Using harware in Cubase 5

I've recently purchased a few rack synths to twiddle, I've a copy of Cubase 5 and I'm new to both. I have them set up as external instruments and I can sequence them via midi channel in the DAW, but I can't attach FX to that channel. I can assign an audio channel to record the signal, but I can't hear it and the FX until after it has been recorded. Is there a way for me to route the signal from the synth directly to an audio channel so I can hear the audio in real time? I can't for the life of me figure this out, it feels like it should be pretty simple.

Thanks to anyone who can help me out.

Tick the little speaker icon (next to record). Open up the mixer, and add fx. Tick the speaker (monitor button) to hear it live, then untick once it has recorded.

Hrm, that's not working for me. Maybe I've set up the external instrument wrong? Thanks for your quick reply tho!

Edit: I spelled harDware incorrectly.

Should I have the two inputs from the synth assigned to the external instruments section or the inputs section? When it is assigned to inputs I can hear the sound from the midi cannel and I can record but only hear sound on the audio channel when it has been recorded. When it is assigned to the external instruments section I can't record it and of course cannot attach FX to the midi channel the sound is coming from. Where is my stupid mistake here>

  On 4/6/2011 at 6:21 AM, DerWaschbar said:

Should I have the two inputs from the synth assigned to the external instruments section or the inputs section? When it is assigned to inputs I can hear the sound from the midi cannel and I can record but only hear sound on the audio channel when it has been recorded. When it is assigned to the external instruments section I can't record it and of course cannot attach FX to the midi channel the sound is coming from. Where is my stupid mistake here>

You only want to mess with the audio channel, that's where you need to tick the speaker. The midi channel is for control only. SO whatever channel the synth is recording to, tick the speaker on that audio channel to hear it live, and assign fx on the audio channel.

Doesn't appear to have any affect on the audio channel and the midi channel seems to be producing sound whether its monitor button is clicked or not.

When I do click the monitor button on the audio track the levels just to the right move as if they are receiving sound but none is produced.

I don't know a whole lot about hardware... but do you have the proper drivers?

Just updated them and no change. I must have messed something up somewhere down the line in my bussing... I really appreciate you guys helping me out with this.

Here is a development, I just noticed that no audio is actually playing in cubase itself, it playing directly from my interface. So, I guess I need to set up a bus from the interface to cubase?

im opening cubase right now because i can fix your problem i just need to give you the exact steps... give me a min

before you do any of this go to 'devices' ---'device setup'---'vst audio system' then make sure to select the soundcard your synth is going into as your 'ASIO driver' if it's not already selected (it most likely already is)

then follow these steps

1. go to the top menu 'devices' then select 'vst connections'

2. go to the input tab of the connections window

3. you'll probably see a default 'stereo in' bus already there, if you're recording your synth in stereo leave it there, if not, delete it and replace it with a mono bus

4. go to the 4th column that says 'device port'

5. pick the 2 soundcard inputs your synth is going into

6. on the main timeline editor on cubase go to your audio track, click it

7. on the very left side of the program youll see your audio track with it's options going down vertically,

directly in the middle of it's panel youll see an icon arrow going into a box. click the text next to it. now select either your stereo or mono bus in that you created in part 6

then from here follow the directions Brandi_B gave above and youre all set!

  On 4/6/2011 at 7:06 AM, DerWaschbar said:

Here is a development, I just noticed that no audio is actually playing in cubase itself, it playing directly from my interface. So, I guess I need to set up a bus from the interface to cubase?

What awe said above should be it, BUT

if not, what kind of sound card are you using? And is audio actually recording into cubase even if you can't hear it live? B/c you may need to send a bus like i did on my emu card. You have to open up the actual EMU mixer (or whatver you are using) and send an out to "asio 1/2" or whatever equiv.

I think that may be it, I have everything set up as described in Awe's post (thank you Awe). It does record into cubase but the sound source that is is recording is coming directly from the soundcard which is an RME UC. There must be something I need to change in Totalmix.

Ah, I figured it out. I had direct monitoring checked under Device setup> Soundcard for some reason. Thank you guys/gal for all the support, I really appreciate it.