VST Connect SE failure

VST Cloud
#1

The title says it all.

Myself and other users upgraded to CB 8 Pro and found that there were major issues with VST connect SE…it couldn’t be made to work!!! :imp:
Musicullum ( always a great help in the past with VST connect ) told us that SB had addressed in the issues in the upcoming update so I figured it would be sorted.

I downloaded 8.05 update I tentatively tried it and, after playing with some settings which appeared to be linked to the audio set up, it did seem to work…happy days :smiley:

But last night I tried to carry out a serious VST connect session (same computer, same interface, same Yamaha asio, same set up with the performer) and, once again, a dismal failure and it does not make any sense.
When this issue first started I was a bit concerned that the audio interface I and the performer are using (Steinberg CI 1’s) were the issue but, according to Musicullum, they are fine… so that only leaves the programe :question: :question:

When I start any VST connect session I have the programme “self check” the set up and EVERTIME it says the set up is wrong and repairs it…but it still doesn’t work. I mirrored the settings I had when I actually succeeded earlier in the week to no avail.

I am now at the end…SB have taken a perfectly usable programme, upgraded/improved it, and effectively stopped punters like me using it :imp: :imp:
It just doesn’t make sense to me but, in light of all the other issues with CB 8Pro, I suppose VST Connect SE is following the trend.

If there is anybody else at SB that can offer me a solution I would be very grateful but I think that Musicullum is the only one that really knows the programme and I don’t want to become a pain in the butt to him.

I suppose that what really bugs me is that, because I am using only SB programes and hardware surely there must be someone within the company could guide me through the correct set up? It must be something to do with the VST connections but I have unsuccessfully tried all variations and effectively got nowhere.

I will be happy to give my time in finding a solution but I fear there wont be one until the next update.
I live in hope that someone at SB proves me wrong…lets wait and see :exclamation:

Jim B

#2

Well,

No response from anyone yet - which doesn’t fill me with confidence :frowning:

Jim B

#3

I haven’t been able to get it to work with one of my buddies neither. :frowning:

#4

Well I’m glad its not just me.
Maybe everyone from SB are at NAMM and they are to busy to help?

Jim B

#5

I’m really sorry but I definately don’t get any messages from the boards that I subscribed to no matter what.
Anyway could you pls try and do as is described in the manual:

  • empty project
  • menu Project->VST Connect->Create VST Connect
    That always works for me in all constellations.
    It also works in every project that has no VST Connect installed before.
    You may also want to check “manually”:
  • there should be an Input Channel with the VST Connect plugin
  • in the Control Room Mixer, there should be one Cuemix Channel with the VST Conect Cuemix plugin
  • also in the Control Room, there should be the VST Connect Monitor plugin in the Master (Monitor).
    If it still fails, pls let us know exactly what you did and what does or does not work.
#6

Hi Musicullum,

Thanks for the help, and I have done exactly what you said:
Starting at Empty project and finishing up with Create VST connect. In the project window there is only a “Performer rec” track. First question, do I create another audio track (in this case “To drummer”) and is that automatically routed with a Cue send?
In VST connections (input) there are 2 busses, 1 is stereo in (left and right) and the other is VST connect (left and right)
Can you tell me which device ports I need to connect using my Steinberg CI 1 unit?
In VST Connections studio tab I have a mono talk back bus, a stereo cue (VST connect) bus and a stereo monitor bus. Again, could you tell me which device ports should be connected?
You mention checking the “manually” option but I cannot see that anywhere?

In the mix console window I have the following buses, Stereo in with no inserts or cue send, VST Connect with VST connect as an insert, Performer rec with Cue send ( cue VST), To drummer with Cue send (cue VST) and stereo out, again with Cue send (cue vst). Do all the available cue sends need to be activated?
In the project window the status line shows “studio not connected” which is wrong because it is!!!
If I do a check and repair (if it is available) it comes up with a message about only being able to run 1 instance of VST connect?
Tonight the performer side was also using a Steinberg CI 1 unit so could there be some kind of clash there?
After a few hours tonight it seems to be worse than ever. We couldn’t hear each other, the sync lights were continually red and basically no success at all.
I am hoping that you can offer the correct advise for this stage of the proceedings to allow me to again start using VST Connect.

Many thanks,

Jim B

#7

You mean for playback? Just create an audio track with your audio file and make sure the cue send to the Performer is enabled. You can cue mix many audio channels, so if the Performer says ‘guitar is too low’ you simply raise the cue level of the guitar channel, providing an individual mix for the Performer.
If you want another Performer track (2nd voice/version etc), the said menu also provides an 'Add performer Track" option, this has the cue send enabled by default. You could even use that function for creating playback channels if you are concerned that cue send is not enabled by default by Cubase.

The stereo input is just a default bus created by cubase. If you don’t want to record yourself, you can delete it. The VST Connect Input Channel does not require any connection to a hardware port (the ‘hardware’ is the return from the Performer) so leave it at ‘Not connected’.

Sure. The stereo cue again should not be connected, just like with the input, the output here is the VST Connect Cuemix plugin. So again, leave it at ‘Not Connected’. The mono Talkback bus is where you assign the port where your Talkback Microphone is connected. Finally, the Stereo Monitor bus is actually what you hear. If you are not used to working with the Control Room Mixer, this might be confusing. Open the “Outputs” tab in VST Connections; you will probably have one Stereo Output there. Set both of its ports again to ‘Not Connected’, otherwise you may get ‘double output’ (+ 6dB). Instead, assign the hardware ports that lead to your speakers to the Control Room (Studio tab) Monitor output.

It just means that you can check each of the mentioned plugins if they are inserted in the right place. For now, just forget about that :slight_smile:

All but the Stereo Out. You don’t want to send that to the Performer (although you can), instead you feed the cuemix from the playback channels.

Well, if you followed like I suggested, ‘Check and Repair’ is simply not available because there is nothing to repair. If it is, and looking at the message you get, you appear to have inserted a VST Connect plugin somewhere yourself. Don’t. It would be interesting to get the full message, it could be “two instances of” VST Connect, VST Connect Cuemix, or VST Connect Monitor. You must have done something after “Create VST Connect” that even enables “Check and Repair”.
What you mean status line, in Cubase or VST Connect?

I’d certainly be surprised if the C1 should cause problems. But you may try to increase Remote Latency and buffer settings on the client side (try 512 samples on both your and the Performers’ system), we found a rare case where buffer sizes get in the way which will be fixed with the next version. And make sure ASIO Guard is off.

We try our best :slight_smile: Let us know how you get along, and thanks for your patience.

#8

Hi Musicullum,

And once again, thanks for your patience with a computer luddite such as myself!!

I will be working on this tonight and will let you know how I get on!!

Regards the status line info, it’s at the top of the Cubase project window, and it says “Studio not connected”??

Anyway, off to the “mancave” now for some VST fun, and I’ll let you know how I get on :wink:

Jim B

#9

Hi all,

Well to say I am disappointed is an understatement!!

I did everything I was instructed to by Musicullum ( connections, send cues, channels, everything) and when I fired up VST connect all I got was red sync lights on both studio and rec side, very bad, unintelligible audio (both ways) plus a red net light on the performers side when we tried seeing if we could record anything. In all the 7.5 VST Connect sessions and yes, the CP 8 VST Connect sessions before the update, that is something that I never ever had.

I am now officially out of ideas, I just hope Musicullum and the SB team aren’t, because this programme does not work for me at all after the 7.5 version was so good. A suspicious thought did occur to me which was “I wonder if I trialled the full VSE connect pro wether or not that will work”?

I’ll let you all know but as for now I am very disappointed and, yes, extremely disillusioned with regards CP 8 and all the “puff” about how good it is. In this instance it most definitely is not, after the previous 7.5 version most definitely was.

Jim B

#10

This is a shame, and a little disheartening to read. Others too having issues getting this to work I see…

But Jim, for now, you can still use that working C7.5 version, can’t you…? Is it still on your same machine…? If you can make use of that successfully, at least you know its not your connection (source or target) thats failing, or some driver conflict or somesuch…

You did try starting from a plain empty, brand new project, in your attempts to connect with your colleague (on C8)…?

Good luck…
Bob

(PS:- I think I recall we both talked about a possible hook up together - about a year ago…! Life does have a habit of getting in the way sometimes…)

#11

Yes, that would certainly help. Also you can send me a project to look at if you want to. And no, the PRO version does not differ in how connections are established.

We are also close to a new version which may help. But many users connect successfully every day, so there should be a solution.

#12

Hi Musicullum,

Thanks for the response.

I tried the VST connect pro and got the same results so I would figure that to mean there is something wrong with my set up. I have double checked all the way through but I just cannot see where I am going wrong.
With regards other people successfully using VST connect, don’t forget, I was until the update :cry:
Can you let me know how I can send you a project to look at because that may be my only option.

Thanks,

Jim B

#13

Just send me a PM (Private Message, click the PM button). You can attach a project afaik.

#14

Hi Musicullum / VST Connect forum readers,

I am going to take you up on your offer Musicullum and PM you a VST Connect SE project I created tonight.

The great news is that the performer and I could hear and see each other :smiley: In fact the only thing that wasn’t right was that when we tird recording I could hear the delay (ie when I was monitoring the drum track it was late) but when I played it all back it was on time?
Once again, I would figure it is a setting I have that is not correct??

I would be grateful if you could check out the settings and let me know?

:smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Jim B

#15

I assume that you had monitor enabled on the track you record to. Do not enable Cubases monitoring, the Performer signal will be delayed by Cubases’ delay compensation. You may have to set monitoring to “Manual” in Cubase preferences in order to avoid automatic switching monitor on the record track. You should still hear the Performer thru the VST Connect Monitor in the Control Room mixer Monitor which was automatically installed when you applied “Create VST Connect”. If that works you are finally done, thanks for your patience.
Would you want to let us know what actually solved your problem?

#16

Hi all,

Well as far as I can tell…and I feel really stupid having to 'fess up to this…all the agro I’ve been having with VST connect is down to having a mental block (or being of a certain age) and not reading all the communication from the genius that is Musicullum!
I just unchecked Activate multi processing & Activate asio guard and it all worked.
When I got it working last night I created an empty project, created VST connect, created an audio track that I named “playback” dropped an earlier MP3 on there, and hey presto, it worked,
As I said last night I was getting a lot of delay, and I have checked the preferences and the monitoring was already set to manual?
I figure it might have been the routing of the extra “playback” that was causing the delay so tonight I am going to add VST to a project that has 9 Halion & 1 audio track.
I will report back my findings but if it works as well as it did last night I will be very, very impressed.
I will also write out 100 times " I must read all the forum communications"!!

Thanks for not giving up on me Musicullum!!

Jim B

#17

Hi all,

I am pleased to report that I have finally got the VST Connect SE to work as it should do!

After spending the last few weeks familiarising myself with all the control room features, getting to understand cue sends and understanding what should be happening, the final piece of the puzzle for me was was activating the Steinberg power scheme!

Tonight I have had a VST session direct from 18 track project and where usually I have to mix down to a single mp3 track and use that as the sound the performer hears, I just used all the cue sends to create the perfect mix for the performer to work with :smiley:

As Musicullum has said many times on this forum, this new version is much better than the earlier ones and I have to say I now totally agree with him!!

Sorry that it has taken me such a long time to master this (old dog new tricks I suppose!!) but I am very, very happy with the results and if I can help any others in a similar position to where I was I will be only to pleased to assist if I can!!

Jim B

#18

Hi Jim,

Still no luck here, but i had given up thinking it was just Steinberg bullshit marketing!

5am

#19

Hi there 5am,

All I can say is don’t give up!!
If you can outline what you are getting maybe, just maybe I can give you some ideas that might solve your issues!
As you know, like you, I have had a lot of problems getting VST connect to work, and I now really believe that is simply because I was approaching it from a very complicated angle!
What I mean is that, as I have said on these forums before, I am a computer luddite! Getting in to Cubase was hard enough but getting my head around VST connect was harder…but only because I made it so :blush:
I have now had several VST connect sessions and all of them worked brilliantly :smiley:
As I said in my last post here, if I can help I will, but remember I am not as clever as Musicullum so if you are willing to have another go let me know…and don’t give up 'cos it really does work!!

Jim B

#20

What a great thread! I’m having horrendous trouble setting up VST Connect Pro at the moment. I’ll keep persevering. This has given me hope. I have to confess that, on occasion, I have been trying to make this work within the same home network (both hard wired and wireless) just for initial test purposes. I assume this is one of my problems? I will follow instructions and look forward to joining the converted few.