Windows 10. Cubase Elements 10.5.
No data is recorded with my electric guitar plugged into the audio device (Focusrite Scarlet Solo.) I am trying to record on an audio track. A mic works fine and I get signal and data, but not the guitar. The audio input is registering sound. Midi keyboard works fine, too. Does setting up the guitar require more than just plugging it in?
Yes, you need to have the correct input set-up and indeed selected.
Ah - Great.
I don’t know anything about this
I have no idea what is a normal configuration. Do I want mono or stereo? If my midi keyboard works fine, do I leave those settings alone?
Audio Connections - Inputs and outputs? Stereo or mono?
I don’t have any auxillary hardware. I will be using VST instruments/loops etc, a mic, mifi (Arturia minilab and essential 49) and an electric guitar plugged in.
What I would really like (but haven’t found yet) is a basic understanding in non-technical terms how these settings work (i.e. how many channels are available, what each setting actually does, etc.) Thanks.
Yes, if your midi keyboard works don’t change any midi settings.
There are videos on the Focusrite site (a couple of Cubase versions old so some menu items names have changed but otherwise they might be useful.
If you have two inputs as I assume you do it makes sense to have two mono inputs, one with the mic plugged in and one with the guitar. You’ll need to press the “Inst” button next to the input on the interface.
On the audio track in Cubase you then just need to have the right input selected. There should only be two available and one will be the mic and the other the guitar. It should be pretty straightforward.
Thanks Planarchist.
I really want to understand this - I have no previous knowledge of any of this technology.
I have a midi keyboard (Arturia) and it works fine. I plugged in my microphone into the Focusrite Scarlet Solo audio interface and it also works fine with no extra configurations required. When I plug my guitar into the audio interface, it doesn’t record data on a audio track and I need to configure an inlet/outlet for it. Can I share the same settings I use for the keyboard or mic?
Why? Does each device need its own input/output channel? Why is the mic different than the guitar in terms of plugging it in and it working immediately? As I said, I want to understand how this works.
Is a track also a buss? I realize a buss can comprise a number of tracks and can be mixed all at the same time…
The keyboard is not relevant to this conversation, please ignore it.
I don’t know why you’re having problems with the guitar, it should also be straightforward. You should be able to plug the guitar into the same input as the mic but that makes no sense as it means you can only use one at a time. Are you sure the guitar lead isn’t damaged?
Which input are you plugging your guitar into?
Have you switched it to “Inst”?
Have you turned the gain right up?
Have you (before all the above) set up the Audio as per the Instruction manual (page 13 and on)? If you have you should end up with two inputs in Cubase which relate directly to the two physical inputs on your interface. You then select input 1 for the mic and input 2 for the guitar.
A screen grab of your window showing as much as possible would be useful.
The problem for me is I see images of set-up and they don’t match what I am looking at on my system.
Here is my setup. Windows 10 - Elements 10.5
I have the Focusrite Scarlet Solo audio device plugged into Presonus desktop speakers.
In answer to your question…yes, I plug my guitar into the device. Yes, I have “instrument” button pushed in (the red INST is lit) and when I play, I get green signal around the gain button. I play my guitar plugged into an amp everyday and it works fine. Since the audio device reacts when I play, I’m thinking it works. No data is entering Cubase, or rather is not recording. The gauge meter does record activity when I play the guitar. So whatever the problem is, Cubase is not recording data from my device. As I said, the midi keyboard and mic work and record data.
I just had an error msg “VST System Link has been deactivated - too many receive errors.” This was the first time I’ve seen this msg.
In VST Audio System page, my Focusrite ASIO is selected. The processing precision is 32 bit float, the default setting.
Ont the VST Audio System > Focusrite USB ASIO > I have two sets of Input and Output (I added one in my attempt to figure out how to set it up.)
It’s really difficult to know what to do without the knowledge of understanding how the system works.
I also have Mixcraft 9 Pro and I have no problem recording audio tracks with my guitar.
I’m fairly certain my problem is regarding setting up I/O.
Do I need a separate set up for each device or can devices share a setting?
Do I record guitar audio in mono?
Is stereo only for recording with two mics?
Your guitar (instrument) Hardware-input needs to be connected to a Cubase bus in Studio connections (this is necessary for each discrete Hardware Input channel of the interface), then this bus needs to be selected as input for the track you want to record to. All explained in the Cubase manual
I am a photographer and there is a very simple ‘rule’ for the proper exposure…aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. It’s so simple - and yet I tried explaining it to a few people, offered them clear videos to watch in the event I didn’t explain it well and they just don’t get it. I totally don’t understand what’s connected to what, which is what I really wanted to learn. I went through the instructions from the manual a few times and run into problems with the input/output settings. By now I might have incorrectly set something else in the setup procedure which is causing me problems. I will reset Cubase to factory settings and see if I can work it out with a fresh start. I do apologize for trying your patience!
So now, they can not photograph correctly until they do… that´s life.
Your hardware in- and output ports have to be connected to Cubase in- and ouptut busses - this is done in the VST connections window, and must be done for each hardware port of the hardware thjat you want to use.
On the left you see the Cubase bus, on the right you see the device port connection, where you can select the desired hardware port.
This bus must then be selected as input bus for the audio track you want to record to.
Then give us some step by step on what you have done, and what doesn´t work.
Got it straightened out. Thanks for hanging in there for me.