So after I loaded the Motif Xpanded dance files, I’m guessing when I tinkered around the MOTIF VST editor (trying to learn it) I did something wrong so I can’t get a correct audio mixdown of the VST’s. The track is silent in all of the Motif parts.

When playing it back inside the DAW, it plays just fine.
I just can’t get a mixdown of it.

I was able to before no problem. I didn’t change any settings within Cubase, but I followed all of the articles on Motif VST which involved a lot of heavy changes.

Am I supposed to set something in the Transmit Receive window?

Cubase 5.52
Windows 7 64bit
motif xs6

Thanks. I really like this forum :)

Your question is really a Cubase question, so we moved it here to the Steinberg forum.

While the routing of external VSTi’s is complex, once understood you can quickly troubleshoot the situation.

Using the Motif XS as an external VSTi requires that the following situation is setup:
1) Go to DEVICES > VST INSTRUMENT select “External > D- Motif XS VST”
2) MIDI Tracks are to be recorded in Cubase. You must use “MIDI Tracks” not INSTRUMENT Tracks because the Motif XS VST is multi-timbal and capable of receiving information on multiple MIDI channels. When you create the External Motif XS VST, you are asked if you would like to create a MIDI track associated with that VSTi… when you do the track is immediately assigned to receive data via the “IN ALL INPUTS” and is (most importantly) routed MIDI OUT back to the “Motif XS VST”

Let’s stop here and explain why this is critical. MIDI data is recorded in Cubase (as you know MIDI data makes no sound - it is just a series of coded messages that represent the music). This MIDI data is sent to the Motif XS where the tone generator creates sound - it is this audio that is then RETURNED to Cubase on the audio OUTPUT SELECT routing that you select. (It is this audio, of course, that can be used in AUDIO MIXDOWN).

You will create a MIDI track for each PART that you want to record. The routing of that MIDI track should be exactly the same, except for the MIDI CHANNEL assignment. So on each MIDI Track that you create… receives MIDI from the XS keyboard. It echoes the data back to the Motif XS tone engine on a specific MIDI CHANNEL… The tone engine PART on that CHANNEL generates sound. The audio is returned to Cubase via the OUTPUT SELECT assignment, and that signal will be see on the VST INSTRUMENT’s audio lane.

In Cubase, when you answered to “create a MIDI Track”, Cubase also created a VST INSTRUMENT folder. In that folder is an audio lane that will represent the audio coming back into Cubase.

The current Motif XS Editor VST allows you to RETURN audio to Cubase on 8 STEREO RETURNS simultaneously. You route Motif XS PARTS to these 8 stereo Returns using the OUTPUT SELECT parameter on a per PART basis. YOur choices are:
L/R
m1/2
m3/4
m5/6
m7/8
m9/10
m11/12
m13/14

You can select the OUTPUT on the main screen of the EDITOR VST for each PART.
You can ensure that it is leaving the Motif XS by going to the following screen within the EDITOR VST:
FILE > VST INSTRUMENT SETUP

Here you will see the 8 potential audio RETURNS from the XS to the DAW - if you click “AUTO” it will assign them in order as listed above

Now next, following the signal, we must ensure that it arrives in the computer (in Cubase).
Looking at the menu bar in Cubase go to:
DEVICES > VST INSTRUMENT
On the VST INSTRUMENT rack you will see the “Motif XS VST” listed. The icon that looks like an arrow pointing to the right is the OUTPUT ACTIVATION icon.

Click on it and you will see a drop down that allows you activate the Motif XS VST outputs… basically each time you add a STEREO pair, a new “audio lane” will appear in your VST INSTRUMENT folder. If you select to ACTIVATE all - an audio lane for each will appear in that VST INSTRUMENT folder

One word of advice: Each Stereo pair called a stereo “bus” can carry multiple signals. It is a common newbie conception that you need an output for each item. An audio bus, is called a bus for a very good reason. A “bus” is a vehicle that can carry one or more passengers on a specific route through a terrain. In this case the passengers are audio signals and the specific route is from the Motif XS to Cubase.

You group items on a specific bus according to how you are going to deal with them within Cubase. You only need to isolate something (or some group of items) on a bus if you intend to process them in isolation from the others. Simply separating them for no reason gets you nothing. You already have individual volume control

If all PARTS are routed to the main L/R outputs - you can still mix volumes individually. And after all, the final mix is going to be stereo eventually. In the Motif XS VST tutorial - I give an example of multiple PARTS being routed to the stereo L/R. In a later example, I isolate the guitar on an individual bus because I wanted to process it with a VST EFFECT in Cubase.

3) Once you have audio returning to Cubase VST INSTRUMENT’s audio lanes, that audio can be processed by any VST EFFECTS you have in the computer. Now this is a very important thing to understand: The audio lanes allows you to hear the audio… you will notice that Cubase does not draw any waveform pictures for this data. Reason: it is still virtual… that is, it has not yet been rendered to the computer’s hard drive. You are only “monitoring” it. You can process it with VST EFFECTS, and try out different things.

Now once you have it sounding just like you like it. You can have the computer EXPORT what you hear to create actually audio tracks in a process called AUDIO MIXDOWN. WIth VSTi’s generated totally inside the computer rendering of the audio is done a high speed - the computer just “spits out” the zeros and ones (so to speak). However, because the Motif XS is hardware and external to the computer, AUDIO MIXDOWN takes place in real time. If you have 3 minutes of data on the track it will take 3 minutes to write that data. Much the same as real audio! :-)

You will receive this “mixdown will take place in real time” message when you setup the FILE > EXPORT > AUDIO MIXDOWN dialog box. In general, the settings you make on this window will determine the type, name and destination of the file you are creating. Do not guess here… setup the box according to the results you want to get. Cubase provides context sensitive HELP in each window… if uncertain about a setting, read the HELP associated with the window.

That should get you going.

Ok, Bad_Mister.  Thank you for your detailed reply.
I’ve done my best to read carefully in this thread as well as your other answer to me--I’ve combined the screenshots into 2 caps to show you all the steps I went through.

I also did a master reset on my MOTIF and set it to USB again to make sure thats not the issue.

Yes, I can hear myself playing the motif and I can verify the DAW receives midi messages and so does the the VST. For some reason the Mixdown comes out blank though in the exception of the other vst’s.

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/6017/motifcubasekuraudo.jpg

Here’s the other one.
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9725/xscreen048.jpg

F4: Input/
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4619/xscreen070.jpg

output
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/4700/xscreen071.jpg

Hopefully nothing I did wrong in the TRANSMIT/RECEIVE windows? thats the only thing I can think of right now.

I think I see your issue.

You are using the Motif XS Editor VST but have no audio outputs assigned from it, returning to your DAW

Go to the Motif XS Editor VST > FILE > VSTi Setup… > (the top line) Motif XS 1 should be set to your AUDIO INTERFACE’s left and right channel in the L and R “AUDIO RETURN PORTS” columns, respectively - that is where the AUDIO from the Motif XS VST gets returned to the DAW

The top item in your screen shot has NOT ASSIGNED for all the audio returns. We assume the Left and Right Main Outputs of the Motif XS are physically plugged into your audio interface… so it is on this screen that you want to set the Motif XS’s stereo audio return within the DAW - when you click on the item you should see your AUDIO INTERFACES Left and Right audio ports.

Hope that helps…

The thing is, LEFT /RIGHT do not show up when I click the area where it says “not assigned.”
What can i do if its not even selectable? In Cubase in the In/Out, the “Audio Kontrol1” doesn’t stick if you select it either.

Also, I recall it never it being assigned in the first place, yet audio mixdowns somehow worked.

CAP:
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/1021/xscreen022.jpg

Go to DEVICES > VST CONNECTIONS > Select the OUTPUT tab.
Set the AUDIO DEVICE to NOT CONNECTED (this will release the AUDIO OUTPUT here, you are not using them here).

GO to the Motif XS EDITOR VST > VSTI SETUP… > Motif XS 1 > Connect your AUDIO DEVICE here (as per my last post) This is where you want to use it!

Let us know.

Ok, i placed the NOT CONNECTED in the OUTPUT in Device Setup for the Audio Kontrol 1 on the outs (which disabled the sound of all another VSTi I had set up).

In MOTIF VST, I had accessed the panel and still I CANNOT assign the L and R. There is no drop down menus . So strange..

Check the documentation of your audio interface, I’m sorry I am not familiar with it. Sorry my last post was in error… thinking about it - it would have been the VST CONNECTIONS > INPUT tab that should be “not assigned"… not the OUTPUT (as I now see I wrote)… You need your OUTPUTS as they were set… because all devices will go through them to the audio interface and on to the speakers (sorry)

The Motif XS EDITOR VST needs to connect to your VST CONNECTION Returns (INS)… so not being able to select the driver on the VSTi SETUP page is critical. Why it does not appear there is a mystery. Are they in use elsewhere?

Sorry for that confusion.

I really appreciate the effort you go into to help me out with this. You’re one of the few who take the time to look at the problem carefully and concisely.

When going to other support forums:
How should I word my problem to the masses so it gets heard and I don’t get the merry go round blame to either Yamaha or Native or Cubase?

RECENTLY:
=Uninstalled and reinstalled my audio driver and made sure its the newest one downloaded yesterday.
=I’ve used a clean project in Cubase.
=Microphones will definitely record in Cubase utilizing the same input and Mix down properly.

Thanks again :)

If you are still having an issue please do not hesitate to call Customer Support - they will sort it out for you 714.522.9000 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:00pm Pacific Standard Time.

Big time zone difference. I’ll have to call them when Im awake and not working.

Alright, I discovered FL studio can record it as audio. (FL studio I dont think it was designed to use the MOTIF vst ). So does that tell you what i need to troubleshoot?

Seems the soundcard is working. But I can’t select it in Cubase for the VST
I think its how Cubase is interacting with the Motif VST, which is the problem.

Sorry, I guess I’m having difficulty in understanding you (and what is not working). First thing: Your profile says you live in California, what big time difference?
Second if FL Studio cannot use VST, then how are you successful recording audio via the VST?

Please, call Customer Support when you can ...awake or asleep :)

Huh? I live in Korea. Been here since August and will be here for a longggg while before revisiting Cali.

Its 3 AM and I stayed up all night so i can call them.
In FL STUDIO i entered the recording as AUDIO into EDISON wave editor. And FL studio is poorly implemented for wav file editing but is great for Midi, VST and quick beats. BUT, Whatever reason , MOTIF vst is not detected in the vst list. Many users have difficulty using MOTIF on FL.

FL studio is designed to use all kinds of VST.
Gonna call them now. thanks :)

Edit: Called them and waiting for a email fix. Its 1130 here now. Not sure if it will be 24 hours or a week for a fix, forgot to ask.

@bad_mister.
Just a little update. I’ve been in contact with Steinberg since the last time I posted and there’s now a long chain of emails. The solution has not been fixed so now i’m contacting Native Instruments for support and have cited all of the steps we’ve gone through. I hope they can come to some conclusion.
I know that Native Instruments has driver updates and revisions almost monthly, which could indicate problematic drivers.

So far: After installing the ASIO4ALL driver now I can select the RETURN ports in the Motif VST.. BUT I still cannot select the Asio4all within Cubase recording INPUTS. The bigger problem is the tracks become red and cannot record midi or wave data, let alone the audio mixdown problem is not solved.

On the bright side, there is less crackling compared to using the Audio Kontrol1 default asio driver.

Thanks for all the help man. I’ll update this thread once the solution is reached or some other reason :)

NI is really slow on this issue. It’s been over two weeks now and they haven’t responded to my ticket. What do I do?
I think Ill pester them AGAIN.

There has been no resolution on my issue and my Motif is collecting dust.

No need for your synth to collect dust, :) and I would suggest that you try to get a basic setup working before you move to a more complicated one using the Editor etc. If you follow the set up guidelines in the Getting Started guide and treat the Motif as you would any other ‘synth’, what happens? Can you, for example, plug the audio outs from your synth into the inputs in your interface, send a signal it to Cubase, select the interface’s inputs in VST Connections, and record an audio track? If that basic setup doesn’t work, then you are probably not going to get the Editor setup to work later.

You should be using an ASIO driver specific to your interface, NOT ASIO4all. Cubase must recognize the device, and you must be able to select and set it correctly in VST Connections. Again, if that isn’t happening and there are problems with your interface or the driver, then you’ll know where to start. What I’m suggesting here is that one should walk before trying to run. Go back to the basics, get the hardware working and THEN move on to the more complicated software. Download the latest ASIO driver for your interface and install it. Open Cubase and go to VST Connections. Do you see that device and can you select its inputs and outputs? Can you set buffer size etc. in its ASIO Control Panel? If you can’t do any of this then its clear you have a problem with the device, not Cubase and not the Editor. You’ll then need to go into Device Manager, if you are on a PC, and make sure the device is installed and working correctly, and is being recognized. There’s quite a lot of troubleshooting you can do on your own, without NI’s help. In any case, if it is your interface that is your problem, then yes, you will need to work with NI or a local music store or whatever to solve that problem. We can’t do a lot here about that at the Cubase forum. Hope that helps get you started.... and you should still be able to play your synth in spite of the problems, so no need to let it sit gathering dust. :) ............................frank