User manual

22
VST Connections: Setting up input and output busses
• A parameter window appears, showing the Delay, Send Gain
and Return Gain settings for the external FX bus. You can ad-
just these as necessary while playing back. The parameter
window also provides the “Measure Effect’s Loop Delay for
Delay Compensation” button. This is the same function as the
“Check User Delay” option in the VST Connections window. It
provides Cubase with a Delay value to be used for delay com-
pensation. When you have defined a MIDI device for the ef-
fect, the corresponding Device window will be opened. When
Studio Manager 2 is installed, and you have set up a corre-
sponding OPT editor, this OPT editor will be displayed.
The default parameter window for an external effect
Like any effect, you can use the external FX bus as an in-
sert effect or as a send effect (an insert effect on an FX
channel track). You can deactivate or bypass the external
effect with the usual controls.
Setting up external instruments
1. Open the VST Connections window from the Devices
menu.
2. Open the External Instrument tab and click “Add Ex-
ternal Instrument”.
3. In the dialog that appears, enter a name for the exter-
nal instrument and specify the number of required mono
and/or stereo returns.
Depending on the type of instrument, a specific number of mono and/or
stereo return channels is required.
• You also need a MIDI device that corresponds with the
external instrument. You can then click the Associate MIDI
Device button to connect the two.
You can use the MIDI Device Manager to create a new MIDI device. For
information about the MIDI Device Manager and user device panels, see
the chapter “Using MIDI devices” on page 314.
4. Click OK.
This adds a new external instrument bus.
5. Click in the Device Port column for the “Left” and
“Right” ports of the Return Bus and select the inputs on
your audio hardware to which you connected the external
instrument.
6. If you like, make additional settings for the bus.
These are found in the columns to the right. Note that you can adjust
these while actually using the external instrument – which may be easier
as you can hear the result. The following options are available:
7. When you are done, close the VST Connections win-
dow.
Ö Note that external device ports are exclusive, see
“Connecting the external effect/instrument” on page 20.
Measure Effect’s Loop
Delay button
Setting Description
Delay If your hardware device has an inherent delay (latency),
you should enter this value here. This allows Cubase to
compensate for that delay during playback. Note that you
do not have to take the latency of the audio hardware into
account – this is handled automatically by the program.
Return Gain Allows you to adjust the level of the signal coming in from
the external instrument.
Note however that excessive output levels from an exter-
nal device may cause clipping in the audio hardware. The
Return Gain setting cannot be used to compensate for
this – you have to lower the output level on the device in-
stead.
MIDI Device When you click in this column, a pop-up menu opens
where you can disconnect the instrument from the asso-
ciated MIDI device, select a MIDI device, create a new
device or open the MIDI Device Manager to edit the MIDI
device.
When Studio Manager 2 is installed, you may also select
an OPT editor to access your external instrument.
Used Whenever you insert the external instrument into a VST
Instrument slot, this column shows a checkmark (“x”) to
indicate that the instrument is being used.