Steinberg Nuendo - 3.0 Getting Started

Getting Started

Original Manual: Synkron Revision and Quality Control for Nuendo 3: Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Sabine Pfeifer, Claudia 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.

Table of Contents

7 Introduction

63 Basic Methods

8 Welcome 9 About the manuals and the

Help

13 How you can reach us

15 Installation and

Requirements for Windows

16 About this chapter 16 Requirements 20 Hardware installation 22 Installing Nuendo

27 Installation and

Requirements for Mac OS X

28 About this chapter 28 Requirements 31 Hardware installation 32 Installing Nuendo

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 Nuendo

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

Nuendo

95 Tutorial 1:

Recording and playing back audio

96 About this tutorial 97 Creating a new project 99 Preparing to record 108 Recording 108 Playing back what you just

recorded

109 Recording more events 110 Playing back in a cycle

111 Tutorial 2:

Recording and

playing back MIDI

112 About this tutorial 113 Setting up for recording

MIDI

116 Recording MIDI 116 Playing back what you just

recorded

117 Playing back in a cycle 118 Transposing the MIDI track

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4Table of Contents

121 Tutorial 3: Mixing

122 About this tutorial 122 Preparations 124 Setting levels 125 Setting pan 126 Using Mute and Solo 127 Adding EQ to an audio

channel

131 Audio effects 137 Automation

139 Tutorial 4: Creating a

surround mix

140 About this tutorial 140 Preparations 140 Creating a Project 144 Creating a surround bus 146 Setting up a surround mix 153 Exporting to a surround

audio file

173 Adding another instrument 175 Playing a VST Instrument in

real time

177 Recording 178 Making parameter settings 180 Automating the changes

181 Tutorial 7: Tempo

matching audio loops

182 About this tutorial 183 Setting up 187 Activating Musical Mode

191 Tutorial 8: Arranging

with the play order

function

192 About this tutorial 193 Setting up 194 Creating play order parts 197 Creating a play order list

157 Tutorial 5: Editing in

the Project window

158 About this tutorial 158 Preparations 159 Overview 160 Moving and copying events 162 Muting and erasing events 163 Splitting and resizing events 165 Adding a fade

167 Tutorial 6: Using VST

Instruments

168 About this tutorial 168 Preparations 169 Activating a VST Instrument 171 Routing 172 Playing back

201 Tutorial 9:

Editing audio

202 About this tutorial 202 The Sample Editor 205 Processing audio 206 Applying an effect plug-in 207 Using the Offline Process

History dialog

209 Tutorial 10:

Editing MIDI

210 About this tutorial 210 Opening the Key Editor 211 Drawing events in the Key

Editor

212 Selecting and moving

events

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Table of Contents 5

213 About quantize 215 Editing velocity in the

controller display

217 Tutorial 11:

Customizing

218 About this tutorial 219 Hiding menu items 221 Setting preferences 224 Setting up Key Commands 228 Changing the look of the

toolbar

230 Changing the appearance

of the program

231 Applying track colors 235 Creating a template 239 Setting up Zoom presets 240 Setting up workspaces

243 Shortcuts &

key commands

244 About this chapter 244 The default key commands

253 Index

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6Table of Contents

Introduction

Welcome

Congratulations and thank you for choosing Nuendo 3. This new ver-

sion of the Media Production System continues the successful devel-

opment of the software and will further strengthen the already excellent

reputation of Nuendo. It is this reputation that is trusted by studios for

audio post production, surround mixing and music recording around

the world. Nuendo 3 is built on the same concepts of platform inde-

pendence, native processing and openness that have always been the

foundation of Nuendo’s success.

Nuendo continues to support both Windows XP and Mac OS X, the

two most important platforms for audio workstations. For both these

platforms, processor manufacturers have continuously supplied more

and more performance, and naturally, since the release of Nuendo 2

18 months ago, Nuendo’s performance has multiplied as a conse-

quence. In terms of openness, Nuendo meets all expectations with its

support of data exchange formats like AAF and X-Send, as well as the

integration of Yamaha Studio Manager 2. Furthermore, external effect

devices can be integrated directly into the Nuendo signal path and ed-

ited via custom device panels. But these features for integration into

existing studio setups are of course not all that Nuendo 3 has to offer.

Managing your media data is now easier than ever thanks to enhanced

search functions, freely definable user attributes in the Pool and a new

time-saving dialog for renaming objects. In Nuendo 3, the auditioning

path has been separated from the object that you are mixing, giving you

real AFL/PFL functionality besides the existing solo-in-place method.

And to meet the requirements of all those who use Nuendo for sur-

round sound production, the MixConvert plug-in, a high-performance

tool for multi-channel applications, has been added. MixConvert de-

tects the current number of channels and provides target formats for

downmixing. Conversion of 5.1 to 6.1 is handled just as efficiently as

checks for mono or stereo compatibility. And finally, Nuendo 3 offers

Warp to Picture – it’s probably best to simply wish you lots of fun and

leave you to use these innovative new features: using the Warp tools,

you can move any position within your audio material or on the timeline

to the correct picture, and the Nuendo Realtime Processing functions

will do the rest for you.

Enjoy working with Nuendo 3.

The Steinberg Nuendo Team

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1 – 8 Introduction

About the manuals and the Help

The Nuendo documentation is divided into several sections, as listed below. Most of the documents are in Adobe Acrobat format (extension “.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 Nuendo Documentation subfolder on the Windows Start menu.

• Under Mac OS X the pdf documents are located in the folder “/Library/Documentation/Steinberg/Nuendo 3” or in the Nuendo 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 Nuendo windows.

• Tutorials describing the most common procedures for recording, playing back, mixing and editing in Nuendo.

• Basic concepts and terminology.

•A description of the general methods used when working in Nuendo.

In other words, this book does not go into detail on any Nuendo 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 Nuendo reference documentation, with detailed descriptions of Nuendo 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.

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Introduction 1 – 9

Working with MIDI

Describes MIDI editing in Nuendo, e.g. the MIDI editors, MIDI processing functions and effect handling and 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).

Networking

This pdf document describes how you can use Nuendo’s project sharing and networking features to collaborate with other users of Nuendo (version 2.0 or later) in a TCP/IP based peer-to-peer network.

Remote Control Devices

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

Score Layout and Printing

Describes the score editing features in Nuendo.

Using Nuendo with DSP Factory (Windows only)

Describes how to set up and use a Yamaha DSP Factory audio card with Nuendo.

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1 – 10 Introduction

The Help System

Nuendo 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 “Nuendo 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 when you have started the program once, you can open the Nuendo Help even when the program isn’t running:

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

From the Library menu, select “Nuendo Help”.

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Introduction 1 – 11

About the program versions

The documentation covers two different operating systems or “platforms”; Windows and Mac OS X.

Some features and settings are specific to one of the platforms, Windows or Mac OS X. This is clearly stated in the applicable cases. In other words:

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

The screenshots are taken from the Windows version.

Key command conventions

Many of the default key commands in Nuendo 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]”.

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1 – 12 Introduction

How you can reach us

On the Help menu in Nuendo, 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.

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Introduction 1 – 13

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1 – 14 Introduction

Installation and Requirements

for Windows

About this chapter

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

Requirements

To use Nuendo, 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 Nuendo’s channel i/o bus architecture and surround features, 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.

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2 – 16 Installation and Requirements for Windows

Computer requirements

Hardware – PC

The minimum requirements for running Nuendo on a PC are:

•A 1.6 GHz Pentium or Athlon processor

• Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional.

• 512 MB of RAM.

• Monitor and graphics card supporting 1024 x 768 resolution.

•A free USB drive for the copy protection key.

•A DVD ROM drive.

• Please note that Nuendo is proven to run on less powerful computers with less RAM and slower CPUs. However, these system requirements are meant to provide system specifications which allow for working in a reasonably professional manner.

For optimum performance we recommend the following:

• Pentium or Athlon processor at 2 GHz or faster.

• 1024 MB of RAM.

•A dual monitor setup with 1152 x 864 pixels display 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, 512 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 Nuendo use up at least 80 MB of disk space per recording minute.

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Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 17

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 Nuendo, we recommend that you use a wheel mouse, as this will speed up value editing and scrolling considerably. See page 68 and page 73.

Audio hardware

Nuendo 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 Nuendo to use the audio hardware. For audio hardware, there are three different cases, 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 Nuendo 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 Nuendo or using VST Instruments. The ASIO driver may also provide special support for multiple inputs and outputs, routing, synchronization, etc.

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2 – 18 Installation and Requirements for Windows

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.

If the audio card communicates via DirectX

DirectX is a Microsoft “package” for handling various types of Multimedia under Windows. Nuendo 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 Nuendo to communicate with DirectX. This driver is included with Nuendo, and does not require any special installation.

If the audio card communicates via the Windows Multimedia system

If the card is Windows compatible, it can be used in Nuendo. The card then communicates with the Windows Multimedia system, which in turn communicates with Nuendo. 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 Nuendo to communicate with the Windows Multimedia system. This driver is included with Nuendo, and does not require any special installation.

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Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 19

Hardware installation

Installing the copy protection key – please read!

New users

Included with the Nuendo package, you will find a hardware key (sometimes referred to as a “dongle”) that is part of the Nuendo copy protection scheme. Nuendo 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 Nuendo 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 Nuendo has been installed and the computer restarted.

If you’re upgrading from a previous version of Nuendo

In this case you already have a copy protection key – all you need to do is activate that key for use with your new Nuendo version.

This is done by means of the Activation 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.

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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.

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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.

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

Installing Nuendo

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. Under Windows, 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.

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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 Nuendo 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 Nuendo:

1. In the “Nuendo 3” dialog that appears, fill in your name and the serial number of your Nuendo 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 Nuendo 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.

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Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 23

Setting up the protection key

If you are a new Nuendo 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 Nuendo!

If you are upgrading from a previous Nuendo version and have a working internet connection:

Before launching the program you need to activate the protection key for use with your new Nuendo version.

1. After restarting the computer, plug in your Nuendo key into the USB port.

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

3. Locate the Activation 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 activate 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 Activation Code – just follow the directions on screen. If you are uncertain about how to proceed, consult the help for LCC.

6. When the activation is complete, you are ready to launch Nuendo!

This completes the installation of your Nuendo program!

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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 Nuendo version and have no working internet connection:

Before launching the program you need to activate the protection key for use with your new Nuendo version.

1. Insert your program DVD 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 DVD and double click on the file “Copy Protection Driver Installer.exe”.

The application “License Control Center” will be installed.

3. Plug in your Nuendo 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 activate 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 Activation Code – just follow the directions on screen. If you are uncertain about how to proceed, consult the help for LCC.

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

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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 Nuendo. 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 Nuendo, 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 Nuendo group on the “Programs” submenu. This contains the following items:

• Documentation.

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

• 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 Nuendo, if you are using the ASIO MME driver. This dialog can also be opened from within Nuendo. See the chapter

“Setting up your system” in this book.

• Nuendo.

This launches the actual program.

• Nuendo 3 application data folder.

This opens the application data folder, where your Nuendo 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 Nuendo, since they may contain late information not included in the manuals.

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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 Nuendo for Mac OS X. Installing Nuendo for Windows is described on page 16.

Requirements

To use Nuendo, 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 Nuendo’s multi-channel i/o bus architecture and surround features, 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.

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3 – 28 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X

Computer requirements

Hardware – Mac

The absolute minimum requirements for running Nuendo on a Macintosh are as follows:

•A Power Mac G4 dual processor with 1 GHz and OS X 10.3.3 or later.

• 512 MB 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 Power Mac G5 dual processor with 2 GHz or faster.

• 1024 MB RAM.

•A dual monitor setup with 1152 x 864 pixels display 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, 512MB 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 Nuendo use up at least 80MB of disk space per recording minute.

Hard disk speed

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Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X 3 – 29

Mouse

Although a regular mouse will work fine with Nuendo, 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

Nuendo 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 Nuendo.

• Nuendo 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 Nuendo 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 Nuendo. The builtin audio hardware is always available for selection in Nuendo – 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.

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