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Questions for Cubase SX and Reason users
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bbounce
Hello,

Have a couple of questions on both programs...

Reason:
I've been using Reason pretty extensively for a while now, and as I've been working on my latest project, I started getting static-like, cracking noises/interference in my sound. Now I know it's not my monitors because I've listened to the track thru two different sets of speakers and a pair of headphones and I hear the same static. I doubt it's my soundcard as it is brand new, but then again I don't know? Any thoughts on what it may be?

Cubase:
I'm new to Cubase and the problem that I keep running into is that my midi controller only triggers sounds when I have the midi editor open (i.e. the piano roll view). However, when I'm looking at the main screen with the track lines the keys make no sound, even though I can see the red bar go up and down which tells me that the program recognizes the signal - but no sound. Is there some setting that controls this that I'm unaware of? Again any thoughts/advice greatly appreciated...

Many thanks guys!
mzvirbulis
cubase: check your input device near that left column.

reason: it could very well be your new sound card, when you got it did it do it straight away?
if you have the pops etc and you exported the track that might be a problem with SC. if you are listening to it live in the sequencer and tried different speakers and gets same result i suggest its a problem with the audio buffer which is also related to latency. for it you need to increase the buffer size. also you may need a faster computer in different areas such as memory etc.

but meh these are just ideas.

good luck.;)
hey cheggy
reason problem sounds like a latency issue, cubase problem, check you have the right midi channel selected for the midi track, make sure you have the channel selected also. Maybe direct monitor issue, not sure how you have everything set up.
alexlosy
I get the same problem in reason, just got a new emu 0404 sound card and that started straight away. it all seems ok now, but does it occasionally, however I did extendthe buffer size........
MessiahProject
Have you made sure that the monitor button is clicked on the midi track you are trying to play?

(It is the one that is orange on the MIDI 01 track below)



Might sound obvious but i missed it when I first used Cubase!

MP.
bbounce
Guys,

Many thanks for your replies. I've played around with the Audio settings in Reason and surely enough the pops and the static were a latency issue. However, now I have a new issue, which I am trying to resolve and hoping you can provide some suggestions:

I have the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi card, which I was told is a solid card for audio production and I'm running it on a P4 3.2GHz machine with 2GBs of RAM. Even though I figured that this is a fast enough machine it looks like the original settings I had it on were too demanding on the CPU. However, now I can't quite figure out what I should change it to w/o sacrificing too much audio quality. Can those of you who are using Reason (and hopefully have the same specs as I do) let me know what are you typical settings for Sample Rate, Buffer Size, and Output Latency?

Also any suggestions on which Audio Driver I should choose would be geatly appreciated as I am completely lost among the choices. Here's what the program offers me:

ASIO DirectX Full Duplex Driver
ASIO Multimedia Driver
ASIO Creative ASIO
DX Primary Sound Driver
DX SB X-Fi Audio (CCA0)
MME SB X-Fi Audio (CCA0)

Oriinally, I had it set to "ASIO Creative ASIO" but clearly my computer can't handle the load from this driver, so the question is what is the optimal one to use? I realize this maybe a simple matter of trial and error, but if anybody may have any suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks again, guys!
vccv
Well ASIO is the way to go, but how it can be to demanding for your setup it seems very unlikely. I use Reason 3 + Cubase SX with ease on a AMD 1.8 GHz. Only thing is when I use VST/VSTIS in numbers simultaneously it fails on me. Must admit tho that im not a fan of soundblaster for audioproduction.

One way could be to try increasing buffersize if its set to low. Mine works fine at 128 samples/second at 44.1 kHz sample rate. And output latency is basically a result of what buffersize u set. Lower ur buffersize and u get lower latency automatically but also higher CPU usage and the other way around. In my case its 5 ms at the settings described above.

Another hot tip is dont use any other software specially like downloading ones while using Reason that can cause crackles.

Otherwise try fitting the soundcard in a different pci slot u might be experiencing a IRQ assignment conflict.

Next question is, are u using a pci-express equipped motherboard if so that might be the culprit. Since those drain ur audio processing power in favour of graphic.

Cheers

Viktor
bbounce
Viktor,
Thanks the input. I'm actually equally confused as to why I'm having these CPU issues as I purposely bought a fast computer with sound production in mind.

How do I figure out if I am using a PCI-express motherboard? Assuming I am not what else could be draining my processing power?
Eldritch
Creative ASIO, 10 ms latency works fine for me.
(AMD64 4000+, 1 GB RAM)
bbounce
well...it looks like I found a solution so I figured I'd share...Basically, I just downloaded updated sound card drivers from the Creative website and that seems to have done the trick...
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