How to organize home studio with cubase ?

Hello there,

I need some advice to organize a new home studio. That’s how it looks: there are 2 PCs in the home studio.

  • Cubase is installed on one of the pc with several programs and plug ins ;
  • on the other PC, there are other stand-alone plug-ins + virtual synths (UVI / Arturia for example)

My problem is : How to make Cubase manage or work simultaneously with the music software installed on the 2 PCs ??

Here is a more concrete example i could explain : i wish open an Arturia synth that is on the second PC and use the effects of Cubase that is on the main PC, and save all results in Cubase.

Thanks for time you could take to advice me on this :confused:

You need to setup a lan based system.
IN my experience and with my workflow i think FXTeleport is the best solution.
Maximum integration with cubase , you open a project on the client and fxt load the server machine(one or more).
Ok , it’s a 32 bit application and so you must jbridge the teleported plugs but it’s easy and works like a charm !
You can also choose VEP that support 64 bit plugs but (imho) the integration isn’t optimal , infact you need to load manually the server session.
Whatever your choice yYou need a lan router (not a switch) and obviously a soundcard but only on the client machine !
:wink:

Wasn’t there a VST system link or whatever it was called? I think it used to transmit and receive control data over one channel and audio on the remainder… Seems that would be a good starting point to me since it’s integrated into Cubase (I mean, if it’s still in there).

Personally however I’d just put everything on one computer, but I know that wasn’t the question…

Yes , but you need a digital i/o equipped audio interfaces and a relative cubase installed and runnig on every machine you want to link.

I happened to look in the forum and saw your question. I do use one Keyboard and I have two sets of Midi cables, One is linked from my Roland keyboard to a midi interface (DuoCapture from Roland for exemple) to my iMac, the keyboard is also linked to a Hard disk mode eight channel Mixer (I use a Samson MDR 8 i chose this one a while ago for the Hard Disk Mode option available with this model…

This allow me to record in midi or in audio from my Keyboard to Cubase installed on my Mac, i can also record from the MDR 8 Mixer a guitar or a voice through Microphone direct in Cubase

Now I also use other music programs on My windows computer ( Cakewalk Sonar, B4, by Native for the B3 Hammond organ sounds and a few others older sometime like Hypersonic, Propellerhead, Rebirth , Acid what ever i want)) they each have sounds that i like and can’t find anywhere else so I link my Windows PC to my keyboard with the second set of Midi cables with a very basic ( and not costly also) midi USB interface called Midisport from M-Audio, and run a cable( 1/8 stereo from the audio out in the back of my PC tower to my Mixer’s with any kind of cable, i like to use a 1/8 stereo to right and left RCA and connect the RCA end of the cable to left and right inputs on my mixer.

Once i changed my Midi cable i can play on my Keyboard a specific sound from the original B4 program (by Native, purchased in 2000) for exemple and record in Cubase the audio i just created. than i can apply any kind of inserts effects what so ever to the audio track. all this without having to toggle the e-licenser back and forth from both computers. I record let’s say a Sonar track that I played on my keyboard and I recorded it also in Cubase . That’s it, once the little setup is completed it 's easy just change the midi cables to play on my keyboard from any program no matter where the music program is.

Why would I go to all that?

I have bought many music programs through the years, and used many computer OS’s both from Mac and Windows. It can take many months, sometimes years to master a computer program and than, suddenly you run a program that you studied so hard and wake up a morning to realize that upgrading to a new Windows or a new Mac Os version does not allow you to use your program anymore, you have to buy another one, and,or another computer, and,or another upgrade here or there, even a new mixer, a new keyboard all that to please the equipment sellers. I one day decided that I would not be forced to change anything anymore. Unless I decide to buy something, i will not be forced. So I kept a Windows XP computer, a Windows 7 computer and many Mac,s with many different OS, versions, so, now I can use the programs that I like and use them anytime I feel like doing so. I can run my XP PC and play music with Acid 2.0 (program by Sonic Foundry, bought 20 years ago.) Or Cakewalk 9, Home Studio 2002, 2004, Sonar, Guitar Studio I can play with Nuendo 2.0, WAVELAB 4.0, HYPERSONIC 2, Fruityloops, GoldWave, Cubase Pro 7, 8, 9, 9.5, Native B4 Pro Logic 8, Finale, and so forth, and so many more that I kept all these years. There’s no need to loose everything just to please the industry. You could be amazed to see or hear should I say all you can get with these older versions of music maker programs, some of them have special features that you can’t find anywhere anymore. I’m 67 years old soon I run an iMac Os Sierra the latest, A windows 10, a VA-7 Roland fantastic keyboard, but all this new stuff isnot always so much better in fact it can even be worst sometimes. So dont get stop by the market do as you like. Your the most important person in your life. Enjoy!

You’re right man , but…3648 characters and no answer to the 3d starter.
Philosophy is a good thing in front of a fireplace with a glass of brandy not as well in a technical forum !
:smiley:

Hello to everyone.

Firstly, I would like to thank you for all your answers and sharing experiences. I do not have (yet) the level you have but everyone gives me ideas to test in my home studio. :slight_smile:

MRK_Lab gave me the idea to test a client-server configuration between PCs. It is complex for me but this idea tempts me for a long-term configuration.

Beginthebegin’s descriptions made me realize that I could work around part of the problem depending on the cases (I/O midi with interfaces and keyboards). So I’m going to start with that and work on the client-server notions between PCs with LAN port.

Thanks also to MattiasNYC which I think I understood the remark.

Sorry for the late response, with outside work and a less fluent English that I would like (thanks google), it is true that the return may seems long ! But believe me, I look at all the answers and hope find news ideas or directions to thinks of.

Greetings from Paris.

@serge-musique , basically the hard step (not so hard how it appears indeed) is the lan configuration , but it’s easy to configure if you use a recent
OS , anyway when i starded , i managed a lan with xp as server and 2 client with w8.1 and w7 and i’m not a net-expert.
Fxteleport was released now as freeware and on its homepage you can find installer and serial number for full operativity.
If you need help ask !
:slight_smile:

Wouldn’t VST Connect Pro work for this scenario?

Sure, LAN support seems to be a feature of the pro version, but there’s not enough feedback (for this use) and it’s not free.

True, and you can buy old interfaces cheaply for use with VST System Link.

Probably , but an old interface could have’t the factory support for most recent OS , and , must absolutely have digital connection.
Furthermore the recording quality will depends from the D/A converters , too don’t forget the double conversion.
Imho this way is is complicated and inefficient compared to lan based system.
:slight_smile:

There is no double conversion when using VST System link. It’s a digital connection as far as I know.

Now that -steve- mentioned VST Connect for local multiple computer setup, has anyone tried it in real world situation and how does it compare to i.e VEP or system link? What is the latency? Can I remotely control the other computers cubase(I have a spare iMac, which I could use along with the main DAW/windows 7)?
These are major questions, because I need to buy new license for the mac. The VEP option would be way cheaper with better licensing(up to 3)

There is a VST Connect sub-forum here, with significant participation by the developers.

VST Connect isn’t for remote control, or VST Slaves, it’s a virtual control room/recording booth. So it can be used to create a wireless connection between the engineer and artist, either on a LAN or the interwebs.

Ok, so VEP it is then. Thank you

Sorry @MattiasNYC , you’re right ! :slight_smile:
However still remains a system that requires an host that support this protocol and a dedicated hardware.

Yep, you’re right about that point.