I swear I never had this problem before, so I assume it’s something that got lost in translation as I was working on this project in another studio and then brought it to mine to mix.
When I include a VST Sampler (like EastWest’s Opus), I assign different samples to each slot, then send MIDI tracks to them, as I’ve been doing for years.
But for some reason in this project when I adjust the volume of any MIDI track or the VST track, the volume changes for all the tracks.
Here’s a super simple example: I bring down the violin…but the cello goes with it. And weirder yet, if I adjust in the MixConsole, only the Opus track works…but in the track view, the faders aren’t matching.
What is going on…and what am I doing wrong? Again, I never had this issue before!
Those faders don’t directly adjust the audio’s signal level. What they do is send MIDI Messages (typically cc7 if I recall correctly) to a MIDI instrument, both hardware & virtual, telling the instrument to adjust its output level.
Take a look at what MIDI Channels you are using for each instrument. You’ve likely got multiple instruments on the same MIDI Channel or something set to Omni so they are both responding to the same MIDI cc Message. Try using the MIDI Monitor Insert to explore what the MIDI Messages are doing.
EDIT
Is there a reason you are using MIDI instead of Instrument Tracks which are generally easier to use because they integrate and simplify the MIDI & Audio into a single Track type?
I’m using the Opus virtual instrument, then loading all my samples into it, each on a MIDI channel. I’ve been doing it this way for decades, as it’s more organized. The way it usually works is whatever effects I put on the virtual instrument affects all the samples assigned to the 16 MIDI slots. This way I can use it kind of like a bus; the reverb, EQ, etc I put on it will affect the whole ensemble and i can use the fader to adjust them all together. If the fader is tied to a MIDI CC control, it should just adjust the volume of that MIDI channel (violin on 1, cello on 2, in this case…which is a very simple setup compared to what I usually do, when I’m usually multiple samples of the same instrument). I know it works this way, as I started using VST instruments in like, 2004 (albeit on Sonar…but I recently switched to Cubase). But, I’ve shown this concept to classes I’ve taught and it worked perfectly. I just want to figure out what I probably accidentally clicked on.
Where would I find the “omni” thing about which you’re speaking?
Is Opus/Play loaded as an Instrument Track, or as a Rack Instrument?
If you have it as Rack instrument, then the audio outputs go on dedicated Mixing busses, and you access Opus via MIDI tracks. For each MIDI track, you get ‘white’ faders on the Mixer that send CC7 (Volume) and CC10 (Pan). Those faders pass through to whatever the MIDI track is connected with, on the MIDI channel output you’ve set in the track inspector and nothing more (unless you’ve set up AUX MIDI Sends).
If you have it hosted as an Instrument Track, then it shows up similar to a MIDI track, but with the tracks end point hard set to the attached plugin. You don’t get a MIDI fader on the Console for plugins hosted on a MIDI track. Instead you get the Audio bus. I think those faders are blue? Moving them will adjust the actual audio again of the entire plugin/bus.
You can still send MIDI track output to a plugin hosted at the endpoint of an Instrument track.
Other things that can be confusing or cause issues…
If you’re adjusting these parameters via MIDI controller…..don’t forget to set the input for each MIDI/Instrument track to exactly, and only the channel(s)/port(s)that you want to respond at the moment. Disarm any tracks that you don’t want passing through your MIDI Controller movements. Also, there are half a dozen different ways in Cubase to capture and display incoming MIDI events. In the MIDI Part, on VST Automation Lanes, As Note Expression events, etc.
On the VSTi. Omni just means it responds to all the MIDI Channels. While the word “omni” is commonly used, you might find products using other terms like “all” or “any” so look for the concept & not the specific name. Until you know what’s being transmitted using a MIDI Monitor it’s kind of guesswork.
Can you post a screenshot of the MIDI Track and include its Inspector showing the routing section.
EDIT
And also the VSTi showing its MIDI Channel assignments.
The way I’m reading it the OP has all the instruments using the same Audio Output so they can apply the same signal processing to all of them. And they are using the cc faders to adjust the relative volumes of the different instruments. This should work for both Track & Rack Instruments.
Here is another screenshot (another project, but it’s happening with everything I’m doing for this same client). I just want to be able to change the volumes of these MIDI instruments!
I just Q-Link and it’s off. For what it’s worth, the same thing is happening with the HALion Sonic SE sampler that comes with Cubase.
I also started a new project just to experiment…and it’s doing it there, too. (I just loaded a few samples into Opus and the volume faders are adjusting all of the tracks!)
That was the default when I loaded it in to Cubase.
Again, I’ve been using virtual instruments for countless pieces of music using Sonar and never had this issue; it was always so simple. I assumed Cubase would be the same process, but it’s oddly complicated…unless I missed something?
Each track works fine; I can solo them and such, but I can’t adjust volumes separately. If I automate the volume envelope on one, they all move.
Could it be that something was changed here? I remember watching a Dom Sigalas video where he went over his favorite settings to change. Can’t remember exactly what I changed.
Cubase is very simple and it works on my side as you would expect it.
When you change the volume of the midi track(s), how exactly do you do that? Do you move the faders with the mouse? Do you use an extrrnal midi keyboard?
Another question: Are these midi tracks inside a folder track? If so you might have group editing enabled.
Oh I agree Cubase is very simple! I prefer it over all the other DAWs I’ve used, but am just frustrated with this.
I’ve tried changing the volumes with the fader either on the default view or through the MIxConsole, or automating a volume envelope. They are not in a folder (some were, but again, I started a new project and was getting the same issues out of the blue). I made sure Q-Link is off, too. I can make a video next time I’m at my studio.
Ran some tests in Cubase 14/Windows 11 with Opus and HALion Sonic. Seems to be working fine here. Opus doesn’t always update the GUI faders in the left pane, but sonically it’s good, and the dials in the AUTOMATION tab dance as expected.
Here’s a quick test project I threw together quickly that uses MIDI > Rack instances if you wanna try it to see if it behaves on your system.
It’s a long piece so I didn’t even try to add extra articulations, phrase, mix and balance it all out. Should be good enough to test your controls and see how I’ve got it set up.
All the MIDI data loaded fine, (but I’m not able to see the VST instruments you chose for each instance…which isn’t really the issue here). But, when I try to adjust the volume on any of these MIDI tracks, the same thing happens; they all change. (This is true with panning as well)
In the track view it’s showing the panning at -2, just the same as the mixer.
Look at the Inspector column just under the Volume slider - MIDI Pan.
The column to the left of it is the mixer audio channel for HS Main.
This is truly odd. From what I can tell in your screen shots you have things where it’s all supposed to be. If you’ve been doing this since Cakewalk days I’ve little doubt you know what you’re doing when it comes to making sure things are isolated on channels (not in omni mode), not looping back, etc.
Unless every instrument in a Multi-timbral plugin is set to the same channel or omni/any mode, there’s shouldn’t be anyway for this to happen! Not with the MIDI Faders in the Cubase console.
In the Appalachia test project, I had no VCA links or anything in play on the Mixer, do have MIDI channels set, no MIDI AUX sends or anything, no global/track/insert transformers, and nothing weird is armed, so none of that would be the issue either. It all works perfectly on my end.
Are you using the VST2 or VST3 versions? I know HALion doesn’t even come in VST2 anymore, but what happens if you try Opus, Play, or Kontakt as a VST2 instead of VST3?
At this point I’m inclined to advise trying safe-mode. Disable Prefs and see if that fixes it. If not, maybe reinstall Cubase (just run the installer again)? Safe Mode Dialog
