... and as inline:

how do i check which Yamaha driver version is being used? I downloaded it some years ago with cubase 9.5

any idea how to troubleshoot OS configuration issues? where to start? Have had nothing but problems with Apple OS and audio

You know I have been trying to get this midi-to-audio routing thing working all day and still cannot get audio from MODX recorded into cubase 12.

Can someone kindly advise what other options there are to get this working?

Is there a technical support line that can help troubleshoot the problem in Europe/UK?

To check your driver version ...

Press CMD-Space to bring up the spotlight search bar then type:

Yamaha Steinberg USB Control Panel

... you probably only have to type "Yamaha" before the control panel icon is shown (it's red for me). Click on it to open the control panel. It should show your driver version. Mine says V3.1.4 which is appropriate for my OS version (11.x).

Ideally, yours would show V2.1.4

Reaper has a long trial, and is a very light install, and it's lean in terms of performance, too. Plus configurable to record audio, that you can then easily export to work on in Cubase.

I've had this problem with Cubase, and eventually tried using Reaper for audio recording, which I could get working, where I couldn't figure what I was doing wrong in configuring Cubase.

There's something odd, to my mind, about the way Cubase tries to abstract away some settings, such that this runaround where you can't get recording to work can happen, and the solution not be findable.

Reaper is philosophically different. There's zero settings/preferences abstraction, you can and often must find all the different settings and preferences to do anything. So it is tedious. But it ends up being a sure thing, especially for audio.

// It blows my mind that we are not yet in a time when we can plug a MODX into a computer and the two figure out how to work together, plug'n'play.

Also, there's some truly stupid prioritising of USB ports on Macs over the last half a dozen years. Generally speaking, the ones on the left of a MacBook Pro are better than the ones on the right... I mention this because I've seen this be a problem, too.

Thanks for the responses! Re driver I'm on V2.0.5. Should this be uninstalled and reinstalled? My setup is a 2018 mac mini running 10.14.6 and the MODX. I also have a VIRUS TI but at the moment just want to get the MODX midi-recordings (I've maxed out SONGS and PATTERNS on the MODX so have now save / have saved the recordings as MIDI files on a USB stick plugged into the MODX). So, now I want to get these into Cubase 12 and be able to finish /produce them which means bouncing to audio....

I also have Logic installed on the same computer and have been using this periodically, so wonder if this messes with the audio routings somehow (?), though can't see how. The goal now is to get those MODX midi tracks into cubase, edited and bounced to audio. What is the recommended suggestions for this setup? The video and articles makes that function (MODX midi tracks bounced to respective audio tracks) look seamless, so how to get it to work?

re REAPER I'll check it out but am not on the market to buy another DAW TBH, I upgraded to cubase 12 last year and now want to get into it...just want to get those MODX recordings into a DAW quickly and bounce to audio..I used to use Cubase a lot, starting with the ES7-MLAN16e days (there was a time when it worked fine, 16 tracks into Cubase, but that was eons ago). So, how to get Cubase 12 - MODX syncing and flowing especially re midi-track-audio bounce downs?

Is the driver the right version? Any step by step advice? Are there any deeper settings that need to be tweaked somehow? Apple seem to mess with their products a lot IMO / settings changing/ who knows what is going on under the bonnet of iphones and macs these days

But back to the task at hand...suggestions / thoughts / recommendations troubleshooting most welcome..thank you.. and have a wonderful remaining weekend

..when on the MODX I try Quick SETUP Audio Rec on DAW, hit STORE CURRENT SETTINGS, then open a New Project template "Yamaha MODX multi channel recording" then pull up a former recording saved as MIDI on MODX, turn Direct Monitor OFF in Audio I/O in utility...I hear no sound, so the audio is not routing thru the computer (right?)...even with all the PART OUTPUTS going to MainL&R, or a main part going to USB 1&2, when selecting those options on the audio track there is simply no sound. So, what is the problem?

this should work, is it an Apple issue or audio driver issue or some problem with the OS? how to check / troubleshoot and get this working once and for all? thanks again

[quotePost id=120958]..when on the MODX I try Quick SETUP Audio Rec on DAW, hit STORE CURRENT SETTINGS, then open a New Project template "Yamaha MODX multi channel recording" then pull up a former recording saved as MIDI on MODX, turn Direct Monitor OFF in Audio I/O in utility...I hear no sound, so the audio is not routing thru the computer (right?)...even with all the PART OUTPUTS going to MainL&R, or a main part going to USB 1&2, when selecting those options on the audio track there is simply no sound. So, what is the problem?

this should work, is it an Apple issue or audio driver issue or some problem with the OS? how to check / troubleshoot and get this working once and for all? thanks again[/quotePost]

This is exactly the problem I had with Cubase. Thought I was doing everything right.

I'm not suggesting switching to Reaper... just using it for bouncing/rendering. I could do 4 tracks at a time, full left/right, just using it for audio bouncing/rendering, with a little twiddling it just worked... where I couldn't get Cubase or Logic to work nicely like this, and only could do one track at a time with Ableton Live.

The other one that worked seamlessly was Cubasis 2 on the iPad, also 4 tracks at a time.

it really does peeve me off that I can't currently get any of the recordings done inside the MODX into audio tracks in cubase 12 with the current setup. There MUST be a way. Even with all PARTS in a pattern to MainL&R I can't get the audio showing / flowing into cubase at all, and it should work. I'm using the new project templates (ie Yamaha MODX multi channel recording). Those midi tracks show PORT 1 and the audio tracks USB Main. The PARTS in the pattern itself are exporting to part output MainL&R. The sound surely has to route through to cubase so can be recorded, or am i missing something?

Are you saying with REAPER you can record PATTERNS (etc) that currently reside in the MODX into audio tracks in REAPER via a USB? It's not something I want to try just yet, I find it hard to believe this cubase 12-MODX rig cannot / will not work, hopefully I'm just doing something wrong or a driver needs updating or refreshing or something.

I can't help but wonder is something broken, and if so, what. Suffice to say all the monitor buttons are engaged and you can see the signals bouncing in the midi tracks when a PATTERN is playing (not so with audio tracks), and when the Direct Monitor on the MODX is turned OFF the sound cuts completely, as i understand it would. so getting the audio working is the problem. i want to get this working once and for all- any ideas / suggestions etc?

thanks so much

I would at least install the latest Yamaha Steinberg USB Driver for Mojave which is 2.1.4.

I'm not saying this is the issue - but your Cubase is current so you may as well make the underpinnings current too.

I was working on installing Mojave here in a virtual machine. I could probably fire up Cubase (not 12 - I don't have the latest) and get audio to work in Big Sur. But there would be so many configuration differences I'm not sure it would help any.

Also, I've got the free stuff which doesn't have the control room. So if that's involved I wouldn't be able to show that.

I wonder what your audio channel active/inactive states are.

I see Cubase 12 Pro has a trial. I've installed this and will continue using Big Sur (and its newer driver than you should install) to setup an audio track from my Montage (that's what I have, not a MODX).

First, I setup my Montage:

1) Turned it on
2) Setup the I/O mode to USB (as opposed to MIDI)
3) Plugged Montage into Macbook's USBC-to-USBA adapter cable
4) Recalled "DJ Montage" preset Performance (picked because it will create a lot of output on a bunch of channels)
5) Touched the quick template button for "Audio Rec on DAW". This will set the audio channels to Part1=MainL/R, Part2=USB1&2, Part3=USB3&4 and so on. By default each Preset Performance is going to output to Main L/R only for all Parts. So every time you recall a preset Performance - you'd need to go back and touch "Audio Rec On DAW" to reapply these output changes as they will initially always load with only Main L/R as the outputs for all Parts.

Then fired up Cubase V12 Pro (Trial) - from a fresh install since I didn't previously have Cubase 12 installed.

Step1:
Initial screen - you'll see similar but MODX templates. Usually I don't advocate using these templates (I always start with an empty project and build up without a template). However, it would be good initially to leverage as much as possible.

Step2:
Making sure Cubase is using the Yamaha Steinberg USB driver and not something else. Since I fired up Cubase without the Montage connected at first, this was initially set to the wrong interface. You would see "MODX" instead of "Montage".

Step3:
Making sure audio device for input channels matches last step "MONTAGE" for me and that the inputs are proper (not showing all below -- but you see the pattern).

Step4:
... same checking for outputs. You won't see "Assign" since MODX doesn't have this.

Step5:
Control room is turned off. It's an extra layer of complexity for now. This is the default for this Cubase template selected in the "Initial Screen".

Step6:
Showing the first 5 audio channels and put a red box around the audio channel input assignments. These match the names under "Step3".

Step7:
Pressed Record (main Cubase transport at bottom) with the tracks all armed to record (1-8 MIDI and 1-8 Audio). Below shows MIDI and Audio all have data on them for all channels. Note that audio track 1 does not have the record button turned on. I think I clicked the track and accidentally turned off record AFTER I did the recording (but before taking the screenshot). Just imagine all of the record buttons are red (armed).

Step8:
Circled back to look at the OS (Big Sur) Audio MIDI Settings to show how the audio shows up in this. Your MODX will have less ins and outs.

This was nearly "plug and play". I didn't have to do anything fancy to get anything to work.

Your Audio 01 channel shows USB1&2 as the input. If "Audio 01" is meant to represent Part 1 then this would have been "USB Main" instead of USB1&2.

The consequence of not using "USB Main" for audio 01 (or audio 02 or audio 03) is that if you happen to accidentally load a Preset Performance that does not have the USB outputs assigned differently for each Part as is the default for presets then you could end up with all Parts on your MODX outputting to Main L/R which won't get picked up with USB1&2, USB3&4, USB5&6. If you have the inputs set correctly then at least if you make a configuration mistake on MODX - Main L&R should still output something but will be combined every Part instead of one Part per channel. This would be likely more comfortable to straighten out than a setup that records no audio.