Operation Manual
Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Christina Kaboth, Insa Mingers, Matthias Obrecht, Sabine Pfeifer, Benjamin Schütte, Marita Sladek
This PDF provides improved access for vision-impaired users. Please note that due to the complexity and number of images in this document, it is not possible to include text descriptions of images.
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. Registered licensees of the product described herein may print one copy of this document for their personal use.
All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners. For more information, please visit www.steinberg.net/trademarks.
© Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, 2016. All rights reserved.
7 Introduction
7Platform-Independent Documentation
7About the Documentation
8Conventions
9Key Commands
10Getting Into the Details
11Setting Up Your System
11 Setting Up Audio
19 Setting Up MIDI
21Connecting a Synchronizer
22Setting Up Video
23VST Connections
23VST Connections Window
24Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs
25Adding Input and Output Busses
26Presets for Input and Output Busses
27About Monitoring
27 Editing the Bus Configurations
29Project Window
30Showing/Hiding Zones
30Project Zone
40Left Zone
46Lower Zone
51Right Zone
56Keyboard Focus in the Project Window
57Zooming in the Project Window
60Snap Function
63Cross-Hair Cursor
63Edit History Dialog
65 Project Handling
65Creating New Projects
66Hub
67Project Assistant
68About Project Files
68About Template Files
69Project Setup Dialog
73Opening Project Files
74Saving Project Files
75Reverting to the Last Saved Version
75Choosing a Project Location
75Removing Unused Audio Files
76Creating Self-Contained Projects
78 |
Tracks |
78 |
Track Inspector Settings |
80 Track Control Settings
82 Audio Tracks
87 Instrument Tracks
92 MIDI Tracks
96 Sampler Tracks (Cubase Elements only)
101Arranger Track
102Chord Track
105 FX Channel Tracks
109Folder Tracks
110Group Channel Tracks
115Marker Track
116Ruler Track
117Video Track
119 Track Handling
119 Adding Tracks
121Removing Tracks
122Moving Tracks in the Track List
122Renaming Tracks
122Coloring Tracks
123Showing Track Pictures
125Setting the Track Height
126Selecting Tracks
127Duplicating Tracks
127Disabling Tracks (Cubase Elements only)
127Organizing Tracks in Folder Tracks
128Handling Overlapping Audio
128How Events are Displayed on Folder Tracks
128Modifying Event Display on Folder Tracks
129Track Presets
134 Parts and Events
134 Events
138Parts
139Editing Techniques for Parts and Events
151 Range Editing
151 Creating a Selection Range
153 Editing Selection Ranges
156 Playback and Transport
156 Transport Panel
158 Transport Menu
163Transport
164Left and Right Locators
165Setting the Project Cursor Position
166Auto-Scroll
167Time Formats
3
Table of Contents
167Punch In and Punch Out
168Metronome
170Chase
171Virtual Keyboard
171Recording MIDI With the Virtual Keyboard
172Virtual Keyboard Options
173Recording
173 Basic Recording Methods
176 Monitoring
179 Audio Recording Specifics
183 MIDI Recording Specifics
189Remaining Record Time
189Lock Record
190Quantizing MIDI and Audio
190Quantize Functions
191Quantizing MIDI Event Starts
192Quantizing MIDI Event Lengths
192Quantizing MIDI Event Ends
193Quantizing Audio Event Starts
193Quantize Panel
200 Fades and Crossfades
200 Event-Based Fades
204 Creating Clip-Based Fades
206 Crossfades
209 Auto Fades and Crossfades
213Arranger Track (Cubase Elements only)
214Adding Arranger Events on the Arranger Track
214 Arranger Editor
218Setting up an Arranger Chain and Adding Events
220 Jump Mode
222Arranging Music to Video
223Markers
223Position Markers
223Cycle Markers
224Markers Window
228Marker Track
229Importing and Exporting Markers
231 MixConsole
231MixConsole in Lower Zone
232MixConsole Window
266 Audio Effects
266 Insert Effects and Send Effects
268 Insert Effects
274 Send Effects
277Dither Effects (Cubase Elements only)
278Effect Control Panel
279Effect Presets
284 Plug-In Information Window
287Audio Processing and Functions
287Common settings and features
288Envelope
289Fade In and Fade Out
290Gain
291Merge Clipboard
291Noise Gate
292Normalize
292Phase Reverse
293Remove DC Offset
293Resample
294Reverse
294 |
Silence |
294 |
Stereo Flip |
294 |
Time Stretch |
296Freeze Edits
297Detect Silence
299Spectrum Analyzer
302Statistics
303Time Stretch Algorithms
305 Sample Editor
307 Toolbar
311 Info Line
311Overview Line
312Sample Editor Inspector
313Ruler
313 Waveform Display
315 Range Editing
319 Regions List
322 Snap Point
324 Hitpoints
324 Calculating Hitpoints
327 Locating to Hitpoints in the Project Window
327 Slices
329Creating a Groove Quantize Map
329Creating Markers
330Creating Regions
330 Creating Events
330 Creating MIDI Notes
333Audio Part Editor
334Toolbar
339Info Line
339The Ruler
340About Lanes
340Operations
344Controlling Sample Playback with Sampler Tracks (Cubase Elements only)
344Creating Sampler Tracks
345Sampler Control
355 Sample Editing and Playback Functions
357Transferring Samples from Sampler Control to VST Instruments
358Pool
358 Pool Window
362 Working with the Pool
377 MediaBay
377MediaBay in Right Zone
378MediaBay Window
392 Working With the MediaBay
4
Table of Contents
396 Working with MediaBay-Related Windows
398 Working With Volume Databases
400MediaBay Settings
401MediaBay Key Commands
402Automation
402Recording your Actions
402Automation Curves
403Static Value Line
403Write/Read Automation
404MIDI Part Data vs. Track Automation
404Writing Automation Data
406Editing Automation Events
409Automation Tracks
411 VST Instruments
411Adding VST Instruments (not in Cubase LE)
412Creating Instrument Tracks
412VST Instruments in the Right Zone (not in Cubase LE)
413VST Instruments Window (not in Cubase LE)
413VST Instruments Toolbar (not in Cubase LE)
414VST Instrument Controls (not in Cubase LE)
415Presets for Instruments
417 Playing Back VST Instruments
419 About Latency
419 Import and Export Options
421 VST Quick Controls (not in Cubase LE)
424 Installing and Managing Plug-ins
424 Installing VST plug-ins
424 Plug-in Manager
427Compiling a New Effects Collection
428Remote controlling Cubase
428 Setting Up
430Operations
431The Generic Remote device
436The Remote Control Editor (Cubase Elements only)
442 Apple Remote (Macintosh only)
444 MIDI Realtime Parameters
444 MIDI Track Parameters
444 MIDI Modifiers
449Transpose and Velocity on the Info Line
450Using MIDI devices
450MIDI devices – general settings and patch handling
458 MIDI Processing
458 MIDI functions vs. MIDI modifiers
458What is affected by the MIDI functions?
459Transpose
460Making your settings permanent
462Dissolve Part
463Repeat Loop
464Other MIDI functions
469 MIDI Editors
469 Common MIDI Editor Functions
476 Key Editor
488 Key Editor Operations
505 Score Editor
512 Score Editor Operations
520 Drum Editor
534 Drum Editor Operations
537 Drum Maps
543Chord Functions
543Chord Track
544Chord Events
548Scale Events
549Voicings
551Converting Chord Events to MIDI
552Controlling MIDI Playback using the Chord Track
555Assigning Voices to Notes
556Extracting Chord Events from MIDI
557Recording Chord Events with a MIDI Keyboard
559 Chord Pads
559 Chord Pads
562Functions Menu
563Preparations
563Chord Assistant
564Assigning Chords to Chord Pads
567Moving and Copying Chord Pads
567Playing Back and Recording Chords
569Chord Pad Settings – Remote Control
572Chord Pad Settings – Players
575Chord Pad Settings – Pad Layout
575Chord Pads Presets
576Creating Events from Chord Pads
577 Editing Tempo and Time Signature
577 Project Tempo Modes
577 Tempo Track Editor
579 Setting up Tempo Changes for Projects
581 Setting up a Fixed Project Tempo
583Beat Calculator
584Set Definition From Tempo
585Export Audio Mixdown
586Mixing Down to Audio Files
587Available Channels for Export
587File Location
589File Format
597Audio Engine Output
598Import Into Project
598Post Process
600Synchronization
600Background
601Timecode (positional references)
602Clock sources (speed references)
603The Project Synchronization Setup dialog
606Synchronized operation
607Working with VST System Link
611Activating VST System Link
5
Table of Contents
619 |
Video |
619 |
Before You Start |
622 |
Preparing a Video Project |
625 |
Playing Back Video |
628 |
Editing Video |
628Extracting Audio From a Video File
629Replacing the Audio in a Video File
630ReWire (not in Cubase LE)
630 Introduction
630Launching and quitting
631Activating ReWire channels
632Using the transport and tempo controls
632How the ReWire channels are handled
633Routing MIDI via ReWire
633Considerations and limitations
634Key Commands
634Introduction
635Setting up key commands
638Setting up tool modifier keys
639The default key commands
650 File handling
650 Importing audio
655 Exporting and importing standard MIDI files
659Exporting and importing MIDI loops
660Customizing
660Using the Setup options
661Appearance
664 Applying colors in the Project window
669 Where are the settings stored?
671 Optimizing
671 Optimizing Audio Performance
675 Preferences
675 Preferences Dialog
677 Appearance
677 Editing
685 Editors
685 Event Display
689General
690MIDI
695MediaBay
695Metering
696Record
698Transport
700VST
703Video
704 Index
6
The documentation covers the following Steinberg products: Cubase Elements, Cubase AI, and Cubase LE.
Functions that are only available in Cubase Elements and not in Cubase AI or Cubase LE are clearly indicated. The screenshots are taken from Cubase Elements.
The documentation applies to the operating systems Windows and Mac OS.
Features and settings that are specific to one of these platforms are clearly indicated. In all other cases, the descriptions and procedures in the documentation are valid for Windows and Mac OS.
Some points to consider:
•The screenshots are taken from Windows.
•Some functions that are available on the File menu on Windows can be found in the program name menu on Mac OS.
The documentation consists of several documents. You can read them online or download them from steinberg.help. To visit steinberg.help, do one of the following:
•Enter www.steinberg.help in the address bar of your web browser.
•In the program, select Help > Cubase Help.
Quick Start Guide
Covers the following areas without going into details:
•System requirements, installation procedure, and license activation.
•Setting up your system.
Operation Manual
The main Cubase reference documentation, with detailed descriptions of operations, parameters, functions, and techniques.
Remote Control Devices
Lists the supported MIDI remote control devices.
7
Introduction
Plug-in Reference
Describes the features and parameters of the included VST plug-ins and VST instruments.
HALion Sonic SE
Describes the features and parameters of the included VST instrument HALion Sonic SE.
Groove Agent SE
Describes the features and parameters of the included VST instrument Groove Agent SE.
Conventions
In our documentation, we use typographical and markup elements to structure information.
The following typographical elements mark the following purposes.
PREREQUISITE
Requires you to complete an action or to fulfill a condition before starting a procedure.
PROCEDURE
Lists the steps that you must take to achieve a specific result.
IMPORTANT
Informs you about issues that might affect the system, the connected hardware, or that might bring a risk of data loss.
NOTE
Informs you about issues that you should consider.
EXAMPLE
Provides you with an example.
RESULT
Shows the result of the procedure.
AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK
Informs you about actions or tasks that you can undertake after completing the procedure.
RELATED LINKS
Lists related topics that you can find in this documentation.
8
Introduction
Bold text indicates the name of a menu, option, function, dialog, window, etc.
EXAMPLE
To open the Functions menu, click Functions Menu in the top right corner of the MixConsole.
If bold text is separated by a greater-than symbol, this indicates a sequence of different menus to open.
EXAMPLE
Select Project > Add Track.
Key Commands
Many of the default key commands, also known as keyboard shortcuts, use modifier keys, some of which are different depending on the operating system.
For example, the default key command for Undo is Ctrl-Z on Windows and Cmd-Z on Mac OS. When key commands with modifier keys are described in this manual, they are shown with the Windows modifier key first, in the following way:
•Windows modifier key/Mac OS modifier key-key
EXAMPLE
Ctrl/Cmd-Z means: press Ctrl on Windows or Cmd on Mac OS, then press Z.
9
To use Cubase, you must set up your audio, and if required, your MIDI system.
IMPORTANT
Make sure that all equipment is turned off before making any connections.
If you only use a stereo input and output from Cubase, you can connect your audio hardware, for example, the inputs of your audio card or your audio interface, directly to the input source and the outputs to a power amplifier and speaker.
Your system setup depends on many different factors, for example, on the kind of project that you want to create, on the external equipment that you want to use, or on the computer
11
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
hardware that is available to you. Therefore, the following sections can only serve as examples.
How to connect your equipment, that is, whether to use digital or analog connections also depends on your setup.
When you connect your equipment, make sure that the impedance and levels of the audio sources and inputs are matched. Using the correct type of input is important to avoid distortion or noisy recordings. For microphones, for example, different inputs can be used, such as consumer line level (-10 dBV) or professional line level (+4 dBV).
Sometimes, you can adjust input characteristics on the audio interface or on its control panel. For details, refer to the documentation that came with the audio hardware.
IMPORTANT
Cubase does not provide any input level adjustments for the signals that are coming into your audio hardware, since these are handled differently for each card. Adjusting input levels is either done in a special application that is included with the hardware or its control panel.
If you are using a digital audio connection, you may also need a word clock connection between the audio hardware and external devices. For details, refer to the documentation that came with the audio hardware.
IMPORTANT
Set up word clock synchronization correctly, or you may experience clicks and crackles in your recordings.
By selecting an audio driver, you allow Cubase to communicate with the audio hardware. Normally, when you start Cubase, a dialog opens that prompts you to select a driver, but you can also select your audio hardware driver as described below.
NOTE
On Windows operating systems, we recommend that you access your hardware via an ASIO driver developed specifically for the hardware. If no ASIO driver is installed, contact the manufacturer of your audio hardware for information on available ASIO drivers. If no specific ASIO driver is available, you can use the Generic Low Latency ASIO driver.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Devices Setup.
2.In the Devices list, select VST Audio System.
3.Open the ASIO Driver pop-up menu and select your audio hardware driver.
4.Click OK.
12
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
PREREQUISITE
You have selected a driver for your audio hardware.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Devices Setup.
2.In the Devices list to the left, select the driver to open the driver settings for your audio hardware.
3.Do one of the following to open the control panel for your audio hardware:
•On Windows, click Control Panel.
•On Mac OS, click Open Config App.
This button is available only for some hardware products. If it is not available in your setup, refer to the documentation of your audio hardware.
NOTE
The control panel is provided by the manufacturer of your audio hardware and is different for each audio interface brand and model. However, control panels for the Generic Low Latency ASIO Driver (Windows only) are provided by Steinberg.
4.Set up your audio hardware as recommended by the manufacturer.
In the VST Audio System section you can select an ASIO driver for your audio hardware.
•To open the VST Audio System section, select Devices > Device Setup and select VST Audio System in the Devices list to the left.
13
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
The following options are available:
ASIO Driver
Allows you to select a driver.
Release Driver when Application is in Background
Releases the driver and allows other applications to play back via your audio hardware even though Cubase is running.
Input Latency
Shows the input latency of the audio hardware.
Output Latency
Shows the output latency of the audio hardware.
ASIO-Guard Latency
Shows the ASIO-Guard latency.
HW Sample Rate
Shows the sample rate of your audio hardware.
HW Pull Up/Down
Shows the pull up/down status of the audio hardware.
Set to Defaults
Allows you to restore the default settings.
Activate Multi Processing
Allows you to distribute the processing load evenly to all available CPUs. This way, Cubase can make full use of the combined power of multiple processors.
Activate ASIO-Guard
Activates the ASIO-Guard. This is only available, if Activate Multi Processing is activated too.
ASIO-Guard Level
Allows you to set the ASIO-Guard level. The higher the level, the higher the processing stability and audio processing performance. However, higher levels also lead to an increased ASIO-Guard latency and memory usage.
Audio Priority (Windows only)
This setting should be set to Normal, if you work with audio and MIDI. If you do not use MIDI at all, you can set this to Boost.
Activate Steinberg Audio Power Scheme
If this option is activated, all power safe modes that have an impact on realtime processing are deactivated. Note that this is only effective for very low latencies, and that it increases the power consumption.
14
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
Disk Preload
Allows you to specify how many seconds of audio are preloaded into RAM prior to starting playback. This allows for smooth playback.
Adjust for Record Latency
If this is activated, the plug-in latencies are taken to account during recording.
Record Shift
Allows you to shift the recordings by the specified value.
This section allows you to set up your ASIO driver.
•To open the section where you can set up the ASIO driver, select Devices > Device Setup and select the audio driver in the Devices list to the left.
The following options are available:
Control Panel
Opens the control panel for the audio hardware.
Input Latency
Shows the input latency of the audio driver.
Output Latency
Shows the output latency of the audio driver.
Clock Source
Allows you to select a clock source.
15
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
Externally Clocked
Activate this option, if you use an external clock source.
Direct Monitoring
Activate this option to monitor via your audio hardware and to control it from Cubase.
Ports Reset
Allows you to reset all port names and visibilities.
I/O
The port input/output status.
Port System Name
The system name of the port.
Show As
Allows you to rename the port. This name is used in the Input Routing and Output Routing pop-up menus.
Visible
Allows you to activate/deactivate audio ports.
State
The state of the audio port.
If you are using an external clock source, Cubase must be notified that it receives external clock signals and derives its speed from that source.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Devices Setup.
2.In the Devices list, select the page of your audio hardware driver.
3.Activate Externally clocked.
RESULT
Cubase now derives its speed from the external source.
NOTE
For proper audio playback and recording, you must set the sample rate of the project to the sample rate of the incoming clock signals.
When a sample rate mismatch occurs, the Record Format field on the status line is highlighted in a different color. Cubase accepts a sample rate mismatch, and playback is therefore faster or slower.
16
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
You can allow other applications to play back via your audio hardware even though Cubase is running.
PREREQUISITE
Other audio applications accessing the audio hardware are set to release the audio driver.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Devices Setup.
2.In the Devices list, select the VST Audio System page.
3.Activate Release Driver when Application is in Background.
RESULT
The application that has the focus gets access to the audio hardware.
Most audio cards provide one or more small applications that allow you to customize your hardware.
The settings are normally gathered on a control panel that can be opened from within Cubase or separately, when Cubase is not running. For details, refer to the audio hardware documentation.
Settings include:
•Selecting which inputs/outputs are active.
•Setting up word clock synchronization.
•Turning on/off monitoring via the hardware.
•Setting levels for each input.
•Setting levels for the outputs so that they match the equipment that you use for monitoring.
•Selecting digital input and output formats.
•Making settings for the audio buffers.
The Steinberg UR hardware series supports plug and play in Cubase. These devices can be plugged in and switched on while the application is running. Cubase automatically uses the driver of the UR series and re-maps the VST connections accordingly.
Steinberg cannot guarantee that this works with other hardware. If you are unsure of whether your device supports plug and play, refer to the documentation of your device.
IMPORTANT
If a device that does not support plug and play is connected or disconnected while the computer is running, it can get damaged.
17
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
Once you have selected the driver for your audio hardware and have set it up, you must specify which inputs and outputs to use.
PREREQUISITE
You have selected a driver for your audio hardware.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Devices Setup.
2.In the Devices list to the left, select the driver to open the driver settings for your audio hardware.
3.Make your settings.
4.Click OK.
RELATED LINKS
ASIO Driver Setup on page 15
Cubase uses a system of input and output busses to transfer audio between the program and the audio hardware.
•Input busses let you route audio from the inputs of your audio hardware into Cubase. This means that audio is always recorded through one or several input busses.
•Output busses let you route audio from Cubase to the outputs of your audio hardware. This means that audio is always played back through one or several output busses.
Once you have set up the internal input and output busses, you can connect your audio source, for example a microphone, to your audio interface and start recording, playing back, and mixing.
RELATED LINKS
VST Connections on page 23
In Cubase, monitoring means listening to the input signal while recording. The following ways of monitoring are available.
•Externally by listening to the signal before it reaches Cubase.
•Via Cubase.
•By using ASIO Direct Monitoring.
This is a combination of the other methods.
RELATED LINKS
External Monitoring on page 177
Monitoring via Cubase on page 176
ASIO Direct Monitoring on page 177
18
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up MIDI
IMPORTANT
Turn off all equipment before making any connections.
PROCEDURE
1.Connect your MIDI equipment (keyboard, MIDI interface, etc.) to your computer.
2.Install the drivers for your MIDI equipment.
RESULT
You can use your MIDI equipment in Cubase.
To play back and record MIDI data from your MIDI device, for example, a MIDI keyboard, you need to connect the MIDI ports.
Connect the MIDI output port of your MIDI device to the MIDI input port of your audio hardware. This way, the MIDI device sends MIDI data to be played back or recorded inside your computer.
Connect the MIDI input port of your MIDI device to the MIDI output port of your audio hardware. This way, you can send MIDI data from Cubase to the MIDI device. For example, you can record your own playing, edit the MIDI data in Cubase, and then play it back on the keyboard and record the audio that is coming out of the keyboard for a better edited performance.
You can specify if a MIDI port is listed on the MIDI pop-up menus in the program.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Device Setup.
2.In the Device Setup dialog, select MIDI Port Setup from the Devices list on the left.
3.To hide a MIDI port, deactivate its Visible column.
4.Click OK.
When you record MIDI, you can specify which MIDI input each recording MIDI track should use. However, you can also record any MIDI data from any MIDI input. You can specify which inputs are included when you select All MIDI Inputs for a MIDI track.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Device Setup.
2.In the Device Setup dialog, select MIDI Port Setup from the Devices list on the left.
3.Activate In ‘All MIDI Inputs’ for a port.
19
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up MIDI
NOTE
If you have a MIDI remote control unit connected, make sure to deactivate the In ‘All MIDI Inputs’ option for that MIDI input. This avoids accidental recording of data from the remote control when All MIDI Inputs is selected as input for a MIDI track.
4.Click OK.
RESULT
When you select All MIDI Inputs on the Input Routing menu of a MIDI track in the Inspector, the MIDI track uses all MIDI inputs that you specified in the MIDI Port Setup.
The MIDI Port Setup section in the Device Setup dialog displays the connected MIDI devices and allows you to set up their ports.
•To open the MIDI Port Setup section, select Devices > Device Setup and activate MIDI Port Setup in the Devices list to the left.
The following colums are displayed:
Device
The connected MIDI devices.
I/O
The port input/output status.
Port System Name
The system name of the port.
Show As
Allows you to rename the port. This name is used in the Input Routing and Output Routing pop-up menus.
20
Setting Up Your System
Visible
Allows you to activate/deactivate MIDI ports.
State
The state of the MIDI port.
In 'All MIDI Inputs'
Allows you to record MIDI data from all MIDI inputs.
NOTE
Deactivate this option, if you use remote control devices.
The following options are available:
Use System Timestamp for 'Windows MIDI' Inputs
Activate this option if you have persistent timing problems such as shifted notes. If this is activated, the system timestamp is used as a time reference.
Use Device 'DirectMusic'
If you do not use a device with a DirectMusic device driver, you can leave this option deactivated. This enhances the system performance.
Use System Timestamp for 'DirectMusic' Inputs
Activate this option if you have persistent timing problems such as shifted notes. If this is activated, the system timestamp is used as a time reference.
Cubase supports plug and play of USB MIDI devices. These devices can be plugged in and switched on while the application is running.
Connecting a Synchronizer
When using Cubase with external tape transports, you most likely must add a synchronizer to your system.
IMPORTANT
Make sure that all equipment is turned off before making any connections.
For information on how to connect and set up your synchronizer, refer to the documentation of your synchronizer.
RELATED LINKS Synchronization on page 600
21
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Video
Cubase plays back video files in a number of formats, such as AVI, QuickTime, or MPEG. QuickTime is used as the playback engine. Which formats can be played back depends on the video codecs that are installed on your system.
There are several ways to play back video, for example, without any special hardware, using a FireWire port, or using dedicated video cards.
If you plan to use special video hardware, install it and set it up as recommended by the manufacturer.
NOTE
Before you use the video hardware with Cubase, we recommend that you test the hardware installation with the utility applications that were provided with the hardware and/or the QuickTime Player application.
RELATED LINKS
Video on page 619
Video Output Devices on page 621
22
To play back and record in Cubase, you must set up input and output busses in the VST Connections window.
The bus types that you need depend on your audio hardware, on your general audio setup, and on the projects that you use.
The VST Connections window allows you to set up input and output busses.
•To open the VST Connections window, select Devices > VST Connections.
Inputs/Outputs Tab
The Input and Output tabs allow you to set up and configure input and output busses.
The following options are available above the bus list:
+- All
Expands/Collapses all busses in the bus list.
Add Bus
Opens the Add Input Bus dialog, where you can create a new bus configuration.
Presets
Opens the Presets menu, where you can select bus configuration presets. Store
allows you to save a bus configuration as preset. Delete
deletes the selected preset.
The following columns are available for the bus list:
Bus Name
Lists the busses. Click the name of a bus to select or rename it.
23
VST Connections
Speakers
Indicates the speaker configuration (mono, stereo) of each bus.
Audio Device
Shows the selected ASIO driver.
Device Port
Shows which physical inputs/outputs on your audio hardware are used by the bus. Expand the bus entry to show all speaker channels. If the bus entry is collapsed, only the first port that is used by this bus is visible.
The Device Port pop-up menu displays how many busses are connected to a given port. The busses are shown in square brackets next to the port name.
Up to 3 bus assignments can be displayed in this way. If more connections have been made, this is indicated by a number at the end of the port name.
For example, “Adat 1 [Stereo1] [Stereo2] [Stereo3] (+2)” means that the Adat 1 port is already assigned to 3 stereo busses plus 2 additional busses.
Click (Outputs tab only)
You can route the metronome click to a specific output bus.
Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs
Before you set up busses, you should rename the default inputs and outputs of your audio hardware. This allows transferring projects between different computers and setups.
For example, if you move your project to another studio, the audio hardware may be of a different model. But if you and the other studio owner have agreed on identical names for your inputs and outputs, Cubase corrects inputs and outputs for your busses.
NOTE
If you open a project that was created on another computer and the port names do not match or the port configuration is not the same, the Missing Ports dialog appears. This allows you to manually re-route ports that are used in the project to ports that are available on your computer.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Device Setup.
2.On the VST Audio System page, make sure that the correct driver for your audio hardware is selected.
If this is the case, your audio card is listed in the Devices list on the left of the Device Setup window.
3.In the devices list, select your audio card.
The available input and output ports on your audio hardware are listed on the right.
4.In the Show As column, click on a port name and enter a new name.
5.Repeat the previous step until you have renamed all required ports.
6.Click OK.
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VST Connections
RELATED LINKS
Re-Routing Missing Ports on page 74
You can hide ports that you are not using. Hidden ports are not displayed in the VST Connections window.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Device Setup.
2.In the devices list, select your audio card.
3.In the Visible column, deactivate the ports that you want to hide.
4.Click OK.
On Mac operating systems, you can specify which input and output ports are active. This allows you to use the microphone input instead of the line input or to deactivate the audio card input or output.
NOTE
This function is only available for built-in audio, standard USB audio devices, and a certain number of other audio cards.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > Device Setup.
2.In the devices list, select your audio card.
3.Click Control Panel.
4.Activate/Deactivate ports.
5.Click OK.
Adding Input and Output Busses
PROCEDURE
1.In the VST Connections dialog, click the Inputs or Outputs tab.
2.Click Add Bus.
3.In the Add Input Bus dialog, configure the bus.
4.Optional: Enter a name for the bus.
If you do not specify a name, the bus is named according to the channel configuration.
5.Click Add Bus.
The new bus is added to the bus list.
6.For each of the speaker channels in the bus, click in the Device Port column and select a port of your audio hardware.
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VST Connections
The Main Mix is the default output bus to which each new audio, group, or FX channel is automatically routed. If only one bus is available, this bus is automatically used as the default output bus.
PREREQUISITE Add an output bus.
PROCEDURE
1.In the VST Connections dialog, right-click the output bus that you want to use as default output bus.
2.Select Set <bus name> as Main Mix.
RESULT
The selected bus is used as default bus. The Main Mix is indicated by a speaker icon next to its name.
Presets for Input and Output Busses
For input and output bus configurations, you can use different kinds of presets.
•A number of standard bus configurations.
•Automatically created presets tailored to your specific hardware configuration.
On startup, Cubase analyzes the physical inputs and outputs that are provided by your audio hardware and creates a number of hardware-dependent presets.
•Your own presets.
NOTE
You can create default presets for input and output bus configurations. If you create a new empty project, these default presets are applied. To create default presets, save your preferred input and output bus configurations under the name Default. If you have not defined default presets, the last used input and output bus configuration is applied when creating a new empty project.
You can save your own input and output bus configuration as presets.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > VST Connections.
2.Set up your bus configuration.
3.Click Store .
4.In the Type in Preset Name dialog, enter a name.
5.Click OK.
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VST Connections
RESULT
The preset is available in the Presets menu.
PROCEDURE
1.Select Devices > VST Connections.
2.From the Presets menu, select the preset that you want to delete.
3.Click Delete .
RESULT
The preset is deleted.
About Monitoring
The default output bus (Main Mix) is used for monitoring. You can adjust the monitoring level in the MixConsole.
RELATED LINKS
Setting the Default Output Bus (Main Mix) on page 26
After you have set up all the required busses for a project you can edit the names and change port assignments. The bus configuration is saved with the project.
PROCEDURE
•In the VST Connections window, right-click a bus in the list and select Remove Bus. You can also select the bus and press Backspace.
You can change the port assignment of busses in the VST Connection window.
•To change a port assignment, click in the Device Port column of a bus and select a new port.
•To assign different ports to the selected busses, open the Device Port pop-up menu for the first selected entry, press Shift, and select a device port.
All subsequent busses are automatically connected to the next available port.
•To assign the same port to all selected busses, open the Device Port pop-up menu for the first selected entry, press Shift-Alt, and select a device port.
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VST Connections
Editing the Bus Configurations
You can rename all the selected busses at once using incrementing numbers or letters.
•To use incrementing numbers, select the busses that you want to rename and enter a new name for one of the busses, followed by a number.
For example, if you have 8 inputs that you want to be named “In 1, In 2, …, In 8”, you select all the busses and enter the name In 1 for the first bus. All other busses are then renamed automatically.
•To use letters from the alphabet, select the busses that you want to rename and enter a new name for one of the busses, followed by a space and a capital letter.
For example, if you have 3 FX channels that you want to be named “FX A, FX B, and FX C”, you select all the channels and enter the name FX A for the first. All other channels are renamed automatically. The last letter that can be used is Z. If you have more selected entries than there are letters available, the remaining entries are skipped.
NOTE
You can begin renaming from any position in the list. The renaming starts from the bus where you edit the name, goes down the list to the bottom, and then continues from the top until all selected busses have been renamed.
For certain channel types, the port assignment is exclusive.
Once a port has been assigned to such a bus or channel, it must not be assigned to another bus, otherwise the connection to the first bus will be broken.
The corresponding ports are marked in the VST Connections window on the Device Port popup menu.
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The Project window provides an overview of the project, and allows you to navigate and perform large scale editing.
Each project has one Project window. The Project window is displayed whenever you open or create a new project.
•To open a project, select File > Open.
•To create a new project, select File > New Project.
The Project window is divided into several zones:
1.Left Zone
The left zone shows the Track Inspector for the selected track or the Editor Inspector for the editor in the lower zone.
2.Project Zone
The project zone shows the toolbar, the track list with the tracks, the event display with the parts and events of the project, and the Project window ruler.
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Project Window
On the toolbar, you can activate/deactivate the status line, the info line, the overview line, and the transport.
3.Lower Zone
The lower zone shows the Chord Pads, the Editor, the Sampler Control (Cubase Elements only), and the MixConsole.
4.Right Zone
The right zone shows the VST Instruments rack (not in Cubase LE) and the MediaBay rack.
RELATED LINKS
Project Zone on page 30
Left Zone on page 40
Lower Zone on page 46
Right Zone on page 51
Toolbar on page 31
Showing/Hiding Zones
You can show/hide the zones in the Project window according to your needs.
PROCEDURE
•Do one of the following:
•To show/hide the left zone, click Show/Hide Left Zone on the Project window toolbar.
•To show/hide the lower zone, click Show/Hide Lower Zone on the Project window toolbar.
•To show/hide the right zone, click Show/Hide Right Zone on the Project window toolbar.
NOTE
The project zone is always shown.
The project zone is the heart of the Project window and cannot be hidden.
The project zone features the track list and the event display with the ruler. Furthermore, you can activate/deactivate the status line, the info line, the overview line, and the transport for the project zone.
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