Hello,
I am new to this forum and need some help with Cubase if anyone can provide it in relation to creating a joint MIDI and audio file.
I realise that this seems to be the most asked Cubase question on this forum but, still, despite having read numerous threads, I do not seem to be able to make any head way.
I have Cubase SX 3 and have an Axiom 61 MIDI keyboard which connects to my PC via the USB port. I have recorded numerous MIDI only songs without experiencing any problems and can export these fine, saving them as MIDI files. I then open up my Itunes and convert the files to AAC files and move them to my Ipod for listening. When I record these MIDI tracks in Cubase, my Input is my USB device and my Output is Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth.
I also have a guitar for which I use Gearbox Line 6. I am able to record guitar tracks in isolation and can also successfully export these and play them on Windws Media Player. When I use Gearbox Line 6, I change the driver to be Toneport Line 6, also both the Input and Output are Toneport Line 6 and I modify the Sound Audio settings in the Control Panel to make the default device for audio recording and play back to be Toneport Line 6.
However, when I attempt to record a song with both MIDI and audio tracks, I run into trouble. When I export the song, only the MIDI tracks are exported and the audio tracks appear to go missing. I have read the previous threads about how MIDI and audio are different and how MIDI is not audio at all but is data and I understand this, nonetheless I still struggle to get around this stumbling block.
I have also read previous threads which seem to talk about recording an audio track and setting the MIDI device as the Input for same as a way of converting the MIDI track into an audio track that could be exported in an audio only song, however, I do not know how to do this and I do not appear to have the option to set the MIDI device as the Input for the audio track. Also, I have tried exporting a MIDI only file as an audio file (audio mixdown) and saving it as a WAV file and then later importing into an audio only file and this did not seem to work. Also, I am not sure how much, if anything, my changing the drivers in Cubase and/or changing the settings in the Control Panel have to do with problem.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks
I am new to this forum and need some help with Cubase if anyone can provide it in relation to creating a joint MIDI and audio file.
I realise that this seems to be the most asked Cubase question on this forum but, still, despite having read numerous threads, I do not seem to be able to make any head way.
I have Cubase SX 3 and have an Axiom 61 MIDI keyboard which connects to my PC via the USB port. I have recorded numerous MIDI only songs without experiencing any problems and can export these fine, saving them as MIDI files. I then open up my Itunes and convert the files to AAC files and move them to my Ipod for listening. When I record these MIDI tracks in Cubase, my Input is my USB device and my Output is Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth.
I also have a guitar for which I use Gearbox Line 6. I am able to record guitar tracks in isolation and can also successfully export these and play them on Windws Media Player. When I use Gearbox Line 6, I change the driver to be Toneport Line 6, also both the Input and Output are Toneport Line 6 and I modify the Sound Audio settings in the Control Panel to make the default device for audio recording and play back to be Toneport Line 6.
However, when I attempt to record a song with both MIDI and audio tracks, I run into trouble. When I export the song, only the MIDI tracks are exported and the audio tracks appear to go missing. I have read the previous threads about how MIDI and audio are different and how MIDI is not audio at all but is data and I understand this, nonetheless I still struggle to get around this stumbling block.
I have also read previous threads which seem to talk about recording an audio track and setting the MIDI device as the Input for same as a way of converting the MIDI track into an audio track that could be exported in an audio only song, however, I do not know how to do this and I do not appear to have the option to set the MIDI device as the Input for the audio track. Also, I have tried exporting a MIDI only file as an audio file (audio mixdown) and saving it as a WAV file and then later importing into an audio only file and this did not seem to work. Also, I am not sure how much, if anything, my changing the drivers in Cubase and/or changing the settings in the Control Panel have to do with problem.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks
-
Re: Cubase SX 3 - Exporting combined Midi & Audio file
Wed, July 9, 2008 - 4:35 PMjohn, it sounds like you're confusing the "export" function with the save function. I'm not sure how you're converting midi to AAC in iTunes, I wasn't aware it could do that, if it's possible you must be using internal soundcard midi sounds? That sounds kind of confusing to me.
I would look in the manual at the export function specifically, it walks you through it step by step and explains how you both convert MIDI to audio within a project and how you bounce a complete track including MIDI and audio together into one file to played in iTunes or on a CD or wherever you want it.
-
Re: Cubase SX 3 - Exporting combined Midi & Audio file
Fri, July 11, 2008 - 11:10 AMTry this.
1. Open the project
2. Hit Ctrl + A
3. Hit P
4. Go to File > Export > Audio Mixdown
5. Select the path, format, etc.
6. Click the Export button
Let me know if that works.
Cheers! -
-
Re: Cubase SX 3 - Exporting combined Midi & Audio file
Sat, July 12, 2008 - 12:45 PMThanks for the help, unfortunately though, still no progress.
You referenced the manual, the only thing I could find in the Export chapter that might help is as follows:
"MIDI tracks are not included in the mixdown!
To make a complete mixdown containing both MIDI and audio, you first need to record all your MIDI music to audio tracks (by connecting the outputs of your MIDI instruments to your audio inputs and recording, as with any other sound source.)"
It is probably something really obvious that I am missing but for the life of me I don't see it.
This is my process:
1. I create a new project, with both audio and mixed files.
2. When recording the MIDI track I open the Device Setup screen and the Default MIDI Ports tab. On this screen I select my Axiom 61 controller as the MIDI Input and select Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth as the MIDI Output (note: no other Output option is listed in the dropdown list).
3. Once I have finished recording the MIDI track, I then proceed to record the Audio track. To this I again enter Device Setup and the VST Audiobay tab. I change Master ASIO Driver to ASIO Toneport GX - the driver for my Gearbox Line 6 device through which I record my guitar track into Cubase. The only VST Inputs and VST Outputs listed as being available for selection are Realtek HD Audio Inputs 1 & 2 and Outputs 1 & 2 so i leave these unchanged.
4. After recording the audio track I enter the Mixer and adjust the volume of the various tracks. When I play the track at this point in Cubase, I can hear both the audio and MIDI tracks as I recorded them. I then go to Export the file and select Audio Mixdown. I then see a screen called "Export Audio Mixdown in" - prompting me for the location in which I would like to save my Audio Mixdown track, as well as the File type and other information of that nature. I save the file as an MP3 file and when I try to play it in Winamp and/or Windows Media Player I am only able to hear the MIDI track and not the audio track.
Thinking out loud, it seems most people have problems converting the MIDI but I am able to hear the MIDI fine, it is the audio that drops off when I create a combined audio & MIDI track (either an audio only MIDI only track is fine).
Would my problem have something to do with me using Gearbox for my audio track? When I am recording the MIDI track the audio output comes out of my normal computer speakers, however, when I am recording the audio track, i have to plug audio head phones into the Gearbox device to hear the audio. Would this have anythhing to do with it?
-
