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Thread Please help! QS8 & Cubase SE not working together:(

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1 Please help! QS8 & Cubase SE not working together:(
PRELIMINARY INFO:

a. What kind of music do you want to do?
I am a pianist. I want to record instrumental songs as well as ones with lyrics. I want to be able to record songs using my sequencing software (Cubase SE) and put them on CD to bring to a professional studio in which we can alter the sounds, add vocals etc.

b. Do you want to record individual tracks at a time or a whole band at once?
Individual tracks at a time.

c. What do you want to do with your recordings? Demos? Fun for friends? Get gigs? Make a million and get a record deal?
Demos, fun, maybe get gigs...

d. What kind of instruments will you be recording? Live drums? Vocals?
In my own simple set up, I will just be using my Alesis QS8 keyboard.

e. What kind of computer do you have (or want)? Desktop? Laptop? Include: Operating System, Processor speed, RAM, Hard Drive Space, Sound Card type. USB? Firewire? CD Burner?
The computer is a desktop PC, running XP Pro, Athlon 2100+, 1.74 GHZ, 240MB RAM, has a CD burner, has USB ports, Realtek AC'97 Audio for VIA (I think that's the soundcard).


THE PROBLEM:
I'm very new to this whole recording thing. I have a very simple hook up. I have a computer running smoothly with Cubase SE. I have an Alesis QS8 keyboard. I have the QS8 hooked up to the comp with a MIDI Y cable connected to the comp's game port. One side of the cable has MIDI IN + OUT, the other side connects to the comp's game port.

All I want to do is play the QS8 and have the sounds come up on the sequencer software as an audio track as well as a MIDI track, so I can record different intstruments from the QS8 onto the software and edit them. But for some reason, I am getting no indication that the QS8 is sending MIDI messages to the comp, because I see no sign of any signal appearing in Cubase. Everytime I press record on Cubase, I hear nothing being recorded, and I see nothing being recorded, whether its an audio or MIDI track. I was told before that I needed a Y cable to hear any audio. I'm not sure, because I'm not even sure the QS8 is even sending messages to the comp. I'm not sure what to do at this point. Should I get a serial cable so that the QS8 can communicate with the comp easier? Also, I don't know how to adjust the LOCAL off setting in the QS8. Nor do I know how to put the QS8 on channel 1 to correspond to the channel 1 that I have the Cubase MIDI and AUDIO tracks on. Also, I looked in the device manager, and I don't even see the QS8 in there. I only see the QS7. I'm confused.:( Please help....


Thanks in advance.
2
I will try to help but I use a Mac. If you just want to record in MIDI format you can use a USB midi interface such as a MIDIMAN USB. (M Audio also makes USB mic preamp interfaces.)

If you plan to record using a mic later and if you have firewire, you might want to buy an interface that takes both MIDI and Mic in with 48v phantom power such as a M Audio Firewire 410. If you want super preamps check out the PreSonus FirePod. I use all three with macs, but they should all work with windows.
3
I don't know what all of those things are. The Alesis QS8 doesn't have an internal sequencer, which is why I bought Cubase SE. However, whenever I press any notes on the QS8, Cubase doesn't respond. I'm stumped...
4
Isnt the QS8 a midi keyboard? Then it probably has a MIDI out connector in the back. You need some hardware to convert the midi out to the computer's USB. These little boxes are relatively inexpensive. So if you have a midi out and IF you want to record in MIDI you need to search on the internet for a USB MIDI convertor. If you just want to record straight audio there should be some line output from the keyboard that you can connect to the line input of a sound card on your computer.
5

%1$s a écrit Isnt the QS8 a midi keyboard? Then it probably has a MIDI out connector in the back. You need some hardware to convert the midi out to the computer's USB. These little boxes are relatively inexpensive. So if you have a midi out and IF you want to record in MIDI you need to search on the internet for a USB MIDI convertor. If you just want to record straight audio there should be some line output from the keyboard that you can connect to the line input of a sound card on your computer.


Yes, the QS8 is a midi keyboard. It does have a MIDI out connector in the back. Right now there is what I believe a Y cable connecting it to the computer. At the split end, (which read midi In & Midi out on the cable), it is attached to the keyboard...at the non split end, it is attached to the comp's game port.

You mentioned hardware needed to convert the midi out to the computer's USB. Which hardware should I get to do this?
You also mentioned the line output from the keyboard that I can connect to the line input of the sound card of the comp. How do I do this? With some sort of cable? If so, which one?
6

%1$s a écrit You mentioned hardware needed to convert the midi out to the computer's USB. Which hardware should I get to do this?


Click below and you will see many choices:
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=142/g=rec/search?c=4893

%1$s a écrit You also mentioned the line output from the keyboard that I can connect to the line input of the sound card of the comp. How do I do this? With some sort of cable? If so, which one?


Without seeing the connection on your sound board I cannot say. According to Alesis your keyboard takes 1/4 stereo audio out:
http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=11

IF your computer takes RCA in this MAY help:
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=142/g=rec/search/detail/base_pid/333034/

I will be leaving town for a week, so hopefully someone will jump in here and help you more in my absence. Good luck and have fun recording.