Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual

							The basics
Setting clef, key, and time signature
1111
4. Click Apply.
NOTE
You can select another staff in the score and make settings for it without having to 
close the Score Settings dialog first.
RELATED LINKS
Displaying single voices or the complete score on page 1096
Inserting and editing clefs, keys, or time signatures on page 1148
In a split system
If you have a split system you can set different clefs for the upper and lower staff.
PROCEDURE
1. Open the Score Settings dialog on the Staff page.
2. Select a clef for the upper staff.
3. Activate the “Lower Staff” checkbox.
4. Set a clef for the lower staff.
RELATED LINKS
Split (piano) staves on page 1146
Strategies: How many voices do I need? on page 1168
Using Auto Clef
On the Staff page of the Score Settings dialog you also find the Auto Clef option. 
If this is activated, the program automatically selects a treble clef or a bass clef for 
the staff, depending on the range of the notes in the part.
Editing the key
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
In the Score Settings dialog on the Project–Notation Style subpage (Keys 
category), you can find the “Key Changes for the entire Project” option. When this 
is activated, all changes made to the key always affect every staff in the project, i.
 e. 
it is impossible to define different keys for different staves (other than the relative 
display transpose settings for instruments made on the Staff page). Furthermore, on 
the Staff page, any staff (e. g. a drum staff) can be set to not show key signatures. 
						

							The basics
Setting clef, key, and time signature
1112
Therefore, when you want to edit the key, decide if you want the key change to apply 
to the entire project, or if you want to use different keys on different staves:
• If the key set at the beginning of the track is to be used on all staves, and if 
any subsequent key changes are also valid for all staves, then leave the “Key 
Changes for the entire Project” option activated.
• If you want to use different keys on different staves, make sure that the “Key 
Changes for the entire Project” option is deactivated.
On the key context menu
When you right-click on a key symbol, a context menu with a list of all available keys 
opens. This menu also contains the following options:
• Key Changes for the entire Project
If this option is activated, all changes made to the key always affects the entire 
project, so that it is not possible to define different keys for different staves.
•Hide
If you select this, the key is hidden.
• Properties
If you select this, the Edit Key dialog opens.
In the Edit Key dialog
If the current key is anything but C major/A minor (no accidentals), you can set the 
key directly in the score:
PROCEDURE
1. Double-click on the accidentals at the beginning of a staff.
The “Edit Key” dialog opens.
Double-click here…
…to open the Edit Key dialog.
2. Use the scrollbar to select a key and click OK.
RELATED LINKS
Transposing instruments on page 1114 
						

							The basics
Setting clef, key, and time signature
1113
On the Staff page of the Score Settings dialog
PROCEDURE
1. Make the desired staff active, open the Score Settings dialog and select the 
Staff page.
The Clef/Key section on the Staff page
2. Use the right scrollbar in the Clef/Key section to select the desired key.
3. Click Apply.
NOTE
You can select other staves in the score and make settings for these, without having 
to close the Score Settings dialog.
Setting the key for a split system
If you have a split system with two staves you can set different keys for the upper 
and lower staff.
PROCEDURE
1. Click in the system to make one of its staves the active staff.
2. Open the Score Settings dialog on the Staff page.
3. Set a key for the upper staff.
This automatically sets the lower staff to the same key.
4. If you need to set a different key for the lower staff, activate the “Lower Staff” 
checkbox and set a key for this.
RELATED LINKS
Split (piano) staves on page 1146
Strategies: How many voices do I need? on page 1168 
						

							The basics
Transposing instruments
1114
Setting a local key
You can also set a different key for the selected staff only. This is useful for 
instruments like oboe and English horn that change display transpose and therefore 
also the key.
PROCEDURE
1. Make the desired staff active, open the Score Settings dialog and select the 
Staff page.
2. Activate the “Local Keys” option on the Main subpage in the Clef/Key section.
NOTE
This option is only available if “Key Changes for entire Project” is activated in the 
Score Settings dialog, on the Project–Notation Style subpage (Keys category).
3. Use the scrollbar to the right to set the desired key.
4. Click Apply to set the selected key for the staff.
Transposing instruments
Scores for some instruments, for example a lot of brass instruments, are written 
transposed. Therefore, the Score Editor provides a Display Transpose function. 
With this function notes are transposed in the score without affecting the way they 
are played back. This allows you to record and play back a multi-staff arrangement, 
and still score each instrument according to its own transposition.
Setting Display Transpose
PROCEDURE
1. Make the desired staff active, open the Score Settings dialog and select the 
Staff page.
2. In the Display Transpose section, select your instrument from the Transpose 
pop-up menu or adjust the value directly in the Semitones field.
Transpose pop-up menu
3. Click Apply.
IMPORTANT
Display Transpose does not affect MIDI playback! 
						

							The basics
Printing from the Score Editor
1115
Display Transpose in the Edit Key dialog
If you want to change the Display Transpose setting in the middle of the score, you 
can do this by inserting a key change. In the Edit Key dialog, which is opened by 
double-clicking a key symbol, you can find a Transpose field, in which you can enter 
a transposition value in semitones. This is useful if you are for example writing a 
saxophone part and want the player to switch from alto to tenor saxophone.
NOTE
Note that you enter an absolute Display Transpose value that is used from this point 
on. In other words, this setting is not relative to any Display Transpose settings you 
made on the Staff page of the Score Settings dialog.
RELATED LINKS
Inserting and editing clefs, keys, or time signatures on page 1148
Disabling Display Transpose
You can also disable Display Transpose by deactivating the “Display Transpose” 
button on the Score Editor toolbar. This can be useful if you work with transposing 
instruments and want to show the concert key and not the scored key.
Printing from the Score Editor
When you have made all necessary changes to the score display and are satisfied 
with the result, you can go ahead and print your score, e.
 g. to hand out note sheets.
PROCEDURE
1. On the Scores menu, activate “Page Mode”.
Printing is only possible from within Page Mode.
2. Select Page Setup from the File menu and make sure all your printer settings 
are correct. Close the dialog.
IMPORTANT
If you change your setting for paper size, scale, and margins now, the score may 
change its look.
3. Select Print from the File menu.
4. A standard print dialog appears. Fill out the options as desired.
5. Click Print. 
						

							The basics
Exporting pages as image files
1116
Exporting pages as image files
You can export a section of a page or a complete page in various file formats. This 
allows you to import your scores into desktop publishing and drawing applications.
Selecting a section of a page for exporting
If you only want to export a part of a certain page, proceed as follows:
PROCEDURE
1. Make sure that you are in Page Mode.
2. Select the Export tool (“Select Export Range”).
The pointer turns into a cross-hair cursor.
3. Drag over the section of the score you want to include.
The area is indicated by a black rectangle
• You can adjust the size of the rectangle by clicking and dragging its handles 
with the Object Selection tool.
• You can move the rectangle to another position in the score by clicking and 
dragging.
To export the selected range, you have two possibilities:
• Double-click inside the rectangle while it is selected.
This opens the Export Scores dialog, where you can make settings for the file 
to be created (see below).
• Use the Export Scores function, see below.
Exporting
To export the score, proceed as follows:
PROCEDURE
1. Make sure that you are in Page Mode.
2. Select the page that you want to export.
3. Open the File menu, open the Export submenu and select “Export Scores…”.
The Export Scores dialog appears.
4. Select a picture format.
5. Specify a resolution for the file.
This determines the accuracy with which the image is created. 300 dpi, for example, 
is the resolution many laser printers use for printing. If the image file is only displayed 
on screen in other programs, select 72 or 96 (depending on screen resolution) and 
it has the same size as it had in Cubase. 
						

							The basics
Working order
1117
6. Specify name and location for the file and click Save.
The page of the score is exported and saved as a file. It can now be imported into any 
program supporting the selected file format.
Working order
When you prepare a score, we suggest you do things in the following order, since 
this minimizes the time needed if you make a mistake somewhere and need to redo 
a step.
• Preferably work on copies of recorded tracks.
If the parts are fairly complex you might have to change them permanently, 
after which they do not play back as they originally did.
• If memory is an issue, break the score up into segments.
You might for example use the Split Loop function from the Functions 
submenu on the Edit menu to split the parts across all tracks.
• Arrange the tracks in the Project window in the order you want them displayed 
in the score.
You cannot rearrange the order of systems in the Score Editor. However, you 
can go back and change the order in the Project window at any time.
• When opening the Score Editor, begin with the adjustments described above.
You should always begin by setting page margins, etc.
• If you have recorded music into tracks already, try adjusting the graphic 
display of the score as much as possible without permanently editing the 
notes.
Use the Score Settings, Display Quantize, Grouping, etc.
• If the tracks are empty, make basic staff settings, enter the notes and then 
make detailed adjustments, add Display Quantize, etc.
• If needed, use polyphonic voicing to resolve overlapping notes, create piano 
systems, handle crossing voices, etc.
• When all this is done, decide if you need to perform “destructive” editing.
You might for example have to permanently alter the length or position of 
some of the recorded notes.
• Hide unwanted objects and add note-dependent and note-related symbols.
This includes accents, dynamic symbols, crescendo, slurs, lyrics, “graphic 
rests”, etc.
• Work through the score and adjust the number of bars across the page.
• Adjust the vertical spacing between staves and grand staves. 
						

							The basics
Force update
1118
The last two steps can be performed automatically by the program using the 
Auto Layout features.
• Add layout symbols like endings, page text, etc.
• Print or export the score.
• Go back and create alternative layouts, e. g. to extract voices.
Force update
If for some reason the screen is not redrawn properly (as a result of the computer’s 
recalculation of the appearance of the page), you can select “Force Update” from 
the Functions submenu on the Scores menu or click the Force Update button on 
the extended toolbar. This forces a redraw of the whole page. 
						

							1119
Transcribing MIDI recordings
About this chapter
In this chapter you will learn:
• How to prepare your parts for score printouts.
• How to use the Display Quantize tool to handle “exceptions” in the score.
• How to resolve parts that contain mixed notes and triplets.
About transcription
This chapter assumes you have a MIDI recording that you want to transform into a 
printable score. However, if the parts are fairly complicated, you probably need to 
perform some manual editing of the notes.
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
Before starting, make sure that you understand the basic principles behind the 
score notes/MIDI notes relationship and also what Display Quantize is.
RELATED LINKS
Entering and editing notes on page 1127
How the Score Editor works on page 1089
Getting the parts ready
PROCEDURE
1. Record the music.
You must definitely play in time with the click.
2. Play back to check that the music was recorded as intended.
If not, you might need to re-record or perform some editing. 
						

							Transcribing MIDI recordings
Preparing parts for score printout
1120
3. Decide how much permanent alteration to the recording you can accept to 
make the score look good.
If the answer is “none”, you should prepare your score from a copy of the track. See 
the section below.
4. Select all parts (on all tracks) that you want to work on.
5. Open the Score Editor.
6. Activate Page Mode.
Preparing parts for score printout
Below follow a few tips to note when preparing a score for printout:
• If a part is complex, you may have to do some manual editing of notes, like 
moving them or changing their lengths. This means that the recording does 
not play back exactly as it originally did. If this is a problem, we suggest you 
work on a copy of the recording. Use the Duplicate Track function on the 
Project menu to create a version of the track for scoring. Rename the track 
and mute the original track while you are preparing the score. You can of 
course also work on a copy of the entire project file.
• For reasons described in the previous chapter, quantizing the track might be 
a good idea. This reduces the amount of detailed adjustments needed in the 
Score Editor.
• If you need to quantize, always play back your tracks afterwards to make sure 
timing was not disrupted due to inappropriate quantize settings. You might 
have to quantize some sections with one value and others with another.
• If the project contains many repetitions, it might be quicker to record just one 
instance of each to start with. If you then finish the score work on each 
section, you can assemble the entire project by working with parts in the 
Project window. This might save you some time since the detailed 
adjustments to each section have to be performed only once.
• A similar approach can also be used when you create sections where several 
instruments play the same rhythm, a horn section for example. Record the first 
instrument and make adjustments so that it looks like it should in the Score 
Editor. Then copy the part to the other tracks, and change the pitches of the 
notes using MIDI input. Finally, go through the copied parts and make fine 
adjustments, change display transpose settings, etc. This can be a very fast 
way to create polyphonic parts with complicated rhythms.
• There also may be situations when the quickest way to record a part for 
several instruments is simply to record it in one go, by playing the chords on 
your MIDI instrument. If you later want to split the recording into separate 
tracks or polyphonic voices, you can use the Explode function.
RELATED LINKS
Entering and editing notes on page 1127
The Explode function on page 1124