Cubase won't see microSTATION plugin editor

Volivovej volej · Post by **Volivovej volej** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:36 am

Greetings. I'm new to the Korg microSTATION family and pretty much everything around it, so I'm fairly in a stage of trying to learn and understand how things work.

Nevertheless, a problem already occurred:

In the MS Editor manual, I found that I should select MS plugin editor as a VST instrument in Cubase, and subsequently I'll be able to hear the MS sounds/programmes in the computer. Be it true or not, Cubase simply won't see the MS plugin editor option in the VST Instruments windows, so I can't select it.

Everything seems to be installed correctly. Cubase itself reacts to key presses on the microSTATION. But I would like it to port the sounds into the computer via USB (it's an IBM ThinkPad which doesn't have a line-in). Is it a malfunction, or am I doing something wrong?

It's all run on Win7 64-bit.

Thank you in advance.

johnroney · Post by **johnroney** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:41 pm

Everything seems to be installed correctly. Cubase itself reacts to key presses on the microSTATION. But I would like it to port the sounds into the computer via USB (it's an IBM ThinkPad which doesn't have a line-in). Is it a malfunction, or am I doing something wrong?

the ms is just not capable of this... don't get the wrong idea about what it does.
when they say that you can access the ms thru its VST software, it ONLY means that the editor software is available as a VST plugin. NO SOUNDS are generated by the computer. you are only accessing the parameters of the keyboard thru the editor software (as if cubase was not even open).
that's all.
so, plug the ms into a speaker, or headphones, and if you want to record what comes out, you'll have to route your output into a 'line in' as you say, or an audio interface, and record in real time.
it's not actually a VST instrument. only the editor software available as a VST.

too bad, huh? it would've been great if it were true, but it's simply not the case.
jr

johnroney · Post by **johnroney** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:48 pm

as a follow up to this topic - KORG, if you're listening!

it would not take much to release the ROM samples from the MS into the real world, and give us the ability to use the MS sounds from a computer - like the Garriton instruments.
maybe KORG, you are a little less willing to 'open source' your code for the various effects on the machine (which is really the brains) - but it would help, and could actually be a great help in programming.

an overhaul is needed (in my humble opinion) of how this product is conceived.
it can be GREAT, or just a toy... but the roadblock to greatness is the cumbersome OS of the keyboard, and the editor software.
if we had open source (or paid) ROM samples in a VST that would be great.
some have suggested a GUI software interface for the sequencer on board... yeah... another great idea.
and better filekeeping - saving patches, saving songs, loading midi files, naming songs... copy/paste (combis/fx/arps/sequence patterns)....
the list goes on.
hopefully this line of keyboard will be given a bit more attention in the future. i'm sure that's why it hasn't sold well.
i personally love/hate this board... i see the potential, and take advantage, but curse the hours of lost time for remedial tasks.

johnroney

Volivovej volej · Post by **Volivovej volej** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:36 pm

Well then… Actually not that well, but could have been worse also. I will only have to buy a USB sound card or something to actually be able to route the sound into a laptop with an absent line-in. I guess it's liveable.

Nevertheless, if I approach my original issue, it still persists, and I can't for the life of me work it out.

Let's take a look at the manual I've screen-shot:

Let's consider the point 4) resolved, since the picture clearly shows that I should be using a line-in.

What I wonder about is the point 2) - I'm simply unable to select "microSTATION Plug-In Editor" since it's not visible in the drop-down menu. I wonder why…

bradkorg · Post by **bradkorg** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 10:54 pm

When you install mS editor vst, this file "microSTATION Plug-In Editor.dll" is located in the map > c:\Program files\VstPlugIns
You can copy "microSTATION Plug-In Editor.dll" to cubase vst plugiins folder.

see youtube teaching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmDaq_sWNg

YorkshireLakeside · Post by **YorkshireLakeside** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:14 pm

That is doing it as a virtual instrument (Only one track I think!!) - you can also run the MS editor on its own (outside of cubase) and setup your instruments on the 16 midi channels. Use the midi channels in Cubase to access those instruments.. this will give 16 tracks to edit. (Start Cubase project as Midi and record each track)

Remember- how you record your audio from the Audio jacks can be done in a number of ways (ie: digital recorders, PC, Mac, etc)

Volivovej volej · Post by **Volivovej volej** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:46 pm

bradkorg wrote:When you install mS editor vst, this file "microSTATION Plug-In Editor.dll" is located in the map > c:\Program files\VstPlugIns
You can copy "microSTATION Plug-In Editor.dll" to cubase vst plugiins folder.

see youtube teaching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmDaq_sWNg

Thanks. I already checked that earlier today, and the VST file is there as it's supposed to. No reaction from Cubase's side to its presence, though…

Volivovej volej · Post by **Volivovej volej** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:53 pm

YorkshireLakeside wrote:That is doing it as a virtual instrument (Only one track I think!!) - you can also run the MS editor on its own (outside of cubase) and setup your instruments on the 16 midi channels. Use the midi channels in Cubase to access those instruments.. this will give 16 tracks to edit. (Start Cubase project as Midi and record each track)

Remember- how you record your audio from the Audio jacks can be done in a number of ways (ie: digital recorders, PC, Mac, etc)

I don't really have much of an idea how I can do it. So far, all data have only run through one channel, the others being ignored, so no multiinstrumentalisms could take place. I'll try to get used to that…

By the way, that necessity to do extra recordings to another machine would be pretty tedious. As for now, I can hardly imagine doing so… but there won't be many options left then, will they?

bradkorg · Post by **bradkorg** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:10 am

Rename the "microSTATION Plug-In Editor.dll" to "micro.dll".

Volivovej volej · Post by **Volivovej volej** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:00 am

Blimey, the problem was somewhere else! The plugin was installed into C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\VSTPlugins\ which is wrong. I acutally had to move it to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\Cubase 5\VSTPlugins\ to make it work.

And the result? It works and it's absolutely appalling. The data are transmitted with a noticeable delay, a 3-key press won't produce 3 notes at a time, but one of them is always delayed. An attempt to add another track will end up wih a horrifyingly long error message and the whole Cubase crashes.

So as a result, I'm actually not going to use the VST plugin, since the experience is as frustrating as that… or maybe I'm just an idiot who didn't get it. I don't really know…

So the way I consider optimal so far is to simply use the MS as a controller, record the keys, the joystick and the pedal into MIDI tracks and record the outputs via line-outs/ins into the wave tracks. Mixing those wave tracks together will be the final stage of the process. Well then…

bradkorg · Post by **bradkorg** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:33 am

There are 2 sort latency lag: Audio soundcard/driver lag and midi data input lag is common, but it can be minimized.

There should some MIDI options menu to adjust midi buffers type/latency, around less 80ms should be fine.

Midi people use ASIO4ALL v2.x audio soundcard/drivers: ASIO4ALL is a hardware independent low latency ASIO driver for WDM audio devices, instead of the common windows audiodriver that has more latency because no options to adjusts the buffers etc.
So download/install that ASISO4ALL and adjust processing options for minimum lags.

See this:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec07/a ... h_1207.htm

Volivovej volej · Post by **Volivovej volej** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 7:07 pm

Bradkorg, thank you for this. I'll certainly take a look at it if I ever decide to use the plugin again. However, as YorkshireLakeside already mentioned, there's a possibility to use the self-standing MS Editor - and in fact, it really is the same thing, only in two separate programmes; plus neither lags nor delays take place in this setup. So I believe I'll just stick to it for the time being.

Now it's about time I bought that sound card and started to do some real music. Thanks everyone for your kindly help.

YorkshireLakeside · Post by **YorkshireLakeside** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:43 pm

Tis a bit weird, I found that if you use the SD card with a midi track on it you can use the midi EXT feature and route it down that channel to Cubase, but other than that I record in Cubase via midi channel 1 (to one of 16 tracks) from the MS and then map that out of cubase to the desired instrument before recording the Audio...

Sorry this probably doesn't make sense but I know what I mean lol.

Volivovej volej · Post by **Volivovej volej** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:37 pm

I think I understand what you mean, too.

Anyway, I intend to proceed in the very same manner, only instead of mapping the instruments in Cubase, I'll do it in the self-standing Editor. The result should be the very same, shouldn't it?

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Cubase won't see microSTATION plugin editor

Cubase won't see microSTATION plugin editor

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