I’m hoping someone can help, who regularly creates their original multi-track recordings on a Yamaha PSR-SX900 keyboard and then transfers that multi-track recording to Cubase for everything else - adding more instrument tracks from Halion Sonic SE, vocal tracks, etc.,etc. and then full post-production through to mastering.
This means that the final multi-track in Cubase could contain, maybe, a dozen tracks taking MIDI data direct from the SX900 (most of which will need editing and tidying-up in the MIDI editor) as well as, maybe, another dozen or so of various other voices from Halion and the, possibly, four or five vocal/harmony tracks.
I used to be able to do what I needed with the SX900 tracks by setting the input and outputs within each track Inspector to the send/receive data through the Focusrite interface that joins PC to keyboard. But since trying to set up a track to work directly with the Yamaha SX900, that option has gone. and I can only set one of the tracks to read data from the Yamaha keyboard and not to output through the Focusrite.
So, it’s all one big mess and I guess I basically need to reset to the defaults for Cubase to erase that mistake and to restore the normal inputs and outputs.
The irony is that I only bought the SX900 (not cheap!) because of the strong promotional messages of the partnership between Steinberg and Yamaha and how much “they” recommend using the two together! That said - and before you ask why am I going to this trouble (!) - the SX900 voices are, in the main, seriously good. But Yamaha assured me they have absolutely no intention of ever releasing them in software form - they will only ever exist in their keyboards.
I think I really need the assistance of someone else who actually works this way - if there is anyone out there, please.
I use the MoXF8 on Cubase too. Please clarify the following:
(1) Is your SX900 connected to your computer/laptop or to the soundcard directly?
(2) Is the SX900 connected using a USB cable or a midi cable?
TROUBLESHOOTING
(1) Please connect your keyboard to the computer using USB cable (not to the soundcard)
(2) Check on the inspector routing section if Cubase recognizes the inputs from your keyboard (in my case it says MOXF8 in 1 to 8…there are up to 8 inputs. I usually route to 1 to get sound)
That should be all you need. No need to configure anything anywhere else…that would be overkill.
Let me know if this is of any help to you.
Goodluck
If you have what they call the mini Genos it should be the same setup as mine on the Genos.
Just for midi , you just need the Yamaha driver and connect to computer via USB.
in cubase Import midi file and in the inspector Input Not Connected and output name of your workstation which is the Sx 900.
You have to do that on all tracks including sys ex data and Chord data
once all of your tracks have inputs and outs done you will hear the midi file triggering the keyboard.
Hope this gets you in the ball park
if you want to use vst’s later that is another thing to be explained.
Thank you. This is very helpful. As a matter of fact - strange that it sounds - the SX900 is connected to the PC BOTH directly via USB and also via the two MIDI in/out ports of the Focusrite soundcard. This is a throw-back from when I first was first installing the studio and it’s just stayed that way. Also, since then I have installed the SX900 as an external plug-in.
Under track inspector, my available inputs are 'Focusrite USB MID’I and ‘Keyboard-1’, as well as ‘All MIDI inputs’ and my available routing outputs are the PSR900 (but this can only be used by one track it seems and various other VST’s including Halion - BUT the keyboard and Focurite options are no longer there after I installed the PSR as an external plug-in.
Sorry if I’m making this all sound more complicated than it is.
Yamaha officially say that the only way to transfer multi-track/event MIDI data from keyboard to Cubase is via a USB memory stick and then sign each track by editing the voice data (MSB, LSB etc) in the List Editor; but that is a real kerfuffle and somehow seems to turn creative music making into computer programming!
So, that’s the background. I will follow-up on everything you have suggested and thank you again for getting back to me on this.
This is all really helpful. Thanks for taking the trouble. I will start by checking I have the correct driver installed. Interestingly, I have started experimenting with recording the full “performance” from the SX900 on a single track and then dissolving that track down to its component parts. As I have the SX900 set up as an external plug-in, it seems to make a decent attempt at getting the correct voices (those I selected to use when playing), but these can be changed once the individual tracks have been created. Importantly, the actually MIDI date seems to be correct.
Thanks again,
Having the correct driver installed does seems like the first thing I must check. It’s great to hear you have it working as it should using the Genos - now THAT is a great instrument! What about the samples, especially the guitars, eh?!
Just as a quick pick-up from your suggestion to install the SX900 driver on my PC, where does the SX900 show up in Device Manager. I can’t see it listed there without a driver. So (and apologies for this basic question) if it’s not listed in Device manager, how do you start installing the driver?
