Virus b: Multi MIDI channel problem...help!
 

Hey!

I just *lerve* my new Virus. I have really been getting down into it programming-wise, and it just keeps amazing me how versatile (and cool sounding) it is. I have been working on this very rich, noisy, and squashed pad that is *very* Boards of Canada. I was listening to "Corsair" and I figured it'd be good practice to aim for a sound, while not actually copying it.

Anyhow...For the past week, whenever I want to record it into Cubase SL I have just been recording the MIDI all in on channel 1, setting up an audio channel, then immediately printing the MIDI to audio. If I want a new sound: Lather, rinse, repeat using MIDI channel 1/playing back the previous Virus audio.

I have not been able to figure out how to get the Virus to send a multi out across several MIDI channels so I can leave stuff in MIDI for a while without it triggering earlier recorded MIDI lines for other parts. I should be able to tell the Virus to send 16 different patches to Cubase, even if I can only hear the audio one at a time (I am only routing the Virus audio to the L/R audio outs at the moment), right?

I have RTFM'ed as much as possible. Here's what I've been doing:

I have arrayed the various Cubase MIDI channels to 1, 2, 3, etc., and have set the correlating patches in the Virus Multi edit to those numbers. The problem is that Cubase only wants to play things back that are on MIDI channel 1.

Right after I got the Virus I had some MIDI filtering/thru issues in the Cubase prefs that I at least have working. Whether they're correct is another story.

I know this sounds confusing, but I'm sure there's a very simple thing that I'm overlooking. Is this enough info for someone to go on to help me out? If not, let me know what else I could tell you to pinpoint my problem.

Thanks in advance!

best-
.nick

p.s. New song "Splitter" www.ampcast.com is my first track that incorporates some Virus b! Give it an ear if you wish.

I got a BoC sound since upgrading to 6.5. Lively detuning whine. I called it Boards.

As of Cubase, I have no clue. Can you record from the other channels?

Well, whenever I send a single or a part of a multi on a channel other than "1", nothing happens--it just goes silent.

Agin, I can get multiples to play on a single channel, though.

Help!

.nick

[still UNSOLVED...]
 

Okay!

Let's narrow this down...

I was able to get full channel recognition between Cubase and the Virus by taking my external keyboard (since I have a Virus b rack) out of the loop. MIDI out computer> MIDI in Virus.

BUT...I need to have that MIDI in used by the MIDI out of my keyboard to play notes into Cubase. Does this mean I hafta switch cables all the time? This can't be the case.

Before I had it setup: Computer MIDI out>keybard MIDI in, Keyboard MIDI out> Virus MIDI in, Virus MIDI thru >computer MIDI in.

Better?

Thanks!

.nick

Multi issues
 

I was having issues with multi setup too....but after reading through the manual about a million times, and purchasing a multi MIDI interface, I am now in MIDI heaven, playing all 46 channels from 2 racks and a keyboard in perfect binary harmony!

Sorry if that made u all a little jealous....but I had to tell someone that cared.

Jase!

That's the way I have it set up - computer midi out>virus midi in and keyboard midi out>computer midi in. By clicking on each midi track it cubase the keyboard will then control that sound. You should only really need to switch the midi out from the keyboard to the virus if you want to record any knob movements to Cubase. The only way around having to physically switch the cables is to get a box with multiple midi ins.

If you do that, I suggest making a new track with the same midi channel for each of the movements.
ie track 1 midi 1 - programmed notes
track 2 midi 1 - resonance
track 3 midi 1 - cutoff
etc.

Does that help?