Cubase w/ JunoG Help needed!

[stden1cm]

I found out that this Cubase system is what I was looking for. I know- damn this guy is a newbie- but I am doing my research! Now- I am just having trouble getting my Juno set up with Cubase. I have watched the tutorials and read the manual and workshops for cubase, my juno, librarian, and editor. I am almost thinking maybe I should do a master reset on my juno ??

Either way, I am clearly lost and It would be awesome if I could run into someone who could steer me in the right direction!

[Maarkr]

Well, you need to start from the beginning and I doubt you need to reset the Juno. What are you trying to do? Do you want to trigger vst's in cubase from the Juno, or record midi notes, or record midi and have it play back thru the Juno? Did you set up your midi device in Cubase??

[stden1cm]

hey - I know that I was vague with my description haha, but thanks for replying. Long story short, I had a Fantom X for a few years, and I learned how to use the keyboard pretty well, but I never really learned about MIDI or any of these awesome DAW's that are out there. So I had to get rid of my Fantom and was able to pick up a Juno-G a couple months ago. I am able to create some pretty awesome tracks within my juno, I just want to be able to record them into Cubase and arrange them into full tracks, add effects, ect. and I figure once I can get that far, I can continue learning more about the program and it's other features.

so what I am trying to do is

1: Record into cubase using midi: utilizing the sounds from my juno
2: Take the tracks I have made in my juno already, and sequence them in cubase (which I guess is just an extension of my first goal)

I read the manuals on setting up midi devices in cubase a few times, and tried countless times to get my juno set up that way. The Juno isn't a listed device in the cubase list (although I know that you can use the seq templates and GM sounds within the juno- but that is where I am stuck now I think) I have figured out (through playing with Reason 5.0) how to trigger midi events and I learned a lot there about the routing of the signals as well...

I hope this helps explain what I want to do- and also that I have tried to devote a lot of time into researching this on my own. I know I have a LOT to learn about this process, but I guess you gotta start somewhere! Let me know if I am just missing something! Thanks!

[dbijoux]

It sounds like you have the MIDI drivers setup correctly if you've triggered Juno via MIDI in Reason or vice versa. Since you mentioned GM sounds I have to guessing you want the Juno Patch list in Cubase?

You'll need a patch definition file for Juno-G/Cubase from RolandUS Backstage for that. Then you need to get that txt file into the right Cubase place(obscure directory like user/cubase/app data/steingberg/cubase/scripts/ iirc). I'm pretty sure there is something posted on this here, if you search "Cubase" you'll find quite a list.

As for recording, there are few ways to go about it. The easiest way for your old songs is probably exporting/saving/copying via USB as MIDI files and manually making the instrument changes in Cubase. Another way to do it is arm and record each MIDI track individually - note:you'll need to get everything sync'd (master/slave/etc) first. As for recording MIDI 'live' that should be as simple as arming and recording a track in Cubase.

It should be easy to setup the Juno-G as a MIDI device as once the drivers are installed it should show up in the list. I'm wondering where you are having problems with that(it's not listed?). The trickiest part is getting the sync and transport to work, ie: slaving cubase to Juno-G, but once you get the right combination it's as easy as hitting record and play.

Hope the questions help, sorry not so many answers. On the bright side, yes, it's possible.

[stden1cm]

Thank you so much. I noticed after taking your suggestion to read some other post about this that people have received an awful lot of help in the past from you- What an awesome guy to make time for all of us.

I was also surprised that my juno wasn't showing up in the cubase list. still not sure why, honestly, I tried to re-install my driver and still nothing.

I was going to yank that script from here on one of the other post but I can't seem to find it. I can just go to roland backstage and sign up and it will let me get that file- where then I will place it C:\Documents and Settings\*\Application Data\Steinberg\Cubase*\Scripts\Patchnames\inactive\Roland\
there-

which in turn will allow me to use my patches from my juno on cubase?! awesome, thank you for helping me out there.

I guess I was initially under the impression that I could just send the actual midi signal with the jono sound attached to it- but what I will actually be doing is triggering the juno sounds from within cubase? ( this would be for making a new song via. midi live?) Sorry for the reoccurring questions I just really want to understand this better. Unfortunately, my love for playing and producing music is being savataged by Chiropractic school! so I am trying to devote as much time as I can to learning this the proper way, but also guiltily relying on others mistakes to speed my process along so I can actually use this set up, when I do get spare time. Either way- thanks so much for helping me out .

frustration meter is slowly coming down.

[dbijoux]

Great to hear!!! It's hard to understand much anything whilst banging your head on the wall.

Thanks for the compliment; you're welcome too. I think you got it with the patchnames. Cubase forums confused me when I tried to get it working the first time. After the script is in the right place, the Juno should also show up in the list. I have an old version of Cubase here, but believe it's worked for newer users too.

Glad to hear you're making progress on MIDI concept as well. Essentially, MIDI is only data - note data, key on, key off, velocity, etc. In this context, Cubase is just a sequencer and Juno-G is the sound engine. As such, the MIDI and audio signals are not actually 'combined' - more or less, they are triggered and sent down completely different paths.

Do you have an audio interface yet? The focus on MIDI might have made us forget about the audio chain.

[stden1cm]

nice- you have a knack for explaining well, the information I've learned during the countless hours I've spent reading about midi and my juno well I guess from now on- I can create new sounds in reason, and use them as well as the juno sounds, as well as the vst instrument's sounds from cubase! so I should have enough patches.. ha..

I have a little mixer, but it doesn't have any midi "stuff" on it, just two XLR (or mic ports, three prong.. whatever you might want to call them) and two 1/4 in. jacks. I think XLR cables have a bit of a better quality to the sounds they transmit, but I am not sure what I need the I/O for? Is it just to get a better signal to my cpu or better quality sound from my speakers? Also, Do I have to buy another piece of hardware, like a adapter or what not?

Once again, thanks a ton for all your help.

[stden1cm]

another question friend. Was the file I got from roland backstage supposed to be a text flie? I put that file I downloaded into the correct folder in my computer, (I've got my juno recognized in the MIDI device manager window now as well, and selected it,) and now I am trying to figure out how to get those patches to show up somewhere in there. Also, I don't know where to view my choices for what patch I want on each midi track, although I'm thinking I would have found them by now if I had this whole mess set up right. Right? haha

also- I've got the transport set up right too- but my question is, do I only need to select the slave portion as midi in: Juno and midi out "my sound card" or do I need to go through all the settings on that screen window and set them up as juno in and my sound card out?

Thanks!

[dbijoux]

Okay, I just put Cubase back together and loaded Juno-G into the MIDI Device Manager. It showed up when I put the .txt file in that directory too.

From there, when you setup a new MIDI track you should see the Juno-G as an available device. Below that, you can select the Channel and Program(Patchnames) from a menu. It really should be that simple.

As for the transport, wish I could be more specific, but it sounds like you're on the right track. You'll need to set Cubase as Slave and Juno as Master. It's can be tricky, with(read:without) MTC and such. It seems like I have to play around with the combination everytime until it works. ;) Cubase forums might be of some help on this too.

So you do have a sound card? w/MIDI even? Are you using USB MIDI or running MIDI cables to that? I mentioned an interface(sound card) because you might want to record audio someday. I also wanted to further emphasize the difference between MIDI and Audio - as they are set up in seperate tracks.

Hope some of this makes sense. It's simple, after it all works.

[stden1cm]

hey - yea, I am slowly getting SOMEWHERE! not sure where yet... HA

I have finally got my patches from the juno (which only yesterday was apparently installed right..) and found the program select and other options you were talking about (they honestly were not there before, they just appeared after I RE installed my juno in cubase for the 10th time. You know what they say, the tenth time is a charm;)

Now I am seeing in cubase a signal "midi in" in the transport window that is a little orange bar that moves when i strike a key on my juno. when I could hear notes thru cubase before I had figured out how to get the patches in there, I saw a green "midi output" bar move along with the orange input one. So now I have my patches available, but no noise. I understand that this type of thing takes time and a proper understanding of how to record music the right way- but I honestly don't even want to see my juno. I was SO excite when I bought it.. now it just makes me sick to look at it. this shouldn't be so difficult!!! AHH!!

[stden1cm]

and sorry- forgot in last reply, I am just usb out the back of my juno into my cpu. that's how I have it set up!

[dbijoux]

It really shouldn't, but if you can stick with it I think you'll find resolution yet.

I mostly run Sonar so inherently I think Cubase does almost everything backwards, but what it sounds like is that your MIDI out may need attention. Could you confirm that is going out to the Juno and not the internal sound card?

From there I would just double check your board.

USB - MIDI - SETUP -> USB Mode = MIDI , USB-MIDI Thru = OFF

MENU - 2. SYSTEM - MIDI
Local Switch = ON (when you use soft synths in DAW, turn this off)
TX, RX = all switched ON, except Soft Through = OFF

If all that is confirmed, and still no results, let's go back a little and see what's going on the audio side of the Juno; where your cables are routed and what Cubase may be doing with the signal. Of course, if you are just plugged into an amp we can skip this exercise in futility and I'll start banging my head on the wall too.

[Maarkr]

not meaning to hijack the thread, but do you know which patch definition file is usable in Reaper?

[dbijoux]

I'm not aware there is one, have you checked backstage.rolandus.com?

You could always write it out and share it here. ;) I know there are a few Reason users around.

[Maarkr]

I searched the reaper forum and they said the sonar patch file will work but I haven't tried it yet.