Steinberg Cubase 5 Operation Manual

							431
Synchronization
Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Preferences dialog (accessed from the File 
menu under Windows or the Cubase menu on the Mac) 
and select the Transport page.
2.Enter the desired frame rate under “User Definable 
Framerate”.
Either type in the desired value directly or use the arrow buttons to in-
crease/decrease the value. You can enter any value between 2 and 200.
3.When you’re done, click OK to close the dialog and 
save the settings.
The Frame Rate you specified will now be used in the Dis-
play Format pop-up.
Making connections
The following connections are required for external sync 
via a synchronizer, including resolving of the audio card. 
For details on audio card and synchronizer settings and 
connections, see the manuals for these devices.
Route the master clock signal (LTC, VITC, etc.) to an in-
put on the synchronizer.
Connect the word clock output on the synchronizer to a 
word clock input on the audio card.
Connect the MIDI Timecode (MTC) output on the syn-
chronizer to the corresponding input on the computer.
Set up the synchronizer and make sure the frame rate 
settings are in accordance with the master clock.
A typical synchronization setup
Synchronization settings
In the following sections you will find a description of how 
to set up your system for the different timecode sources:
Internal Timecode
In this mode, Cubase is the master. When working with 
MMC (see “Machine Control” on page 436), the external 
device gives the start and stop signals, but is synchro-
nized by Cubase.
Use the “MIDI Timecode Destinations” and “MIDI Clock 
Destinations” sections to specify which devices should be 
slaved to Cubase.
Synchronizing other Equipment to Cubase
You may have other MIDI devices that you want to syn-
chronize to Cubase. There are two types of synchroniza-
tion signals that Cubase can transmit: MIDI Clock and 
MIDI Timecode.
Transmitting MIDI Clock
If you transmit MIDI Clock to a device supporting this type 
of synchronization signal, the other device will follow Cu-
base’s tempo. The tempo setting in the other device is of no 
relevance. Instead, it plays at the same tempo as Cubase. If 
the device also reacts to Song Position Pointers (which 
Cubase transmits) it will follow when you wind, rewind and 
locate using the Cubase Transport panel.
ÖMIDI Clock transport commands include “Start”, “Stop” 
and “Continue”. However, some MIDI equipment (e.g. 
some drum machines) do not recognize the “Continue” 
command. If this is the case with your equipment, activate 
the option “Always Send Start Message” in the Project 
Synchronization Setup dialog (MIDI Clock Destinations).
When this is activated, only the Start command is used.
Activate “MIDI Clock Follows Project Position” if you 
want the other device to follow when you loop, jump and 
locate during playback.
When this is activated, the sent MIDI Clock signals will follow the se-
quencer time and tempo position at all times.
!Please note that some external devices may not react 
smoothly to these repositioning messages. Espe-
cially when working with some older devices, it may 
take some time for them to synchronize accurately to 
the project time. 
						

							432
Synchronization
Send MIDI Clock in Stop Mode
When the option “Send MIDI Clock in Stop Mode” in the 
Project Synchronization Setup dialog (MIDI Clock Desti-
nations section) is activated, Cubase will send MIDI Clock 
signals to the selected MIDI Clock destinations even 
when Cubase is in Stop mode. 
This is, for example, useful if you are working with a key-
board that has a built-in arpeggiator, the tempo of which 
you are controlling via MIDI Clock messages. This way, 
the arpeggiator will keep the right tempo even when Cu-
base is in Stop mode. You may also be able to use this 
feature with some external drum machines, as it allows you 
to play the drum patterns in the current sequencer tempo 
even when Cubase is stopped.
When this option is deactivated, Cubase will send MIDI 
Clock signals to the selected MIDI Clock destinations only 
during playback.
In this mode, you will not be able to use the above-mentioned arpeggia-
tor of your keyboard in Stop mode.
ÖKeep in mind that the MIDI Clock information always 
refers to the tempo at the current project position.
Transmitting MIDI Timecode
If you transmit MIDI Timecode to a device supporting this 
type of synchronization signal, the device will synchronize 
time-wise to Cubase, that is, the time displays on Cu-
base’s Transport panel and on the other device will agree. 
When you wind and locate Cubase and then activate 
playback, the other device will follow from the same posi-
tion (if it has this capability and is set up for it!).
ÖIf you want to be able to loop, jump and locate during 
playback in Cubase and have the other device follow, ac-
tivate MIDI Timecode Follows Project Time.
When this is activated, the sent MIDI Timecode will follow the sequencer 
time position at all times.
Setting Up
1.Connect the desired MIDI Outputs from Cubase to the 
device(s) that you plan to synchronize.
2.Open the Project Synchronization Setup dialog from 
the Transport menu.
3.Activate the sync outputs by using the corresponding 
checkboxes.
You can output any combination of MIDI Timecode and MIDI Clock to 
any combination of outputs (however, you probably do not want to send 
MTC and MIDI Clock to the same output).
4.Set the other device(s) to their “external synchroniza-
tion” mode (or some other mode with a similar name) and 
activate playback on them if necessary.
5.Activate playback in Cubase, and the other device(s) 
will follow.
!Some MIDI interfaces will automatically send MIDI 
Clock to all MIDI outputs, regardless of the MIDI 
Clock Port selection in Cubase. If this is the case, 
you should only select one MIDI Clock port (consult 
the documentation of the MIDI Interface if in doubt).
Timecode Source 
settings
MMC Master settings
MMC Slave settings 
						

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Synchronization
MIDI Timecode
In this mode, Cubase is the slave and the timecode is sent 
by the MIDI Timecode Source specified in the correspond-
ing section. 
Setting up Cubase for external sync to timecode
1.In the Project Synchronization dialog, set Timecode 
Source to MIDI Timecode.
2.Use the pop-up menu in the MIDI Timecode Source 
section to select an input for the timecode.
3.Close the Project Synchronization Setup dialog and 
open the Project Setup dialog from the Project menu.
4.Use the Start value to set which frame on the external 
device (e.g. a video tape) should correspond to the begin-
ning of the project.You can also set this with the function “Set Timecode at 
Cursor” on the Project menu.
This is useful if you know that a certain position in your project coincides 
with a certain timecode position in the external device. Move the project 
cursor to that position, select “Set Timecode at Cursor” and specify the 
corresponding timecode position in the dialog that appears – the Start 
value is adjusted accordingly.
5.In the dialog that appears, you are asked if you want to 
keep the project content at its timecode positions. Select 
“No”.
This will make all events and parts keep their positions relative to the pro-
ject start. 
6.Close the Project Setup dialog.
7.On the Transport panel, activate the Sync button (or 
select Use External Sync from the Transport menu).
8.Start the tape (or video, or other master device) that 
contains the timecode. Cubase starts playing when it re-
ceives timecode with a position “higher” than or equal to 
the project Start frame.
You can wind the device that sends the timecode to any 
position and start from there.
You should also take a look at the Sync Options, see 
“Sync Options” on page 437.
The Sync indicator
On the Transport panel you can check the status of in-
coming timecode by observing the sync indicator. It 
switches between “Offline” (not waiting for sync), “Idle” 
(ready for sync but no signal is coming in), and “Lock xx” 
(where xx indicates the frame rate of the incoming signal).
Sync to timecode 
activated
Outputs for MIDI Clock Outputs for MIDI 
Timecode Input and Output for 
Master MIDI Machine 
Control messages Input port for MIDI 
Timecode
Set this to the timecode 
position where you want the 
project to start.
!When the master device with the timecode is 
stopped, you can use the Cubase transport controls 
as you normally do. 
The Sync indicator 
						

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Synchronization
ASIO Audio Device
In this mode, Cubase is the slave and the synchronization 
signal can be received from another device connected to 
a digital interface of the audio hardware.
About the ASIO Positioning Protocol (APP)
The ASIO Positioning Protocol is a technology that ex-
pands on the type of sync described above and makes 
sample-accurate positioning possible.
When transferring audio digitally between devices, it is im-
portant that synchronization using word clock and timecode 
is completely correlated. If not, the audio will not be re-
corded at the exact intended (sample-accurate) position, 
which can cause various types of problems, such as inac-
curately positioned audio material, clicks and pops, etc.
A typical situation is when transferring material from a dig-
ital multi-track tape recorder to Cubase (for editing) and 
then back again. If you do not have sample-accurate syn-
chronization set up, you cannot be sure that the material 
will appear in its exact original position, when transferred 
back to the tape recorder.
In order to take advantage of the ASIO Positioning Proto-
col, your audio hardware must be suitably equipped and 
the functionality must be included in the ASIO driver for 
the hardware.
An example of a system for doing sample-accurate trans-
fers would be transferring audio tracks from an Alesis ADAT 
to Cubase. Here the ADAT will be the sync master (though 
it does not necessarily have to be). It provides both the dig-
ital audio (with an inherent word clock) and position infor-
mation (timecode) via its ADAT sync protocol. The master 
clock is generated by the ADAT itself.
Hardware and software requirements for APP
 Your computer audio hardware (in the example above, this 
would be an ADAT card in your computer) must support all 
the functionality required for the ASIO Positioning Protocol. 
That is, it must be able to read the digital audio and the corre-
sponding position information from the external device.
 There must be an ASIO 2.0 driver for the audio hardware.
 For resolving to external timecode, the audio hardware must 
have an integrated timecode reader/generator.
 For information about which audio hardware models currently 
support APP, see the Steinberg web site (www.steinberg.net).
Setting up the audio card for external synchronization
1.Open the Device Setup dialog from the Devices menu 
and, on the VST Audio System page, select the name of 
your audio interface.
2.Click the Control Panel button to open the card’s pro-
prietary setup dialog.
If this card is accessed via a special ASIO driver (as opposed to DirectX 
or the Generic Low Latency ASIO Driver), this dialog is provided by the 
card, not by Cubase. Hence the settings vary with the card brand and 
model.
3.Adjust the settings as recommended by the card man-
ufacturer, then close the dialog.
The dialog may also contain various diagnostic tools that allow you to 
verify for example whether word clock is arriving correctly.
4.From the Clock Source pop-up, select the input to 
which you routed the word clock signal.
This pop-up menu may not be used if you selected an input in the Con-
trol Panel dialog instead.
!This option is only available if your hardware is com-
patible with the ASIO Positioning Protocol.
!The ASIO Positioning Protocol requires audio hard-
ware with specific ASIO drivers.
!The ASIO Positioning Protocol exploits the specific 
advantage of having an audio card that has an inte-
grated timecode reader. With such a card and the 
ASIO Positioning Protocol, you can achieve constant 
sample-accurate synchronization between the audio 
source and Cubase. 
						

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Synchronization
You can now set up the synchronization:
1.Open the Project Synchronization Setup dialog and 
set the Timecode Source to “ASIO Audio Device”.
2.Make the necessary settings in the dialog.
For information on the different sections, click the Help button in the dialog.
3.Close the Project Synchronization Setup dialog.
4.Open the Project Setup dialog from the Project menu 
and use the Start value to set which frame on the external 
device (e.g. a video tape) should correspond to the begin-
ning of the project.
You can also set this with the function “Set Timecode at 
Cursor” on the Project menu.
This is useful if you know that a certain position in your project coincides 
with a certain timecode position in the external device. Move the project 
cursor to that position, select “Set Timecode at Cursor” and specify the 
corresponding timecode position in the dialog that appears – the Start 
value is adjusted accordingly.
5.A message appears, asking you whether you want to 
keep the project content at its timecode positions. Select 
“No”.
This will make all events and parts keep their positions relative to the pro-
ject start. 
6.Close the Project Setup dialog.
7.On the Transport panel, activate the Sync button (or 
select “Use External Sync” from the Transport menu).
8.Start the tape (or video, or other master device) that 
contains the timecode. Cubase starts playing when it re-
ceives timecode with a position “higher” than or equal to 
the project Start frame.
You can wind the device that sends the timecode to any 
position and start from there.
You should also take a look at the Sync Options, see 
“Sync Options” on page 437.
The Sync indicator
On the Transport panel you can check the status of incom-
ing timecode by observing the sync indicator. It switches 
between “Offline” (not waiting for sync), “Idle” (ready for 
sync but no signal is coming in), and “Lock xx” (where xx 
indicates the frame rate of the incoming signal).
VST System Link
The ASIO Audio Device 
is selected as Timecode 
Source.
Outputs for MIDI Clock Options for incoming 
timecode
Set this to the timecode 
position where you want the 
project to start.
!When the master device is stopped, you can use the 
Cubase transport controls as you normally do, when 
it is not synchronized. 
!For a description of the VST System Link feature 
(with which you can synchronize separate computers 
running Cubase or Nuendo for example) see “Wor-
king with VST System Link” on page 438. 
						

							436
Synchronization
Machine Control
Cubase can control external tape transports and similar 
devices via MIDI Machine Control. This allows you to op-
erate an external tape transport from Cubase’s Transport 
panel. That is, Cubase can make the tape recorder locate 
to a certain position, start, stop, rewind, etc.
About sync and machine control
Controlling tape transports is a two-way process:
Cubase sends out machine control commands to the 
tape recorder, asking it to locate to a certain position and 
activate playback, etc.
The tape recorder locates to the requested position, 
starts and delivers timecode back to Cubase, to which 
Cubase is synchronized.
Even though it appears as if Cubase is controlling the tape 
recorder completely, it is important to remember that in 
this setup, Cubase is still being synchronized to the exter-
nal tape transport, not vice versa.
Also note that the two processes of sync and machine 
control are completely separated, in terms of protocols 
used. You can for example synchronize to MTC while 
sending out transport commands via MMC.
MIDI Machine Control (MMC)
This is a standard MIDI protocol for controlling tape trans-
ports. There are a number of tape recorders and hard disk 
recording systems on the market that support this protocol. 
Cubase allows you to control the transport of an external 
MMC device and arm tracks for recording (Cubase only).
Machine Control commands can be sent using MIDI Ma-
chine Control (MMC):
1.Set up and test basic timecode synchronization, as de-
scribed earlier in this chapter.
2.Connect a MIDI Out on your MIDI interface to a MIDI 
In on the tape recorder (or similar device).
If you have not already done so (when setting up for MIDI Timecode), 
also connect a MIDI cable from the MIDI Output on the tape recorder to 
a MIDI In on the computer.
3.Make sure you have timecode recorded on the tape 
recorder, and that it is set up to use MMC.4.Open the Project Synchronization Setup dialog via the 
Transport menu in Cubase.
5.In the Master Machine Control Device section, acti-
vate the “MC Master Active” checkbox.
6.Select the correct MMC Inputs and Outputs from the 
respective pop-up menus.
7.Make sure that the MMC Device ID corresponds to 
the ID of the controlled device.
If more that one machine is connected or if you do not know the Device 
ID, this can be set to “All”, the “Broadcast” device ID.
8.Set the “Number of Audio Tracks” setting to the num-
ber of tracks on the external tape recorder (Cubase only).
9.Open the Preferences dialog from the File menu (on 
the Mac, this is located on the Cubase menu), select the 
MIDI Filter section and make sure Sysex is activated in the 
Thru section.
This is necessary since MMC uses two-way communication (the tape re-
corder “replies” to the MMC messages it receives from Cubase). By fil-
tering out Sysex Thru, you ensure that these MMC System Exclusive 
replies are not echoed back to the tape recorder.
10.Close the Preferences and open the Project Setup di-
alog from the Project menu.
11.As when synchronizing without using transport con-
trol, use the Start value to specify which frame on the tape 
should correspond to the beginning of the project.
12.Close the Project Setup dialog.
How to proceed from here depends on whether you are 
using Cubase or Cubase Studio:
Cubase:
1.Pull down the Devices menu and select MMC Master.
The MIDI Machine Control master transport panel appears.
MIDI Machine Control 
activated 
						

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Synchronization
It is now possible to control the external tape recorder in-
dependently or together with Cubase:
If you activate the Online button on the MMC Master 
panel you can use the transport buttons on the panel to 
control the transport of the device.
You can also use the buttons to the left on the MMC 
Master panel to arm tape tracks for recording.
The number of record arm buttons depends on the “Number of Audio 
Tracks” setting in the Master Machine Control Device section of the Pro-
ject Synchronization Setup dialog.
The “A1, A2, TC, VD” items refer to additional tracks 
usually found on video tape recorders.
Refer to the manual of your VTR device to see if these tracks are sup-
ported.
If you activate the Sync button on the Transport panel, 
the MMC Master transport buttons (or the buttons on the 
main Transport panel) will control the external tape re-
corder and Cubase in sync.
2.On the Transport panel, activate the Sync button.
3.Try to Stop, Fast Forward and Rewind from Cubase 
and activate Play from different positions in the project. 
The tape transport should follow.
To turn off the synchronization between the tape re-
corder and Cubase, simply deactivate Sync on the Trans-
port panel.
Cubase Studio:
1.On the Transport panel, activate the Sync button.
2.Try to Stop, Fast Forward and Rewind from Cubase 
Studio and activate Play from different positions in the 
project. 
The tape transport should follow.
Turn off the synchronization between the tape recorder 
and Cubase Studio, simply deactivate Sync on the Trans-
port panel.
Cubase as MMC slave (Cubase only)
This is set up in the MIDI Machine Control Slave section. 
Simply specify the MIDI ports and the MMC Device ID.
Some mixers support the MMC-Master protocol for con-
trolling external devices, including Tascam DM-24, Yamaha 
DM2000 and SSL. This means that Cubase can be used 
as a “recorder”, where track arming and transport com-
mands can be sent from the master device. In addition, 
some digital audio workstations (DAWs) can only operate 
in MMC-Master mode. 
Sync Options
The following Sync options are available in the Project 
Synchronization Setup dialog:
Lock Frames
Using this field you can set how many frames of “correct” 
timecode Cubase should receive before attempting to 
“lock” (synchronize) to incoming timecode. If you have an 
external tape transport with a very short start-up time, you 
could try lowering this number to make lock-up even faster 
than it already is.
Drop Out Frames
On an analog tape with timecode, dropouts may occur. If 
a drop-out is very long, Cubase may (temporarily) stop. In 
the Drop Out Frames field you can set how long a drop-
out (in frames) should be tolerated until Cubase decides 
that the tape is not good enough to synchronize to. If you 
have a very stable timecode source, you may lower this 
number to make Cubase stop more swiftly after the tape 
recorder has been stopped.
Inhibit Restart
Some synchronizers will still transmit MIDI Time Code for 
a short period after an external tape machine has been 
stopped. These extra frames of timecode can sometimes 
cause Cubase to restart suddenly. Inhibit Restart allows 
you to control the amount of time in milliseconds that Cu-
base will wait to restart (ignoring incoming MTC) once it 
has stopped. 
						

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Synchronization
Working with VST System Link
VST System Link is a network system for digital audio that 
allows you to have several computers working together in 
one large system. Unlike 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 operate, yet give enormous flexibility and perfor-
mance gains in use. It is capable 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 ma-
chine). 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.
Linking up two or more computers gives you vast possibil-
ities:
 Dedicate one computer to running VST instruments while re-
cording audio tracks on another.
 If you need lots of audio tracks, you may simply add tracks on 
another computer.
 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 applications on different platforms, you 
can take advantage of effect plug-ins and VST instru-
ments that are specific to certain programs or platforms.
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 
does not 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 out-
puts.
Of course, to be able to connect the computers, the digital connections 
must be compatible (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.
Any VST System Link applications can connect to each other.
Additionally, we recommend that you use a KVM switch-
box.
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 the same, but you may end up doing a lot of jumping 
from one machine to the other while setting up!
Making connections
Below, we assume that you are connecting two comput-
ers. Should you have more than two computers, it is 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 computers, you will need 
two digital audio cables, one in each direction:
1.Use the first digital audio cable to connect digital out-
put of computer 1 with the digital input of computer 2.
2.Use the other cable to connect the digital output of 
computer 2 with the digital input of computer 1.
If a card has more than one set of inputs and outputs, 
choose whichever one that suits you – for simplicity usu-
ally the first set is best. 
						

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Synchronization
Synchronization 
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.
The Clock Mode or Sync Mode is set up in the ASIO con-
trol panel of the audio hardware. In Cubase, you proceed 
as follows:
1.Pull down the Devices menu and open the Device Set-
up dialog.
2.On the VST Audio System page, select your audio in-
terface from the “ASIO Driver” pop-up menu.
The name of the audio interface now appears as a subentry to the VST 
Audio System entry in the Devices list.
3.Select your audio interface in the Devices list to the 
left.
4.Click the Control Panel button.
The ASIO control panel appears.
5.Open the ASIO control panel on the other computer 
as well.
If you are using another VST System Link host application on that com-
puter, check its documentation for details on how to open the ASIO con-
trol panel.
6.Now, you need to make sure that one audio card is set 
to be the Clock Master, and all the other cards are 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 hard-
ware – 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 con-
tains some indication 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 de-
tails.
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 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.
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 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 de-
signed 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 is extra important to minimize 
the latency times for each computer in the network.
ÖThe latency does not affect the synchronization – it is 
always perfectly in time. But it can affect the time it takes 
to send and receive MIDI and audio signals, or make the 
system seem sluggish.
To adjust the latency of a system, you adjust the size of the 
buffers in the ASIO control panel – the lower the buffer 
size, the lower the latency. It is best to keep to fairly low la-
tencies (buffer sizes) if your system can handle it – about 
12 ms or less is usually a good idea.
!All digital audio cables by definition always carry a 
clock signal as well as audio signals, so you do not 
have 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).!It is very important that one and only one card is the 
clock master, otherwise 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. 
						

							440
Synchronization
Setting up your software
Now it is time to set up your programs. The procedures 
below describe how to set things up in Cubase. If you are 
using another program on the other computer, please re-
fer 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 Pro-
ject 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 hard-
ware and on your needs. If you have a system with eight digital i/o channels 
(such as an ADAT connection), you could create several stereo or mono 
busses or a surround bus together with a stereo bus, or any combination 
you need. The important thing is that you should have the same configura-
tion in both applications – if you have four stereo output busses on com-
puter 1, you want four stereo input busses on computer 2, etc.
2.Set things up so that computer 1 plays back some au-
dio.
You could for example import an audio file and play it back in Cycle mode.
3.In the Inspector or Mixer, make sure the playing audio 
channel is routed to one of the digital output busses you 
set up.
4.In computer 2, open the Mixer and locate the corre-
sponding digital input bus.
The audio being played back should now “appear” in the program run-
ning on computer 2. You should see the input bus 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.
ÖFrom this point on in this chapter, we refer to the bus-
ses connected to the digital inputs and outputs as “VST 
System Link busses”.
Settings for the audio hardware
When you send VST System Link data between comput-
ers, it is important that the digital information is not changed 
in any way between the programs. Therefore, you should 
open the control panel (or additional application) for your 
audio hardware and make sure that the following 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/PDIF 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, 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 routing and mixing in the audio hardware. This can 
in some situations lead to “signal loops” in which case the 
VST System Link will not work. If you want to make abso-
lutely sure this will not cause any problems, select the de-
fault or “plain” preset for the Totalmix function.
Activating VST System Link
Before you proceed, you need to make sure that VST Sys-
tem Link is set as Timecode Source in the Synchronization 
dialog and that the desired Sync options are activated, 
see “Sync Options” on page 437.
After setting up the inputs and outputs, you now need to 
define which input/output should carry the actual VST 
System Link information.
The System Link networking signal is carried on only one 
bit of one channel. This means that if you have an ADAT 
based system which normally carries eight channels of 
24-bit audio, once you activate VST System Link you will 
have seven channels of 24-bit audio and one channel of