When I connect my lexicon hardware reverb unit to Cubase, or inside Cubase rather using “External Effects”, I use Stereo. But this hardware has “Dual stereo” meaning is can be used as a “two stereo channel” at once. So far I made two stereo channels to send to my snare, vocal, etc. But I was thinking I perhaps could I use this “2-stereo thing” as a “one stereo channel” in Cubase, as a “Quadro” instead of as “two stereo”? What is a Quadro connection? I’m I totally wrong here? Lol? Maybe I could just try it and see what happens…
Technically it’s possible. In the Add External FX dialog you can set the Send- and Return cConfigurations to Quadro. Quadro means, the track has 4 channels.
I wouldn’t recommend using “External FX” in Cubase because it’s not possible (yet) to save/load its configuraton. I use the regular in/outs for my outboard FX instead and have set up FX channels in Cubase, so I can use them via sends.
Dual stereo: not sure what would be the benefit of this if you are mixing only in Stereo - as far as I know, it is for surround mixes.
Hi! Thanks for your reply.
I could perhaps try it see what happens… I guess there will be 4 channels combined into a stereo channel (two channels) … But I wonder how a surround channel would work? Lets say 5 channels combined into a single stereo channel? But thats another topic…
I also have my outboard gear (so far only, the Lexicon Reverb) as a Send to my instrument channel in the Cubase mixer. For example, I create an FX channel and put the Lexicon as an insert on that channel. Then I for example go into the channel of my snare and add the “Lexicon FX channel” as a Send and adjust the amount. Is that how you do it or theres some other way?
Hi, first thing is to understand the LEXICON unit.
I own one, so maybe I can clarify a little: The unit has various operations modes. One of them is a multi-channel option (quadro). You can use this is surround settings.
Another one is “dual stereo” which effectively “splits” the device into two independet stereo effects. you can wire them to your interface and use them in parallel - via external effects or any other way you prefer (I would always prefer external effects - even though it is true that the configurations cannot be saved which is cumbersome especially when using multiple external devices).
Connect the Lex to my AI (physical connections using 8 xlr-cables).
In Cubase, add the Lex as an External Effect in the "setting up busses/routings window (cant remember what this window is called, maybe '“Audio Setup” or “Hardware Setup”?).
In the workspace add an FX channel.
In the mixer, add the External effect as an Insert on the FX channel (then ping the delay compensation).
Send this FX to any other channel where I want some of the Lex effects (could ie be to a Snare channel, to a Toms channel, OH channel, Vocal channel, etc).
Here’s my setup:
For example my ams delay (2 stereo ins / 2 stereo outs)
in Studio > Audio connections: Outputs: 2 ams sends (LR) from my RME 802
in Studio > Audio connections: Inputs: 2 ams returns (LR) to my RME 802
Then I’ve set up an FX Channel (with no inserts) where the output is routed directly to “ams sends”
The ams returns are routed to my main cubase mixbus, but this is done inside RME TotalMix (so I dont have problems with solo/mute)
I’ve also included a little noise gate in TotalMix to eliminate the noisefloor of my hardware units.
To record the ams delay, I have 2 options:
I can record/print the mixbus in cubase (the ams returns are included automatically) or
I can record the ams directly on one audio track (I just have to select the ams returns as audio inputs)
There is no possiblity to have a proper delay compensation, but that’s not a problem for me (it’s a delay anyway…)
The problem with External FX for me was: when opening older projects I had to set up all my hardware FX all over again which takes about 15 min…
