I have a midihub and Im trying to get it to send data into cubase. I have a keystep connected to the midihub, which then processes the notes (delay, transpose, channel distribution) and then sends to my Mac.
In cubase I have tracks set up to receive these notes, but nothing is making it there. In the bottom right on the toolbar there is the activity monitor, and it shows midi data is reaching cubase. When I press a key on the keystep the activity lights up.
I have the app midimonitor showing me that all the notes are being sent from the correct ports on the correct channels to the correct ports.
The midihub ports are showing up as active in midi port setup.
Midi thru is on.
No other devices are connected.
Iāve tried with rack instruments & midi tracks, and also track instruments
Iām just stumped.
If you create a new MIDI track and then add the MIDI Insert āMIDI Monitorā
Does it show any data?
(Make sure Record Enable is turned on.)
No, not on the tracks set to recieve. I get nothing. Not in the midi activity indicator on each track. Only in the midi activity indicator on the bottom right toolbar.
I do have a track that is SENDING midi to the hub, and the midimonitor insert is showing that correctly, and is indicated in the external app and on th eLEDs on the hub.
Only in the external midimonitor app can i see the data thats getting send/received.
Few things to check again, maybe :
- In the Edit > Preferences > MIDI > MIDI Filter panel, check that there is no MIDI messages that could have been inadvertently set as filtered (channels, MIDI messages typesā¦).
- If you use the All MIDI Inputs value as Input Routing of the MIDI/Instrument track involved (doesnāt seem to be the case, but stillā¦) check that the MIDI Hub ports are included in it (Studio > Studio Setup > MIDI Port Setup panel)
- Maybe also check the Record/Monitor buttons of it, just in case (I know, I knowā¦).
- Maybe check that the Edit > Preferences > MIDI > MIDI Thru Active setting is actually ticked
Beside this, Iām not sure that I got the whole MIDI routing of your setup : where the MIDI output is supposed to be routed at and what does the āexternal appā is for, is it the MIDIHub control software ? I ask this, because Iām wondering if it doesnāt go in the way, for a reason.
Additionaly, it seems that you are using an instrument track at some point : how are you sending out MIDI messages with it ? Any other true MIDI track and/or external instruments involved ?
Hi cubic, thanls for your ideas
MIDI filter is not engaged
I do not use All MIDI inputs
MIDIhub ports show up in MIDI Port Setup, but i do not add them to All MIDI inputs
MIDI thru is active, toggled on and off and on again just to āresetā it
I think there may be something wrong with my USB buss because every time I turn on a USB device when Cubase is already open it causes Cubase to crash. Every version since 6.5. As do every iZotope product.
My set up is like this - at least trying to be:
MIDI track send basic chords to MIDIhub
MIDIhub processes this data (transpose, delay, filter, distribute)
MIDIhub sends the data back to Cubase on 4 different channels, with 4 different instruments, some pitched up, some with doubled notes, some pitched down and limited to bass, etc etc.
The external app is a program called midimonitor (snoize: MIDI Monitor) and it works just like Cubase MIDIMonitor insert effect but instead of on a single track, it scans your entire system so you can see what is getting sent where.
I tried this with both VST Instrument Tracks, and with MIDI tracks sent to VST Instruments. Same result. No external instruments.
Looking at the little indicator in the bottom right it seems maybe that MIDI out is being shown, but not MIDI in. Does that look correct.
Thanks
@madmac66
Thanks for the precisions. So, no external instrument in use and, as expected, itās a MIDI track that sends MIDI messages to the MIDIHub. Just to be sure : is the latter the same as this one ?
OK. The problem is that, having a Windows based system, I cannot even try to install it, as it seems to be āMacOS onlyā. But letās say it works as expectedā¦
Indeed, something doesnāt seem right here. Could you precise about it a little more how it is connected in your setup, relatively to the others devices you have ?
If you were expecting the display of a MIDI input activity, itās NOT correct : what is shown here, is a MIDI signal going to a MIDI output port (any incoming MIDI messages should appear on the left of this indicator). So, if itās the case, something is wrong with the whole MIDI transmission of your MIDIhub, as apparently, Cubase actually receives nothingā¦
EDIT - Another thing comes to mind, seeing again the screenshot of your snoize MIDI Monitor : I am wondering at which place in the overall MIDI signal flow of your setup it is acting. Seems to be just after the MIDIHub output, but stillā¦ I see both Sources and Filter items in its window header : it would be useful to see what are in them. So, if you have time, an added screenshot would helpā¦
Hello cubic, many thanks for continuing this conversation.
MIDIHub. Just to be sure : is the latter the same as this one ?
Yes thats exactly the one.
Could you precise about it a little more how it is connected in your setup, relatively to the others devices you have ?
So I really only have the MIDIhub connected to my Mac via a USB2 hub (along with mouse, keyboard, hard drive and Wacom tablet). Audio interface is connected to another USB port directly on Mac.
Into the DIN in ports on MIDIhub I have a keystep and a beatstep pro, to the DIN out ports I have a Micromonsta, Neutron and CraftSynth.
Sending MIDI notes from the keystep, through midihub, into cubase works as expected - when tracks are armed/monitored. I can play 4 VSTi with transpose, arps, etc and it sounds great. So that proves Cubase is capable of receiving USB data from midihub. I just dont know why it wont parse the āroundtripā data from a Cubase track and back into itself.
Another thing comes to mind, seeing again the screenshot of your snoize MIDI Monitor : I am wondering at which place in the overall MIDI signal flow of your setup it is acting. Seems to be just after the MIDIHub output, but stillā¦ I see both Sources and Filter items in its window header : it would be useful to see what are in them. So, if you have time, an added screenshot would helpā¦
The sources and filter options just give you greater control of what you want to monitor. You can ignore any devices or sets of data to just focus on the bits you are interested in. It doesnt really sit āinā the signal flow as much as it sits outside of it spying on all the activity.
OK. So, if iām (almostā¦) getting all this right, your setup looks more or less as this :
If correct and at first glance, I would say that, indeed, the USB2 hub could be the culprit. But looking more closely at the MIDIHub documentation, I donāt see anywhere that a given MIDI input port could be mirrored to a MIDI output one, and the said documentation is of no use, on the subject. If not possible, this could explain thatā¦ 
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Hi cubic
The diagram is awesome. Thanks so much for doing that. Sorry for a very tardy response.
After some time away from this project, I came back and started again from scratch. And following your diagram and following the instructions above, for whatever reasons it all worked flawlessly the first time. disconnecting everything and then reconnecting many days later did the trick.
with the VSTi tracks set to monitor on, and with MidiHub set up properly in the midi connections, it all works really well.
I have one midi track in cubase, with a major seventh chord drawn in, and an Arpache insert. This is sent out to the MH where a lot of processing is done to the data: it is split into 4 channels in order of note received and then arpegiated, delayed, randomized, chanced, and then sent back to the Cubase VSTi tracks where the original chord is mutilated into 4 instruments playing back call/response harmony/melody. Its really cool.
Thanks so much for your help.
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