Does anyone here still use Cubase 5 or prior versions?

[ZapAxe]

To add to my previous post, if anyone is interested....

Since I use s/pdif digital audio among my VST System Linked computers, for which I was using Steinberg's suggested 'ring network' - that is s/pdif out of the 1st PC, in/out of the 2nd, in/out the 3rd, etc, etc, then back into the 1st PC in a daisy-chain - I decided I didn't want to daisy-chain (ring network) them, and came up with the idea to use an s/pdif distribution amplifier, this way I could send out of one PC, to all other PC's simultaneously. This way the latency is reduced down to just going from one PC to the others, rather than the accumulated latency in & out of several computers. (wasn't noticeable with 3 PC's really).
After researching, I discovered what I needed was a 'Matrix Switcher'...which allows me to choose from 5 computers 'which can serve as the master' at any given time, and which others will be serving as slaves. I had been suggested some professional units that had s/pdif, but decided on an audio/video unit. The Shinybow SB-5588, 8 IN/8 OUT. I'm only using this unit for it's coaxial s/pdif I/O's, which works perfect. Got it used, fairly cheap too!



All 5 of my computers audio interfaces have s/pdif, and run each cards s/pdif I/O's into this maxtrix switcher. Whichever I choose as my 'master' I set it's sound card's sending clock signal to 'INT', the slaves receiving sound cards clocks set to 's/pdif'. After pressing a few buttons on my matrix switcher for routing, all machines respond to all transport commands, and follow the clock source. They can also send digital audio, and even midi if I wanted. To test accuracy, I send a midi track out of one PC, through the matrix, into another PC to record it, and the received midi was recorded perfectlt on the grid. But I always record my midi tracks directly into my dedicated VSTi machines.
Another benefit to using a matrix switcher distribution amplifier for the s/pdif signals, is I can choose to not have all 5 machines on, like I would have to if using the 'ring network' eg; if say I wanted to use PC#1 & PC#4 when in a ring network (daisy-chaining)... I'd need PC#2 & PC#3 turned on to complete the signal chain, etc. The matrix switcher allows me to choose which PC's, and the number of PC's I want to run at any given time. One more benefit is with an 8X8 matrix switcher, I could have up to 8 PC's running simultaneously. And if I had a 16X16 matrix switcher, I could have up to 16 computers... one as master, simultaneously sending clock & digital audio to15 of them as slaves as I choose. But really, 5 is too much as it is.
To make general monitoring simple in my set up, I run all PC's main analog L/R audio out into my main PC's audio interface/controller/mixer, which is a Tascam FW-1082 and can be used even without the PC turned on if I want in a stand-alone mode, a monitor mixer to listen to all PC's audio simultaneously.

To make my post relevant to this topic... you can use your Cubase 5 (and/or any other Cubase versions) on another computer & run a master/slave(s) set up.

[felis]

How do you have it set up for visual monitors? Looks like a complicated setup.

[ZapAxe]

How do you have it set up for visual monitors? Looks like a complicated setup.

I use a video matrix switcher, an Extron MVX 88 VGA with 4 24" LCD's, stacked 2 on top of 2 in a square ...



Any PC can send video to any monitor, at any time in any configuration. My previous original standard KVM switch is now just used to switch my keyboard mouse between PC's.

[felis]

Holy crap man - that's a crazy setup. I'd be lost with it at first, for sure.

[Googly Smythe]

...
I've been doing this for over 10 years simply using folders.

You can't if you're using *.vst3s, though...

[felis]

...
I've been doing this for over 10 years simply using folders.

You can't if you're using *.vst3s, though...

I've got separate vst3 and vst-plugin folders. What happens if you mix or combine them?
Maybe not a good idea.

[ZapAxe]

Holy crap man - that's a crazy setup. I'd be lost with it at first, for sure.

It's not much different to using say, an 8X8 midi router such as a Motu MPT AV, in which by pressing a few buttons can route any midi input to any midi output, or take one midi input, and distribute that to any number of midi outputs, as well as other desired configurations.

Does matter what kind of I/O connections there are present in a matrix switcher, midi, digital audio (s/pdif, adat etc), VGA or HDMA etc video, analog audio etc, they all work the same.

I quickly learned when I got a Motu MTP AV midi router (which is a matrix switcher, though didn't think of it as such at the time) that I needed to write down which midi instruments, midi sound modules, and which computers were connected to my midi inputs & outputs. I also typed it in a file, which I leave on my computer's desktops for convenience. I do the same with my video and audio matrix switchers.
With all my digital audio, midi and video matrix switching configurations, I can't count on my memory as to which is connected to what. I can't even remember what I had for dinner the night before half the time. My Shinbow SB-5588 matrix switcher (above post) that I use it's s/pdif I/O's for, also has component video, and analog audio, all in the form of RCA connections.

I've yet to route my analog audio as matrix switching, for which I may or may not, I haven't had the need yet. I just plug my headphones into whatever sound card I want to monitor from, especially if I'm just using one computer, or if using more than one I plug my phones into my monitor mixer. If I want to use my near-field monitors, I feed audio from my monitor mixer into them. All audio from all PC's are already fed directly into this monitor mixer already.