Cubase midi not playing through interface and other Q's

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David_VI

New member
Hey!

I just got a Tascam U-144, bundled with a few goodies! mainly so I can record guitar, mess around and try out a few things.

I know Cubase reasonably well, not amazing but i've been studying midi at college for over a year now so I can figure out most things by now.

Issue1

I have the interface as my VST device or whatever its called in setup devices so I can play guitar and it show up and I can hear it through the Tascam headphones jack.

However if I use midi, for example a Guitar Pro export it plays through my main sound system (Creative soundcard) but not the interface so if i'm using headphones to record guitar to a song i've written in midi I only have the click to play to, I can't hear the drums or other instruments that are using Midi.

The output of the midi channels is the ole Wavetable Synth or something, I've tried changing it to other things and I can get Midi Out lighting up on interface but still no sound.

Any idea or is this a limitation?
----

Issue 2

Before I discovered the above issue I had a midi from guitar pro that I wanted to record with real instruments but use my drum track from Guitar Pro.
It imported fine, GM drum map shows that the drums are the same and it sounds fine using the original midi synth (wavetable thing again) but if I change the output to a VST drum I get the drums playing delayed..

I don't understand this? Any ideas..
Help appreciated, I hope these aren't limitations!

Using:
Quadcore processor, 2.4ghz (IRC)
2gig ram (4gig soon mind)
Tascam U-144
Cubase LE
Creative X-Fi xtrememusic (Pc's normal output)

David
 
David_VI said:

Issue1

I have the interface as my VST device or whatever its called in setup devices so I can play guitar and it show up and I can hear it through the Tascam headphones jack.

However if I use midi, for example a Guitar Pro export it plays through my main sound system (Creative soundcard) but not the interface so if i'm using headphones to record guitar to a song i've written in midi I only have the click to play to, I can't hear the drums or other instruments that are using Midi.

The output of the midi channels is the ole Wavetable Synth or something, I've tried changing it to other things and I can get Midi Out lighting up on interface but still no sound.

Any idea or is this a limitation?
----
Click to expand...

To start with - the MIDI out light represents the MIDI data being transmitted to the MIDI ports, not the main LR output.
When you play your MIDI file, are you playing it through cubase? If you have a MIDI track inside cubase with your guitar pro data on it, and it plays through a different sound card to your audio signals... you've got a strange problem! I would look in the device settings and look at the MIDI section. What ASIO driver are you using?

Also - just because you can hear your guitar through the tascam headphone jack, doesnt mean its got to cubase - it could be direct monitoring. Do you get signal in cubase? If so, then thats ok.

David_VI said:
Issue 2

Before I discovered the above issue I had a midi from guitar pro that I wanted to record with real instruments but use my drum track from Guitar Pro.
It imported fine, GM drum map shows that the drums are the same and it sounds fine using the original midi synth (wavetable thing again) but if I change the output to a VST drum I get the drums playing delayed..

I don't understand this? Any ideas..
Help appreciated, I hope these aren't limitations!
Click to expand...

Check your latency settings. I expect you may have the latency set really high. Bare in mind, lowering the latency might cause your CPU to work harder, but with a quad core 2.4Ghz you should be fine.
 
Thanks for the quicker than expected reply!

Yeah I am playing the midi files in Cubase, i've imported the midi data from guitar pro so I have midi tracks.
I'm using the Tascam ASIO, its set in the main device setup where it lists the internal/hardware clock thing so I believe thats right.
I can record guitar into Cubase, the signal shows and it plays back. But midi plays through mainsoundcard yet the main audio out monitors don't move at all (assuming this is because its not playing through interface because it moves when doing guitar or audio) but I still hear midi through the main setup.

The interface doesn't have a midi synth but I assume it can still play back what is being played?

I will check on what you said when I get back into Cubase shortly!

Thanks
David
 
David_VI said:
Thanks for the quicker than expected reply!

Yeah I am playing the midi files in Cubase, i've imported the midi data from guitar pro so I have midi tracks.
I'm using the Tascam ASIO, its set in the main device setup where it lists the internal/hardware clock thing so I believe thats right.
I can record guitar into Cubase, the signal shows and it plays back. But midi plays through mainsoundcard yet the main audio out monitors don't move at all (assuming this is because its not playing through interface because it moves when doing guitar or audio) but I still hear midi through the main setup.

The interface doesn't have a midi synth but I assume it can still play back what is being played?

I will check on what you said when I get back into Cubase shortly!

Thanks
David
Click to expand...

You'll find the main outputs wont 'light up' when MIDI data is being played, but the Red MIDI data bar which is just to the left (on mine, anyway) will move instead.

Im starting to think your issue is with your MIDI synth not the sound card. Your soundcard is merely the output device for whatever signals are sent to it. It doesnt have to contain a MIDI synth.
Some cards (such as your creative) will have extra MIDI synths which can be used. I think this is what you are using, and why it doesnt play out the tascam.
The Microsoft MIDI Wavetable is included by default in windows PC's, so if you use that and output the signal to the tascam, it should work - all be it with the crap default MIDI sounds.
 
I feel I may have made an obvious mistake, or obviously not so obvious?

I had the tascam set as my VST device.. But i tried out stuff on my laptop as I reformated this PC (just annual cleanup nothing related to my issues) and I set the Tascam as the default soundcard in the Vista sound settings and then I could hear everything through the Tascam... which makes sense now I think of it.

Is this what should have been done to start with? It was in no guides, I was just told to set it up as a VST device in Cubase and other ASIO settings/apps..

The other issue with drums I can check out in a day or two once this system is all installed and running again so don't consider me finished with!

Thanks
David
 
Yeah you have basically done what I said to fix it :) good stuff

You have switched your primary sound card to the tascam, hence all MIDI data is being synthesised and sent out of it, not the creative.
 
Waffleness said:
Yeah you have basically done what I said to fix it :) good stuff

You have switched your primary sound card to the tascam, hence all MIDI data is being synthesised and sent out of it, not the creative.
Click to expand...

Yup, slowly getting to grips with it all thanks!

Why is is the Wavetble synth in cubase is delayed slightly yet if i use real VST's it isn't delayed.. I can't really record to the Wavetable midi, but it plays through headphones, if I use the SB X-Fi synth it goes through my main systen which is obvious why considering its my Creative cards synth..

I guess I need another all round midi synth thing like the wavetable so I can import my guitar pro midis and record to them without delay..
Possible?

Thanks for help:)
 
New question..

If I import midi into cubase and a drum track with midi click, the whole thing seems a tiny bit out of sync, the click is on the beats in cubase yet when playing its not, it looks like it is but when you put on cubase click you can hear its like an echo..

I'm guessing this is latency once more.. But is there no way to fix it so I can play midi's exported from Guitar Pro using GS wavetable in cubase?

Unless thers an alternative to the wavetable that works better? I know I can set the drums to a VST, but the guitars, bass and such don't have any counterparts in VST, not for midi at least?

Help please!
David
 
Sorry, another update as I have yet another Q/issue plus the above problem is fixed.

Realised you can find sofware synths that do the same job as wavetable which does trick and they even play through my interface where as the wavetable one would but be extremely delayed.

Now I can try recording.. using a midi as guide track.
Issue now, sigh another yes.. the issue now is it seems to jerk/hiccup while trying to record my guitar part along to the midi. I don't think its my system, i'm guessing it must be all the stuff going through the interface?

Its about 4/5 midi tracks, one audiotrack trying to record guitar on.
I start the track and then as soon as the track kicks in I get a jerk with a poppy(ish) crack sound then it continues.. and does it some more at points..

Can't work out why.

Any ideas?
thanks
 
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