Hi,
I’ve been running Cubase 11 artist since 2021 but only now discovered a problem. When I try to connect my MIDI keyboard (Impact GX61) and my electronic drumkit (Roland TD1) each using a USB connection direct to the computer, the last one to connect generates the error “the last USB device you connected is not recognised”, or worse locks Cubase until re-started when it demands to know my licence number all over again. Is it possible to connect two MIDI/USB instruments for simultaneous recording and, if so, how? Thanks in advance for any help.
Hi and welcome to the forum,
In Cubase > Studio > Studio Setup > MIDI Ports Setup, try to enable the WinRT option. Then try to connect your MIDI Devices.
The other option which comes to my mind… If I remember correctly, there was (is) a limit of the MIDI Devices you can use in Windows. It was somewhere in the Registry. If you exceeded the limit, you could delete some old devices (you don’t use them anymore). So you could try to investigate in this direction.
This doesn’t sound like the driver limit problem or an issue in cubase itself.
Is it always the last one you plug in, regardless of which one it is? Or is it a specific device or specific USB port? The difference is important.
Is this a laptop? Is it plugged in to power? Not sure what else is plugged in (audio interface? something else?) but you could be simply running out of power for USB bus-powered devices. That will vary wildly by laptop manufacturer. If plugging in the laptop doesn’t fix it, the solution is usually to insert a powered USB hub between the device and laptop.
Pete
Phil,
Are you using Windows?
If so there are some built in problems you need to know about with Windows but they are by design you just need to know how to work around them if you need to.
First of all, in Windows it is best to have all your USB midi devices plugged in before you start Cubase. Each recent version of Cubase has become better at handling USB plug and play we have expected since the 90s, but with MIDI devices Windows is the culprit so Steinberg has to wait for Micro$oft to update things.
The default MIDI system in Win 10/11 is based off the same system used in Windows 95. You can actually load USB midi drivers from 1995 in Win10 and they often work. That means you are limited to 16 MIDI devices total using that driver framework But it gets worse, if you are using a vendor supplied driver the limit is usually 10.
Win7 and beyond have been able to use far more MIDI ports but the vendor drivers are coded in a certain way that won’t work unless they are device 0-10 or 0-15.
This issue should not impact devices that are just USB class-compliant to windows and use the built in Windows MIDI USB driver. It really only impacts things when you are using devices that use a vendor/hardware specific driver.
Even recently Korg released their minilogues with an enhanced driver that… was based on the old framework. Windows will still load the driver and it works fantastic, but only if it is in device 1-10.
Here is how they say to fix it and I still have to do it from time to time:
One other thing you need to consider. My Windows PC has over 16 USB ports between USB 2 and 3. Every time you plug a device into a different port it gets a new number, while the old one remains (in the MIDI device list).
First step would be to boot windows, connect all your USB gear, then go into device manager and delete all the USB devices that are not connected. You have to go to the top menu bar and somewhere in there is show hidden devices. Now go down to USB controllers or USB devices and delete anything not connected. Then run the Korg utility and re-order your MIDI devices.
That has always worked for me since Win7. The one thing you have to remember: If you plug box A into port A… you have to keep it in same port. In fact why even unplug it? Yes you may need to use the device elsewhere … leave the cable in the port so when you bring your device back you use the same cable. Every time you plug a device into a new port it creates a new software MIDI device in Windows and you can really quickly reach device 10.
The Korg USB driver is available to download without owning a korg device and that utility they mention on that page will work even if you don’t own a korg device. Some drivers will work up to 16. Most old drivers will only work up until 10.
And if that doesn’t fix it then you may have a USB power problem which can be solved with a powered hub with an external power supply … but keep in mind you just added new ports to windows and you plug your MIDI devices into the hub and Windows gives new MIDI device IDs so then you really need that Korg utility.
Hi all,
Thanks for your responses, guys. An awful lot of information there!
I am using a desktop computer rather than a laptop. I’ve just tried disconnecting one of my USB devices (an external hard drive) to see if it makes way for the second MIDI/USB connection, but no joy. It always seems to be the MIDI keyboard (Impact GX61) which gets bumped in favour of the MIDI drumset (Roland TD1) which stays connected. I can force connection of the keyboard simply by disconnecting the drums. The keyboard is powered by the USB whereas the drums have a separate (non USB) power supply.
I’ll now work my way (slowly) through your suggestions!
Many thanks