Cant record MIDI from my soundcard to a Wav file in Cubase SE

[moxford]

Hi

I cannot record midi files as wav files. The manual simply says midi must first be converted to wav files to be mixed with other sound. As I understand it the midi sound I hear in cubase is produced by the sound card using in my system Microsoft Software Wavetable Syntheziser with output to Sigma Tel Audio. I imagine that when I hear midi files in Windows Media Player they are played through Sigma Tel and that works fine. But I cannot get this sound back into a cubase audio track to record it in cubase.

I have added the extra audio track which I have read is supposed to do this and looked for any controls that allow me to capture sound from the sound card: no luck. When I save using audio mixdown I do hear sound at ultra fast speed at the moment the file is saved. However the resultant wav file only contains a faint echo of the sound it is supposed to be recording.

I have tried the settings in Windows mixer which shows the Sigma Tel Audio volume settings are ok for recording.

Why does Cubase SE which is supposed to be for beginners and to make us yearn to pay out a fortune to upgrade make it so difficult to get started with the basics like recording MIDI using the soundcard.

[tacman7]

Midi is not sound, just instructions.

Lot of reading you could do on that subject.

What you use to create the sound from these 'instructions' is what you have to record.

Your choice is probably the worst possible (MS wavetable), but I digress.

Two ways.

1. Use the loopback function of your soundcard (RTM) to route the sound the synth created back to cubase. Some cards call this whatUhear.

If you don't have that then:

2. Take the output of your soundcard and plug it into the input and record the output of the synth. You must be careful not to monitor the input or you will get feedback.
Also if you only want the synth you need to solo that track.

[moxford]

Thanks for the reply, I shall try it. I didnt think of trying something as basic as sticking a cable between the output and the input. The trouble is I am not actually recording real music, only trying out arrangements for a choir so I am mainly interested in getting the the notes right not the sound quality. But I do need to make recordings so others without midi players can hear the notes. When we sing the notes we will get the sound quality - or not.

I'll let you know how I get on. I think there is a need for an article for beginners like me with these problems. The articles for beginners are pitched at a higher level and dont cover these simple things. It took me ages to find out how to get the sound mixer to work with midi for instance, by loading up an intrument track. More ages to find out that the midi sound has to go through a wav file via an audio track. And now I feel I am on the cusp of a breakthrough with the final link being that cable between out and in. Thanks

[moxford]

Hi
I have tried the solution suggested by tacman7 and it works. Here is my reminder to myself of what to do. It might be added to the FAQ's.

Why cant I hear Midi files, mix them then record them

When I download or create midi files I can hear them play in Windows Media Player but I cant hear them when I import them into Cubase so I cant mix them and record them.

Start: Import your midi files into a new empty project (answer no to the question ‘do you want to start a new project’ each time you import a file into the project)

You should be able to hear midi files in Cubase. If the mixer doesn’t seem to control volume levels: load an instrument track. (I'm not quite sure about this bit)
Project/Add Track/Instrument track.
This adds an extra row on top of the midi tracks

To record the mix of midi files and audio if you have added them, plug one end of a cable into the output socket which you use to plug in your earphones and the other end into the input socket known as ‘line-in’ or ‘microphone’ socket so sound loops out of the soundcard and back in.

None of the ‘M’ or ‘S’ buttons should be alight in cubase. Click in the left hand column to select the Audio track at the bottom which will lighten to show it is selected. The red button on it should show record is activated. When you press ‘record’ the sound from the unmuted tracks will be recorded on the audio track in real time.

To stop recording automatically at the end of the tracks:
Use the ‘Punch out’ control to stop recording at the end of the sequence (called ‘the right locator’ in the manual). This is the lower symbol that looks like a staircase on the left side of the ‘Inspector’ box near the time reading. You can press it after you start recording.
To set the sequence limits or ‘right locator’ select the longest track and press ‘p’ on the keyboard.

Click ‘record’. When recording has finished export it as a ‘wav’ file that can be mixed with other wav files. It allows more flexibility to export each midi file as a separate wav file rather than mixing them and exporting them as one file.

[tacman7]

Glad your making progress!

The mixer does control midi, but so can other things. It's kind of hard to get a feel for...

Think of using an external midi module, like a keyboard. You can send it volume messages with the volume you want. That's what the mixer does. You can also send a volume message from another external controller or it can be embedded in a track(use list view to see them). So anything connected can send your midi module a volume message, but the mixer only knows about the ones it sends. So it could look like full volume (127) when something else basically shut it off (0).
Internal midi modules (VSTi's) work the same way.

That's one of the things I check if I have no sound from a module, move the volume control to send a new message and make sure the volume is up.