Very silly questions...hardware, midi and cubase...complete novice

[321carter]

hi guys im thinking of buying some hardware..based on costs ect i think i may be looking at a virus b/c..

ive searched and searched but i cant seem to find the answer to this very easy question...

I have to say so far ive been 100% soft synth via a usb keyboard... but i like the idea of hands on hardware, ive never ventured into this area as to be honest as i dont reallly understand how it all works.....and nobody i know has hardware my mate has a ti, but that just works like a vst to be fair and is so easy to use..

But i want good old fashiond hardware because i love the sound and its within my very low budget..

sorry to sound stupid but im a bit confused on how this midi thing all works..because im just used to loading up a vst/softsynth via cubase and just going for it..

can someone explain how it all works with hardware via cubase... what i need to get and extra software if required.. ?

If you dont update via usb... how do you update it via midi ..?

sorry to sound like a doughnut ...but if i dont ask the question....im never going to know...lol

go easy on me guys ....and please talk to me in "The cat sat on the mat style" anything too complicated may confuse me lol ....

[TheHobbit]

To give you a general overview check out

http://www.tweakheadz.com/how_to_get...with_midi.html

Using Cubase you can assign external midi instruments once set up.

At the moment your midi usb keyboard and a soft synth (vst plugin) is assigned as the input on the left hand side of the cubase screen and you would be assigning the the vst plugin as the output, this is your midi routing. With an acternal pieace of hardware/synth you would be doing exactly the same but the midi output would be assigned to the synth.

EG : Using for eaxmple Cubases Halion

Output : VST Halion
Input : USB midi keyboard

For an access virus

Output : Access Virus
Input :USB midi keyboard

lYou will be fine on the midi BUT the main issue will be routing the sound from the external hardware back into cubase to record and monitor!

At the moment the VST plugins are routed within Cubase so the external audio outputs of your vst plugins are done within cubase and the PC, VIRUTAL. The external hardware however will need to be PHYSICAL so you will have either mono/stereo jacks from the hardware back into the PCs soundcard which will allow you to capture the audio signal back into CUbase to record and playback on your song.

In short you will be fine unless you do not have a soundcard with an appropriate input or a mixer.

Maybe post your kit list and we can help more.

[321carter]

doooow.....It all now makes sence...lol

its scary how lazy your lack understanding of midi is when you only use soft synths/vst's

i have a m-audio 2496 sound card and im running cubase sx3 on a pc with 4 x core processor and 4 gb of ram, KRK monitors and a Behringer XENYX 802 Premium Mixer so set up help would be most appreciated.

so i am right in thinking to update the virus c you will need to do it via cubase in order for it to be tranfered via midi...can someone explain the process....

also apart from the access web site where else can you get sound patches from?

many thanks in advance

[Abnorm]

Hey, my setup is some synths, mixer and a midi port interface.
I got my mixer output hooked up to my audio in port of my soundcard, and all my synths audio outputs goes into this mixer. My monitors are hooked up to the monitor output of the mixer. And of course the audio output of my soundcard is connected to a mixerchannel.
Midi goes from my master keyboard (out) into my midi interface. (midi in)
Midi out from the midi interface goes to my synths (both in and out for automation etc)

This gives the possibility to:

A) Record audio out from my synths back into Cubase. (I use soundforge for this, no particular reason, i just do)
B) I can record Midi from my master keyboard into Cubase
c) I can record automation directly from turning knobs on my synths while recording, and of course output the changes via midi.

If you want to upgrade your Virus via midi, you have to select the correct Midi-Out channel in Cubase, and enable sysex on the low-page setting on the Virus. You`ll find it in the CTRL-section of the Virus.
So you start up a new empty project, import the midi/update file (file->import->midi), select your midi out port and channel. Then you play it back. do not stop it until it`s done.

[321carter]

cheers for that will give it a bash !!!

where else can you get patches from ?