Cubase Internal Monitoring

[chaeridley]

I'm running Cubase SX3. I'm using the internal monitoring but I don't think it's working correctly.

What I want is to be able to listen to the audio on a track and to listen to what's coming in on the input at the same time. There is the monitor button there and when I use it, I can no longer hear what's already on the track. Is that normal? If so, how can I go about achieving that without addition hardware?

[loudguitarz]

The monitor button selects the input. You can either listen to the input or the track not both.
You'll have to go to another track and select the input source to play along with something that you've already recorded

[chaeridley]

So there is no way to do both at the same time? How the heck would you do punch in's?

[russ6100]

The only reason to monitor internally is if you have to hear some effect you're using in real time or something, always use direct monitoring if you can, that way you'll never have any latency issues either...

[chaeridley]

Ok when I use direct monitoring, I don't get any sound. I go into the options and choose direct monitoring for my sound card in Cubase, but I don't ever hear my input. Can someone walk me through that?

[russ6100]

It's possible your audio interface doesn't support it.

I have a Lexicon Lambda, which has a "Monitor Mix" knob of the front panel. It's great - I can easily control the relative monitoring volumes of the tracks I've already recorded vs the current track.

[cochese]

So there is no way to do both at the same time? How the heck would you do punch in's?

The trouble with monitoring in Cubase is that you need a really fast machine to get zero latency. What is your interface? I use Cubase and a Motu 828MKII which has very low latency monitoring. You can also get around this is you use an external mixer by routing the playback to the mixer as well as you're recording source.

Software companies try to sell everyone on this stand alone studio in the computer but the minute you start running multiple tracks, effects such as reverbs and virtual instruments you will probably have to raise your latency buffer and then it's useless.

[russ6100]

chaeridley,

What audio interface do you have?

[chaeridley]

I use a M-Audio Audiophile 192. I have 2ms latency with no crackling. I can monitor internally fine. I just want to be able to listen to a track and hear the input at the same time. I can't do that with internal so I'm trying to figure out Direct Monitoring in Cubase. What I'm doing now is using the soundcard to DM. What I don't like about that is, I have 4 outs on the card. 2 are main outs. 2 are main outs with the inputs mixed in. I wish the monitoring outs were the inputs only and didn't have the main mixed in with it. Anything I can do about that?

[cochese]

I'm having a bit of difficulty understanding what you are trying to say. Basically you can monitor 3 ways. Within Cubase. Direct monitoring which you would need an external mixer. ASIO monitoring which would use the mixer in your soundcard or interface if available.

Monitoring

In this context, "monitoring" means listening to the input signal during recording. There are three fundamentally different ways to do this: via Cubase SX/SL, externally (by listening to the signal before it reaches Cubase SX/SL) or by using ASIO Direct Monitoring (which is a combination of both of the other methods - see below).

Monitoring via Cubase SX/SL

If you monitor via Cubase SX/SL, the input signal is mixed in with the audio playback. The advantage of this is that you can adjust the monitoring level and panning in the mixer, and add effects and EQ to the monitor signal just as during playback (using the track's channel strip - not the input bus!).

The disadvantage of monitoring via Cubase SX/SL is that the monitored signal will be delayed according to the latency value (which depends on your audio hardware and drivers). Therefore, monitoring via Cubase SX/SL requires an audio hardware configuration with a low latency value (see the Getting Started book). You can check the latency of your hardware in the Device Setup dialog (VST Audiobay page).

Note: If you are using plug-in effects with large inherent delays, the automatic delay compensation function in Cubase SX/SL will increase the latency.
If this is a problem you can use the Constrain Delay Compensation function while recording - see Constrain Delay Compensation.

When monitoring via Cubase SX/SL, you can select one of four modes in the Preferences dialog (VST page):

• Manual.
This option allows you to turn input monitoring on or off by clicking the Monitor button in the Inspector, the Track list or in the mixer.
• While Record Enabled.
With this option you will hear the audio source connected to the channel input whenever the track is record enabled.
• While Record Running.
This option switches to input monitoring only during recording.
• Tapemachine Style.
This option emulates standard tapemachine behavior: input monitoring in Stop mode and during recording, but not during playback.
External monitoring

External monitoring (listening to the input signal before it goes into Cubase SX/SL) requires some sort of external mixer for mixing the audio playback with the input signal. This can be a stand-alone physical mixer or a mixer application for your audio hardware, if this has a mode in which the input audio is sent back out again (usually called "Thru", "Direct Thru" or similar).

When using external monitoring, you cannot control the level of the monitor signal from within Cubase SX/SL, or add VST effects or EQ to the monitor signal. The latency value of the audio hardware configuration does not affect the monitor signal in this mode.

Note: If you want to use external monitoring, you need to make sure that monitoring via Cubase SX/SL isn't activated as well.
Select the "Manual" monitoring mode in the Preferences dialog (VST page) and simply don't activate the Monitor buttons.

ASIO Direct Monitoring

If your audio hardware is ASIO 2.0 compatible, it may support ASIO Direct Monitoring. In this mode, the actual monitoring is done in the audio hardware, by sending the input signal back out again. However, monitoring is controlled from Cubase SX/SL. This means that the audio hardware's direct monitoring feature can be turned on or off automatically by Cubase SX/SL, just as when using internal monitoring.

• To activate ASIO Direct Monitoring, open the Device Setup dialog on the Devices menu and check the Direct Monitoring checkbox on the VST Audiobay page.
If the checkbox is greyed out, your audio hardware (or its driver) doesn't support ASIO Direct Monitoring. Consult the audio hardware manufacturer for details.
• When ASIO Direct Monitoring is activated, you can select a monitoring mode in the Preferences dialog (VST page), as when monitoring via Cubase SX/SL (see above).
• Depending on the audio hardware, it may also be possible to adjust monitoring level and panning from the mixer.
Consult the documentation of the audio hardware if in doubt.
• VST effects and EQ cannot be applied to the monitor signal in this mode, since the monitor signal doesn't pass through Cubase SX/SL.
• Depending on the audio hardware, there may be special restrictions as to which audio outputs can be used for direct monitoring.
For details on the routing of the audio hardware, see its documentation.
• The latency value of the audio hardware configuration does not affect the monitor signal when using ASIO Direct Monitoring.

[chaeridley]

Ok. What I'm doing is using the soundcard. It has 2 inputs, 2 outputs, 2 monitor outputs. I'm monitoring using it. Not sure what you would call that. Turning "Direct Monitoring" on or off in Cubase doesn't do anything. I can still hear my input source. I assume I'm direct monitoring off the card, and not using ASIO.

Now on the 2 sets of outputs on the card I have, there is Main and Monitor. So when I use the Main set, all I hear is the music. When I use the Monitor set, I hear the music and the inputs. Is there a way to have only the inputs run through the Monitor outs? I'd rather not get a hardware mixer and all that jazz.

Internal Monitoring isn't going to work because I want to be able to punch in on tracks and apparently you can't listen to the input and the track at the same time.

[russ6100]

Now on the 2 sets of outputs on the card I have, there is Main and Monitor. So when I use the Main set, all I hear is the music. When I use the Monitor set, I hear the music and the inputs. Is there a way to have only the inputs run through the Monitor outs? I'd rather not get a hardware mixer and all that jazz.


You have to be able to mix between those 2.

My interface has a mix knob to mix between those 2.

Spend 50 bucks on a Behringer el-cheapo mixer and you'll be squared away.

Or spend more on a different audio interface.

[Denyle_Guitars]

Can't you just punch in to a new track.

Are you trying to monitor the live input before you hit the punch in marker? If so, you can set it auto punch in as usual but create a new track to monitor the live input prior to punch in. Ex., route ch. 1 to tk1 (with auto punch in on) & new tk2 (monitor on).

[cochese]

Ok. What I'm doing is using the soundcard. It has 2 inputs, 2 outputs, 2 monitor outputs. I'm monitoring using it. Not sure what you would call that. Turning "Direct Monitoring" on or off in Cubase doesn't do anything. I can still hear my input source. I assume I'm direct monitoring off the card, and not using ASIO.

Now on the 2 sets of outputs on the card I have, there is Main and Monitor. So when I use the Main set, all I hear is the music. When I use the Monitor set, I hear the music and the inputs. Is there a way to have only the inputs run through the Monitor outs? I'd rather not get a hardware mixer and all that jazz.

Internal Monitoring isn't going to work because I want to be able to punch in on tracks and apparently you can't listen to the input and the track at the same time.

You say your card has 2 sets of outputs. Outputs to where? How are you monitoring? Is your device setup for the soundcard or some other source?