MOTU, ART, Cubase VST, mics, headache

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friendof billw

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I'm dying here. Two days at this and nothing, not even after multiple return trips to Mars Music for aid and abettment. Let me throw all the pieces in the air and see how you all can sort it out, please.

The brains and brawn of this setup is a Dell Dimension desktop, Pentium III, 450 MHz, 128M bytes of RAM, 17G bytes of hard disk space, and Windows 98. I've replaced the Turtle Beach sound card, which the machine featured out of Dell's factory, with a Mark of the Unicorn 1224. (So now the Altec Lansing 485 subwoofer and speakers don't work cuz they went into the Turtle Beach card. Ugh!)

This MOTU rig is a 24-bit hard disk recording system, 10 simultaneous inputs and 12 outputs. The unit comes with a soundcard called the PCI-324.

The music software is Cubase VST. The preamp is an ART Dual MP, a two-channel tube mic preamp. My mics are some AKGs, a condensor and three dynamics, and a Shure Beta 57.

There's Acid Pro loaded on the computer. I bought a TEAC 6X24 CD-R with an Adaptec PCI card.

There are some electric guitars and some acoustics and a small fleet of old amps I've gathered from dusty corners of attics over the years. Oh, there's an Alesis SR-16 drum machine, if I could figure out how to hook that up to the MOTU.

I can't get the stuff to work. The cards are both seated nicely. Windows recognized them, loaded drivers, blah, blah, blah. I installed all software before I seated the cards--as per MOTU's encouragement. Cubase is installed correctly.

I've got one dynamic mic plugged into the XLR input on channel one on the rear panel of the ART preamp, 1/4-inch connector cable from the ART channel one output on the rear panel to the Number 1 quarter-inch "In" recepticle on the rear panel of the MOTU. My Sennheiser HD 265 headphones are plugged into the clearly marked "Phones" input on the front of the MOTU.

But I get nothing through the headphones (they're working; I checked them separately). All the right lights blink on the MOTU, but I don't get nothing, no sound, no way, no how.

I thought I followed all the directions. And I've spent hours at the mfr's sites trying to dope this out. What am I doing wrong?

I'm a songwriter, trying to make a living, and it ain't working right now. I didn't think I was technologically challeneged--but I clearly do not know what I am doing. Can ya help?
 
First off. Calm down. You can't do good troubleshooting when you're freaking out.
The Altec problem seems like it's just a matter of getting the proper adapter to accomodate that shitty stereo miniplug.
Since the MOTU, like the GINA offers a bunch of ins and outs you've got to make sure that you've selected the proper I/O inside Cubase or you won't hear nuttin'. Good Luck.
I'm sure you'll get it straightened out.
Oh yeah- how are you preamplifying the other mics beyond those 2 that will go into the Dual MP?
 
What happens when you try to record into VST?

Do you get a waveform?

I'm unfamiliar with MOTU, but you may not be monitoring the input through the headphones.

I'm not sure of your situation, can you tell me what happens when you try to record thru the motu into VST and then try to listen back to the recording?

matt
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Cakey2:
What happens when you try to record into VST?

Do you get a waveform?

I'm unfamiliar with MOTU, but you may not be monitoring the input through the headphones.

I'm not sure of your situation, can you tell me what happens when you try to record thru the motu into VST and then try to listen back to the recording?

matt
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
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