Cubase VST can control tape recorders and similar devices via MIDI. This feature
makes MIDI and analog audio recording an integrated environment!
What Cubase VST Can Do with Tape Recorders
Basically, Cubase VST allows you to do two things with the tape recorders it supports:
• Control the tape recorder’s transport control from Cubase VST’s Transport Bar. That is, Cubase
VST can make the tape recorder start, stop rewind etc.,
• Set tracks to record ready on the tape recorder and activate recording on these tracks. You can
even use all of Cubase VST’s recording features (punch in/out, Cycled recording etc), to control
the tape recorder!
About Sync and Tape Recorder Control
Controlling Tape recorders is a two way process:
• Cubase VST sends out commands to the tape recorder, asking it to locate to certain positions
and activate recording etc.
• The tape recorder delivers synchronization information (in most cases in the form of MIDI Time-
code) to Cubase VST, which Cubase VST synchronizes to (see the Synchronization chapter of
the “Getting into the Details” document for the complete picture).
Even though it appears as if Cubase VST is controlling the tape recorder completely,
it is important to remember that Cubase VST is being synchronized to the tape re-
corders playback speed, not vice versa.
Cubase VST uses a standard MIDI protocol for controlling tape transports, called MIDI
Machine Control. There are a number of tape recorders and hard disk recording sys-
tems on the market that support this protocol. Included with Cubase VST is a driver
for using Cubase VST with MIDI Machine Control compatible tape recorders.
Using MIDI Machine Control and ASIO Positioning Protocol
You may want to use MMC (MIDI Machine Control) to control the transport of the
sync master, even when using ASIO 2.0. This is no different from using MMC with
regular synchronization. Just note the following points:
• To enable MIDI Machine Control, select “ASIO 2.0/MMC” from the Timecode base pop-
up in the Synchronization dialog.
• Select an MMC Output (on the Output pop-up menu in the Sync Source section of the
Synchronization dialog) that corresponds to the device you want to control.
This may be an external hardware MMC converter. It may also be a “virtual MIDI device”, if
the device is controlled directly from your computer.
