Steinberg Cubase Le 8 Manual

							Synchronization
Activating VST System Link
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In the following example, we assume you are using two computers, with computer 
1 as your main mix computer and computer 2 running two additional stereo audio 
tracks, an FX channel track with a reverb plug-in and a VST instrument plug-in with 
stereo outputs.
PROCEDURE
1. Set things up so that you can listen to the audio playback from computer 1.
In other words, you need an unused set of outputs, e. g. an analog stereo output, 
connected to your monitoring equipment.
2. On computer 2, route each of the two audio tracks to a separate output bus.
These should be busses connected to the digital outputs – let’s call them Bus 1 and 
2.
3. Route the FX channel track to another VST System Link bus (Bus 3).
4. Route the VST instrument channel to yet another bus (Bus 4).
5. Go back to computer 1 and check the corresponding four VST System Link 
input busses.
If you start playback on computer 2, the audio should “appear” on the input busses 
on computer 1. However, to mix these audio sources you need actual mixer channels.
6. Add four new stereo audio tracks on computer 1 and route these to the output 
bus you use for listening, e.
 g. to the analog stereo outputs.
7. For each of the audio tracks, select one of the four input busses.
Now, each computer 2 bus is routed to a separate audio channel on computer 1.
8. Activate monitoring for the four tracks.
RESULT 
If you now start playback, the audio from computer 2 will be sent “live” to the new 
tracks on computer 1, allowing you to hear them together with any tracks you play 
back on computer 1.
Adding more tracks
What if you have more audio tracks than you have VST System Link busses 
(physical outputs)? Then you just use the computer 2 mixer as a submixer: Route 
several audio channels to the same output bus and adjust the output bus level if 
needed.
NOTE
If your audio cards have multiple sets of input and output connections, you can link 
up multiple ADAT cables and send audio via any of the busses on any of the cables. 
						

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Internal mixing and latency
One problem with mixing inside the computer is the latency issue we mentioned 
earlier. The VST engine always compensates for record latencies, but if you are 
monitoring through computer 1 you will hear a processing delay while you listen to 
signals coming from your other computers (not on your recording!). If your audio 
card in computer 1 supports ASIO Direct Monitoring you should definitely turn this 
on. You can find the setting on the VST Audio System device panel for your 
hardware. Most modern ASIO cards support this function. If yours does not, you 
may want to change the Offset Samples value on the VST System Link page to 
compensate for any latency issues.
RELATED LINKS
ASIO Direct Monitoring on page 150
Setting up a larger network
Setting up a larger network is not much more difficult than a two-computer network. 
The main thing to remember is that VST System Link is a daisy chain system. In 
other words, the output of computer 1 goes to the input of computer 2, the output 
of computer 2 goes to the input of computer 3, and so on around the chain. The 
output of the last computer in the chain must always go back into the input of 
computer 1, to complete the ring.
Once you have done this, the transmission of all the transport, 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 transmission 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 other hardware inputs. For example, if you have a 
Nuendo Digiset interface or 9652 card on computer 1, you could use ADAT cable 
1 for networking, ADAT cable 2 as a direct audio input from computer 2, and ADAT 
cable 3 as a direct audio input from computer 3.
You can also transmit audio via the ring system if you do not have enough hardware 
I/Os for direct audio transmission. For example, in a four-computer scenario you 
could send audio from computer 2 into a channel in the mixer in computer 3, from 
there to a channel in the mixer in computer 4, and from there back to the master 
mixer in computer 1. This can certainly be tricky to set up, so for complex networks 
it is generally recommended to use ASIO cards with at least three separate digital 
I/Os. 
						

							Synchronization
Activating VST System Link
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Application examples
Using one computer for VST instruments (not in Cubase LE)
In this example, one computer will be used as main record and playback machine, 
and another computer as a virtual synth rack.
PROCEDURE
1. Record a MIDI track into computer 1.
2. Once you have finished recording, route the MIDI output of that track to VST 
System Link MIDI port 1.
3. On computer 2, open up the VST Instruments window and assign an 
instrument to the first slot in the rack.
4. Route the VST instrument channel to the desired output bus.
If you are using computer 1 as your main mixing computer, this would be one of the 
VST System Link output busses, connected to computer 1.
5. Create a new MIDI track in the Project window of computer 2 and assign the 
MIDI output of the track to the VST instrument you created.
6. Assign the MIDI input of the track to be VST System Link port 1.
Now, the MIDI track on computer 1 is routed to the MIDI track on computer 2, which 
in turn is routed to the VST instrument.
7. Now activate monitoring for the MIDI track on computer 2, so that it will listen 
and respond to any MIDI commands coming in.
In Cubase, click the Monitor button in the track list or Inspector.
8. Start playback on computer 1.
It will now send the MIDI information on the track to the VST instrument loaded on 
computer 2.
RESULT 
Even with a slow computer you should be able to stack a whole bunch of extra VST 
instruments this way, expanding your sound palette considerably. Do not forget that 
VST System Link MIDI is also sample-accurate, and thus has much tighter timing 
than any hardware MIDI interface ever invented!
Creating a virtual effect rack
The effect sends for an audio channel in Cubase can either be routed to an FX 
channel track or to any activated group or output bus. This allows you to use a 
separate computer as a “virtual effect rack”.
PROCEDURE
1. On computer 2 (the machine you will use as effect rack), add a new stereo 
audio track.
You cannot use an FX channel track in this case, since the track must have an audio 
input. 
						

							Synchronization
Activating VST System Link
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2. Add the desired effect as an insert effect for the track.
Let’s say you add a high-quality reverb plug-in.
3. In the Inspector, select one of the VST System Link busses as input for the 
audio track.
You want to use a separate VST System Link bus, which will only be used for this 
purpose.
4. Route the channel to the desired output bus.
If you are using computer 1 as your main mixing computer, this would be one of the 
VST System Link output busses, connected to computer 1.
5. Activate monitoring for the track.
6. Go back to computer 1 and select a track to which you want to add some 
reverb.
7. Bring up the effect sends for the track in the Inspector or the MixConsole.
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.
RESULT 
The signal will be sent to the track on computer 2 and processed through its insert 
effect, without using any processor 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 number of ports used in 
the VST System Link connection (and of course by the performance of computer 2, 
but given that it will not have to handle any recording or playback, you should be 
able to use quite a lot of effects).
Getting extra audio tracks
All computers on a VST System Link network are locked with sample-accuracy. 
Therefore, if you find that the hard drive on one computer is not fast enough to run 
as many audio tracks as you need, you can record new tracks on one of the other 
computers instead. This would create a “virtual RAID system”, with several disks all 
operating together. All tracks will remain locked together just as tightly as if they 
were all running on the same machine. This means that you effectively have an 
unlimited track count! Need another 100 tracks? Just add another computer.
Dedicated Video Playback
Playback of high-resolution video can be taxing on a system’s CPU. By dedicating 
one computer for video playback via System Link, you can free up resources on your 
main CPU for audio and MIDI processing. Since all transport commands will 
respond on the VST System Link computers, scrubbing video is possible even 
when it is coming from another computer. 
						

							585
Video
Cubase supports the integration of video files in your project.
You can play back video files in various formats and via different output devices from 
within Cubase, edit your music to the video, extract the audio material from a video 
file, and replace the audio later with different audio material.
Before You Start
When working on a project involving a video file, you first need to set up your system 
according to your equipment and your demands.
The following sections provide some general information about video file formats, 
frame rates, and video output devices.
Video File Compatibility
Because there are many types of video files, it can be difficult to determine if one 
will work on your system.
There are two ways to figure out if Cubase can play back a certain video file:
• Open the video file with QuickTime 7.1 or higher, because Cubase uses 
QuickTime for playing back video files.
• Check the file information of a video file in the Pool. If the information reads 
“Invalid or not supported file!”, the video file is either corrupt or the format is 
not supported by the available codecs.
NOTE
If you are not able to load a certain video file, you must use an external application 
to convert the file into a compatible format or install the required codec.
RELATED LINKS
Codecs on page 586 
						

							Video
Before You Start
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Video Container Formats
Video and other multi-media files come in a container format.
This container holds various streams of information including video and audio, but 
also metadata such as synchronization information required to play back audio and 
video together. Data regarding creation dates, authors, chapter markings, and more 
can also be held within the container format.
The following container formats are supported by Cubase:
Cubase supports all these container formats, but problems may arise when the 
computer does not have the correct software to decode compressed video and 
audio streams within the container file. You must also know the type of codec that 
was used to create the video file.
Codecs
Codecs are methods of data compression used to make video (and audio) files 
smaller and more manageable for computers.
In order to play back a video file, your computer must have the correct codec 
installed in the operating system to decode the video stream.
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
The names of codecs and container formats can be confusing. Because many 
container formats have the same names as the codecs they use within the file, make 
sure to differentiate the container format or file type, for example .mov or .dv, from 
the codec used within it.
If you are not able to load a certain video file, the required codec is probably not 
installed on your computer. In this case, you can search the internet (e.
 g. the 
Microsoft or Apple web sites) for video codecs.
Format Description
MOV This is a QuickTime movie.
QT This is also a QuickTime movie, but it is only used on Windows 
systems.
MPEG-1 This is the first standard of the Moving Picture Experts Group for 
video and audio compression, used for making video CDs. Files of 
this container format can have the extensions “.mpg” or “.mpeg”.
MPEG-4 This format is based on the QuickTime movie standard, can contain 
various metadata for streaming, editing, local playback, and 
interchange of content. Its file extension is “.mp4”.
AVI This format is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft.
DV This is a video format used by camcorders. 
						

							Video
Before You Start
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Frame Rates
Cubase is capable of working with different types of video and film frame rates.
RELATED LINKS
Frame rate (speed) on page 566
Video Output Devices
Cubase supports several ways to play back video files.
Viewing video files onscreen in the Video Player window may work just fine for many 
applications, but often it is necessary to display video in a large format for viewing 
small details and so others involved in the session can also see the video. Cubase 
provides the ability to use several types of video output devices to accomplish this.
Multi-Head Video Cards
One of the most common methods is the use of a multi-head video card installed in 
the computer.
Multi-head video cards allow you to connect more than one computer monitor to the 
card, in some cases up to four. If you direct the video output of Cubase to one of 
these outputs, the video file is displayed in full screen mode on a computer monitor 
or HD television screen.
NOTE
You can also use more than one video card to achieve the same result. 
Different video cards support different types of outputs including standard VGA, 
DVI, S-Video, HDMI, and component video. These options allow you to choose the 
type of monitor you use for video. HD televisions and digital projectors provide the 
largest viewing screens, but a normal computer monitor can function as a very 
high-quality video monitor as well.
Dedicated Video Cards
The use of a dedicated video card is also supported in Cubase.
These cards are normally used in video editing systems to capture video to disk and 
display it while editing. They usually have a high resolution and take some strain off 
the host CPU by providing video compression and decompression processing on 
the card.
NOTE
The Decklink cards by Blackmagic Design are automatically recognized by Cubase. 
Video will be sent directly to its output. 
						

							Video
Preparing a Video Project
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FireWire DV Output
You have the option to use FireWire ports on the computer to output DV video 
streams to external converters such as various camcorders and standalone 
FireWire to DV conversion units.
These units can be connected to a television or projector for large format viewing. 
The FireWire protocol is capable of transporting data at high speed and is the most 
common standard for communicating with video-related peripheral equipment.
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
On Windows systems, it is important that you connect your device to the FireWire 
port before launching Cubase. Otherwise it may not be detected properly by 
Cubase.
Preparing a Video Project
The following sections describe the basic operations necessary for preparing a 
Cubase project involving video.
It is advisable to save your video files on a separate hard drive from your audio files. 
This can help prevent data streaming problems when using high-resolution video 
with many audio tracks.
Importing Video Files
Importing a video file into your project is very straight forward once you know that 
you have a compatible video file.
Video files are imported in the same manner as audio files:
• By using the File menu (Import–Video File). 
In the Import Video dialog, you can activate the “Extract Audio From Video” 
option. This imports any embedded audio streams to a newly created audio 
track positioned below the video track. The new track and the clip will get the 
name of the video file. The new audio event will start at the same time as the 
video event, so that they are in sync with each other.
NOTE
If you try to import a non-supported video file with the Import Video option, the 
Import Video dialog displays the text “Invalid or not supported file!”.
• By importing to the Pool first and then dragging to the Project window.
• By using drag and drop from the MediaBay, the Pool, the Windows Explorer, 
or the Mac OS Finder. 
						

							Video
Preparing a Video Project
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When importing video files via the Pool or by using drag and drop, Cubase can 
automatically extract the audio from a video file. Whether this happens, depends on 
the “Extract Audio on Import Video File” setting in the Preferences dialog (Video 
page).
When importing video, Cubase automatically creates a thumbnail cache file. The 
generated file is stored in the same folder as the video file and gets the name of the 
file with the suffix “.vcache”.
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
In Cubase, you may work with multiple video files of differing frame rates and 
formats on the same video track. Assuming you have the proper codecs installed, 
all video files can be played back in one project, but note that proper 
synchronization of audio and video events is ensured only if the frame rate of the 
video file matches the project frame rate.
RELATED LINKS
Pool on page 313
Extracting Audio From a Video File on page 595
Adopting the Frame Rate
When using video files within Cubase, it is important to adjust the project’s frame 
rate to that of the imported video. This ensures that the time displays of Cubase 
correspond to the actual frames in the video. If the frame rate of an imported video 
file differs from the frame rate set for the project, the video event shows a warning.
In order to match the two frame rates, you have to adjust the frame rate in the Project 
Setup dialog.
PROCEDURE
1. Open the Project menu and select “Project Setup...”.
2. In the Project Setup dialog, click the “Get From Video” button.
Provided that the video file has a frame rate supported by Cubase, it is automatically 
detected and applied to the project. If the project contains several video files with 
different frame rates, the project frame rate is adjusted to the frame rate of the first 
video event on the upper video track.
RESULT 
The project frame rate setting will change to that of the video file and the project 
start time will be altered to reflect the change in frame rate if needed. 
						

							Video
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For example, when the project frame rate is switched from 30 fps to 29.97 fps, the 
start time is changed so that all the events currently in the project remain at the 
same positions in relation to realtime. If you want the project start time to remain the 
same, you must manually change it back after clicking the “Get From Video” button. 
In this case, it is important that the video event is snapped to the timeline to ensure 
proper positioning and synchronization within the project.
NOTE
• Cubase can only detect the supported frame rates (these are the frame rates 
listed in the Frame Rate pop-up menu in the Project Setup dialog). Video files 
with non-supported frame rates can be played back, but the time displays are 
not correct in this case and proper positioning is not guaranteed. 
Furthermore, audio and video may not be in sync. Therefore, we recommend 
that you use an external application to convert the video file to a frame rate 
supported by Cubase.
• If you have more than one video file in a project, it is advisable that all video 
files have the same frame rate consistent with the project frame rate. 
Nevertheless, you can work with multiple video files of differing frame rates, 
but in this case you should always change the project frame rate to the frame 
rate of the video file that you are editing at the moment. This is done in the 
Project Setup dialog by selecting the correct frame rate from the Frame Rate 
pop-up menu.
About Thumbnails
The individual thumbnail images are positioned exactly at the beginning of the 
corresponding frame.
When you zoom in and there is enough space between the frames, the thumbnail is 
repeated as many times as there is free space available. Thus, you can always see 
a thumbnail regardless of how much you zoom in.
Thumbnail Memory Cache Size
In the Preferences dialog on the Video page, you can enter a value for the 
“Thumbnail Memory Cache Size”. This determines how much memory is available 
for displaying “real” thumbnails. The currently shown image is buffered in the 
thumbnail memory cache. Whenever you move to another image and there is no 
memory capacity left, the “oldest” picture in the cache is replaced by the current 
one. If you have long video clips and/or work with a large zoom factor, you may have 
to raise the “Thumbnail Memory Cache Size” value.
About thumbnail cache files
When importing video, Cubase automatically creates a thumbnail cache file. The 
cache file is used in situations where the processor load is very high and the correct 
redrawing or realtime calculation of thumbnails might use system resources 
necessary for editing or processing. When you zoom in on the thumbnails, you see