User manual

501
Synchronization
5. On the Transport panel, activate the Sync button.
This routes transport commands to the hard disk recorder via MIDI and
sets Cubase as the timecode slave.
6. On the hard disk recorder, enable MMC and MTC.
Follow the instructions on how to set up the unit to receive MMC com-
mands and transmit MTC.
7. In Cubase, click the Play button.
The hard disk recorder should start playback and send MTC to Cubase.
Once Cubase syncs to MTC, the status on the Transport panel should
read “Lock” and show the current frame rate of incoming MTC.
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 sys
-
tem is equipped with a suitable ASIO compatible audio in-
terface.
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 instruments that are
specific to certain programs or platforms.
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.
• The audio hardware must have digital inputs and outputs.
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 must be available for
each computer in the network.
• A VST System Link host application must be installed
on each computer.
Any VST System Link application can connect to another.
Additionally, use of a KVM switchbox is recommended.
Using a KVM switchbox
Whether you want to set up a multi-computer network or 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 you can switch
between computers very rapidly. KVM switchboxes are not
too expensive, and they are 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 the digital
output of computer 1 to the digital input of computer 2.
2. Use the other cable to connect the digital output of
computer 2 to the digital input of computer 1.