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Anyone know how to use a 2nd PC for running VST's

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:10 pm
by Dodger Man
Easy people, my projects nowadays are getting a bit slow due to too many vsts running at once. I got a pretty good computer (Dual core 4.5ghz or something with 2gb ram and 320 HD).

I know it is possible to use another PC as a slave for running VSTS on but how do you go about doing this? Anyone got any tips for me...

Cheers.

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:16 pm
by zion cluster
I think Reaper can do the same thing, and didn't Cubase have that 'system link' thing for a while?

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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:25 pm
by Dodger Man
Im running Cubase 4 just for the record

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:35 pm
by futures_untold

...

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:53 pm
by Dodger Man
Cheers Futures Big up.

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:55 pm
by flateric
A cheaper/simpler alternative would be to bounce/render audio (freeze tracks maybe). You could also try using less effects maybe?

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:00 pm
by futures_untold
Also try googling 'Daisy chaining', 'computer cluster' & 'setting up computer clusters'.

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:50 pm
by jobbanaught
Theres a VST plug called Teleport FX which allows you to use a second PC to run VST plugins. You set it up as a plugin inside your DAW and then have a host programm on the other machine which takes the plugs you want on the other machine. Audio is then transferred from your DAW to the other machine, through the plugs and back in your DAW. Both PCs need to be hooked up in a LAN. Never tried it out myself, a buddy of mine uses it and it works like a breeze. But be aware that you get some extra latency due to the audio being transferred between the two machines.

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:10 pm
by abZ
jobbanaught wrote:Theres a VST plug called Teleport FX which allows you to use a second PC to run VST plugins. You set it up as a plugin inside your DAW and then have a host programm on the other machine which takes the plugs you want on the other machine. Audio is then transferred from your DAW to the other machine, through the plugs and back in your DAW. Both PCs need to be hooked up in a LAN. Never tried it out myself, a buddy of mine uses it and it works like a breeze. But be aware that you get some extra latency due to the audio being transferred between the two machines.
Wow I had no idea you could do that shit. I would think there would be latency issues or something.

Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:56 am
by djake
4.5ghz :o

Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 8:08 pm
by jobbanaught
abZ wrote:
jobbanaught wrote:Theres a VST plug called Teleport FX which allows you to use a second PC to run VST plugins. You set it up as a plugin inside your DAW and then have a host programm on the other machine which takes the plugs you want on the other machine. Audio is then transferred from your DAW to the other machine, through the plugs and back in your DAW. Both PCs need to be hooked up in a LAN. Never tried it out myself, a buddy of mine uses it and it works like a breeze. But be aware that you get some extra latency due to the audio being transferred between the two machines.
Wow I had no idea you could do that shit. I would think there would be latency issues or something.
There is latency issues involved, ive never tried it myself so i have no personal experience. Might be annoying, but on the other hand it allows you to use as many machines in a LAN as you want. Practically this means unlimited processing power :o

For anyone interested look here:

http://www.fx-max.com/fxt/ (product page)
http://www.amazona.de/index.php?page=26 ... cle_id=259 (in depth review in german)

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:02 pm
by reason
I use Cubase 3 and it has a built in feature called System Link that's designed to just that. They may have changed the name on version 4 but I would think the functionality is still there.

Here's how the manual describes it:

VST System Link is a network system for digital audio that allows you
to have several computers working together in one large system. Unlike
conventional networks it does not require Ethernet cards, hubs, or
CAT-5 cables; instead it uses the kind of digital audio hardware and
cables you probably already possess in your studio.

VST System Link has been designed to be simple to set up and operate,
yet give enormous flexibility and performance gains in use. It is capable
of linking computers in a “ring” network (the System Link signal
is passed from one machine to the next, and eventually returns to the
first machine). VST System Link can send its networking signal over
any type of digital audio cable, including S/PDIF, ADAT, TDIF, or AES,
as long as each computer in the system is equipped with a suitable
ASIO compatible audio interface.

So, why would you want to link up two or more computers? Well, the
added computer power gives you vast possibilities:

• Dedicate one computer to running VST instruments while recording audio
tracks on another.
• If you need lots of audio tracks, you may simply add tracks on another computer.
• You could have one computer serve as a “virtual effect rack”, running CPUintensive
send effect plug-ins only.
• Since you can use VST System Link to connect different VST System Link applications on different platforms, you can take advantage of effect plug-ins
and VST instruments that are specific to certain programs or platforms.

Re: Anyone know how to use a 2nd PC for running VST's

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:46 pm
by Mad_EP
samthedodgeman wrote:Easy people, my projects nowadays are getting a bit slow due to too many vsts running at once. I got a pretty good computer (Dual core 4.5ghz or something with 2gb ram and 320 HD).

WTF?!

Sorry, but this is where I think to myself "Kids these days..."

I have no idea how you are maxing out that kind of power. When I started making tracks, I was using a machine with 233Mhz & 32MB ram. (notice both of those stats are mega, not giga)... and as infinitely small as that seems by today's standards, it was massive compared to the guys who used to do tracks on samplers.

I don't like to bounce down tracks until the very end myself, but I am using a 2.1 dualcore with 2GB ram... and my projects have at least 20-25 tracks with several effects and a few softsynths all running at the same time.. and I barely crack the 20% mark. When I bounce or freeze tracks, I can get that down to 10% easy.

If you are burning through that much power so easily, I think there is something else fishy...

Re: Anyone know how to use a 2nd PC for running VST's

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:53 pm
by caeraphym
mad ep wrote:If you are burning through that much power so easily, I think there is something else fishy...
LOL

Innit just, bet he's running Norton (what a BEAST!11) and he's full to the brim with malware.

Or just multiple instances of Massive.

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:31 pm
by duskky
dude, just whack some more ram in. it's cheap as you like nowadays anyway...

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:01 pm
by __________
can you post a clip of these tunes that are maxing out a 4.5 ghz cpu please?

+ DAW screenshot

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:06 pm
by drokkr
£10 Bag wrote:can you post a clip of these tunes that are maxing out a 4.5 ghz cpu please?
i'd be intrested to see what you a doing to push 4.5 to it's limits too

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:11 pm
by pdomino
Me too, makes me think of 3 words. 'trojan' and 'system tray'

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:23 pm
by Dodger Man
DROKKR wrote:
£10 Bag wrote:can you post a clip of these tunes that are maxing out a 4.5 ghz cpu please?
i'd be intrested to see what you a doing to push 4.5 to it's limits too
Here you go critiques:

Image

Its not that it doesn't work its that it just starts getting a bit slow at times and i was interested in using a second PC for a smoother running system. Thanks.