We have a question concerning your MIDI setup.

Setup

Cubase Pro 8.5
Win 7 64
Montage OS 3.5
M Connect 1.10
USB driver 2.03
Montage Multi Mode: 7 tracks routed to Cubase-Mont port 1 IN, Mont port 1 OUT.
MIDI local off. Eack track on separate MIDI channel 1-7 in Cubase

Each MIDI Track is set for a separate channel. Are you using the “Input Transformer“?
Can you post a picture of a Cubase MIDI Track setup for the MONTAGE?
Are you recording multiple Tracks simultaneously?
Thanks.

Hey BM, not using any input transformers, no MIDI modifiers etc- nothing in the inspector except swing settings for a track. I only record one track at a time.

See my attached pic.

Thanks man.

Still waiting for instruction BM. What do you suggest next?

I'll be listening to a loop while working on a section and the just fades in and out for 1 second seemingly randomly.

Sorry, I didn’t see a question. I guess the question is, “Why?”

I don’t know. I do know that this kind of thing can happen because you sent a MIDI message to make it do so, because you have problem with the connection, or a half dozen other causes.

“Randomly“, “seemingly randomly”, and “sometimes it takes up to 2 minutes“ — I have no answer to this. Doesn’t sound like something one would run into when all items are working. With the information given... I’d say you have a poltergeist, ghosts in your system.

Next time it happens, write down what you are attempting to do.
Take a snapshot of what your instrument is set to do.
Take a screenshot of your DAW situation.
Seems like if it’s caused by the gear - it will reveal itself. And if it is operator error that will be clear as well.

What do you mean when you say “I’ll be listening to a loop...“ What does that mean specifically... are you in Pattern mode, are you listening to a Song Loop, are listening to an Arpeggio cycling around, or have you imported an audio loop assigned to a Drum Kit? Is the MONTAGE Sequencer running? If you have both Cubase running and the internal Sequencer set to run, you can be sending different sets of commands and all manner of strange behavior can ensue. Notes from Cubase can trigger Motion Sequences, they can also trigger Arpeggios. If you are not careful you can be sending conflicting messages from both.

During the “two minutes” what is the synth doing? Is it locked up, flashing, dark, is it still sending/receiving MIDI data to the DAW, are your speakers still powered on? Can you play it? Try to realize we cannot see or hear what you are doing. You are calling it a “drop out” — as if it comes back all on its own... is that right? You do nothing and Audio is restored?

When I say 'listening to a loop' I mean I have a loop repeating in Cubase with MIDI routed to each track in the Montage- like the picture shows.

I'm not using the song recorder or pattern mode on Montage at all- everything is being recorded and arranged in Cubase.

I haven't tweaked any effects to overload Montage in any way and there are no plugins open in Cubase- it's strictly a MIDI configuration in Cubase right now.

Voice drops are usually caused by polyphony being exceeded, but that can't be the case either.

I also checked all MIDI tracks for dupe (stacked) notes and my motifs are clean- no extra notes.

My next test will be to load the project without Montage being turned on and route the tracks to a VST like Falcon or Kontakt, and if that works, then it's definitely a communication problem with Montage and Cubase.

Well, I solved the problem, and honestly BM- based on the information I gave you, you should have been able to solve it, instead of asking me ridiculous questions like 'Are your speakers still powered on?' You typed 'We cannot see or hear what you are doing' but the information I gave- is clearly all you needed to solve this problem- and you didn't.

I'll give you a hint- Montage wasn't the problem- and since you do support for Yamaha and they own Steinberg- you should have known where to look- Like I said, I gave you all the info you needed to troubleshoot this properly; as a matter of fact- my first post in this thread has the info you needed to solve it- you didn't even need my picture because I worded everything crystal clear- the place to start troubleshooting was right there.

- And the student becomes the master...

Thanks for nothing.

Maybe it's been removed - I didn't see a picture here. That aside - it'd be good perhaps for someone else, encountering the same kind of problem, to learn what the resolution was.

I think it would be smarter for us all to be kind to each other, especially to people who are trying to help, even if they aren’t able to help this time, even if you think they should have been able to help.

I used to know someone who had a sign up in his office that said “Don’t should on me.“ Good thought...