I have Cubase Artist 9.5. I am trying to set up an external instrument but there is no External Instrument Window in the VST Connections window as I have seen in many videos. Does this exist in Artist 9.5? Is there another way to set it up?
Hi,
External Instruments, External Effects and Control Room is Cubase Pro only feature.
Ah, ok. Thank you.
No Thanks from me! Used Sonar for years (after initially using Cubase) until they died recently, so I purchased Cubase LE to reaquaint myself. I don’t need all the bells and whistles - just decent MIDI editing to work with my existing Yamaha, Roland and Casio external gear. NO MENTION IN Steinberg’s VERSION COMPARISON THAT ONLY THE PRO VERSION SUPPORTS EXTERNAL HARDWARE. NONSENSE.
Now I either have to spend lots more $$ for features I will likely never use, or (more likely) shop elsewhere. 
Unbelievable, actually. e.g. How many PSR users is Steinberg (owned by Yamaha) not reaching ??
Hi,
External hardware is supported in any Cubase derivative. But not the External Instrument concept.
You can add a MIDI track, and send the MIDI data to your hardware. You can add an Audio track, and record the Audio signal back. The External Instrument track is a concept, where you have the MIDI Track and Audio Return Channel packed in one track. The same way, as it it in the Instrument Track for the VSTis.
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Thanks for the reply, Martin, however, after spending considerable time pre-building a patch script for a new keyboard/synth, I was gobsmacked when my new Cubase (Elements) had no way to call up a specific patch in the instrument on a track. Multi-timbral MIDI sound generation hardware is not a Steinberg concept. It’s been around since before Cubase. I strongly suggest Steinberg highlight this limitation in their version comparison. The omission is misleading, at best. I’ll likely try to upgrade to Pro, but forgive me if I have some difficulty feeling the love.
But it does.
Did you try this?
Go to Studio>More Options>Midi Device Manager
Install new device using one of the presets.
Route a midi track to the new device.
It’s all documented in the Using MIDI devices chapter of the manual, at Opening the MIDI Device Manager or on p. 674 in the English language version.
Thanks for chiming in, Steve, but still no luck. Attached is a screen shot of a test track with input from ‘all midi tracks’ and output routed to my installed PX-560M. There’s no patch selector icon in either the Inspector or the track. Playback just triggers whatever patch is locally selected on the PX-560M. Am I missing something really simple (like me 
).
You have the wrong output selected.
Templetunes,
Per the image you have attached, in my set-up, I am able to select patches from the inspector for my S90ES. However, as Steve has mentioned, being able to do this DOES make a difference on what output you select. When I do not have the correct output selected I get the same as what you show in your image.
Hey Guys:
Thank you to everyone who was willing to put up with my (old) Newbie headscratching. I’m finally sorted, but only after a lot of tinkering. Cubase is my friend again, although it is SO configurable, it does take time to get into the game again.
- for Windows,the active patch scripts have to be in the (normally hidden) [\Users.…\AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\Cubase LE AI Elements 9.5_64\Scripts\Patchnames\inactive\mfr] path
- I’m still confused, but I think I had to install the instrument Device (.txt) files, then export them and import them back in as (.xml) Setup files to finally get things working. Definitely could use a detailed procedure for us dinosaurs still using MIDI hardware
- There may be a valid reason why ‘Output’ and ‘Program’ boxes are not visible by default for MIDI tracks, but I think they should be
- Had to re-visit a years-old setup on an Edirol UM880 to get MIDI ports pumping properly
- New gear (Casio PX-560) has only basic (and confusing) documentation for external MIDI control…designed more for load and store from a USB stick, but finally able to get patch changes working
/ end ranting 