Routing MIDI Tracks to VSTis on Other Computers

You can route MIDI tracks from one computer to VST instruments on another computer. This allows you to use one computer for playback and recording and the other one as a VSTi rack.

Procedure

  1. Record a MIDI track into computer 1.
  2. Once you have finished recording, route the MIDI output of that track to VST System Link MIDI port 1.
  3. On computer 2, open the VST Instruments window and assign an instrument to the first slot in the rack.
  4. Route the VST instrument channel to the desired output bus.

    If you are using computer 1 as your main mixing computer, this would be one of the VST System Link output busses, connected to computer 1.

  5. Create a new MIDI track in the Project window of computer 2 and assign the MIDI output of the track to the VST instrument you created.
  6. Assign the MIDI input of the track to be VST System Link port 1.

    Now, the MIDI track on computer 1 is routed to the MIDI track on computer 2, which in turn is routed to the VST instrument.

  7. Now activate monitoring for the MIDI track on computer 2, so that it will listen and respond to any MIDI commands coming in.

    In Cubase, click the Monitor button in the track list or Inspector.

  8. Start playback on computer 1.

    It will now send the MIDI information on the track to the VST instrument loaded on computer 2.

Result

Even with a slow computer you should be able to stack a whole bunch of extra VST instruments this way, expanding your sound palette considerably. Do not forget that VST System Link MIDI is also sample-accurate, and thus has much tighter timing than any hardware MIDI interface ever invented!