Hi
Forgive me if this is a stupid question. My setup comprises a Steinberg MR816x audio interface and Cubase 6 running under Win 7 64-bit. I’ve just added a MOXF8, which I’d like to use as a MIDI master keyboard connected via USB.

To use the MR816x audio i/o, I have to select the Yamaha Steinberg Firewire Asio driver. But when I do this, I can’t see the MIDI inputs from the MOXF8. If I switch to the Yamaha Steinberg USB Asio driver I can see the MIDI connections from the MOXF, but obviously not the audio from the MR816x - I’m limited to the 2+2 in/ 2 out USB interface of the MOXF8.

Is there any way I can use MIDI over USB from the MOXF in conjunction with audio over firewire from the MR816? My previous master keyboard was a Novation SL25, which could quite happily connect via USB while audio was routed through firewire. A work-around would be to retain the Novation in the setup and connect the MOXF through that via 5-pin DIN MIDI, but that seems very inelegant. I seem to need a MOXF USB MIDI driver that doesn’t take over the audio routing too. 

Thanks,
Gerard Johnson

Welcome to the forums!

To use the MR816x audio i/o, I have to select the Yamaha Steinberg Firewire Asio driver. But when I do this, I can’t see the MIDI inputs from the MOXF8. If I switch to the Yamaha Steinberg USB Asio driver I can see the MIDI connections from the MOXF, but obviously not the audio from the MR816x - I’m limited to the 2+2 in/ 2 out USB interface of the MOXF8.

Don’t mixup MIDI and Audio.

When you are setting the ASIO DRIVER in Cubase you are looking at Audio Streaming Input and Output - you are not seeing anything MIDI. So the settings you make only concern AUDIO.

Go to DEVICES > DEVICE SETUP… > MIDI > MIDI PORT ENABLE and here you can see the MIDI information (no audio)
Both drivers Yamaha Steinberg FW ASIO and the Yamaha Steinberg USB drivers have two components - one for managing AUDIO the other for managing MIDI

MIDI is setup as outlined above
AUDIO is setup by going to DEVICES . DEVICE SETUP… > VST AUDIO SYSTEM >

when viewing MIDI you see only MIDI Ports
when viewing AUDIO you see only AUDIO Ports

In the VST AUDIO SYSTEM > select “Yamaha Steinberg FW ASIO” as your ASIO Driver.
In the MIDI PORT ENABLE folder set “Yamaha MOXF6/MOXF8-1” (Port 1) as the marked item in the “IN ALL MIDI INPUTS” column. ONLY MIDI ports containing a legitimate Track INPUT device should be marked in this column - from the MOXF that should be PORT 1 and possibly PORT 3 (if you have another keyboard controller plugged into the 5-pin MIDI jacks of the MOXF).

Not sure why you are anticipating a conflict - there is none.

When using the MR816 as your audio interface - in order to monitor your MOXF you will need to connect the analog audio outputs of the MOXF to the inputs of your audio interface (in your setup that is to your MR816). This is and would be true in any setup: In order to monitor a device connect it to your AUDIO INTERFACE. Since the MR is your audio interface it will be responsible for audio going into and coming back out of your computer and responsible for routing signal to your monitor speakers.

you will use the Direct Monitor function of your MR816

Make sense?

:)

Yes, complete sense. I think the confusion came about because when I first launched Cubase with both the MOXF and the MR816 connected it opened a dialog box askeing me to choose between the USB and FW drivers. I selected the FW driver, but having done this the MOXF MIDI ports were not listed in the Devices - devices setup - MIDI port setup window. It was only when I restarted and chose the USB driver that the MIDI ports became visible within Cubase. But having done that I switched the ASIO driver back to Firewire, and the MOXF MIDI ports have remained visible, so all is well.

Thank-you!

I selected the FW driver, but having done this the MOXF MIDI ports were not listed in the Devices - devices setup - MIDI port setup window.

Now that is strange. The search for MIDI assets and AUDIO assets available to Cubase happens when you launch the Program. When it gets to ASIO driver, it prompts you with making a selection for your ASIO driver, this has nothing to do with the scan of MIDI assets and the selections made for this.

With computers MIDI preceded audio to the game. MIDI communication actually predates AUDIO for computers. MIDI is easy and rather like an old shoe for most computer - as long as the appropriate MIDI driver was installed, it simply does its thing. You don’t have to select between one SYSTEM and another as you do with AUDIO (ASIO). MIDI was created with everyone (all manufacturers) working together… remember.

Anyway glad you got it working.

But no setting you make for AUDIO should ever interfere with your MIDI setup. Ever. They are, as you see, two separate protocols with two entirely different setup pages. If the MIDI Ports do not appear, it is because something else is amiss but its definitely not (or shouldn’t be) your ASIO (audio) settings that influence it. Check the MIDI IN/OUT setting in the MOXF, check the USB cable between the MOXF and computer.

By rebooting you did rescan the assets. You should be asked each time you launch which device you want to use - I believe you can set a preference here, if you wish. But if you ever switch, you might opt to be asked each time. Your choice. Now that it is found, these settings are in your Cubase boot log…