MIDI-ot

[Laura]

I have been trying to learn MIDI for a few months and had just about every problem. I don't know if the problem is with my computer or I'm just a Midiot. The latest question I have is:

How do you export a MIDI file, convert it to a .wav and then to an mp3 to upload???????

I am using Cubase LE. It only lets me export 20 mp3s. Oh, but when I try the "export" function to audio file, I get a message about "no audio input" or something. And if I export it as a MIDI file, it remains a MIDI file that I can't open in my WinAmp. Just an error message about an invalid format.



Thanks again for your help.

[richiebee]

What are you using as a source for your MIDI sounds in Cubase?

[Laura]

Originally Posted by richiebee

What are you using as a source for your MIDI sounds in Cubase?

A regular old Yamaha keyboard.

I looked at my Cubase for Idiots book and it says you have to 'play' the track and record it as an audio track.

Um... that leads to another problem of mine. Cubase is really picky about when I can hear the output. I set the MIDI in and out to my Yamaha keyboard, but half the time I can't hear it.

It has all kinds of weird assignations like "Yamaha [USB Emulated]" I installed the MIDI driver, why does it have to 'emulate' it?

My son says I should reinstall the MIDI driver. Yeah the MIDI driver in my control panel calls itself "device 0"

Sometimes I wonder if cubase is just no good.

[richiebee]

Originally Posted by Laura

A regular old Yamaha keyboard.

Which one? Model number???

I looked at my Cubase for Idiots book and it says you have to 'play' the track and record it as an audio track.

Yes, in your case you do. Most MIDI stuff is done inside people's computers these days, but there's no reason it can't work with an external device (ie, your keyboard).

Um... that leads to another problem of mine. Cubase is really picky about when I can hear the output. I set the MIDI in and out to my Yamaha keyboard, but half the time I can't hear it.

It has all kinds of weird assignations like "Yamaha [USB Emulated]" I installed the MIDI driver, why does it have to 'emulate' it?

My son says I should reinstall the MIDI driver. Yeah the MIDI driver in my control panel calls itself "device 0"

I'll defer all other answers til I know more about your keyboard.

Sometimes I wonder if cubase is just no good.

Now, now, that's not the attitude.

[Laura]

Originally Posted by richiebee

Which one? Model number???

It's a yamaha MM6, fully MIDI compatible with a USB cable.

Yes, in your case you do. Most MIDI stuff is done inside people's computers these days, but there's no reason it can't work with an external device (ie, your keyboard).

Yeah but you still have to play the notes to get them into your computer & cubase...right?

[richiebee]

I looked at my Cubase for Idiots book and it says you have to 'play' the track and record it as an audio track.

Um... that leads to another problem of mine. Cubase is really picky about when I can hear the output. I set the MIDI in and out to my Yamaha keyboard, but half the time I can't hear it.

It has all kinds of weird assignations like "Yamaha [USB Emulated]" I installed the MIDI driver, why does it have to 'emulate' it?

My son says I should reinstall the MIDI driver. Yeah the MIDI driver in my control panel calls itself "device 0"

Okay, there are two sides to what you want to do - record and playback MIDI data (performance data), and record and playback audio (sound data). Cubase can handle both of these for you.
Firstly, you need to connect your keyboard correctly - you need to connect your USB connection between your keyboard to record and playback MIDI data, and connect audio cables between the keyboard and your computer to record the audio data. Playback of the audio data will be done by your computer alone.

So, do you have these connections made? And is your computer connected to a pair of speakers or headphones so you can listen to your recorded information?

If the MIDI driver is not reliable, I would unplug the USB connection from your keyboard, uninstall the driver on your computer, and follow the process for installing it, in particular note when they tell you to connect your keyboard. Sometimes you have to connect your keyboard first, sometimes you install the driver and connect the keyboard after. Note what the manual says. Also, make sure you turn your keyboard on BEFORE you launch Cubase. Cubase loads the drivers it needs when it starts up. If it detects that your keyboard is attached, it will load the driver. If it doesn't detect it (ie, if the keyboard is turned off), then it will not load the driver for it.

Now, you should work on one bit at a time. Get the MIDI side working first, then when that's going good, you can work on the audio side.

So, you set up a MIDI track in Cubase to record your data to. You set the input and output on that track to your Yamaha keyboard. Whatever its called... don't worry about the word "emulated". It probably refers to that fact that the connection is a USB connection, not a MIDI connection. Your keyboard has MIDI in and out, so theoretically, you could set up an "instrument" within cubase that is your Yamaha keyboard connected via MIDI (don't ask me how - I haven't used "instruments" to describe external devices in years!).

You hit record, and play some note on your keyboard. You can probably hear these through your keyboard as you play - this is obvious: if the keyboard wasn't connected to your computer, then you'd also be able to hear the notes when you play. The major thing you need to deal with here - are those notes being recorded to your MIDI track?

Stop recording. Take the track back and hit play. Are those notes being played back on your keyboard? They should be. If they are, but the sound isn't right, check that Cubase is set to the correct MIDI channel. When you play your keyboard, it probably automatically transmits on MIDI channel 1. But Cubase can over-ride this, so playback will be whatever you set the midi channel to. Your keyboard understands more than 1 midi channel, so its important that when cubase sends out the playback instructions, that the MIDI channel corresponds with what you want it to be. Right now, you've not set up any "patch" information for your keyboard, so it won't change the sound to the one you want it to be - it'll simply keep it to what it is when you start playback: that you might have set on the keyboard itself.

That's enough for now... let us know if its working for you so far.

[Laura]

I appreciate you taking the time to help. OK let me see if I can summarize what is happening.

1. There is a Yamaha USB Midi driver in my control panel. It calls itself "Device 0". Why it is called Device 0? Beats hell outta me. It has an option "Use device name as port name." This is not checked.

2. My cubase has a Midi Device Manager menu which contains the device "yamaha mm6." This device has generic GM Voices and 'new bank'(0ff).

3. Until a few minutes ago there was another Device called "mm6". It contained a list of the patches that really exist on my keyboard. I deleted this because I thought it was redundant.

4. Cubase's MIDI tracs have "Yamaha USB-in" and "Yamaha USB-out". However, none of the "programs" (voices?)" are named. They just have numbers. When I record a track, I can hear it played back on my keyboard. If I change the out to "SB Live MIDI synth" (my computer soundboard) it does play back via my computer speakers. However it uses a different set of instruments.

5. There is another option on my "out" menu in the midi voices in cubase: "Yamaha MM6 (USB audio device emulated.)" This one doesn't play back at all. In fact I have no clue what this is or how it got there.

Listening to OLD midi tracks that I did before is a whole nother set of problems, since each time I open Cubase the Device Manager has a different name for the MIDI device and a different way that it shows/assigns instruments. So I have to keep reassigning my instruments. Quite a few times it can't go beyond channel 3, so I can only have 3 different instruments.

Oh yeah and there is also the issue of the VST effects which only work when played thru my Lexicon recording interface, where I need headphones plugged in to hear it. So there is no way to produce a complex recording when different parts of it play thru different devices, how are you supposed to hear everything.

>The major thing you need to deal with here - are those notes being recorded to your MIDI track?

Notes are being recorded... but something is seriously confused about the playback.

>Right now, you've not set up any "patch" information for your keyboard, so it won't change the sound to the one you want it to be - it'll simply keep it to what it is when you start playback: that you might have set on the keyboard itself.

How do you set up patch info on your keyboard?

Another weird thing is that I can record a MIDI track even though my keyboard's screen says "PC mode OFF." So what does the PC Mode really mean?

>That's enough for now... let us know if its working for you so far.

I appreciate your help. If you can understand any of this, good luck...you're a genius.

[richiebee]

You've overwhelmed me with information. I'd suggest you get local help. Do you have a local music store that can help you?