Is there a better way than this to "render" external synths?

I use the rack to set up my multi channel instruments. For example I might have 4 channel tracks coming from the k2600 and 6 channel tracks from the Integra 7. I then record my external midi to Cubase 8. Then one by one I mute all midi tracks except one. Then I do a mixdown with the markers set for the longest midi track. So now I have my first midi channel “rendered” to audio,which I align with it’s midi track. I then repeat the process for the other nine midi channel tracks. Pretty time consuming.

Is there a better way?

Hi,

You can jse Render in Place function in Cubase 8. It is also rendered in realtime, if hardware synth is involved, but the settings is much easier and less manual.

I keep all my MIDI tracks in a folder, or folders, so I can use folder editing for the parts. When the MIDI parts are in good shape I use Export Audio Mixdown and create a simple test mix just to see how the project is sounding.

You can do Select All and then Render In Place. Each track will be rendered in turn, unless computer crashes. If you have many tracks, you may want to RIP (Render In Place) sets of related tracks. Cubase will Mute the Midi Parts, if you tell it to. Next, I go to Visibility controls and hide the now muted MIDI tracks. So, I end up with all my original MIDI parts as audio, ready for mixing. When rendering, be mindful of reverb tails and the like. I usually allow about two or four buffer (empty) measures pre and post the main project material, sometimes more.

Mess around with the render audio tracks settings. If you want to work with segments as audio loops, you’ll have to put them into Musical Mode (or is it time-based mode? I can’t remember at the moment.) Check your audio files’ settings in the Media Pool. The different render options are interesting. I use the Pro Elastic ones mostly.

Really, I think what’s ultimately best is get your mix finished and then just go for an Export Audio Mixdown for a finshed mix ready to go to the mastering stage.

You can also select which tracks you want to Export Audio and create stems that way. Very powerful.

In short, there’s no need to go one track at a time. Just don’t throw too many tracks at the computer at once or it might glitch.

Good luck.

P.S., I had a K2600, great keyboard. It was too big and heavy ultimately for my needs, but I loved the sounds. Good luck. :wink:

Thanks guys but I’m really stumped on this. I was under the impression you can’t render in place external midi synths - see here: Does RIP work with exetrnal Midi instruments? - #4 by Grim - Cubase - Steinberg Forums No matter how I set up the render in place dialog, then execute render, nothing happens. Now if I load a VST instrument play a bit, then render in place it works as expected.
So could you give a simple example how to set this up, if indeed external instruments can be rendered in place.

Thanks

Are you able to record more than one audio track from your external synths at a time? This is what I do when using my external synths. I’m not familiar with the k2600, but my Motif and Triton have 6 individual outputs, so I can record 6 mono tracks or 3 stereo tracks at once. The way to set this up is to simply match each MIDI channel with a corresponding audio channel:

external_synth_midi_1 <> external_synth_audio_1
external_synth_midi_2 <> external_synth_audio_2 …

You would then send the number of MIDI tracks equal to the number of output channels for each external synth. In fact, you could record from multiple external synths at once (if you have enough inputs on your audio interface).

Doing it this way means that you don’t have to render anything since you already have the audio. When mixing you would mute all the MIDI tracks and just work with the recorded audio (you could put all the MIDI tracks in one folder, as suggested above, and then just mute the entire folder). This method also obviates the need to align the MIDI and audio tracks (although it was not clear to me why you needed to do this).

I hope this helps…

Yes when my additional audio interface arrives I intend to use the additional synth outputs,but for now I’m using the synth mix outs, muting the midi channels, except the one I want to render as a wav. Why I want to do this, is so I can take advantage of various plugins while doing the final mixing, which isn’t possible with multi midi channels using the synth mix outputs, as you know.

I’m not sure I follow, but why not just record the synth outputs ‘dry’ – i.e. with no effects – and then add as many plugins as you like after recording as inserts (or as sends to group effects, when applicable)? Are you trying to record with plugin effects? If so, why?

I can use RIP, if I define the external HW as an External Instrument in the VST Connections, and then add an Instrument track, which uses this External Instrument.

I don’t think I’ve explained this very well. I understand loading an external instrument as a “track” instrument and being able to render the results to audio. But that is for a single midi channel only. I am using multi-channel mode on my synths, (hence creating “Rack Instruments” instead of "Track Instruments) with the audio coming out the mix outputs. I want each of the midi channels to be converted to individual audio tracks. I haven’t been able to do this using “render in place” since the midi channels share the same audio input channel.

Enable multiple outs>Assign Outputs>RIP

No?

:nerd:

mmm… good to know :ugeek:

oops couldn’t delete this duplicate, see below…

Yes, but for Multi midi channels coming from a single synth, you need to set up individual External Instruments for as many midi channels you want rendered separately. For example, on the K2600 the physical audio outs are: Mix, & stereo pairs, A, B, C, D for a total of 10 outputs. Now IF I had 10 extra inputs on my audio interface, I would create the following 5 External Instruments in VST Connections: K2600mix, k2600A, k2600B, k2600C, k2600D. I assume then I could render in place 5 midi tracks coming from the Kurzweil. At the moment I’m confined to just one K2600 output. I’d love to be proven wrong about this.

While this is certainly a workable way of getting good sounds into Cubase, if one has limited hardware IO, then it requires making many passes; that is, unless you’re happy with the stereo 2-mix coming from a multi-timbral instrument and don’t mind, or want, a mixed track from, say, MIDI Channels 1-9 on external synth of choice.

However, Martin, mentions a method whereby the External Synths, once defined as such, can be then placed in Cubase Instrument Tracks allowing – if understood correctly – RIP to be used exactly the same way VST instruments are RIPed. If that’s the case, then you’re able to take advantage of the flexibility, ease and speed of doing your tracks with RIP.

I’m not using any external synths at the moment, but I’ll see about reconnecting my Proteus 2000 and seeing what I might come up with. I’ll post here again after that if I find anything interesting or useful.

Take care. :slight_smile: