Chapter 14. Working in Sync

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Synchronizing Cubase to other devices is one of the most important, yet underused, tasks in a typical recording environment. Synchronization is often something we have to deal with, but resist because it can lead to all kinds of problems. On the other hand, when done properly, it can save you lots of time (which usually converts itself into money) and allow you to accept new and interesting projects, such as film and video sound tracks or sound design and editing. More and more, working in sync implies making two computers work hand-in-hand, where one computer is running the main project and a second computer is running a rack of effects and VSTi, all working in perfect sample-accurate sync, as if they were only one computer. Sharing the workload between computers like this is becoming increasingly popular since the more computers you have, the more processing you can apply, making the workflow a lot smoother. Not to mention the fact that it may also extend the life of your older computer as well, or help to push the upgrade cost a bit further down the road.

In this chapter, you will discover the VST System Link; a networking system provided with Cubase that can transform your second computer into an impressive VSTi rack and a third computer into a processing power house, all linked together, mixing everything inside your first computer. This technology was developed by Steinberg and allows different host computers to share resources by using the digital audio hardware you already have in place, as long as you have a VST System Link compatible application running in every computer.

Here's a summary of what you will learn in this chapter:

Understand the difference between a Word Clock, a timecode, and a MIDI Clock.
Learn how and when to use a specific timecode.
Learn how and when to use a MIDI Clock.
Understand what MIDI Machine Control is and how you can use it.
Determine why digital clocks are important when using digital audio devices.
Find out what VST System Link is and how you can use it.
Learn how to synchronize devices together by using different synchronization methods .
Determine how you can deal with events that need to stay synchronized to time, whereas others are synchronized to bars and beats.
Find out how to work with online video files.

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