I’m using some freeware VSTs like drumsource 1.0, and Osiris...In the drum machine vst, for example, it has the nifty user interface for playing a beat, and it uses some akai samples I downloaded as sounds...but when I select the VST instrument it creates a MIDI track, and does NOT record any audio.  It looks like it creates two seperate tracks the first one has meters going up and down as I play notes in the VST, the second just has the name of the VST and a place where itlooks like there should be meter readings, but doesn’t seem to be doing anything.  The 1st track has the pale green color and a little piano key symbol...the second is grey and has the data symbol.  So while I can hear the drum machine VST play I don’t understand how to get my project to record MIDI data AND sync the data to the sounds in order to make musical recordings.  I know this prolly seems like basic MIDI but any help would be great.

Hi, Based on your post, it’s hard to tell what stage you are at with the program or even what version of Cubase you might be using, but I’ll try to help if I can.

Re: “I downloaded as sounds...but when I select the VST instrument it creates a MIDI track, and does NOT record any audio.”
---Have you by chance done the tutorials that came with Cubase (on the Cubase disk), and do you understand what MIDI does and does not do?? I don’t mean that in a mean way. MIDI can only trigger a VSTi; it can’t produce audio on its own. The tutorials show you how to work with MIDI and VSTi(s) and cover important aspects of recording audio. BTW, what digital audio interface are you using, and how are getting audio in and out of Cubase?
You do not need to go the route of automatically creating a MIDI track when you open a VSTi. Simply say ‘No’ when it asks you if you want to do that. Load your VSTi into the Instrument Rack, create your own MIDI track and assign it to the VSTi on the correct channel. YOU can control what Cubase does.

Re: “It looks like it creates two seperate tracks the first one has meters going up and down as I play notes in the VST, the second just has the name of the VST and a place where itlooks like there should be meter readings, but doesn’t seem to be doing anything.”
---This suggests that you are unfamiliar with the Key or List Editors in Cubase, so please check them out. They will tell you immediately which track has useful MIDI data and which one doesn’t. Meters are for setting things like levels, not investigating MIDI data.

Re: “The 1st track has the pale green color and a little piano key symbol...the second is grey and has the data symbol.  So while I can hear the drum machine VST play I don’t understand how to get my project to record MIDI data AND sync the data to the sounds in order to make musical recordings.”
---Okay then, that suggests you definitely have not done the tutorials or read through the Getting Started Guide. So please do that first so that you become familiar with the basics, and after that if you have any questions, post them here and we’ll try to help. Track color can be any color you choose, so you can’t base any conclusions on that.

Finally, based on your subject line, here’s a link to a very informative Steinberg thread about creating audio using MIDI.

http://www.cubase.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=8773

Hope this helps...........frank

I found that the easiest way to do so is using reason as a slave module, and then get hardware such as a midi drum kit or keyboard to play it in. Reason’s sounds are awesome and works very well with cubase in slave mode.

Just a little tip…

http://www.promidibundledownload.com

Cubase has all the tools and more to do all of what the OP wants to do....and more, so Reason isn’t required at all. :) .................frank