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RSS feedsIt's been quite a while since the previous version of Steinberg's Cubase VST was released, but users have now been rewarded with VST 5. Mac users (hands up if you have a Mac - OK, you can both put your hands down now) have actually had a lot of VST 5 functionality in version 4.1, but they had to wait a few months longer than PC users to get the full version 5. Now that it's here, what's in it that's new?
One of the main new features is that all versions of VST now support 24bit recording. You'll need a 24bit digital audio card, of course, but there is an increasing number to choose from, and all versions still work with common or garden 16bit cards too. The flagship release, VST/24, has been upgraded to VST/32 and supports - you guessed it - 32bit recording.
In case you're wondering whether or not it's worth using 24 or 32bits rather than 16, the answer is: it depends. All of yesterday's records and many of today's are still recorded at 16bit, and that's certainly fine for demos. However, it's all to do with sound quality and capturing the nuance of natural audio.
Even though 16bit so-called CD quality is commonly regarded as the dog's dangly bits in audio recording, it cannot capture the full dynamic range of many events, such as the differences between an orchestra playing ppp and fff, for example. But 32bit recording can. It's as close to 'real sound' as it's possible to get, and far closer than most listeners will appreciate, certainly those without super hi-fi systems.
You're probably thinking that if a recording is going to be reduced to 16bits for an audio CD, what's the point in using 24 or 32bits? Recording at a high bit rate and then reducing the sample to 16 produces a better recording than working with 16bits throughout the project, which is why the pros are turning to it. Also, there's the possibility that commercial audio formats based on 24 or 32bits, such as SuperAudio CD, will arrive, so you'll have the recordings all ready to go.
All of a dither
To reduce a recording down to 16bits, VST has a new dither feature. Dithering is
a strange process that adds a special type of low-level noise to a recording
that improves the quality during the reduction process. VST/32 includes Apogee's
UV22 dithering algorithm, which is one of the most popular dithering methods in
the recording industry.
One of the complaints the analog recording Luddites have about digital recording is that it lacks the warmth of tape recording. When recording to tape you can overdrive the recording levels, which produces a saturation effect similar to compression, making the sound warmer.
Tape recording also lacks the dynamic range of digital recording so out go a few more 'harsh' frequencies. VST/32 includes a feature called TrueTape which the company says "brings the warm sound of analog tape machines to the cool world of precision digital recording". In other words, it adds a touch of compression. Yes, it does make a recording sound warmer but you can also do this after recording by running the sound through a compressor.
There are lots of new goodies for Midi users too, not least of which is the long-overdue Midi Track Mixer. No longer do you have to suffer the GM/GS Mixer; this one is more like the audio mixer with faders, pan sliders, mute and solo buttons and automation support.
What's more, each single channel strip can be extended to reveal a set of customised controls. Several sets are supplied, including both XG and GS effects sends and global setting, and XG drum sound controls. You can create your own layouts for other parameters and instruments, but this is not for the beginner.
Also new is an extended set of track columns on the Arrange page. You can choose from a list of 20 including volume, pan, program, transpose, velocity, delay, compression and more. A neat addition is the use of a slider to change parameters such as volume.
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All Software Applications Tags: Sound
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