ports yourself rather than have the application bind silently to whatever happens to be present.
Install
System requirements
- Windows 10 or 11
- PreSonus Studio One
- SSL UF1
- SSL 360 installed and running
- loopMIDI installed (see below)
Steps
- Download
ControllerHelper-1.0.0.zip. - Unzip to any location.
- Run
ControllerHelper.exe. - Follow the manual for the one-time loopMIDI and Studio One External Devices configuration.
Support
- Read the user manual →
- Email support@the730company.com
Acknowledgments
ControllerHelper depends on loopMIDI by Tobias Erichsen, and stands on the work of a much longer list of music-software builders who chose to put pro-grade tools in the hands of working musicians at honest prices.