Mapping plugins with over 256 parameters

This guide explains how to make deep plugin parameters available to the Auriteq controller in Logic Pro.

What This Guide Solves

The Auriteq controller can access the first 256 parameters of a plugin in Logic Pro.

Most plugins fit comfortably within this limit. However, some plugins, such as large multiband processors, modular instruments, or plugins like Cableguys ShaperBox, can expose hundreds or even thousands of parameters.

If the parameter you want to control is located beyond parameter slot 255, the Auriteq controller cannot reach it directly.

To solve this, you can use Logic Pro’s own Control Surface Parameter Order file:

CSParameterOrder.plist

This file lets you change the order in which Logic exposes plugin parameters to control surfaces. The Auriteq controller simply follows the parameter order provided by Logic.

Step 1: Generate the Parameter Order File

Logic Pro creates the CSParameterOrder.plist file when you save a #default patch for the plugin.

The Option key is required at two specific moments. If you do not hold Option, Logic may not generate the file correctly.

1. Open Logic Pro.
2. Insert the plugin you want to configure on any track.
3. Open the plugin window.
4. Hold the Option (⌥) key and click the small Settings menu at the top of the plugin window.
5. With Option held, choose Save as Default.
   
6. When the save dialog opens, confirm.

Make sure to hold the Option Key during the whole process.

Step 2: Locate the File

The file is located here:

[Your Username]/Library/Audio/Presets/[Manufacturer]/[Plugin Name]/CSParameterOrder.plist

For example, for ShaperBox 3, the path may look like this:

~/Library/Audio/Presets/Cableguys/ShaperBox 3/CSParameterOrder.plist

To open the Library folder:

1. Open Finder
2. Hold the Option (⌥) key
3. Click Go in the menu bar
4. Select Library

Then go to:

Audio → Presets → [Manufacturer] → [Plugin Name]

Open the CSParameterOrder.plist file in a plain-text editor, such as:

• TextEdit in plain-text mode
• BBEdit
• VS Code
• Sublime Text

Step 3: Understand the File Format

The file is an XML file.

Inside the <array> section, you will see many lines like this:

<string>0 X (Reserved)</string>
<string>1 X (Reserved)</string>
<string>2 Bypass</string>
<string>3 Master Mix</string>
...
<string>1164 Volume Mid Length</string>
<string>1165 Volume Mid Speed</string>
<string>1166 Volume Mid Wave</string>
<string>1167 Volume Mid Smooth</string>
...

There are two important things to understand:

The number at the start of each line is the plugin’s internal parameter ID.

For example:

<string>1165 Volume Mid Speed</string>

In this case, 1165 is the plugin’s internal parameter ID. This number tells Logic which parameter the line belongs to.

Do not change this number.

The position of the line inside the array determines where the parameter appears on the controller.

The first line is slot 0, the second line is slot 1, and so on.

The Auriteq controller reads the first 256 parameter slots. To make a deep parameter reachable, you need to move its entire line into the first 256 lines of the array.

Step 4: Find the Parameter You Want to Control

In your text editor, use Find:

CMD + F

Search for the name of the parameter you want to control.

For example:

Volume Mid Speed

If the same name appears several times, check the surrounding lines to make sure you are choosing the correct parameter. Many plugins group related parameters together, so the surrounding names usually make it clear which section you are editing.

Once you find the parameter, note the whole line.

Example:

<string>1165 Volume Mid Speed</string>

The number at the beginning must stay attached to that parameter.

Step 5: Move the Parameter Into a Reachable Slot

To make the parameter reachable, move its entire line into one of the first 256 positions.

The safest method is to swap it with a parameter you do not need.

Good candidates are usually:

• X (Reserved) entries
• Parameters you do not use
• Utility controls such as Bypass or Master Mix, if you do not need them on the controller

Example: Moving “Volume Mid Speed” to Slot 0

Before:

<array>
    <string>0 X (Reserved)</string>
    <string>1 X (Reserved)</string>
    ...
    <string>1165 Volume Mid Speed</string>
    ...

After:

<array>
    <string>1165 Volume Mid Speed</string>
    <string>1 X (Reserved)</string>
    ...
    <string>0 X (Reserved)</string>
    ...

In this example, Volume Mid Speed has been moved to slot 0, which makes it reachable by the Auriteq controller.

Important:

• The line <string>1165 Volume Mid Speed</string> kept its original 1165 number.
• The line <string>0 X (Reserved)</string> also kept its original 0 number.
• No lines were deleted.
• The array still contains the same total number of lines.

Step 6: Save the File and Reopen the Plugin

After editing the file:

1. Save the CSParameterOrder.plist file.
2. Remove the plugin from the track and insert it again.

Alternatively, you can quit and reopen Logic Pro.

Logic reads the parameter order when the plugin is loaded, so the plugin must be reinserted or Logic must be restarted before the new order appears.

Important Rule

You can move lines around, but you should never change the number at the start of a line and never delete any lines.

Each line must keep its original number, and the array must stay the same length.

Troubleshooting

The new parameter order does not appear

Make sure you removed and reinserted the plugin after saving the file.

If that does not work, quit and reopen Logic Pro.

Logic only reads the parameter order when the plugin is loaded.

The file does not exist

Make sure you saved a #default patch for the plugin while holding the Option (⌥) key.

You may need to repeat the save process a second time and overwrite the existing #default patch.

The file gives an error after editing

The XML structure may be broken.

Open Terminal and run:

plutil -lint "~/Library/Audio/Presets/[Manufacturer]/[Plugin Name]/CSParameterOrder.plist"

If the file is valid, Terminal should return:

OK

If it shows an error, the XML is malformed. Check that no lines were accidentally deleted and that all tags are still complete.

I changed the number at the start of a line by accident

Delete the CSParameterOrder.plist file and start again from Step 1.

Logic will regenerate a clean version of the file when you save the #default patch again.

The plugin does not show a Save as Default option

Some third-party plugins hide this option in a small menu or disclosure arrow near the plugin preset name.

Look for the plugin’s settings menu at the top of the plugin window, then hold Option (⌥) while opening it.

The plugin has more than 256 useful parameters

The CSParameterOrder.plist method lets you choose which 256 parameters appear first.

It cannot expose more than 256 parameters to the controller at the same time.

For very large plugins, choose the 256 parameters you use most often and move those into the first 256 slots. Other parameters can still be edited directly from the plugin’s own interface.