Ever wanted to use a VST mastering plug-in or suite but decided that the routing would be too hard or impossible?  No?  Well, here is a way to do it in any case.  And its called the 'double loopback'.

Yes, its possible to simply insert a mastering plug-in into your Cubase mixdown track, but how do you hear its effect if your monitoring is all done in Scope?

We need a way to route that signal back into Scope for monitoring, then back into Cubase for final mixdown.

The method explained here is one way to achieve these goals and there may be others as well.  However, this method enables monitoring and adjustment at every stage and follows a logical path, so worthwhile documenting.

Its worth noting, that my ULLI setting on Scope is at its highest, but even with the double loopback engaged, the latency was hardly (just) noticeable.  For this reason, it may be best to disengage the double loopback whilst tracking, and hook it up just for mixdown / mastering.

 
     

It is worth noting at this point that this technique will work with any of your favorite Native plug-ins, not just Magneto.  Although the technique  makes more sense in the context of a mastering plug-in that is to be applied as part of your normal Scope mastering chain.

 

Dante August 2013