I use Studio Connections (SC) with a Yamaha 01x, i88x and a Motif ES Rack. It is basically a total recall mechanism with a bunch of editors (for the 01x mixer setup and the Motif ES voice and multi editors).
Both SC and TI provide total recall for the connected hardware, both provide GUIs for editong patches, configuring the device etc and save the result with the track in Cubase SX 3.1.
TI will do this with any VSTi capable DAW - not just Cubase SX 3.1.
The big difference between the two is that Virus Control (TI) is a VST instrument. It likes to get audio fed to it directly via a private USB audio connection to the TI and then feed this audio into your DAW as if it were a soft synth.
You can use the TI VSTi without the USB audio, in which case it effectively acts as a proxy for the hardware. Becuase it is a VSTi, it also more directly exposes automation, so you can automate selected controls from it directly without having to mess around in Cubase's uselessly labelled automation tracks (unless you have a panel defined for the synth your are using).
SC could have been alot better if it defined contral panels as well and therefore provided useful labels for automation tracks (at least I have found a mechanism for this - but havent looked hard either).
SC isnt a VSTi however because it was not designed for synths - it was intended originally I think for integrating Yamaha mixers and particular saving desk snapshots with the track (which is partly what I use it for), and later the build in part mixer in the Motif romplers, and then the various editors were incorporated. I beleive there is a Performance mode editor in beta for the Motif ES as well now.
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