I’m using a Windows 11 PC with a Zoom R16. When I first installed everything, the sound playback was working fine for a few days, then it just stopped. The inputs and outputs show as not connected. When I go to select the device under “VST audio system,” no latency readings are showing. Nothing is listed under the driver itself. When I go to select the device as audio inputs and outputs, it’s listed in the dropdown but nothing changes when I select it.
Hey sorry I didn’t realize you had replied. Thanks for your help. I did try another cable but no luck there either. I had downloaded Cubase 13 trial version but it doesn’t work on there either. I will try out the forum on Zoom as well thanks.
No problem. I have seen words to the effect in the past that Zoom drivers are quite poor. I have one of their digital recorders but I have not tried to use it as an interface so have no personal experience with their products in that capacity. If you are still coming to grief you could try ASIO4ALL as an alternative and see if that will let Cubase and your computer talk to the interface: https://asio4all.org/
Ok so that started to get things working again but only somewhat. So I re-downloaded the zoom driver and was finally able to get my inputs and outputs connected. The main issue now is I can’t get any playback on the HALion Sonic drum instrument track that I currently have on my project, but I CAN get playback on any drum loops and samples. Maybe there’s a setting somewhere that isn’t allowing sound to come through on instrument tracks? Hope that narrows things down…
I also asked ChatGPT which is often pretty good at recommending some courses of action to follow:
Here are some steps you can follow to troubleshoot and resolve playback issues with the HALion Sonic drum instrument track in Cubase:
Check MIDI Input and Output Settings:
Ensure that your MIDI input device (keyboard, drum pad, etc.) is correctly set up and routed to the HALion Sonic track.
Open the MIDI/Instrument track inspector and verify that the MIDI input is correctly assigned to your input device and the output is set to HALion Sonic.
Verify Instrument Loading:
Open HALion Sonic and ensure that the drum kit or instrument you want to use is loaded correctly. Sometimes, the instrument might not be loaded or might have been accidentally changed.
Check Track Arm and Monitoring:
Make sure the track is armed for recording if you’re trying to record MIDI.
Ensure the monitor button is active if you want to hear the instrument while playing live.
MIDI Data Presence:
Confirm that there is MIDI data on the track. Double-click the MIDI part to open the MIDI editor and verify that there are MIDI notes present.
If using a MIDI keyboard or pad, check if the MIDI data is being recorded or if it is showing up in real-time.
MIDI Channel Matching:
Ensure that the MIDI channel of your input device matches the MIDI channel the HALion Sonic track is set to respond to. Usually, setting everything to MIDI channel 1 is a good default.
Audio Output Routing:
Make sure the audio output of the HALion Sonic track is routed to the correct output bus and that the output bus is not muted.
Check the VST connections (F4) to ensure your audio interface outputs are configured correctly.
Volume and Mute/Solo Settings:
Check the volume fader of the HALion Sonic track to ensure it’s not turned all the way down.
Ensure the track is not muted and no other tracks are soloed which might mute the HALion Sonic track.
Instrument Initialization:
Sometimes reinitializing the instrument can resolve issues. Try reloading HALion Sonic or re-inserting the instrument in the VST rack.
Update Software:
Make sure you are using the latest version of Cubase and HALion Sonic. Software updates often fix bugs and improve performance.
Audio Driver and Buffer Settings:
Check your audio driver settings (Studio > Studio Setup > VST Audio System) and ensure you’re using the correct driver for your audio interface. Try adjusting the buffer size; sometimes increasing the buffer size can resolve playback issues.
Check for MIDI Filters:
Go to Preferences > MIDI > MIDI Filter and make sure no relevant MIDI messages (like Note On/Off) are being filtered out.
If you’ve tried all these steps and the issue persists, consider checking online forums or Steinberg’s support resources for any known issues specific to your version of Cubase or HALion Sonic. You can also try creating a new project and see if the issue replicates there, which might indicate if the problem is project-specific.
Ah problem solved! I don’t know why I didn’t notice the output routing before on the channel settings, but that was the whole issue. Once I assigned it to stereo out, I had playback again. Thanks for all your help!