Pulsar 2 and RME Fireface routing advice needed?

[Mydriasis]

Ive just bought a Pulsar 2 card which will be arriving soon, the main reason i wanted this was for the Creamware Synths like Minimax. (although mixing in the scope platform does interest me as well, im perfectly happy mixing in Cubase and using my UAD software)

My current setup is like this

RME Fireface 400 with various hardware synths and fx using the analog I/O, straight into Cubase. Monitored through Cubase whilst working and then recorded to audio before mixdown in Cubase)
I was also hoping to treat the Creamware synths in the same way - recording them into Cubase as audio before mixdown.

But to use Scope for working i'd have to use the Scope ASIO driver meaning no RME ASIO

So my main concern is still being able to use the RME I/O for all my hardware devices, getting them routed into Cubase whilst using the Scope driver. Can this be done?

Im aware of XTC mode but would rather avoid it if possible.

The fireface has 8 ADAT I/O and a pretty good routing system so im sure its possible - just wondering if any users here have the same or similar setup?

Any advice or tips on the best way i can set everything up together?

[valis]

RedMuze uses a Fireface connected to his Scope cards in the same PC, connected using ADAT. He makes his living using that setup so it must work well for him.

I use 2 pc's, one with an RME Hammerfall HDSP+Multiface, the other with my Scope cards. They connect via ADAT & AES (10 channels total since the Multiface only has 1 adat i/o pair.)

Either way you go (scope in separate PC or the same one) you simply route your audio out of the ADAT module into the RME mixer's adat channels and to your software, and then out of the RME mixer's ADAT channels and into scope. Midi in the same machine either requires a loopback and/or external midi cables, or if you use a 2nd pc (as I do) you simple use midi cables.

Lastly, Minimax will not do 96khz (along with a few other S|C devices) due to the internal oversampling. On the off chance that you want to run your main host at 96khz & record them still, use the scope @ 48khz (or 44.1khz) and use analog connections instead of ADAT. Considering the quality of the synths most of us do not see this as a showstopper, I mention it merely in case you try.

[Refrochia]

I havent personally used 2 cards at the same time when making music (I have had the on board soundcard installed along side the scope cards but its obviously not used for music!) but I think it should be quite easy.

Configure Cubase to use Scope Asio then just use your fireface as an audio patchbay: hardware plugged into the analogue IO then the fireface ADAT out to your Pulsar ADAT in. This will show in the scope routing window as your ADAT source module. You now have 2 options:

1: Connect the ADAT source module to a Scope mixer and mix in Scope
or
2: Connect the ADAT source module to the ASIO Dest Module - this will then appear in Cubase as your Scope inputs and you can mix in Cubase. You can double click the ASIO modules and alter the number of channels (just in case you didnt know)

Scopes so flexible theres probably a few more ways you can do it but like I said I have no experience using 2 cards for music.

Welcome to Planet Z BTW

[iSiStOy]

I am using two boards (3 in fact: a Konnekt24d and 2 scope pro) and some other HW adat stuff, with midi through a Motu timepiece. Believe me, it's solid...
... If you don't have any IRQ conflicts.

For me, IRQs made me deactivate Firewire when I finished edit the Konnekt configuration and using it in Standalone mode, which you can't do with PCI cards. If this is no problem, then you will be able to use the ASIO driver that you want and get (limited, but that's ok) inputs from other boards.

Now, as stated, the RME has only one adat. It is your decision to use whatever board that would give you the best mixing solution when in Cubase (RME or Pulsar, it all depends on the available connections on each I think).
I know for me there wouldn't be any hesitations as to use the Scope as my main asio, because it gives you the flexibility of routing/mixing/whatever directly in SFP, then record, then change signal path, then record again, without closing CubHaze but then again, you can do it with RME asio and pulsar via adat as well.

[Mydriasis]

Thats great thanks for the ideas.. its all starting to make sense

Cant wait for it to arrive now

[Mydriasis]

Thanks again

I had the card up, running and setup exactly how i wanted within an hour or so

Midi triggers in Cubase -> Creamware Synths -> 8 audio channels of ADAT leaving Scope -> RME ADAT Inputs -> Cubase Audio tracks

Its like ive doubled my synths

Cant wait to update to 4.5/5 and get my teeth into Minimax and Pro 12

[valis]

Now, as stated, the RME has only one adat....(snip)

Just a correction for future readers, Fireface800 has 2 ADAT ports & electrical SPDIF (18 channels in total digital).

Also the RME drivers work so well I would certainly use that as your ASIO host (which it seems you did anyway) if you're mixing ITB (native mixing in software) or on an external mixer, with the only exception being the case where you want to mix in Scope itself (in which case having Scope ASIO drivers to Scope mixing will be the lowest latency & routing issues.)

Since I don't do my full mixes in Scope having as a secondary role works wonderfully, I feel like it has liberated me to make full use of Scope for even single signal chains if I so choose (especially as I have only 10dsps eh?!)

[Mydriasis]

Just testing it out and everything is running smoothly.. pretty good considering i have 3xUAD-1 cards and an old TC Powercore pci in the same computer.

I really like the STM mixer and would like to explore mixing entirely in Scope but i doubt the 6 dsps would allow it