Steinberg Cubase 7 User Manual

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RecordingBasic recording methods
ÖYou can set up key commands to record-enable all audio tracks simultaneously and to 
deactivate Record Enable for all audio tracks (Arm/Disarm all Audio Tracks). You will 
find these commands in the Key Commands dialog, in the MixConsole category (see 
“Setting up key commands” on page 712).
ÖThe exact number of audio tracks you can record simultaneously depends on your 
computer CPU and hard disk performance. In the Preferences dialog (VST page), you 
can find the “Warn on Processing Overloads” option. When this is activated, a 
warning message will be displayed as soon as the CPU clip indicator (on the 
Transport panel) lights up during recording.
Activating recording
Activating recording, i e. performing and setting up manual and automatic punch in 
recording is identical for audio and MIDI. 
ÖPunching in and out on MIDI recordings with pitchbend or controller data (modulation 
wheel, sustain pedal, volume, etc.) may lead to strange effects (apparently hanging 
notes, constant vibrato, etc.). If this happens, you may need to use the Reset item on 
the MIDI menu (see 
“The Reset function” on page 128).
Manually
You activate recording by clicking the Record button on the Transport panel or toolbar 
or by using the corresponding key command (by default [*] on the numeric keypad).
Recording can be activated in Stop mode (from the current cursor position or from the 
left locator) or during playback:
•If you activate recording in Stop mode, and the “Start Record at Left Locator” 
option is activated on the Transport menu, recording will start from the left locator.
The pre-roll setting or the metronome count-in will be applied (see “About Pre-roll 
and Post-roll” on page 131).
•If you activate recording in Stop mode, and “Start Record at Left Locator” is 
deactivated, recording will start from the current project cursor position.
•If you activate recording during playback, Cubase will immediately enter Record 
mode and start recording from the current project cursor position.
This is known as “manual punch in”.
ÖIf you are synchronizing the Cubase transport to external equipment (Sync is activated 
on the Transport panel) and you activate recording, the program will go into “record 
ready” mode (the record button on the Transport panel will light up). In this case, 
recording will start when a valid timecode signal is received (or when you click the 
Play button). See the chapter 
“Synchronization” on page 650 for more information.
Automatically
Cubase can automatically switch from playback to recording at a given position. This 
is known as “automatic punch in”. A typical use for this is if you need to replace a 
section of a recording, and want to listen to what is already recorded, up to the 
recording start position. Proceed as follows:
1.Set the left locator to the position where you want recording to start.
2.Activate the Punch In button on the Transport panel.
Punch In 
activated
3.Activate playback from some position before the left locator.
When the project cursor reaches the left locator, recording is automatically 
activated. 
						

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RecordingBasic recording methods
Stopping recording
Again, this can be done automatically or manually:
•If you click the Stop button on the Transport panel (or use the corresponding key 
command, by default [0] on the numeric keypad), recording is deactivated and 
Cubase goes into Stop mode.
•If you click the Record button (or use the key command for recording, by default 
[*]), recording is deactivated but playback continues.
This is known as “manual punch out”.
•If the Punch Out button is activated on the Transport panel, recording will be 
deactivated when the project cursor reaches the right locator.
This is known as “automatic punch out”. By combining this with automatic punch 
in, you can set up a specific section to record – again very useful if you want to 
replace a certain part of a recording (see also 
“Stop after Automatic Punch Out” 
on page 130).
Punch In and 
Out activated
Cycle recording
Cubase can record and play back in a cycle – a loop. You specify where the cycle 
starts and ends by setting the left and right locators. When the cycle is active, the 
selected section is seamlessly repeated until you hit Stop or deactivate cycle mode.
•To activate cycle mode, click the cycle button on the Transport panel.
Cycle 
activated
•To record in cycle mode, you can start recording from the left locator, from before 
the locators or from within the cycle, in Stop mode or during playback.
As soon as the project cursor reaches the right locator, it will jump back to the left 
locator and continue recording a new lap.
•The results of cycle recording depend on the selected cycle record mode and are 
different for audio (see 
“Recording audio” on page 120) and MIDI (see “Recording 
MIDI” on page 126). 
						

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RecordingAudio recording specifics
Audio recording specifics
Selecting a recording file format
The format for recorded files is set in the Project Setup dialog on the Project menu. 
There are three settings: Sample Rate, Bit Resolution, and Record File Type. While 
the sample rate is set once and for all when you start working on a new project, the bit 
resolution and file type can be changed at any time.
Record File Type
The Record File Type setting determines which type of files will be created when you 
record:
•If you select Broadcast Wave File or AIFF format, you can specify Author, 
Description and Reference text strings that will be embedded in the recorded file.
This is done on the Record–Audio–Broadcast Wave page in the Preferences 
dialog.
ÖIf your recorded Wave file is larger than 4 GB and the “Use RF64 Format” option is 
activated on the “When Recording Wave Files larger than 4
 GB” pop-up menu of the 
Preferences dialog (Record–Audio), your recording is saved as an RF64 file. This 
way, you do not have to worry about the file size during recording. However, keep in 
mind that this format is not supported by all applications.
Bit Resolution
The available options are 16 bit, 24 bit, and 32 bit float. Use the following guidelines:
•Normally, select the record format according to the bit resolution delivered by your 
audio hardware.
For example, if your audio hardware has 20 bit A/D converters (inputs), you may 
want to record at 24 bit resolution to capture the full bit resolution. On the other 
hand, if your hardware has 16 bit inputs, it is pointless to record with a higher bit 
resolution – this will only make the audio files larger, with no difference in audio 
quality. The exception is if you record with effects – see 
“Recording with effects 
(Cubase only)” on page 121. 
File typeDescription
Wave FileWave files have the extension “.wav” and are a common file format on 
the PC platform.
Wave 64 FileWave 64 is a proprietary format developed by Sonic Foundry Inc. 
Audio-wise it is identical to the Wave format, but the internal file 
structure makes much larger file sizes possible. This is useful for long 
live recordings, where the audio files can become huge.
Broadcast Wave 
FileIn terms of audio content, the same as regular Wave files, but with 
embedded text strings for supplying additional information about the 
file (see below).
AIFF FileAudio Interchange File Format, a standard defined by Apple Inc. AIFF 
files have the extension “.aif” and are used on most computer 
platforms. Like Broadcast Wave files, AIFF files can contain 
embedded text strings (see below).
FLAC FileFree Lossless Audio Codec is an open source format. Audio files 
recorded in this format are typically 50 to 60
 % smaller than regular 
Wave files, for example.  
						

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RecordingAudio recording specifics
•The higher the bit resolution, the larger the files and the more strain is put on the 
disk system.
If this is an issue, you may want to lower the record format setting.
RAM requirements for recording
When recording live music performances, you will often simultaneously record on a 
large number of tracks at the same time.
Each track on which you record requires a certain amount of RAM, and the memory 
usage increases the longer the recording lasts. 
Please consider the RAM limitation (see “RAM” on page 22) of your operating system 
when setting up your project for recording.
For each audio channel, 2.4 MB of RAM are required for MixConsole settings, etc. 
One minute of audio recording with a sample rate of 96
 kHz on a mono track will 
increase memory usage by another 176
 KB (Windows Task Manager, average).
Examples:
•Recording on a 32-bit system with 64 mono tracks at a sample rate of 44.1 kHz, 
lasting 60 minutes.
This would require a total of 403 MB of memory – not a problem on a modern 
computer.
•Recording on a 32-bit system with 128 mono tracks at a sample rate of 96 kHz, 
lasting 60 minutes.
This would require 1658 MB of memory – dangerously close to the 2 GB limit for 
RAM on a 32-bit Windows computer.
ÖAlso note that the maximum file size for regular Wave files is 2 GB. If you want to 
record larger files, use the Waves 64 format (see 
“Record File Type” on page 113).
Setting up the track
Creating a track and selecting the channel configuration
Audio tracks can be configured as mono, stereo, or surround tracks (Cubase only). 
This allows you to record or import a file containing multiple channels and treat it as 
one entity, with no need to split it up into several mono files, etc. The signal path for an 
audio track maintains its channel configuration all the way from the input bus, via EQ, 
level and other MixConsole settings to the output bus.
You specify the channel configuration for a track when you create it:
1.Select “Add Audio Track” from the track list context menu or the Project menu (or, 
if an audio track is already selected, double-click in an empty area of the track list).
A dialog opens with a channel configuration pop-up menu.
2.Select the desired format from the pop-up menu.
In Cubase Artist, you choose between mono and stereo. In Cubase, the most 
common formats are listed directly on the pop-up menu, with the remaining 
surround formats listed on the “More…” submenu. For a list of the available 
surround formats, see 
“Output bus configuration” on page 267. 
!For further information on the options in the Project Setup dialog, see “The Project 
Setup dialog” on page 62.
!When a recording has used up all the memory made available by the operating 
system, the computer may crash. 
						

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RecordingAudio recording specifics
•The Browse item in this dialog allows you to browse your disks for created track 
presets, which can be used as a basis (or template) for tracks.
This is described in detail in the chapter “Working with track presets” on page 422.
3.Click the Add Track button.
A track is added, set to the specified channel configuration. In the MixConsole, a 
corresponding channel appears. You cannot change the channel configuration for 
a track.
Selecting an input bus for a track
Here we assume that you have added and set up the required input busses (see 
“Setting up busses” on page 27). Before you record, you need to specify from which 
input bus the track will record.You can do this in the Inspector or in the MixConsole. 
•In the Inspector, you select an input bus on the Input Routing pop-up menu in the 
top section.
As described in the section “The Inspector” on page 43, the Inspector shows the 
settings for the selected track.
•In the MixConsole, you select an input bus in the Channel Racks section.
If the Channel Racks section is not shown, open it by clicking the “Show Channel 
Racks” button on the MixConsole toolbar. See 
“Configuring the MixConsole” on 
page 179 for more information about the MixConsole.
Recording from busses (Cubase only)
You can also select an output bus, a group bus or an FX channel bus as an Input for 
your recording.
Let’s assume you want to create a downmix of separate tracks, e. g. bass drum, hi-
hats, snare, etc.
Proceed as follows:
1.Set up your separate tracks as desired and add a group track.
2.For each of the drum tracks, open the Output Routing pop-up menu and select the 
Group track as output.
3.Create a new audio track, open the Input Routing pop-up menu for it and select 
the Group track as input for this audio track.
4.Record enable this audio track and start recording.
Now, the output of the group track will be recorded on the new track and you will get 
a mix of your separate tracks.
ÖYou can also select an FX channel as recording source. In this case, only the output of 
the FX channel will be recorded.
For more information about the routing possibilities, see “Setting up the Routing” on 
page 190.
Click here to select an input 
bus for the track.
Click here to select an input 
bus for the track. Click here to show or 
hide the channel racks. 
						

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RecordingAudio recording specifics
Selecting a folder for the recorded audio files
Each Cubase project has a project folder containing (among other things) an “Audio” 
folder. By default, this is where recorded audio files are stored. However, you can 
select record folders independently for each audio track if needed.
Proceed as follows:
1.To select the same record folder for several audio tracks, select them by pressing 
[Shift] or [Ctrl]/[Command] and clicking on them in the track list.
2.Right-click the track list for one of the tracks to bring up the context menu.
3.Select “Set Record Folder”.
A file dialog opens.
4.Navigate to the desired folder (or create a new folder with the Create button).
Tip: if you want to have separate folders for different types of material (speech, 
ambient sounds, music, etc.), you can create subfolders within the project’s 
“Audio” folder and assign different tracks to different subfolders. This way, all 
audio files will still reside within the project folder, which will make managing the 
Project easier.
•It is possible to have different tracks record to totally different locations, even on 
different disks. However, if you need to move or archive the project, there is a risk 
of missing some files. The solution is to use the “Prepare Archive” function in the 
Pool to gather all external files into the project folder first, see 
“Prepare Archive” on 
page 390.
Setting input levels
When recording digital sound, it is important to set the input levels correctly – loud 
enough to ensure low noise and high audio quality, but not so loud that clipping 
(digital distortion) occurs.
Clipping typically occurs in the audio hardware when a too loud analog signal is 
converted to digital in the hardware’s A/D converters. 
•Clipping can also occur when the signal from the input bus is written to a file on 
your hard disk. 
This is because in Cubase, you can make settings for the input bus, adding EQ, 
effects, etc. to the signal as it is being recorded. This may raise the level of the 
signal, causing clipping in the recorded audio file.
To check the level of the unprocessed signal coming into the audio hardware, you 
need to switch the Meter Position of the level meters to “Input”. In this mode, the input 
channel level meters will show the level of the signal at the input of the bus, before any 
adjustments such as input gain, EQ, effects, level or pan:
1.In the MixConsole window, click the “Channel Types” button, and activate “Input 
Channels”.
2.Open the Functions Menu, and on the “Global Meter Settings” submenu, select 
“Meter Position”, and activate Input.
3.Play back the audio and check the level meter for the input channel.
The signal should be as loud as possible without exceeding 0 dB (the Clipping 
indicator for the input bus should not light up).
The Clipping 
indicator
4.If necessary, adjust the input level in one of the following ways:
•Adjust the output level of the sound source or external mixer. 
						

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RecordingAudio recording specifics
•Use the audio hardware’s own application program to set the input levels (if 
possible).
See the documentation for the audio hardware.
•If your audio hardware supports the ASIO Control Panel function, it may be 
possible to make input level settings.
To open the ASIO control panel, open the Device Setup dialog via the Devices 
menu and, in the list to the left (below “VST Audio System”), select your audio 
card. When this is selected, you can open the Control Panel by clicking the 
Control Panel button in the settings section to the right.
The next step is to check the level of the audio being written to a file on your hard disk. 
This is only necessary if you have made any adjustments to the input channel (level 
settings, EQ, insert effects, etc.). 
Also note the following:
•If you record in 32-bit float format, the bit resolution will not be reduced – which 
means there is no risk of clipping at this stage.
Also, this preserves the signal quality perfectly. Therefore, you should consider 
using 32-bit float format when you are recording with effects (see 
“Recording with 
effects (Cubase only)” on page 121).
•If you record in 16- or 24-bit format, the available headroom is lower, which means 
clipping can occur if the signal is too loud. To avoid this, set the signal as 
described below.
1.In the MixConsole, open the Functions Menu, and on the Global Meter Settings 
submenu, select Meter Position, and activate “Post-Fader”.
2.Set up the input channel, by adding EQ and/or effects.
With some effects you may want to adjust the level of the signal going into the 
effect – use the Input Gain function for this. Note that you need to press [Shift] or 
[Alt]/[Option] to adjust the Input Gain.
Adjusting the 
Input Gain
3.Play back the audio and check the level meter of the input channel.
The signal should be reasonably loud without exceeding 0 dB (the Clipping 
indicator for the input bus should not light up).
4.If necessary, use the input channel fader to adjust the signal level.
Audio pre-record
This feature allows you to capture up to 1 minute of any incoming audio you play in 
Stop mode or during playback, “after the fact”. This is possible because Cubase can 
capture audio input in buffer memory, even when not recording. 
Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Preferences dialog (Record–Audio page).
2.Specify a time (up to 60 seconds) in the “Audio Pre-Record Seconds” field.
This activates the buffering of audio input, making Pre-Record possible.
3.Make sure an audio track is record-enabled and receives audio from the signal 
source.
4.When you have played some audio material you want to capture (either in Stop 
mode or during playback), click the Record button. 
						

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5.After a few seconds stop the recording.
An audio event is created, starting at where the cursor position was when you 
activated recording. If you were in stop mode and the cursor was at the beginning 
of the project, you may have to move the event to the right in the next step. If you 
were playing along to a project you, leave the event where it is.
6.Select the Object Selection tool and place the cursor on the bottom left edge of 
the event so that a double arrow appears, then click and drag to the left. 
Now the event is extended and the audio you played before activating record is 
inserted – this means that if you played along during playback, the captured notes 
will end up exactly where you played them in relation to the project.
Monitoring
In this context, “monitoring” means listening to the input signal during recording. There 
are three fundamentally different ways to do this: via Cubase, externally (by listening to 
the signal before it reaches Cubase), or by using ASIO Direct Monitoring (which is a 
combination of both other methods – see below).
Monitoring via Cubase
If you monitor via Cubase, the input signal is mixed in with the audio playback. The 
advantage of this is that you can adjust the monitoring level and panning in the 
MixConsole, and add effects and EQ to the monitor signal just as during playback 
(using the track’s channel – not the input bus!). 
The disadvantage of monitoring via Cubase is that the monitored signal will be 
delayed according to the latency value (which depends on your audio hardware and 
drivers). Therefore, monitoring via Cubase requires an audio hardware configuration 
with a low latency value. You can check the latency of your hardware in the Device 
Setup dialog (VST Audio System page).
ÖIf you are using plug-in effects with large inherent delays, the automatic delay 
compensation function in Cubase will increase the latency. If this is a problem, you 
can use the Constrain Delay Compensation function while recording, see 
“Constrain 
Delay Compensation” on page 265.
When monitoring via Cubase, you can select one of four Auto Monitoring modes in 
the Preferences dialog (VST page):
•Manual
This option allows you to turn input monitoring on or off by clicking the Monitor 
button in the Inspector, the track list or in the MixConsole.
•While Record Enabled
With this option, you will hear the audio source connected to the channel input 
whenever the track is record enabled.
•While Record Running
This option switches to input monitoring only during recording.
•Tapemachine Style
This option emulates standard tapemachine behavior: input monitoring in Stop 
mode and during recording, but not during playback. 
						

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RecordingAudio recording specifics
•In the Preferences dialog (Metering page) you can find the “Map Input Bus 
Metering to Audio Track (in Direct Monitoring)” option.
When Direct Monitoring is activated in the Device Setup dialog, this option allows 
you to map the input bus metering to monitor-enabled audio tracks. This gives you 
the opportunity to watch the input levels of your audio tracks when working in the 
Project window. 
When Direct Monitoring is activated in the Device Setup dialog, this function works as 
follows:
- When “Map Input Bus Metering to Audio Track (in Direct Monitoring)” is activated, 
audio tracks show the metering signal from the input bus they are routed to as 
soon as the track is record-enabled.
 
Note that the tracks are mirroring the input bus signal, i. e. you will see the same 
signal in both places. When using mapped metering, any functions (e.
 g. trimming) 
you apply to the audio track are not reflected in its meters.
- When “Map Input Bus Metering to Audio Track (in Direct Monitoring)” is not 
activated, metering works as usual.
External monitoring
External monitoring (listening to the input signal before it goes into Cubase) requires 
some sort of external mixer for mixing the audio playback with the input signal. This 
can 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).
When using external monitoring, you cannot control the level of the monitor signal 
from within Cubase or add VST effects or EQ to the monitor signal. The latency value 
of the audio hardware configuration does not affect the monitor signal in this mode.
ÖIf you want to use external monitoring, you need to make sure that monitoring via 
Cubase is not activated as well. Select the “Manual” monitoring mode in the 
Preferences dialog (VST page) and do not activate the Monitor buttons.
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. This means that the 
audio hardware’s direct monitoring feature can be turned on or off automatically by 
Cubase, just as when using internal monitoring.
•To activate ASIO Direct Monitoring, open the Device Setup dialog on the Devices 
menu and activate the Direct Monitoring checkbox on the page for your audio 
hardware.
If the checkbox is grayed out, your audio hardware (or its driver) does not support 
ASIO Direct Monitoring. Consult the audio hardware manufacturer for details.
•When ASIO Direct Monitoring is activated, you can select a monitoring mode in 
the Preferences dialog (VST page), as when monitoring via Cubase (see 
“Monitoring via Cubase” on page 118).
•Depending on the audio hardware, it may also be possible to adjust the monitoring 
level and panning from the MixConsole (including the Control Room section, but 
excluding the Talkback and External Return channels – Cubase only) by adjusting 
the volume faders, and the input gain controls and the send levels for Control 
Room cue channels.
Consult the documentation of the audio hardware if in doubt.
•VST effects and EQ cannot be applied to the monitor signal in this mode, since the 
monitor signal does not pass through Cubase. 
						

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RecordingAudio recording specifics
•Depending on the audio hardware, there may be special restrictions as to which 
audio outputs can be used for direct monitoring.
For details on the routing of the audio hardware, see its documentation.
The latency value of the audio hardware configuration does not affect the monitor 
signal when using ASIO Direct Monitoring.
When using Steinberg hardware (MR816 series) in combination with ASIO Direct 
Monitoring, monitoring will be virtually latency-free.
ÖIf you are using RME Audio Hammerfall DSP audio hardware, make sure that the pan 
law is set to -3
 dB in the card’s preferences.
Recording audio
You can record audio using any of the general recording methods (see “Basic 
recording methods” on page 110). When you finish recording, an audio file is created 
in the Audio folder within the project folder. In the Pool, an audio clip is created for the 
audio file, and an audio event that plays the whole clip appears on the recording track. 
Finally, a waveform image is calculated for the audio event. If the recording was very 
long, this may take a while.
ÖIf the “Create Audio Images During Record” option is activated in the Preferences 
dialog (Record–Audio page), the waveform image will be calculated and displayed 
during the actual recording process. This realtime calculation uses some processing 
power – if your processor is slow or if you are working on a CPU-intensive project, 
consider deactivating this option.
Undoing recording
If you decide that you do not like what you just recorded, you can delete it by selecting 
Undo from the Edit menu. The following will happen:
- The events you just created will be removed from the Project window.
- The audio clips in the Pool will be moved to the Trash folder.
The recorded audio files will not be removed from the hard disk. However, since their 
corresponding clips are moved to the Trash folder, you can delete the files by opening 
the Pool and selecting “Empty Trash” from the Media menu, see 
“Deleting from the 
hard disk” on page 381.
About overlap and the Audio Record Modes
The Audio Record Mode setting lets you decide what happens to your recording and 
to any existing events on the track where you are recording. This is necessary 
because you will not always record on an empty track. There may be situations where 
you record over existing events – especially in cycle mode. 
To select an Audio Record Mode, proceed as follows:
1.On the Transport panel, click the audio symbol in the upper left section.
Click here…
…to open the Audio 
Record Mode panel.