Steinberg Cubase Ai 5 Manual

241
Synchronization
Using a KVM switchbox
If you want to set up a multi-computer network, or even a 
small network in a limited space, it is a good idea to invest 
in a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switchbox. With one 
of these you can use the same keyboard, monitor, and 
mouse to control each computer in the system, and switch 
between computers very rapidly. KVM switchboxes are 
not too expensive, and very easy to set up and operate. If 
you decide not to go this route, the network will function 
just...

242
Synchronization
mode, and make sure that each of them is listening for the 
signal coming from the synchronizer, usually passed 
through your ADAT cables or Word Clock connectors in a 
daisy chain fashion.
VST System Link and latency
The general definition of latency is the amount of time it 
takes any system to respond to whatever messages are 
sent to it. For example, if your system’s latency is high and 
you play VST instruments in realtime, you will get a notice-
able delay between when you press...

243
Synchronization
If your audio hardware has a mixer application allowing 
you to adjust the levels of digital inputs and outputs, make 
sure that this mixer is disabled or that the levels for the 
VST System Link channels are set to ± 0 dB.
Similarly, make sure no other forms of DSP (pan, ef-
fects, etc.) are applied to the VST System Link signal.
Notes for Hammerfall DSP users
If you are using RME Audio Hammerfall DSP audio hard-
ware, the Totalmix function allows for extremely complex 
signal...

244
Synchronization
Putting the network online
After each computer’s name you will see whether it is online 
or not. When a computer is online, it will receive transport 
and timecode signals, and its sequencer application can be 
started and stopped by remote control. If it is off-line, it can 
only be started from its own keyboard – it is effectively an 
independent machine, although it is still on the network.
ÖNote that any computer can control any and all of the 
others – VST System Link is a...

245
Synchronization
you can no longer use this ASIO channel for audio transfer 
(do not connect it to a speaker!), thus leaving you only 7 
channels of audio in our ADAT cable example. Depending 
on how you work this might be a reasonable compromise.
Hearing the network audio
If you are using an external mixing desk, hearing your audio 
really is not an issue – just plug the outputs of each com-
puter into the desired channels on the external mixing desk, 
press Play on one of the computers, and youre...

246
Synchronization
Once you have done this, the transmission of all the trans-
port, sync, and MIDI information to the whole network is 
handled pretty much automatically. However, where you 
may run into confusion in a large network is in the trans-
mission of audio signals back to a central mix computer.
If you have lots of hardware inputs and outputs on your 
ASIO cards you do not have to send audio via the chain at 
all, but can transmit it directly to the master mix computer 
via one or more of its...

247
Synchronization
8.Open the Send Routing pop-up menu for one of the 
sends, and select the VST System Link bus assigned to 
the reverb in step 3.
9.Use the Send slider to adjust the amount of effect as 
usual.
The signal will be sent to the track on computer 2 and pro-
cessed through its insert effect, without using any proces-
sor power on computer 1.
You can repeat the steps above to add more effects to the 
“virtual effect rack”. The number of effects available this way 
is only limited by the...

23
Video 

249
Video
Background
Cubase AI plays back video films in a number of formats. 
Under Windows, video playback can be done using one 
of three playback engines: Video for Windows, DirectS-
how or QuickTime 7.1. This ensures compatibility with as 
wide a range of video files as possible. The following file 
formats are supported: AVI, QuickTime and MPEG.
Under Mac OS X, QuickTime is always used as playback 
engine. QuickTime supports the following video file for-
mats: AVI, MPEG, QuickTime and DV.
There are...

250
Video
Under Mac OS X, only the QuickTime playback engine 
is available, supporting the formats AVI, MPEG, Quick-
Time and DV. If your system has a FireWire port, there is 
also a FireWire option – see below.
Video quality in QuickTime
When you are using QuickTime as your video playback 
engine, you can select “High Quality” from the Video win-
dow context-menu, or “Use high-quality video settings 
when available” in the Device Setup dialog, Video Player 
page, in the Video Properties section for...