Padkontrol w/ Steinberg. Cubase or Nuendo users PLEASE READ.

[I IS FOR ILL]

OK, so I just bought a padKontrol and I'm trying to get it to record MIDI with Steinberg Nuendo. I was unsure of how it worked in the first place so after reading the manual and still being unsure I assumed that I would be able to load drum samples into the Editor Librarian software and then record these triggers playing the Padkontrol to Nuendo. So I installed everything again, transmitted the first factory scene set onto the padkontrol, opened nuendo, set up a midi track and tried to get sound out of my DAW. The levels on the transport panel say that there is MIDI in levels but I'm still not getting any sound.

I'm getting mixed answers from everywhere I look: use the GM drum map on Steinberg or use a VST drum synth, but I'm really comfortable with the way I make music. I just wanted drum sequencing to be more intuitive.

If there is a way that I can get everything done in Nuendo minus the drums, then just start a MIDI track and record drums to it I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO KNOW HOW TO DO IT.

I tried for about 4 hours to get this thing to work last night and it was driving me crazy. I tried using the Steinberg drums synth VST, downloading Grizzly, using the GM drum map that comes with Nuendo and many other things but nothing worked at all.

What should I do? Is the PK not built for compatibility strictly with Nuendo?

If anyone else is using a PadKontrol with strictly either Nuendo or Cubase, can you please tell me how you got it to work??

Thanks a tonne in advance.

Patrick.

[X-Trade]

I think you are misunderstanding two things:

-you are misunderstanding what MIDI does
-hence you are misunderstanding what the PadKontrol does


MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.
It is a way for instruments (typically keyboards and more technical controllers like mixer surfaces etc) to transmit their actions to control another device or to record this performance to play it back

for example, a synthesizer with MIDI. you can record the MIDI from the instrument, but that MIDI data stream just contains messages that say 'note on, note off, controller change', etc. It transmits what you did and what buttons you pressed, NOT the sound that was made.
in order to hear the performance back, you have to play back the MIDI and route it back to the synth, so that the synth acts on the stream to produce the sound again.

now, the PadKontrol is a MIDI Controller. That means that it is like the above, but without the synth. It has absolutely no hardware or software the hardware or any other way of actually making any sound. there is no audio output port or headphones port or even speaker. it literally provides you with some buttons and controllers to press and change in order to produce performance data for whatever synth or sound generating apparatus or software you want to connect it to.
the editor/librarian software lets you select what MIDI Note numbers the pads transmit, and what controller changes the buttons/knobs/XYpad transmit. You can't 'upload sounds' to it because it has no sound sampling/synthesis. you have to route the MIDI stream in your DAW to a sampling/drum/synth plugin.

In newer versions of cubase for example, you can have an 'instrument track' which consists of a MIDI input, a VST to route it to, and effect slots etc like you would find on an audio track.
In older versions of cubase, you have to load a VST into the VST device rack and create a MIDI track, select the input device (the PadKontrol) and set the output to the VST that you have loaded.

So you can see, you're not getting any sound because your setup doesn't involve any synth or sampler of any kind.
A MIDI track is useful for recording your performance nuances, and has advantages over audio in that you can rearrange notes, correct mistakes etc, but it is useless on its own. it will never produce any sound without some kind of synthesizer, either software or hardware.

[I IS FOR ILL]

I guess I should've included "no answers that say 'the padkontrol is a midi controller'" in my original query. Every question that people ask about it seems to be answered that way. I understand what it does I just don't understand why it isn't doing it. What my original understand was is that the Editor software acted as an exterior drum sampler that the Padkontrol would trigger to record midi to nuendo. Evidently it does not do this. I have really no idea what it does.
I've been trying to use the PK with Grizzly in Nuendo and although it says that it's transmitting MIDI data to the plugin no sound is coming out (OF THE DAW)

What I would really appreciate is someone who uses the PK to share what plugin synth they use or how they use the editor software. Basically how can I make this thing do what I want it to, which is work with nuendo, in any capacity. I'm reaching the end of my rope here, considering just getting rid of the thing.

[X-Trade]

It works exactly as it should.

If you read my post and understood, you'd see that the editor software is for changing what note numbers/messages the pads and controllers send out.
the editor software in no way allows you to 'load up samples', and you would see that if you have used the software - there is nowhere for you to select any samples or audio files or drum names or anything else for the pads.

furthermore when you run the DAW, the editor software is not running so even if it did make sound, it is not running so you would not hear it. but no point in trying this because the editor does NOT make any sound. it is for changing the MIDI message types only.

And as I also explained, you need some kind of plugin running and route the MIDI track's output to that plugin, or in later versions of cubase, create an instrument track and route the PK to the MIDI track's input.
you won't hear any sound when you are just using MIDI you need something running to get sound from. your DAW won't do that on its own, neither will the PK.

you can use whatever plugin you like with it.
Part of your problem is that you are barking up the wrong tree and not accepting it - trying to look for a solution from the wrong part of your setup. you can use any sampler or synth plugin with the PK - anything that will run in Cubase or Nuendo at any rate.

If Nuendo is saying it is receiving MIDI, then the PK is working fine. But you're not hearing any sound, so it is a question for Nuendo users and Grizzly or whatever plugin you are using's users to figure out the problem. it has nothing to do with the PK - all the PK does is transmit MIDI and your DAW says its receiving that.

It is however possible that the notes you have assigned for the PK's pads don't match up with the note numbers that your sampler plugin responds to.

[I IS FOR ILL]

It is however possible that the notes you have assigned for the PK's pads don't match up with the note numbers that your sampler plugin responds to.

I mean I know you're obviously a kingpin on this forum, but this is the only semi-useful thing you've said in all your other points simply designed to show how superior your musical intelligence is. I searched this forum for people who might have had similar problems to me and every thread just seems like a race to say "THIS IS A MIDI DEVICE IT DOESN'T MAKE SOUNDS".

You don't want to offer help. Does any one here? I think I have a legitimate problem, I'm trying to trigger a synth with the PK I hear nothing. Now you might have a point with your last part but simply identifying a potential problem doesn't help me if I don't know how to solve it.

Not everyone can know as much as you on the matter, what's the point of condescending anyone who dare ask a question? This is a help forum.

Sorry for my tone. I'm very frustrated.

[X-Trade]

I do very much apologize. It wasn't at all supposed to come across that way.

However, you were asking why, when hooked up to a MIDI track, it makes no sound - it makes no sense. This in itself suggests that you did not really know what you were doing. From what you wrote initially, it sounded like you weren't using any plugin or didn't know what it did if you were trying to use one. Also it is fairly common for people to expect the PadKontrol to produce sound - some people even mentioned trying to plug headphones into the footswitch socket!

Any display of knowledge is not to 'show off'. Rather I'd like to help by imparting that knowledge on to others, otherwise it is wasted if it only benefits myself. I really enjoy helping people, but telling someone the straight answer is often not quite the same as giving them the tools and pointers to find the answers for themselves. It doesn't benefit anyone in the long run - people just come back and ask another question every time they hit a problem without actually trying to figure it out for themselves.


anyway, as for your problem.
I would suggest first that you first try to use a basic full-range synth plugin for diagnostic purposes (not a drum sampler or such that may only be set to respond to certain notes). if you can get some sounds out of that by hitting the pads then you know at least that you have everything configured correctly in the DAW.
If you still don't hear anything, then its really could be anything from the MIDI connections in the MIDI track, to the mixer settings for audio out from the plugin, or even the audio interface/speakers.
If you do hear something, then you know the MIDI is getting through to the plugin, and the audio is getting from the plugin to the speakers. in which case, you know the problem is most likely specifically MIDI assignments between the PK and the plugin. so you can load your original plugin again and have a look at that. if it gets to that point then we can discuss that further.

[darkenedsoul]

I don't use the software that he is but I will impart the following to re-emphasize what X-Trade is trying to get across.

I will try to be gentle

1) The editor is as X-Trade said, just that, it is for changing the notes for each pad to different one, assigning values to parameters, etc...that's all it is for. You should load up the factory file in the top level directory and choose one from there which basically reassigns the notes corresponding to what you load. I use Ableton Live and load GURU which maps the notes to the default cell in the drum rack. I enable record on that track and drop some samples and viola I hear what they sound like.
2) You need to configure your DAW software MIDI section for the ports (again, no clue on what you are using, read that manual if stumped).
3) Drop a drum instrument onto the MIDI track and enable record if you have to in order to hear the sounds.
4) Drop some samples onto the drum instrument and hit the pads and see if you hear any sounds
5) Also, if there are any indicators in your DAW for showing MIDI IN/OUT you should see the IN flashing every time you tap a pad. If that isn't working then some configuration needs to be done.

That's about all I can do to get you going in the right direction over and above the great info that X-Trade put in the responses to your questions. As he said, MIDI makes NO sounds, it is just information/data that has the notes played, velocity they came in at, etc...you need a VST/VSTi instrument in order to hear anything from *ANY* MIDI controller, be it a synth or drum machine.

Hope that helps some more.

Mike