So I read through the manual on how to configure the XF6 with cubase, and I have downloaded all the necessary files, and I installed them correctly, now I cant get sound into cubase for the life of me.

I have two trs audio cables connected from the main output of the motif xf to input 1 and 2 of my mr816csx.  I even set up the motif as an external instrument in vst connections at the “external instruments” tab and set it up accordingly.  Why dont I have audio? Why?

Please help.

Cheers

Probably some thing you forgot or left out. If you want help here you will need to recount for us what you have. It is impossible for us to say without this information. The XF and MR816csx work grat together.

Please provide details. For example which device is connected to your speakers (you don’t mention those either...)
You need speakers connected to one or the other of these devices :-)

Let us know what computer type, operating system
Exactly what driver you downloaded (you mention drivers, plural, interesting as there should only be one driver)

And once you setup for the routing - that does not ensure audio, you have to actually route something through the system. Try recounting your routing… Follow the signal from key press to speaker.

Let us know.

I operate on windows 7 64 bit.  I installed the the appropriate xf extension and usb-midi driver for 64 bit, as well as the vst editor.  I only use headphones through the mr816csx, no monitors.  I also set up in {devices} {vst connections} {external instruments} the proper setting in according to my mr816csx. I have trs audio cables going from the main outputs of the xf, to input 1 and 2 of my mr… I turned on and off local..  Tried both ways of adding the “Motif xf vst” as an instrument and trying to configure it.. and it was a no go.. I also tried, (as I do my other external gear) to add the motif from the setup of my “external instruments” and still a no go..  I plugged my headphones in the back of the xf and turned on the local and it plays beautifully.. damn.. all I want to do is track and use my new motif with cubase..

I had a similar problem in the past - but then found out that I forgot to select the input channel on the track (input channel of my audio interface). My audio interface has two keyboards connected to it. So if I add an audio channel - I have to tell it which of the audio interface inputs I want to record. Next I had to make sure the track was “armed” (red record button set and orange monitor button set so I can hear what I’m playing). Not sure if that helps - but I figured I’ll post this just in case. Cheers, Roland

I operate on windows 7 64 bit.  I installed the the appropriate xf extension and usb-midi driver for 64 bit, as well as the vst editor.

You need to download the audio driver for your Steinberg MR816csx…

Yamaha Steinberg FW Driver v1.6.4 for Windows 7… The driver is included as a part of the MR TOOLS version 1.7.4

I have done that a long time ago. The driver for the Mr.. Do you have any suggestions of the routing inside the vst editor?

Look, no I can’t really, not until I know what you have and what you have configured.  Want to try it again? If you have the driver, that’s good. Any more info you would like to reveal? We can only o by what info you provide… It is for us to look for and point out each thing YOU do not mention. Right?

You say you are trying LOCAL ON and OFF, both are not correct. One is correct at a time. If LOCAL is OFF, this disconnects the XF keys from the XF tone engine… Meaning MIDI data travels out to Cubase first.

You will only trigger the Motif XF if you arm a MIDI track assigned to the Motif XF. This setting is used when recording MIDI and when recording the Motif XF as a VSTi.

If LOCAL CONTROL is ON, this is a situation where you are recording direct to an Audio Track. You want your keypresses to generate audio.

You mention setting up EXTERNAL INSTRUMENT routing. Our question is why...??? You don’t mention having the FW16E option installed in your XF. So there would be no real benefit to setting up this routing scenario.

Do you have the FW16E or are you just connecting the analog outputs of the XF to the MR?

We assume the MR is connected to your monitor speakers. If you are going to route the Motif XF via the VST Instrument function, then disconnect the EXTERNAL INSTRUMENT tab assignments. You can use either/or not both. One connections are made in the External Instrument they become unavailable for the VST, and ice versa, once you connect the Motif XF VST returns within the Editor, those ports become unavailable to the External Instrument assignment.

In the Motif XF VST
Go to FILE > VSTi SETUP > select the audio returns of the MR816csx that represent the physical connection of the XF to the MR. That means… You have the main left/right of the XF connected to the MR. This setting alerts Cubase where to look for this audio input.

(Those seven other stereo returns are only available via FireWire). You have two buses connected, you can use one stereo pair, make sense? The audio is returned to Cubase where you monitor it

This will be audio that returns to the VST INSTRUMENT audio lane in the Folder labeled “Motif XF VST”.

I do not have the firewire card installed.  I have downloaded and installed the the appropriate for my windows 7 64 bit desktop at http://www.yamahasynth.com.  I have also installed the latest mr816csx drivers. So let me ask, does the vst editor communicate with my mr, the xf, and computer and transmits audio all through the vst editor.  If so, I ran into a error when trying to switch around settings in the usb midi in and out sections, when I load the vst editor it says port error.  I appreciate all the help I can get.  Thanks

In Cubase:
Go to DEVICES > DEVICE SETUP > MIDI > MIDI PORT SETUP > in the column “In All Inputs” make sure that the “Yamaha Motif XF-1” (port 1) is the marked port. Unmark all others in this column.

In the REMOTE DEVICE folder > make sure MIDI IN/OUT are set to “Yamaha Motif XF-2”
This will allow the Motif XF to act as a control surface for Cubase when REMOTE mode is selected.

In the VST AUDIO SYSTEM make sure the Yamaha Steinberg FW ASIO Driver is selected.

On the main Cubase Track window
Go to DEVICES > VST INSTRUMENT > in an empty slot click on “no instrument” and select EXTERNAL > “Motif XF VST”

You will be asked if you want to create a MIDI Track assigned to this plug-in… When you create it, this will assign Part 1 on Channel 1 to this Track.... You will create a new MIDI Track for each Motif XF Part.

When the Motif XF VST editor window opens go to FILE > SETUP > make sure USB is selected and DETAIL = on.

On the PORT 1 line set “Yamaha Motif XF-1” for MIDI OUT
On the PORT 4 line set “Yamaha Motif XF-4” for both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT.

Click OK

When the Editor completes coming ONLINE, go to FILE > VSTi SETUP > you will see the Returns on the top line (Motif XF 1) set “MR816 analog 1” for left and “MR816 analog 2” for right… Representing the two cables connecting the XF to the MR.
Click OK

When working with the EDITOR VST you will be working in Song or Pattern mode as these are the multi-MIDI channel/multi-timbral modes of the XF. Also you will want to pay attention to the OUTPUT SELECT parameter for each PART… Make sure each Part is assigned to the main Left/Right output… very important because those are the outputs that you have connected. Make sense?

Thank you kindly for all your help. I actually figured it out.  For some reason, the input 1 and 2 on my MR816csx does not respond to the main out of the XF.  Maybe because analog 1&2;are unbalanced of some sort, I dont know..weird.. 

So I basically changed the output to the input of 3 and 4 of my Mr, and set the vsti setting accordingly, and waaalllaaah! MAGIC!.  The xf is sounding awsome.

Thanks guys

I dont know why the synchronizing takes forever when loading the vst, I guess I’ll work on my patience then.. lol

Cheers

Thank you kindly for all your help. I actually figured it out.  For some reason, the input 1 and 2 on my MR816csx does not respond to the main out of the XF.  Maybe because analog 1&2;are unbalanced of some sort, I dont know..weird..

So I basically changed the output to the input of 3 and 4 of my Mr, and set the vsti setting accordingly, and waaalllaaah! MAGIC!.  The xf is sounding awsome.

INPUTs 1 and 2 can handle either balanced or unbalanced signal so look for another reason you cannot use inputs 1 and 2… Sorry, I’ve got my XF in inputs 1 and 2, works great.

I dont know why the synchronizing takes forever when loading the vst, I guess I’ll work on my patience then.. lol

probably because you have unnecessarily checked the option to Auto Sync the “VOICE” data… I highly recommend that you uncheck this option.

There are three Auto Sync options: go to FILE > SETUP
_ _Global these represent your Utility mode settings… No need to sync these every time, but they are so quick it matters not
_ _Current this is what you most often wish to Synchronize… The current settings… Changes made recently during your session. Check this option so Computer > Motif XF is the direction
_ _Voice checking this option for everyday use is silly… mostly only necessary on very rare occasions… This restores all 512 USER VOICES which are most likely already in place… Why you checked this option is because you did not know what it does.... It takes forever to restore 512 Voices even when it restores them two or three of them every second. Plus you are restoring the VOICES that are most likely already in place.... So it is a complete waste of time. Only activate this option in the specific instance when you need it, I recommend you leave it OFF.

Please uncheck the VOICE AUTO SYNC SETTINGS option, use it only when you absolutely need it. Mostly you don’t. It’s like unnecessarily loading the VOICES you already most likely have loaded already!

Life is short!  Opt out on auto sync’ing the Voice Library every time you want to re-synchronize! :-)

Enjoy!

I don’t know why 1 and 2 doesn’t correspond correctly..  Doesn’t really matter anyway because I switched out my Roland integra(dare I say Roland..lol) from input 3 and 4 and and put them in 1 and 2..Where my motif was, now the motif is in 3 and 4.  They both play beautifully.  Maybe there is some sort of configuration that I’m unaware of for the xf and 1 and 2.  Oh well, it works and sounds beautifully.  Thanks for the instruction of the sync options, I don’t have to wait forever to start jamming! lol nice. Thanks

One thing though, I was auditioning in performance mode, the layer sounds to be exact, and the vst editor doesn’t seem to pick up on “peformance” mode..  Do you have any idea why?  Some of those programs are very nice..

Thanks for all the feedback

Much appreciated.

Cheers

One thing though, I was auditioning in performance mode, the layer sounds to be exact, and the vst editor doesn’t seem to pick up on “peformance” mode..  Do you have any idea why?  Some of those programs are very nice..

a close look at the Editor screen, you will see it supports three modes of the XF: Voice, Song and Pattern

Performance mode is not supported for several really good reasons.

Voice creation, from scratch, on the XF is complex. On a scale of 1 to 10, its a 10. It takes a knowledge of sampling, a knowledge of the XF Voice architecture, mapping key ranges and velocity ranges, etc., etc.

Performance creation is easy, on a scale of 1 to 10, its a 2. It takes the ability to select two sounds you want to play together.... It’s easy.

Creating an acoustic piano Voice is heavy lifting.
Creating a piano/bass split is child’s play.

Even adding arps is easy, hardest part is picking one from the 7981 you are given to choose from
:-)

1024 Normal Voices and 64 Drum Kit Voices are permanently burned into the XF memory as PRESETS.
All 512 of the XF Performances are in USER memory, because they are easy, disposable and should be customized by the user. Imagine if Yamaha made a Piano Bass split and made it a PRESET… This would be combining two sounds in a Performance and setting a Note Limit region for each sound. If Yamaha made it a preset, and burned the split point at B2, you’d have to like it or lump it. But all Performances are customizable and can be updated to YOUR playing style and needs, and should be!!

The other reason, it is not… Recording multiple MIDI channels to an external sequencer is not an activity for the casual MIDI user… As I’m fond of saying it does require several MIDI Merit Badges and is quite advanced. Trust me on this.

Additionally, when Editing Performances your work must be saved in an ALL data file, because each Performance only “references” a Voice location (it does not actually include all the Voice parameters).... So to properly SAVE a Performance, you must save the Voices, if any are located in USER locations.

When working with an external DAW, you typically work in SONG or PATTERN mode because these are the multiple MIDI channel, multi-timbral modes of the XF. VOICE mode is, of course, included because you might need to edit a Voice while sequencing.

For reasons of sanity, recording MIDI data from a Performance is not included in the recommended workflow. If you want to record a PERFORMANCE use the XF’s internal sequencer, which is designed to do so, and then transfer the data to your DAW. Quick Sequencer Setup number 2 is designed for transferring the internal sequencer to an external computer sequencer.

One thing about the arpeggios that you may discover, not all of them can be recorded directly as MIDI data...many people mistakenly think that an arp is simply a device that takes the place of the player… When in fact much more is going on, trust me on this.