This article explains how to route MIDI from Komplete Kontrol to a separate Instrument Track or MIDI Track in Cubase 8. This is useful if you want to use the Komplete Kontrol Smart Play functions (Scale and Arp) to control third-party plug-ins loaded in Cubase or external hardware devices. You will learn how to send MIDI from the Komplete Kontrol plug-in to:
- another Instrument Track to control a third-party plug-in.
- another MIDI Track, to control an external hardware device.
Routing MIDI from Komplete Kontrol to Another Instrument Track
- Load Komplete Kontrol in an Instrument Track in Cubase. Please read this article from our Knowledge Base to learn how to insert an NI plug-in in Cubase 8.
- Right-click on the Tracklist and choose Add Instrument Track... from the context menu to create a new Instrument Track which will receive MIDI from Komplete Kontrol.
- In the Add Instrument Track dialog, choose the instrument you want to load from the drop-down menu. In this example, we select HALion Sonic SE.
- Click Add Track to create the new Instrument Track.
- In the Inspector of the Instrument Track, click the Input Routing drop-down menu (by default it is set to All MIDI Inputs) and select 01.Komplete Kontrol - MIDI Out.
Note: 01. here stands for the Cubase Instrument Track number where Komplete Kontrol is loaded.
- Finally, make sure that either or both the Record Enable and the Monitor buttons are activated, if not the Instrument Track will not respond to the MIDI sent from Komplete Kontrol. When the Monitor button is active, the Instrument Track will respond to MIDI at all times. When the Record Enable button in activated, the Instrument Track will only respond to MIDI when the Instrument Track is on focus.
The MIDI events generated by Komplete Kontrol will now control the plug-in loaded in the Instrument Track we have created.
Routing MIDI from Komplete Kontrol to an External Hardware Device
- Load Komplete Kontrol in an Instrument Track in Cubase. Please read this article from our Knowledge Base to learn how to insert an NI plug-in in Cubase 8.
- Once Komplete Kontrol is loaded you must create a new MIDI Track which will receive MIDI from Komplete Kontrol. Right-click on the Tracklist and choose Add MIDI Track...
- In the Add MIDI Track dialog, you can give your MIDI Track a name. In our example, we name it External MIDI. Once done, press the Add Track button to proceed.
- In the Inspector of the MIDI Track, click the Input Routing drop-down menu (by default it is set to All MIDI Inputs) and select 01.Komplete Kontrol - MIDI Out.
Note: 01. here stands for the Cubase Instrument Track number where Komplete Kontrol is loaded.
- Click the Output Routing drop-down menu and select the physical output port your external MIDI device is connected to. In our example, we select Komplete Kontrol S49 Port 2, since our external device is connected to the MIDI port on the back of the Komplete Kontrol S49 keyboard.
- Click on the Channel field to open the MIDI Channel selector. By default, this field is set to Any.
- In the drop-down menu, choose the MIDI channel you want to use for sending MIDI. In our example, we select 4, since our external hardware device is set to respond to MIDI channel 4.
- Finally make sure that either or both the Record Enable and the Monitor buttons are activated, if not the MIDI Track will not respond to the MIDI sent from Komplete Kontrol. When the Monitor button is active, the Instrument Track will respond to MIDI at all times. When the Record Enable button is activated, the Instrument Track will only respond to MIDI when the Instrument Track is on focus.
The MIDI events generated by Komplete Kontrol, including those processed by the SCALE and ARP functions, will now control the external hardware device through the MIDI Track we have created.