Cubase SX 3 question

Miscellaneous
1

Hi all,

I’ve just hooked all of my studio back up and have been trying out my midibox gear with Cubase SX 3. I was wondering if anyone in our little community here could answer a simple cubase sx question for me…

Ive got a C-Port ADSP24 rack with the PCI card, 8 in 8 out with midi etc etc. Works a treat. In cubase I have set up the asio drivers, named and configured the input and outputs as I thought made sense. I can see the input levels coming in via the mixer (from my SID synth) but no audio is being routed to the output (the output meter isnt moving). VST instruments do make sound and make the output meter work… Odd.. Am I missing something simple here?? I do recall earlier cubase versions requiring pressing some button on each input channel to route it to the outputs, but I cant find anything similar. The manual isnt helping, nor the help system in the program…

Any thoughts would be cool

Cheers,

John

2

I know this sounds real stupid, but I take it you have chosen the correct output in the “out” box for each track?

3

Hiya,

The tracks I am using are midi tracks to trigger the external synts, which in turn pump the audio into the C-port which I can see in the mixer, but it wont go into the output. The only outputs for audio I can see on a track basis are for audio tracks, or VST tracks. When I put in a VST track and choose the master out it works fine. Its just the audio coming into the PC that isnt being routed to the outputs as it should be.

Any ideas?

Cheers!

John

4

I have the same problem. Check if running DIRECTX as sounddriver works! I’ve got a Soundblaster Audigy and when I switch from the original soundblaster asio drivers to the kX asio drivers it works fine !

greetz

5

John,

I’ve never tried to do that exact thing before, but it sounds like what you’re looking for (live routing) would require something like one of the mixer panels for the soundcard itself (like RME’s Totalmix or MOTU’s Cuemix). Cubase could do it as well, but you may have to set up a “dummy track” just for monitoring purposes.

You sound as if you’ve already got your i/o set up in the VST Connections panel. You should be able to add a stereo or mono audio track and have access to whatever you’ve got available as inputs (where you were seeing meter activity) from the input pulldown on your new audio track. As Therezin mentioned, make sure you’ve also got them routed to your mains. You’ll also need to get them in “monitor” mode before they’ll probably do anything (the speaker icon on the channel strips).

A couple other notes:

*If you should appear to be missing any i/o, due to a changed config in your soundcard panel’s prefs or something, you may need to hit one of the reset buttons in the inputs or outputs panels in Cubase to update it.

*Keep in mind, there are a couple different methods of monitor available from Cubase. If your card supports it, there’s the “Direct Monitor” option in the VST Multitrack panel (in “Devices”). That will actually control the hardware DSP functions of your card via ASIO Direct Monitoring, just like the soundcard’s mixer software might do. You’ll figure this out when you mess with it, but that method actually bypasses some of Cubase’s signal path and has a couple other routing limitations IIRC. It is however, likely to be the fastest with regard to latency. I’ve managed to keep that unchecked here (in Nuendo with a MOTU 424) and get my buffers and latency down low enough to do basic multitracking, along with some live VST plugs, without any “slapback” sounding obnoxious delay in the phones, but YMMV. With DM off (regular software monitoring), you’ll have the benefit of getting the exact same signal path on play and record, complete with insert plugs, and you can set “monitor” to automatically turn on when you go into record.

*Also, “guessing” you’ve got the dedicated ASIO driver for the C-Port selected in devices, rather than any of the ASIO multimedia wrapper stuff.

*MIDI may also have some similar switch position requirements to get a live path happening (the record or monitor buttons). I know at least the “thru” function didn’t seem to work without a record enabled MIDI track. - sorry I’m sort of vague on Steinberg MIDI, beyond it’s remote control stuff :wink:

*You may need to do some of your soundcard’s setup (sample rate, clock source, bit depth) from within Cubase (either in “Project Setup” or from the “VST Multitrack” panel), rather than from your card’s control panel. Cubase may override whatever you had set on the outside. At least that’s how it is with the MOTU stuff, but MOTU and Steinberg pretty much hate each other, so again YMMV. ;D

Hope some of that helps, and let me know if you hit anything else in it. I’ve been with Nuendo since v.1, but I’m no “power user”. I sort of stick with just what I need from it, for basic multitrack duties.

Take Care,

George  

6

Hi,

First:

didn’t the C-Port ADSP24 have a software tool where you can assign the inputs to the outputs? If so, please make a 1:1 connection there first.

How I would do it in cubase:

Make a audiotrack, give it your SID as input device  and the out you want as output device. Put the track in REC mode and press the monitor button (right from the rec button).

Now play the SID.

Still no output?

greets

Doc

7

Thanks for all the suggestions. The C-port has a 1:1 in to out happening. I muted the various inputs in the C-port mixer (usually needed in reaktor for proper usage or you will get the monitor signal and processed signal over each other). I have followed doc’s suggestion with the track with the input and output selected, ans also the rec and monitor buttons depressed. Still nothing. I can however record the inputs then play them back normally, just no real time monitoring with FX (or without).

I have attached an image to show how it is all set up.

Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance,

John

untitled.JPG
untitled.JPG1024×741 135 KB

8

Hmmm strange.

Sorry for that silly question:

Your output on the SID Audio track is named stereo out.

When you press F4 (the audio connections), you have assigned the right outputs to the name “stereo out” ? I mean “Stereo out” are the outs you’ve connect your monitors/headphones to?

I have also no further idea on that, but you can post your problem in the steinberg forum under cubase.net.

There you’ll find the real cubase freaks.

I don’t know the C-port very well. I also sometomes hate RME’s total recall with ASIO direct monitoring …

Does the C-port has any monitoring software, like metering or anything else? I mean, can you see the output signal anywhere ?

Hope you’ll solve it.

greets

Doc

Edit: After a closer look on your screenshot, I see three possibilities:

1.) Your mapping (press F4) is wrong or faulty

2.) Your C-port mapping is faulty

3.) Your ASIO driver is not working right.

9

Hey again John,

I’m sort of stumped too. Doc mentioned the “connections” panel, but I think even with “Stereo Out” routed to the wrong jacks, Cubase’s “Stereo Out” bus would show activity (you just wouldn’t hear it).

As a DSP24 owner, I’ll add that STAudio/Hoontech’s software is some of the funkiest and least intuitive of any I’ve dealt with, and it’s a shame as I feel the card itself is really nice and has some potential otherwise. I wish they’d get off the “virtual bus” crap (at least with the panel & drivers mine has) and realize that anyone who buys a semi-pro or above soundcard will already be running DAW software for that purpose. Mine has only two ins and outs available, and it has about 10 channels in the stupid panel. ;D

Back on topic, only things I can think right off are to make sure you’ve selected the actual STAudio ASIO driver in devices, and to try with and without the direct monitor checkbox ticked. BTW- The realtime monitoring with effects you mentioned, will only be available with direct monitor off. There are also some cards which don’t (or don’t properly) support DM, so turning it off just to get a signal might be a safe starting point. I also don’t think you’ll want anything patched together (ins to outs,etc.) in the card’s control panel, if you’ll be working in Cubase. All that stuff should be accessible from Cubase’s mixer.

Sorry that’s all I can come up with. Good luck and let us know what happens. :slight_smile:

George

10

Hi Guys,

Thanks again for the responses. I had taken a bunch of other screen shots of the config when I read:

“and to try with and without the direct monitor checkbox ticked. BTW- The realtime monitoring with effects you mentioned, will only be available with direct monitor off” from Jidis.

When I turned it off I could hear the SIDs instantly!!! Woohoo!!

Whats the disadvantage of having this off?

I also have another seperate question about using Cubase SX3. One of the midi inputs is my Midibox Sequencer. Ive been contemplating how I can best use this as inputs to cubase. As I am in a multi port situation, its not that simple! Ideally I want to be able to assign multiple instuments from the sequencer which are ultimately on different output ports from the PC ie (ive simplified the midi device names to just numbered ports to make it easier - which are made up too, just looking for a conceptual answer):

MBSeq Ch1 always goes to sid 1 (PC output port 1 ch1)

MBSeq Ch2 always goes to sid 2 (PC output port 1 ch2)

MBSeq Ch3 always goes to sid 2 (PC output port 1 ch3)

MBSeq Ch5 always goes to sid 2 (PC output port 1 ch4)

MBSeq Ch6 always goes to MS2000 (PC output port 1 ch5)

MBSeq Ch7 always goes to EMU Proteus ch 1(PC output port 2 ch1)

MBSeq Ch8 always goes to EMU Proteus ch 2(PC output port 2 ch2)

MBSeq Ch9 always goes to EMU Proteus ch 3(PC output port 2 ch3)

MBSeq Ch10 always goes to Novation Drumstation 3(PC output port 3 ch10)

MBSeq Ch11 always goes to Kurzweil K2000 ch 1(PC output port 4 ch1)

MBSeq Ch12 always goes to Kurzweil K2000 ch 2(PC output port 4 ch2)

MBSeq Ch13 always goes to Kurzweil K2000 ch 3(PC output port 4 ch3)

MBSeq Ch14 always goes to Kurzweil K2000 ch 4(PC output port 4 ch4)

MBSeq Ch15 always goes to Kurzweil K2000 ch 5(PC output port 4 ch5)

MBSeq Ch16 always goes to TX81Z ch1(PC output port 5 ch1)

I used to achieve this easily on my old macintosh computers by using an opcode studio 4 combined with the studio patches application so that any midi routing you could imagine would happen, then be recorded into logic. Now Im using cubase, I cant see an easy way to do this… Looks like which ever channel you select will get all inputs, even if you filter it down to just getting one input it doesnt solve my routing problems..

Anyone had any experience with this? If it makes it easier my sequencer has multiple output ports (IIC’s 1-4) which I used to use. I dont have an 8x8 midi interface for the PC, I do have the 2 output ports on the C-Port (and 1 in) a midisport 2x2, and a m-audio oxygen 8 with one output port making a total of 5 output ports and 3 input ports (the cport input isnt reliable). I guess if I get an 8x8 usb midi interface ($$$$) then I could feed each instrument from its own port.. Can I do it without spending up??

Thanks guys!

John

11

John,

Sorry it’s taken me so long to post back.

(I’ll tackle the one I actually know first 8)) -

Whats the disadvantage of having this off?

There are pretty significant differences between the two methods. As you know, the trend with all the modern soundcards is to provide some means of hardware-based signal routing, using whatever processing the card or interface itself has. For instance, MOTU’s “Cuemix” or RME’s “Totalmix” (“zero latency” monitoring… blah blah blah). They’ve usually got a control panel/mixer app to set up the routing for that, but with ADM (ASIO Direct Monitor), you can do it all from within Cubase, Nuendo, or whatever, and it’s a bit less confusing than running an app in the background (which might stay “live” even during playback). On my MOTU machine, there were a few things that Cuemix could do, that weren’t 100% possible under Nuendo control, but then there’s the larger issue anyway–

Direct monitor (however you control it) usually means patching and mixing hardware inputs directly to other available hardware outputs. AFAIK, there’s little more than level (and pan) that can happen to the signals there, as all the processing really takes place outside of the Cubase mixer. This is great with regard to getting tight delay-free cue signals in the phones for recording, but unless you’ve got outboard hardware doing any EQ, dynamics, or effects, your phone signals will also be dry as crap, and if you’re running a bunch of VST plugs or using the mixer’s channel strip EQ, there might be a night and day difference in the signal when you play it back. Keeping DM turned off gets you full software control of the signals, complete with plugs & processing, at the expense of a delay in the cue signals as they get run to the computer, through Cubase, and back out. Depending on your host machine and card, it’s possible to get the buffers and latency down to where it doesn’t drive you nuts, just be careful with how much you try to push it (low buffers as well as CPU/plug loads). Don’t risk tracking like that until you’ve done a couple decent length test runs under the same config and checked the results for glitches and junk.

Now on the MIDI thing, I can’t say first hand. ??? It sounds pretty messy, and a single multi-port box would probably be the cleanest way to go. I think I just realized the obstacle you’re talking about after looking at Nuendo1.6 on here, but don’t see an answer- You’re looking to separate a sixteen channel input stream (on one port) to a bunch of different ports with some channel bumping (…ouch). I also see that I’ve got pulldowns for port AND channel on input, but maybe not for output (port only), like it retains the incoming channel info. There could be a way around that, but it’s way beyond my Nuendo MIDI needs. I’m usually just controllers & software instruments, sometimes not even that.

If anybody else here knows it, the floor is yours… ;D

Take Care,

George 

12

I guess if I get an 8x8 usb midi interface ($$$$) then I could feed each instrument from its own port.. Can I do it without spending up??

<gripe>

It probably wouldn’t do you any good anyway. There aren’t really any decent 8x8 devices left :frowning:

They’re all USB, which is no good especially for 8x8, even if that is ignored, theres only two with Vista or x64 support: the MOTU which is notorious for poor windoze support and I do not recommend after owning them since forever; and the roland um880, which does port-to-port routing/patching but not filtering or specific channel routing, like the motu does.

If you want 16x16 like I do, it’s motu on mac or nothing.

If you don’t want vista or more importantly x64 support then there are a few options but really they’re all crap.

Basically we’re screwed.

What we need is a scalable networkable 8x8 (16x16, 24x24…) interface that uses either firewire or preferably a proprietry PCIe card. But it seems that in this age of digital audio where we have hit the limits of the current technologies, all the focus has shifted to new audio tech, and serious midi users have been forgotten. It’s exacerbated by the lack of market demand - Pro studios don’t really care because their customers are unaware of the failures in USB and often use macs anyway, small studios don’t care because their needs are not so demanding, and the hardcore users like us get lift drifting…

I’m holding onto my cash waiting for something decent…

</gripe>

13

Thanks for the advice guys, sounds like I was better off with the old mac, the opcode studio 4 and studio patches!

With the direct monitoring, what a pain. I have noticed that the wave files and vsti’s dont sync up with the outboard midi gear. If I only use the outboard midi gear then its ok, but that defeats the purpose of having the PC there (except that its a nice multi channels FX unit). After my last live show I feel that I need a much higher capacity for samples than my hardware samplers can handle, a perfect job for the PC, Ive even invested in some upgrades hoping that using cubase in this way would be good.. Seems may have been a waste of $$ after all if this if the sync is out…

Apart from spending huge amounts of cash on upgrades, anyone got any other ideas? I dont really want a “computer music studio” I just want something to add FX on real hardware inputs, mix it, record the midi, record the audio, and play back long samples in time… Is that too much to ask? :slight_smile:

Cheers,

John