Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual
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Track Handling Track Presets 161 • Audio input gain and phase • MIDI insert effects • MIDI track parameters • Input Transformer settings • The VST instrument used for the track • Staff settings • Color settings • Drum map settings MIDI Track Presets You can use MIDI track presets for multi-timbral VST instruments. You can also use them for external instruments. When creating MIDI track presets you can either include the currently set channel or the currently set patch. • To ensure that saved MIDI track presets for external instruments will work again with the same instrument, install the instrument as a MIDI device, see the separate PDF document MIDI Devices. The following data is saved in MIDI track presets: • MIDI modifiers (Transpose, etc.) • MIDI insert effects • Output and Channel or Program Change • Input Transformer settings • Volume and pan • Staff settings • Color settings • Drum map settings Multi-Track Presets You can use multi-track presets, for example, when recording setups that require several microphones (a drum set or a choir, where you always record under the same conditions) and you have to edit the resulting tracks in a similar way. Furthermore, they can be used when working with layered tracks, where you use several tracks to generate a certain sound instead of manipulating only one track.
Track Handling Track Presets 162 If you select more than one track when creating a track preset, the settings of all selected tracks are saved as one multi-track preset. Multi-track presets can only be applied if the target tracks are of the same type, number, and sequence as the tracks in the track preset, therefore, they should be used in recurring situations with similar tracks and settings. VST Presets VST instrument presets behave like instrument track presets. You can extract sounds from VST presets for use in instrument tracks. The following data is saved in VST instrument presets: •VST instrument • VST instrument settings NOTE Modifiers, inserts, and EQ settings are not saved. VST effect plug-ins are available in VST 3 and VST 2 format. NOTE In this manual, VST presets stands for VST 3 instrument presets, unless stated otherwise. Pattern Banks Pattern banks are presets that are created for the Beat Designer MIDI effect. They behave much like track presets. RELATED LINKS Previewing Pattern Banks on page 538 Track Presets on page 160 Applying Track Presets When you apply a track preset, all the settings that are saved in the preset are applied. Track presets can be applied to tracks of their own type only. The only exception are instrument tracks: for these, VST presets are also available.
Track Handling Track Presets 163 NOTE • Once a track preset is applied, you cannot undo the changes. It is not possible to remove an applied preset from a track and return to the previous state. If you are not satisfied with the track settings, you have to either edit the settings manually or apply another preset. • Applying VST presets to instrument tracks leads to removal of modifiers, MIDI inserts, inserts, or EQs. These settings are not stored in VST presets. Loading Track or VST Presets PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select a track. 2. Do one of the following: • In the Inspector, click Load Track Preset. • In the track list, right-click the track and select Load Track Preset. 3. In the Presets browser, select a track or VST preset. 4. Double-click the preset to load it. RESULT The preset is applied. NOTE You can also drag and drop track presets from the MediaBay, the Windows Explorer, or the Mac OS Finder onto a track of the same type. RELATED LINKS Filters Section on page 539 Loading Multi-Track Presets PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select several tracks. NOTE Multi-track presets can only be applied if track type, number, and sequence are identical for the selected tracks and the track preset. 2. In the track list, right-click the track and select Load Track Preset. 3. In the Presets browser, select a multi-track preset. 4. Double-click the preset to load it. RESULT The preset is applied.
Track Handling Track Presets 164 Loading Inserts and EQ from Track Presets Instead of loading complete track presets, you can also apply insert or equalizer settings from track presets. PROCEDURE 1. Select a track, open the Inspector or the Channel Settings window, and click the VST Sound button on the Inserts or Equalizers tab/section. 2. Select From Track Preset. 3. In the Presets browser, select a track preset. 4. Double-click the preset to load the settings. Extracting the Sound from an Instrument Track or VST Preset For instrument tracks, you can extract the sound of an instrument track preset or VST preset. PROCEDURE 1. Select the instrument track to which you want to apply a sound. 2. In the Inspector, click VST Sound. 3. In the Presets browser, select an instrument track preset or VST preset. 4. Double-click the preset to load the settings. RESULT The VST instrument and its settings (but no inserts, EQs, or modifiers) on the existing track are overwritten with the data of the track preset. The previous VST instrument for this instrument track is removed and the new VST instrument with its settings is set up for the instrument track. Creating a Track Preset You can create a track preset from a single track or from a combination of tracks. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select one or more tracks. 2. In the track list, right-click one of the selected tracks and select Save Track Preset. 3. In the New Preset section, enter a name for the new preset. NOTE You can also define attributes for the preset. 4. Click OK to save the preset and exit the dialog.
Track Handling Track Presets 165 RESULT Track presets are saved within the application folder in the Track Presets folder. They are saved in default subfolders named according to their track type: audio, MIDI, instrument, and multi. RELATED LINKS Attribute Inspector on page 544 Track Quick Control Presets For audio, instrument, MIDI, FX, and group tracks, you can save and load your own Quick Control assignments as presets or use the factory presets. Saving/Loading Track Quick Control Assignments as Presets PROCEDURE 1. In the Inspector for your track, open the Quick Controls section. For instrument tracks, the track quick controls are set to the 8 default VST quick controls of the loaded instrument by default. 2. Click Preset Management in the top right corner of the Inspector section and select one of the presets. The Track Quick Control assignment changes and gives you access to the channel parameters. NOTE You can also make your own assignments and save them as presets and delete, rename, or reset the presets to the default assignments.
166 Parts and Events Parts and events are the basic building blocks in Cubase. The tracks in the Project window contain parts and/or events. Different event types are handled differently in the Project window: • Video events and automation events (curve points) are always viewed and rearranged directly in the Project window. • MIDI events can always be found in MIDI parts, which are containers for one or more MIDI events. MIDI parts are rearranged and manipulated in the Project window. To edit the individual MIDI events in a part, you have to open the part in a MIDI editor. • Audio events can be displayed and edited directly in the Project window, but you can also work with audio parts containing several events. This is useful if you have a number of events which you want to treat as one unit in the project. Audio parts also contain information about the time position in the project. NOTE If the “Object Selection tool: Show Extra Info” option is activated in the Preferences dialog (Editing–Tools page), a tooltip will be shown for the Object Selection tool, displaying information depending on where you point it. For example, in the Project window event display, the tool will show the current pointer position and the name of the track and event you are pointing at. The Preferences dialog contains several settings for customizing the display in the Project window. RELATED LINKS Event Display on page 1063 Event Display - MIDI on page 1065 Event Display - Chords on page 1066 Event Display - Tracks on page 1066
Parts and Events Audio Handling 167 Audio Handling When you work with audio files, it is crucial to understand how audio is handled in Cubase. When you edit or process audio in the Project window, you always work with an audio clip that is automatically created on import or during recording. This audio clip refers to an audio file on the hard disk that itself remains untouched. This means, that audio editing and processing is “non-destructive”, in the sense that you can always undo changes or revert to the original versions. Audio Clips An audio clip does not necessarily refer to just one original audio file! If you apply some processing to a specific section of an audio clip, for example, this will create a new audio file containing only this section. The processing will then be applied to the new audio file only, leaving the original audio file unchanged. Finally, the audio clip is automatically adjusted, so that it refers both to the original file and to the new, processed file. During playback, the program will switch between the original file and the processed file at the correct positions. You will hear this as a single recording, with processing applied to one section only. This feature makes it possible to undo processing at a later stage, and to apply different processing to different audio clips that refer to the same original file. Audio Events An audio event is the object that you place on a time position in Cubase. If you make copies of an audio event and move them to different positions in the project, they will still all refer to the same audio clip. Furthermore, each audio event has an Offset value and a Length value. These determine at which positions in the clip the event will start and end, i. e. which section of the audio clip will be played back by the audio event. For example, if you resize the audio event, you will just change its start and/or end position in the audio clip – the clip itself will not be affected. Audio Regions An audio region is a section within a clip with a length value, a start time, and a snap point. Audio regions are shown in the Pool and are best created and edited in the Sample Editor. NOTE If you want to use one audio file in different contexts, or if you want to create several loops from one audio file, convert the corresponding regions of the audio clip to events and bounce them into separate audio files. This is necessary since different events that refer to the same clip access the same clip information.
Parts and Events Parts 168 Parts Parts are containers for MIDI or audio events, and for tracks. RELATED LINKS Folder Parts on page 171 Creating MIDI Parts A MIDI part is automatically created when you record. It contains the recorded events. However, you can also create empty MIDI parts and later add events to them. You can create MIDI parts in the following ways: • Draw a part on a MIDI track with the Draw tool. You can also draw parts by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and using the Object Selection tool. • Double-click with the Object Selection tool on a MIDI track, between the left and right locator. Adding Events to a MIDI Part • To add events to a MIDI part, use the tools and functions in a MIDI editor. RELATED LINKS MIDI Editors on page 686 Creating Audio Parts There is no way of automatically creating audio parts on recording. On recording audio events are created always. You can create audio parts in the following ways: • To gather existing audio events into a part, select Audio > Events to Part. This creates an audio part containing all selected audio events on the same track. To remove the part and make the events appear as independent objects on the track again, select the part and select Audio > Dissolve Part.
Parts and Events Auditioning Audio Parts and Events 169 • Draw a part on an audio track with the Draw tool. You can also draw parts by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and using the Object Selection tool. • Double-click with the Object Selection tool on an audio track, between the left and right locator. NOTE You can use copy and paste or drag and drop in the Audio Part Editor to add events to existing audio parts. RELATED LINKS Audio Part Editor on page 492 Auditioning Audio Parts and Events Audio parts and events can be auditioned in the Project window with the Play tool. PROCEDURE 1. Select the Play tool. 2. Click where you want playback to start, and keep the mouse button pressed. Only the track on which you click is played back, starting at the click position. NOTE When auditioning, audio will be routed directly to the Control Room (Cubase Pro only), if the Control Room is activated. When the Control Room is deactivated, the audio will be routed to the default output bus, bypassing the audio channel’s settings, effects and EQs. In Cubase Artist, the Main Mix bus is always used for monitoring. 3. Release the mouse button to stop playback. Adding Events to a Track To add events to a track, do one of the following: •Record. • Drag and drop files on the track. You can drag from the following locations: the desktop, the MediaBay and its related windows, the Pool, a library (a pool file that is not attached to a project) (Cubase Pro only), the Find media dialog, another open Project window, the Audio Part Editor, the Sample Editor (press [Ctrl]/[Command] and drag to create an event of the current selection, or click in the left column of the region list and drag to create an event from a region).
Parts and Events Scrubbing 170 • Grab audio CD tracks and convert them to audio files. •Use Copy and Paste on the Edit menu. This allows you to copy all kinds of events between projects. You can also copy events within the project, for example, from the Sample Editor. • Draw marker or automation tracks. For audio, MIDI, and instrument tracks, you can only draw parts. • Import audio or video files via the File > Import menu. When you import a file this way, a clip is created for the file and an event that plays the whole clip is inserted on the selected track, at the position of the project cursor. • Import audio or video files via the File > Import menu. • Import only the audio portion of a video file and convert it to an audio file via the File > Import menu. RELATED LINKS Basic Recording Methods on page 212 MediaBay on page 522 Exporting and importing standard MIDI files on page 1021 Importing audio CD tracks on page 1013 About Thumbnails on page 985 Creating MIDI Parts on page 168 Creating Audio Parts on page 168 Scrubbing Scrubbing can be quite a burden on your system. If playback problems occur, try deactivating the “Use High Quality Scrub Mode” option in the Preferences dialog (Transport–Scrub page). The resampling quality will then be lower, but scrubbing will be less demanding on the processor. This can be useful when scrubbing in large projects. You can adjust the volume of the Scrub function in the Preferences dialog (Transport–Scrub page). When scrubbing with the mouse, insert effects are always bypassed. Using the Scrub Tool The Scrub tool allows you to locate positions in MIDI or audio parts and in audio events by playing back, forwards or backwards, at any speed. PROCEDURE 1. Select the Play tool and click a second time on the icon. A pop-up menu opens.