MIDI Track Not Working in Studio One Six

Windows/Mac DAW guides (VST/AU)
1

I’ve got a frustrating noob problem with Midi Guitar 2 in Studio One: I can’t get the VST to work in Studio One Six Sphere. I’m using the Presonus 68c interface, and a Mac (Intel, not silicon).

As a stand-alone, the app works brilliantly, but I get no sound when I use the plug-in, except under the unusual circumstance noted below. I’m sure I’m just not setting it up in the DAW properly.

I’m doing my best to follow Jam Origin’s instructions: I set up a stereo audio track for my guitar - the sound output is fine. I drop the Midi Guitar 2 VST onto the track. The guitar output registers visually on the DAW and the box, but I can’t hear anything, because there’s no instrument through which I’m routing. All good so far.

I add a new instrument track. Here’s the first indication I may have set up something wrong. Jam Origin’s instructions tell me to choose as input “Midi Guitar 2 | Channel 1” from the full list of Midi channel options. But the only options I have are “None,” “All Inputs | Any,” “Nektar keyboard | Any,” and “Midi Guitar 2 | Midi Callback.” There’s no list of individual midi channels - just Callback.

I add a new instrument track - say, a Mai Tai synth. Set the input as Midi Guitar 2. Set output as Mai Tai. And… nothing. No sound at all.

I’m assuming it’s something with the Midi I/O settings, about which I’m pretty stupid.

One additional clue: I went into the mixer, called up the MG2 VST control screen, and on the right, where it’s got options for Tool, Instrument, and Preferences, I clicked on Instrument. It read “No Instrument,” and gave me the option to select any of my VST instruments. I selected Komplete Control and then one of its instruments and loaded it. IT PLAYED! - but it played and recorded only as an audio track on that first audio track - it didn’t route through to the midi track.

I read through the other threads in this forum -

and

Studio One - no midi from Midi Guitar 2 - #6 by Paul

and the most material thing I can figure out is that I’m not being offered all the MIDI banks to do the proper routing. I know this is supposed to all go in and out of Channel 1. As I noted above, in the track settings for the instrument track, I’m only offered “Midi Guitar 2 | Midi Callback,” but no list of individual channels. When I look at the track settings to the right of the track and open them up, I see MG2 listed as an input device and Komplete Kontrol as an output, but no channel drop-down next to them.

Any idea what I should do to make this route correctly so I can get it working properly? Thank you in advance.

2

I have Studio One v6 Pro and an 1810c audio interface. If you upload a simple song file with MG2 and Mai Tai, I’ll check it.

3

Hi John, thank you for this offer! Two questions: You mean upload the stems? And, to be clear, the instrument track is just empty - you’d still be able to tell something?

4

No, not stems (if you have no audio, you have no stems).

I mean the .SONG file. I assume that you created a new song from the Blank template. It should have two tracks, an audio track for your guitar input, with MIDIGuitar 2 dropped on it, and an Instrument track with MIDIGuitar 2 as the source, with Mai Tai or Presence or Mojito dropped on it (any Studio One Pro synth, so I’m sure to have it).

I need to check your routing and configuration.

5

Ah, okay, but before I do, I think I located the source of the problem - although I still do t know how to fix it… and maybe you do.

I noticed belatedly that the only MG2 plug-ins showing up in my S1 FX browser are the AU units. The VSTs aren’t showing up, neither in the browser or the plug-in manager. This is so even though I’ve specifically set preferences to scan the library folders they’re in.

Does S16 not work with some VSTs?

If not, are there workarounds so that the AU plug-ins can output to midi tracks? I seem to recall that they aren’t fully compatible.

Thanks in advance.

6

John, was trying to send you the .SONG file but these forums won’t let me. Here’s the message: “Sorry, the file you are trying to upload is not authorized (authorized extensions: jpg, jpeg, png, gif, lua, opatch, pdf, mp3, aiff, wav, mp4).”

Anyway, per my earlier note, I think I’ve now ascertained that the issue is that S16 won’t work with 32-bit VST plugins, so I appear to be stuck with the AU plugins, which I guess won’t record to midi tracks. But if you know otherwise, please lemme know! Thanks again for your offer.

7

Why haven’t you installed the 64-bit versions of MG2 and MB? Inquiring minds…

I’m on Windows, so can’t speak directly to your question re a workaround for not being able to route MIDI output from an audio channel with AU plugins. Just a frustrating limitation of that format.

On a slightly different note, I’m happy this came up, although I’m still sympathetic to your problem. I bought a new DAW laptop and installed SO on it, but never checked the Locations in Options. Wow! There were some default folders that didn’t even exist, so I cleaned all of that up.

If you still have issues if/once you install the 84-bit versions of the VSTs, I’ll give you my email address and you can send the .SONG file to me that way.

8

Funny you mention this. When I first got S1 and downloaded it, it placed the app, of course, snd all the ancillary files to my local Mac hard drive. I didn’t want the plug-ins there; I wanted them on an external drive where I’ve got 500 gigs of room for music. I REALLY messed it up, and pretty soon had song folders and songset folders and VST folders proliferating everywhere. That took me several days to figure out.

I won’t burden you with my .SONG file yet. I’ve got two paths I think you and John Cat have uncovered - the freeware may only be 32-bit, and I may have mistakenly downloaded the pre- OS 10.14 version. I’m going to try to remedy that today, and see if I can record midi. If not, I’ll come back to you.

All this said, MG2 is quite amazing, and even if I can only work in audio, the sounds I have access to are spectacular.