Steinberg Cubase LE - 1.0 User Manual

Cubase LE Effects Parameters

Manual by Ludvig Carlson, Anders Nordmark, Roger Wiklander Quality Control: C. Bachmann, H. Bischoff, S. Pfeifer, C. Schomburg

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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DoubleDelay

This effect provides two separate delays that can be either tempo based or use freely specified delay time settings. Cubase LE automatically provides the plug-in with the tempo currently used in the project.

The parameters are as follows:

Parameter Description

Mix Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the effect. If Double-

Delay is used as a send effect, this should be set to maximum (100%) as you can control the dry/effect balance with the send.

Tempo sync on/off

Delay Time 1 This is where you specify the base note value for the delay if tempo

Delay Time 2 As above.

Feedback This sets the number of repeats for both delays.

The buttons above the two Delay Time knobs are used to turn tempo sync on or off for the respective delay. If set to off (the buttons are white) the delay time can be set freely with the Delay Time knobs, without sync to tempo.

sync is on (1/1 - 1/32, straight, triplet or dotted). If tempo sync is off, it sets the delay time in milliseconds.

Tempo Sync 1 The note value multiplier (x1 to x10) for the first delay unit.

Tempo Sync 2 As above, but for the second delay unit.

Pan1 This sets the stereo position for the first delay.

Pan2 This sets the stereo position for the second delay.

Effects Parameters CUBASE LE

You can also change parameters in the graphic display window. This works as follows:

•

If tempo sync is on, you can set the Tempo Sync 1 parameter by dragging the light blue handle left and right.

When tempo sync is off, this sets the Delay Time 1 parameter.

•

You can set the Pan 1 parameter by dragging the light blue handle up and down.

•

The dark blue handle works in the same way but for the corresponding second delay parameters.

CUBASE LE Effects Parameters

ModDelay

This is a delay effect that can either be tempo-based or use freely specified delay time settings. The delay repeats can also be modulated. The parameters are as follows:

Parameter Description

Mix Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the effect. If ModDelay

is used as a send effect, this should be set to maximum as you can control the dry/effect balance with the send.

Tempo sync on/off

Feedback This sets the number of repeats for the delay.

Delay Time This is where you specify the base note value for the delay if tempo sync

Tempo Sync knob

DelayMod. This controls the pitch modulation rate for the delay effect.

The button above the Delay Time knob is used to turn tempo sync on or off. If set to off (white button) the delay time can be set freely with the Delay Time knob, without sync to tempo.

is on (1/1 - 1/32, straight, triplet or dotted). If tempo sync is off, it sets the delay time in milliseconds.

This is the note value multiplier (x1 to x10) for the delay when tempo sync is used.

Effects Parameters CUBASE LE

DaTube

This effect emulates the characteristic warm, lush sound of a tube amplifier. It is usable both as an insert effect and a send effect:

Parameter Description

Drive Regulates the pre-gain of the “amplifier”. Use high values if you want an

overdriven sound just on the verge of distortion.

Balance This controls the balance between the signal processed by the Drive pa-

rameter and the dry input signal. For maximum drive effect, set this to its highest value.

Output Adjusts the post-gain, or output level, of the “amplifier”.

CUBASE LE Effects Parameters

Distortion

The Distortion effect plug-in is capable of producing anything from a soft “crunch” to all-out distortion.

The parameters are as follows:

Parameter Description

Input Sets the Input level.

Output Sets the Output level. As distortion generates harmonics, it increases the

level of the processed signal. You can use the Output fader to compensate for the level increase.

Shapes Determines how much the input signal is affected by the distortion effect.

Non-linear 2 will produce the strongest distortion.

Contour This is a selective low pass filter, altering the tonal quality of the distortion.

Drive Governs the amount of distortion.

Factory Presets

Select one of five presets, which can be used as they are, or as a basis for further “tweaking”. Note that these presets are not stored parameter settings, but different basic distortion algorithms.

Effects Parameters CUBASE LE

Overdrive

Overdrive is a distortion-type effect, emulating the sound of a guitar amplifier. A selection of factory styles is available. Note that these are not stored parameter settings, but different basic overdrive algorithms, with the style names indicating the basic character of each algorithm. The parameters are as follows:

Parameter Description

Input Sets the input level.

Output Sets the output level. As overdrive generates harmonics, it increases the

level of the processed signal. You can use the Output fader to compensate for the level increase.

Speaker simulation

Factory Styles

Bass Tone control for the low frequencies.

Mid Tone control for the mid frequencies.

Simulates the sound of a speaker cabinet.

Select one of six presets, which can be used as they are or as a basis for further “tweaking”.

Hi Tone control for the high frequencies.

Drive Governs the amount of overdrive. You can also adjust this by clicking and

dragging in the display.

CUBASE LE Effects Parameters

Dynamics

Compress Autogate

Limiter

Routing selector

Dynamics is an advanced dynamics processor. It combines three separate processors: Autogate, Compress and Limit, covering a variety of dynamic processing functions. The window is divided into three sections, containing controls and meters for each processor.

Activating the individual Processors

You activate the individual processors by clicking on their labels. Activated processors have highlighted labels.

Effects Parameters CUBASE LE

Autogate section

Gating, or noise gating, is a method of dynamic processing that silences audio signals below a certain set threshold level. As soon as the signal level exceeds the set threshold, the gate opens to let the signal through. Autogate offers all the features of a standard noise gate, plus some very useful additional features, such as auto-calibration of the threshold setting, a look-ahead predict function, and frequency selective triggering. Available parameters are as follows:

Parameter Values Description

Threshold -60 - 0dB This setting determines the level where Autogate

is activated. Signal levels above the set threshold trigger the gate to open, and signal levels below the set threshold will close the gate.

Attack 0,1 -100 ms or

“Predict mode”

Hold 0 - 1000 ms This determines how long the gate stays open af-

Release 10 - 1000 ms or

“Auto”

This parameter sets the time it takes for the gate to open after being triggered. If the Predict button is activated, it will ensure that the gate will already be open when a signal above the threshold level is played back. Autogate manages this by “looking ahead” in the audio material, checking for signals loud enough to pass the gate.

ter the signal drops below the threshold level.

This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the gate to close (after the set hold time). If the “Auto” button is activated, Autogate will find an optimal release setting, depending on the audio program material.

CUBASE LE Effects Parameters

Trigger Frequency Range

Autogate has a feature that allows the gate to be triggered only by signals within a specified frequency range. This is a most useful feature because it lets you filter out parts of the signal that might otherwise trigger the gate in places you don’t want it to, thus allowing more control over the gate function. The Trigger Frequency Range function is set using the control in the upper part of the Autogate panel, and the buttons located below it.

The basic operation of the Trigger Frequency Range function is as follows:

While playing back audio, click the “Listen” button.

You will now monitor the audio signal, and the gate will be bypassed.

While listening, drag the two handles in the Trigger Frequency Range window to set the frequency range you wish to use to trigger the gate.

You will hear the audio being filtered as you move the handles.

• Dragging the left handle to the right will progressively cut frequencies starting from the low end of the frequency spectrum.

• Dragging the right handle to the left will progressively cut frequencies starting from the high end of the frequency spectrum.

The frequency range between the two handles will be used to trigger the gate.

After setting the frequency range, click the “On” button.

Autogate will now use the selected frequency range as the trigger input.

To disable the Trigger Frequency Range function, click the “Off” button.

Autogate will now use the unfiltered audio signal as the trigger input.

Effects Parameters CUBASE LE

Calibrate Function

This function, activated by using the Calibrate button located below the Threshold knob, is used to automatically set the threshold level. It is especially useful for material with consistent inherent background noise, like tape hiss. This may most of the time be masked by the audio content, but becomes noticeable during silent passages. Use it as follows:

Find a part of the audio material, preferably not too short, where only the background noise is heard.

If you can only find a short background noise section, try looping it.

Play it back, and click on the Calibrate button.

The button will blink for a few seconds, and then automatically set the threshold so that the noise will be silenced (gated) during passages where there is no other signal present.

Compress section

Compress reduces the dynamic range of the audio, making softer sounds louder or louder sounds softer, or both. Compress functions like a standard compressor with separate controls for threshold, ratio, attack, release and make-up gain parameters. Compress features a separate display that graphically illustrates the compressor curve shaped according to the Threshold, Ratio and MakeUp Gain parameter settings. Compress also features a Gain Reduction meter that shows the amount of gain reduction in dB, and a program dependent Auto feature for the Release parameter.

CUBASE LE Effects Parameters

The available parameters have the following functionality:

Parameter Values Description

Threshold -60 - 0dB This setting determines the level where Compress

“kicks in”. Signal levels above the set threshold are affected, but signal levels below are not processed.

Ratio 1:1 - 8:1 Ratio determines the amount of gain reduction ap-

plied to signals over the set threshold. A ratio of 3:1 means that for every 3 dB the input level increases, the output level will increase by only 1 dB.

Attack 0.1-100 ms This determines how fast Compress will respond to

signals above the set threshold. If the attack time is long, more of the early part of the signal (attack) will pass through unprocessed.

Release 10-1000ms or

“Auto mode”

MakeUp Gain 0 - 24dB This parameter is used to compensate for output

Compressor Mode

RMS/Peak RMS mode operates using the average power of

Sets the amount of time it takes for the gain to return to its original level when the signal drops below the Threshold level. If the “Auto” button is activated, Compress will automatically find an optimal release setting that varies depending on the audio program material.

gain loss, caused by compression.

the audio signal as a basis, whereas Peak mode operates more on peak levels. As a general guideline, RMS mode works better on material with few transients such as vocals, and Peak mode better for percussive material, with a lot of transient peaks.

Effects Parameters CUBASE LE

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