What am I doing wrong? Reaper & Usb interface

thecolourbox

Hi all,

I'm struggling because I can't get some things working on my laptop (which is well enough spec-ed, and elements of what I am trying to do have worked separately elsewhere before). I'm trying to see if I can get in to using computer based amp modelling to play at home, and have bought Bias. Aside from the disappointment that you can't run it seemingly as a standalone programme, and that it doesn't show up in Cubase vst list, the biggest problem I'm having is with Reaper which I have downloaded as a trial to see if that might work and how I get on with it. I hoped to be able to load up a track, whack on Bias and have a good playing sesson and a play with the different customising options.

I'm getting no sound out - I've tried using a Zoom G3 and an M Audo Fast Track, all drivers have been freshly installed but still nothing. The input seems to be recognising that I'm playing stuff but there's no sound

What on earth am I doing wrong?

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a639/matthew_goodwin1/Untitled_zps8fe5bef8.jpg

Grunfeld

If as you say the input is showing signal:

On the channel (track 1 on the screenshot) where your guitar is going:
1)  Click the big circular dull-red colour button just to the top of where it says "1" at the bottom of the track channel.

2)  Click the sort of triangular symbol (like a play symbol) which is just below the M button and S button of that channel.

Get it to say something that sounds useful.  I can't remember what those buttons are called (and I'm too cosy to move and have a look) but that should do the trick.

thecolourbox

Sadly still nothing, I had tried that upstairs as well, but sadly nothing coming out. Have had problems with the M Audio before (a worse piece of technology than the M Audio I've never yet found) so ill try it again with the Zoom in a minute when I go to bed.

thecolourbox

Would I have any right to a refund on Bias actually?

Danny1969

You need input monitoring enabled I think on the channel you have the plugin on 

thecolourbox

Where on earth is that? Complete newbie to Reaper having used Cubase for years

Grunfeld

thecolourbox said:

Where on earth is that? Complete newbie to Reaper having used Cubase for years

it's that triangle thing I mentioned -- it'll give you some options and input monitoring is one of them

Oh, and right click the big circle thing too, iirc there are some options on there and you check an audio one rather than a midi one.

I use Reaper regularly but this is all set up now so I never think to do it!

Jalapeno

The "M" button

Can you get any sound out of the M-Audio usb device - mp3 playback for example ?

(Been burned by M-Audio before, and got the cheapest USB Focusrite Scarlett instead)

thecolourbox

Well I've got it working with the Zoom G3 now but doesn't sound great

There's no sound at all through the M Audio so I've chucked it back in the wardrobe, waste of space that thing is. When I first got it a while back it did this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUoVV99w7og

digitalscream

Do you hear anything when you play it back?

To expand on @Grunfeld's post, in #1 he's referring to the "Record Arm" button (does what it says on the tin), and in #2 it's the "monitor channel" button. The latter is required when using modelling plugins.

The trick is not to add Bias as a VST effect; what you want to do is add it as an input effect. To do that, arm the track, and the Input FX button will appear next to the I/O button in the left hand track options box. Click that, and add Bias in there. Click the monitor channel button, and you should now hear the amp sound.

If you're still not hearing it, make sure you've got the monitoring control on the Fast Track set all the way over to "Computer"; if it's not labelled, try it at both extremes. This is because you don't want to hear the dry track at all.

Did any of that help?

thecolourbox

Thanks but I'm afraid not, Bias is already loaded as you say and whilst I do hear it when using the G3, it does not sound great. With the M Audio piece of junk it makes no sound whatsoever.

It's ok, It's just affirmed my previous opinion that I hated computer amp stuff (Had a Line 6 GX give up on it all as well and have now spent a total of 6 hours over two hours trying to get computers to work!!

thecolourbox

Can Bias be downloaded on a different machine on the licence once it's bought? I'd be of a mind to give somebody ese my log in so it's not wasted if so

Fretwired

Have you read this? The M-Audio is an excellent interface. Make sure you have the latest drivers and follow the instructions below. It also shows you how to record arm and monitor the track.

http://m-audio.com/kb/article/1662

thecolourbox

Yeah ive tried setting it up a number of times over the years with fresh drivers etc etc but its never worked (its a different product than the one in the linked post but the principles should be the same).

The first set up attempt is the only one documented (the youtube vid above).

Not to worry. Ive taken it as a lesson learned

Fretwired

thecolourbox said:

Hi all,

I'm struggling because I can't get some things working on my laptop (which is well enough spec-ed, and elements of what I am trying to do have worked separately elsewhere before). I'm trying to see if I can get in to using computer based amp modelling to play at home, and have bought Bias. Aside from the disappointment that you can't run it seemingly as a standalone programme, and that it doesn't show up in Cubase vst list,

I missed that - I know how to fix that. What version of Cubase are you using?

Just a thought on the sound quality - your laptop probably has a chip-based sound system. Good for net browsing and low quality music reproduction but poor for sound recording. Make sure you disable it. Check that your M-Audio card is the main soundcard for Windows.

thecolourbox

Its Cubase erm...5 i think? 5x rings a bell? Its showing all the others and ive copied the dll file into all the possible folders and it doesn't list it.

It's (the m audio) definitely set as the audio soundcard, set up the way it says and indeed exactly the same ways as the g3 and Line 6 gx before it, which all worked.

Would a Vst host be a better idea maybe, if i can get the zoom g3 working better as a "dry" interface

Fretwired

OK. Cubase 5 doesn't fully support 64 bit VSTs [some may work but others won't and it will only support VST 2 not VST3]. Have you got a 32 bit version of BIAS to try? There will be more than one VST directory - check the one that Cubase is using -

C: >program files(86) >steinberg >cubase 5 >vstplugins [or similar].

Put the VST in this directory and then open Cubase and go to:

 Devices>plugin information>update

This will rescan your VSTs.

thecolourbox

Hmm oh right ok, thanks. Yes I probably downloaded the 64 bit version as my laptop is 64 bit. I'll give that a try as I am very much used to Cubase so it's easy, Reaper is all new and seemed to hurt my eyes even looking at stuff (masses of grey and very small buttons etc)

Thank you ever so much for your help, I know I sound pretty mardy but it's just been a continuing source of frustration ever since I first got Pod Farm!

Fretwired

If we can get the VST working then getting the M-Audio interface working should be simple.

Grunfeld

thecolourbox said:

Reaper is all new and seemed to hurt my eyes even looking at stuff (masses of grey and very small buttons etc)

I know what that's like, I was forced to Reaper when a patch version of Sonar (which I knew inside out back then) went mental on me and everything was totally unstable and the roll back didn't work.  I was stuck.

Reaper seemed horrid because it was new and I didn't know where anything was and it wasn't Sonar!  But it sort of worked (yours will too -- it's very stable).  And I had no other choice so I had to learn it for the time being.  By the time the Sonar issue was sorted, some two months later, I didn't want to go back to it.  I had learned Reaper and I had a skin on it that looked like Sonar funnily enough.  Now I kind of like the default look.

thecolourbox

I would say the other way around actually as the M audio has never worked so am just giving up on that one! The Cubase issue seems easy in theory and should remove the need to use Reaper with any luck. I get what you're saying Grunfeld but i really don't have the time to learn Reaper, and in general Cubase already does everything i need so if it can run Bias at least in that it should be usable