Steinberg Cubase SE 3 Operation Manual

							CUBASE SE
Synchronization 24 – 501
Setting Up
1.Connect the desired MIDI Outputs from Cubase SE to the device(s) 
that you plan to synchronize.
2.Open the Synchronization Setup dialog from the Transport menu.
3.Activate the sync outputs by using the corresponding checkboxes.
Some MIDI Interfaces will automatically send MIDI Clock to all MIDI out-
puts, regardless of the MIDI Clock Port selection you make in Cubase 
SE. If this is the case, you should only select one MIDI Clock Port (con-
sult the documentation of the MIDI Interface if in doubt).
4.Set the other device(s) to their “external synchronization” mode (or 
some other mode with a similar name) and activate playback on them 
if necessary.
5.Activate playback in Cubase SE, and the other device(s) will follow.
MIDI Clock transmitted 
to Output 3.  
						

							CUBASE SE
24 – 502 Synchronization
Options
Making Project Settings
About Frame Rates
The frame rate is the number of frames per second in a film or on a 
video tape. Just as there is always sixty seconds to a minute, there is 
always a certain number of frames to each second. However, the frame 
rate used varies with the type of media (film or video), which country 
the video tape has been produced in, and other circumstances.
In the Project Setup dialog are two settings for frame rates:
•The Frame Rate pop-up determines the frame rate of the sent sync 
signal.
The Project Setup dialog contains six frame rates to choose from:
•The Display Format pop-up contains a number of formats that when 
selected work as the “master” setting for the display format used in 
the various windows’ rulers and position displays.
To make editing with frame accuracy correspond to the actual frame rate in an external 
sync source, you need to set this frame rate to the same value as the Frame Rate pop-up.
Frame Rate Description
24 fps The traditional frame rate of 35mm film.
25 fps The frame rate used for all video and audio in Europe (EBU).
29.97 fps Straight 29.97 frames per second.
30 fps Straight 30 frames per second. This is often used in the United States 
for audio only work.
29.97 dfps “Drop frame” code running at 29.97 frames per second, most often 
used in the United States of America for work with color video.
30 dfps Very rarely used. 
						

							25
VST System Link 
						

							CUBASE SE
25 – 504 VST System Link
Introduction
VST System Link is a network system for digital audio that allows you 
to have several computers working together in one large system. Un-
like conventional networks it does not require Ethernet cards, hubs, or 
CAT-5 cables; instead it uses the kind of digital audio hardware and 
cables you probably already possess in your studio.
VST System Link has been designed to be simple to set up and oper-
ate, yet give enormous flexibility and performance gains in use. It is ca-
pable of linking computers in a “ring” network (the System Link signal 
is passed from one machine to the next, and eventually returns to the 
first machine). VST System Link can send its networking signal over 
any type of digital audio cable, including S/PDIF, ADAT, TDIF, or AES, 
as long as each computer in the system is equipped with a suitable 
ASIO compatible audio interface.
So, why would you want to link up two or more computers? Well, the 
added computer power gives you vast possibilities:
• Dedicate one computer to running VST instruments while recording audio 
tracks on another.
• If you need lots of audio tracks, you may simply add tracks on another com-
puter.
• You could have one computer serve as a “virtual effect rack”, running CPU-
intensive send effect plug-ins only.
• Since you can use VST System Link to connect different VST System Link ap-
plications on different platforms, you can take advantage of effect plug-ins 
and VST instruments that are specific to certain programs or platforms.
This chapter describes how to set up and use VST System Link in 
Cubase SE. 
						

							CUBASE SE
VST System Link 25 – 505
Preparations
Requirements
The following equipment is required for VST System Link operation:
•Two or more computers.
These can be of the same type or use different operating systems – it doesn’t matter. 
For example, you can link an Intel-based PC to an Apple Macintosh without problems.
•Each computer must have audio hardware with specific ASIO drivers, 
installed and working.
•The audio hardware must have digital inputs and outputs.
Of course, to be able to connect the computers the digital connections must be com-
patible (i.e. the same digital formats and connection types must be available).
•At least one digital audio cable for each computer in the network.
•A VST System Link host application installed on each computer.
As of this writing, VST System Link is implemented for Cubase SX/SL, Cubase SE, 
Nuendo and Cubase 5.2s (System Link version). Any VST System Link applications 
can connect to each other.
Additionally, we recommend that you use a KVM switchbox:
Using a KVM switchbox
If you want to set up a multi-computer network, or even a small net-
work in a limited space, it's a good idea to invest in a KVM (Keyboard, 
Video, Mouse) switchbox. With one of these switchers you can use 
the same keyboard, monitor, and mouse to control each computer in 
the system, and switch between computers very rapidly. KVM switch-
ers are not too expensive, and very easy to setup and operate. It you 
decide not to go this route, the network will function just the same, but 
you may end up doing a lot of jumping from one machine to the other 
while setting up! 
						

							CUBASE SE
25 – 506 VST System Link
Making connections
Below, we will assume that you are connecting two computers. 
Should you have more than two computers, it’s still best to start with 
two and add the others one by one once the system is working – this 
makes troubleshooting easier if you run into problems. For two com-
puters, you will need two digital audio cables, one in each direction:
1.Connect a digital audio cable from the digital output of Computer 1 to 
the digital input of Computer 2.
2.Connect the other cable from the digital output of Computer 2 into 
the digital input of Computer 1.
•If a card has more than one set of inputs and outputs, choose which-
ever one that suits you – for simplicity usually the first set is best.
Setting up clock sync
Before you proceed you need to make sure that the clock signals on 
your ASIO cards are synchronized correctly. This is essential when 
cabling any kind of digital audio system, not just VST System Link.
All digital audio cables by definition always carry a clock signal as well as 
audio signals, so you don't need to use a special Word Clock input and 
output for this (although you may find that you get a slightly more stable 
audio system if you do, especially when using multiple computers).
The Clock Mode or Sync Mode is set up in the audio hardware’s 
ASIO control panel. In Cubase SE, you proceed as follows:
1.Pull down the Devices menu and open the Device Setup dialog.
2.Select your audio interface from the VST Audiobay subpage.
3.Click the Control Panel button.
The ASIO control panel appears.
4.Open the ASIO control panel on the other computer as well.
If you are using another VST System Link host application on that computer, check its 
documentation for details on how to open the ASIO control panel. 
						

							CUBASE SE
VST System Link 25 – 507
5.Now, you need to make sure that one audio card (and only one!) is set 
to be the Clock Master, and all the other cards must be set to listen 
for the clock signal coming from the Clock Master i.e. they must be 
Clock Slaves.
The naming and procedure for this differs depending on the audio hardware – consult 
its documentation if required. If you are using Steinberg Nuendo ASIO hardware, all 
cards default to the “AutoSync” setting – in this case you must set one of the cards 
(and only one) to “Master” in the Clock Mode section of the control panel.
•Typically, the ASIO control panel for an audio card contains some in-
dication of whether the card receives a proper sync signal or not, and 
the sample rate of that signal.
This is a good indication that you have connected the cards and set up clock sync 
properly. Check your audio hardware’s documentation for details.
It’s very important that one and only one card is the clock master, other-
wise the network cannot function correctly. Once you have set this up, 
all the other cards in the network will take their clock signal from this 
card automatically.
The only exception to this procedure is if you are using an external 
clock – which could be from a digital mixing desk or special Word 
Clock synchronizer for example. If so, you must then leave all your 
ASIO cards in Clock Slave or AutoSync 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. 
						

							CUBASE SE
25 – 508 VST System Link
Minimizing the latency
The general definition of latency is the amount of time it takes any sys-
tem to respond to whatever messages are sent to it. For example, if 
your system’s latency is high and you play VST instruments in real 
time, you will get a noticeable delay between when you press a key 
and when you hear the sound of the VST instrument. Nowadays, most 
ASIO-compatible audio cards are capable of operating with very low 
latencies. Also, all VST applications are designed to compensate for 
latency during playback, making the playback timing tight.
However, the latency time of a VST System Link network is the total 
latency of all the ASIO cards in the system added together. Therefore 
it’s extra important to minimize the latency times for each computer in 
the network.
• The latency does not affect the synchronization – it's always perfectly in 
time. But, it can affect the time it takes to send and receive MIDI and au-
dio signals, or make the system seem sluggish.
To adjust the latency of a system, you typically adjust the size of the 
buffers in the ASIO control panel – the lower the buffer size, the lower 
the latency. Generally speaking it's best to keep to fairly low latencies 
(buffer sizes) if your system can handle it – about 12 ms or less is 
usually a good idea. 
						

							CUBASE SE
VST System Link 25 – 509
Setting up your software
Now it’s time to set up your programs. The procedures below de-
scribe how to set things up in Cubase SE; if you are using another 
program on the other computer, please refer to its documentation.
Setting the sample rate
The projects in both programs must be set to use the same sample 
rate. Select “Project Setup…” from the Project menu and make sure 
the sample rate is the same in both systems.
Streaming digital audio between applications
1.Create input and output busses in both applications and route these 
to the digital inputs and outputs.
The number and configuration of the busses depends on your audio hardware and on 
your needs. The important thing is that you should have the same configuration in both 
applications – if you have four stereo output busses on Computer 1, you want four ste-
reo input busses on Computer 2, etc.
2.Set things up so that Computer 1 plays back some audio.
You could for example import an audio file and play this back in Cycle mode.
3.In the Inspector, make sure the playing audio channel is routed to one 
of the digital output busses you set up.
4.In Computer 2, select the corresponding digital input bus for an audio 
channel and activate monitoring for the channel.
The audio being played back should now “appear” in the program running on Computer 
2. You should see the input level meters moving.
5.Reverse this procedure so that Computer 2 plays back and Computer 1 
“listens”.
Now you have verified that the digital connection works as it should.
• From this point on in this chapter, we refer to the busses connected to 
the digital inputs and outputs as “VST System Link busses”. 
						

							CUBASE SE
25 – 510 VST System Link
Settings for the audio hardware
When you send VST System Link data between computers, it is im-
portant that the digital information isn’t changed in any way between 
the programs. Therefore, you should open the control panel (or addi-
tional application) for your audio hardware and make sure that the fol-
lowing conditions are met:
•If there are additional “format settings” for the digital ports that you 
use for VST System Link data, make sure these are turned off.
For example, if you are using an S/P DIF connection for VST System Link, make sure 
that “Professional format”, Emphasis and Dithering are turned off.
•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, effects, etc.) are ap-
plied to the VST System Link signal.
Notes for Hammerfall DSP users
If you are using RME Audio Hammerfall DSP audio hardware, the 
Totalmix function allows for extremely complex signal routing and mix-
ing in the audio hardware. This can in some situations lead to “signal 
loops” in which case the VST System Link won’t work. If you want to 
make absolutely sure this won’t cause any problems, make sure the 
default or “plain” preset is selected for the Totalmix function.