SAC and a DAW other than SAW

[Andy Follett]

I would like to go direct from Cubase (tracks for the band) straight to SAC through something like a "virtual usb cable".

Many of the new digital boards have a USB port in the back of them that allow a DAW, say on a laptop, to see the digital board as a 16/24/32/whatever soundcard via a usb cable. You can play tracks right from your preferred DAW (in my case Cubase) right through the on board virtual instruments to the mixing board - and record back to the DAW as well at the same time.

Say, you want to change a key for a singer? A couple of double clicks/midi transpose and it's done. Not so fast when it involves printing wav files, etc.

I was wondering if anyone has seen an "universal" ASIO driver that would allow me to do that. Kind of like the ReRoute add on/feature in Reaper allows you to do some creative routing - and I have done some very convoluted routing to make that happen with Reaper (to record entire gigs start to finish)/ReRoute/SAW/SAC but it's complicated, still involves printing files to wavs for SAW (tor the tracks) , and every time I make a change that should take 3 minutes, it takes an hour to rediscover how/where I routed everything - reference "convoluted routing".

Bob, any chance you could "whip up" something like that - virtual usb connection/asio/driver between any DAW and SAC? Not meaning to dis SAW (I use it) but "the best DAW is the one you know how to run" and I've been on the Cubase platform since Cubase for Atari ST. Just asking .

[airickess]

I knowyou can give Asio4All a try as an ASIO driver.
You might want to investigate Bidule as a virtual wiring program to wire different programs together on the same machine. It might be what you need.

[Bob L]

If you already have SAWStudio Lite or Full, you really can't do tracks any nicer than that... run it on the hst and you can tap directly into SAC from any combination of SAW tracks, including output tracks, so you can use groups into separate chans in SAC... tough to beat... plus you can also do video from the same machine.

Bob L

[Andy Follett]

Bob,

I've been using exactly that setup for about 5 years.

Maybe if I'd been using MWS since 1985 I'd be good at it but I do almost all the tracks via midi and I don't find MWS very handy for importing/cutting/pasting up 15-30 minute medleys of material, tempo changes, etc. I know it will do all that because I've done it but, back to I've been using Cubase since the Atari ST days.

I was just asking so no one get upset. I have no idea what it would take to make a hook from any DAW to any other DAW/software package.

I've used the SAC/SAW combination a very long time and it has served me well. I'm just looking for less steps from start to stop and more flexibility in the way I prefer to work.

Thanks for the prompt reply as always. Just can't get that from any other ('big name") source.

[RobertV]

Have a look at LoopBeAudio, Do not know how well it works as I have not had the need for it.

Cheers

[Naturally Digital]

I can't rhyme off every one of them, but there are utilities out there that allow you to do this in software. You just need to research.

There's VB Audio's product http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Cable/

and http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm

You may also be able to achieve this with a hardware solution such as http://www.solidstatelogic.com/music/xlogic%20mx4/

or http://sonic-core.net/joomla.sonicco...php?lang=de-DE

You might consider running your backing tracks on a separate machine feeding inputs on your sac rig.

If you haven't already tried this, try using different driver protocols for Cubase and SAC with your RME. If that works, maybe there's a way to get the tracks into SAC.

[Brent Evans]

If you're playing directly from midi, why not just set up a midi link to vstis in either saw or sac and just let cubase play the midi, rather than render it?

[Andy Follett]

Thanks for all the input. I do look at all the links and there are some interesting approaches. My goal at this point is to make it less complicated and more routing/software isn't really the direction I want to go. I mentioned digital boards where you use your favorite DAW and a usb cable and although it's not totally that simple, that's more simple than re-routing audio through a third piece of software. My personal opinion of course and YMMV.

My setup has become very involved with tracks, routing, the occasional band member who can be so naïve they don't check for batteries before coming to me with a mic that "doesn't work", etc. I recently lost my regular sound tech - both he and I were fluent in SAC/SAW/my setup, and that has driven me into a one man fix/run everything position.

All of which culminated last night when I had a power cycle on all my equipment just before the downbeat. I believe due to the videographer (un)plugging something into one of my power strips which caused an epic failure on a piece of equipment and a logistical nightmare for me the rest of the night. I'm grateful I have a band and front people that can roll with anything and they were unshakable. Wish I could have said the same for myself .

So all of the above is what is driving me towards a more simple approach. Thanks again for the input and again, I do look at all of it.