File format

Hi all,

I am still having problems getting the VST Connect Pro to work as advertised and I wondered if there was a preferred file format that I should be using?
When I set up a VST connect session it all goes smoothly until about 1 minute 30 seconds into take, and then my computer stops sending data to the performer?
I always use Flac in CP8 but when I use VST connect the performers file is a wave and I wondered if there was a clash?
I have been through all the other steps and, for the short space of time the programme works, it works brilliantly so my thought is that maybe there is something happening that is “buried” deep in the programme?
I may be clutching at straws a little here but can any body chip with your thoughts please?
Many thanks,

Jim B

Performer files are always wav but that shouldn’t concern any operation in Cubase or Nuendo.
What you mean ‘90 seconds into the take’, any take, or the timeline, or starting anywhere in the timeline and then after 90 seconds? In any case, that’s rather strange, never had that.

I’ve no idea. But will try with FLAC in Cubase, you never know. Where do the FLAC files originate? Did you create them with Cubase?

Hi Musicullum,

Thanks very much for your response and here are the answers to your questions.

When I posted the original the drop out happens around 90 seconds into the take. Having said that today the drop out was happening around 3 minutes into the take and it was the same track?? When the drop outs occur, I stop recording, delete the performers track, and attempt to re-record the track but the drop outs then seem to occur in the same place.

Also I normally move all the files to the right so that I get a good “run in” before the track begins to allow for syncing.

All the flac files are created in Cubase, and if I render any midi tracks I convert them to flac as well.

As you will appreciate this is driving me nuts but, because of my personal circumstances changing, I find that I now have some free time during the day so I intend to solve these issues.

Is there anyone I could talk to during the day, that could help me in this?

Thanks in advance,

Jim B

I’m trying to follow you here. You say “drop out”…you said “the computer stops sending data to the Performer”. Now you say recording drops out. So does it stop recording or playback or both? Or continues after a dropout?
For a test I would suggest that you increase the Remote Latency (try 2 seconds) and reduce upstream rates of both audio and video on both ends. Does that have an impact?

Unfortunately I have to leave now. I hope you can resolve it trying some of the settings I mentioned.

Well now I am even more confused!!!

I thought I read somewhere that Asio Guard was now fixed for VST connect Pro?

When I was testing the suggested settings from Musicullum last night I was getting major spikes (nearly 100%) on the disc cache overload, which is something I have never…ever seen with CP8!!

So I turned of Activate multi core processing and Asio Guard and as if by magic VST connect worked smoothly, no audio drop outs (which is what I call it when the performer suddenly stops hearing the “to performer track” and, even though the cursor is still moving, the recording stops for a few seconds and then starts again) at all!!

Can someone let me know what the position is with Asio Guard and VST connect please?

Many thanks,

Jim B

Yes, we did fix an issue with the latest version.

ASIO Guard changes the basic scheduling system to gain some performance by pre-loading more from static playback tracks. But this also means that it may well interfere with additional tasks that also require a piece of the cake. Even if you have a sophisticated system, it may well be that for instance the VST Connect networking, preloading etc clashes with lengthy disk block operations. This doesn’t mean your disk, network, CPU, or graphics system etc are too slow, but that they may have an impact on each other such that one or more may be suffering from other processes blocking available scheduling time and resources.
That is a shot in the dark, though, one would have to look at the particular case for a more sophisticated analysis. You may have raised some parameters (I mentioned upstream rates) on one or both of the Cubase and VST Connect subsystems too high. Also perhaps you have networking software like a web browser, skype, email etc, or some other CPU intensive background applications, or some disk intensive…you get the picture.
To sum it up: ASIO Guard and the advanced system settings in Cubase would have been my next suggestion to look at. VST Connect and ASIO Guard both need large preload and pre-calculation resources, and possibly they may interfere even on a sophisticated system. So just leave ASIO Guard off - personally I prefer to activate it only during the mixing and mastering phase should I run out of CPU power.

Thanks for the information Musicullum,

I have a VST session arranged for this afternoon so I will let you know how that all works.

I have a final silly question though and I cant find an answer in the manual.

On the faders there are two square buttons, one is obviously a mute but I cant find any information on the other, can you tell me what purpose the other " button" serves?

Thanks and regards,

Jim B

To enable or disable inserts.
There is also a reverb send level on some channels which is a bit hard to spot…we’ll improve :slight_smile: