H9000/Emote Cubase Integration

[tbskoglund]

federicogh wrote:

Hi Everyone,

Forgive me if this is a dumb question… I just got a H9000R and for the life of me I can't figure out how to route things properly in Cubase Elements 11. I have managed to use the H9000 as a send by manually setting up a bus and hooking things up in Emote. However I can't seem to be able to use it as an insert. When I put it as Insert on a track, I can't figure out how I am supposed to hook up the connections in Emote. I have tried anything I could think of and I still don't get any signal into Emote (when using as an insert).

Also a related question… I want to use the H9000 as my only interface. Do I always need to setup an FX chain as a "through" from USB input to analog out in order to get audio out of my monitors (which are connected directly to the H9000 analog out)?

 

Thanks in advance for your help,

 

Federico

Hi Federico, 

First, can you tell me if you're using Windows or Mac? Are you connecting the H9k to your computer/DAW via USB? 

Can you give me a bit more information about how you were able to successfully route audio using a send/bus in Cubase? If you're able to get this to work then it seems like your H9k is connected properly. Have you used external audio devices as inserts with Cubase before? This youtube tutorial is a good starting point if you're not familiar with the concepts – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-N-9AGlrXk

 

To use your H9k as an audio interface, instead of using an FX chain with the “through” algorithm, you can use the “Direct I/O” signal chain located next to the other FX chains and route your USB input to the Analog output there. This way you'll still be able to use all 4 FX chains. With this setup, be sure to use caution with the volume levels that you are sending out to your monitors since there is currently no monitor control on the H9k.

 

More details about the Direct I/O signal chain can be found on page 22 of the H9000 user manual – https://downloads.eventide.com/audio/manuals/h9000/H9000UsersManual.pdf

[federicogh]

Thanks for the quick reply. My setup is as follows:

– Windows 10

– Cubase elements 11

– H9k connected via USB, as the only audio interface.

– USB input 1/2 on the H9k are connected to Analog Out 1/2 on the back of the H9K in a through chain (thanks for the pointer to the Direct connection, but I want to change one thing at the time 🙂 )

– Analog Out 1/2 on the Back of the H9K are physically connected to my speaker monitors

With this setup I am able to hear sound coming out of the DAW (or any other Windows application, e.g. spotify, for that matter)

Now I am trying to use the H9K an effects unit on specific tracks and this is where I am having troubles.

 

What I have managed to do, in order to use the H9k as a send is as follows:

1) Create an output bus in cubase to port 3/4 on the H9K (it says Analogue 3/4 on the cubase interface but actually seems to work as USB in Emote (see below))

2) Send an instrument track in cubase to that output bus

3) In emote connect USB 3/4 as the input of the chain

4) Create an input bus in cubase to port 3/4 on the H9K

5) In emote connect USB 3/4 as the output of the chain

6) Create a new track in Cubase that listens to the input bus created at point 4

7) Now I can either activate monitoring of the track to listen to it, or record to it in Cubase

The above works, even though it feels like i am overcomplicating (?). Anyways the track i create at point 7 is the wet signal from the H9K, and i can hear it through the monitors and record it, so that’s good.

 

Now i’d like to try and use the H9K as an insert in cubase (like I would use a regular plugin). The problem is when I do that, i have no idea how I am supposed to setup the connections in Emote. If I use USB 1/2 as input, everything gets fed into the chain (as USB 1/2 is the main stereo out in cubase). I tried using all of the other USB inputs in Emote but none of them seem to be receiving sound from Cubase. Similarly, I have no idea how to set up the outputs in Emote. In other words, when using as Insert, i don’t know which USB channels are being fed with audio (and are going to receive audio), so i don’t know how to setup connections in Emote.

I have watched the video you sent, but that seems to be a different case, as it relates to external effects that are physically connected to the interface, not USB connections, and also results in a send-type setup not an insert.

Hope the above explanation makes sense, please let me know if you need more info

Thanks

 

Federico

 

[tpluta]

Hi Federico,

Keep in mind that the Emote VST is only used to control the H9000. It does not send audio to your H9000. It doesn't matter where you place it as the audio passing through it will be unaffected. If the H9000 is connected to your computer via USB and you want to use its effects, audio must be routed in your DAW to and from the appropriate USB inputs and outputs.

The video my colleague posted above shows how to use Cubase Pro 11's "External FX" functionality. "External FX" allows you to create a group of audio interface outputs and inputs which function as an effect send and return. Once the External FX group is created in the VST Connections window, you can use the effect just like you would use a VST effect, except it will show up under the "External Plug-ins" tab. This is how I typically use the H9000 with Cubase. (Note that in the video, the "External Plug-in" is used on an FX Channel as a send, but it could just as easily be placed as an insert on any other channel.)

However, according to Steinberg's documentation, it seems like this "External FX" functionality is only included in Cubase Pro 11, and it is not available in Cubase Elements 11. The only way I can think of to use an external audio effect in Cubase Elements is to use two tracks how you described: one track as a send to the effect (USB 3/4, in your case), and a separate audio track as a return (with USB 3/4 as the input).

https://steinberg.help/cubase_pro_artist/v9/en/cubase_nuendo/topics/audio_effects/audio_effects_external_effects_c.html

I'll get back to you if I can think of a better way of doing this in Cubase Elements, but it doesn't seem like there is one. In any case, it seems like you are routing audio correctly within the H9000 itself in the steps you described.

[federicogh]

Thanks for your help, I just have a couple of leftover questions to recap and confirm my understanding.

1) Because the Emote VST plugin controls the global state of the H9000 it doesn’t really matter where you place it in your DAW session, on which track etc. The main advantage of using Emote as a VST plugin (as opposed to the standalone application) is the fact that the current state of the unit is saved as part of your DAW project, because the Emote VST plugin state is saved. Is that correct?

2) The advantage of using the External Effect option in Cubase is that you can set it up once, and then audio will always be routed the same way. However it sounds like what I am doing is functionally exactly (?) equivalent, except for the fact it involves more manual setup. Do you think that’s the case?

Thanks again

 

Federico

[federicogh]

Hi Everyone,

Forgive me if this is a dumb question… I just got a H9000R and for the life of me I can’t figure out how to route things properly in Cubase Elements 11. I have managed to use the H9000 as a send by manually setting up a bus and hooking things up in Emote. However I can’t seem to be able to use it as an insert. When I put it as Insert on a track, I can’t figure out how I am supposed to hook up the connections in Emote. I have tried anything I could think of and I still don’t get any signal into Emote (when using as an insert).

Also a related question… I want to use the H9000 as my only interface. Do I always need to setup an FX chain as a “through” from USB input to analog out in order to get audio out of my monitors (which are connected directly to the H9000 analog out)?

 

Thanks in advance for your help,

 

Federico

[federicogh]

Ok thanks everyone for the help. Look forward to exploring the unit now that I have understood how to use it properly! 🙂

 

[tbskoglund]

federicogh wrote:

Thanks for your help, I just have a couple of leftover questions to recap and confirm my understanding.

1) Because the Emote VST plugin controls the global state of the H9000 it doesn't really matter where you place it in your DAW session, on which track etc. The main advantage of using Emote as a VST plugin (as opposed to the standalone application) is the fact that the current state of the unit is saved as part of your DAW project, because the Emote VST plugin state is saved. Is that correct?

2) The advantage of using the External Effect option in Cubase is that you can set it up once, and then audio will always be routed the same way. However it sounds like what I am doing is functionally exactly (?) equivalent, except for the fact it involves more manual setup. Do you think that's the case?

Thanks again

 

Federico

 

You are correct that it doesn't matter where you put the Emote plug-in in your DAW, it will function the same wherever it is placed and only a single instance is needed. Another very useful feature of using Emote as a plug-in is being able to use automation in your DAW.

I'll have to refer you to my colleague for your Cubase specific question, but I believe you are correct in that it's just a different way of accomplishing the same thing. 

[tpluta]

federicogh wrote:

Thanks for your help, I just have a couple of leftover questions to recap and confirm my understanding.

1) Because the Emote VST plugin controls the global state of the H9000 it doesn't really matter where you place it in your DAW session, on which track etc. The main advantage of using Emote as a VST plugin (as opposed to the standalone application) is the fact that the current state of the unit is saved as part of your DAW project, because the Emote VST plugin state is saved. Is that correct?

2) The advantage of using the External Effect option in Cubase is that you can set it up once, and then audio will always be routed the same way. However it sounds like what I am doing is functionally exactly (?) equivalent, except for the fact it involves more manual setup. Do you think that's the case?

Thanks again

 

Federico

Regarding the Cubase question:

If you use two tracks (one that outputs to the H9000 and another as a return track) and monitor only the return track, that should sound the same as using an "External Plug-in" as an insert. The "External FX" can be dragged in like a plugin and it does the send and return for you.

So I think you're right: what you're doing should sound the same, it just involves more work.

[Author]

Posts