This is an odd situation, but I have no idea what to do about it. Simply, some of my VSTi's aren't playing when activated by the keyboard midi input. To be clear, 99+% of my VSTi's work just fine via keyboard.

If I go into the voice editor and enter some notes with a mouse, then they play when I run the track. If I pull up the VSTi and trigger the soft keyboard with my mouse, then the key greys and it plays. If I do the same thing with the keyboard, then the key greys, the blue indicator bar fires off in Cubase, but no sound.

If I go into the note editor of a track that works, when I push keyboard keys then each note gets a white indicator box on the vertical keyboard at the left. When I push keys on a troublesome track, then I do NOT get the white indicator box anywhere on the vertical keyboard.

To get weirder, this only (so far) happens with a few percussion VSTi's (from Orch Tools and East West) and the EW Tuba. To boot, SOME of these VSTi's will work sometimes but others won't work at all anymore.

Any thoughts from the hive mind?

 

Check mod wheel for dynamics, some libs use it as dynamics controller

 

This isn't a real solution, but I'm familiar with these situations and advise you to approach it strategically so you don't end up completely confused.

I would try to systematically track down the problem, meaning I would start from scratch: a MIDI controller + some kind of MIDI tool that can send/receive, including the option to display the output on the screen (I've had countless master keyboards, and they all had such a tool, like my current Akai MPK, where it's the program editor). Alternatively, you could simply use a "MIDI Learn" plugin or a DAW like Ableton. If all the keys output the correct value, then you should also test the channels. If everything is fine there too, then you know: MY MIDI CONTROLLER IS WORKING. Then I would take a closer look at Cubase... my suspicion is that perhaps some Steinberg proprietary feature is using the same MIDI channel as the one I've selected, or something else entirely. If unsuccessful, I would open something streamlined like REAPER and implement the same thing as in Cubase; if successful, my focus would then be entirely on Cubase.

 

This also isn't a real solution Part 2
In SEQUOIA, for example, there is EXACTLY your problem, but Sequoia draws your attention to it. Assuming you don't have fancy 19" external audio hardware but rather onboard audio, then you're probably using ASIO4ALL. If you start Sequoia this way, everything is fine; you can, for example, load KONTAKT and trigger it with your MIDI keyboard without latency. However, if you now want to do something like a live reverb effect, such as recording a track with a beat loop and then playing C, D, and E in time with your index finger in a completely unquantized way, meaning that instead of audio track bouncing, your MIDI notes are recorded... THEN we have exactly your example, because Kontakt won't produce any sound and no MIDI signal will be visible. But if we press a key on Sequoia's internal keyboard with the mouse, then it works.

Sequoia (nowadays) reminds you of this and offers solutions... in this case, you have to strictly change the ASIO settings (not ASIO4ALL) in the Sequoia Audio\ASIO options from ECONOMY to... The HYBRID ENGINE needs to be switched. And then it works (even with an onboard card). These 5 modes are probably necessary (depending on the user's hardware). That is, with 1 you can do almost nothing, with 3 monitoring works, and with 5 it's practically total recall = audio and MIDI recording all in Live Action including monitor, etc. Maybe you should look för such a option (i nothing others helps) - for better understand see this Pic


DOES THAT HELP YOU? I don't really think so. I'm not a Cubase user but thought that Cubase might also have such settings without making them known. You can keep this in mind if you're really desperate. One last tip: If you're using this Steinberg ASIO driver, turn it off and use ASIO4ALL. (I recently made a portable version of WaveLab and Cubase and tested it... everything crackled and lagged terribly. I switched to ASIO4ALL and everything was smooth.)

 

Perhaps you will find a solution to the problem here:

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

This sounds like a frustrating MIDI routing or VST-specific configuration issue in Cubase, especially since most of your plugins work fine and the problematic ones (from Orchestral Tools and EastWest) are responding visually to keyboard input but not producing audio. The fact that mouse-triggered notes and the soft keyboard work points to the MIDI signal reaching the VST but not triggering samples properly—likely due to channel settings, controller data (like mod wheel), articulation requirements, or Cubase filters. Intermittent behavior could tie to sample loading, mod wheel position, or track states varying between sessions.

Here's a step-by-step troubleshooting guide based on common fixes for these symptoms with EW (Opus/Play engine) and Orchestral Tools libraries in Cubase. Start from the top and test after each.

1. Check Track Monitoring and MIDI Input

• Select the troublesome instrument track in Cubase.
• Ensure the Monitor button (speaker icon) is enabled on the track— this routes live MIDI input through the VST for real-time playback. If it's off, you'll see activity but hear nothing.
• Alternatively, arm the Record button (red dot) to enable monitoring.
• In the Inspector (left panel), confirm the MIDI Input is set to your keyboard controller (or "All MIDI Inputs") and the Output is routed to the VST instrument.
• Test: Play keys— if the white indicator now appears on the piano roll's vertical keyboard, this was the issue.

2. Verify MIDI Channel Matching

• Open the VST interface (e.g., EW Opus or Orchestral Tools SINE/Capsule).
• In the VST's MIDI settings (often a channel selector or port menu), set it to Omni (receives all channels) or specifically Channel 1 (default for most keyboards). EW Opus has a MIDI Channel Selector in the Instrument Rack—avoid "Multi" or MPE unless you're using per-note control.
• Confirm your keyboard transmits on Channel 1 (check its manual or settings; most do by default).
• Why this? Mismatch prevents triggering, but visual feedback (key greying) still shows since MIDI arrives—just not processed.

3. Adjust Mod Wheel (CC1) and Expression

• Many EW and Orchestral Tools patches (especially orchestral/percussion) use the mod wheel for dynamics/volume. If it's at 0, you'll get no sound despite notes registering.
• Move your keyboard's mod wheel (or assign a slider/knob to CC1) up to around 64-127 while playing.
• In the VST, check if CC11 (expression) or other controllers are required—some tuba/percussion patches tie volume to these.
• Test with mouse: Soft keyboard clicks often default to full velocity/mod, explaining why they work.

4. Ensure Articulations and Keyswitches Are Active

• Orchestral libraries like these often require a keyswitch (low/high notes outside playable range) to select an articulation (e.g., sustain, staccato). Without one, the instrument defaults to silent.
• In the VST UI, check the keyswitch map (usually color-coded on the virtual keyboard). Send a keyswitch note first (e.g., C0 for basic sustain), then play in the instrument's range.
• For percussion: Confirm you're hitting mapped keys (e.g., GM standard for drums). Tuba range is typically low (E1-C4 or so)—test mid-range notes.
• Intermittent issues? Reload the patch or project to reset articulations.

5. Check Sample Loading and Purge

• In EW Opus: Look for the Purge button (red/green dot) in the Instrument Rack—green means samples are loaded. Click to reload if purged (saves RAM but silences playback).
• In Orchestral Tools: Similar purge/load options in their player—ensure the full instrument is downloaded and active.
• If "sometimes works": Close/reopen Cubase, or use the standalone VST player to test outside the DAW.

6. Inspect Cubase MIDI Filters and Preferences

• Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI > MIDI Filter.
• Uncheck "Note" or any filters that might block note data (e.g., velocity, channel).
• In Studio > Studio Setup > MIDI > MIDI Port Setup, ensure your keyboard port is active and not filtered from "All MIDI Inputs."
• Enable MIDI Thru in Preferences > MIDI (routes input directly to the output).
• If your keyboard has advanced features (e.g., like Komplete or Nektar), check if it's set as a "MIDI Remote" in Studio Setup—this can block notes to VSTs. Remove it from the MIDI Remote tab.

7. Other Quick Checks

• Velocity Sensitivity: Play harder/softer—some patches ignore low velocity.
• CPU/RAM Overload: Monitor system usage; large libraries like these can drop voices if overloaded.
• Plugin Version: Update EW Opus/Play and Orchestral Tools players via their installers (e.g., EW Installation Center). Rescan VSTs in Cubase if needed.
• Test Standalone: Run the VST as a standalone app (not in Cubase) and play via keyboard—if it works, the issue is Cubase routing.
• Driver Conflicts: If no other fixes work, try ASIO4ALL (free download) as your audio driver in Cubase > Studio Setup > VST Audio System. Select it, configure outputs, and test.

If none of these resolve it, provide more details like your Cubase version, keyboard model, exact VST names (e.g., specific EW library), and OS. You could also check forums like Steinberg.net or VI-Control for your exact setup—search "EW [library] no sound MIDI Cubase." If it's license-related (iLok for EW), run their activation tool.