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Synchronization
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 AI 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 AI may (temporarily) stop.
In the Drop Out Frames field you can set how long a drop-
out (in frames) should be tolerated until Cubase AI de-
cides 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 AI stop more swiftly after the
tape recorder has been stopped.
Inhibit Restart
Some synchronizers will still transmit MIDI Timecode for a
short period after an external tape machine has been
stopped. These extra frames of timecode can sometimes
cause Cubase AI to restart suddenly. Inhibit Restart allows
you to control the amount of time in milliseconds that Cu-
base AI will wait to restart (ignoring incoming MTC) once it
has stopped.
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 Macin-
tosh 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 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 switchbox.