Intel Cubase 4 / SFP / GVI DAW

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:24 pm

I have a long way to go in my learning these days, but with the help of 2 chat rooms, and 2 excellant forums, I can see light at the end of the tunnel.
This DAW has 2 newly released apps., and one custom device running in a seemingly perfect world. Cubase 4 is just a nice upgrade, with a liitle more Nuendo added, but Gigastudios' VSTi, w/ Gigapulse convolution reverb and mic modelling is untested, and works beautifully. With the custom mixers I have had made, and other little devices, this is an incredibly powerful DAW thanks to SFP, GaryB, and Intel.
This DAW will fully automate lights and backing vocals, along with Gigastudio 3 sample libraries, and SFP synths. I have complete faith in it's choice of hardware, and software apps. It was I that suggested GVI to spread out my vast Giga libraries which are incredible while playing live. People are constantly checking out my hands to call my obvious bluff, only to find that the guitars, or violin sections are being played. They just sound so real.
GaryB's choice of parts and software once again have given me a money maker. If I only had tits and ass like Angelina Jolie.

This is 100 % stable, and only crashes when punished by extreme SFP polyphony jumps, Cubase and instances of GVI, and VSTi's, or Gigapulse reverbs and ridiculous amounts of instruments loaded.

4U ATX Servercase w/ OCZ 500 watt Powerstream
2 GB OCZ Platinum DDRII PC6400
eVGA NVidia GeForce 6800GT
3 x Scope Professionals ADAT I/O via Creamware A8, and Behringer ADA8000
360G Raptor O.S. + Apps.
740G Raptor for Reverb Impulse libraies, and mic models
740G Raptor for GVI sample content
1500X Raptor for Cubase audio
3Ware SATA RAID cage 4 in 3 config.
Intel DP965LT w/ E6400 !!
2 x Lexicon MPX 550's , and 1 x PCM 91 . ( The ambience algorhythms add clarity and space w/o flooding the PCi-e buss. I wish the AES I/O/s on the 91 could be used, but they sound fine as analog.
The Crane Song was to die for, but I am currently testing a more affordable mic pre. The PreSonus DigiMax LT w/ ADAT. The Crane song does sound better, but is only single channel, and too extreme for live.

Windows XP Home
Scope 4.5
Cubase 4
Tascam GVI

This DAW runs lights, FOH, and Monitor mixes vai DAS Modular Mixer
2 x Heil PR40's ( Percussion, and Kick )
5 x Sennheiser EW152G2's ( Bitches )
5 x UE Pro 10 wireless ear monitors 3 way stereo drivers ( Bitches )
3 x UE Custom wired ear sets. ( 4 the low life musicians )
Merlin Lighting Controller

This set up is ready for live use now. I only see an upgrade in the CPU from the 6400 2MB, to the 6600 4 MB L2 cache. GigaViolin VSTi, and GVI will be better suited with the extra horsepower. But this will run fine as is, by rendering some tracks to audio, where Cubase 4 seems to always ask for more to chew on.

A friend of mine uses the Asus 965 and overclocks the E6400 way beyond my 6600. The 965 chipset has a new memory controller that makes it's performance known when the FSB gets juiced. I like mine just fine.

This DAWg'll Hunt,

Superfuzz BigMuff · Post by **Superfuzz BigMuff** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 6:22 pm

... you mention Gigapulse convolution reverb... have you ever heard of SIR? This is a freeware convolution reverb which can be downloaded here http://www.knufinke.de/sir/
I use it a lot... also you can find some impulse reponses...
you don't need a dictionary, the download page is in english...

regards,
Chris

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:27 am

I have heard it, but prefer the mic placement and modelling of the Gigapulse app. I can take ancient source material which sounds alright as 16bit, in a regular impulse it comes to life, but after 24bit, and mic placement it sounds like fresh stuff, and I can place where I sit, or percieve the sound to eminate from, w/ the mic placement, and modelling. Sadly, it's not free, but then again I'm not free either. So when I do gigs, I seek signature type of sounds, and do not wish to sound like the guy who just opened for me. I pity the guys who open for us sometimes as they try to use factory brass presets from their little Motifs and such. I hate to be cruel, but they should be publicly punished for their weakness. I look @ my stage as a battle in which I choose to be the victor by sounding, and playing the best I can. Afterall, it is what I do 4 a living. Chance favors the prepared mind, and rig. I have stolen some of the best gigs in town by being such an asshole, I suppose it's in my nature. But when someone just considers his gig a job, and puts so little into his work, they will be the ones leaving w/ their tails between their legs. I was punished like this when I first starting touring as an opening act for Charlie Daniels, The Allman Brothers, Rush, etc. I was 19 and these guys were @ the top of their game, and I had to crawl out there and get punished 4 6 months everynight, every year. I guess I am just passing it on down the line. It forced me to practice and woodshed @ a feverish pace. I thank my lucky stars for that big boot in my ass.

Arrogantly Yours,

synthetic88 · Post by **synthetic88** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:27 pm

Obviously this is the rig to get if I'm looking for a stable system. And who isn't.

You're running GVI and Scope on the same computer? How does that work? Is one card the GSIF out and another the ASIO/Scope out, but you can still access the DSP on the GSIF card?

I plan on making your system my shopping list, same mobo, processor, etc. I'll have to work up to the triple DSP cards and RAID server, though.

Post by **garyb** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:44 pm

all drivers are available to all the cards. to the computer it's all one big card. i don't know if GVI uses the gsif driver, though...

synthetic88 · Post by **synthetic88** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 4:24 pm

I thought that you can't have multiple programs using an ASIO card at the same time. Or does it depend on the card, or the driver? If Scope and GVI (or some other standalone program) are both looking at the Scope card for output, can GVI go out of channels 1-8 and Scope 9-16?

bassdude · Post by **bassdude** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:16 pm

GSIF and ASIO appear as i/o modules in the scope environment. So there would be outputs/inputs avaliable from Gigastudio (using GSIF) and then an asio app like Nuendo/cubase (using ASIO). You can then route these outputs/inputs however you like on the *same* card to scopes hardware inputs/outputs (again appearing as i/o modules within the scope environment), or to other apps, or to scope synths/fx/mixers all using virtual cables to interconnect the i/o modules and scope devices.
So yes you could route GVI out through the scope environment to channels 1-8 and the rest of scope to 9-16 of a 16ch DA converter plugged into scope. You can route it however you like - to other apps, out to hardware, up it's own ass, whatever you like. In fact you could route Scope synths and gigastudio stuff out to a hardware mixer for live shows and also route internally to Nuendo/cubase to record it all at the same time. Routing is one of the big features of scope It is very very flexible and easy to use.
I work with another engineer who uses a Nuendo and RME setup. He likes to use external hardware alot (especially compressors) and time and time again we are constantly battling routing. I am slowly convincing him he should make the trip here so I can show him how life would be much simpler if we could incorporate scope into some of his larger projects.

Post by **garyb** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:34 pm

synthetic88 · Post by **synthetic88** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:01 pm

Sorry, I shouldn't have said GSIF. GVI, the plug-in version, uses ASIO. How do two ASIO programs address the card at the same time?

bassdude · Post by **bassdude** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:16 pm

Getting back to your question:-
"If Scope and GVI (or some other standalone program) are both looking at the Scope card for output, can GVI go out of channels 1-8 and Scope 9-16?"

Ignoring the "(or some other standalone program) " part, you can do exactly what you asked. For example, you plug a 16 Ch DA convertor on the physical outputs of the scope card. From within the scope project window, you use virtual cables to connect the outputs of GVI to ch 1-8 of the DA converter. Chs 9-16 you then use for whatever scope devices you want to use whether it be mixers/effects/synths.

Now getting to "(or some other standalone program) " , no you can't run two seperate *stand alone* apps like GVI and Nuendo running together with Scope using ASIO because scope's asio drivers are not multiclient.

You certainly can run Scope and GVI together though on the same card (scope card).

Post by **garyb** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:51 pm

one app could use wave drivers, the other asio.....

yes, you can connect any program to any other and stream one to the other.

with the GVI thing though, why use GVI standalone if cubase is open? GS3 and cubase could be used together, no problem.

synthetic88 · Post by **synthetic88** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 9:00 am

bassdude wrote:From within the scope project window, you use virtual cables to connect the outputs of GVI to ch 1-8 of the DA converter. Chs 9-16 you then use for whatever scope devices you want to use whether it be mixers/effects/synths.

Now getting to "(or some other standalone program) " , no you can't run two seperate *stand alone* apps like GVI and Nuendo running together with Scope using ASIO because scope's asio drivers are not multiclient.

OK, I think I get it now. Thanks.

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Thu May 03, 2007 5:07 pm

Ladies And Gentlemen,....................GaryB..................hankyu,.............hankyu.

Brotha' Man Jeff,
GVI will be thoroughly tested this Sunday. The new quad core Cpus, w/ 965's will be the new upgrade. They are quite cheap compared to their first asking price back in Dec. 2006. For 500 USD @ www.newegg.com where most DAW junkies shop.

If GVI won't play nice w/ the ASIO drivers, I can safely assume that several GVI's, as well as Muse, and Giga Violin ( which smokes BTW ) will be able to load up in the new quads.

Maybe someday I might be happy and stop building. But I said that after I bought my Oberheims.

I am a sorry ass key tech, that's why GaryB has to rescue me every quarter and help me on my quest of the perfect machine. It seems to always escape me, but I know one thing is sure,...My synths are FAT BASTARDS, and they must be constantly played, and programmed. I am naked w/o them. Sure I could buy a couple of Motifs and just get by w/ factory stuff. But when you play GVI and it's awesome sounding libraries, along side of John Bowens synths, there is no turning back. You will rob steal and plunder to make purchases. I am stricken w/ the disease known in medical circles as 3PDS. Third party developers syndrome. The only cure is more .But it sure feels nice to get well again w/ new sounds.

Post by **hubird** » Thu May 03, 2007 5:37 pm

Buy a mac as soon as the new Scope will fit in it again, gary can then spend his time even more on you and Vegas instead of computers

Really, on mac you forget you're working on a computer, it get's to get an instrument, believe me

Btw., wouldn't you like to post some pad stuff?
Your descriptions of different layers to get that sound makes me really curious.

Do you know already how to record a stereo file in Cubase, convert it to mp3, and upload it to Planetz?
You could ask Gary when he's around, he will put you on track in half an hour, including the necessory (free) software, if Cubase 4 doesn't do the trick already (I'm on 3).

I would really like to hear some layered stuff from you.
Synths are my weaker part, I would definitely get inspired by the sound and structures of some examples.
The style you'll choose doesn't matter so much in this context, I just would like to hear the sound (specially of the Bowen stuff).
If files are relatively short (compared to full mp3 songs at least), you could also upload WAV's, if that still is allowed on the new phpBB Planetz.

It could also be an entry for you to start actually recording (something), as that's the way to get the feeling

cheers.

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Thu May 03, 2007 6:02 pm

That is the purpose of this trip also. I promised the guy @ Tascam that gave me Gigaviolin 4 free, that I would do a demo 4 them, and a video possibly. And also, will finally get to show my brothas' here some of my reasons for the afflictions I suffer.

I tried to send my MkII-500 files to Cubase as an SMF to convert to GVI, and Scope, but as usual I am quite lame. But the DAW's sound great with the MIDI tracks from the sequencer.

Within 2 weeks time I will post the shit that makes my knees wobbly, and a couple of fusion originals using the incredible libraries I recently acquirred.

Thanks 4 Puttung Up w/ my adolescent antics,

Post by **hubird** » Thu May 03, 2007 6:30 pm

great