Cubase Elements 8 Not Seeing Yamaha EX5

Cubase
1

Hello,

I have a Yamaha EX5 that I use as my MIDI controller. However, I can’t get it to work with Cubase. Cubase sees my MIDI interface, but will not receive MIDI information from my synth.

Ultimately I’d love to to be able to add my EX5 as a MIDI device in order to use its sound bank, but as it is now, I can’t even get it to work as a MIDI controller.

Any ideas would be most helpful. Thank you! Here’s my setup:

Yamaha EX5 synth
Cubase Elements 8 (I’m trying the trial version to see if I can make it work with my EX5 before I buy it)
Windows 10
MAudio Uno MIDI interface

2

Hi,

Could you describe your connection, please? Is your EX5 connected via MIDI? Where, into which device? Or via USB? Do you have the latest driver?

3

Hi Martin,

My EX5 is connected via an MAudio Uno MIDI interface, which has MIDI cables on the end going into my EX5 and a USB cable going into my PC laptop.

I do have the latest driver, and both my PC and Cubase see the interface and call it by the correct name. However, no MIDI data is being received by Cubase.

Thanks!

4

Hi,

So the Device, you select in Cubase is M-Audio Uno.

Are you sure the In > Out is correct? Could you try to swap it?

5

I got it to work in part – only as a MIDI controller, though. I am still unable to access the soundbanks on the EX5 itself.

When I click on “No Track Preset” to select a voice on the EX5, the filter window flickers past the initial screen, which shows all of the categories (Accordian, Bass, Brass, etc), and immediately jumps to "Synth Lead. " If I try to click back, it once again briefly flickers on the previous page and jumps immediately to “Synth Lead.”

I am unable to select any other voice but that, and even that voice, while sending MIDI data, does not have a sound. It does this same behavior when Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth is selected, too.

If I want to use the onboard soundbanks in my EX5, what steps/equipment do I need?

Many thanks!

p.s. For future reference to anyone else who wants to use their EX5 as a MIDI controller, this is how I fixed it:

  1. I used MIDI A in/out on my EX5. In the Utility menu onboard the EX5, I set MIDI A to on and MIDI B to off. Then I plugged in my MIDI interface AFTER starting Cubase, not before.

  2. In Cubase, under Devices > MIDI Device Manager, I clicked “Install Device” and entered my EX 5 (it isn’t one of the choices listed there), then on the pull-down menu that read “not connected,” I selected my MIDI interface.

6

What happens, if you don’t try to use the Track Preset?

So you are using MIDI Device now, right? Is the output from your EX5 MIDI Device routed to the M-Audio Uno Out? Could you try it without the MIDI Device? Just as a common MIDI track?

Could you make a video of the flickering, please?

7

Yes, my EX5 has MIDI cables going out to the MIDI interface.

If I’m understanding you correctly when you suggest I try it without selecting a track preset, it is still silent. No sound.

If I’m further understanding your suggestions, if unplug my EX5 and input notes into a MIDI track using the pencil tool, it is still silent. No sound.

I made a video of the flickering. However, I didn’t have a program to record my screen, so I downloaded a trial of Camtasia. Unfortunately, this will only export as an mp4, and this forum will not allow me to upload it.

Let me put something out there – in order to use the sounds on my EX5 in my compositions (instead of the VSTs inside Cubase) do I need 1) an audio interface (and not just a MIDI interface) and 2) do I need to create a factory list for my EX5 and add it to the MIDI Device Manager?

Or is it something else?

I am new to Cubase and I feel like I’m missing something, and I’m not sure my point is getting across correctly.

Many thanks!

8

Where do you try to listen the Sound from EX5? DO you have headphones connect to it? Or speakers, or…?

  1. You will need an Audio interface mainly in the case, when you want to use EX5 sounds. Because you need to Record the audio signal back to Cubase. If you want to use VSTis, it’s also better, mainly because of ASIO driver. Even if there is software emulation: ASIO4ALL.
  2. If you want to use VSTis, then you don’t need factory list of EX5.