PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

Hello,

I finally have my Scope cards running on Windows 8.1 with Cubase 7 and UAD2.

I just selected the driver and somehow it knew which card was connected (or maybe I configured it).

Something I did not realise, is there 2 versions of the Pulsar II, at a hardware level one is AES/EBU and the other S/PDIF?

I have absolutely no idea how Scope works to be honest, I've been working with multiple VST's mixing to groups and stereo for as long as I can remember (composer here).

Of course I want to get into the synths and effects but my workflow to this point has not changed so if anyone has any clues on how to route a MIDI track in Cubase to one of the scope synths I'd be grateful (I don't need to record it, I use syths mostly as a guide for writing orchestral parts would you believe).

Cheers everyone and thanks for all the help thus far. and especially to Gary B. who gave so much insight into the hardware at a technical level.

Basically all u need to do is add a "virtual software" "sequncer MID IO" to your scope project and connect the output module to your scope MIDI devices ...
(If I'm not mistaken

that's right.

the midi sequencer dest goes to Cubase, the midi sequencer souce comes from Cubase. you can have as many ports as needed, each will allow 16 midi channels.

the sequencer midi modules, like the ASIO modules, must be in the routing window, with the proper number of i/o BEFORE Cubase is opened or Cubase won't know about them. once they are configured in the routing window and Cubase opens, they become the JACKS for Cubase, just like hardware jacks on a real piece of musical hardware. you can connect or disconnet the wires from the jacks to make audio and/or midi signals go where you want even in and out and into the computer or programs again in realtime.

yes, some cards have AES/EBU and some SP/DIF. if the card has XLR connectors on the whip, then it's AES/EBU, if it has RCA(cinch) connectors, then it's SP/DIF. do NOT mix up the cable whips between cards. the balanced(AES/EBU) card has an extra chip on it to create an electronically balanced signal. if you don't know about balanced and non-balanced signals. then you have some googling to do.

Thank you both for those details.

I managed to get MIDI going from Cubase and I am now in a strange world.

My Cubase project is unchanged, I can still use my UAD card as before (I have zero recording requirements) and a stereo signal is going into scope.

My project (cubase) is set up as MIDI tracks going to Kontakt instances, with some stereo off the VST Instrument Rack and others with muliple outputs.

I also use the odd Instrument track as well but they are all mixed to 4 groups and then stereo.

A novice question, but can I go from a Group directly into Scope or do I need to make an output bus of some sort?

When I loaded Scope environment, I only saw stereo I/O in Devices (cubase) even though I have 3 cards.

As to the AES/SP/DIF question, is it possible to use AES through a SP/DIF cable? I only ask as it's working now (I may just understand which card is which but if I don't, I will have to investigate using HWinfo for example).

Thanks again,

P.S. The DSP meters seem pretty full on ASYNC, is that any indication of how much capacity is left?

Cubase can't see the hardware i/o of the cards. even though the GUI(graphic user interface) makes it look like the Scope environment is in the computer, it is not. the ASIO driver connects windows programs to the hardware.

Cubase can see the ASIO source and destination modules. right click on the ASIO source module, choose "Surfaces" and then "Open ASIO Settings" to choose the number if ins(from Cubase) and outs(to Cubase). i use the ASIO2 Float Source and ASIO2 Dest modules(under software i/o) with Cubase personally. remember, Cubase must be closed when changing the number of ASIO channels or the type of ASIO driver. the ASIO channels are the audio jacks from Cubase. you can connect or disconnect or even run from output back into Cubase, in realtime, once it's set up.

in Cubase you will need to add input and output busses if you have more than stereo in and out available via the ASIO modules. i usually assign stereo busses. there is no need to add a mono bus. any stereo bus can be considered two mono busses, if needed. information about how to do this is here:
http://www.hitfoundry.com/issue_01/cubase.htm

the important thing to understand is that SCope is not inside Cubase, Cubase if anything, is inside Scope. Cubase is merely a multitrack recorder. the audio and midi jacks for that recorder are in Scope. this allows everything in your studio to link together, even other hardware if you wanted to use it, in realtime, which is very nice if you're mixing or designing sound. for tracking(recording), monitoring in Scope allows for delay-free overdubs, which is nice.

this architecture is the same as traditional studios, so understanding the flow of signal will be helpful.

and the cards together are functioning as if it's one, in Scope as well as seen from Cubase