User manual

27
VST Connections
Let’s say you are using audio hardware with eight analog
inputs and outputs and digital stereo connections (10 in-
puts and outputs all in all). Furthermore, you work with a
surround setup in 5.1 format (Cubase only). In this sce-
nario, you may want to add the following busses:
Input busses
• Most likely you need at least one stereo input bus assigned to
an analog input pair. This will let you record stereo material. If
you want to be able to record in stereo from other analog input
pairs as well, you add stereo input busses for these, too.
• Although you can record mono tracks from one side of a ste-
reo input, it may be a good idea to add a dedicated mono in-
put bus. This can be assigned to an analog input to which you
have connected a dedicated microphone pre-amp, for exam
-
ple. Again, you can have several different mono busses.
• You probably want a dedicated stereo input bus assigned to
the digital stereo input, for digital transfers.
• Cubase only: If you want to transfer surround material directly
to a surround track, e.
g. from surround-configured location re-
cording equipment, you need an input bus in that surround
format – in this example, this will be a 5.1 input bus.
Output busses
• You probably want one or several stereo output busses for
monitoring and listening to stereo mixes.
• For digital transfers, you need a stereo bus assigned to the
digital stereo output as well.
• Cubase only: You need a surround bus in the format of your
speaker configuration (in this example, 5.1) assigned to the
correct outputs (which in turn are connected to the correct
speakers). You may want additional surround busses if you
tend to work in different surround formats.
Preparations
Before you set up busses, you should name the inputs
and outputs on your audio hardware. For example, if you
are using a 5.1 surround speaker setup, you should name
the outputs according to which speaker they are con
-
nected to (Left, Right, Center, and so on).
The reason for this is compatibility – it makes it easier to
transfer projects between different computers and setups.
For example, if you move your project to another studio,
the audio hardware may be of a different model. But if
both you and the other studio owner have given your in
-
puts and outputs names according to the surround setup
(rather than names based on the audio hardware model),
Cubase will automatically find the correct inputs and out
-
puts for your busses and you will be able to play and re-
cord without having to change the settings.
To assign names to the inputs and outputs of your audio
hardware, proceed as follows:
1. Open the Device Setup dialog from the Devices menu.
2. On the VST Audio System page, make sure that the
correct driver for your audio hardware is selected.
If this is the case, your audio card is listed in the Devices list on the left of
the Device Setup window.
3. In the Devices list, select your audio card.
The available input and output ports on your audio hardware are listed on
the right.
4. To rename a port, click on its name in the Show As
column and enter a new name.
• If needed, you can also disable ports by deactivating
them in the Visible column.
Disabled ports are not shown in the VST Connections window. If you at-
tempt to disable a port that is used by a bus, you will be asked whether
this is really what you want – note that this will remove the port from the
bus!
5. Click OK to close the Device Setup dialog.
Ö If you open a project created on another computer and
the port names do not match (or the port configuration is
not the same – e.
g. the project is created on a system
with multi-channel i/o and you open it on a stereo in/out
system), the Missing Ports dialog will appear. This allows
you to manually re-route ports used in the project to ports
available in your system.
!
Different busses can use the same inputs/outputs on
the audio hardware! For example, you may want a
stereo output bus assigned to the same outputs as
the front stereo channels in your surround bus – this
enables you to listen to stereo mixes without having
to reconnect your speakers.