Shared Rack Setup Question

What are you trying to achieve? There is probably another way to do this.

I have a pretty complicated studio setup, so let me tell you exactly what I want to do and a little bit about my setup so you can see the steps I need to go through ... and probably you'll also see why I am not that interested in devices! :)

My goal with HN2 and shortly, hopefully, with SFE it to record while tracking individual voices/ HN2 'instruments as audio directly into my DAW ... so I can then mix and manipulate audio prior to mix down.

In other words, each instrument from HN2 will ultimately be individually recorded ... although often first to midi in Cubase.

To do this I must set up my external synths to use multiple audio outputs ... which most are capable. But in each multi-timbral synth, I must assign specific outputs locked to a specific midi channel for this to work.

Now my audio comes out of my synths and I route it through an analog desk, A&H ZED R16, with ADAT outputs through my RME audio interface to Cubase.

I also need to have my desk setup so that when it takes the synth input it can be assigned to specific channels on the desk. That way I can generally EQ for, as an example, Drums always coming in on the same desk channel input/s. My desk has 16 channels. I also want the same voices coming into the deskat the same channel/s so I can work quickly in order always know exactly where to look on the desk depending if its bass, drums, guitar, keys, etc.

Cubase is the master of all the synth patching. I have patch scripts for most of my equipment assigned to specific synths and routed through 20 hardware midi ports with some from my interface and two Steinberg MIDEX8s with linear buffering. It is from here that I assign the midi input from HN2 to the different synths and set the patch.

To make all this work well from HN2 ... which after all only has 8 instruments, whatever bass patch or 'selected sound' I use, I always want it to be on Channel 2 so I NEVER have to reset everything coming through Cubase down the line.

As several of these synths are both multi-timbal, multi-output and GM Mode compatible, those are the ones I intend to primarily use while arranging/ prototyping in HN2.

This is why I do not want the basic band instruments ... Keys, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Strings, etc., to be dynamically assigned.

Does this clarify why this issue is so important to me?

Prado

That's pretty much sounds like what I have been trying to do.

But there are gaps in my understanding for carrying out your suggestion.

1. To create the 'template device,' do you mean I just add the names in the panel 'Selected Sounds' panel at the right, assign each a channel and select a midi port on the left in the Loaded Devices Panel ... save that and I'm done? 

Add another bank and init it with GM sounds from the menu.

2. This other bank, does it need to be connected to a port at all? Or do I just go select the device from the by highlighting it in the Loaded Devices Panel and  add it to my instruments ... but it will bring the definition to the locked in port and channel of the existing instruments in a song?

BTW ... this was the idea I was tyring to explain before. Why couldn't one of these GM definitions be dragged or copy/ pasted right to the 'Interpretation' parameter of the instrument hosting a phrase? Beyond the patch/ bank info, you must already be using this info for prototyping, no?

In a new song, copy that device with "Insert Device Description" to the MIDI type instrument.

3. Lost me here. Is this copy the device from the gm init bank?  ... or from the device i created with the channels for Cubase?

4. I see how from a midi type instrument you can insert device descriptions ... but I don't get if you must first use the Cubase device to set the channel by inserting the definition and then next inserting the GM description.

Or are you saying somehow it is supposed to default to my Cubase device, then I go in and change it from Shared Rack to Midi and then I import the GM description. If this is correct how do I set the song up to default to the Cubase shared rack to begin with?

Prado

My questions may end up in the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" category.

Things seem to be working by setting all the bass patches to one midi channel and then unticking it so it isn't free. I can then load any other GM bass patch in the same instrument!

Hurrah!

Now all I have to do is set up 16 categories/ channels and assign the similar GM patches to the same channel.

I've got my fingers' crossed ... I will let you know if it works out. The best of both worlds ... a Shared Rack and instrument type locked midi channels.

Prado

I'm almost there, Janamdo!

Prado

Double bummer!

1. What I had setup didn't work for importing a midi file to an instrument. In the dialog it only showed the shared instrument locked to the midi channel. In other words ... if it is the Bass on channel 2, every track in the midi file is liisted as 'Bass' instead of the name of the original GM patch. First bummer ... won't work for importing or, obviously, for creating sketches.

2. Mega bigger bummer when I tried to reset/ delete the device I was making ... now got no sounds. Have tried everything. There is midi activity in the instruments in the rack ... but no output ... even though I used the same midi loopback port connected as before between HN2 and my module. In Audio & Midi Setup/ Device Descriptions I cannot get any probe to work on any instrument no matter what I try, including closing and reopening all programs.

Is there a 'total purge/ reset' to get everything back to fresh install and break all these links to midi enabled songs?

At the moment I am so frustrated. I've spent an entire 8 hour day ending worse off than I started. I thought with the time and effort I'd have 'nailed it' ... but instead I feel like someone kicked the crap out of me.

The only positive thing right now is that tomorrow is another day.

Prado

OK ... I got my sound back. Who knows if it was the program, the virtual midi cable or the software module!

And it's still the same day. :0

I created a 'dummy' device without definitionis. Change shared to midi in each instrument, selected the midi port I associated with the 'dummy device,' inserted definitions from the Interal GM Synth in the order I wanted with the basic instruments for my 'band' for 8 channels and saved it as a sketch.

Damn, I don't want to get my hopes up too high ... but it seems to be working perfectly.

Prado

Oh, Well ... not I've just spent two hours on my desktop trying to replicate what worked here on my laptop with no success.

Good night.

Prado