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How to Connect a DR-880 to Cubase

You can get just about any musical instrument to work with Cubase, and the Roland DR-880 is just one example of this. The DR-880 "Dr. Rhythm" is a rhythm machine that can be applied for lots of musical purposes, and is often used within the genres of R&B and hip-hop. Connecting the machine to Cubase is fairly easy to do, and using the DR-880 within Cubase is just a matter of opening it as an external instrument.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer with audio interface
  • Audio cables (TRS or optical)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Plug one end of an audio cable into one of the "Output" jacks on the DR-880, and plug the other end into the corresponding "Input" jack on the audio interface.

    • 2

      Repeat the above step for any further channels of sound you wish to connect. If you are using analog audio cables, connect both the "Left" and "Right" outputs on the DR-880 with their corresponding inputs on the audio interface. If you are using a digital audio cable, only one connection is necessary.

    • 3

      Plug your computer into an electric outlet and turn it on if you have not done so already. Click Cubase's desktop icon to launch it. Alternatively, click "Start," then "All Programs," and select Cubase from the programs list.

    • 4

      Click "Devices," then "VST Connections."

    • 5

      Click the "External Instrument" tab, then "Add External Instrument." Set "Mono Returns" to 0 and "Stereo Returns" to 1, then click "OK."

    • 6

      Click the "Left" and "Right" ports in the "Device Port" column. Select the input channels on your audio interface where the left and right channels of the DR-880 are plugged in.

    • 7

      Access the DR-880 from within Cubase by clicking "VST Instruments," then clicking on a blank instrument slot. Click "External Plug-Ins," then "External Instrument" and select the DR-880 from the drop-down list.

Recording Music

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