Cubase 7 & Fast track output problems

Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times on this forum, but after having spent all this money on equipment and software I am at my wits end!

I am using M Audio Fast Track USB as the sound controller, on windows 7 64 bit. I have updated all my PCs sound + fast track drivers to latest models.

I have got to the stage where I have assigned the inputs to the right mono channels and I have successfully managed to record one guitar track and one microphone track simultaneously using both channels of the Fast Track device. I have 2 tracks with waveforms that look to be in perfect boundary levels ( not too high or low). When I play instruments or sing in real time I can see the levels change so Input is working fine.

The problem I am having is that I cannot find any way to listen back to the tracks. I have used the monitor control buttons in Cubase, made sure the direct monitoring button is turned off on fast track, and I have tried assigning 3 different output channels ( stereo, mono and completely unassigned ) in the Cubase output settings but none seem to make a difference. I have put my tracks on repeat play and tried pretty much every combination of settings available in Cubase and in the Windows control panel for Fast Track and system sounds ( made sure fast track selected for playback etc).

Any help or tips appreciated as I’m not sure what else is left to try.

In VST connections first go to Studio tab…if on switch off Control room for now.

In outputs create one stereo bus, assign outs 1&2 or L&R of the Fast Track here…don’t have these outs assigned to anything else.

Now if you can’t hear anything, make sure that each track is being routed to the stereo out…if you created tracks when you didn’t have a good stereo out set up they may be routed to nothing. To do this open the mixer and make the routing rack visible…in the lower of the 2 routing slots select stereo out.

If no good, post back this info.

Can you play sounds outside of Cubase through the Fast Track?

Have you Set Fast Track buffers to a sensible amount?

Do the channel meters move on playback…if yes, do the stereo out meters move??

Thanks for your reply I will try and answer some of the things you suggested.

  1. I am using Cubase elements 7 - I see no control room options or studio tab in the VST connections menu. Cannot see any place to turn this on or off.

  2. I created a stereo output bus using outputs 1 and 2 of fast track as you suggested. I assigned the tracks with these outputs ( have previously tried this before). Still cant hear anything.

  3. I opened the routing rack on the mix console and made sure the output was stereo out from the one I previously create. Still cant hear anything ( tracks are on repeat play with 30 seconds of good waveforms on both)

  4. Can I play sounds outside of Cubase through fast track? Yes all youtube, media player and control panel test/system sounds are audible through my headphones connected to fast track ( while cubase is in use) . I can also monitor the instruments as I play if I depress the 'Diret monitor button on the USB device itself ( You have to depress this to hear playback of tracks I think)

  5. My fast track buffer size is defaulted to 256 ( I am unsure what is sensible amount)

  6. Do the channel meters move on playback ? - No not as far as I can see. They output channels move when I record something but outputs don’t move when I attempt to playback. When I view the rack input channels they move accordingly when I play/sing on the track.

If I switch to asio driver / asio4all drivers and attempt to playback I hear nothing as well.

OMG I got it to work…

On the rack mix control menu I had to click the monitor buttons on each track. It looked like they monitor buttons were pressed on the main track options but were not pressed on the main rack controls. So happy right now :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks for your help grim as your advice of looking at the rack controls led me to the discovery. I just assumed pressing it on the track done the same for master controls