Respond from Roland regarding the busses in Cubase

Cubase
#1

I did ask Roland (producer of the external sound-card Quad-Capture) about the busses in Cubase,
Please note their respond at the bottom.

This is what I asked Roland:
In Cubase, VST Connections (tab Inputs) gives the following options. To what do they refer?
1-2 = …
1-2(2) = …
3-4 = …
3-4(2) = …
MAIN = …
MAIN® = …

VST Connections (tab Outputs) gives the following options. To what do they refer:
1-2 = …
1-2(2) = …
3-4 = …
3-4(2) = …

This is what they responded:
You have 4 Inputs:

  • Input 1-2 : Input 1L + Input 2R Analogue In (at the front)
  • Input 3-4: Input 3-4 Coaxial Digital In (see backside)

And 4 outputs:

  • Output 1-2: Output 1L + 2R (Analogue Left/Right stereo out; see backside) = MAIN (due to the fact that you only have these analogue outputs)
  • Output 3-4: Output 3-4 Coaxial digital out (see backside)

Why Cubase creates 1-2(2) and 3-4(2) is a mystery to me.

Can you please help me further with this? (or send me back to Roland with a more indepth question?)

p.s. Under the tab Inputs you see MAIN and MAIN®, but under the tab Outputs you don’t see MAIN at all…
This isn’t explained by Roland in their respond.

Hope to hear from you,

Kind regards, Juliette

#2

Hi Juliette.

I may be wrong but I think Cubase sees that as possible options.
You can use inputs 1 and 2 as two separate mono inputs [1-2] or as one stereo input [1-2(2)]
The same goes for inputs 3 and 4

I have six inputs. While in Cubase they show up only once, when running other software I get these options:
1,2,1+2,3,4,3+4,5,6,5+6 which may be similar to why you see them listed twice.

#3

Hi Misohoza,

Thank you for your respond. I hope to hear from Steinberg, because most of the people I spoke don’t know exactly what happens here. I want to know for sure, it’s part of the basics.

I already thought of the option that 1-2 would be Input 1L, and 1-2(2) maybe the Input 2R.
Then the 3-4 could be the coaxial In and 3-4(2) the MIDI In…?
But still I don’t have an explanation about the MAIN and MAIN®, only visible under tab Inputs…

So I would like to be sure in stead of guessing. Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope Steinberg will explain the how & what, because I couldn’t find it in the manual.

#4

Are You talking about the Bus Name, or the Device Name. A screenshot would be easier.
The Bus Name you can change, the Device Name is the name the driver delivers to Cubase.
Just double click the Bus Name if you want to call it something that is more clear like, in1, in2 if it’s mono and in1+2 if it’s a stereo bus.
I think misohoza is spot on.

#5

I own a lot of Roland audio devices, and every one of them has worked like this, as far as the names of audio inputs and outputs the Roland drivers present to your DAW:

Input 1 L is labeled: IN
Input 2 R is labeled: IN®
Output 1 L is labeled: OUT
Output 2 L is labeled: OUT®

Screenshot of FA-06 inputs/outputs in Cubase.

My guess is that the “(2)” is actually a typo in the driver and it’s meant to be an “®”.

#6

And in the picture above, under the column “shown as” you can rename the device name, to match whatever bus name you want. I know renaming bus and device name was not the question, for me it has been a great help coming to grips with what in/out are actually used in a project.

#7

Hi,

I uploaded the screengrabs, hope this will help:

  • VST - Inputs
  • VST - Outputs

Hope to hear from you,

Juliette

150924_VST Outputs.jpg
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150924_VST Inputs.jpg
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#8

Hi Juliet.

Now it makes more sense seeing those pictures.
You have four inputs labelled 1-2, 1-2(2), 3-4, 3-4(2).
If you want stereo, choose 1-2 as left and 1-2(2) as right.

Your stereo out should be 1-2 for left and 1-2(2) for right.
It’s not a good idea to mix 1-2 and 3-4 into a stereo pair, unless you have a special reason for that.

As to why you have Main and Main® showing as inputs I have no idea.

#9

Can you check the VST System Link page.
Maybe post a screenshot.

You do not want your interface to be connected there.

#10

Hi Mizohosa,

Thank you, progress per time. I attached the screengrab of VST System Link.

Can I interpret above information under VST - tab Inputs as to:

  • 1-2 = Input 1L
  • 1-2(2) = Input 2R
  • 3-4 = Coaxial In (at the backside of the Roland)
    and 3-4(2) = Midid In ( at the backside of the Roland)

And the information under Outputs as:

  • 1-2 = Output 1L (backside Roland)
  • 1-2(2) = Output 2R (Backside Roland)
  • 3-4 = Coaxial Out (backside Roland)
  • 3-4(2) = Midi Out (backside Roland)

???

And MAIN and MAIN® remains a mystery?

150926_VST System Link.jpg
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#11
  1. MIDI is not part of VST audio and won’t show anywhere in these tabs (see MIDI Port Setup under devices).
  2. I think you’re right about inputs and outputs 1-2.
  3. Inputs and outputs 3-4 and 3-4(2) are both coaxial in/out; L and R (S/PDIF is always stereo).
#12

It should not be so hard to figure out, just connect something to the input and output and try the various possibles. MIDI is not listed under vst input and output.

#13

On that screen shot, there is a node called “QUAD-CAPTURE” in the tree view on the left (just above the one you selected, which is “VST System Link”). Click on that node and take a screen shot of the right hand side. What you will see on the right hand side, are the inputs and outputs that the hardware expose.

The items in “VST Connections” are simply your “Bus” definitions (that may originally have been automatically generated) of the hardware inputs and outputs that you have at your disposal. You can have multiple bus names defined for the same physical “Device Port”.

You can remove, add and change things around in VST Connections as you see fit for your situation, and you can even save presets of various definitions. This does not change anything in terms of the physical nature of your hardware, but simply defines buses for your own purpose. E.g. you could have a surround sound bus that use outputs 1-6 and a stereo bus that use 1-2 and two mono buses that use 1 and 2, respectively. (Well, if your hardware has that many outputs and so on, but you get the basic idea.

So you COULD, for example, remove all your bus names and re-create your setup any which way you want in VST Connections. This way you would know why a bus exists.

#14

Dear Elektrobolt,

Thank you for your respond and explanation.
Attached you find the screenshot of ‘Quad-Capture’ in the tree.
As you can see, under Inputs you find MAIN and MAIN®, but not under Outputs…?
I can’t find on the hardware /external audio card the corresponding inputs of MAIN, so I am confused: what is MAIN?

Also I will attach 2 extra screenshots of the busses, with a question about the busses:
when I want to record my guitar in Input 1L and the mic for my voice in Input 2R,
do I need to make 1 bus (as in screenshot 1 bus)? Or do I need to make 2 busses (as in the other screenshot):
1 for the guitar and 1 for the mic? :ugeek:

Sorry 4 the inconvenience, but the thing it’s a bit confusing right now for me. :question:
I’m very glad with all help!!! :smiley:

Juliette

Screenshot Input 2 Mono busses.jpg
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Screenshot Input 1 Mono buss.jpg
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Screenshot VST Quad Capture.jpg
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#15

Your audio device basically has 4 physical ins and outs (unless you choose a sampling rate of 192 kHz), i.e. your MAIN output is not a physical port and therefore there is no “MAIN” marking on the device.
(http://www.roland.com/products/quad-capture/specifications/)

If you look in the manual on page 60, there is a diagram that explains the MAIN signal.
(http://www.roland.com/products/quad-capture/support/)

#16

Dear Elektrobolt,

Thank you 4 solving the mystery!

Last question now: do I need to make 2 separate Mono busses under Inputs for recording guitar and mic in Input 1L en Input 2R? Or is 1 enough? (for Outputs: 1 Stereo bus is enough I guess)

#17

Hi!
I have the same interface as you, and I had exactly the same problem as you, :wink:
took me a long time to understand it, even if the mainbusses is still a mistery, :confused:
Some times it changes automaticly back to mainbusses, very frustrating. :frowning:

I have 2 mono busses for IN
no 1. The left I changed name to instrument
and 2 the right which I changed name to microphone.

and out 1 stereobus
that´s all :slight_smile:


Don´t forget to switch the button on the backside
the phantom-switch when you use a condenser michrophone
and the HI-Z button when you use guitar or base-guitar


Tom

#18

You can create a stereo bus (e.g. “In 1/2”) and you will have “Left” and “Right” (sub-nodes from the stereo bus) available for mono purposes. You can also create two additional mono buses if you want, for input 1 and 2. If you use the S/PDIF you can add a second stereo bus “In 3/4”. (The same for the 4 outputs.) Add a third stereo input “In 5/6” for the “MAIN” (or just call it “MAIN” if that feels better). Now you can simply test with various settings and signals at the four inputs (1-4) to see what behavior and result shows up on the “MAIN” inputs.

I create buses as per my intent of use. So if I am not really going to use inputs 1/2 for stereo purposes then I’d use two mono buses, and skip the stereo bus. If I am intending to rarely use inputs 1/2 for stereo, I would make a stereo bus, and perhaps just use the Left and Right choices for mono input. It’s a choice. :slight_smile:

#19

:confused: I am quite dazzled and confused by all the possibilities, but I think I will experiment with it.
Maybe the software is too complicated 4 a singer-songwriter like me, more for sound engineers,
but well, I started off and hope to find out more :smiley:

Muchos grazias !

#20

Hey Juul en Juliette,

Forum users: this is going to be an explanation in his or her native language. Sorry for the inconvenience. :slight_smile:

Waar het op neer komt is dat de quad veel kan maar je moet het correct gebruiken. Niks moeilijk aan. Gewoon even doorhebben.

Je hebt twee analoge inputs en één digitale input. (die laatste is normaal altijd stereo te gebruiken)
Je hebt daarnaast een hoofdtelefoon uitgang en een monitor uitgang.

Van belang is dat je twee mono inputs hebt aan de voorkant. Die ga je vermoedelijk het meest gebruiken.
In cubase moet je dus mono bussen kiezen voor input 1 en input 2. Op die manier kan je die apart mixen.

Input 1 aan de voorkant heeft een instrument ingang. (daar moeten gitaren, bas, en alles wat aan kabeltjes hangt in, maar daar kan ook een micro in)
Input 2 ® is niet bedoeld voor instrumenten. Enkel voor micro’s.

Aan de achterkant zit een knopje 48V phantom. Dat moet je inschakelen als je een condensator micro hebt, en uitgeschakeld laten als je een dynamische micro hebt. (zoals sm58)

Input 3 en 4 zijn de digitale input (zitten achteraan het apparaat). Laat die stereo.

Aan de achterkant heb je nog een knopje Hi-Z. Dat dient voor het geval je gitaar of bas of eender welk instrument niet luid genoeg binnenkomt. Dan moet je dat knopje aanzetten. Zoals je kan lezen is dit enkel voor input 1. (zie hoger)

Je kan je er gemakkelijk vanaf maken en het knopje auto-sens indrukken en dan gaat het apparaat alles vanzelf instellen.

Waarom er ook MAIN staat is omdat je de beide signalen, analoog en digitaal ook samen kan in één bus gebruiken. Ik neem aan dat je dit nooit gaat doen, maar het kan. De main is dus een input die wordt doorgestuurd naar cubase op een “later” moment in de mixer.

In jou geval werk je best met de inputs direct, omdat de mixer ook is ingesteld op line in 1 en line in 2.

Hopelijk geraak je er op die manier aan uit, en anders doe je maar een pm.

kind regards,
R.