Hardware EQ with Cubase?

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huston93

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I just purchased an old and probably pretty shitty EQ rackmount unit. Its a DOD R-430. Anyways, I use a Tascam US-1800 with Cubase Le 5 and I can't seem to find a way to use it whilst mixing. I'm sure the EQ plugin is better anyway but I want to play with my toys haha. Can anyone help me with this please?
 
There's two ways, although one way may not work (i haven't played with cubase in years so don't know if the second thing i'm gonna say exists)

The first way, and the way i do it most of the time, is to choose the track you want to use the outboard on in cubase, route it's output to a different output on the tascam from the main outputs (i.e output 3-4), pan the track hard left in cubase (to only go out on channel 3), plug output 3 from the tascam to the input of the DOD, connect the output of the DOD to a line in on the tascam, create a new track in cubase with the input being whatever line in you plugged the DOD in to, arm to record to monitor the incoming sound (this may differ from DAW to DAW) and then hit play and EQ away. When you're happy with the results, you need to record the track back in to cubase, baring in mind that the recorded track will be out of time slightly so just drag it back into place once it's recorded.

The second way requires something similar to Logic's IO plugin (which probably exists somewhere as a VST although it you may have to google it find one). This is basically a plugin that does everything in the step above, bar the physical pluging in of cables, but just in one plugin and doesn't require creating a new track to record the EQ'd sound back in to. However, to record the results you need to either bounce the track in real time, or if you want to use the outboard EQ on another track then you still have to go back through the steps above.

The DOD may not sound as good as the stock EQ plugins in cubase but the big thing i've found with using outboard EQ's is that ,without having a graphical representation of what the EQ is doing that so many stock EQ plugins have, you really have to use your ears
 
1. Connect the inputs and outputs of the EQ to available IO on your Tascam. Make sure you use the relevant balanced/unbalanced cables.
2. Go to VST Connections, by pressing F4.
3. Select the "External FX" tab
4. Click on the "Add External FX"
5. When the dialogue pops up, name your FX (DOD EQ, for example) and configure the input and output ports (eg. stereo send, stereo return).
6. In the VST Connections window, configure which specific IO on the Tascam will be used with the hardware EQ (this will correspond to the physical IO that you patched the EQ to).
7. Go to the track, group or bus that you want to insert the EQ into.
8. Select "External Plugins - DOD EQ
9. When the plugin appears, press the "pulse" button so that Cubase can calculate the delay and adjust latency accordingly.

Here's a guide:

http://www.emusician.com/keys/0779/steinberg-cubase-5--use-external-hardware-as-a-vst-plug-in/139460

Done.

Cheers :)
 
If you aren't, you're doing it wrong anyway.

True, but with parametrics, it's easy to just make it look cool. You have to step into the shoes of someone who has only ever used a DAW for mixing, and then say that again. Some of us have never had the importunity to twist real knobs.
 
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