Cubasis VST 5 - 'No More Mixer Channels'.

[middleaged get]

I'm trying to program in an orchestral work using the Cubasis Universal Sound Module's MIDI instruments. I need a full orchestra, with strings, four different woodwind, three different brass plus percussion, with a piano thrown in for good measure. I got up to six, then discovered there were no more allowed. I get a message which I've put as the subject header of this topic. This is despite there being another seven tracks still unused on the MIDI track mixer, not to mention another eight actual MIDI channels. Can anyone explain why Cubasis imposes this limit and if there is any way round it. Thanks.

[Maxim Bregestovski]

Options > Audio Setup > System Number of audio channels (I hope in Cubasis it has the same path as in Cubase).
Increase and press 'Apply' button.

Hope this helps

[middleaged get]

Thanks for your advice, Maxim. I've tried what you suggested and all it seems to have done is increase the number of audio channels, but doesn't alter things regarding the MIDI channels I'm working with.
What I really need to know is this:
I need all the sounds of a full orchestra. Cubasis only allows for six uses of the Universal Sound Module (V1-V6). Is it possible to have different sounds played simultaneously by one of these - USM V3 for example? At the moment, I have tried assigning flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon to this USM, using different MIDI channels for each. I can't believe Cubasis restricts you to six USM sounds at a time, when there are 16 MIDI channels available. Maybe I need advice on how to set things up initially.
Any help appreciated.

[revkev]

I'm using Cubase like Max so this may be a bit different. I think what you're experiencing is the limit of how many VSTI's you can load. In Cubase VST it's 8 (at least for my version). Maybe 6 for Cubasis. You should be able to get plenty more midi tracks, my version has a limit of 96 (I think, never used more than a few). You can change the type of track from audio to midi by right clicking on the little icon in the track or through a menu path. I'm not in the studio at the moment or I'd give you the path.

I'm no midi expert, only a dabbler but since you are using the same soft synth, I don't think you have to have so many instances loaded. I also don't know the synth you're using so I may be wrong. Can you set up your midi track, have them point to the same instance of the soft synth but have them play on a differnt midi channel. You'll have to do something in the synth to instuct it to play that instrument on that channel as well. But I think that way you should have 16 channels to work with for each instance of the synth. Hopefully someone with more midi experience can verify if I'm right.

Another option is to render the midi tracks to audio which would free up more midi track/synth combinations. Did you get a manual with the Cubasis? It should describe to you how to do it. It's going to be dependent on your specific setup and sound card how you do it but that will also give you any of the audio fx and processing options to use on the tracks as well.

Hope that helps.


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[L0W99]

I think it is that he has run out of mixer channels just as the error message says!

Cubase and Cubasis have a fixed number of mixer channels available. Cubasis has less than Cubase. I think Cubase is 128. I can't remember what Cubasis is, but it is less. Changing the number of audio tracks doesn't affect that unfortunately, this particular value is fixed in the programming.

Each VST loaded uses up a preset number of mixer channels - some VSTs use 2, some 64, some in between. So without too many problems you can see that if he loads 2 instruments which use 64 up he is in 'no more mixer channels' territory without trying too hard and having lots of apparent space in his VST instruments rack, midi channels and audio channels. Obviously he could theoretically load up 64 instances of the VST that only uses 2 (except then he does bump up against revkey's hard-coded VST slots limit).

The complicating factor is if you have any REWIRE instruments/clients installed - eg FruityLoops, REason, Acid, etc. If you do, then they CONSUME mixer channels, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT USING THEM IN CUBASE!! It is theoretically possible then that you can't load ANY VSTS without getting the 'no more mixer channels' error if you have enough ReWire clients installed on your machine. On the mixer maybe you can see VIEW...EDIT bottom left - this shows you where your mixer channels have gone, including any stolen by ReWire clients.

So first up - if you have re-wire instruments on board, it is either them that have to go, or you live with the problem. Some - like Fruity Loops can be installed in non-rewire mode so its not all bad. Then, if the VSTs you are loading up have an option to load with different numbers of outputs (Kontakt does this), load the option with fewest. The number of outputs from a VST instrument is equal to the number of mixer channels it uses. I can tell you the greedy USM uses 8 channels for each instance loaded up. But if you want to orchestrate and have $199 or so to hand, try out Garritan Personal Orchestra (www.garritan.com).
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www.l-music.co.uk

[weswilliams]

To answer one of your questions, the USM has four outputs, so you can run four MIDI channels into each one, and still have each available separately in the mix. Each MIDI channel can provide a different instrument on a single USM. You select which MIDI channel goes to which mixer output on the USM itself. So maybe you can get what you want by using less USMs, but using all of the channels in each.

Its possible to run up to 16 midi channels into a single USM, all playing different instruments, but its not that easy to program as you have to do the mix within MIDI. Stick with multiple USMs for simplicity.
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