I’m using Cubase 10 Pro combined with a Behringer X32 Compact and I’m just getting started recording real drums, which worked nicely so far, with all I/O channels nicely organized. I am preparing a project template to record songs with drums, guitars, bass, vocals.
All instruments are going through the X32 (XLR and 6,3mm jack), except vocals, because I have a USB condenser microphone and the X32 has no input for that. Ergo the mic has to go directly into the PC.
Question: Can I tell Cubase to also take the USB mic as an input in addition to the bus with the 11 other drum inputs? If so, how?
From that question you can probably tell that I’m quite the beginner. It’s just that if I go to Studio-Settings and change the input from X32 to the USB microphone, I have to reassign all I/Os of the 11 drum mics when I switch back – which is not convenient at all.
In an ideal use case I want to be able to 1) press record, play drums
2) put the marker back to start
3) press record, do my vocals
without re-routing any I/Os or busses. If needed I may buy a mic with XLR but I want to avoid the additional cost.
I hope that I could explain my problem well enough.
I don’t know how many ways there are to solve your problem, but I’m using a Mac and have set up my “multi-interface” using the “Audio Midi Setup” controls on the Mac (outside of Cubase). To do that, use the Audio Midi Setup and go to the audio devices window. Then, using the “+” button at the bottom, create an “Aggregate Interface” and select both the X32 and your USB mic, and name it something you’ll remember, like USBMic and X32 or something. Finally, fire up Cubase and it should recognize a “new” audio interface with the name you gave it. Select that as the interface for Cubase to use, and then when you go to select your inputs you should be able to create input busses for both your USB mic AND your X32 inputs, which will show up as sources when you create audio tracks to record. Hopefully this makes sense to you! Let me know how it went!
If you are on windows there is no such thing as “aggregate devices”. In other words: Since Cubase can only communicate with ONE single ASIO_Driver at the same time it will NOT work to use the X32 and a USB Mic simultanuously connected to the PC. As a workaround some are using the free Asio4All driver (with some issues usually).
A USB to XLR Converter might help. If you want to avoid multiple signal conversions I would highly recommend to get a nice XLR Mic. Seeing the investment you have already made the additional costs are neglectable.
