Troubleshooting: MOX6/MOX8 Computer setup

We will use Cubase AI in our example but you can pretty much substitute any DAW that can utilize an ASIO driver.
Launch Cubase AI
During the launch you will asked if you would like to use the MOX6/MOX8 as your Master ASIO device. Yes, you do. You are asked this because you installed the MOX6/MOX8 Remote Tools (extensions). This is important because it will automatically setup the driver and make the important setup functions for you.

Select the EMPTY Template (found under the “MORE” options). This will create an empty Project for this experiment.
Click CREATE.

For this article, let’s verify those settings:
Go to DEVICES > DEVICE SETUP… > MIDI > MIDI PORT SETUP

In the “IN ALL MIDI” column - the “Yamaha MOX6/MOX8-1” (port 1) is marked. This is the PORT on which the MO-X will communicate musical MIDI data to and receive data from the computer.

Click on the “REMOTE DEVICE” folder. The MO-X is automatically selected as the REMOTE CONTROL device. Here the “Yamaha MOX6/MOX8-2” should be selected as both the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT PORTS.

In the “VST AUDIO SYSTEM” folder, the “Yamaha MOX6/MOX8” is selected as the ASIO Driver.

If you did not install the MO-X Extensions (REMOTE TOOLS 1.1.3) you will need to make these settings manually. However, installing the Remote Tools should make all these critical settings for you. However, we list them here in case you need to troubleshoot the settings.

Next, let’s create a connection between the computer and Cubase so that audio we are sending on our two stereo buses from the MO-X can be received in the software. This is done as follows:

Go to DEVICES > VST CONNECTIONS > INPUTS
Selecting the INPUTS tab makes sense, because we are connecting the MO-X’s two Stereo USB bus OUTPUTS to Cubase INPUTS.

Typically, there may already be a “STEREO IN” already created. We can use it if there is, if not what you will want to do is create two Stereo Bus inputs and have them assigned as in the screen shot below:
“STEREO IN” is set to receive audio from the MO-X on USB 1 and 2
“STEREO IN 2” is set to receive audio from the MO-X on USB 3 and 4

To add inputs you simply click the “ADD BUS” option, and set the attributes you desire. In this case, add 1 or 2 STEREO BUSES, as you require.

Any time an AUDIO TRACK is set to receive signal from “STEREO IN” it will be receiving audio from the MO-X’s USB 1/2
Any time an AUDIO TRACK is set to receive signal from “STEREO IN 2” it will be receiving audio from the MO-X’s USB 3/4

Return to the main Cubase Track view window. Next we will need to create two AUDIO TRACKS… one for each of the INPUTS
You can do so by right clicking in the darker grey area on the Track View screen or by going to PROJECT > ADD TRACK > AUDIO

Once you have created these two AUDIO Tracks we can begin to discover how signal is being routed and some of the useful possibilities.
Make sure Track 01 is set to receive “Stereo In”
Make sure Track 02 is set to receive “Stereo In 2”

In the currently selected setup, (2StereoRec), the internal PARTS of the MO-X are routed to USB 3/4, while the A/D INPUT is routed to USB 1/2.
Select the second track, as you begin to play the PERFORMANCE you should hear your playing and see the audio activity meter for Track 02 respond. The RED Record Ready light routes audio to the track, while the TAN Monitor Speaker icon sends audio back to the MO-X via USB.

If the TAN Monitor Speaker icon is activated, audio that is returned from Cubase will arrive back in the MO-X and pass through the SLIDER labeled DAW LEVEL. You will not need to monitor this audio because you have selected MONITOR DIRECT. (The DIRECT MONITOR SWITCH = ON). On the MOX6/MOX8 lower the DAW LEVEL slider. It contains audio after (called “post") it has traveled through Cubase. If the TAN icon is active and the DAW LEVEL slider is up, you will hear a doubling of the signal - as you are hearing both the DIRECT MONITOR and the DAW Return Level. During record, in most instances, you really only want to hear yourself “direct”.

Final point: the routing scenario above, where the Returns from the MOX are manually routed through the VST CONNECTIONS > INPUT tab is is contrast to setting up the audio returns via the Virtual Studio Technology Instrument routing scenario (VSTi) where instead of manually returning the audio here we route the returning audio in the MOX6/MOX8 Editor VST. This allows the MIDI data from Cubase to trigger the MOX tone engine and return the audio through the VST INSTRUMENT folder in your Track Inspector. For details o how to use VSTi routing please see the following:
MOX6/MOX8 Editor VST routing