Steinberg VST Connect SE User Guide

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Table of Contents

4 Preface
6 Overview

6 Quick Guide
7 Cubase / Nuendo Setup

9 VST Connect

9 User Interface Overview
10 Connection
12 Control Room
14 Talkback
15 Mixer

15 Performer Monitor (Headphone) Mix
16 Recording Mix

17 Cubase/Nuendo Menus
18 Event Monitor
20 Setup Tabs

20 CONFIGURATION
22 PERFORMER
22 MANAGER
24 RECORDINGS

24 Toolbox Items
25 Status and File Transfer
25 Performer HD Recording
27 Drag and Drop File Transfer

28 VST Connect Monitor

40 Troubleshooting

40 Connection
40 Server Not Responding
41 Avoid Audio Dropouts
41 Avoid Feedback
41 More ...

29 VST Connect Performer

29 User Interface Overview
30 Connection
31 Performer Monitor (Headphone) Mix
33 Effects

33 Reverb
34 EQ
34 Compressor
35 Inserts

35 Toolbox Items
36 Status and File Transfer
37 Settings
38 Plug-In Manager

39 Using a VST Instrument

3

Preface

by Karl (Charlie) Steinberg

Welcome to VST Connect 3! We are very proud to present this exciting new version
of VST Connect, which features an all new user interface and mixer, significantly
simplified setup for the engineer, and many more new features and improvements.

VST Connect has been used by skilled and professional producers all over the
world to record artists from all over the world conveniently and with highest audio
quality standards using the affordable PRO version. And hobbyists and serious
amateurs have recorded friends and colleagues with the SE version coming for free
with the latest Cubase and Nuendo versions.

With VST Connect an engineer can connect to a remote artist and create a
situation, which is entirely similar to recording somebody next door, including video
to see each other through the virtual Control Room window. The artist does not
have to do anything but perform, just like in a professional studio. All that is required
on his or her end is a decent microphone, headphones, and audio interface. The
artist doesn't need any DAW, but simply downloads and installs the freely available
"VST Connect Performer" application from the Steinberg website, available for
Apple OSX, Windows, and iOS (iPad). Once installed, it is sufficient to start this
application and connect to the studio; everything else, even including setup of the
audio and video devices and connections, can be remote-controlled by the
connected studio engineer. This allows for artists and talents to concentrate on their
job and use this new technology even when they are not technically skilled.

With this third iteration of VST Connect also comes an incredibly simplified setup
procedure for the studio engineer. From Cubase 8 and Nuendo 7 on, there is a
menu allowing to incorporate the entire setup for VST Connect in one single step,
either from an empty project, or an already elaborated production. It also utilizes the
built-in Cue Mix and Control Room features of Cubase/Nuendo in exactly the same
way as they are being used in the room-to-room studio! Using the PRO version,
high resolution ("HD") and glitch-free audio files recorded on the Performer end can
be transferred after the job. So now, the recording situation is entirely transparent,
whether the artist is located next room, or on the other side of our precious planet.

We have been working on connecting musicians and talents over the Internet for
more than 10 years now. Having come a long way from the early 80s, when
“Internet” wasn't yet a word and we just started to send our first e-mails to those
"chosen few" who even knew that remote communication was applicable, it is truly
exciting for me to see how far it has come, and I'm particularly amazed to be part of
this process.

4

Preface

There are too many colleagues at Steinberg and elsewhere to mention, who have
helped to make this dream come true, so I hope they don't mind if I express my
gratitude to all of them here. In particular, I would like to thank Michael Spork who
has provided at least as much of the programming work as myself, and my very long
term friend and partner Manfred Rürup, with whom I am happy to still share the
experience of these amazing developments of our brave new world.

October 2014

5

Quick Guide

PROCEDURE

Overview

VST Connect is used by two people, the artist or talent performing vocals or other
instrument, and an engineer in a studio using Cubase/Nuendo along with the VST
Connect components. The artist downloads and installs the VST Connect
Performer application or app. The Apple OSX and Microsoft Windows versions are
freely downloadable from the Steinberg website, the iPad IOS version is very
affordable. Everything else that is required on the artist side is a microphone,
headphone, and audio interface along with a suitable driver. For a test, even the
built-in hardware can be used, but for reasonable quality recordings, a good audio
interface like the Steinberg UR22 is recommended.

For a quick start, and also for explaining some of the new features of this version,
we will start by describing the steps necessary on the Cubase/Nuendo end,
assuming the artist is ready to go and has installed and launched the VST Connect
Performer application (or app).

For the impatient, and those already familiar with previous versions of VST Connect,
here is a super-quick rundown how to start remote recording instantly:

1. Create a new Cubase/Nuendo project or use an existing one.

2. Access the Project/VST Connect menu and choose "Create VST Connect".

3. If not already present, create a Talkback channel using "Add Talkback" in the
same menu.

4. If the VST Editor is not already visible, choose "Open Editor".

5. Enter your name in the "Name" field and click the "Login" button. A code
appears in the “Key” field; pass this to the artist and let him/her enter it in the
Performer app "Key" field and hit the "Connect" button.

RESULT

You can see, hear, and immediately record the artist now, just like you would record
yourself or somebody else next door!

6

Overview

PROCEDURE

NOTE

Cubase / Nuendo Setup

Now let's have a look at the details.

Cubase / Nuendo Setup

With version 3 of VST Connect comes an all new sub-menu in Cubase/Nuendo that
you can find under the "Project" menu. To begin with, let's assume that you start
from scratch, so the first step is to launch Cubase/Nuendo and

1. create a new empty project, using either the "Empty", "Default", or your
preferred default project template. To set up a VST Connect session, all you
have to do is to

2. select "Create VST Connect" from the VST Connect menu. Depending on
whether you are using the built-in VST Connect SE, or have purchased the
VST Connect PRO version, you will find this in the accordingly labeled menu.
This will create an Input channel with the VST Connect plug-in, possibly (if not
existing already) create a Cue Mix Channel in the Control Room Mixer, install
the VST Connect Cue plug-in in that channel, and create an audio track in the
arrangement, which is readily set up to record and chat with a remote artist.



3. You can create more such audio tracks from the VST Connect menu ("Create
Performer Track"), or right click and choose "Duplicate Track" if you need
several recording tracks like for double-tracking, two-part guitars, choir, or
various versions etc. This is similar to creating a new Audio Track and select
"VST Connect" as its input audio source.
The only thing that is left to do, if you haven't already done so is to create a
Talkback setup. You have to do this only once. For convenience, there is an
entry in the VST Connect menu labeled "Create Talkback" which you should
select now.

4. Then make sure that the Talkback channel of the Control Room is assigned
an audio input with your Talkback (abbreviated: TB) microphone attached.
This is done in the "Devices" menu of Cubase/Nuendo:

5. Select "VST Connections" (not to be confused with "VST Connect") in the
"Devices" menu and then, access the rightmost tab labeled "Studio". You
should see the "Talkback" row; assign the according audio port to which your
TB microphone is connected (you may have to click the "+" plus icon to open
up the connections row). This is the same procedure as assigning audio ports
in the "Inputs" tab of the VST Connections panel.



If you have never recorded an artist or yourself in your studio using the Control
Room, you might consider having look around the Control Room and its settings in
the "Studio" tab and/or refer to the Control Room section of the Cubase/Nuendo
manual. There are many useful functions available there that relate to professional
studio recording and monitoring.



7

Overview

Cubase / Nuendo Setup



To access the Control Room Mixer, use the "Devices" menu and there choose
"Control Room Mixer". You can also use the top left control in the MixConsole
window to show the Control Room mixer on the right hand side of
Cubase/Nuendos' mixer window. For more details on this, again refer to the related
sections in the Cubase/Nuendo manual.

8

User Interface Overview

VST Connect

• On the top left, Talkback can be controlled. These controls are linked to the
according controls in the Cubase/Nuendo Control Room Mixer. See
TALKBACK how to use this.

• The top middle section shows status information, none of these can be
changed, they are for informational purpose only. See EVENT MONITOR.

• The top right section is where you connect to the artist. See CONNECTION
for further details

• To the middle left, usually the Performer video is displayed, but depending on
other settings, also the large mixer view or settings pages can be seen. See
SETUP TABS section for more information on this.

• To the right, the Monitor Mixer is shown. See MIXER section for details.

9

VST Connect

PROCEDURE

Connection

Connection

1

Now you are ready to record the remote ar
plug-in user interface; if that window has been closed accidentally, you can re-open
it by selecting "Open Editor" in the Cubase/Nuendo "Project/VST Connect" menu.

1. If you haven't done so yet, type your name in the "Name" field in the top right
"Network login" section. This can be your real name, or a nickname that the
artist will see.

2. Click on the "Login" button right to the name field. A two-part number ("Key")
will appear in the second field below the name, provided you are connected
to the Internet. Communicate this number to the artist, for instance via SMS,
email, or phone.

3. Ask the artist to start the Performer application and enter a name in the
"Name" field in top right section, also labeled "Network
the "Key" number into the according field. Make sure that there is a blank
(space) between the two groups of numbers.

4. Ask the artist to click the "Connect" button.

tist. You should see the VST Connect

Login", and to enter

If the Performer should be connected in your Local Area Network (LAN), and
provided that you are running the PRO version of VST Connect, the green LAN
button in the Performer application is lit. The artist can then click this to see and
select your computer to connect as is described in the Performer documentation.

You should now see the artist in the VST Connect plug-in window, provided he or
she has a webcam connected and installed, and hear his or her voice provided he
or she has connected a microphone via an audio interface to the computer. It is also
necessary that the Performer Track in Cubase/Nuendo is in Monitor mode (the
yellow speaker icon must be lit) to be able to hear the artist's microphone signal,
just the same way it would be required if you wanted to hear your own signal source
when recording alone.

If this is the first time, you may have to hel
and/or audio device and connections:

10

p the artist assigning the correct video

VST Connect

PROCEDURE

Connection

1. Click the "gearwheel" item on the lower right of the VST Connect editor
window and select the "Performer" tab. In the "Audio Device" item, choose an
audio device of the Performer's computer from the list.

2. If you cannot hear the artist yet, click the toolbox icon again to close the
settings page, and choose his or her microphone's port on top of the "Mic"
channel in the VST Connect mixer.

3. It is also important that the audio track (channel) that you want to record the
artist to in Cubase/Nuendo has the Monitor function activated. This is usually
automatically engaged when you set that track to record mode, depending on
Cubase/Nuendos' "Auto Monitor" settings in the "Preferences" menu ("VST"
tab). If in doubt, set this to "Tapemachine Style".

4. For the artist to hear his or her monitoring (headphone) signals, you may also
have to choose the correct output ports above the "MASTER" channel found
in the Monitor mixer all to the left.

RESULT

You are now ready to record the artist just like with any other recording you are used
to! You will probably want to import some playback audio file for the artist etc. Just
use Cubase/Nuendo the same way you would if you were recording yourself or
somebody else.

11

VST Connect

Control Room

Control Room

The artist will hear whatever you send via the Control Room Cue Mix channel.
Playback and review channels (tracks on which you already recorded a
performance of the artist) are sent to the Performer application via the VST Connect
Cue Channel. Each channel in the Cubase/Nuendo MixConsole has a “CUES” mix
level control (use "Racks" on the mixer header and enable "Cue Sends", should it
not show up), which determines how much of that channel is audible on the artist
side. This can be set pre or post fader like other channel sends, and also features a
pan control.

12

VST Connect

NOTE

Control Room

You may find further details about Cue Sends in the Cubase/Nuendo manual.

Make sure Control Room settings are visible so you can control what the artist hears
("Devices/Control Room"):

13