9.5

Synchronization
Activating VST System Link
Using MIDI
As well as supplying transport and sync control, VST System Link also supplies up to 16 MIDI
ports, with 16 channels each.
PROCEDURE
1. Use the MIDI Inputs and MIDI Outputs value fields to specify the number of MIDI ports
you need.
The default value is 0 MIDI In and 0 MIDI Out ports.
2. In the Project window, create a MIDI track and open the Inspector (top section).
3. If you now open the Input or Output Routing pop-up menu, you will find the specified
System Link ports added to the list of MIDI inputs or outputs.
This allows you to route MIDI tracks to VST instruments running on another computer.
RELATED LINKS
Application examples on page 591
The “Use Selected ASIO Ports for Data only” setting
If you are sending huge amounts of MIDI data at once, there is a small possibility that you
might run out of bandwidth on your VST System Link network. This will manifest itself by notes
“choking” or timing becoming erratic.
If this happens, you can devote more bandwidth to MIDI by activating Use Selected ASIO Ports
for Data only on the VST System Link page of the Studio Setup dialog. When this is activated,
the VST System Link information will be sent on the entire channel instead of just one bit, more
than enough for all the MIDI you could ever hope to use. The downside is that you can no longer
use this ASIO channel for audio transfer (do not connect it to a speaker!), thus leaving you with
only 7 audio channels in our ADAT cable example. Depending on how you work, this might be a
reasonable compromise.
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