Why is there no midi sound in Cubase?

[DJ Strutt]

When I hit the keys on the built in keyboard in Cubase 5 I cant hear any sounds?? Ive checked the settings but I cant see anything wrong with them? The same goes for when I plug my keyboard in??

Any Ideas?

thanks

[TREBLE]

happy new year brother! ok it could be alot of ways thais cold happen ....you need to give some details about the configuration in your studio

[DJ Strutt]

hi,

ive got:
PC with Cubase 5 and MAudio Delta Audiophile soundcard
EMU ESI 2000 Sampler
some yamaha midi keyboard
monitors and all that stuff

im gettin a behringer 2004A mixer but it hasnt arrived yet.

thanks

[TREBLE]

hmmm....what do u use to do interface.....u need a midi interface in ourdert o hear any midi sounds....your keyboard is not making any sonds in midid because the computer does not know it is there

[lkmuller]

Are you able to play back a midi file at all in Cubase? If you aren't, then either your sound module (if you have one) or your sound card isn't set up correctly. Your computer doesn't know where to access the sounds. I agree about the midi interface - you definitely need one for your keyboard to communicate with your computer, but if the built in keyboard in Cubase isn't sounding, then your computer doesn't know where to get the sounds. I'll bet it's somewhere in the midi options settings. I'm at work now, and not at my own computer, but the next time I see you post something I'll double check it with my Cubase.

Check on that and post again. This is interesting because I use Cubase also, for both midi and audio.

Lee Muller
http://leemuller.iuma.com

[DJ Strutt]

thanks for your help, basicly, my sound card has got a midi input and a midi output so that is my midi interface. but the card hasnt got any sound on it so i have got to use an external source - my sampler at the moment. someone told me today to plug the midi output from my keyboard into the midi input on my soundcard and then the midi output on my card into the midi input on the sampler. then plug the sampler audio out into my audio in on the card and then the audio out on the card into my amp/speakers etc. and this should mean i should be able to play the sounds on my sampler in cubase, as long as my soundcard was selected on the "out" box in Cubase, which it is? But it is still not getting any sound at all?

I tried importing a midi file, which i did (from some pinball game!!??) and I played it but no sound?? But when I import a wav file it plays fine??

Any ideas? thanks!

[lkmuller]

Ok, that kind of tells me that the problem is in your set up. A wave file is a recording, while a midi file is nothing more than a set of instructions that tell the computer what sounds to play and when to play them. Your computer can't find the sounds. Either the keyboard isn't hooked up correctly, or you don't have the correct options selected in cubase.

One red flag went up when you said "somebody told me", but I double checked how my stuff is set up and it more or less is just like yours. My OUT from the souncard (I'm using a Roland UA100 that essentially takes the place of my soundcard) is hooked to the IN of the sound module, and that's it. There's no connection from the OUT of the module to the IN of the soundcard. Don't ask me why - I learned how to do it when I initially set this stuff up and forgot about it. The audio OUT from my module is hooked to the audio IN of my soundcard.

Your soundcard can't find your sound module, so it may be in the settings for your card. Isn't there anywhere in the soundcard settings where you can tell them what sound module you're using? I would try looking for that.

You know, I'm not an expert at this. I'm just a guitar player, but I'm trying to figure this thing out with you. Check the settings on your soundcard and post back. Unless, of course, someone else out there has the solution (it's got to be a simple one) to this and can solve it for you.

Lee
http://leemuller.iuma.com

[DJ Strutt]

Cheers Mate,

I couldnt find any settings on my soundcard to choose he sound module....but the main problem is that I cant play any midi files at all in Cubase. If I load one up from my hard disk and press play I cant hear anything, the level output is moving up and down and Ive tried selecting everything that is availble on the "out" box in the arrange window but still no sound??

Any ideas?, thanks

[lkmuller]

I've been trying different things in Cubase to figure out your problem. Couple of things to check on.

Go to Options in Cubase, then midi setup. When the window pops up, in in the lower left hand corner you'll see a small rectangle with "enable" on it. Click on the arrow to the left of it and you should see the name of your sound card. Make sure there's a check mark next to it.

One thing we never checked - can you play a midi file on your computer at all? The windows media player should be able to. If it can't, then check to see if your soundcard is selected in the Windows control panel, under multimedia. Click the midi tab under multimedia and see if your soundcard is listed. If it's not, then the computer can't find the sounds.

If everything checks out, in other words the media player CAN play a midi file, then I think we can eliminate your soundcard as the problem and narrow it down to your sampler. Did you ever install a set of drivers for your sampler? I know when I hooked up my roland SC8850 I had to install a set of drivers. Lets hope that's not the case. Try everything and post back.

Lee
http://leemuller.iuma.com

[DJ Strutt]

Cheers lkmuller

ive been looking round and ive found out that i cant play any midi files at all (i tried in media player). So im guessing its not a problem with Cubase more a problem with my set up or my soundcard. I checked all the things you mentioned but it all seems ok to me. (i just tried to phone midiman technical support but there only open 9-5 mon - fri! hmmmmm exactly the same times that im at work! how helpfull!) Im really stuck now on what to do! Settings seem fine (im no expert) plays any other type of file (wav, mp3 etc) and so i just dont know what to say!! other than hellllllllllllppp!!!

thanks

[lkmuller]

OK DJ!!! Don't give up! You know, I can't imagine a sound card that doesn't have GM sounds on it, so try this - disconnect your sampler from the sound card and see if you can play midi files like that, without your sampler. At this point, what have you got to lose? If you have any kind of documentation on your soundcard, check to see if it has general midi sounds on it. When you said you called midi man, was that for the soundcard?

If the soundcard does NOT have any midi sounds on it, then we can figure your sampler or the connection to the sampler is at fault. If the soundcard DOES have midi sounds on it, then the fault must lay with the soundcard itself or the settings for the soundcard. You know, I hope I'm not sounding like some kind of expert on this, because I most definitely am not. I'm just kind of figuring things out the way I did when I first started home recording and had to connect all my new equipment and make them work.

Give it a try and post back!

Lee
http://leemuller.iuma.com

[anppilot]

Hey gang, I dont know if this helps yall, but this is the way My studio is set up:

Computer Serial Output #1 to an Emagic Unitor-8.
The Unitor-8 is an 8 midi in, and 8 midi out midi interface.

My Roland JW-50 master controller MIDI OUT to Unitor's midi IN #8. JW-50 master controller MIDI IN to Unitor's midi OUT #8.

Roland JV-1080 Midi OUT to Unitor's Midi IN #1. Roland JV-1080 Midi IN to Unitor's Midi OUT #1

By creating a "loop" between a module and midi interface, that will let you "hear" the sound that your triggering from the sequencer, and be able to send/receive midi dumps.

The same follows for my Akai S2800, Roland D-110, Roland U-110, FB-01, and Tx81x.

Handling Midi data can be very tricky. Its all a matter of making connections properly.

Later,
Mike

[Randy5235]

Do you have a small speaker by your clock in the bottom right corner? if so right click that >go to open volume controls and mave sure that the midi control isnt muted or turned down all the way...

[DJ Strutt]

Im back......

right, all sound is defiently on, including midi,

tried to make a loop, no success,

my card is made by midiman (who have the poorest helpdesk times ever!)

its got no midi sounds on it.

i given up on geting midi sounds out of my sampler and concentraed on playing midi flies on my pc.

thanks!!

[raerick]

check on the yamaha if it is in local control and in midi preferences(I think) as the default should be midi thru and you're using the key edit ,right make sure you're transmitting/ receiving on the right channel and not doing some wierd rechannel thing by accidentally selecting a drum track (w/ drum map) or some such and if your mixer is up make sure you don't have midi mute on (or a track muted in inspector)