Steinberg Cubase Essential 4 Operation Manual

4
Playback and the Transport panel 

42
Playback and the Transport panel
Background
This chapter describes the various methods available for 
controlling Playback and Transport functions in Cubase 
Essential.
The Transport panel
Below you can find a brief description of each item on the 
Transport panel.
The pictures below show the Transport panel with all con-
trols visible and in their default position. The Transport 
panel is divided into sections, from left to right.
ÖNote that the Output Activity and Clipping indicator as 
well as the...

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Playback and the Transport panel
Hiding and showing the Transport Panel
The Transport panel is shown by default when you launch 
a new project. To hide or show it, select “Transport Panel” 
on the Transport menu (or use a key command – by de-
fault [F2]).
About Preroll and Postroll
These items are described in the chapter “Recording”, 
see “About Preroll and Postroll” on page 59.
Changing the Transport panel setup
You can customize the appearance of the Transport panel 
by right-clicking anywhere on...

44
Playback and the Transport panel
ÖThere are also numerous key commands available for 
moving the project cursor (in the Transport category in the 
Key Commands dialog). 
For example, you can assign key commands to the “Step Bar” and “Step 
Back Bar” functions, allowing you to move the project cursor in steps of 
one bar, backwards and forwards.
About the Transport panel display formats
Primary time display (left) and secondary time display (right).
The time unit shown in the ruler can be independent...

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Playback and the Transport panel
You can also adjust the locators numerically on the 
Transport panel.
Clicking the L/R buttons in the locator section on the Transport panel will 
move the project cursor to the respective locator. If you press [Alt]/[Op-
tion] and click the L or R button, the corresponding locator will be set to 
the current project cursor position.
Options and Settings
The “Return to Start Position on Stop” 
preference
This setting is found on the Transport page in the Prefer-
ences...

46
Playback and the Transport panel
You now play back the song. It begins with the piano 
sound and then switches to the string sound. In the middle 
of the chorus you stop and rewind to some point between 
the beginning and the second program change. The synth 
will now still play the string sound although in this section 
it really should be a piano!
The Chase function takes care of that. If program change 
events are set to be chased, Cubase Essential will track 
the music back to the beginning, find...

5
Recording 

48
Recording
Background
This chapter describes the various recording methods 
that you can use in Cubase Essential. As it is possible to 
record both audio and MIDI tracks, both recording meth-
ods are covered in this chapter.
Before you start
This chapter assumes that you are reasonably familiar with 
certain basic recording concepts, and that the following 
initial preparations have been made:
You have properly set up, connected and calibrated 
your audio hardware. 
You have opened a project and set...

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Recording
Activating recording in Sync mode
If you are synchronizing the Cubase Essential 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). Recording then starts when a valid 
timecode signal is received (or when you click the Play 
button). See the chapter “Synchronization” on page 278 
for more information.
Automatically activating recording...

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Recording
Audio pre-record
This feature allows you to capture up to 1 minute of any in-
coming audio you play in Stop mode or during playback, 
“after the fact”. This is possible because Cubase Essential 
can capture audio input in buffer memory, even when not 
recording. 
Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Preferences (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...