velvet
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Mac-PC audio/MIDI network success - 2006/09/06 20:41
WH2+MIDI over LAN PC-Mac Network
Actually I had a success with connecting Mac and PC together with Wormhole AND MIDI over LAN at the same time, through one LAN cable. So I would like to share some "knowledge" and questions 
I used CubaseSX and Logic, but I am sure it can be done with other DAWs too.
1/ At first what works: Using Logic Pro (Mac) as a host for playing back audio files and CubaseSX (PC) as the engine for plugins. When "Insert" stance of WH2 inserted to the Track Channel in Logic and the "before" and "after" stances of WH2 were inserted before and after desired plugins in the FX channel in CubaseSX, the audio played back in Logic was processed by plugins from CubaseSX. However - as you can expect- there are clicks and pops everytime the audio region ends or begins. Merging more audio regions together in LogicPro isn't that easy as in CubaseSX - in Logic you just have to "bounce" (otherword for "export") the whole track and it is a bit pain in the a**. I remember I tried to insert WH2 "insert" to the BUS in logic, but the clicks were still present.
So I would really appreciate detailed info how to configure workflow in Logic or DP to be able to use the WH2 as "Insert" in LogicPro and "Before-After" in CubaseSX without clicks (if it is possible). Please please be as much specific as you can be (like what (dummyInstr.?) to insert to which object and where to route the audio etc... Thank you.
2/ My other goal is to use PC (where I have CubaseSX3 with VST plugins, Reason and other apps) as the engine for QL East West sample libraries (and other sample libraries). So I tried to route audio only one way (from Cubase/PC to Logic/Mac) while sending MIDI from Logic to Cubase at the same time , all through one LAN cable.
If you want to send the MIDI data to PC over LAN, you have to use MIDI over LAN utility. Install this utility on both computers you want to use, configuration is fast. In Logic's Enviroment is necessary to create new (MIDI) Instrument and assign it the right and dedicated MIDI ports (creatd by MIDI over LAN driver). This is quite easy and fast. Than in arrange create a track which is assigned to this new MIDI instrument. Create or record some MIDI region.
after that
In CubaseSX go to Devices-VST Instruments. Insert new VST Instrument to some free slot. Than create a MIDI track. Here, as the Input choose the dedicated MIDI port created by MIDI over LAN utility that coressponds to the MIDI out from Logic.
The output of this MIDI track will be any of VST Instruments you inserted into VST Instruments slot...
If you play the MIDI region in Logic, yyou should see the MIDI activity in Cubase. If not click on the "Record" and/or "Monitor" button on the MIDI track in Cubase.
Now Audio.
The only way I could get audio to Logic was that I inserted one "start" WH2 stance into a VST Instrument track in CubaseSX - and - than in Logic/Mac I inserted athe "END" stance of WH2 as the insert to Audio Instrument object channel, where I had to insert DUMMYINSTRUMENT as the INPUT of this AU Instrument. Without that dummyinstrument the sound wasn't happening through this AU Instr. object from PC/CubaseSX.
I tried to insert the "END" WH2 also on AUX or BUS channel but without a success (no sound from VST Instrument inserted in Cubase/PC. I did not open more "END" instances of WH2 plugins at the same time ofcourse. However, the way the sound is comming to Logic through AU Instrument channel is fine and quite natural-considering that in fact it is a sound generated by another virtual instrument.
The only "problem" of this setup is latency.
MIDI over LAN itself has a quite tight timing. I tried to audition the sound (VST Drum sampler) from PC and it's soundcard while the MIDI drum region and click was played back from Mac/Logic and there were no hearable latency at all.
But if you plan to route audio back to Logic with the help of a Wormhole, you have to compensate for the latency mynually and by ears (set the negative delay of the MIDI regions that you send to Cubase). This is, ofcourse, the case when Wormhole can not count and compensate the latency automaticaly, as the audio is travelling only one way...
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