Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual

11
Introduction
About the Program Versions
The documentation covers two different operating systems, Windows and Mac OS 
X. Some features and settings are specific to one of the platforms.
This is clearly stated in the applicable cases. 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 of Cubase.
Typographical Conventions
Many of the default key commands in Cubase use modifier keys,...

12
Part I - Getting into the Details 

13
Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
Make sure that all equipment is turned off before making any connections.
Simple Stereo Input and Output Setup
If you only use a stereo input and output from Cubase, you can connect your audio 
hardware, for example, the inputs of your audio card or your audio interface, directly 
to the input source and the outputs to a power amplifier and speaker.
Once you have set up the internal input and output busses, you can connect...

Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
14
About Recording Levels and Inputs
When you connect your equipment, make sure that the impedance and levels of the 
audio sources and inputs are matched. Using the correct type of input is important 
to avoid distortion or noisy recordings. For microphones, for example, different 
inputs can be used, such as consumer line level (-10
 dBV) or professional line level 
(+4
 dBV).
Sometimes, you can adjust input characteristics on the audio interface or on its...

Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
15
3. On the ASIO Driver menu, select your audio hardware driver.
The selected driver is added to the devices list.
4. In the devices list, select the driver to open the driver settings for your audio 
hardware.
5. Open the control panel for the audio hardware in the following way:
• On Windows operating systems, click the Control Panel button.
• On Mac OS X operating systems, click the Open Config App button.
This button is available only for some hardware...

Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
16
Audio Channels
Lists the available audio channels.
Bits Per Sample
Shows the number of bits per sample.
Sync Reference
Shows if the driver is used as sync reference.
NOTE
To take advantage of DirectX Full Duplex driver, the audio hardware must support 
Windows Driver Model (WDM).
Using Hardware that is Based on an External Clock Source
For proper audio playback and recording, you must set the sample rate of the 
project to the sample rate of the incoming clock...

Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
17
NOTE
Make sure that any other audio application accessing the audio hardware is also set 
to release the ASIO or Mac OS X driver.
Setting Up Busses
Cubase uses a system of input and output busses to transfer audio between the 
program and the audio hardware.
• Input busses let you route audio from the inputs of your audio hardware into 
Cubase. This means that audio is always recorded through one or several 
input busses.
• Output busses let you route audio from...

Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
18
Plug and Play Support for ASIO Devices
The Steinberg UR824 hardware series supports plug and play in Cubase. These 
devices can be plugged in and switched on while the application is running. Cubase 
automatically uses the driver of the UR824 series and re-maps the VST 
connections accordingly.
Steinberg cannot guarantee that this works with other hardware. If you are unsure of 
whether your device supports plug and play, refer to the documentation of your...

Setting Up Your System
Setting Up MIDI
19
RELATED LINKS
External Monitoring on page 217
Monitoring via Cubase on page 216
ASIO Direct Monitoring on page 217
Setting Up MIDI
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
Turn off all equipment before making any connections.
PROCEDURE
1. Connect your MIDI equipment (keyboard, MIDI interface, etc.) to your computer.
2. Install the drivers for your MIDI equipment.
RESULT 
You can use your MIDI equipment in Cubase.
About MIDI Ports
To play back and record MIDI data...

Setting Up Your System
Connecting a Synchronizer
20
Setting Up All MIDI Inputs
When you record MIDI, you can specify which MIDI input each recording MIDI track 
should use. However, you can also record any MIDI data from any MIDI input. You 
can specify which inputs are included when you select All MIDI Inputs for a MIDI 
track.
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Device Setup.
2. In the Device Setup dialog, select MIDI Port Setup from the Devices list on 
the left.
3. Activate In ‘All MIDI Inputs’ for a...