USB channel when using CUE with CUBASE

[stefverlag]

I’m having trouble with my CQ-18T used as an audio interface in Cubase 13 when setting up CUEs i CUBASE 13 pro in order to send to auxiliary outputs. I am used to work with the CUBASE Control Room. I have a headphone amp, the HM-800, which accepts two input stereo sources, and each of the 8 headphones can choose either Source A or B. For instance, but not only, I use this to send the metronome clic track only to the drummer (input 1), while the others hear the audio without the clic (input 2). With my UA Apollo X4, it’s straightforward: I assign each CUE in Cubase’s Control Room connection setting to a different line output (1&2 and 3&4), and based on the input choice in the HM-800, the drummer gets the clic, while others don’t.
With the CQ-18T as the USB audio interface, I’ve created a stereo output for headphone input 1 on OUT 1&2 and a stereo headphone 2 on OUT 3&4 and I connect these stereo output to stereo inputs of the HM-800, like I do with with the Apollo X4.
In the USB/SD/BT settings in the CQ-18T, I’ve left the channel assignments as they are since changing them doesn’t seem to make a difference, I have tried several options (so finally Main is 23/24, headphone 1 is 19&20, and headphone 2 is 21&22), I am not sure they have a role with the USB connection.
It’s confusing because in Cubase, Main LR is 19 and 20. I’m getting a bit mixed up and don’t understand why the same setup that works with the Apollo X4 (very basic to do) doesn’t work here. There’s some kind of mapping mismatch / misunderstanding between the USB channels and the physical channels that I don’t understand. In Cubase, I’ve set Main LR to 19&20, AUX 1 (for CU1) to 21&22, and AUX 2 (for CUE 2) to 23&24 (another strange thing is that Cubase doesn’t detect line output 5 and 6 of the CQ18T in the interface channel list).
I’m a bit lost, so if anyone has an idea, I’d appreciate the help
Thanks

[KeithJ A&H]

@stefverlag

The difference is that you don’t patch directly to (or from) the sockets of the CQ as you would with just an interface.
With the CQ, it’s more like having an interface and a mixer which are always hooked up, and a benefit of a CQ in this setup is that you can monitor live signals with almost no latency (<0.7ms) through the CQ and use processing just for monitoring whilst recording a 'clean' unprocessed signal.

So to get signal from CQ input socket to the computer, the flow is: 'input socket > input channel > usb interface > computer’
and to get signal from the computer to a CQ output socket, it’s: ‘computer > input channel > output channel > output socket’.

For your needs here, I’d suggest checking the PROCESSING / preamp section of some of the stereo inputs (e.g. Stereo Line input, USB and BT) when switched to USB. In this screen the USB channel numbers are listed.
You can then send from Cubase to these channels, and subsequently sent the channels to individual outputs.
e.g. ST In could go to outputs 1&2 only, USB could go to outputs 3&4 only and BT to outputs 5&6 only.
On top of these channels from Cubase, you can blend in any of the ‘live’ inputs to monitor them without the added USB latency, just be sure not to monitor them through Cubase at the same time or you’ll hear them twice!

Hope this helps!
Keith.

[stefverlag]

Hi Keith
It works, I have assigned in this way :
– CUE 1 in Cubase => USB/SD 17/18 (ST) => AUX 1/2 => HM-800 Stereo Input 1
– CUE 2 => USB/SD 23/24 (BT) => AUX 3/4 => HM-800 Stereo Input 2
– MAIN => USB 19/20 (MAIN) => MAIN LR (active monitors)

The only issue (not blocking for this session) is that I cannot use 17/18 as input for an instrument

Thanks a lot, that really helps me 🙂

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