I have quite a strange problem with Cubase 10/11. It might seem to work perfectly? Not exactly.

I have an Ensoniq TS 12 which I want to use with Cubase and various VST instruments. The problem is:

- DAW recognizes the MIDI interface
- knows when there's any MIDI activity
- does NOT pass through MIDI to any VST.

Am I doing something wrong? I left all the settings as they are in Cubase and Ensoniq - all defaults.

 

You mean, you assigned a VSTi to a track, selected the track, armed it, but when you play the TS-12 the VSTi doesn't respond?

 

Exactly. It's case not just for instrument tracks, but MIDI tracks as well.

 

There's a checklist for Cubase when this occurs. There's also a checklist for your keyboard. Sometimes your keyboard seems to appear but it may not be correct - it happens.
First in Cubase 10/11 in Studio Setup make sure all the MIDI inputs are active and checked which you have possibly already checked. They can register visually and not be active funnily enough.


In the VST quick controls, ensure your keyboard is displayed. SEE THE "LEARN" mode. It should detect that way if the GM fails.



MIDI device manager if your keyboard does not appear at all in the above images

INSTALLATION of KEYBOARD: While your keyboard may have a default installation recommendation here perhaps? the Ensoniq ESQ-1, sometimes choosing the generic General MIDI (GM) device works far more efficiently - once you get it working yo ucan go back here (keeping the GM as well) and define your own to suit all the perks of your keyboard if you wish.


LAST:
In the Master controls of your keyboard as your Ensoniq is much newer than the ESQ-1, it should have two functions:
1. To transmit on all channels, and
2. If it does not have a General MIDI transmit setting it should transmit by default - If it does in the Master settings, make sure it is set to ON.
You can reset to individual channels once you are sure it is transmitting. Also, ensure you have not routed the audio out to monitors if you do not have monitors and only primary speakers because it may be working already if so.

Other than the above I cannot be of much more help. Sorry

 

1. Can you record the incoming notes?
2. Channel settings?

 

BOOM - Gold star

If there is a MIDI file with notes in then it's receiving and it's an audio out issue.

 

Routing issue. Make sure your TS-12 is sending MIDI data on the same MIDI channel that the VST is set to receive. Regardless of what you do, if your VST instrument is not setup to properly receive data from the TS-12 you will not trigger the VST.

 

Ensoniq TS-12

• Poly, Omni, Multi, Mono A and Mono B modes
• Multi-timbral, accommodating up to 12 simultaneous polyphonic MIDI channels with separate Programs/Sampled Sounds and performance parameters
• MIDI Local On/Off per track allows up to 12 outbound MIDI keyboard zones for master controller applications
• Global controllers in Mono mode for use with MIDI guitar and alternate controllers
• MIDI Song Position Pointer, Song Select, Bank Select, All Notes Off and Reset All Controllers supported
• XCTRL allows any MIDI controller (0-127) to be used as a voice modulator, and/or to be transmitted to external devices on a per channel basis
• General MIDI compatible mode for 16 channel reception of program changes, notes, controllers, and registered parameter messages as defined in the General MIDI specification. Reception can be disabled per channel for "music minus one" applications.

 

Not necessarily. Since the recorded notes have a specific MIDI channel, the VSTi won't play them if it's set to a specific and different channel (so, not set to Omni or All).

 

Can't do this, either.

 

Thanks for that - then a GM setting in Cubase will work without any fiddly stuff - good.

 

I know my post to the TA was long-winded, but I did clearly post this so if he followed it to the letter then I would be correct because.......

 

@DarkestNight79 - You have said 'any VST' - Potentially dumb question - What is your project settings, as in Hz and bits? / Sample rates...
e.g. 48Khz 24bit - 44.1Khz 16bit etc etc etc
Please let everyone know the vst's you are using if you'd be so kind. It is possible it might be a setting in them too which needs a simple alteration. Various people on here know more about some vst's than others so the community is more adept at helping if they have a good idea of what is connected.
- You are not running KONTAKT are you where you are having an issue too? If you are I may know what the issue is. Occasionally if your settings in sample rates are different to what is set in stand-alone mode, Kontakt and some Vst's in Cubase basically won't sound. That's an easy fix. Shut down Cubase, open the Vst in stand-alone mode and make sure it matches the same sample rates as Cubase. Shut down stand-alone, run Cubase again and open that vst again and see if it sounds. Try that.
If no joy then that's one other possibility eliminated.

 

The thing is that standalone instruments work perfectly fine, and they can receive MIDI without any trouble. It's just Cubase which is being silly.

 

did you check all the settings in the long-winded screenshots I put up?
So I can tick that off too
Also please double-check that the project settings are the same as the VST's in stand-alone. You said you see transmitting. Just trying to isolate here. Each VST should have a sample rate and match them to Cubase- EXAMPLES BELOW:
Then I can cross them off if nothing changes.

EXAMPLE - Kontakt...



Project settings


MAKE A NOTE OF THESE

 

Mh, I don't have a keyboard here right now which is capable to transmit on all channels, but IIRC all MIDI notes have a channel 'imprinted'. If his VSTi is for some unknown reason set to a different channel this still wouldn't work, right?

But what surprised me is this:

I assume the recording process is meant? Ad hoc I don't know of any reason why this should be happening if MIDI is shown as received.

 

He has it working in stand-alone mode. So that points initially to Cubase. However, if the default settings in stand-alone are mismatched, while sometimes it makes no difference, my prior less-featured audio/MIDI interface had real issues in changing sample rates of vst's loading through Cubase on the fly to match the project settings in Cubase. I had to manually match some vst's in stand-alone first. It may well not be the issue but nice to check it off the list. I suggested it because simply, they just did not sound otherwise.

 

Fyi: my MIDI interface is MIDIface 4x4 by MIDItech. It worked fine with, let's say, my previous keyboard, the Korg Pa50 and FL Studio.

 

This gives a lot more information. I say this because with this post it indicates that it may well be a simple setting in the keyboard. Without being there it is very difficult to ascertain the exact cause and all of us are attempting to think in that mode of not being there.
This is one of those times where you may have to do the one thing we all must at some point - read the manual in the Master (Global) functions and MIDI section. This comment is made because previous keys of yours working fine indicates the keyboard settings.

 

Big update:

CUBASE 11 IS BUGGED!!!

I uninstalled it. Installed ol' Cubase 10.5. Guess what? MIDI WORKS FINE!!!

Pity on you, Steinberg...

And big thanks for everyone who wanted to help me. I like you!