Steinberg Controllers for WaveLab 7

I recently bought Steinberg WaveLab 7 for an upcoming project I'm planning, and since I know I'm going to be spending many hours inside that program, I wanted some kind of hardware controller to minimize the mouse work required to edit my audio files.

Steinberg makes a number of great hardware controllers, but the devices were all primarily designed for Cubase. They are not general-purpose MIDI controllers, and in fact only recently (with WaveLab 7.2) were any of them supported by WaveLab.

I have not found ANY official location that describes the WaveLab compatibility with Steinberg's controllers, but here's the info I've gathered both through personal experience and by prodding Steinberg staff at their official forums.

The king of Steinberg's hardware controllers is the Steinberg CC121 Advanced Integration Controller. This device is fully supported in WaveLab for both Mac and PC, but on both OSes you need to have both WaveLab 7.2.1 and the 1.7.4 version of "TOOLS for CC121." When you have the 7.2.1 WaveLab update, you'll find a page called "CC121 Advanced Integration Controller" in the program's built-in help documentation, which describes all the device's mappings. One thing worth noting is that in WaveLab, the CC121's EQ controls only handle EQ duties when the "EQ TYPE" button is lit on the device and you have mouse focus on an instance of the StudioEQ plugin. If EQ TYPE is unlit, then the knobs are all mapped to different WaveLab functions.

I have found literally zero official documentation about the smaller CMC series controllers, but according to a Steinberg rep at the forums, the following CMC devices are supported by WaveLab 7.2.1: CMC-AI, CMC-CH, CMC-QC, and CMC-TP. I imagine the mappings match what Steinberg did for the CC121, so the built-in help documentation for the CC121 is probably worth a read if you have the CMC controllers.

SOLUTION: Black Borders Around Screen on Dell S2440L Monitor

I just bought a Dell S2440L Monitor , and was initially surprised (and a little apprehensive) when I unpacked it to discover that it only had VGA and HDMI ports, no DVI. (I'd previously had some bad experiences with HDMI-only connections on PCs.)

Anyway, my fears seemed confirmed when I logged into Windows for the first time with the S2440L connected. While my screen resolution was correct (1920x1080), there was a large black border around the viewable portion of my screen; the Windows desktop did not fill the whole screen.

I could not find any settings in the monitor's own menu options that made any difference, and changing refresh rates had no positive effects.

I should note that I have an ATI Radeon HD 5700 series graphics card and, and I eventually stumbled across a poorly documented feature of the ATI software that was causing the problem. Here's how to fix it on Windows 7:

1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Display.
2. Click Adjust Resolution, then click Advanced Settings.
3. On the Catalyst Control Center tab, click Catalyst Control Center. After a while, the Catalyst Control Center dialog should appear.
4. On the left side of the dialog, click My Digital Flat-Panels, and then click Scaling Options (Digital Flat-Panel).
5. On my computer, the Scaling Options slider was set somewhere in the middle. Slide it all the way to the right (the "Overscan" direction), to 0%. You should see an immediate change.
6. Click Apply, and then close the Control Center.

UPDATE: I recently bought a Dell S2415H monitor and discovered I had exactly the same issue with it as my S2440L. I actually did a web search for my own blog post to remember how to fix it.

Dumping MKS-50 Patch and Tone Data to MIDI Quest

Sound Quest MIDI Quest 10 XL is a powerful patch editor and librarian for vintage synthesizers, but depending on the specific synth you're working with, there are often a number of manual steps involved in loading data from your device into the MIDI Quest application. Here are complete instructions for getting all patch, tone, and chord data from a Roland MKS-50 into MIDI Quest 10. The steps for dumping data from an Alpha Juno 1 or Alpha Juno 2 are probably similar, just slightly simplified due to their lack of patch banks or chord memory.

The MKS-50 has two patch banks (A and B) and two tone banks (a and b). MIDI Quest can only deal with one bank at a time. So to load the entire set of patches and tones from your device, you’ll have to follow these steps twice, choosing the correct bank option each time. Also note that there are two patch and tone banks, but only one Chord Memory bank. You can skip that one the second time around.

1. After confirming that your MKS-50 MIDI settings are correct in MIDI Quest, click the Get button. MIDI Quest will open a window that says: Roland MKS-50 Patch Bank
2. On the MKS-50, press the DATA TRANSFER button, then use the PARAM controls to select Bulk*Dump (do not use Bulk-Dump) and use the VALUE controls to select the patch bank you’d like to load (P-A or P-B).
3. Press WRITE. MIDI Quest will load the selected bank and the screen will now say Roland MKS-50 Patch.
4. If you don't want to load an individual patch now, click Cancel in MIDI Quest and skip to step 6. Otherwise, press TUNE / MIDI on the MKS-50 and use the PARAM controls to select TX PATCH APR, then use the VALUE controls to select ON.
5. Press TONE to exit the MIDI menu, then press PATCH, and then enter the number of a patch to select. (For example, 1, 1 will select patch A11, PolySynth1.) MIDI Quest will now say it is receiving Roland MKS-50 Tone Bank.
6. Press DATA TRANSFER and use PARAM to select Bulk*Dump. Use VALUE to choose the tone bank you wish to load (T-a or T-b).
7. Press WRITE. MIDI Quest loads the bank and then says it’s receiving Roland MKS-50 Tone.
8. If you don't want to load an individual patch now, click Cancel in MIDI Quest and skip to step 10. Otherwise press TUNE / MIDI on the MKS-50 and use PARAM to select TX TONE APR, then use VALUE to select ON.
9. Press PATCH to exit the MIDI menu, then press TONE, and then enter the number of a tone to select. (For example, 1, 1 will select tone a11, PolySynth1.) MIDI Quest will now say it is receiving Roland MKS-50 Chord Bank.
10. Press DATA TRANSFER and use PARAM to select Bulk*Dump. Use VALUE to choose CM.
11. Press WRITE. MIDI Quest loads the bank and then says it’s receiving Roland MKS-50 Chord.
12. If you don’t care about loading a specific chord memory selection, press Cancel in MIDI Quest now. Otherwise, press TUNE / MIDI and use PARAM to select TX C.M. APR, then use VALUE to select ON.
13. Press TONE to exit the MIDI menu, then press PATCH, and then enter the number of a patch to select. (For example, 1, 1 will select patch A11, PolySynth1.) Note- the patch you select must already have the chord mode you wish to upload applied to it. You only get one chance to select the patch.
14. Use PARAM to select ASSIGN MODE, and then use VALUE to choose C.M.
15. Use PARAM to select CHORD MEM NO. and then use VALUE to choose a specific chord slot.

How To Upgrade the Roland MKS-70 ROMs

The Roland MKS-70 Super JX is a classic Eighties synthesizer that packs the power of two Roland JX-8Ps into a single 2U rack module. While the MKS-70's sound is still sought after today, most units on the second-hand market have old ROMs that don't support the ability to send SysEx commands to both of the device's internal synth modules. This presents a problem for artists wishing to perform automation on complex synth patches or editing those patches via MIDI.

How to tell if you need to upgrade

First off, the MKS-70 contains three EPROMs: The main ROM (A), which is on the synth's assigner board, and the two module ROMs (B and C), located on its module boards (one board for each synth part). You need to have version 1.08 of the main ROM and version 1.06 of the module ROMs to be fully up-to-date.

While there is no way to see the module ROM version without cracking the synth open, you can see the version of the assigner board ROM by pressing and holding the VALUE button on the front of the unit while powering the device on. The ROM version will appear on the display for seven seconds.

If you have main ROM version 1.03 or earlier, you will need to replace all three EPROMs in order to get full SysEx capabilities. You may wish to do some more research on this, but general consensus is that if you have 1.04 or later, you only need to replace the assigner board ROM.

My MKS-70 had version 1.03 of both the assigner and module ROMs, so I had to replace all of them.

Where to get new EPROMs

As the time of this writing, there are several options available for obtaining the latest ROMs for your MKS-70.

Roland Service Center

Up until some time in 2012, Roland USA upgraded the EPROMs for free if you sent yours in to them and covered shipping costs. When I called them in early 2013, however, they said that they will now only accept full MKS-70 units shipped to them, and they will perform the upgrade at a rate of $80 per hour (in 15-minute increments), plus shipping. It may be different at service centers outside of the United States. If you wish to go this route, make sure you have your serial number on hand and call them at 323-890-3740. Their USA service center is in Los Angeles.

Burning your own

If you own an EPROM burner, you can upgrade your own EPROMs or burn new ones using ROM image files obtained from other users. Just search around on the most common synth forums and you're bound to find someone willing to share.

Obtaining replacements

You can also simply buy new pre-burned EPROMs to replace your existing ones. At the time of this writing, you can get these from several places:

• Synth Parts (USA). Email the owner for details. (This is where I got mine.)
• KiwiTechnics (New Zealand). Use the Contact form to contact the owner.
• Vintage Planet (The Netherlands). ROMs listed separately or as a bundle.
• eBay (worldwide). I've seen the ROM sets up here for various prices.

Replacing the EPROMs

I was very nervous about doing this, but it turned out to not be very difficult. Here's a walkthrough of my successful upgrade from 1.03.

Tools required

I used the following tools to perform the upgrade:

• Phillips screwdriver
• Small flat-head screwdriver
• Pliers (needed these to unscrew some posts inside the machine)
• IC extractor (you can use a small flat-head screwdriver if you don't have one of these)

Opening up the case

First off, with the synth disconnected and in a well-lit area, remove the single screw on the rear of the lid.

I removed the rack ears, but after having the device apart, it looks like it was unnecessary to completely remove them- however the forward screw on each side appeared to fasten to the front of the unit, so at least remove that one.

Next, remove the six circled screws on the bottom of the device. In my case, the lips on each side of the top cover appeared to be sealed to the bottom of the case. I used a small flat-head screwdriver to gently pop the seal and free the top cover.

Replacing ROM C

After turning the unit over, remove the top cover by sliding it toward the rear. The first thing you should see is the top module board, where ROM C resides. (Mine was clearly labeled, including version number.) Carefully replace the EPROM and then remove the four circled screws.

Replacing ROM B

Swivel the top module board out of the way (I supported it with a couple small boxes placed next to the synth) to reveal the second module board, containing ROM B. Replace the EPROM and then remove the circled posts. Mine were actually sealed to the board, and I had to use pliers to loosen them. I also disconnected the cable circled on the left to allow this board to swivel more freely.

Replacing ROM A

Swiveling up the second module board fully reveals the assigner board, home of ROM A. You might want to ask a friend to hold the module board out of the way, since at least in my case it didn't go up enough to stay in a fixed position- but I managed to replace the EPROM one-handed.

Putting it back together and testing

After checking that all your EPROMs are firmly seated, reconnect any cables and replace any screws you removed, then replace and fasten the top cover. After re-connecting your MKS-70, try sending SysEx to both synth parts in a patch that uses both tones. If you're a Cubase user you can easily do this with the MKS-70 MIDI device panel available at Cykong. Before the upgrade, the second virtual PG-800 in the panel did nothing, but now it adjusts the second tone. Yes!

SOLUTION: MIDI Feedback Loop with Roland MKS-80

I was so stoked to hear my newly-acquired MKS-80, my first-ever in-person experience with the legendary synth. I hooked up the MIDI and audio cables, set up my device connections in Cubase, and started playing- but to my horror, instead of hearing glorious phat basses and creamy pads, I was assailed with loud, distorted, frenzied noise. My eyes darted over to the MKS where I noticed the MIDI MESSAGE light flashing on and off, even though I was no longer holding down any keys. This was bad.

I re-powered the unit and tried again, with the same results. Next, I tried it out in Ableton Live, and still nothing changed. Uh-oh.

Well, after a fair number of unproductive internet searches, I did some more experimenting and figured out that if I unplugged the MIDI Out cable, the unit worked fine. It appears that the MKS-80's MIDI Out port operates a little like a MIDI Thru port, and the behavior is the same regardless of what position the unit's MIDI FUNCTION switch is in. Luckily this is pretty easy to work around in both Cubase and Live.

In Cubase: On any MKS-80 MIDI tracks, open up the track inspector and change your MIDI Input Routing from "All MIDI Inputs" to your primary MIDI controller. In my case, I selected my AKAI MPK49.

In Live: On any MKS-80 MIDI tracks, change the MIDI From setting from "All Ins" to your MIDI controller.

Whew. What a relief!

Nexus Preset Organizer for reFX Nexus2

While I greatly admire the quality of the Nexus2 sound library and find the plugin very helpful when sketching out new tracks, one of my biggest complaints about it was the way it categorizes its sounds. Instruments in the factory library are categorized by instrument type, but as you install expansions, all expansion files are tucked away into individual folders, separate from the factory sounds, and not categorized by type.

You can set up your own search lists inside Nexus2, but those aren't really ideal for readability. I decided to address this issue by writing a program that creates new instrument category folders and combines instruments from across all expansions and the factory library. This is the Nexus Preset Organizer.

How to get it

You can download the program here. It should work fine on all versions of Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. (I have personally tested on XP/32, Win 7/64, and Win 8/64.) The ZIP file includes a PDF with complete instructions.

How to use it

I uploaded a YouTube video describing what the program does, and how to use it:

Check the PDF file in the download for more detailed instructions.

Like the music?

The background music for my video was an original composition I did using Nexus2 as my only instrument. If you liked the music, here it is on my SoundCloud:

Note: If you're unable to play the song, it's probably because you're using Firefox. SoundCloud doesn't work too well on Firefox, I'm afraid. :(

Using the Blofeld Virtual Editor on Live and Cubase

I love my Waldorf Blofeld desktop synthesizer (), but due to how my room’s set up, I can’t reach its controls or read its display when I’m at my computer. I was very pleased to learn about the free Blofeld Virtual Editor for Windows that you can use to edit Blofeld patches from your PC.

The editor runs as a VST plugin in a DAW or VST host, but there’s one major drawback- the editor needs exclusive access to your Blofeld’s MIDI ports; if your DAW is configured to “see” the Blofeld’s ports, you won’t be able to use them in the editor. And an unfortunate side-effect of this limitation is that once you configure your DAW to let the editor control the Blofeld’s MIDI ports, you can no longer send MIDI notes to the device... so unless you’ve got one of the Blofelds that has its own keyboard, you won’t have any way to test out your patches while you’re editing them!

Turns out there is a way to use the editor AND send MIDI notes to the Blofeld at the same time. And here’s how to do it:

Before You Start

1. Download the Blofeld Virtual Editor from here.
2. Copy the DLL file into your 32-bit plugins folder. For example, on my system, I keep all my 32-bit VSTs in: C:\Program Files (x86)\Vstplugins
3. Load up your DAW and make sure you can load the plugin.
4. Make sure you have a USB connection to your Blofeld. Full functionality of the editor is only possible with USB.
5. Plug a 5-pin MIDI cable into an available MIDI OUT port on any MIDI interface or device you may have available, and plug the other end of the cable into the MIDI IN port in the back of your Blofeld. Both the Blofeld’s MIDI and USB ports should now be occupied.

Setting up the Virtual Editor in Ableton Live

1. Create a new Live Set and delete the initial Audio track, leaving just a MIDI track.

2. Go to Options > Preferences > MIDI Sync and make sure the “Waldorf Blofeld” MIDI Input and Output ports are set to Off. (The Blofeld Virtual Editor won’t be able to access the ports if Live is still using them.)

3. Find BlofeldVirtualEditor in your Plug-In Devices browser and drop it on the project’s MIDI track. If the plugin window doesn’t appear, click the little wrench on the BlofeldVirtualEditor device at the bottom of the screen.

4. In the Blofeld Virtual Editor window, select Waldorf Blofeld for both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT.

5. Click Get Patch in the bottom of the editor window. It should load the patch currently active on your Blofeld device into the editor.

6. Back in Live, create a new MIDI track and drag an External Instrument device onto it.

7. In the External Instrument device, set MIDI To to the physical MIDI port that will be sending MIDI notes to your Blofeld (in my example, I'm using the MIDI out from my Virus TI). Next, set Audio From to the audio input ports where your Blofeld sends its audio output. If you don’t see the desired port listed in the MIDI To list, you might need to make sure that port is turned on in the Track column of Options > Preferences > MIDI Sync. The same goes for the Audio ports, which are activated in Options > Preferences > Audio > Input Config.

8. Now, as long as the MIDI track is armed for recording, you can play notes on your keyboard controller while tweaking away at your blofeld patch in the virtual editor! (Be sure to read the PDF manual that comes with the editor, as it covers some things unrelated to getting things working in your DAW.)

Setting up the Virtual Editor in Cubase

1. Launch Cubase and start with a new, empty project.

2. Go to Devices > Device Setup > MIDI Port Setup and uncheck any boxes for the Blofeld MIDI ports so that the State column says Inactive, then click OK. (If you don’t do this, the Blofeld Virtual Editor won’t be able to communicate with your device.)

3. Go to Devices > VST Instruments and load BlofeldVirtualEditor into one of your VST slots. When Cubase asks if you want to create a MIDI track, click Yes.

4. In the MIDI Inspector of the newly-created track, click the Edit Instrument (keyboard) icon to open up the editor window.

5. In the Blofeld Virtual Editor window, select Waldorf Blofeld for both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT.

6. Click Get Patch in the bottom of the editor window. It should load the patch currently active on your Blofeld device into the editor.

7. Back in Cubase, add a new MIDI track to the project. Set the MIDI “Output Routing” to the MIDI port that’s physically connected to your Blofeld’s MIDI IN port. In my case, it’s the Virus TI MIDI port. Also set the channel to one that your Blofeld will recognize (1 should work). If you play some keys on your controller while this track is armed, you should see the MIDI activity light on your Blofeld blink- you won’t be able to hear anything yet.

8. Add an audio track to your project. For Input Routing in the audio inspector of the track, select the input bus of your Blofeld’s stereo outputs. I named my bus “Blofeld Audio.” If you don’t have a viable choice in the Input Routing menu, you will need to set up a bus for your synth in Devices > VST Connections > Inputs.

9. Click the Monitor (speaker) button on the Audio track, then select the MIDI track and play notes. You should be able to hear notes you play now, and so long as the MIDI track is armed you’ll be able to audition sounds as you tweak them in the editor. Don't forget to read the PDF manual for the Virtual Editor. It will cover the rest.