Adding Voice Libraries to Cubase as VST PRESETS

Adding Voice Libraries to Cubase as VST PRESETS

If you have purchased Voice Libraries or if you have created your own custom Voices Library, you may wish to have access to these sounds when working in Cubase without having to find the file on any number of USB sticks and without having load them into your Motif XS, every time you want to use them. You can add your favorite sounds to the VST SOUND browser and search function within Cubase.

VST SOUND – you may have noticed a small “cube” icon at the top of the Motif XS Editor VST. This is your quick access to a Browser that will allow you to search for a specific Voice. You access your sounds by selecting LOAD PRESET… (more on this as we go…)

In the full version of Cubase (Cubase 5) you have the full-featured MediaBay browser, which allows you not only to search for Voices, but for all types of media (be they MIDI files, audio clips, loops, video clips, full Projects, effect presets, etc.). However, even in the entry level Cubase AI4 you can get a very useful introduction to this powerful functionality. Of course, in the top-of-the-line Cubase 5 it is far more elegant and customizable.

This means that any VOICE can be easily searched for and found and recalled. You actually are keeping a version of that Voice data on your computer, and Cubase will know where to go to find it. It will be searchable by Category and/or by name. Even if you only remember a portion of the name you can do a TEXT SEARCH and all relevant data will be shown.

As an example in this article I will use the DCP VOICE LIBRARIES: “Vintage Keys”, “B’sKnees” and “Axxe”– after playing through the sounds I decide that these are sounds I would like to have quick access to at all times when I’m working in Cubase. So I can import these libraries into Cubase AI4 and then I do not have to worry about finding multiple files, that might be spread around on various USB sticks and I don’t have to worry about loading individual Voices, etc. When I want a sound, I can have Cubase search for it, I click on it and it is sent to my Motif XS just as fast as System Exclusive messages can fly! Too cool!

How to get started
First, this functionality is a part of the Motif XS Editor VST. In the upper left corner of the Editor VST you will see the VST SOUND cube icon. This is where you click and select “LOAD PRESET…” to open the convenient Browser & Filter

Along the bottom you see buttons for “Categories” and “Show Location”, make sure both are selected – you should get a view similar to one above. With a Folder that is your Motif XS VST. Currently it contains all of the Voice data from your Motif XS. We will be adding the DCP Libraries to this browser so we can easily search for them. The right hand side of this window is the Search & Viewer area… you see a “Text Search” option at the top – this where you can type in the name or a part of a name to have the browser search for the Voice data. Just to the right of the Text Search you see a return symbol to clear the text search and restore the full currently selected listing.

Of course the left hand side lets you narrow the search by Category and Sub Categories.

Troubleshooting: If you need to refresh your listings you have the RESET button and in some cases you may need to uncheck the Motif XS VST folder, at which point you will be asked if you want to KEEP, REMOVE or CANCEL. By unchecking and then rechecking the folder (which will turn RED) Cubase will search its CONTENT folders for your Motif XS VST Voice data. And this will refresh your listings.

Okay lets add the “Vintage Keys” Library to the data base.

Launch the Motif XS VST Editor
You do so by going to DEVICES > VST INSTRUMENTS > in the instrument rack click and select > EXTERNAL > Motif XS VST

On the Editor VST go to FILE > IMPORT
Click on the OPEN FOLDER icon and direct it to the “VINTAGE KEYS” data
Open the file.

The IMPORT window shows the FILE on the left and your Motif XS Editor on the right.

You will want to view by “BANK” so that you can select the NORMAL USER 3 Folder (this is where Dave places the 128 Library sounds)

If you click on IMPORT this will load the Normal User 3 bank to the Normal User 3 bank of the Editor. If you are ONLINE when you do this, the sounds will actually load to your Motif XS, if you do this while you are OFFLINE (w/blue dot), the library will simply load to the Editor. It makes no difference to this process.

Next, return to the main EDITOR screen.
Click on the Voice Name for PART 1 to bring over the VOICE LIBRARY overlay
Select “Normal User 3” (shown below) and highlight the first sound in this Bank

What we will do now is import all 128 Vintage Keys Voices to Cubase as VST PRESETS. Here’s how:
In the screen shot above you can see that “Suitcase 1965” is highlighted
In the column on the far right is a ruler that we can drag down to see the list of 128 sounds… drag that down so you can see the last sound in Normal User 3.

While holding [SHIFT] click on Voice 128 “Clockwork Orange”
This will select all 128 Voices in the list. (Shown below)

Now you can Right Click and select the “SAVE VST PRESET” option.
This will take all 128 Vintage Keys Voices and copy them to Cubase AI4 and allow you to access these Voices via the VST SOUND cube icon – Load Preset… – Browser & Filter / Search & Viewer

In order for them to show up we will need to REFRESH Cubase.

You do so by unchecking the Motif XS VST folder in the Browser & Filter area (if you do not see the folder make sure that the “SHOW LOCATION” radio button is pressed).

You will be asked if you want to KEEP, REMOVE or CANCEL… Select “KEEP”
You will be returned to the Editor VST main screen
Click on the VST SOUND cube icon > Select LOAD PRESET…

Now, check the Motif XS VST folder
It will briefly turn RED while it searches for and updates your listing.

You can now search through your Motif XS sounds by Category, Sub Category, or simply click on “TEXT SEARCH:” and type in any portion of the name to access any of your sounds.

Shown below, I have typed in “Suitcase” in the Text Search area, immediately any Voice containing the word Suitcase will appear… so you can see that Suitacse 1965 has been added to the VST SOUND search… Click on the Voice name you wish to play in PART 1.

Rinse and repeat for the “Axxe”, and “B’sKnees” Libraries