Getting Started
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.
All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners.
Windows 2000 and Windows XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The Mac
logo is a trademark used under license. Macintosh and Power Macintosh are registered
trademarks.
© Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, 2004.
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
7 Introduction
8 Welcome,
9 About the manuals and the
Help
12 How you can reach us
13 Installation and
Requirements for
Windows
14 About this chapter
14 Requirements
18 Hardware installation
20 Installing Cubase LE
23 Installation and
Requirements for Mac
OS X
24 About this chapter
24 Requirements
27 Hardware installation
28 Installing Cubase LE
31 Setting up your
system
32 Setting up audio
40 Setting up MIDI
44 Connecting a synchronizer
44 Setting up video
45 Optimizing audio
performance
51 Guided Tour
52 The main windows in
Cubase LE
61 Tutorial 1:
Recording and
playing back audio
62 About this chapter
63 Creating a new project
65 Preparing to record
69 Recording
69 Playing back what you just
recorded
70 Recording more events
71 Playing back in a cycle
73 Tutorial 2: Recording
and playing back MIDI
74 About this chapter
75 Setting up for recording
MIDI
79 Recording MIDI
79 Playing back what you just
recorded
80 Playing back in a cycle
81 Transposing the MIDI track
85 Tutorial 3: Mixing
86 About this chapter
87 Opening the Mixer
88 Setting the level
88 Setting pan
89 Using Mute and Solo
90 Adding EQ to an audio
channel
92 Adding audio effects
94 Automating a fader
CUBASE LE
4 Table of Contents
97 Tutorial 4: Editing in
the Project window
133 Basic Cubase LE
concepts
98 About this tutorial
98 Preparations
99 Overview
100 Moving and copying events
102 Muting and erasing events
103 Splitting and resizing events
105 Adding a fade
107 Tutorial 5: Using
VST Instruments
108 About this tutorial
108 Preparations
110 Activating a VST Instrument
112 Routing
113 Playing back
114 Adding another instrument
116 Playing a VST Instrument in
real time
118 Recording
119 Editing audio
120 About this chapter
120 The Sample Editor
124 Processing audio
134 About this chapter
134 The project
136 Audio terminology
138 MIDI terminology
138 Video terminology
139 Basic Methods
140 About this chapter
140 Using menus
142 Using tools
143 Changing values
148 Selecting objects
149 Zoom and view techniques
152 Window handling
155 Undo
159 Shortcuts &
key commands
160 About this chapter
167 Index
125 Editing MIDI
126 About this chapter
126 Opening the Key Editor
127 Drawing events in the Key
Editor
128 Selecting and moving
events
129 About quantize
131 Editing velocity in the
controller display
CUBASE LE
Table of Contents 5
CUBASE LE
6 Table of Contents
1
Introduction
Welcome,
and congratulations, because with the purchase of this product you’ve
just become a member of the Cubase family. Maybe this is your first
step into the world of computer-based music production, or maybe
you’ve just added new hardware to your studio. In any case, you now
have the chance to explore the world of Cubase, one of the world’s
most popular music workstation systems.
Experience for yourself how much fun it is to work with Steinberg Cubase LE. Whether you want to control your MIDI keyboards, play virtual
software instruments, record your vocals or acoustic instruments or arrange, edit and master your finished songs: Cubase LE has everything
you need for running your entire studio. It offers a wealth of features
your wouldn’t normally expect in this class. Its 24-bit / 96kHz audio resolution guarantees the same sound quality found in $100.000 studios.
Cubase LE comes with dozens of professional-quality effects plug-ins
and is compatible with hundreds of 3rd-party VST plug-ins and virtual
instruments.
But maybe the best thing about Cubase LE is: it will grow with your
needs and experience. At any time, you can upgrade to a higher version
of Cubase. In addition, we have special offers for our acclaimed VST Instruments which integrate seamlessly with your Cubase LE system.
And last but not least: the things you learn when using Cubase LE are
the foundation for future work with our professional high-end systems
Cubase SX and Nuendo. You can become a power user now and upgrade later. But you will always feel at home with any Steinberg system.
Learn more about Steinberg’s line of products and get in touch with
Cubase users all around the world:
See you at www.steinberg.net!
Your Steinberg Cubase Team.
CUBASE LE
1 – 8 Introduction
About the manuals and the Help
The documentation is provided in the Adobe Acrobat pdf format. An
Acrobat installer is provided on the program CD.
The Getting Started book
The document you are reading now covers the following areas:
• Computer requirements.
• Installation issues.
• Setting up your system for audio, MIDI and/or video work.
• A guided tour of the main Cubase LE windows.
• An introduction to the most common procedures for recording, playing back,
mixing and editing in Cubase LE.
• Basic concepts and terminology.
• A description of the general methods used when working in Cubase LE.
In other words, this book does not go into detail on any Cubase LE
windows, functions or procedures.
The Operation Manual
This document contains the main Cubase LE reference documentation,
with detailed descriptions of Cubase LE operations, parameters, functions and techniques. You should be familiar with the concepts and
methods described in the Getting Started book before moving on to
the Operation Manual.
• You can open the Operation Manual pdf from the Help menu in the program.
• Under Windows you can also open this document from the Cubase LE Documentation subfolder on the Windows Start menu.
• Under Mac OS X the Operation Manual pdf is located in the folder /Library/
Documentation/Cubase LE.
❐
Please also check the documentation subfolder in the Program folder
(Win) or in the folder /Library/Documentation (Mac) for additional documentation files.
CUBASE LE
Introduction 1 – 9
The Help System
Cubase LE comes with a detailed help system, making it easy to look
up procedures and descriptions from within the program. The contents of the help basically mirror the complete Operation Manual text.
The help systems are slightly different depending on which operating
system you use, Windows or Mac OS X:
HTML Help (Windows)
You use the HTML Help in the following way:
• To open the HTML Help for browsing, select “HTML Help” from the Help
menu in the program.
This brings up the HTML Help browser in which you can browse the help table of contents, search the index or perform a free text search.
• To get information about the active window or a dialog, press [F1] on the
computer keyboard or click the Help button in the actual dialog.
Within a topic, related topics are sometimes directly accessible via clickable links.
Apple Help (Mac OS X)
You use the Apple Help in the following way:
• To open the Apple Help for browsing, select “Cubase LE Help” from the Help
menu in the program.
This brings up the Apple Help Viewer window. There, you can either browse the help
table of contents, use the index or type any words into the Search field at the top of the
window.
• To get information about the active window or a dialog, press [F1] on the
computer keyboard or click the Help button in the actual dialog.
Within a topic, related topics are sometimes directly accessible via clickable links.
Please note that you can open the Cubase LE Help even when the
program isn’t running:
1.
Select “Mac Help” from the Help menu in the Finder.
2.
In the Apple Help Viewer, bring up the “Help Center”.
3.
Click the “Cubase LE Help” link in the Help Center.
CUBASE LE
1 – 10 Introduction
About the versions for the differents platforms
Some features and settings are specific to one of the platforms,
Windows or Mac OS X. This is clearly stated.
In other words:
• If nothing else is said, all descriptions and procedures in the documentation are valid under Windows and Mac OS X.
The screenshots are taken both from the Windows version and the Mac OS X version.
Key command conventions
Many of the default key commands in Cubase LE use modifier keys,
some of which are different depending on the operating system. For example, the default key command for Undo is [Ctrl]-[Z] under Windows
and [Command]-[Z] under Mac OS X.
When key commands with modifier keys are described in this manual,
they are shown with the Windows modifier key first, in the following
form:
[Win modifier key]/[Mac modifier key]-[key]
For example,
[Ctrl]/[Command]-[Z]
means “press [Ctrl] under Win-
dows or [Command] under Mac OS X, then press [Z]”.
Similarly,
[Alt]/[Option]-[X]
means “press [Alt] under Windows or
[Option] under Mac OS X, then press [Z]”.
Introduction 1 – 11
CUBASE LE
How you can reach us
On the Help menu in Cubase LE, you will find items for getting additional information and help:
•
On the “Steinberg on the Web” submenu you can find links to various
Steinberg websites. Selecting one will automatically launch your
browser application and open the page.
You can find support and compatibility information, answers to frequently asked questions, links for downloading new drivers, etc. This requires that you have a web browser
application installed on your computer, and a working Internet connection.
CUBASE LE
1 – 12 Introduction
2
Installation and Requirements
for Windows
About this chapter
This chapter describes the system requirements and installation procedures for Cubase LE for Windows. Installing Cubase LE for Mac
OS X is described on page 24.
Requirements
To use Cubase LE, you need the following:
•
A PC with either Windows XP or Windows 2000 installed.
For more details about the computer requirements, see below.
•
Compatible audio hardware.
By audio hardware we mean a card capable of recording and playing back digital audio using your hard disk as a storage medium. It must also have an appropriate ASIO
driver, see page 16, or be Windows Multimedia compatible.
For MIDI
•
At least one MIDI interface.
•
At least one MIDI instrument.
•
Any audio equipment necessary to listen to the sound from your MIDI
devices.
CUBASE LE
2 – 14 Installation and Requirements for Windows
Computer requirements
Hardware – PC
The absolute minimum requirements for running Cubase LE on a PC
are as follows:
•
A 500 MHz Pentium III with 256 MB of RAM or an equivalent AMD
processor.
Recommended configuration for optimum performance: 1 GHz or faster PIII/Athlon with
512 MB RAM.
RAM
Audio work requires a lot of RAM! In fact, there is a direct relation between the amount of available RAM and the number of audio channels
that you can have running. As specified earlier, 256 MB is the minimum
requirement, but as a general rule “the more the better” applies.
Hard disk size
•
The size of the hard disk determines how many minutes of audio you
will be able to record.
Recording one minute of stereo CD quality audio, requires 10 MB of hard disk space.
That is, eight stereo tracks in Cubase LE use up at least 80 MB of disk space per recording minute.
Hard disk speed
The speed of the hard drive also determines the number of audio tracks
you can run. That is the quantity of information that the disk can read,
usually expressed as “sustained transfer rate”. Again, “the more the
better” applies.
Wheel mouse
Although a regular mouse will work perfectly fine with Cubase LE, we
recommend that you use a wheel mouse, as this will speed up value
editing and scrolling considerably. See page 144 and page 149.
CUBASE LE
Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 15
Audio hardware
Cubase LE will run with audio hardware that meets the following basic
specifications:
• Stereo.
• 16 bit.
• Support of at least the 44.1kHz sampling rate.
• Is supplied with a special ASIO driver, or a DirectX or Windows Multimedia
compatible driver as described below.
About drivers
A driver is a piece of software that allows a program to communicate
with a certain piece of hardware. In this case, the driver allows Cubase
LE to use the audio hardware. For audio hardware, there are three different cases, each requiring different driver configurations:
If the audio hardware has a specific ASIO driver
Professional audio cards often come with an ASIO driver written especially for the card. This allows for communication directly between
Cubase LE and the audio card. As a result, audio cards with specific
ASIO drivers can provide lower latency (input-output delay), which is
crucial when monitoring audio via Cubase LE or using VST Instruments. The ASIO driver may also provide special support for multiple
inputs and outputs, routing, synchronization, etc.
Audio card-specific ASIO drivers are provided by the card manufacturers. Make sure to check the manufacturer’s web site for the latest
driver versions.
❐
If your audio hardware comes with a specific ASIO driver we strongly
recommend that you use this.
CUBASE LE
2 – 16 Installation and Requirements for Windows
If the audio card communicates via DirectX
DirectX is a Microsoft “package” for handling various types of Multimedia under Windows. Cubase LE supports DirectX, or to be more
precise, DirectSound, which is a part of DirectX used for playing back
and recording audio. This requires two types of drivers:
• A DirectX driver for the audio card, allowing it to communicate with DirectX. If
the audio card supports DirectX, this driver should be supplied by the audio
card manufacturer. If it isn’t installed with the audio card, please check the
manufacturer’s web site for more information.
• The ASIO DirectX Full Duplex driver, allowing Cubase LE to communicate with
DirectX. This driver is included with Cubase LE, and does not require any special installation.
If the audio card communicates via Windows Multimedia system
If the card is Windows compatible, it can be used in Cubase LE. The
card then communicates with Windows Multimedia system, which in
turn communicates with Cubase LE. This requires two types of drivers:
• A Windows Multimedia driver for the audio card, allowing it to communicate
with the Windows Multimedia system. This driver should be supplied by the
audio card manufacturer, and is normally installed when you install the audio
card.
• The ASIO Multimedia driver, allowing Cubase LE to communicate with the
Windows Multimedia system. This driver is included with Cubase LE, and
does not require any special installation.
CUBASE LE
Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 17
Hardware installation
Installing the audio hardware and its driver
1.
Install the audio card and related equipment in the computer, as described in the card’s documentation.
2.
Install the driver for the card.
There are three types of drivers that could apply: card-specific ASIO drivers, DirectX
drivers and Windows Multimedia drivers.
Specific ASIO driver
If your audio card has a specific ASIO driver it may be included with
the audio card, but you should always make sure to check the audio
card manufacturer’s web site for the most recent drivers. For details
on how to install the driver, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.
DirectX driver
If your audio card is DirectX compatible, its DirectX drivers will most
likely be installed when you install the card (as with the Windows Multimedia driver). If you have downloaded special DirectX drivers for the audio card, you should follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
Windows Multimedia driver
These drivers are normally included with all types of regular PC audio
cards. Some are even included with Windows itself. Depending on
whether the audio card is “Plug’n’Play compatible” or not, the installation of the card is done differently:
•
If the card is “Plug’n’Play compatible”, Windows will detect the
card once it is plugged in, and ask for the necessary driver disks.
•
If not, you need to use the “Add New Hardware” feature in the Control
Panel to install the card and its drivers.
Refer to the documentation that comes with the card.
❐
Should you have an audio card but no driver, please check the manufacturers web site, or ask your music or computer dealer for help.
CUBASE LE
2 – 18 Installation and Requirements for Windows
Testing the Card
To make sure the audio card will work as expected, perform the following two tests:
•
Use any software included with the audio card to make sure you can
record and play back audio without problems.
•
If the card is accessed via a standard Windows driver, use the Media
Player application (included with Windows) to play back audio.
Installing a MIDI interface/synthesizer card
Installation instructions for a MIDI interface should be included with
the product. However, here’s an outline of the necessary steps:
1.
Install the interface (or MIDI synthesizer card) inside your computer or
connect it to a “port” (connector) on the computer.
Which is right for you depends on which type of interface you have.
2.
If the interface has a power supply and/or a power switch, turn it on.
3.
Install the driver for the interface, as described in the documentation
that comes with the interface.
It is likely that you will need a CD ROM or floppy disk supplied by the manufacturer of
the MIDI interface.
CUBASE LE
Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 19
Installing Cubase LE
Defragment the hard disk
If you plan to record audio on a hard disk where you have already
stored other files, now is the time to defragment it. Defragmentation
reorganizes the physical allocation of space on the hard disk in order
to optimize its performance. It is done with a special defragmentation
program. In Windows XP, for example, you might look for the “Disk
Defragmenter” utility.
❐
It is crucial to the audio recording performance that your hard disk is optimized (defragmented). You should make sure to defragment regularly.
Installing the files on the CD-ROM
The installation procedure puts all files in the right places, automatically.
1. Insert the Cubase LE CD-ROM.
2. A pop-up dialog appears automatically, containing three items for in-
stalling, browsing the CD and exiting.
If this dialog doesn’t appear, open the CD-ROM on the desktop, and double click the
“Autorun.EXE”.
3. To start the installation process, select “Install”.
A number of dialogs now appear:
• In one dialog you will need to fill in your name and the serial number of
your Cubase LE copy, and click OK.
You will find the serial number on the CD sleeve. Check the name and number in the
confirmation dialog and click “Yes” if they are correct. Clicking “No” brings back the
previous dialog.
4. Now the actual Cubase LE installation procedure starts.
A number of dialogs will appear, allowing you to select in which folder on your hard
disk you want to install the program, etc. To advance to the next “page” in the installation procedure, click the “Next” button. The “Previous” button takes you back to the
previous page.
CUBASE LE
2 – 20 Installation and Requirements for Windows
5. Finally, a dialog box informs you that the installation was successful.
You are now ready to launch Cubase LE!
Remove the CD-ROM and store it in a safe place.
This completes the installation of your Cubase LE program!
Register your software!
Registering your software will make sure you are entitled to technical
support and kept aware of updates and other news regarding Cubase
LE.
If your computer has a working Internet connection, you can register online. From the Help menu of Cubase LE, select “Register Online…” and
follow the instructions.
If your computer does not have a working Internet connection, you can
also register from another computer.
The items on the start menu
If you open the Windows Start menu, you will find a Cubase LE group
on the “Programs” submenu. This contains the following items:
• Documentation.
On this submenu you can access the documentation in the Acrobat pdf format.
• ASIO DirectX Full Duplex Setup.
This is where you make settings if your audio hardware uses DirectX for audio playback and recording.
• ASIO Multimedia Setup.
This opens a dialog with settings for the ASIO (Audio Stream Input Output) system,
which handles audio recording and playback in Cubase LE, if you are using the ASIO
MME driver. This dialog can also be opened from within Cubase LE. See the chapter
“Setting up your system” in this book.
• Cubase LE.
This launches the actual program.
There may also be additional items (such as Readme files) available on
the Start menu. Please read all such files before launching Cubase LE,
since they may contain late information not included in the manuals.
CUBASE LE
Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 21
CUBASE LE
2 – 22 Installation and Requirements for Windows
3
Installation and Requirements
for Mac OS X
About this chapter
This chapter describes the system requirements and installation procedures for Cubase LE for Mac OS X. Installing Cubase LE for Windows is described on page 14.
Requirements
To use Cubase LE, you need the following:
• A Macintosh computer running Mac OS X (version 10.2 or later).
For more details about the computer requirements, see below.
• Mac OS X compatible audio hardware.
While the built-in audio hardware of the Macintosh may be adequate for basic audio
playback, we strongly recommend audio hardware that is specifically designed for audio recording and music applications.
For MIDI
• At least one MIDI interface.
• At least one MIDI instrument.
• Any audio equipment necessary to listen to the sound from your MIDI
devices.
CUBASE LE
3 – 24 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X
Computer requirements
Hardware – Mac
The absolute minimum requirements for running Cubase LE on a
Macintosh are as follows:
• Macintosh with a G4 processor, 256 MB RAM and OS X 10.2.
We recommend 512 MB RAM or more.
RAM
Audio work requires a lot of RAM! In fact, there is a direct relation between the amount of available RAM and the number of audio channels
that you can have running. As specified earlier, 256 MB is the minimum
requirement, but as a general rule “the more the better” applies.
Hard disk size
• The size of the hard disk determines how many minutes of audio you
will be able to record.
Recording one minute of stereo CD quality audio, requires 10 MB of hard disk space.
That is, eight stereo tracks in Cubase LE use up at least 80 MB of disk space per recording minute.
Hard disk speed
The speed of the hard drive also determines the number of audio
tracks you can run. That is the quantity of information that the disk can
read, usually expressed as “sustained transfer rate”. Again, “the more
the better” applies.
Mouse
Although a regular mouse will work perfectly fine with Cubase LE, we
recommend that you use a wheel mouse with two mouse buttons.
• Having a wheel mouse will speed up value editing and scrolling considerably.
• If your mouse has two mouse buttons you should program the right mouse
button to generate a [Ctrl]-click (this is typically the default behaviour of the
right mouse button).
This will allow you to bring up context menus by right clicking (see page 141).
CUBASE LE
Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X 3 – 25
Audio hardware
Cubase LE will run with audio hardware that meets the following basic
specifications:
• Stereo.
• 16 bit.
• Support of at least the 44.1kHz sampling rate.
• Is supplied with proper Mac OS X (Core Audio) drivers.
A basic rule of thumb is: if the hardware works under Mac OS X, you
can use it in Cubase LE.
• Cubase LE also supports audio hardware with Mac OS X compliant ASIO
drivers.
ASIO drivers may provide special support for routing, monitoring, synchronization, etc.
Note that the ASIO drivers must be written specifically for Mac OS X – Mac OS 9.X
ASIO drivers cannot be used.
Using the built-in audio hardware of the Macintosh
As of this writing, all current Macintosh models have built-in 16 bit stereo audio hardware. Depending on your preferences and requirements,
this may be sufficient for use with Cubase LE (although we recommend using multi-output audio hardware). The built-in audio hardware
is always available for selection in Cubase LE – you don’t need to install any additional drivers.
❐
Some Macintosh models have audio outputs but no inputs. This means
that you can only play back audio – recording is not possible without additional audio hardware.
CUBASE LE
3 – 26 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X
Hardware installation
Installing the audio hardware and its driver
1. Make sure you have the latest Mac OS X drivers for the audio hardware!
Please check the manufacturer’s web site for the latest versions.
2. Install the driver(s) for the audio hardware.
This is usually done by running an installer application.
3. Install or connect the audio interface, as described in the card’s documentation.
Installing a MIDI interface
1. Make sure you have the latest Mac OS X drivers for the MIDI interface!
Please check the manufacturer’s web site for the latest versions.
2. Install the driver(s) for the interface.
This is usually done by running an installer application.
3. Connect the MIDI interface to the computer, as described in the interface documentation.
CUBASE LE
Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X 3 – 27
Installing Cubase LE
Defragment the hard disk
If you plan to record audio on a hard disk where you have already
stored other files, now is the time to defragment it. Defragmentation
reorganizes the physical allocation of space on the hard disk in order
to optimize its performance. It is done with a special defragmentation
program.
❐
It is crucial to the audio recording performance that your hard disk is optimized (defragmented). You should make sure to defragment regularly.
Installing the files on the CD-ROM
The installation procedure puts all files in the right places, automatically.
1. Insert the Cubase LE CD-ROM.
2. Open and read the file “Read Me First” before continuing.
This may contain late braking news pertinent to the installation.
3. Locate the Cubase LE installer and run it.
The installation procedure starts. This will create a Cubase LE folder in your Applications folder and add various required files to your system.
• At one point during the installation you will need to fill in your name
and the serial number of your Cubase LE copy.
You will find the serial number on the CD sleeve.
Finally, a dialog box informs you that the installation was successful.
4. You are now ready to launch Cubase LE!
Remove the CD-ROM and store it in a safe place.
This completes the installation of your Cubase LE program!
You can now start the program from your Applications folder. When
you launch Cubase LE for the first time, you will be asked whether you
want to add a Cubase LE icon to the Dock.
CUBASE LE
3 – 28 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X
Register your software!
Registering your software will make sure you are entitled to technical
support and kept aware of updates and other news regarding Cubase
LE.
If your computer has a working Internet connection, you can register
online. Launch Cubase LE, select “Register Online…” from the Cubase LE menu and follow the instructions.
If your computer does not have a working Internet connection, you can
also register from another computer.
CUBASE LE
Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X 3 – 29
CUBASE LE
3 – 30 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X
4
Setting up your system
Setting up audio
❐
Always make all connections with all equipment turned off!
Connecting audio
Exactly how to set up your system is a very personal matter, the following connection diagrams should be taken as examples.
The audio connections below may be digital or analog, it doesn’t matter.
Stereo input and output – the simplest connection
If you only use a stereo input and output from Cubase LE, you might
connect your audio hardware directly to the input source, a mixer for
example, and the outputs to a power amplifier and speaker.
Audio card outputs
LR
Audio card inputs
LR
A simple stereo audio setup.
CUBASE LE
4 – 32 Setting up your system
Source to be recorded
Amplifier and speakers
Multi-channel input and output
Most likely however, you will have other audio equipment that you
want to integrate with Cubase LE. This will require a mixer, preferably
one with a group or bus system that can be used for feeding inputs on
the audio hardware.
In the example below, four buses are used for feeding signals to the
sound hardware’s inputs. The four outputs are connected back to the
mixer for monitoring and playback. Remaining mixer inputs can be used
for connecting audio sources like microphones, instruments, etc.
Audio card outputs
Audio card inputs
Inputs
1 to 4
A multi-channel audio setup.
Bus
1 to 4
LR
Amplifier and speakersMixer
• When connecting an input source (like a mixer) to the audio hardware,
you should use output buses, sends or similar that are separate from the
mixer’s master output to avoid recording what you are playing back.
Recording from a CD player
Most computers come with a CD-ROM drive that can also be used as
a regular CD player. In some cases the CD player is internally connected to the audio hardware so that you can record the output of the
CD player directly into Cubase LE (consult the audio hardware documentation if you are uncertain).
• All routing and level adjustments for recording from a CD (if available) are
done in the audio hardware setup application (see page 34).
• You can also grab audio tracks directly from a CD in Cubase LE (see the
Operation Manual).
CUBASE LE
Setting up your system 4 – 33
Word Clock connections
If you are using a digital audio connection you may also need a word
clock connection between the audio hardware and external devices.
Please refer to the documentation that came with the audio hardware
for details.
❐
It is very important that word clock synchronization is done correctly or
there might be clicks and crackles in recordings that you make!
Driver and helper application setup
The audio hardware setup application
Most audio cards come with one or more small applications that allow
you to configure the inputs of the hardware to your liking.
This includes:
• Selecting which in/outs are active.
• Setting up word clock synchronization (if available).
• Turning monitoring via the hardware on/off (see page 39).
• Setting levels for each input. This is very important!
• Setting levels for the outputs, so that they match the equipment you use for
monitoring.
For more details about your audio hardware setup application please
refer to the documentation that came with the hardware.
CUBASE LE
4 – 34 Setting up your system
VST Multitrack setup – Basic Settings
1. In Cubase LE, select Device Setup from the Devices menu and click on
VST Multitrack in the list.
Make sure the “Setup” tab is selected.
The VST Multitrack panel in the Device Setup dialog.
2. Select your audio hardware from the ASIO Driver menu.
There may be several options here that all refer to the same audio hardware:
❐
Under Windows we strongly recommend that you access your hardware
via an ASIO driver written specifically for the hardware, if available. If no
ASIO driver is installed we recommend that you check with your audio
hardware manufacturer if they have an ASIO driver available, for example for download via the Internet.
3. Bring up the control panel for the audio hardware and adjust the set-
tings as recommended by the audio hardware manufacturer.
CUBASE LE
Setting up your system 4 – 35
• Under Windows, you can open the control panel by clicking the Control Panel button in the VST Multitrack panel.
The control panel that appears when you click this button is provided by the audio
hardware manufacturer and not Cubase LE (unless you use DirectX or MME, see below). Hence it will be different for each audio card brand and model. The settings may
include options for buffering, synchronization, digital input and output formats etc.
The Control panels for the ASIO Multimedia and ASIO DirectX drivers are an exception, as they are provided by Steinberg. They are described in the HTML Help, opened
by clicking the Help button in the respective dialog. See also the notes below.
• Under Mac OS X, you will find the control panel for your audio hardware in the System Preferences (“Other” section), opened from the
Apple menu or from the Dock.
If you are using the built-in audio hardware of the Macintosh, you use the “Sound” control panel in the System Preferences to set levels, balance, etc.
If you are using ASIO audio hardware, you can click the Control Panel button to bring
up its panel.
4. If you plan to use several audio applications simultaneously, you may
want to activate the option “Release ASIO Driver in Background”.
This will allow another application to play back via your audio hardware even though Cubase LE is running.
The application that is currently active (i.e. the “top window” on the desktop), will get
access to the audio hardware. Make sure that any other audio application accessing
the audio hardware is also set to release the ASIO (or Mac OS X) driver so Cubase
can use it when becoming the active application again.
5. If your audio hardware and its driver support ASIO Direct Monitoring,
you may want to activate the Direct Monitoring checkbox.
Read more about monitoring later in this chapter and in the Recording chapter in the
Operation Manual.
6. Click Apply and then OK to close the dialog.
CUBASE LE
4 – 36 Setting up your system
If you are using audio hardware with a DirectX driver (Windows only)
❐
If your Windows audio hardware doesn’t have a specific ASIO driver, a
DirectX driver is the next best option.
There is an ASIO DirectX driver available with Cubase LE, “ASIO DirectX Full Duplex”. This driver allows both audio recording and playback. However:
• To be able to take full advantage of DirectX Full Duplex, the audio hardware must support WDM (Windows Driver Model) in combination with
DirectX version 7 or higher (8.1 recommended for Windows 2000 – see
below).
In all other cases, the audio inputs will be emulated by DirectX (see the HTML Help for
the ASIO DirectX Full Duplex Setup dialog for details about how this is reported).
Since using emulated inputs will result in higher latency, you may want to use the ASIO
Multimedia driver instead, as this gives you more possibilities to fine-tune the settings.
❐
Windows 2000 users should use DirectX version 8.1. An installer is provided on the Cubase LE Program CD.
When the ASIO DirectX Full Duplex driver is selected in the Device
Setup you can open the ASIO Control Panel and adjust the following
settings (for more details, click the Help button in the control panel):
• Direct Sound Output and Input Ports
In the list to the left in the window, all available Direct Sound Output and Input Ports
are listed. In many cases, there will only be one Port in each list. To activate or deactivate a Port in the list, click the check box in the left column. If the check box is ticked,
the port is activated.
• You can edit the Buffer Size and Offset settings in this list if necessary, by
double clicking on the value and typing in a new value.
In most cases the default settings will work fine. The audio buffer is used when audio
data is transferred between Cubase LE and the audio card. Having a large buffer ensures that playback will occur without glitches. However, the latency – the time between the moment Cubase LE sends out the data and when it actually reaches on the
output – will be longer.
• Offset
If a constant offset is audible during playback of audio and MIDI recordings, you can
adjust the output or input latency time using this value.
CUBASE LE
Setting up your system 4 – 37
If you are using audio hardware with a Windows Multimedia (MME) driver
When you select the ASIO Multimedia Driver for the first time, the system will ask you whether you want to test the configuration. We strongly
recommend that you perform this test. If it fails, or if you for other reasons need to make adjustments to your ASIO Multimedia configuration,
click the Control Panel button to open the ASIO Multimedia Setup control panel included with Cubase LE. This control panel comes with an
HTML Help describing the features and procedures.
About recording levels and inputs
When you connect your equipment, you should make sure that the impedance and levels of the audio sources and inputs are matched.
Typically, different inputs may be designed for use with microphones,
consumer line level (-10 dBV) or professional line level (+4 dBV), or
you may be able to adjust input characteristics on the audio interface
or in its control panel. Please check the audio hardware documentation for details.
Using the correct types of input is important to avoid distortion or
noisy recordings.
❐
Cubase LE does not provide any input level adjustments, since these are
done differently for each card. Adjusting input levels is either done in a
special application included with the hardware or possibly from its Control Panel.
CUBASE LE
4 – 38 Setting up your system
About monitoring
In Cubase LE, monitoring means listening to the signal being recorded
while preparing to record or while recording. There are basically three
ways to monitor:
External monitoring
External monitoring (listening to the input signal before it goes into
Cubase LE) requires an external mixer for mixing the audio playback
with the input signal. This mixer could be a stand-alone physical mixer
or a mixer application for your audio hardware, if this has a mode in
which the input audio is sent back out again (usually called “Thru”,
“Direct Thru” or similar).
Via Cubase LE
In this case, the audio passes from the input into Cubase LE, possibly
through Cubase LE effects and EQ and then back to the output. You
then control monitoring via settings in Cubase LE.
This is useful for monitoring an input signal with effects added by
Cubase LE. Keep in mind that the latency of your audio card drivers
may delay the output (see page 45).
ASIO Direct Monitoring
If your audio hardware is ASIO 2.0 compatible, it may support ASIO
Direct Monitoring (this feature may also be available for audio hardware with Mac OS X drivers). In this mode, the actual monitoring is
done in the audio hardware, by sending the input signal back out
again. However, monitoring is controlled from Cubase LE. This means
that the audio hardware’s direct monitoring feature can be turned on
or off automatically by Cubase LE.
Monitoring is described in detail in the Recording chapter in the Operation Manual. However, when setting up, there’s one thing to note:
• If you want to use the external monitoring via your audio hardware,
make sure the corresponding functions are activated in the card’s
mixer application.
CUBASE LE
Setting up your system 4 – 39
Setting up MIDI
❐
Always make all connections with all equipment turned off!
This section describes how to connect and set up MIDI equipment. If
you have no MIDI equipment you can skip this section.
Connecting the MIDI equipment
Below follows a description of a typical but small setup example. You
might need or want to hook things up differently!
In this example we assume that you have a MIDI keyboard and an external MIDI sound module. The keyboard is used both for feeding the
computer with MIDI messages for recording and for playing back MIDI
tracks. The sound module is used for playback only. Using Cubase
LE’s MIDI Thru feature (described later) you will be able to hear the
correct sound from the sound module while playing the keyboard or
recording.
MIDI
Interface
MIDI
MIDI
A typical MIDI Setup.
CUBASE LE
4 – 40 Setting up your system
Out
OutIn
In
Thru
MIDI In
MIDI Sound Module
MIDI Keyboard
You might want to use even more instruments for playback. If you do,
simply connect MIDI Thru on the sound module to MIDI In on the next
instrument, and so on. In this hook-up, you will always play the first
keyboard when recording. But, you can still use all your devices for
providing sounds on playback.
❐
If you plan to use more than three sound sources we recommend that
you either use an interface with more than one output, or a separate
MIDI Thru box instead of the Thru jacks on each unit.
Setting MIDI Thru and Local On/Off
In the “MIDI” section in the Preferences dialog (located on the File menu
under Windows and on the Cubase LE menu under Mac OS X), you will
find a setting called “MIDI Thru Active” which can be enabled or not. This
is related to a setting in your instrument called “Local On/Off” or “Local
Control On/Off”.
• If you use a MIDI keyboard instrument, as described earlier in this chapter, MIDI
Thru should be activated and that instrument should be set to Local Off (sometimes called Local Control Off – see the instrument’s operation manual for details). This will let the MIDI signal from the keyboard get recorded into Cubase
LE and at the same time re-routed back to the instrument so that you hear what
you are playing, without the keyboard “triggering” its own sounds.
CUBASE LE
Setting up your system 4 – 41
MIDI
MIDI
Interface
OutIn
When “MIDI Thru” is active in Cubase LE,
MIDI data received is immediately “echoed”
back out.
MIDI data coming in to the instrument
is played by the “Synth” inside it.
MIDI In
MIDI
When you press a key, it is sent
out via MIDI to Cubase LE.
Out
In
Thru
MIDI Sound Module
“Synth”
MIDI Keyboard
When Local Control is On in the instrument, the
keys you press will be played by the “Synth” inside the Instrument.
When Local Control is turned Off, this connection is cut off.
• If you use a separate MIDI keyboard, that does not produce any sounds itself,
MIDI Thru in Cubase LE should also be activated, but you don’t need to look
for any Local On/Off setting in your instruments.
• The only case where MIDI Thru should be deactivated is if you use Cubase LE
with only one keyboard instrument and that instrument cannot be set to Local
Off mode.
• Note that MIDI Thru will only be active for MIDI tracks that are record enabled.
See the Recording chapter in the Operation Manual for more information.
CUBASE LE
4 – 42 Setting up your system
Setting up MIDI ports in Cubase LE
The Device Setup dialog lets you set up your MIDI system in the following ways:
• Note: After changing a setting in the Device Setup dialog, you should
click Apply and then click OK to close the dialog.
Showing or hiding MIDI Ports
Under Windows, the MIDI ports are listed in the Device Setup dialog
on the DirectMusic page and/or the Windows MIDI page (depending
on your system). By clicking in the “Show” column for a MIDI input or
output, you can specify whether or not it should be listed on the MIDI
pop-up menus in the program.
Under Mac OS X, you can hide or show MIDI ports on the MIDI System page in the Device Setup dialog.
• Hiding a MIDI port from view does not turn it off if it’s already selected for
a track or a MIDI device.
Setting up the “All MIDI Inputs” option
When you record MIDI in Cubase LE, you can specify which MIDI input each recording MIDI track should use. However, you can also select the “All MIDI Inputs” option, which causes any MIDI data from any
MIDI input to be recorded.
The All MIDI Inputs page in the Device Setup dialog allows you to specify which inputs should be included when you select All MIDI Inputs for
a MIDI track. This can be especially useful if your system provides several instances of the same physical MIDI input – by deactivating the duplicates you make sure only the desired MIDI data is recorded.
Setting up a default MIDI input and output
The Default MIDI Ports page in the Device Setup dialog allows you to
select which MIDI ports should be selected by default when create a
new MIDI track. In other words, newly created tracks will always use
the input and output specified on this page. However, you can later
change this setting for each individual track in the Project window.
CUBASE LE
Setting up your system 4 – 43
Connecting a synchronizer
❐
Always make all connections with all equipment turned off!
When using Cubase LE with external tape transports you will most
likely need to add a synchronizer to your system. All connections and
setup procedures for synchronization are described in the Synchronization chapter in the Operation Manual.
Setting up video
Cubase LE for Windows can play back video films using one of three
different playback engines: DirectShow, QuickTime and Video for Windows. This ensures compatibility with as wide a range of video hardware as possible. Cubase LE for Mac OS X plays back video using
Quicktime.
Generally there are two ways to play back video:
• Without any special hardware at all, using the computer CPU.
In this case, the “codec” is in software. While this will be fine in many situations it does
put a limit on the size of the video window as well as the quality of the image.
• Using video hardware that for example connects to an external monitor.
Mac OS X: Using a FireWire port, you can playback video on an external monitor using a DV-to-analog converter or a DV camera.
This is valid for DV video and QuickTime is used for playback.
❐
Continuously updated information about video hardware support and
compatibility is available on www.steinberg.net.
CUBASE LE
4 – 44 Setting up your system
Optimizing audio performance
This section of the chapter gives you some hints and tips on how to get
the most out of your Cubase LE system, performance-wise. Some of
this text refers to hardware properties and can be used as a guide
when upgrading your system. This text is very brief. Look for details and
current information on the Cubase LE web site (see page 12)!
Two aspects of performance
There are two distinct aspects of performance in respect to Cubase LE:
Tracks and effects
Simply put: the faster your computer, the more tracks (up to 48 audio
and 64 MIDI tracks), effects and EQ you will be able to play. Exactly
what constitutes a “fast computer” is a science almost in itself, but
some hints are given below.
Short response times (latency)
Another aspect of performance is response times. Latency is a phenomenon based on the fact that in a computer, audio has to be “buffered”
(stored) in small chunks during various steps of the recording and playback process. The more and larger those chunks, the higher the latency.
High latency is most troublesome when playing VST Instruments and
when monitoring through the computer, that is when listening to a live
audio source via the Cubase LE Mixer and effects. However, very long
latency times (several hundred milliseconds) can hamper other processes like mixing, since e.g. a fader movement will affect the audio
noticeably late.
While Direct Monitoring and other techniques reduce the problems
associated with very long latency times, a system that responds fast
will always be more convenient to work with.
• Depending on your audio hardware, it may be possible to “trim” your
latency times, usually by lowering the size and number of buffers.
For details, refer to the audio hardware documentation, or, if you are using a DirectX or
MME driver under Windows, the HTML Help.
CUBASE LE
Setting up your system 4 – 45
System factors that affect performance
CPU and processor cache
It goes without saying that the faster the computer processor, the better. But there are a number of factors that affect the apparent speed of
a computer: the bus speed and type (PCI is strongly recommended),
the processor cache size and of course, the processor type and brand.
Cubase LE relies heavily on floating point calculations. When shopping for a processor, please make sure you get one that is powerful in
calculating floating point arithmetics.
Hard disk and controller
The number of hard disk tracks you can record and play back at the
same time also depends on the speed of your hard disk and hard disk
controller. (You can have up to 48 audio and 64 MIDI tracks in one
project.) If you use E-IDE disks and controllers, make sure that the
transfer mode is DMA Busmaster. Under Windows, you can check the
current mode by launching Windows Device Manager and looking for
properties of the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller’s primary and secondary
channel. DMA transfer mode is enabled by default, but may be turned
off by the system should hardware problems occur.
Audio hardware and driver
The hardware and its driver can have some effect on regular performance. A badly written driver can reduce the performance of your computer. But where the hardware driver design makes the most difference
is with latency.
❐
Again, we strongly recommend that you use audio hardware for which
there is a specific ASIO driver!
This is especially true when using Cubase LE for Windows:
• Under Windows, ASIO drivers written specifically for the hardware are more
efficient than MME or DirectX and normally produce shorter latency times.
• Under Mac OS X however, audio hardware with properly written Mac OS X
(Core Audio) drivers can be very efficient and produce very low latency times.
Still, there are additional features currently only available with ASIO drivers, such as
ASIO Positioning Protocol.
CUBASE LE
4 – 46 Setting up your system
Making settings that affect performance
Choosing a driver for your audio hardware
As described on page 35, it is recommended to install and use a standard ASIO driver if available for your specific hardware. Check the
manufacturers web site for the latest drivers etc.
Making disk buffer settings
These settings can be found in the VST Multitrack panel in the Device
Setup dialog (opened from the Devices menu). The two parameters
“Number of Disk Buffers” and “Disk Buffer Size” govern how data is
read and written from/to the hard disk.
When data is read from disk it is stored in a buffer. Since the computer has to fill the buffer at the same time as it is playing back data,
there needs to be more than one buffer. The same is true for recording. You can adjust both the number of buffers used for each audio
channel and their size.
With more and larger buffers, you will get smoother performance,
since less computer processing power is “wasted” to accessing the
hard disk (it can to some extent compensate for a slower processor).
However, enlarging the values also raises latency and requires you to
have proportionately greater amount of RAM.
CUBASE LE
Setting up your system 4 – 47
Making audio buffer settings
Audio buffers affect how audio is sent to and from the audio hardware. The size of the audio buffers affect both the latency and the audio performance. Generally, the smaller the buffer size, the lower the
latency. On the other hand, working with small buffers can be demanding for the computer. If the audio buffers are too small, you may
get clicks, pops or other audio playback problems.
• Under Mac OS X, you can adjust the size of the buffers on the VST Multitrack
page in the Device Setup dialog.
You may also find buffer settings in the control panel for the audio hardware.
• Under Windows, you adjust the buffer size settings in the control panel for the
audio hardware (opened by clicking the Control Panel button on the VST Multitrack page in the Device Setup dialog).
The Expert settings
In the VST Multitrack panel you will find a button called “Expert…”.
Normally you will not need to touch these settings, but if you run into
problems with audio playback you should investigate whether changing these settings will help you. Generally, they allow you to adjust
how much processing power is used for recording and playing back
audio. See the Help for details.
CUBASE LE
4 – 48 Setting up your system
Optimizing processor scheduling (Windows only)
To get the lowest possible latencies when using ASIO under Windows
2000 or XP (on a single CPU system), the 'system performance' has to
be optimized for background tasks:
Windows 2000
1. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu and select System.
2. Select the Advanced tab and click the Performance Options button.
3. In the dialog that appears, select “Optimize performance for: Back-
ground services”.
4. Click OK to close the dialogs.
Windows XP
1. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu and select System.
2. Select the Advanced tab and click the Settings button in the Perfor-
mance section.
The Performance Options dialog appears.
3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. In the Processor Scheduling section, select “Adjust for best perfor-
mance of: Background services”
5. Click OK to close the dialogs.
Related Information (Windows only)
ACPI vs. Standard PC mode
Windows 2000 users should consider the important information relating to audio performance as presented on the Steinberg Knowledge
Base (http://service.steinberg.net/knowledge_pro.nsf/show/
acpi_and_audio_performance).
Setting up your system 4 – 49
CUBASE LE
CUBASE LE
4 – 50 Setting up your system
5
Guided Tour
The main windows in Cubase LE
The Project window
The Project window is the main window in Cubase LE. This provides
you with a graphic overview of the project, allowing you to navigate
and perform large scale editing. The Project window is divided vertically into tracks and has a time line going from left to right. Each
project has one Project window.
The area with various
track settings to the left
is called the Inspector.
CUBASE LE
5 – 52 Guided Tour
The Track list
with various
track types.
The area to the right in the project window is called the event display. This is
where you view and edit audio and
MIDI events, automation curves, etc.
The Transport panel
The Transport panel features transport controls, much like those found
on a conventional tape recorder. It can also be used for setting tempo
and time signature, etc.
Position display.
The Tempo and Time Signature display.
The Left and Right Locators are used
for defining where to start and end recording and what section to cycle.
Transport controls.
The Pool
All files, audio or video, that belong to a project are listed in the Pool.
There is a separate Pool for every project. In the Pool you can organize, convert and audition clips, amongst many other things.
Audio folder
Trash folder Video folder
Audio clips
Waveform image
CUBASE LE
Guided Tour 5 – 53
The Sample Editor
In the Sample Editor you can view and manipulate audio, by cutting
and pasting, removing or drawing audio data.
Thumbnail overview.
Waveform view.
CUBASE LE
5 – 54 Guided Tour
A selected range.
The MIDI editors
Editing MIDI data is done using the MIDI Editors. The following editors
are available:
Key Editor
The Key Editor shows the contents of a single MIDI Part. The MIDI
notes are represented by “boxes”, whose vertical position corresponds
to their pitch.
This box represents a MIDI note.
This section is called the controller display. It shows “continuous” MIDI Events
(such as Controllers) or as in this figure, the velocity values of notes.
CUBASE LE
Guided Tour 5 – 55
Score Editor
The Score Editor shows MIDI notes as a musical score and comes
with advanced tools and functions for notation, layout and printing.
List Editor
The List Editor shows all events in a MIDI part as a list, allowing you to
view and edit their properties numerically.
CUBASE LE
5 – 56 Guided Tour
Tempo Track Editor
In the Tempo Track Editor you can draw curves that determine how the
tempo will change over time.
Time Signature events
The Tempo curve
CUBASE LE
Guided Tour 5 – 57
The Mixer
The Mixer is where you mix your audio and MIDI channels, that is,
adjust the levels (volume), stereo panning, effect sends, EQ, etc.
Level meter
The Common panel contains settings
that affect all mixer channels.
Pan control
Level fader
CUBASE LE
5 – 58 Guided Tour
Channel Settings
The Channel Settings window is used for adding effects and EQ to individual audio channels. Each audio channel has its own Channel settings window.
Inserts section
Equalizer section Sends section
VST Send Effects
The VST Send Effects “rack” is where you select and activate Send
Effects. There is a similar window for selecting and activating effects
in the master output path.
Guided Tour 5 – 59
CUBASE LE
VST Outputs and Master Gain
In the VST Outputs window you can set the output level of each output bus. You can activate up to 4 output busses.
Bus Active
button
Stereo bus
faders
Bus output routing pop-up. This is where each output bus
is routed to a physical output on the audio hardware.
The output level of the master bus is controlled with the Master Gain
fader in the Mixer. The master bus may be in stereo or have several
channels, depending on the chosen configuration. It is connected to
the corresponding number of VST Output buses.
CUBASE LE
5 – 60 Guided Tour
The master bus and
Master Gain fader in a
stereo configuration.
6
Tutorial 1: Recording and
playing back audio
About this chapter
This chapter contains a step-by-step description of how to make a simple audio recording and play it back. The purpose is for you to try out
some of the most common recording and playback features. However,
you should make sure to read the Recording chapter in the Operation
Manual before doing any “serious” recording, as there are a lot of settings, options and methods that are not mentioned here.
Before you start
This chapter assumes the following:
• You have installed and set up your audio hardware.
• Your audio source (a mixer or tape recorder, for example) is properly
connected to the inputs of the audio hardware.
• The outputs of the audio hardware are connected to some sort of listening equipment, allowing you to listen to the recorded audio during
playback.
• You are monitoring your audio source externally.
That is, when you are recording, you listen to the audio source before it goes into
Cubase LE. A typical setup would be to have an audio source connected to an external
mixer, and feed the signal into Cubase LE via an auxiliary bus or send, while listening to
the output of the mixer.
Note that this is just to make things simple in this chapter – there are various ways to
monitor the signal through Cubase LE, as described in the Recording chapter in the
Operation Manual.
• You have launched Cubase LE.
CUBASE LE
6 – 62 Tutorial 1: Recording and playing back audio
Creating a new project
Before you can start recording, you need a working environment –
a project:
1. Pull down the File menu and select “New Project”.
A dialog appears, listing a number of project templates for various purposes.
2. Make sure the “Empty” item in the list is selected and click OK.
A file dialog appears, allowing you to specify a location for the project folder. This will
contain all files related to the project.
3. Navigate to the desired location of the project folder, and select it by
clicking OK, or click “Create” to create and name a new folder.
The project folder is created on disk, and an empty Project window appears.
At this point, you can make various settings for the project, such as
sample rate, resolution, etc. However, to keep things simple we will
use the default settings for now.
CUBASE LE
Tutorial 1: Recording and playing back audio 6 – 63
The next step is to create an audio track to record on:
4. Pull down the Project menu and select “Add Track”.
A submenu appears, listing the various types of tracks available in Cubase LE.
5. Select “Audio”.
An empty audio track appears in the Project window.
CUBASE LE
6 – 64 Tutorial 1: Recording and playing back audio
Preparing to record
Before you can start recording, there are some preparations to make:
Selecting stereo or mono
You need to decide whether you want the recording to be in stereo or
mono. This is done by clicking the Stereo/Mono switch in the area to
the left of the audio track.
• In this example, set the track to stereo by clicking the button so that it
lights up and shows a double circle.
Activating and routing inputs
1. Pull down the Devices menu and select “VST Inputs”.
The VST Inputs window appears. This lists all audio inputs on your audio hardware,
allowing you to turn inputs on or off.
2. Locate the input pair to which you have connected your audio source,
and make sure its “On” button in the Active column is lit.
If not, click the button to turn the input on.
CUBASE LE
Tutorial 1: Recording and playing back audio 6 – 65
3. Close the VST Inputs window, and open the Mixer from the Devices
menu.
This is Cubase LE’s mixer window, used for setting levels, etc. The Mixer contains a
channel strip for each audio, MIDI and group track in the Project window, so currently
there will be a single stereo audio channel strip.
4. Pull down the Input pop-up menu at the top of the channel strip.
This is where you select which audio input should be routed to the audio channel for
recording.
5. Select the input pair to which you have connected your audio source.
Your audio source is now routed to the audio channel, so that it can be recorded on
the audio track.
Leave the Mixer window open for now.
CUBASE LE
6 – 66 Tutorial 1: Recording and playing back audio
Checking the input level
To avoid clipping, you need to check the input level before recording:
1. Click the “Record Enable” button next to the fader on the Mixer channel strip.
When the Record Enable button is lit, the level meter will show the input level (as opposed to the level of the playback signal).
Record enabling the track can be done in the Mixer (left) or in the Track list.
2. Activate your audio source.
You will see the level meters reacting.
3. Adjust the output level of your audio source so that the meters go as
high as possible without going up to 0.0 dB.
Check the numerical peak level indicator above the meter in the channel strip.
CUBASE LE
Tutorial 1: Recording and playing back audio 6 – 67
Making the track ready for recording
1. Make sure the Transport panel is visible.
If not, pull down the Transport menu and select the “Transport Panel” item at the top.
The Transport panel
2. Make sure the buttons on the Transport panel are set up like this:
If any of these buttons are lit, click on them to deactivate them.
3. Click in the ruler (the time scale area above the track in the Project
window), at the position where you want to start recording.
When you click, the project cursor (the black vertical line) is automatically moved to
the click position. In our example, recording will start from the project cursor position.
Setting the project cursor position in the ruler.
4. To set recording to start at the cursor position, pull down the Transport menu and make sure the item “Start Record at Left Locator” is
deactivated (unticked).
You are ready to record!
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6 – 68 Tutorial 1: Recording and playing back audio
Recording
1. Start recording by clicking the Record button on the Transport panel.
The project cursor will start moving.
2. Play your instrument, etc.
During recording, a rectangle will appear, covering the recorded area. This is the recorded audio event.
3. When you are done, click the Stop button on the Transport panel.
Recording stops. Cubase LE will calculate a waveform image of your recording and
display it in the audio event.
4. If you are done with recording, click the Record Enable button in the
area to the left of the track, so that it goes dark.
Playing back what you just recorded
1. Move the project cursor to the beginning of the recorded audio event.
This could either be done by clicking in the ruler, or by using the Rewind button on the
Transport panel.
2. Click the Play button on the Transport panel.
Your recording will be played back.
3. When you are done, stop playback by clicking the Stop button on the
Transport panel.
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Recording more events
At this point, you may want to continue recording audio, on the same
track or on a new track.
Recording more on the same track
To record more audio on the same track, move the project cursor to a
new start position and proceed as when you recorded the first time.
❐
It is possible to record audio events that overlap each other, but only the
visible events (the events at the top) will be heard when you play back.
Recording a new audio track
This example shows how to record a new audio track, while listening
to the first recording.
1. Create a new audio track by using the “Add Track” submenu on the
Project menu.
2. Decide whether you want the new track to be stereo or mono by using
the Stereo/Mono switch in the area to the left of the track.
3. Pull down the Devices menu and open the Mixer.
As you can see, a new channel strip has been added to the Mixer.
4. Use the Input pop-up menu at the top of the channel strip to make
sure that the correct audio input is selected for the new track.
If the audio source is another than the one you first recorded, you need to check the input level again – see page 67.
5. In the Project window, record enable the new track by clicking its
Record Enable button.
Make sure that the Record Enable button for the first track is disabled – otherwise you
will be recording on both tracks at the same time.
6. Move the project cursor to the desired start position.
7. Activate recording by clicking the Record button on the Transport panel.
While you are recording, the first audio track is played back.
8. When you are done, click the Stop button on the Transport panel.
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Playing back in a cycle
You could continue starting and stopping playback this way, moving
the project cursor manually each time. However, if you want to try out
some mixing features (see the “Mixing” chapter), it is more practical to
have Cubase LE play back your recorded audio repeatedly, over and
over again:
1. Click on the recorded audio event to make sure it is selected.
A selected audio event has a red border and white and blue handles at its beginning
and end.
2. Pull down the Transport menu and select “Locators to Selection”.
This moves the left and right locator (two special Cubase LE markers) to the beginning
and end of the selected audio event, respectively. In the ruler, the area between the left
and right locator is indicated by a green line.
3. Click the Cycle button on the Transport panel so that it lights up.
4. Move the project cursor to the beginning of the recording and click
Play.
Playback starts. When the project cursor reaches the end of the recording (the right
locator), it will immediately jump back to the left locator and continue playback. When
you’re done, click the Stop button on the Transport panel.
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7
Tutorial 2: Recording and
playing back MIDI
About this chapter
This chapter describes the basic operations for recording and playing
back MIDI. For a full description of MIDI recording please see the
chapter “Recording” in the Operation Manual.
Before you start
This chapter assumes that you have correctly connected your MIDI
equipment according to the instructions in the chapter “Setting up
your system” in this book.
This tutorial connects to the previous chapter, so if you followed the
instructions there, you should now have recorded two audio tracks.
About MIDI Thru
The normal way to work with MIDI is to have MIDI Thru activated in
Cubase LE, and Local Off selected in your MIDI instrument(s). In this
mode, everything you play during recording will be “echoed” back out
again on the MIDI output and channel selected for the recording track.
1. Open the Preferences dialog and select the MIDI page.
The Preferences dialog is located on the File menu under Windows and on the
Cubase LE menu under Mac OS X.
2. Make sure the option “MIDI Thru Active” is activated, and then follow
the steps below.
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Setting up for recording MIDI
Creating a MIDI track
To create a MIDI track, proceed as follows:
1. Pull down the Project menu, and select “Add Track”.
A submenu appears.
2. Select MIDI from the submenu.
A MIDI track is added to the Track list.
Setting the MIDI input
1. To set the MIDI input for a track, pull down the “in:” pop-up in the
Inspector and select an input.
The available MIDI inputs are shown. The items on the menu depend on the type of MIDI
interface you are using etc. You can set the MIDI input independently for each track.
Click here to set the MIDI input.
Tutorial 2: Recording and playing back MIDI 7 – 75
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2. Record enable the MIDI track by clicking the corresponding button in
the Track list.
MIDI Thru is automatically activated when the track is record enabled.
Record enabling the track in the Track list. This can also be set in the
Inspector area to the left.
3. Play a few notes on your MIDI instrument, and check the level meter in
the Track list to make sure that the MIDI signal is received.
If not, check that you have correctly set up your MIDI system, as described on page 40.
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Setting the MIDI output and channel
1. To set the MIDI output for a track, pull down the “out:” pop-up in the
Inspector and select the output to which you have connected your
MIDI device.
The available MIDI outputs are shown. The items on the menu depend on what type of
MIDI interface you are using etc.
Click here to set the MIDI output.
2. To set the MIDI channel for a track, use the MIDI “chn:” pop-up in the
Inspector.
If you set the track to MIDI channel “ANY”, it will transmit MIDI on the channel(s) used
by the MIDI input device (the MIDI instrument you play during recording).
Click here to set the MIDI channel.
Tutorial 2: Recording and playing back MIDI 7 – 77
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Selecting a sound
• To select different sounds, you can send Program Change messages
to your MIDI device using the “prg:” value field in the Inspector.
Click here to select a Program number.
Program Change messages give access to 128 program locations. If
your MIDI instruments have more than 128 programs, Bank Select
messages (set in the “bnk:” value field) allow you to select different
banks, each containing a number of programs.
• Play a few notes on your MIDI instrument to check that the selected
sound program is correct.
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Recording MIDI
1. Make sure the track is record enabled and correctly set up, as described in the previous section.
2. Make sure that Cycle and Punch In/Out is deactivated on the Transport panel.
3. To set recording to start at the cursor position, pull down the Transport menu and make sure the item “Start Record at Left Locator” is
deactivated (unticked).
4. Place the project cursor at the position where you wish to begin recording.
For example, you could try recording a MIDI part together with the audio tracks that
you recorded in the previous tutorial.
5. Activate Record on the Transport panel, and play a few notes on your
MIDI instrument.
When you finish recording,
Project window.
6. If you are done with recording, click the record enable button in the
area to the left of the track, so that it goes dark.
a MIDI part containing MIDI events is created in the
Playing back what you just recorded
1. Move the project cursor to the beginning of the recorded MIDI part.
This could either be done by clicking in the ruler, or by using the Rewind button on the
Transport panel.
2. Click the Play button on the Transport panel.
Your recording will be played back.
3. When you are done, stop playback by clicking the Stop button on the
Transport panel.
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Playing back in a cycle
You could continue starting and stopping playback this way, moving
the project cursor manually each time. However, it is more practical to
have Cubase LE play back your recorded parts and events repeatedly,
over and over again:
1. Click on the recorded MIDI part to make sure it is selected.
A selected MIDI part has a red border and white handles at its beginning and end.
2. Pull down the Transport menu and select “Locators to Selection”.
This moves the left and right locator (two special Cubase LE markers) to the beginning
and end of the selected MIDI part, respectively. In the ruler, the area between the left
and right locator is indicated by a blue line.
3. Click the Cycle button on the Transport panel so that it lights up.
4. Move the project cursor to the beginning of the recorded part and
click Play.
Playback starts. When the project cursor reaches the end of the recording (the right
locator), it will immediately jump back to the left locator and continue playback. When
you’re done, click the Stop button on the Transport panel.
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Transposing the MIDI track
Let’s try transposing the MIDI track, using Track Parameters in the
Inspector:
1. Make sure that the Inspector button on the toolbar is lit.
2. Select the MIDI track by clicking on it in the Track list.
The parameters for the MIDI track is now shown in the Inspector area to the left.
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3. Click on the Track Parameters tab in the Inspector.
Click here...
...to open the Track Parameter settings in the Inspector.
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4. Click on the blue value line in the Transpose field in the Inspector.
A fader appears, allowing you to transpose the MIDI part up or down in semitones. You
can also use the up/down arrows to the right in the value field to set transpose values.
Click here...
...to set a transpose value for the MIDI part.
5. Start playback to hear the transposed MIDI part.
Tutorial 2: Recording and playing back MIDI 7 – 83
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8
Tutorial 3: Mixing
About this chapter
This chapter contains basic descriptions of the Mixer, and how to use
the effects and automation in Cubase LE. The purpose is to introduce
the basic elements involved when mixing audio and MIDI. However, for
complete descriptions of these three areas, you should refer to the
chapters “The Mixer”, “Audio Effects” and “Automation” in the Operation Manual, as there are a lot of settings, options and methods that are
not mentioned here.
Before you start
❐
Although MIDI tracks are also shown in the Mixer, and the basic mixer
operations such as setting level and pan, using mute and solo and automation etc. are the same for both audio and MIDI channel strips, you
should refer to the Operation Manual chapter The Mixer for descriptions
of MIDI mixing specifics.
• This chapter is a continuation of the previous two tutorials, so it is as-
sumed that you have recorded events on two audio tracks, and a MIDI
part.
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Opening the Mixer
To open the Mixer, select it from the Devices menu.
The Mixer with two audio channels and one MIDI channel strip. To the right is the
Master gain fader.
The Mixer window is similar in appearance to a conventional hardware
mixer, with a level fader for each audio and MIDI channel strip. The
Mixer will contain the same number of channels as the number of audio
and MIDI tracks present in the current project. Beside each channel’s
level fader, there is a level meter which indicates the signal level of audio events on the corresponding audio track during playback. For MIDI
tracks, the meters show velocity levels, not signal levels.
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Setting the level
1. With the Mixer window still open, activate Cycle playback (see previous tutorials).
Make sure that you have a Mixer channel playing back a signal in view.
2. Click on the level fader handle and drag down or up.
You will hear the volume of the playback signal being changed. The meters will also reflect the change of level for audio tracks. As MIDI channel strip meters indicate velocity
levels of the MIDI events on the track, the meters will not change if you pull down the
fader, but the volume will.
Setting pan
Pan sets the left/right position in the stereo field.
• Click on the blue line in the Pan control box above the fader, and drag
to the left or right.
You will hear the stereo balance being changed.
Adjusting pan for one of the audio channels.
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Using Mute and Solo
Each audio and MIDI channel strip has a Mute (x) and a Solo (s) button,
allowing you to silence one or several channels. The following applies:
• The Mute button silences the selected channel.
Several channels can be muted simultaneously. A muted channel is indicated by a lit
Mute button. To unmute a muted channel, click the Mute button again.
• The Solo button mutes all other channels, so you only hear the selected channel.
A soloed channel is indicated by a lit Solo button. Several channels at a time can be
soloed. To unsolo a soloed channel, click the Solo button again.
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Adding EQ to an audio channel
The Mixer parameters differ between audio and MIDI channels. EQ,
for example, is not available for MIDI channel strips.
Equalization shapes the tone of a signal by boosting and/or cutting selected frequencies. To add EQ to an audio channel, proceed as follows:
1. Click the Edit button for the channel you wish to apply EQ to.
Clicking this button...
...opens the Channel Settings window, with the EQ section in the middle.
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2. Activate as many EQ modules as you need (up to four) by clicking the
On/Off buttons.
As soon as any of the EQ modules are activated, the “EQ” button indicator in the channel strip is lit, and there will be a point added in the EQ curve display for each activated
module.
Activating EQ modules.
3. You can set the parameters for the activated EQ module(s) by using
the knobs, by dragging points in the display or by entering numerical
values.
See the Operation Manual chapter “The Mixer” for more details.
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Adding audio effects
Send effects
When you use send effects, audio is routed through the effect processors via independent effect sends for each channel, just like on a “real”
physical mixer.
Adding a Send effect
1. Pull down the Devices menu and select “VST Send Effects”.
An “effect rack” window appears, with four slots, all empty.
2. Click in the black field for the effect slot at the top (in the area that
says “No Effect”).
A pop-up menu appears, listing all available effect plug-ins. The effects are organized
in subfolders according to the effect type.
3. Select “DoubleDelay” in the “Delay” subfolder.
The effect is loaded into the first effect slot. The lit on button indicates that the effect is
activated, and the effects control panel is opened.
• You can make settings for the effect later by clicking the “e” button,
but for now we will just use the default settings so you can close the
control panel.
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Activating Sends
Sends can be set up in Channel Settings window.
1. Click the Edit button for the channel you wish to apply a Send effect to.
The Channel Settings window opens with the Send section on the right side.
The Send section in the Channel Settings window.
2. Click in the “No Effect” field and select “DoubleDelay” from the popup menu that appears.
The send is now activated, as indicated by the lit power button.
3. Start playback and drag the value slider to the right.
You will hear the effect being added to the channel being played back.
Tutorial 3: Mixing 8 – 93
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Automating a fader
Virtually every Mixer and effect parameter can be automated. Each
channel has an automation track which is hidden by default. When you
use Write automation the automation events that are generated are recorded on the corresponding channel’s automation track. These events
can be viewed and edited on automation “subtracks”, one for each
channel parameter that has been automated. Automation subtrack editing is described in the chapter “Automation” in the Operation Manual.
In the following section, we will go through the steps of automating a
fader in the Mixer using Write/Read automation.
About Write/Read automation
There are separate Write (W) and Read (R) buttons for each channel
in the Mixer.
The Write (W) and Read (R) buttons for a channel in the Mixer.
• If you activate Write for a channel, all mixer parameters you adjust during playback for that specific channel will be recorded.
• If you activate Read for a channel, all your recorded mixer actions for that
channel will be performed during playback, just like you performed them in
Write mode.
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There are also global Read/Write buttons in the Mixer’s Common
panel, the leftmost panel in the Mixer.
• When Write All is activated, all Mixer actions you perform during playback (for
all channels) will be recorded as Automation Events.
• When Read All is activated, all your recorded mixer actions for all channels
will be performed during playback.
An example
For a quick step by step description of how to use Write/Read automation to automate a fader, proceed as follows:
1. Activate Write automation for a channel by clicking the “W” (Write)
button.
The button lights up.
2. Start playback.
3. Move the channel fader up or down.
4. Click Stop on the Transport panel, and go back to the position where
you activated playback.
5. Click on the Write button to deactivate Write mode.
6. Click on the Read button so that it lights up.
Read mode is now activated.
7. Start playback.
The Volume fader will now mirror the actions performed while in Write mode.
• To redo anything that was recorded, activate Write mode again, and
start playback from the same position.
• You may have Write and Read activated simultaneously, if you want to
watch and listen to your recorded mixer actions while you’re recording
fader movements for another mixer channel, etc.
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9
Tutorial 4: Editing in the Project
window
About this tutorial
This tutorial describes some of the procedures for editing in the Project
window. Typically, this is where you do the “large-scale” editing and rearranging of events. Again, please note that this tutorial only describes
some of the many functions in the Project window – for details and full
descriptions, see the Operation Manual.
Preparations
This tutorial is based on an existing file, included on the Cubase LE CD.
If you have followed the previous chapters, you will have a project open
with some recorded audio and MIDI material. You can either close that
project or keep it open in the background – it doesn’t matter.
1. Insert the Cubase LE CD and open it for browsing.
2. On the CD, open the “Demo Projects” folder and locate the folder “LE
Tutorial”.
3. Copy this folder to the computer’s hard drive (for example in the “My
Documents” folder).
4. Open the copied folder and double click on the file “Tutorial 4.cpr”.
Note: Whether the file name extension is shown or not under Windows depends on
your computer settings.
Now the “Tutorial 4” project opens in Cubase LE.
• If you had another project open, make sure the Tutorial 4 project is at the
front and click the Activate button in the upper left corner of the Project
window so that it is lit (red).
This indicates which project is active when you have several projects open.
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Overview
As you can see, this project contains four audio tracks (drums, bass,
guitar and strings) with a few events. Try playing back the project from
the beginning!
Well, it’s obvious that things are pretty disorganized here; the audio
events do not fit together very well. The goal of this tutorial is to make
some sense out of this, by editing in the Project window.
❐
While this tutorial describes editing audio events, most of these procedures can also be used for editing MIDI parts in the Project window. See
the Operation Manual for details.
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Moving and copying events
Let’s start by making the events start at the same time:
1. Select the Arrow tool by clicking its icon in the toolbar.
2. Make sure the Snap button is activated and the Grid option is selected
on the Snap pop-up menu:
The Snap button
Snap helps you find the correct positions when moving and editing, by
making objects “magnetic” to certain positions (or to other objects).
When the Grid option is selected and the Grid pop-up menu to the
right is set to “Bar” as in the figure above, you can only move objects
to the start of bars.
3. Click on the first Bass Synth event, and drag it all the way to the left.
Now it will start at the same time as the “Slow Disco” drum event.
4. Drag the next Bass Synth event so that it starts where the first one
ends.
5. In the same way, drag the Guitar event and the Strings event so that
they start at the beginning too.
6. Move the project cursor to the start of the project and play back.
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