Configuration articles and guides for software and hardware. These settings are mandatory unless otherwise stated
In a hurry? Download User Guide for Steinberg Cubase to read offline
v1.0.0 – 2020-March-11
In this little Steinberg Cubase User Guide you will find the instructions to get our plug-in to work with Steinberg Cubase with ease. This is universal tutorial for all of our plug-in, but we are using our Roland JP-80×0 Editor in this guide.
Checkout the Editor user manual prior to this guide, so you have the knowledge to setup the Editor properly.
Also, as we are not Steinberg Cubase experts, we engourage you to read the Steinberg Cubase manual in order to fully understand your DAW.
We hope you have taken all the necessary precautions prior to using our product, like making a full backup of your synthesizer memory.
DISCLAIMER
Our company & Editor has nothing to do with Steinberg company, so please don’t bug them if you encounter issues with the Editor – open a support ticket in your account page in such case. You can find support details at the end of this document.
Support is free to anyone who has bought the license from our store
Steinberg Cubase
Preferences
Open your DAW and enter Studio Setup. We will make sure that MIDI ports are disabled for those ports, where your synthesizer is connected at. This will ensure that your DAW won’t crash and we won’t be getting double data in to the DAW processing loop.
Studio -> Studio Setup…
Steinberg Cubase Config – Enter Studio Setup
MIDI Port Setup
Open MIDI Port Setup tab in Studio Settings. Locate the Input port, which receives MIDI from your synth. Now check that the physical input port has Visible checkbox and In ‘All MIDI Inputs’ checkbox toggled OFF.
Example: My JP-8000 MIDI Out sends MIDI to RayDAT Port 1 [1] Input. Toggle OFF all options in it.
Windows: Do the same for JP-8000 vMIDI Out we created in Setting MIDI Devices User Guide.
JP-8000 vMIDI In can have Visible and In ‘All MIDI Inputs’ toggle ON, so we get the notes to our DAW from the synthesizer itself!
Steinberg Cubase Config – Make Sure Hardware Input Ports are Inactive
Windows: Now in the next image you can see how I have enabled JP-8000 vMIDI Out and you can also see how I have deactivated Output: RayDAT Port 1 which is important!
Steinberg Cubase Config – Disable Hardware Output Ports
NOTE #1: Check our support site for additional guides like Setting MIDI Devices to learn how we added JP-8000 vMIDI In and JP-8000 vMIDI Out ports in the DAW.
You can adapt the settings to your Hardware!
NOTE #2 Windows: If RME RayDat Midi Port 1 (in our case) would still indicate “Active” in the State-column, that would tell us that the port is still being used by Cubase somewhere in its settings. Therefore, we will show you where the port might be assigned below.
Check that the MIDI port where your synth is connected in, is not being used at “Track Quick Controls” and “VST Quick Controls” by MIDI Input / MIDI Output ports!
Steinberg Cubase Config – Make Sure Hardware Ports are Not Used Here
Now we can close Studio Setup!
Click Studio -> More Options -> MIDI Device Manager …
Steinberg Cubase Config – Open MIDI Device Manager
Check your devices and make sure the Synthesizer port is not assigned in any of the devices.
In the picture below, you can see my list is empty, because I am not using Cubase for making music.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Remove Any Hardware Ports If In Use
If you are sure that the port is not assigned in any of your Devices, we can close the window and add the plug-in to our project!
Insert the plug-in
Click the + -sign in the arrangement window to reveal the menu. Choose Add Instrument Track…
Steinberg Cubase Config – Add Instrument Track
Locate the plug-in you are using from the plug-ins drop down menu. See image below.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Select Our Plugin from the List
Plug-in window will now appear.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Plug-in Window Appears
MIDI IN / MIDI OUT
Now we can select the Physical MIDI input port which receives MIDI data from your synthesizer.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Select MIDI Input Port
And then we choose the Physical MIDI Out port which sends data to the synthesizer MIDI input.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Select MIDI Output Port
Plug-in will now attempt to establish connection with the synthesizer, so it might take some time if your settings are not right or if you chose a wrong MIDI port by mistake. You should see plug-in saying PROCESSING… somewhere in the plug-in interface and also ABORT PROCESS button will appear.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Editor Attempts to connect
If all of the settings are correct, you will see “Plug-in is ready to go!” [1] message in the editor display.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Connection Established
If something is wrong with your settings, plug-in will say “No response from JP!” [1] and that indicates something is wrong with your synth settings, MIDI device or Cubase Preferences.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Failed Connection
Once the connection is in, you should sync the data with your hardware. Usually this function can be ran from the patch librarian tab / page of the editor & “Sync Data From HW” button. Check the Editor user manual to learn more.
We can now close the plug-in window and move on.
Note #1: Check troubleshooting from the Editor, DAW or synthesizer manual if you can not establish connection. You can also seek help from our support site if you can’t find out what is causing error in your setup.
Automating Plug-in Parameters
Right click on the plug-in instrument channel and select “Show Automation” See image below.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Show Instrument Automation
Now there is a new track below the instrument track indicating volume automation with lane on the arrangement. Click the Volume and a menu will be shown. Choose More… to start configuring our plug-in parameters.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Click More to Reveal All Parameters
Select parameter from the list which appears to show it in the arrangement.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Choose Desired Parameter From the List
Note #1: You can add as many parameters as you wish. System Exclusive (SysEx) parameters and system buttons can not be automated.
Note #2: With some Editors, it is not yet possible to draw automation in DAW when moving the knob from the hardware. Move knob from the Editor user interface instead.
Start drawing in OR move the knobs in the plug-in while recording to make automation! Before you start to pursue with MIDI blocks, read the next chapter!
Assign MIDI tracks to Cubase arrangement
Now, in order to send MIDI notes to the synthesizer, we need to have MIDI tracks in the DAW.
Click the + -sign in the arrangement window to show the menu again Choose Add MIDI Track…
Steinberg Cubase Config – Create New MIDI Track
Give the track a name which is appropriate for your setup. Choose number of MIDI tracks you want to add. I am going to add two MIDI tracks, one for each layer.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Add Track Name and Number of Tracks
Assign MIDI Channels so that they match your synthesizer part / layer MIDI channels. I will change JP-8000 MIDI 1 to MIDI channel 1 and JP-8000 MIDI 2 to MIDI channel 2.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Assign MIDI Channels Appropriately
MIDI out is pointing to JP-8000 vMIDI Out, which I’ve created in our Setting MIDI Devices guide. macOS users can point the MIDI out directly to physical MIDI port of synth.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Assign MIDI Ports Appropriately
Note #1: Assign MIDI Channels so that they match your synthesizer part / layer MIDI channels. I have set JP-8000 Lower to MIDI channel 1 and JP-8000 Upper to MIDI channel 2.
Note #2: MIDI out is pointing to JP-8000 vMIDI Out, which I’ve created in our Setting MIDI Devices guide. macOS users can point the MIDI out directly to physical MIDI port of synth.
Note #3: If you have multitimbral setup / use with your synthesizer, which most can do, then add more MIDI tracks and point them to respected MIDI channels.
Note #4: You should always put MIDI blocks in the MIDI tracks because our plug-in can not talk to DAW about delay compensation. This is because we do not generate any audio with our plug-in.
Finishing it up!
Final step is to add Audio track, so we can hear the synthesizer in action. Click the + -sign again and choose Audio Track.
Steinberg Cubase Config – Create New Audio Tracks
Select appropriate Audio Inputs and Name your channel as required. Remember to select the inputs where your synth Audio Output is connected!
Steinberg Cubase Config – Enter Track Name and Input Source
Toggle on Monitoring for the Audio Track to hear the Audio from your synth while making some MIDI blocks and you have some sort of automation (if needed).
Steinberg Cubase Config – Toggle On Input Monitoring
Steinberg Cubase Config – Everything Works like well Oiled Machine
Note #1: You might have routed your Audio Output from the synth itself to external mixing desk or speakers, so make sure you power those units on. Otherwise there won’t be any sound because our plug- in does not transmit any audio data to the DAW.
Thats it for the Steinberg Cubase user guide. We hope you find this useful.
Troubleshooting
loopMIDI and MIDI-OX are both shipping their own user manuals, so please refer to their documentary to learn more about how they work.
Editor User Manuals: https://docs.auraplugins.com/
Editor Updates: https://auraplugins.com/downloads/
Check our Knowledge Base for documentation regarding to the Editor and Hardware configurations.
Use the website search to find answers / solutions to possible issues.
You have some suggestions? Yes please!
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Head down to our main site and drop your idea in, we will have a look at it and let you know if it can be done.
If you have found an error in this document, open a support ticket or join our Discord server so we can have it fixed.