Is there a plugin that lets you automate VSTs that won't MIDI learn CC changes?

Dear Anyone.  

OK, I'm a noob, I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm just about to prove that  (before anyone else here tells me all those things!) 

I've got a bunch of VSTs - OK, freebies and demos, I'm trying to learn without blowing the bank - which make great noises - but they're totally uncontrollable because none of them do CC changes.  So as far as I know, unless you  tell me otherwise, I can't automate 'em.  (WHY do  they make VSTs that don't do CC changes!?!) 

Anyway.  Is there such a thing as a plug-in I can use as an insert effect that DOES accept MIDI CC changes to get louder and softer, so at least I can turn the sounds up and down? Of course I can on the VSTs, but they have to stay at one level the entire time because I've got no way to change them on-the-fly.  

Anyone got any ideas? It's just annoying to have all these lovely sounds I can't really use cos I can't automate them.

Yours hopefully

Chris.

DAWs normally have automation tracks that are independent from MIDI CC tracks. What DAW do you use? Can't you just use the DAW's automation tracks instead of MIDI CC messages?

FWIW Reaper can automate just about any parameter of anything via MIDI, internal LFOs, envelope follower+sidechain, or linked to any control on any loaded plugin in the project.

there's a lot of plug ins that don't allow CC control of all the parameters or any really until you assign them to a macro knob.  

in some DAWs you can create a slider or knob that responds to midi cc and then that knob can be assigned to a parameter to automate. sometimes there's a hoop or two to jump through so you may have some trial and error of different techniques depending on what software you're using. youtube often has tutorials for things. 

I’m pretty much all hardware, as far as sound goes, but I do use cubase for midi. I’m pretty sure that in any version after vst24 (my all time favorite program) it allows you to automate anything like a cc. Quick controls? Also- I guarantee someone has created something in max for ableton that would do this, if it can’t be done in ableton alone.