Hi. This is a very complicated issue to try and explain, but I’ll do my best. I’m hoping someone can guide me a bit so I might figure out a solution.
Okay, so my current system:
Windows 7Pro (PC)
Layla Echo 3G (Midi/Audio interface)
Cubase 7
So, I was using Cubase on this system successfully for many years, but then was away from midi composing for several years. I’ve now fired up Cubase again, and along with the expected confusion of trying to remember how to work everything again, I find I’m having a lot of trouble with the audio output, which now isn’t working.
Originally, the audio would go out, into the Layla, then (via one of the Layla’s analog output pairs) it would go (through a Y cable) into some speakers,which were shared with another PC (via the Y cable).
Now, I have the speakers connected directly to the second (non-Cubase) PC, and am using an IP/Ethernet-based software KVM, so the audio from the Cubase PC is actually going through the Ethernet cable, into the 2nd PC, and then out to the speakers directly.
Now… where to begin… Since the first (Cubase) PC is no longer directly connected to the speakers, I’m not hearing audio… but, as well, it seems that the configuration of my old Cubase projects (specifically the audio device/routing) may no longer be appropriate.
Unfortunately, I have always struggled with the complex audio routing options of not only Cubase, but Windows in general (if you have more than just a single audio card). So, it’s been a very frustrating session of digging through all the menus/settings (Cubase and Windows), trying to flick all the right switches so that I have the right configuration of settings to get this to work again.
Even though the Windows audio settings show many different options in the Playback and Record device list (the various Layla analog in/outs, the Layla digital in/out, the native (non-Layla) sound card, the various audio outs of the PC case, etc), I only seem to see the Layla outs in Cubase (when I am trying to configure the output devices…F4, I think).
What I am hoping to do, which may solve this, is to configure Cubase to send the audio (of my VSTs) to the native sound card, so it is ‘in Windows’, and (hopefully) the software KVM will then send it through the Ethernet cable, as it does the other audio coming from that PC. But, I can only seem to send it to the Layla, as that appears to be all that is in the list.
I’m fairly sure that there is come setting or something that I am failing to do here to get Cubase to see the other outputs, but I’m way over my head with all the settings and routing. Unfortunately, I can’t just pull the Layla card out, since I DO need it to transmit the midi data from the external keyboard to the PC.
One possible solution would be for me to buy a USB-based synth keyboard, so that I could remove the Layla… but, that’s not an option for the time being (…but, I I will probably do that, sometime soon). I need to get this to work with what I have, currently.
I know that’s a lot to take in, but can anyone give me any guidence on how to configure Cubase… what steps to take (ex. a checklist), some theories, etc? (Please don’t just tell me to buy something else, as that really isn’t helpful)
Bonus wrench in the system: The software KVM appears to mute the ‘remote’ PCs (the ones that aren’t the ‘main’ PC, which has the keyboard/mouse/monitor directly connected to it)… The audio from the secondary PCs DOES get heard, by it getting send through the Ethernet (along with the PCs video)… but it seems to mute the PCs, which it seems you can’t bypass… so, even if I DO get it to work, the audio may be muted! (Unless the Cubase audio works as all the other PC audio does, and gets sent through the Ethernet). I would guess that would be the case, if I could get Cubase to just output the audio to the regular audio card… I think.
Really hope someone can help! Thanks.