Problem with Cubase LE5 and MIDI USB keyboard

Cubase
1

Hi all,

I’ve had Cubase LE 5 for a while now, obtained with the purchase of a Tascam US-122MK external sound card. I’ve had no problems in the last few years with figuring out how to record guitar/microphones routed through the sound card, however recently I picked up an AKM320 USB MIDI keyboard and it has been hell to try to figure out how to get it to work with Cubase.

So initially I was not able to get any sound out of the keyboard at all. Eventually, I managed to get it to produce sound by setting the AKM320 as the MIDI input, and using the Microsoft GM synth as the output on a MIDI track. However, I can only ever get the sound to play through my computer speakers (a laptop) while the other instruments I record output sound through the sound card and into my headphones, as expected.

So the first problem is the extreme latency I get in the audio output from the MIDI keyboard. It’s a hassle, but not a huge problem as I can play using the metronome. The MIDI seems to input correctly when I hit the keys, there is just a delay in hearing the sound which throws my playing off. That I can get used to. I’ve been searching through online forums relating to this problem and people seem to suggest that effects could be the problem in producing latency, however I have added no effects to my MIDI track, or to the guitar track.

However the second problem is a little bit more troubling. I tried to export the combined guitar track (recorded as an audio track) with the MIDI track, and all that Cubase exports for me is the guitar track. So I’m not sure what to do. In the VST set-up, I have the US-122MK set up to be the output, however it doesn’t seem to want to recognize the MIDI track.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any light anyone can shed on my problem. Maybe I just need a less shitty MIDI keyboard but it would be nice if I could at least export the half-assed tracks which I am able to create…

2

Hi,

Start to use VSTi instead of Microsoft GM synth. Then you can export it too.

The latency is most probably because of the driver. What Audio Device and what driver so you use?

3

The latency is most probably also because of MS GM Synth being the sound device dor ten keyboard.

4

Ahhh alright, fair enough. I tried using the VSTi but it hasn’t been allowing me to use one. I can’t get access to HALion which is supposed to be included from what I understand. I think I just need to sit down and work out my eLicenser issue. I keep getting an error message about the eLicenser not being compatible but I think I just need to re-set the soft licenser to only work with my laptop instead of trying to get away with having Cubase on my desktop and on my laptop. :wink:

It seems to run better on the laptop anyway, so I’ll go ahead and do that once I am back to my desktop and can make sure all the files are safely transferred.

As for the audio device and driver, do you mean the Tascam sound card? I’ve got the most recent drivers installed for that.