Looking for an interface for Nuendo

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nik D
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Nik D

Another brick in the wall
I would quite like to get an interface to work with Nuendo. I know there's small ones with like 5 faders and everything, but I'm looking for one with 25 or so channels. The Mackie D8B Digital 8-Buss looks pretty sweet, but it looks like it does all the recording and everything too... So, what's out there that I should be looking for?
 
if you want a control interface, why not consider building your own?
www.ucapps.de

it's pretty simple stuff, but i think it has a lot of potential.

cheers

R
 
I use Nuendo.
I use a Yamaha O1V Digital Mixer to interface and act as a control surface for Nuendo and the O1V's use as a controller is "supported" by Steinberg.

The O1V is touted as being a 24 channel mixer, but in reality, it has only 14 faders, plus a master. Of the 14, two are stereo faders.

I have recently seen O1V's on E-bay for $500-$800. You could easily link up 2 of them, and have 24 channels, plus 4 stereo channels, for maybe around a grand?

Many frustrated users of Nuendo have been begging Steinberg to come out with a "Pro" controller for the software, but to date, Steinberg's only development for it has been the "Houston". Which... looks and feels like a toy!

I believe, you can actually implement the use of just about any digital mixer, as long as it has MMC (Midi Machine Control). But Steinberg won't offer support for that if you go that route. (Meaning they wont help you figure out how to make it work with Nuendo.) I wouldn't think that it would be too difficult to modify one of the support files, (like the one for the O1V) to get it to work though.

My ideal mixer/control surface for Nuendo would be the Sony DMX R100 or the Soundcraft Ghost . Both of which have the afore mentioned Midi Machine Control.

You can also ask around on the Nuendo users BBS at:
http://www.nuendo.com
I believe some users have been successful at setting this up.
 
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Wow, very cool to know that all it takes is the MMC to do what I want. As for building my own, I most definatly don't have the time or know how to even attempt that. That Sony mixer looks like it smokes, only I don't have 20 grand laying around.... Unless you want to make a donation! With the digi mixers, when I load up a song in Nuendo, the board should configure itself to the saved levels, and panning etc, right? I'm still probably about 8 months to a year away from the buying mixer stage. If you're wondering these are my stages to buy for:
1. New drums 2. better mics for drums 3. preamps for new mics 4. monitors 5. mixer 6. outboard gear
 
Nik D said:
Wow, very cool to know that all it takes is the MMC to do what I want.
Click to expand...
Well, as far as I know, it can be done. To date, I, personally, have only setup the O1V in Nuendo.
That Sony mixer looks like it smokes, only I don't have 20 grand laying around.... Unless you want to make a donation!
Click to expand...

It does look cool huh!? I've seen them used for around $4500 - $5000.
With the digi mixers, when I load up a song in Nuendo, the board should configure itself to the saved levels, and panning etc, right?
Click to expand...

Absolutely! And when you play the song in Nuendo, you're faders follow the "automation" you set up at mix down; on bothe the screen and the mixer.
I'm still probably about 8 months to a year away from the buying mixer stage.
Click to expand...

Well, when you're ready to buy, they'll be even less expensive.
If you're wondering these are my stages to buy for:
1. New drums 2. better mics for drums 3. preamps for new mics 4. monitors 5. mixer 6. outboard gear
Click to expand...
Sounds like a great plan! The O1V comes with 12 Class A discrete mic pre's.
 
THis is a dilemia I was having as well...

I currently use the Tascam US428.. it is cool but it is like a fisher price looking unit with only eight faders and NO AUTOMATION..... I saw the houston last weekend at sam ash and it looked pretty nice... the faders are automated and when I saw it in person my opinion has changed about the unit and it goes for about 1000 bucks now...

But if you are saying you can get the Sony DMX R100 for $4500 I would save up for that unit... It is truely one of the best mixer I have seen and it can work with Nuendo as Mike has said...

Mike where did you see that unit for $4500 at?

Raticus
 
Raticus said:


Mike where did you see that unit for $4500 at?

Raticus
Click to expand...

It's been a few weeks, but I think it was here:
http://www.soundbroker.com/processing2.htm
It was without expansion cards though. It's gone now.

I've seen the houston up close and in person too. Doesn't it have only 8 faders? Our man here was looking for 24.

If I could find an O1V on the cheap, I'd pick up another one, and continue to save up for one of those other 2 boards.
In the meantime, I'd have my 24 channels on a board I knew the ins and outs of. But it'd have to be REAL cheap. I don't usually purchase "disposable" gear.
 
Mike...

If you were to use the Sony board... Would you still get to use it features particulary the EQ's and whatever other effects which rewuire you to route the dignal through the board....

Because that would be a very expensive Control surface.... If you could explain how you would use the unit with Nuendo....

THanks

Raticus
 
Raticus said:
Mike...

If you were to use the Sony board... Would you still get to use it features particulary the EQ's and whatever other effects which rewuire you to route the dignal through the board....

Because that would be a very expensive Control surface.... If you could explain how you would use the unit with Nuendo....

THanks

Raticus
Click to expand...
Yes. You can use the boards features.
Here's how I have mine set-up:
I run 24 channels. I use the RME 96/52 soundcard for 16 of those channels, and its "daughter board" for the other 8 channels.

The first 8 inputs run to my Yamaha O1V
I can use all of the boards functionality including mic pres, EQ, and other board related effects. Any processing used in this way, goes to the HD that way.
Now it's possible, using the bus routing options in Nuendo, and the O1V's Aux I/O's, to use the O1V's EQ, Dynamics, etc. after recording to the HD.

The second 8 inputs are set up like this:
9&10 run to outboard mic pres.
11&12 are DI from a synth.
13&14 are DI from a drum machine
15&16 run to outboard mic pres.
and all of those 8 are routed to an outboard AD/DA converter.

The final 8 are for future expansion. ;)

Even though I'm only connected to the O1V for 8 inputs, the rest of the boards functions (fader, mute, solo) control the VST multi-track in Nuendo. So, I can control 14 faders and a master in Nuendo, using the O1V.

If I had the Sony, I think I set it up in a similar way, to where if I wanted to use other outboard gear, I'd have that option, without going through the board, but still let the Sony control the entire VST surface.

I know what you mean though. It would be expensive to pay for mic pres, EQ, Dynamics, and other board related processing functions, if you don't use them.

I believe the Houston, and the Radikal SAC2 control surfaces are just that; Control surfaces, and have no processing capabilities.

But I don't like either one of them.
 
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I use a Fostex VM200 and it kicks ass and they can be found in the $300 range. It blows the doors of the Tascam, is cheaper and more configurable than the O1V, and doubles as a pretty damn good digital mixer. I had looked at getting the O1V, but was turned off by the one pan knob. The Fostex has 8 pan knobs

It uses a control change table that allows up to 113 controllers. I use 2 different tables set-up to control Nuendo depending on how many tracks and what I want to control. My main set-up controls 16 channel faders and pan knobs, 4 group channels and pan knobs, 4 aux sends per channel and group channel, the master fader, and channel mutes. The faders are motorized and you could theoretically set up 10 banks of 8, 5 banks of 4, and 5 master faders for a total of 105 motorized faders

In Nuendo, there is a handy learn function which helps speed up editing the tables. you can also import and export your tables which allows you to have different templates depending on what you want to do. On the VM200 side, there are 2 control change tables. One is "stock" and the other is a user table. If you need different controls than the "stock' table, you can edit the user table. You can also import and export user tables via midi dumps. Basically, you can control everything in the Nuendo mixer including EQ bypass, insert bypass, EQ parameters. I haven't tried editing FX or plug-ins other than adjusting the Aux Send level. If you end up getting a VM200, I can send my Nuendo templates and VM200 midi dump files to help you get started.
 
Thanks Mike... Sounds like a good setup... I would love to hear something you have tracked and mixed with that setup....

JR -- Im am going to look into the Fostex unit sounds interesting...

Raticus
 
My understanding is that the Ghost console even with MMC still won't allow for automation. MMC means only transport control, so you could start and stop nuendo with the ghost, but not have 'flying faders.' If I am wrong, I would be happy, but I have looked into this before and found nothing conclusive about motorized faders on the Ghost.

Two other options though.

Tascam DM-24, works well from what I understand and since it has HUI emulation, is supported. 16 preamps, you can hook two together for 48 channels total and it pretty much kicks ass. (and it does 96K)

Another option: Soundcraft 328 (XD). The XD is the new model. Anyway, you can hook two together for 64 channels and it has flying faders. There are templates on teh soundcraft website for nuendo as well as about every other major app out there. This board is really really nice, but it does not do 96K, as a mixer.

If you are only concerned about controller, why not get a HUI?

--MIKE
 
mastahnke said:
My understanding is that the Ghost console even with MMC still won't allow for automation. MMC means only transport control, so you could start and stop nuendo with the ghost, but not have 'flying faders.' If I am wrong, I would be happy, but I have looked into this before and found nothing conclusive about motorized faders on the Ghost.
--MIKE
Click to expand...
You may be right. I'm not sure. Seems like I read somewhere that flying faders were an option with the ghost. But, I could be wrong.
 
DM-24 is real nice.. and it has a good price.... Wonder how it sounds?


Raticus
 
I don't think that Nuendo is supported by Mackie Control yet. It will be later this year according to press releases I have read. Right now only DP is supported....

But yes, great plan...
 
No it doesn't. The general feeling on the Nuendo boards is that the Houston sucks. For the money it should do a lot more, and it doesn't. Check out nuendo.com for tons of ranting.

Plus, I think it only has 12 channels and no preamps or anything. The DM-24 or 01V option gives more versatility, if you ask me.
 
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