Record Audio in Cubase via M3 Firewire - Cannot do?

easypeacy42 · Post by **easypeacy42** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:45 pm

Hi all,

I have an M3 with Firewire Board and using Cubase SX 2 for MIDI and Audio-Recording. The main reason why I bought the FW-Board was to digitally record audio from the M3. Unfortunately, I cannot do this.

The M3 Editor VST Plugin (V1.5.2) is installed and bascially seems to work fine. When I play the M3 I see the six "VST Audio Tracks" of the M3 Plugin (1xStereo Main L/R, 4x Individual 1-4 Mono) and I see the level-meters responding to the audio, i.e. the audio does arrive in Cubase from the M3. The audio is also sent to the Cubase Main Stereo Out and I can hear this audio over my PC soundcard as expected. So far so good.

Now, I'd like to record the audio. The problem is that I cannot record directly on those "VST Audio Tracks" as they are not "normal" audio tracks (they don't have the record button, etc.). So, I need to record on a "normal" audio track. To be able to do so, I'd need to be able to assign the M3 VST Plugin Audio as Input to regular audio tracks. But I can't. They are not available as Inputs and I cannot configure them as Buses (i.e. they do not exist at all).

So, is it true that I cannot record the audio coming over Firewire? Or have I misconfigured anything?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Voltan · Post by **Voltan** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:04 pm

you definitly can record the FW audio but I can't help you much as I have neither the FW board nor Cubase

but basically - the FW card is supposed to provide you with additional audio inputs (as if it was a second soundcard in your system) so you need to set your inputs to those, not the VST-whatever

easypeacy42 · Post by **easypeacy42** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:37 pm

Thank you for your answer, Voltan.

Well ... Korg explicitly states in their manual that you should use their Korg-FW ASIO driver for the VST Plugin (of course) but you must not use their Korg-FW ASIO driver for Cubase itself. There, you should use your soundcard's ASIO driver (which basically seems to make sense to me).

When using it as recommended, I obviously do not have the firewire audio inputs/outputs available in Cubase but only in the VST. The VST, however, does not provide any outputs I could use / configure as Inputs to any audio tracks.

What I tried is the not-at-all-recommended way: I used the Korg-FW ASIO driver not only for the VST plugin but also for Cubase directly. You have to be very careful to avoid any audio-loops when doing this. This way, I had the six audio inputs available in Cubase and could record the audio. So far so good. The problem is, however, that I could not listen to it (or any other recorded audio tracks) any more over my soundcard (of course, as it's not available to Cubase in this case) and I was running into some other issues. I tried to feed it back into the M3 to output it there, without looping, which was not too successful. Anyway, first of all this should not be the solution and second, it's not recommended by Korg.

So, according to Korg's recommended way, the only solution I see would be that the VST provides assignable outputs to Cubase which would be the logic solution to me. But I have to mention that I'm not too experienced with audio recordings and VSTs (obviously ...).

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:46 pm

Surely you just record the audio in the same way you would from a normal software synth, namely bouncing the track to audio. I am a Logic guy, but previously used Cubase and remember doing this with VST instruments. Logic works the same way, you have to bounce your audio from a softy by soloing the track with the VST on it and then the bouncing the master output to a WAV/AIFF which you then import back onto an audio track.

No M3 or EXB-FW here ... so hopefully I am not throwing things

However I do have a Virus TI which works similarly.

Daz.

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:48 pm

Just googled to get Cubase specific version of my thought : http://forums.songstuff.com/index.php?showtopic=1343

easypeacy42 · Post by **easypeacy42** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:25 pm

Oh ... OOH ... OK !

Yes, that's the trick. OMG, haven't thought about this as I never worked with VSTs so far. Using the "Audio Mixdown" indeed works fine with the M3 VST (although it only works in the "real-time" mode but I can live with that).

Many thanks for enlighten my poor VST knowledge. I'm a very happy man now

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:39 pm

easypeacy42 wrote:OMG, haven't thought about this as I never worked with VSTs so far.

I remember the first time I played with these things, I went through the exact same thought process as you ... namely to try recording the VST instrument to an audio track just like you would with a real MIDI instrument

It seems common sense.

The only app I know that lets you take that approach is Ableton Live. It's just one of many things about that app that make it such a pleasure to use ... less thinking and more music making.

Glad to hear it worked out !

Daz.

Lone Starr · Post by **Lone Starr** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:18 pm

With Cubase 4 it is also possible to redirect and record all M3 FW outputs simultaneously via intermediate group tracks:
Activate the desired M3 plugin outputs in the VST rack (Click the icon between the 'e' and the plugin name).
Create group tracks, e.g. a stereo one for main L/R and 4 mono for individual outs 1-4 and route the M3 plugin outputs to them.
Since Cubase 4 supports using the group tracks output as input for audio tracks, you can then record the audio signals.

Lone Starr · Post by **Lone Starr** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:45 pm

To be more correct I should have written 'Since Cubase 4 ...'
Cubase SX3 or earlier versions are obviously not able to route group track output to audio track input.

britindus · Post by **britindus** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:22 pm

Same issue here when I started playing with Sonar

and couldnt get audio into tracks from softynths or the Virus TI Polar!

easy when you know how isnt it!!!!

btw I am also using the VST plug in - no probs

usb running midi in/out and the firewire streaming audio .... only the most miniscule delay ... running at 3ms

So Ive also laid down some audio ... all seems ok

so good so far!!!

Daz wrote:
easypeacy42 wrote:OMG, haven't thought about this as I never worked with VSTs so far.
I remember the first time I played with these things, I went through the exact same thought process as you ... namely to try recording the VST instrument to an audio track just like you would with a real MIDI instrument It seems common sense.

The only app I know that lets you take that approach is Ableton Live. It's just one of many things about that app that make it such a pleasure to use ... less thinking and more music making.

Glad to hear it worked out !

Daz.