Steinberg Cubase 5.0 Menu Reference
Menu Reference
Revision and Quality Control:
Cristina Bachmann, Marion Bröer, Heiko Bischoff, Sabine Pfeifer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part
of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement
and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission
by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
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Release Date: January 7, 2009
© Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, 2009.
All rights reserved.
1
Menu Reference
Introduction
File menu
This manual lists all main menu items in Cubase and Cubase Studio for quick reference. For any further information, please refer to the Operation Manual.
Cubase menu (Mac OS X only)
About Cubase
Opens a window with information about the Cubase version number etc.
Preferences…
The Preferences dialog contains various settings and options. The dialog has several pages that you access by selecting items in the Finder-like list on the left. To make
settings without closing the dialog use the Apply button.
Use the Help button in the dialog for information about the
items on the selected page.
Quit
Quits the program. If there are any unsaved changes in an
open project, you will have the option of keeping these or
discarding them before the program quits.
New Project
This item allows you to create a new untitled project. A list
appears, allowing you to select an empty project or a
project template. The factory templates are preconfigured
setups to suit various types of projects. A project can be
saved as a template, and will then appear on this list.
After making a selection, a project file dialog appears, allowing you to specify a folder where all files relating to the
new project will be stored. Select an existing folder or
click the Create button to create a new folder.
New Library… (Cubase only)
Allows you to create a library – a stand-alone pool file that
isn’t associated with a project. You will be asked to specify a project folder (where all files in the library will be
stored). Libraries are excellent for storing files that you
want access to in many different projects (sound effect
collections, etc.).
Open…
This item opens a file dialog allowing you to locate and
open saved project files. Cubase Project files have the extension “.cpr”. Several projects can be open at the same
time, but only one can be active. The active project is indicated by a blue button at the top left corner of the Project
window.
Open Library… (Cubase only)
Allows you to open a library file (extension “.npl”). Libraries
are stand-alone pool files that are not associated with
projects. When you open a library, it will appear as a separate, additional pool window. To add files from the library
to your project, use drag and drop.
Close
Closes the active window. If the Project window is active,
the corresponding project will be closed.
Save
Saves any changes made to the project since you last
saved. The Save command stores the project under its
current name and location.
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Menu Reference
Save As…
Save As allows you to specify a new name and a new
project folder for the project.
Save Library… (Cubase only)
Saves the currently open and active library. Library files
have the extension “.npl”.
Back up Project…
This item allows you to save the project into a new empty
folder. It has some additional features that can be used for
backup purposes.
When a new empty folder has been selected, a dialog appears where you can change the name of the project and
set the following options:
• By default, the original project will still be the active
project after clicking OK. That way you will be able to instantly create a backup copy of your project without having to return to the original project afterwards. You can,
however, also choose to make the new copy the active
project.
• You can choose to minimize audio files.
This will crop files based on the audio clips referenced in the project. As
the clips used in the project may be references to much larger audio files,
this can reduce the project size significantly.
• You can apply Freeze Edits.
This will make all processing and applied effects permanent for clips.
• You can choose not to include video files in the backup
version of the project.
• You can choose to remove all unused files.
When you back up a project, all files relating to the project
based on the options set will be saved in the new project
folder. The contents of the original project folder will be left
untouched. If you are absolutely certain that you do not
have any further need for the unused files and/or the video
files from the original project, you can exclude them from
the backup version.
Save as Template…
You can save any project as a template. When you create
a new project, the available templates are listed, allowing
you to base the new project on the selected template.
Saved templates will contain everything that was in the
original project, including clips and events.
Revert
This menu item allows you revert to the last saved version
of a project. If any new audio files have been recorded
since you last saved, you have the option of keeping or
deleting these.
Page Setup…
This item opens the standard Page Setup dialog, used for
deciding about paper formats etc., before printing a score.
The item is only available when the Score Editor is open.
Print…
Opens the standard Print dialog, allowing you to select
which pages to print, how many copies of each etc. This
item is only available when the Score Editor is open.
Import
Option Description
Audio File… This command lets you import audio files directly into a
Audio CD… Opens the Import from Audio CD dialog where you can
Video File… Opens a file dialog allowing you to import a video file
Audio from
Video File…
MIDI File… You can import Standard MIDI Files of Type “0” (all data
Track Archive…
(Cubase only)
Tempo Track Tempo track information (including time signature events)
project. The imported file will be placed at the current
cursor position of the selected audio track.
import audio from CDs. For details use the Help function
in the dialog.
onto the video track. You do not have to create a video
track before importing, it is automatically created. The imported video will be placed at the current cursor position.
Allows you to extract the audio from a video file on disk.
The audio in the selected video file is extracted and converted to a Wave file in the project’s Audio folder.
on single track) or Type “1” (data on several tracks).
When you import, you can choose to import the file into
the current project, or to create a new project.
The Import Track Archive function lets you import tracks
exported from another Cubase (or Nuendo) project.
can be exported as a special xml file (file extension
“.smt”). This menu item allows you to import a Tempo
Track file exported from another Project. This will replace
all tempo track data in the current project (although the
operation can be undone if needed).
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Menu Reference
Option Description
MusicXML… Allows you to import MusicXML files created with version
OMF…
(Cubase only)
1.1. This makes it possible to represent sheet music in
Cubase. Note that there are some restrictions concerning the parameters supported by Cubase.
Allows you to open an OMF file (Open Media Framework
Interchange) and convert it to a Cubase project.
Export
Option Description
MIDI File… Allows you to export MIDI tracks as standard MIDI files.
MIDI Loop… Allows you to export MIDI loops (file extension “midiloop”)
Audio
Mixdown…
Selected
Tracks…
(Cubase only)
Tempo Track Tempo track information (including time signature events)
Scores Here you can export a score (in Page mode) as a picture,
MusicXML… This allows you to export MusicXML files. Note that there
OMF…
(Cubase only)
in Cubase. MIDI loops contain MIDI part information plus
all settings that are saved in Instrument track presets.
Allows you to mix down and export an output bus. In Cubase you can also export an audio track channel or any
kind of audio channel in the mixer (including VST instrument channels, FX channels, Group channels and ReWire channels). The resulting mix is saved as a file on
your hard disk, complete with effects, automation EQ
etc., in one of several file formats.
This lets you export selected tracks from the current
project, complete with contents, mixer settings, automation, effects etc. The exported tracks can then be imported into other Cubase projects by selecting “Track
Archive…” from the Import submenu.
can be exported as a special xml file (file extension
“.smt”), which can later be imported into another project.
e.g. a Bitmap file.
are some restrictions concerning the parameters supported by Cubase.
Saves the active project as an OMF (Open Media Framework Interchange) file.
Preferences…
Ö Under Mac OS X, the Preferences dialog is accessed
from the Cubase menu.
The Preferences dialog contains various settings and options. The dialog has several pages that you access by selecting items in the Explorer-like list on the left. To make
settings without closing the dialog, use the Apply button.
Use the Help button in the dialog for information about the
items on the selected page.
Key Commands…
The Key Commands dialog allows you to specify key commands for virtually any Cubase function, as well as customize existing key commands to your liking. Use the Help
button in the dialog for information about the items in the
dialog.
Recent Projects
This submenu provides shortcuts to the most recent
projects you have been working with. The list is chronological with the most recent project at the top of the list.
Quit
Ö Under Mac OS X, this item is accessed from the Cubase menu.
This quits the program. If there are any unsaved changes
in an open project, you will have the option of keeping
these or discarding them before the program quits.
Replace Audio in Video File
This lets you insert audio into a video file. If the video file
already contains an audio track, this will be replaced by
the audio you insert into it.
Cleanup…
The Cleanup function helps you to save hard disk space by
locating unused files which you can delete in the project
folders on your disk.
Menu Reference
6
Edit menu
!
Undo/Redo
Cubase offers wide-ranging, multiple Undo, allowing you
to undo virtually any action you perform.
• To undo the last performed action, select Undo from the
Edit menu, or use the corresponding key command (by
default [Ctrl]/[Command]+[Z]).
If you select Undo again, the previously performed action will be undone,
and so on.
• To redo the last undone action, select Redo from the
Edit menu, or use the corresponding key command (by
default [Ctrl]/[Command]+[Shift]+[Z]).
Undone actions will be available for Redo until you perform another action
(at which point the “Redo Stack” is cleared – see “History…” below).
You can specify how many levels of Undo should be
available with the “Maximum Undo” setting on the
General page in the Preferences on the File menu.
History…
The Edit History window contains a representation of the
“Undo Stack” (the performed actions, with the most recent action at the top of the stack) and the “Redo Stack”
(the undone actions, with the most recently undone action
at the bottom of the stack). The two stacks are separated
by a divider line.
The Edit History dialog allows you to undo or redo several
actions in one go, by moving the divider between the Undo
Stack and the Redo Stack (in essence, moving actions from
the Undo Stack to the Redo Stack, or vice versa).
Cut/Copy/Paste
You can cut or copy selected events (or selection ranges)
and paste them in again at the current cursor position on
the original track(s).
Split at Cursor
This splits selected events at the cursor position. If no
events are selected, all events on all tracks intersected by
the cursor will be split.
Split Loop
This splits all events at the left and right locator positions.
Range
The items on the Range submenu have the following
functions:
Option Description
Global Copy This copies everything in the selection range.
Cut Time Cuts out the selection range and moves it to the clip-
Delete Time The selection range is removed and events to the right
Paste Time Pastes the clipboard data at the start position and track
Paste Time
at Origin
Split Splits any events or parts that are intersected by the se-
Crop All events or parts that are partially within the selection
Insert Silence Inserts empty track space at the start of the selection
board. Events to the right of the removed range are
moved to the left to fill out the gap.
are moved to the left to fill out the gap.
of the current selection. Existing events are moved to
make room for the pasted data.
Pastes the clipboard data back at its original position. Existing events are moved to make room for the pasted
data.
lection range, at the positions of the selection range
edges.
range are cropped, that is sections outside the selection
range are removed, leaving only events that are fully inside or outside the selection range.
range. The length of the inserted silence equals the
length of the selection range. Events to the right of the
selection range start are moved to the right to “make
room”. Events that are intersected by the selection range
start are split, and the right section is moved to the right.
Paste at Origin
This will paste an event at its original position, i.e. where it
was originally cut or copied from.
Delete
This will delete all selected events.
7
Menu Reference
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