Steinberg Cubase SX - 3.0, Cubase SL - 3.0 Getting Started

Getting Started

Manual by Anders Nordmark 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 XP is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The Mac logo is a trademark used under license. Macintosh and Power Macintosh are registered trademarks.

7 Introduction

63 Basic Methods

8 Welcome 10 About the manuals and the

Help

14 How you can reach us

15 Installation and

Requirements for Windows

16 About this chapter 16 Requirements 20 Hardware installation 22 Installing Cubase SX/SL

27 Installation and

Requirements for Mac OS X

28 About this chapter 28 Requirements 31 Hardware installation 32 Installing Cubase SX/SL

35 Setting up your

system

36 Setting up audio 47 Setting up MIDI 51 Connecting a synchronizer 52 Setting up video 53 Optimizing audio perfor-

mance

57 Basic Cubase SX/SL

concepts

58 About this chapter 58 The project 60 Audio terminology 62 MIDI terminology 62 Video terminology

64 About this chapter 64 Using menus 66 Using tools 68 Changing values 72 Selecting objects 73 Zoom and view techniques 76 Window handling 79 Undo

83 Guided Tour

84 The main windows in

Cubase SX/SL

95 Quick start for former

Cubase users

96 Introduction 97 Songs and Arrangements 97 Project window vs. Arrange

window

98 Audio related differences 100 MIDI related differences 101 General differences

103 Tutorial 1:

Recording and

playing back audio

104 About this tutorial 105 Creating a new project 107 Preparing to record 117 Recording 117 Playing back what you just

recorded

118 Recording more events 119 Playing back in a cycle

CUBASE SX/SL

4 Table of Contents

121 Tutorial 2: Recording

and playing back MIDI

167 Tutorial 5: Editing in

the Project window

122 About this tutorial 123 Setting up for recording

MIDI

126 Recording MIDI 126 Playing back what you just

recorded

127 Playing back in a cycle 128 Transposing the MIDI track

131 Tutorial 3: Mixing

132 About this tutorial 132 Preparations 134 Setting levels 135 Setting pan 136 Using Mute and Solo 137 Adding EQ to an audio

channel

141 Audio effects 147 Automation

149 Tutorial 4: Creating

a surround mix

(Cubase SX only)

150 About this tutorial 150 Preparations 150 Creating a Project 154 Creating a surround bus 156 Setting up a surround mix 163 Exporting to a surround au-

dio file

168 About this tutorial 168 Preparations 169 Overview 170 Moving and copying events 172 Muting and erasing events 173 Splitting and resizing events 175 Adding a fade

177 Tutorial 6: Using

VST Instruments

178 About this tutorial 178 Preparations 179 Activating a VST Instrument 181 Routing 182 Playing back 183 Adding another instrument 185 Playing a VST Instrument in

real time

187 Recording 188 Making parameter settings 190 Automating the changes

191 Tutorial 7: Tempo

matching audio loops

192 About this tutorial 193 Setting up 197 Activating Musical Mode

201 Tutorial 8:

Arranging with the

play order function

202 About this tutorial 203 Setting up 204 Creating play order parts 207 Creating a play order list

CUBASE SX/SL

Table of Contents 5

211 Tutorial 9:

Editing audio

247 Shortcuts &

key commands

212 About this tutorial 212 The Sample Editor 215 Processing audio 216 Applying an effect plug-in

(Cubase SX only)

217 Using the Offline Process

History dialog

219 Tutorial 10:

Editing MIDI

220 About this tutorial 220 Opening the Key Editor 221 Drawing events in the Key

Editor

222 Selecting and moving

events

223 About quantize 225 Editing velocity in the

controller display

227 Tutorial 11:

Customizing

228 About this tutorial 229 Setting preferences 231 Setting up Key Commands 234 Changing the look of the

toolbar

236 Changing the appearance

of the program

237 Applying track colors 240 Creating a template 243 Setting up Zoom presets 244 Setting up workspaces

248 About this chapter 248 The default key commands

257 Index

CUBASE SX/SL

6 Table of Contents

Introduction

Welcome

Congratulations and thank you for your purchase of Steinberg Cubase

SX/SL. The year 2004 marks the twentieth anniversary of Steinberg.

Steinberg’s involvement in developing and stimulating growth in the

music industry by creating powerful tools for music composition and

production has first and foremost been defined by Cubase. Can you

think of a better way to celebrate such a remarkable anniversary than to

introduce a brand new version of Cubase? Well, here it is:

Cubase SX/SL 3 – the most powerful version of Cubase ever!

Steinberg’s product management and software development teams

have spent an entire year turning an already fantastic product into

something even bigger. We have integrated powerful real-time audio

time stretching and pitch shifting technologies to facilitate the use of

loops and phrases in your arrangements. No more need to calculate

tempo or process samples offline. Use your favorite loop libraries and

place loop elements in your arrangements without interrupting your

creative flow. We have also created the new Play Order Track. It al-

lows you to change the arrangement of your song quickly and try dif-

ferent versions of a song without having to change the song’s original

arrangement itself. Pretty smart – and very intuitive. Furthermore, we

have spent quite some time thinking about how we could better inte-

grate hardware instruments and processors into the virtual studio

world of VST. Yes, we invented the virtual instrument and virtual studio

technology, but we never wanted you to abandon your beloved hard-

ware instruments and effects entirely. With Cubase SX 3, the seam-

less integration of outboard equipment is now possible, using MIDI

Device Panels, Studio Connections support and an extremely handy

External FX Plug-in. Now you can let your ears decide which instru-

ment or effects to use. Most likely, you will soon stop thinking about

whether you are using a plug-in or hardware.

But these are only a few of the new Cubase SX/SL 3 features. If you

are new to Cubase you will find many more unique and powerful tools

and features that speed up your workflow and at the same time inspire

your creative mind. Making music should be fun. After all, it is fun for

us making these tools for you.

CUBASE SX/SL

1 – 8 Introduction

Take some time to make yourself familiar with Cubase SX/SL 3. If you are already familiar with Cubase you should check out the tutorials 7 and 8 for a brief introduction to tempo matching using Audio Warp and arranging using the Play Order Track. If this is your first experience with Cubase, we suggest reading this entire manual and going through all the tutorial chapters. They are a very good introduction to Cubase and how to make use of the fundamental tools and functions.

If you haven’t registered the product with us online, we strongly recommend doing so. You will have access to our user forums and support pages and you will be able to receive exclusive Steinberg offers for Cubase users only. Of course, we would like to hear how you find working with Cubase. It is your input that allows us to make this product better with every version. Be part of our worldwide Cubase community, together with thousands of other Cubase users.

See you around!

The Steinberg Cubase Team

CUBASE SX/SL

Introduction 1 – 9

About the manuals and the Help

The Cubase SX/SL documentation is divided into several sections, as

listed below. Most of the documents are in Adobe Acrobat format (ex-

tension “.pdf”) - these can be accessed in the following ways:

• You can open the pdf documents from the Help menu in the program.

• Under Windows you can also open these documents from the Cubase SX/SL Documentation subfolder on the Windows Start menu.

• Under Mac OS X the pdf documents are located in the folder “/Library/Documentation/Cubase SX/SL 3” or in the Cubase SX/SL program folder under “/Contents/Documentation/”.

• To read the pdf documents you need to have the Acrobat Reader application installed on your computer.

An Acrobat installer is provided on the program DVD.

The Getting Started book

This is the book you are reading now. The Getting Started book 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 SX/SL windows.

• Tutorials describing the most common procedures for recording, playing back, mixing and editing in Cubase SX/SL.

• Basic concepts and terminology.

• A description of the general methods used when working in Cubase SX/SL.

In other words, this book does not go into detail on any Cubase SX/SL windows, functions or procedures. The Getting Started book comes as a printed book but is also available as a pdf document.

The Operation Manual

The Operation Manual is the main Cubase SX/SL reference documentation, with detailed descriptions of Cubase SX/SL 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.

CUBASE SX/SL

1 – 10 Introduction

MIDI Devices and Features

Contains descriptions of the included MIDI effect plug-ins; how to manage MIDI Devices and device panels; how to work with MIDI System Exclusive messages and how to use the Logical Editor and Input Transformer.

Audio Effects and VST Instruments

Describes the features and parameters of the included VST plug-ins (real-time audio effects and VST instruments).

Remote Control Devices

This pdf document lists the supported MIDI remote control devices and describes how to set them up and use them with Cubase SX/SL.

Score Layout and Printing (Cubase SX only)

Describes the score editing features in Cubase SX.

• There is a more basic Score editor in Cubase SL – this is described in the Operation Manual.

Using Cubase SX/SL with DSP Factory (Windows only)

Describes how to set up and use a Yamaha DSP Factory audio card with Cubase SX/SL.

CUBASE SX/SL

Introduction 1 – 11

The Help System

Cubase SX/SL 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 SX/SL 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 SX/SL Help even when the program isn’t running:

Select “Mac Help” from the Help menu in the Finder.

In the Apple Help Viewer, bring up the “Help Center”.

Click the “Cubase SX/SL Help” link in the Help Center.

CUBASE SX/SL

1 – 12 Introduction

About the program versions

The documentation covers two program versions; Cubase SX and Cubase SL, for two different operating systems or “platforms”; Windows and Mac OS X.

Some features described in the documentation are only applicable to the Cubase SX version. Whenever this is the case this will be clearly indicated in the heading of the related subject.

Similarly, some features and settings are specific to one of the platforms, Windows or Mac OS X. This is also clearly stated.

In other words:

• If nothing else is said, all descriptions and procedures in the documentation are valid for both Cubase SX and Cubase SL, under Windows and Mac OS X.

The screenshots are taken from the Windows version of Cubase SX.

Key command conventions

Many of the default key commands in Cubase SX/SL 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 way:

[Win modifier key]/[Mac modifier key]-[key]

For example, [Ctrl]/[Command]-[Z] means “press [Ctrl] under Windows 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 [X]”.

CUBASE SX/SL

Introduction 1 – 13

How you can reach us

On the Help menu in Cubase SX/SL, you will find items for registering online, 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 SX/SL

1 – 14 Introduction

Installation and Requirements

for Windows

About this chapter

This chapter describes the system requirements and installation procedures for Cubase SX/SL for Windows. Installing Cubase SX/SL for Mac OS X is described on page 28.

Requirements

To use Cubase SX/SL, you need the following:

•

A PC with Windows XP installed.

A USB Port is also required.

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 18) or be Windows Multimedia compatible. Also, to take full advantage of Cubase’s channel i/o bus architecture and surround features (SX only), audio hardware with multiple inputs and outputs is required.

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 SX/SL

2 – 16 Installation and Requirements for Windows

Computer requirements

Hardware – PC

The minimum requirements for running Cubase SX/SL on a PC are:

• A 800MHz Pentium processor or Athlon processor and Windows XP.

• 384MB of RAM.

• Monitor and graphics card supporting 1024 x 768 resolution.

• A free USB drive for the copy protection key.

• A DVD ROM drive.

For optimum performance we recommend the following:

• Pentium or Athlon processor at 2.8GHz or faster.

• 512MB of RAM.

• A dual monitor setup with 1152 x 864 screen resolution or higher.

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, 384 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 SX/SL 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 fine with Cubase SX/SL, we recommend that you use a wheel mouse, as this will speed up value editing and scrolling considerably. See page 68 and page 73.

CUBASE SX/SL

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 17

Audio hardware

Cubase SX/SL 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 SX/SL 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 SX/SL 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 SX/SL 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 SX/SL

2 – 18 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 SX/SL 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 SX/SL to communicate with DirectX. This driver is included with Cubase SX/SL, 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 SX/SL. The card then communicates with Windows Multimedia system, which in turn communicates with Cubase SX/SL. 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 SX/SL to communicate with the Windows Multimedia system. This driver is included with Cubase SX/SL, and does not require any special installation.

CUBASE SX/SL

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 19

Hardware installation

Installing the copy protection key – please read!

New users

Included with the Cubase SX/SL package, you will find a hardware key (sometimes referred to as a “dongle”) that is part of the Cubase SX/SL copy protection scheme. Cubase SX/SL will not run if this key isn’t installed properly.

• The copy protection key should be plugged into the computer’s USB port after installing Cubase SX/SL and restarting the computer!

When the copy protection key is plugged into the USB port, Windows will automatically register it as a new hardware device and will attempt to find drivers for it – these necessary drivers won’t be there until Cubase SX/SL has been installed and the computer restarted.

If you’re upgrading from a previous version of Cubase SX/SL

In this case you already have a copy protection key – all you need to do is authorize that key for use with your new Cubase SX/SL version.

This is done by means of the Authorization Code included in the upgrade package, after installing the program, see page 24!

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.

CUBASE SX/SL

2 – 20 Installation and Requirements for Windows

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 manufacturer’s web site, or ask your music or computer dealer for help.

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.

CUBASE SX/SL

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 21

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. You should also make sure to check the manufacturer’s web site for the latest driver updates.

Installing Cubase SX/SL

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.

CUBASE SX/SL

2 – 22 Installation and Requirements for Windows

Installing the files from the DVD-ROM

The installation procedure puts all files in the right places, automatically.

1. Insert the Cubase SX/SL DVD-ROM.

2. A pop-up dialog appears automatically, containing three items for in-

stalling, browsing the DVD and exiting.

3. To start the installation process, select “Install”.

This starts the installation procedure for the Syncrosoft License Control Center.

4. Remove all copy protection keys (if plugged) and click the “Next” button to continue.

5. You will be asked to read and confirm the license agreement (shown on screen).

This is required for the installation to proceed.

6. Install the drivers for the copy protection key and click the “Next” button to continue.

7. Click the “Finish” button to finish the installation of the License Control Center.

Now you are ready to proceed with the installation of Cubase SX/SL:

1. In the “Cubase SX/SL 3” dialog that appears, fill in your name and the serial number of your Cubase SX/SL copy, and click OK.

You will find the serial number on the DVD sleeve. Check the name and number in the confirmation dialog and click “Yes” if they are correct. Clicking “No” brings back the previous dialog.

2. You will be asked to read and confirm the license agreement (shown on screen).

This is required for the installation to proceed.

3. At one point you will be asked whether Cubase SX/SL should be available to all users of the computer or just to you.

Choose the option that suits you best.

4. Finally, a dialog box informs you that the installation was successful and recommends that you restart your computer.

Remove the DVD-ROM and store it in a safe place.

CUBASE SX/SL

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 23

Setting up the protection key

If you are a new Cubase SX/SL user:

1. After restarting the computer, plug in the hardware protection key into the USB port.

If you are unsure which port this is, consult the computer’s documentation.

2. The first time the copy protection device is plugged in, it will be registered as a new hardware device, and a dialog will appear asking you whether you would like to find drivers for the device manually or automatically.

3. Choose to find drivers automatically.

The dialog closes.

4. You are now ready to launch Cubase SX/SL!

If you are upgrading from a previous Cubase SX/SL version and have a working internet connection:

Before launching the program you need to authorize the protection key for use with your new Cubase SX/SL version.

1. After restarting the computer, plug in your Cubase SX/SL key into the USB port.

2. Make sure that your computer has a working internet connection.

3. Locate the Authorization Code in the upgrade package and keep it at

hand.

4. Launch the “License Control Center” application (found under “Syncrosoft” on the Start menu).

This application allows you to view your USB protection keys and authorize them for new applications by downloading licenses.

5. Use the License Control Center “Wizard” function to download a license for your new program version to your protection key.

This requires that you enter your Authorization Code – just follow the directions on screen. If you are uncertain about how to proceed, consult the help for LCC.

6. When the authorization is complete, you are ready to launch Cubase SX/SL!

This completes the installation of your Cubase SX/SL program!

CUBASE SX/SL

2 – 24 Installation and Requirements for Windows

For information about product updates, you should check the Steinberg website regularly. Open the “Steinberg on the Web” submenu on the Help menu and select “Product Updates”. The website that opens contains a list with the recent updates.

If you are upgrading from a previous Cubase SX/SL version and have no working internet connection:

Before launching the program you need to authorize the protection key for use with your new Cubase SX/SL version.

1. Insert your program CD into a second computer with internet connection or go to an internet cafe.

2. Open the folder “Additional Content/Copy Protection Driver” on the program CD and double clic on the file “Copy Protection Driver Installer.exe”.

The application “License Control Center” will be installed.

3. Plug in you Cubase SX/SL key into the USB port and let Windows install the corresponding drivers.

4. Connect to the internet.

5. Launch the application “License Control Center”.

This application allows you to view your USB protection keys and authorize them for new applications by downloading licenses.

6. Use the License Control Center “Wizard” function to download a license for your new program version to your protection key.

This requires that you enter your Authorization Code – just follow the directions on screen. If you are uncertain about how to proceed, consult the help for LCC.

7. When the authorization is complete, you can disconnect your copy protection key and plug it into the USB port of your audio computer.

CUBASE SX/SL

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 25

Registering your software will make sure you are entitled to technical support and kept aware of updates and other news regarding Cubase SX/SL. For full support services, you need to register both online and by sending in you registration card.

For online registration, you need a working internet connection. From the Help menu of Cubase SX/SL, 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 SX/SL group on the “Programs” submenu. This contains the following items:

• Documentation.

On this submenu you can access the various Cubase SX/SL documentation files in the Acrobat pdf format. These documents are also available on the Help menu from within the program.

• 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 SX/SL, if you are using the ASIO MME driver. This dialog can also be opened from within Cubase SX/SL. See the chapter “Setting up your system” in this book.

• Cubase SX/SL.

This launches the actual program.

• Cubase SX/SL 3 application data folder.

This opens the application data folder, where your Cubase SX/SL settings are stored.

On the “Programs” submenu you will also find an item called Syncrosoft (License Control Center). This item shows all Syncrosoft protection devices and valid licenses currently installed and allows you to download new licenses to your protection key.

There may also be additional items (such as Readme files) available on the Start menu. Please read all such files before launching Cubase SX/ SL, since they may contain late information not included in the manuals.

CUBASE SX/SL

2 – 26 Installation and Requirements for Windows

Installation and Requirements

for Mac OS X

About this chapter

This chapter describes the system requirements and installation procedures for Cubase SX/SL for Mac OS X. Installing Cubase SX/SL for Windows is described on page 16.

Requirements

To use Cubase SX/SL, you need the following:

• A Macintosh computer running Mac OS X 10.3.3 or later.

A USB Port is also required.

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. Also, to take full advantage of Cubase’s multi-channel i/o bus architecture and surround features (SX only), audio hardware with multiple inputs and outputs is required.

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 SX/SL

3 – 28 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X

Computer requirements

Hardware – Mac

The absolute minimum requirements for running Cubase SX/SL on a Macintosh are as follows:

• A G4 with 867MHz and OS X 10.3.3 or later.

• 384MB RAM.

• Monitor and graphics card supporting 1024 x 768 resolution.

• A free USB drive for the copy protection key.

• A DVD ROM drive.

For optimum performance we recommend the following:

• A G5 dual processor with 1.8GHz or faster.

• 512MB RAM.

• A dual monitor setup with 1152 x 864 screen resolution or higher.

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, 384MB 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 10MB of hard disk space. That is, eight stereo tracks in Cubase SX/SL use up at least 80MB of disk space per recording minute.

Hard disk speed

CUBASE SX/SL

Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X 3 – 29

Mouse

Although a regular mouse will work fine with Cubase SX/SL, 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 behavior of the right mouse button).

This will allow you to bring up context menus by right clicking (see page 65).

Audio hardware

Cubase SX/SL 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 SX/SL.

• Cubase SX/SL 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

Although Cubase SX/SL is designed with multi-channel input and output in mind, it’s of course possible to use the program with “basic” stereo inputs and outputs. 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 SX/SL. The built-in audio hardware is always available for selection in Cubase SX/SL – 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 SX/SL

3 – 30 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X

+ 232 hidden pages