PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

I've never run Scope in XTC mode before so excuse my ignorance but I'm wondering a few basic things...

Does the Scope project window have any use in XTC mode? Do you still hook things up in the project window or do you do all your work in the sequencer environment?

Do the mixers work in XTC mode? Can you route signals from the sequencer/DAW into and out of Scope like in normal mode?

I think I understand that in XTC mode you use Scope effects just like a normal VST plug-in right? But is that the extent of the functionality in XTC mode? Do you lose any of the functionality normally asociated with Scope in standard mode?

Just curious.

with XTC mode you have NO acces to the routing window.
You route your xtc project setup, save it, quit sfp, and then you start your daw..
You can set it up so you can monitor with 0 latenzy, via the scope mixers and insert plugins in them.. ( AND you can use the plugins as vst fx) but no routing window.

As 19thbear described, you create/route your XTC project in the Routing before using it in VST, so that's the extent of the Routing Window's involvement. You can't access the Scope Routing Window in realtime once you're in XTC mode in VST despite the fact that signal processing for the Scope plugins is still done on your dsp cards. I'm not an xtc user, but it seems to me that the main loss in functionality is the absence of being able to make realtime routing changes & of course load/unload devices. To do that, you must create a new XTC project. That's a showstopper for me, but I can understand why some people like using XTC mode.

cheers,
Mark

Interesting. Well, what about the mixers? Can you open the mixer (for example, the 4896 mixer) and make simple fader changes or is all that set once you create the XTC project?

xtc mode is really about using your sequencer's mixer. in xtc mode, you use scope plugins within your sequencer's inserts. you will sacrifice some or most of scope's realtime and routing features.

Hi,

You could add mixers in your xtcproject, you'll have to save it with the mixer open thought to see it when xtc is loaded (there is no device bar to display device). You should be able to manually adjust levels, or you should associate midi automation and access it through device template in cubase for example. But you'll need one of the latest generation card. XTC loading is rather picky when there is "heavy" devices.

However K I S S principle is a better approach for XTCproject if you want reliable operation.

cheers

Interesting thanks!

Is it possible to have two versions of Scope installed on the same PC/OS/partition - one for XTC mode and one for normal mode? I'm wondering if it's possible to select between either mode with a simple mouse click or is this more complicated than that? If I remember correctly, you had to choose one or the other mode when installing Scope - neither the twain shall meet (or something like that).

Could you elaborate on this? I don't understand how you would go about setting up a "dual-mode" Scope system on the same machine. Do I have to install Scope twice? In XTC mode, don't the plug-ins have to be in a communal VST folder? Isn't that a function of how you install Scope in the first place? Or do I install Scope a second time (in a different folder for example) and then choose my default VST plug-in location for all the Scope devices? Then select either version of Scope if I want one or the other for different projects?

MD69 wrote:Hi,

You could add mixers in your xtcproject, you'll have to save it with the mixer open thought to see it when xtc is loaded (there is no device bar to display device). You should be able to manually adjust levels, or you should associate midi automation and access it through device template in cubase for example. But you'll need one of the latest generation card. XTC loading is rather picky when there is "heavy" devices.

However K I S S principle is a better approach for XTCproject if you want reliable operation.

cheers

That's interesting. I never had time to look at XTC mode and wasn't interested if I couldn't use any mixers.

Can any mixer be used?

Could you expand on how to go about it?

Thanks

stardust wrote:Basically you add the mixer into the xtcproject.pro and make sure te surface is open when saving.
Then during XTC ,ode the mixer surface is visible and accessible.

Hi forgive me for coming across as stupid.

I have loaded the mixer in the XTC project. when I reload th I/O in cubase control panel I get a message telling me that I can't have two ASIO sources and destinations.

I can't see any XTC vst plugins either. Is that the problem? do I need to relinstall Scope?

Thanks for your time

Me again Stardust.

I can see Cubase load the XTC project and STM mixer but I can't find it anywhere.

Any ideas?
Also all my XTC plugins are disabled in Cubase and I can't get them to become "visible" in the plugins inserts etc.

Thanks

I just re-installed Scope 4.5 and the plugins are now visible.
I still can't see the mixer.

Wow! this is so much more managable!

Thanks

xtc mode is the only way to go for me!
I use "octamix" a free sfp mixer.. and then an A/B switch( can't remember the name..) to select the recording input= clean ( before it enters the mixer) or processed ( after the mixer) that way i can monitor with fx, 0 latency, record clean signal or processed signal.
I LOVE IT!

Ah! got it working now. I had to change it to .mdl.

Just another question to I have to change all the plugins to mdl now for the mixer?
I just loaded Optimaster and it said it "couldn't find DSPfiel Oscar in DLL"

Thanks

There is a problem with Optimaster in XTC-mode. Can't remember if it actually works despite of that error message.

Basically, stuff you want to have opened at project start (like a mixer) will work in .mdl form. If something doesn't work as .dev, try .mdl.

1. does BX,a100,Kompressor etc will work with xtc mode?
2. how do you export your final mix(in sfp we do play and record the whole song) does xtc has the same option.
3. can you do automation to sfp plugs like any vst?
4. Does Xite-1 has xtc option?

** is it like, first i have to create a project and set asio i/o than i tick the Xtc mode than save and exit. now the sequencer will follow the last SAVED project.
thanks

1: A100 works, I know. The other, just try. They will probably work. Only really old devices with an older preset managment seem to fail in XTC.

2: You have to record the output in real time as with SFP. That is what the Merge module is for they say, though I only think it names outputs/inputs. A better option is to use Voxengo Recorder. Load it in the mix bus and set it to r
ecord in 32 bit float.

3: If the device was designed correctly, you should be able to do VST automation with the XTC loaded decives.

4: I guess, it will probably work as it does now. As in no improvements.

** : Yes

I used xtc mode a bit when I first got the card because I really didn't understand the scope system, once I caught on to it I cut out xtc mode, one thing though, when you export your song make sure you select realtime export in your daw otherwise your scope plugs won't be in your mix afterwards. I think that's what I remember at least.

From the xtc users, what's the benefit of using xtc if you want to use the scope mixers? Isn't it easier to just use regular scope mode? Is anything gained by using xtc mode? I'm just curious about that, I believe to completely use scope to it's fullness then scope mode is better, that's why I stopped using xtc mode once I understood what I could do in scope. I'm not knocking xtc at all, whatever gets you the best results is cool by me, maybe it's easier not having to switch between 2 surfaces, daw to scope. That's my only problem, but a second monitor would fix that although mostly I don't really need to see cubase when mixing, and my frontier tranzport makes controlling cubase easy while in scope so it's not a big issue.

the problem with scope mode is automation.
Say i have some channels routed out of the asio host (reaper) and into a scope mixer. I apply compressor and eq. Now i automate the cubase mixer volume. that means that the volume will rise and fall BEFORE it enters the comp!! that's a problem for me! I can automate synth/effects parameters without setting up midi CC's, ( i just use normal reaper automation). I can have a VST plug after the scope fx if i want, not only before.
And just as i can with normal scope, i can monitor 0 latenzy with fx's on the scope mixers and select if i want to record dry or clean.
other than that i just find it much faster FOR ME working in XTC mode. But whatever gets you there is fine by me i'll stop my rant now
Don't get me wrong! i am sure alot of people use scope mode and are happy with it! i'm just not one of them