Just seeing what the best option is currently to use a second computer for offloading VST instruments and fx is…
Vienna Ensemble pro? (just needs ethernet)
VST system link? (needs more asio hardware)
Any others to check out?
Vienna Ensemble Pro is most certainly the most advanced and efficient solution for offloading instruments to other machines, or to create virtual instrument racks independently from the DAW on the same machine.
However, it’s not meant to be used as an FX-rack. While its architecture might still be useful for typical send FX (reverb, delays …), using VEP for insert effects is not possible as it doesn’t return its output on the same track.
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Yeah. VEP would be so great if could use it easily as insert FX on a per channel basis. Currently I have it set up where I can do that on the master bus, so at least I can offload all my mix bus processing.
(Insert VEP audio input plugin on your Stereo output bus. Add your vst FX in VEP server. Then, back in Nuendo, route the output of the VEP instrument plugin to Stereo out 2. Then print your mix from Stereo out 2)
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Looks like BlueCat makes something cool. Essentially a VST FX rack on a server computer…
But… It can’t do latency compensation. And I imagine you’d need to save presets to go along with your Nuendo session. (VEP settings get saved and recalled as part of the Nuendo session)
Waves makes dedicated hardware that does this. They charge entirely too much for it, but it is something they sell. Soundgrid is their name for it. I’m not at all a Waves fan these days, but it is an option.
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Audio Gridder looks like a great concept indeed. However, when I’ve been testing I experienced crashes and freezes on a regular basis (Windows-based). Do you use it in actual real-world projects regularly?
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I’d go with VST System Link. Best integration with Nuendo compared to all other solutions. All you need is an ADAT interface really.
While not perfect, I do use, from time to time, Dante software, in order to connect my older computer. This, because I absolutely refuse to spend thousands of bucks to be able to use my UAD plugins on my newer laptop. So much for tying plugins to hardware. Anyways…
I can stream up to 32 Mono channels to and from my older Pro Tools HD system, via a Focusrite Bridge (if I need PT plugins), or via an ethernet cable, if I only need to run UAD plugins.
Total roundtrip latency: 4-6 mS. Not bad. And, I can compensate for that manually inside Nuendo.
Usually, I do this to use UADs Capitol Chambers. I remember actually going to that studio to run audio through their chambers. Did it on a Sunday, and had a studio assistant with me the entire time, to ensure I did not IR sample their chambers. They swore up and down they would NEVER allow that. Until they did LOL, and I am glad they did. But, they did not do all the chambers. After that, the Abbey Road Reverbs and Chambers are good to use too. When I need that vibe, without needing to hop on a plane.
This method does not use an extra audio interface.
If I use the Focusrite PT Bridge, the latency is around 1 - 1.2 mS.
vst systemlink has always been a hassle for me…it works…but I use extensive sync between my master/slave computers and have always found better sync solutions via ext synchronizer/master clock/wordclock etc…and I typically run vst etc effects on a few locked slaves…with signals routed between the interfaces connected to my patch bays at the console. I’m not picky about back/forth signals being analog rather than staying digital. Plus, I have full adat optical connectivity for audio when needed, rather than losing an adat trk for sync.
All that said…Vsl/gridder/bluecat may be completely fine solutions for running fx from slaves.
In the previous century, I extensively used Vstack on the slaves for offloading fx/cpu hit. Don’t know why sb abandoned it.
Seems to me that the current Yamaha Vst Stack Pro …v-stack…get it? 
… would have been coded to work as a slave host thing with Cubendo. But apparently, Yamaha doesn’t want that happening or something.
Wish I could get Vstack to work on current-ish Windows machines but it crashes.
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