using pulsar effects on cubase

mikio · Post by **mikio** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 9:26 am

hi all...
i've been using pulsar2 and cubase SX
for a while now.... and for all of the time
i use the cubase plugins for the mixdown...

it was a big challenge just to set up
a project to work with my cubase in the
first place.... being new to this
environment and all...

now... getting the hang of it...
i'm really curious to know if i
could use pulsar effects while i'm
mixing down in Cubase SX...
(as i use the "export" option in cubase..)

as i've done some experiments ...
trying to route effects thru the asios and
stuff... but the only result that i could
acheive was to actually record the effects
itself... which i don't think is the correct
way...

i don't know if i described it well here
but if someone is using both vst plugins
and pulsar effects at their mixdown...
please help me to find a reasonable way
to route this.... coz
i really want to acheive the best results
with the limited gear i have...
it's kinda stupid if you're not using
it properly after paying for it....

so if you have a tip for this...
please share it with us...

thanks...

firubbi · Post by **firubbi** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 9:37 am

Hello..
i use sonar and don't use vst/dx effects anymore. sfp effecs are much better than vst. sounds much smooth... transparent.... crystal to me.
Thanks

King of Snake · Post by **King of Snake** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 1:54 pm

I don't think it's possible to include SFP effects in a Cubase export, since Cubase only looks at it's own audio engine when you use export.
You can, of course, set up Asio source and destination modules in your SFP project, route the audio from Cubase trough SFP and back again to an input channel in Cubase.

Basic Pitch · Post by **Basic Pitch** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 2:33 pm

Here is the most simple way to use SFP effects in cubase and be able to export in a sense.

Basically, in your SFP project you would use an ASIO2 module that gives you the amount of channels you want to be able to rout from cubase, in my case I use Nuendo so its the same, I use the "ASIO2 64 lft" module or what ever its called and set the output channels to roughly 18-24 stereo tracks depending on what I need, now connect these ASIO outs to the STM mixer.

Thats the 1st important step, this is what is going to merge SX and SFP. Before you continue goto your devices menu and refresh the inputs/output sections so it now reads the correct in/outs in SX.

Now in SX, from the routing window "F4", create all the coresponding stereo busses and assign the CW ASIO outputs till everything is connected. From here any midi or audio track can now be routed from the SX mixer to be sent thru one of the ASIO channels you just set up. You can now use the SFP effects/EQs/Comps on any midi/audio channel you rout from SX to SFP via the ASIO channels.

For me I prefer the sound of the STM mixers over cubases mixer, so I rout every single sound from Nuendo into the STM mixer, all I use Nuendo for is to handle midi, VST inserts and a tape deck more or less.

Now depending on how you want to set your outputs routing back to SX I myself usually just use a small number like 5 ASIO2 outs and connect them to the STM buss outputs, here is the reason why.

Instead of doing an Audio Export in SX what you would do is in the master section of the STM mixer you just assign the outputs to buss section 1/2 or which ever you choose, this routes any and all audio from SX, VST instruments and SFP to that ASIO buss, then in SX create an audio track and set the input to the master input which should be the default of stereo 1 & 2, arm the track and hit record, the audio from all SFP, and SX and everything writes its self real time.

Then just go into the audio folder for the project and your export is right there. It really doesnt take much longer than doing a audio mixdown since in Nuendo or SX thats kind of a slow thing these days anyway.

If you use an app like wavelab or soundforge this is even easier, just set a wave dest from the master out of the L/R channels and you can record anything that you hear with out the need of using SX to record the export, this is how I do it mostly, but the method I described has served me well for a while, try and lemme know how ya work out.

Cheers!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Basic Pitch on 2004-08-31 15:42 ]</font>

Shayne White · Post by **Shayne White** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 5:54 pm

There's also XTC...now that Cubase has realtime export, I think XTC export works. Of course, not all plugins work in XTC mode...

bassdude · Post by **bassdude** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 7:39 pm

The quick answer is no you can't use the export function (for fast offline mixdown) if you want to incorporate sfp effects as SFP works in real time like outboard hardware.

mikio · Post by **mikio** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 8:49 pm

Thanks Basic Pitch for the
details that you've described...

i follow what you've said...
and thank you for describing in "words"
what i was trying to do.... ^^

here's an example that kinda bothers me..

say...
i was doing a simple mixdown of a hiphop
track that i only used 5 tracks..
one for the loop, bass, lead, guitar, and vocal (say).. i use the cubase effects on the instruments (easy) but i feel that i should use the effects of sfp on the vocals...

so what i'd do is route and isolate the vocals track (cubase out 2 - i usually use one output on the cubase most of the time) into a seperate asio2 source in sfp... and route this source to
a seperate bus which is connected with a
asio2 dest....(which is connected to the correspoding cubase input) so in the channel
of the asio2 source i use the auxes to bring in
the effects from sfp (the pulsar mixer)
hence the audio coming in from cubase, which
is the vocal and the effects of sfp will be
routed back into cubase again using the busses... so incubase
i'd create another audio track using a different cubase input and hit record....

so in actual sense.. i'd be recording "again"
the vocal tracts but with the sfp effects..
it really gets in the way recording twice
just to get those effects in... but i
guess hearing from you guyz there's no other
option unless i use the outputs from
master L/R in pulsar mixer and record to a
vdat or to wavelab realtime...

any other options will be appreciated...
damn...
wouldn't it be nice to handle both of sfp
effects and cubase effects... and hit
export in cubase or neundo...
God bless ya all....

valis · Post by **valis** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 9:43 pm

Just be glad you're not dealing with 24track tape machines and sync issues etc, having to bounce things there to get an effect printed is loads more fun!

Post by **garyb** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:45 am

at least if you have a bad mix, you'll have one more chance to hear it and if you have clicks and pops, you'll know right away....

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:50 am

On 2004-08-31 21:49, mikio wrote:
...
wouldn't it be nice to handle both of sfp
effects and cubase effects... and hit
export in cubase or neundo...

this will certainly make it to the top of the all-time 'favourite questions asked over and over again'

That export (aka 'rendering to audio') is (probably) the most important part in decreasing audio quality in the sequencer.
It does a fairly good job for average demands (and ears) but NO top quality like the SFP sound engine delivers.

As such there's no loss or sacrifice - it takes THIS time, realtime to be precise.
In Cubase it would probably take even longer if the rendered result is expected to have a similiar quality as SFP.
Not all calculations are created equal

cheers, Tom

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 7:11 am

Rather than bounce things from Cubase into SFP then back to Cubase, buss all your Cubase tracks to a SCOPE mixer, then record the mixer output live in Cubase. This way you bypass the Cubase mixer and can enjoy the SCOPE quality.

Mr A

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 7:28 am

He's right, you know

mikio · Post by **mikio** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 8:07 am

MR ARk....
thanks for that short tip...

i'll do that...
never thought about it that way...
about time that i should upgrade my
mixes...