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Hardware Synth's + Cubase SX

Heya, how are you going about recording your Hardware synth, back into a Wav File as a single Wav for per Track, or are you leavning it all Midi Notes, and just doing a final Mixdown? If your leavning all as Midi Notes, and doing a final Render type deal, how are you EQing each track as they are midi files, and not Wav files? And plus if you do convert them to wav, are you using the Record Feature and letting it basically play the midi notes, and what comes out the synth Cubase Records? and are you doing that for each Individual synth? Problem I run into is, my delays, or reverbs sometimes if I try and record the synth I try and record the synth in SoundForge or such, and I never can get it the right lenght for looping. Just curious, how u guys go about that. I know alot use VSTi, but I'm wonderin for the ones who maybe strickly Hardware on the Synth dept.

Thanks,

Pappa

@ Pappa - I'm in the same place you are. I've been using all VST's with Cubase up until this point, but recently bought a Virus. I've found that writing your midi part and then recording it directly into an audio track works great. You'll probably want to turn off cycle recording and start a bar early to get Cubase rolling prior to recording. After you make the recording you can play the midi track and the recorded track together to make sure that it's in time. Works good!

How's your midi timing when triggering your hardware? How much are are you having to shift your tracks? I guess it depends on your souncard. I'm using a digi002r and running my buffer at 128, I need to offset my hardware midi tracks by -20 to get things tight. What about you?

CynepMeH is a TA member that also uses Cubase SX, hopefully he'll offer some advice on this thread.

Hiya, I'm using a Virus too. I find the best way to record is merely write your music as midi, like you would with VST. Then simply add an Audio track underneath yout Midi track. And simply just Solo the midi track and have the Audio track set to "record" and then just press record on the sequencer.

A couple of tips- If you're recording pads, or something with a delay, or long release. You'll wanna keep the recoding on a loop, till you've done 2 or 3 "takes". This way when you play back your recorded loop, it will play cleanly and not have a skipping sound everytime it restarts. If you get a pop/click evyertime it restarts, smooth out the Waveform in the edit window.

Using delays / Arpeggiator on the - remember to set the Virus's clock to the same BPM as your project!

I set all my Soft synth tracks to +9 offset, but yeah this depends on your soundcard, I'm using Steinberg Midex3 - super sweet! - I found the best way to test your offset is to have a standard 4/4 kick drum coming from your hardware and play a 4/4 kick in a VST and line them up!

...thats also called Bouncing

quote:

Originally posted by m0-0n How's your midi timing when triggering your hardware? How much are are you having to shift your tracks? I guess it depends on your souncard. I'm using a digi002r and running my buffer at 128, I need to offset my hardware midi tracks by -20 to get things tight. What about you?

m0-0n,

I havn't really studied that, how would I tell if it's lagged or not, best of my knowledge when Cubase hit's the note, it plays instant, or atleast instant to my ears. I have a Audiophile 2496 Sound Card which i think so far it might suck as a sound card. Unless I'm doing something wrong on the recording part. Reason why I say that is, I've tried the AudioTrack Recording under the Midi Part, and what comes out my Synth doesn't sound like what's recorded in Cubase. The Volume and Texture of the sound is low, and not as meaty. So I'm wondering if I need to get a better sound Card. Here is my Signal Chain.

Synth's --> 16 Ch Mixxer -> Main Out of Mixxer -> In's of the Audiophile 2496.

Make and Model the Mixxer is a Behringer EURORACK UB1622FX-PRO

So any help would be aprec..

Thanks

Pappa

quote:

Originally posted by AlexOrchid I set all my Soft synth tracks to +9 offset, but yeah this depends on your soundcard, I'm using Steinberg Midex3 - super sweet! - I found the best way to test your offset is to have a standard 4/4 kick drum coming from your hardware and play a 4/4 kick in a VST and line them up!

And what again is this proven? or Testing? That Midi is hitting correctly? Didn't realize about this Offset deal, that's new to me. Could someone explain a lil more detail to see if it's happening to me. Or what to listen for. dunno if I can do the test of the Kick Drum theory. Or if I can, i guess how would that work, b/c if your doing it from the Hardware and VSTi, there both doing midi right?

OK, when's you've recorded your synth in Cubase, remember to right click on the part you've recorded ---> Process ---> normalise. Then adjust the Audio track until the volume is right for you.

If the quality is coming out lower after this, then I don't know... I use an Audiophile 24/96 for recording, and it's fine.

The offset thing.... hardware, as opposed to VSTi has a lag, so a midi note played on a VSTi at the same time as a midi note on your hardware won't be hitting at the same time. So you need to adjust the offset on every midi track of the softsynths or every midi track of the hardware, to compensate for this difference.

If you select a midi track, on the left hand side (the inspector) there's a volume level, and pan control and then a little clock thing. Hold shift-then adjust the little clock thing until your hardware is playing in exact sync with your software, otherwise you'll find your music will be kind of jerky and have odd double beats and sound dirty.

Anyways, can't really put it much simpler than that, good luck.

@Pappa - Be sure that you're record levels are as high as possible without clipping. Are you using quality cables? The 24/96 doesn't have the best converters, but they should sound decent.

quote:

Originally posted by m0-0n @Pappa - Be sure that you're record levels are as high as possible without clipping. Are you using quality cables? The 24/96 doesn't have the best converters, but they should sound decent.

m0-0n,

Quality of cables prolly could be a bit better, there just some Peavy Cables from the Music Store. I'll try the higher level of Record.

As far as a good SoundCard with good Converters, what are you guys recommending? RME stuff? or Apogee?

Thanks for the Reply's

Pappa

quote:

Originally posted by AlexOrchid OK, when's you've recorded your synth in Cubase, remember to right click on the part you've recorded ---> Process ---> normalise. Then adjust the Audio track until the volume is right for you. If the quality is coming out lower after this, then I don't know... I use an Audiophile 24/96 for recording, and it's fine. The offset thing.... hardware, as opposed to VSTi has a lag, so a midi note played on a VSTi at the same time as a midi note on your hardware won't be hitting at the same time. So you need to adjust the offset on every midi track of the softsynths or every midi track of the hardware, to compensate for this difference. If you select a midi track, on the left hand side (the inspector) there's a volume level, and pan control and then a little clock thing. Hold shift-then adjust the little clock thing until your hardware is playing in exact sync with your software, otherwise you'll find your music will be kind of jerky and have odd double beats and sound dirty. Anyways, can't really put it much simpler than that, good luck.

AlexOrchid,

I will try your suggestions on the recording, since your using the same soundcard as I. And I'll fool with the Offset stuff, and see if I can see what is up. I never really used VSTi, I started with Hardware, so.. Only thing I use is Reason for my Beats..

Thanks for the Reply's

Pappa

screw recording.. get a Powercore|Virus.. hardware quality and it renders like a VSTi

I sold my Virus Rack Classic to get one... 10x better.. the Powercore card comes with great FX too..

quote:

Originally posted by alanzo screw recording.. get a Powercore|Virus.. hardware quality and it renders like a VSTi I sold my Virus Rack Classic to get one... 10x better.. the Powercore card comes with great FX too..

Hehe,

I've thought about it, but I also like my Virus KC, JP-8000 and SuperNova II to much to just throw away, just want to find a good way to record those bitche's into Wav files and not loose the quality like I'm hearing out my Monitor's before I record to Wav file

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