I decided to start up Cubase for the first time in quite a while, and noodle around a bit.
A lot has changed on my system since it was first installed. It’s a desktop, now running Core i7-8700K with 32 GB of RAM, Windows 10 64-bit. It used to have a dedicated USB sound interface, which is now elsewhere, and it used to have a MIDI master keyboard that has since gone to the great scrapyard in the sky.
But! I created a new project, configured it for generic low-latency ASIO, and plugged in my spare Korg Micro-Key and made sure that was enabled for “all midi”
I created a new project, and added a VST instrument (Absynth 5) and tried to play it, but got nothing.
Trying other instruments (Massive, FM8) got the same result.
Stopping and re-starting got the same result.
I can see MIDI in the Transport panel. I can record MIDI to the timeline into parts. I can also add notes to parts manually using editing. But these notes don’t play on the instruments.
It’s not that the instruments are silent – the instruments show no MIDI in, and those that display used polyphony, stay at 0.
Starting the instruments separately (without Cubase running) with the same ASIO/MIDI setup works fine.
Also, curiously, if I start Cubase, create a blank proejct, select “add instrument,” and browse to an instrument, that instrument works playing live, until I OK the creation and have a track/part in the project. Then, everything goes silent.
Also, the metronome click doesn’t play, even when enabled.
Are the Tracks’ MIDI Inputs set to receive MIDI from your controller?
Are you sure you have the Monitor On for the Track? If you do and there’s still no sound, I’d suggest a check of all the studio and midi settings again.
Yes, the tracks MIDI inputs are on. As I said, I can record from controller to track.
Monitor has been ON or OFF.
However, even when I open the instrument (the fancy VST GUI from Komplete) they don’t play. Except the first instrument I add, the first time I add it in the project.
That being said, I bit the bullet and upgraded to Cubase Pro 10. Let’s see if that jackhammer kills this nail.
You certainly had a MIDI Filter enables, or MIDI thru disabled.
That’s not what the checkboxes said. And that’s not what the system did last time I used it.
II even tried toggling all of those checkboxes, and it didn’t help, and then turning the filters off and midi through on again.
I’ve had my complains about Pro 10, but, all in all, you get a lot for your money – even at full price.
I’d suggest first getting your rig working with the stock Cubase VST Instruments. Get those working then add the bigger multitimbral ones.
The basic Cubase VST instruments and effects should all just work. As you likely know the Cubase Preferences sometimes go haywire and need to be “reset” but this doesn’t sound like that.
Well, the “soft e-licenser” complains that my system configuration has changed. Which is true.
Luckily, the USB dongle still works OK. (It’s only from 2015 – I had an ADB-based dongle for Cubase on Mac a long time ago, and another USB dongle for Windows after that, that died in the past sometime. Yes, I’ve paid full price three times …)
Cubase 10 did solve it, but I give it 50% chance that it was adding back my Steinberg/Yamaha USB ASIO sound module that did it. I should go back and try it one way or the other … but I probably wont. Sounds like work
