Steinberg Cubase Le 4 Manual

							81
The mixer
MIDI channels handle fader volume changes in the mixer 
by sending out MIDI volume messages to the connected in-
strument(s).
Connected instruments must be set to respond to MIDI messages (such 
as MIDI volume in this case) for this to function properly.
The fader settings are displayed numerically below the 
faders, in dB for audio channels and in the MIDI volume 0 
to 127 value range for MIDI channels.
You can also click in the fader value fields and type in the volume value.
To make fine volume adjustments, hold down [Shift] 
when you move the faders.
If you hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and click on a fader, 
it will be reset to its default value, i.e. 0.0 dB for audio 
channels, or MIDI volume 100 for MIDI channels.
This reset to default values works for most mixer parameters.
You can use the faders to set up a volume balance be-
tween the audio and MIDI channels and perform a manual 
mix by moving the faders and other controls while playing 
back. By using the Write function (see “Using Write/Read 
automation” on page 94), you can automate the levels and 
most mixer actions.
About the level meters for audio channels
When playing back audio in Cubase LE, the level meters 
in the mixer show the level of each audio channel.
Directly below the level meter is a small level readout – 
this shows the highest registered peak level in the signal.
Click this to reset the peak levels.
If the peak level of the audio goes above 0 dB, the numer-
ical level indicator will show a positive value (i.e. a value 
above 0 dB).
Cubase LE uses 32 bit floating point processing internally, 
so there is virtually limitless headroom – signals can go 
way beyond 0dB without clipping. Therefore:
ÖHaving higher levels than 0 dB for individual audio 
channels is not a problem in itself. The audio quality will 
not be degraded by this. 
However, when many high level signals are mixed in an output bus, this 
may require that you lower the output channel level a lot (see below). 
Therefore it’s good practice to keep the max levels for individual audio 
channels roughly around 0 dB.
About the level meters for output channels
For the output channel, things are different. The output 
channel has a clip indicator.
When you are recording, clipping can occur when the 
analog signal is converted to digital in the audio hardware. 
It’s also possible to get clipping in the signal being recorded to disk. For 
more about checking and setting input levels, see “Setting input levels” 
on page 48.
In the output busses, the floating point audio is converted 
to the resolution of the audio hardware. In the integer audio 
domain, the maximum level is 0 dB – higher levels will cause 
the clip indicator for each bus to light up.
If the clip indicators light up for a bus, this indicates actual clipping – dig-
ital distortion which should always be avoided.
About level meters for MIDI channels
The level meters for MIDI channels do not show actual vol-
ume levels. Instead, they indicate the velocity values of the 
notes played back on MIDI tracks.
About MIDI tracks set to the same MIDI channel and 
output
If you have several MIDI tracks set to the same MIDI chan-
nel (and routed to the same MIDI output), making volume 
and pan settings for one of these MIDI tracks/mixer chan-
nels will also affect all other mixer channels set to the 
same MIDI channel/output combination.
Using Solo and Mute
The Mute (top) and Solo buttons.
You can use the Mute and Solo buttons to silence one or 
several channels. The following applies:
!It is also possible to make static volume settings for 
an event on the info line or with the volume handle 
(see “About the volume handle” on page 60).
!If the clip indicator lights up for an output channel, 
reset the clip indicator by clicking on it, and lower the 
level until the indicator doesn’t light up. 
						

							82
The mixer
The Mute button silences the selected channel.
Clicking the Mute button again un-mutes the channel. Several channels 
can be muted simultaneously. A muted channel is indicated by a lit Mute 
button and also by the lit Global Mute indicator on the common panel. 
Clicking the Solo button for a channel mutes all other 
channels.
A soloed channel is indicated by a lit Solo button, and also by the lit Glo-
bal Solo indicator on the common panel. Click the Solo button again to 
turn off Solo.
Several channels can be soloed at the same time.
[Alt]/[Option]-clicking a Solo button activates “Solo De-
feat” for that channel.
In this mode the channel will not be muted if you solo another channel. To 
turn off Solo Defeat, [Alt]/[Option]-click the Solo button again. 
You can un-mute or un-solo all channels by clicking the 
Mute or Solo indicator on the common panel.
Setting pan in the mixer
The pan control.
The pan controls in the mixer are used to position a chan-
nel between the left and right side of the stereo spectrum. 
By default for stereo audio channels, pan controls the bal-
ance between the left and right channels. You can change 
this in the Preferences. By selecting one of the other pan 
modes (see below), you can set pan independently for the 
left and right channel.
To make fine pan adjustments, hold down [Shift] when 
you move the pan control.
To select the (default) center pan position, hold down 
[Ctrl]/[Command] and click on the pan control.For MIDI channels, the pan control sends out MIDI pan 
messages.
The result depends on how your MIDI instrument is set to respond to pan 
– check your documentation for details.
About the “Stereo Pan Law” Preference (audio channels 
only)
In the Project Setup dialog there is a pop-up menu named 
“Stereo Pan Law”, on which you can select one of several 
pan modes. This is related to the fact that without power 
compensation, the power of the sum of the left and right 
side will be higher (louder) if a channel is panned center 
than if it is panned left or right. 
To remedy this, the Stereo Pan Law setting allows you to 
attenuate signals panned center, by -6, -4.5 or -3 dB (de-
fault). Selecting the 0 dB option effectively turns off con-
stant-power panning. Experiment with the modes to see 
which fits best in a given situation. You can also select 
“Equal Power” on this pop-up menu, which means that the 
power of the signal will remain the same regardless of the 
pan setting.
A muted chan-
nel in the mixer.A lit Global Mute indicator on 
the common panel shows that 
one or more channels are 
muted.
[Alt]/[Option]-click a Solo button……to activate Solo Defeat 
for that channel. 
						

							83
The mixer
Audio specific procedures
This section describes the options and basic procedures 
regarding audio channels in the mixer.
Using Channel Settings 
For each audio channel strip in the mixer and in the Inspec-
tor and Track list for each audio track, there is an Edit but-
ton (“e”).
Clicking this opens the VST Audio Channel Settings win-
dow. By default, this window contains:
 A section with eight insert effect slots (see the chapter “Audio 
effects” in the separate Plug-in Reference manual).
 Four EQ modules and an associated EQ curve display (see 
“Making EQ settings” on page 84).
 A section with eight effect sends (see the chapter “Audio ef-
fects” in the separate Plug-in Reference manual).
 A duplicate of the mixer channel strip (showing the input and 
output settings).
You can customize the Channel Settings window, by 
showing/hiding the different panels and/or by changing 
their order:
 To specify, which panels should be shown/hidden, right-click 
in the Channel settings window, and activate/deactivate the 
respective options on the Customize View submenu on the 
context menu.
 To change the order of the panels, select “Setup” on the Cus-
tomize View pop-up menu and use the “Move up” and “Move 
Down” buttons.
For further information, see the chapter “Customizing” on 
page 243.Every channel has its own channel settings (although you 
can view each in the same window if you like – see below).
The Channel Settings window is used for the following 
operations:
 Apply equalization, see “Making EQ settings” on page 84.
 Apply send effects, see the chapter “Audio effects” in the sep-
arate Plug-in Reference manual.
 Apply insert effects, see the chapter “Audio effects” in the 
separate Plug-in Reference manual.
 Copy channel settings and apply them to another channel, see 
“Copying settings between audio channels” on page 85.
Changing channels in the Channel Settings window
You can view any channel’s settings from a single window. 
If the option “Sync Project and Mixer Selection” is acti-
vated in the Preferences (Editing–Project & Mixer page), 
this can be done “automatically”:
Open the Channel Settings window for a track and po-
sition it so that you can see both the Project window and 
the Channel Settings window.
!All channel settings are applied to both sides of a 
stereo channel.
Click the Edit button to open the 
Channel Settings window: 
						

							84
The mixer
Selecting a track in the Project window automatically se-
lects the corresponding channel in the mixer (and vice 
versa). If a Channel Settings window is open, this will im-
mediately switch to show the settings for the selected 
channel. This allows you to have a single Channel Settings 
window open in a convenient position on the screen, and 
use it for all your EQ and channel effect settings.
You can also select a channel manually (thereby changing 
what is shown in the open Channel Settings window). 
Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Channel Settings window for any channel.
2.Open the Choose Edit Channel pop-up menu by 
clicking the arrow button to the left of the channel number 
at the top of the Fader view.
3.Select a channel from the pop-up to show the settings 
for that channel in the open Channel Settings window.
Alternatively, you can select a channel in the mixer by 
clicking its channel strip (make sure not to click on a con-
trol as this will change the respective parameter setting in-
stead).
This selects the channel, and the Channel Settings window is updated.
To open several Channel Settings windows at the same 
time, press [Alt]/[Option] and click the Edit buttons for the 
respective channels.
Making EQ settings
Each audio channel in Cubase LE has a built-in paramet-
ric equalizer with up to four bands. There are several ways 
to view and adjust the EQs:
By selecting the “Equalizers” tab in the Inspector.
Setting EQ in the Inspector is only possible for track-based audio chan-
nels.
By using the Channel Settings window.
This offers both parameter sliders and a clickable curve display (the 
Equalizer + Curve pane) and also lets you store and recall EQ presets.
The Equalizers + Curve pane in the Channel Settings win-
dow consists of four EQ modules with parameter sliders, an 
EQ curve display and some additional functions at the top.
Using the parameter controls
1.Activate an EQ module by clicking its power button.
Although the modules have different default frequency values and differ-
ent Q names, they all have the same frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz). 
The only difference between the modules is that the “eq1” and “eq4” 
bands can act as shelving or high/low-pass filters (see below).
2.Set the amount of cut or boost with the gain control – 
the upper slider.
The range is ± 24 dB.
3.Set the desired frequency with the frequency slider.
This is the center frequency of the frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz) to 
be cut or boosted.
4.Click on the lower slider (to the left) to open the filter 
type pop-up menu and select the desired filter type.
Note that EQ 2 and EQ 3 can only act as bandpass filters.
5.Set the Q value with the lower slider (to the right).
This determines the width of the affected frequency range. Higher values 
give narrower frequency ranges.
!Below we describe how to set up EQ in the Channel 
Settings window, but the parameters are the same in 
the Inspector. 
						

							85
The mixer
6.If needed, you can activate and make settings for up to 
four modules.
Note that you can edit the values numerically as well, by 
clicking in a value field and entering the desired gain, fre-
quency or Q value.
Using the curve display
When you activate EQ modules and make settings, you 
will see that your settings are automatically reflected in the 
curve display above. You can also make settings directly 
in the curve (or combine the two methods any way you 
like):
1.To activate an EQ module, click in the curve display.
This adds a curve point and one of the modules below is activated.
2.Make EQ settings by dragging the curve point in the 
display.
This allows you to adjust gain (drag up or down) and frequency (drag left 
or right).
3.To set the Q parameter, press [Shift] and drag the 
curve point up or down.
You will see the EQ curve become wider or narrower as you drag.
You can also restrict the editing by pressing [Ctrl]/
[Command] (sets gain only) or [Alt]/[Option] (sets fre-
quency only) while you drag the curve point.
4.To activate another EQ module, click somewhere else 
in the display and proceed as above.
5.To turn off an EQ module, double-click its curve point 
or drag it outside the display.
EQ bypass
Whenever one or several EQ modules are activated for a 
channel, the EQ button will light up in green in the mixer 
channel strip, Inspector (Equalizer and Channel sections), 
Track list and Channel Settings window (top right corner 
of the EQ section).
You can also bypass all EQ modules. This is useful, as it 
allows you to compare the sound with and without EQ. 
Proceed as follows:
In the mixer, the Track list and in the Channel section in 
the Inspector, click the EQs state button so that it turns 
yellow.
To deactivate EQ Bypass, click the button again, so that it turns green 
again.
In the Inspector (Equalizers tab) and in the Channel 
Settings window, click the Bypass button (next to the EQ 
button) so that it turns yellow.
Click again to deactivate EQ Bypass mode.
EQ bypass in the mixer, the Channel Settings window and in the Inspector.
EQ in the channel overview
If the “Channel” section is selected in the Inspector, you 
will get an overview of which EQ modules, insert effects 
and effect sends are activated for the channel.
By clicking the respective indicator (1 to 4), you can turn 
the corresponding EQ module on or off.
The channel overview in the Inspector.
Copying settings between audio channels
It is possible to copy all channel settings for an audio 
channel and paste them to one or several other channels. 
This applies to all audio-based channel types. For exam-
ple, you can copy EQ settings from an audio track and ap-
ply these to a group or Instrument track, if you want them 
to have the same sound.  
						

							86
The mixer
Proceed as follows:
1.In the mixer, select the channel you want to copy set-
tings from.
You can also select channels with the Channel Select pop-up menu – 
see “Changing channels in the Channel Settings window” on page 83.
2.Click the “Copy First Selected Channel’s Settings” 
button in the common panel.
3.Select the channel(s) you want to copy the settings to 
and click the “Paste Settings to Selected Channels” but-
ton (below the “Copy First Selected Channel’s Settings” 
button).
The settings are applied to the selected channel(s).
Initialize Channel and Reset Mixer
The Initialize Channel button can be found at the bottom in 
the Control Strip section of the Channel Settings window 
(if this section is not shown in the Channel Settings win-
dow, open the context menu and select “Control Strip” on 
the Customize View submenu). Initialize Channel resets 
the selected channel to the default settings. 
Similarly, the mixer common panel holds a Reset Mixer/
Reset Channels button – when you click this, you will be 
asked whether you want to reset all channels or just the 
selected channels.
The default settings are:
 All EQ, Insert and Send effect settings are deactivated and re-
set.
 Solo/Mute is deactivated.
 The fader is set to 0dB.
 Pan is set to center position.
Using group channels
You can route the outputs from multiple audio channels to 
a group. This enables you to control the channel levels us-
ing one fader, apply the same effects and equalization to 
all of them etc. To create a group channel, proceed as fol-
lows:1.Select Add Track from the Project menu and select 
“Group Channel” from the submenu that appears.
2.Select the desired channel configuration and click OK.
A group channel track is added to the Track list and a corresponding 
group channel strip is added to the mixer. By default the first group chan-
nel strip is labeled “Group 1”, but you can rename it just like any channel 
in the mixer.
3.Pull down the Output routing pop-up for a channel you 
want to route to the group channel, and select the group 
channel.
The output of the audio channel is now redirected to the selected group.
4.Do the same for the other channels you wish to route 
to the group.
Settings for group channels
The group channel strips are (almost) identical to audio 
channel strips in the mixer. The descriptions of the mixer 
features earlier in this chapter apply to group channels as 
well. Some things to note:
You can route the output of a group to an output bus or 
to another group with a higher number.
You cannot route a group to itself. Routing is done with the Output Rout-
ing pop-up menu in the Inspector (select the subtrack for the Group in 
the Track list).
There are no Input Routing pop-ups, Monitor buttons or 
Record Enable buttons for group channels.
This is because inputs are never connected directly to a group.
Solo functionality is automatically linked for channels 
routed to a group and the group channel itself.
This means that if you solo a group channel, all channels routed to the 
group are automatically soloed as well. Similarly, soloing a channel 
routed to a group will automatically solo the group channel.
Mute functionality depends on the setting “Group Chan-
nels: Mute Sources as well” in the Preferences (VST page). 
By default, when you mute a group channel no audio will pass through 
the group. However, other channels that are routed directly to that group 
channel will remain unmuted. If any of those channels have aux sends 
routed to other group channels, FX channels or output busses, those will 
still be heard. 
If the option “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” is 
activated in the Preferences (VST page), muting a group 
channel will cause all other channels directly routed to it to 
be muted as well. Pressing mute again will unmute the  
						

							87
The mixer
group channel and all other channels directly routed to it. 
Channels that were muted prior to the group channel be-
ing muted will not remember their mute status and will be 
unmuted when the group channel is unmuted.
One application of group channels is to use them as “ef-
fect racks” – see the chapter “Audio effects” in the sepa-
rate Plug-in Reference manual.
About output busses
Cubase LE uses a system of input and output busses 
which are set up using the VST Connections dialog. This 
is described in the chapter “VST Connections: Setting up 
input and output busses” on page 9.
Output busses let you route audio from the program to the 
outputs on your audio hardware. 
Viewing the output busses in the mixer
Output busses are shown as output channels in a sepa-
rate pane to the right in the mixer. You show or hide this 
pane by clicking the Hide Output Channels button in the 
mixer’s common panel to the left:
Each output channel resembles a regular audio channel 
strip. Here you can do the following:
 Adjust master levels for all configured output busses using the 
level faders.
 Add effects or EQ to the output channels (see the chapter 
“Audio effects” in the separate Plug-in Reference manual).
MIDI specific procedures
This section describes basic procedures for MIDI chan-
nels in the mixer.
Using Channel Settings
For each MIDI channel strip in the mixer (and MIDI track in 
the Track list or the Inspector), there is an Edit (“e”) button. 
Clicking this opens the MIDI Channel Settings window. 
By default, this window contains a duplicate of the mixer 
channel strip and the fader control strip. 
You can customize the Channel Settings window by right-
clicking the window and activating/deactivating the op-
tions on the Customize View submenu.
To change the order of the panels, select “Setup” on 
the Customize View pop-up menu and use the “Move up” 
and “Move Down” buttons.
Every MIDI channel has its own channel settings.
The MIDI Channel Settings window.
!The option “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” 
does not affect how mute automation is written. 
Writing mute automation on a group channel only af-
fects the group channel and not channels routed to 
it. When writing the automation, you will see the 
other channels being muted when this option is acti-
vated. However, upon playback, only the group 
channel will respond to the automation. 
						

							88
The mixer
Utilities
Saving mixer settings
It is possible to save complete mixer settings for selected 
or all audio channels in the mixer. These can later be 
loaded into any project. Channel settings are saved as 
mixer settings files. These have the Windows file exten-
sion “.vmx”. 
Right-clicking somewhere in the mixer panel or in the 
Channel Settings window brings up the Mixer context 
menu where the following Save options can be found:
“Save Selected Channels” will save all channel settings 
for the selected channels.
Input/output routings are not saved.
“Save All Mixer Settings” saves all channel settings for 
all channels.
When you select any of the above options, a standard file 
dialog opens where you can select a name and storage lo-
cation on your disk for the file.
Loading mixer settings 
Load Selected Channels
To load mixer settings saved for selected channels, pro-
ceed as follows:
1.Select the same number of channels in the new project 
to match the number of channels you saved settings for in 
the previous project.
For example, if you saved settings for six channels, select six channels in 
the mixer.
Mixer settings will be applied in the same order as they 
were in the mixer.
Thus, if you save settings from channels 4, 6 and 8 and apply these set-
tings to channels 1, 2 and 3, the settings saved for channel 4 would be 
applied to channel 1, the settings saved for channel 6 to channel 2 and 
so on.
2.Right-click the mixer panel to open the context menu, 
and select “Load Selected Channels”.
A standard file dialog appears, where you can locate the saved file.
3.Select the file and click “Open”.
The channel settings are applied to the selected channels.
Load All Mixer Settings
Selecting “Load All Mixer Settings” from the context menu 
allows you to open a saved mixer settings file, and have 
the stored settings applied to all channels for which there 
is information included in the file. All channels, master set-
tings, VST Instruments, sends and master effects will be 
affected.
ÖPlease note that if the saved mixer settings were for 
24 channels, for example, and the mixer you apply it to 
currently contains 16 channels, only the settings for chan-
nels 1 to 16 will be applied – this function will not auto-
matically add channels.
!Saving/Loading mixer settings does not apply to 
MIDI channels in the mixer – only audio-related 
channels (group, audio, instrument, effect return) are 
saved with this function!
!If you choose to apply mixer settings to fewer chan-
nels than you saved, the order of the saved channels 
in the mixer applies – i.e. the saved channels that are 
“left over” and not applied will be the channels with 
the highest channel numbers (or furthest to the right 
in the mixer). 
						

							89
The mixer
About the VST Performance window
The VST Performance window is opened by selecting it 
from the Devices menu. It indicates the current load on the 
CPU and the hard disk transfer rate. It is recommended 
that you check this from time to time, or keep it always 
open. Even though you have been able to activate a num-
ber of audio channels in the project without getting any 
warning, you may run into performance problems when 
adding EQ or effects.
The upper bar graph shows the CPU (processor) load.
If the red Overload indicator lights up, you need to decrease the number 
of EQ modules, active effects and/or audio channels playing back simul-
taneously.
The lower bar graph shows the hard disk transfer load.
If the red overload indicator lights up, the hard disk is not supplying data 
fast enough to the computer. You may need to reduce the number of tracks 
playing back by using the Disable Track function (see “About track disable/
enable” on page 42). If this doesn’t help, you need a faster hard disk. 
Note that the overload indicator may occasionally blink, e.g. when you lo-
cate during playback. This does not indicate a problem, but happens be-
cause the program needs a moment for all channels to load data for the 
new playback position.
ÖThe CPU and Disk load meters can also be shown on 
the Transport panel (as “Performance”) and on the Project 
window toolbar (as “Performance Meter”).
There they are shown as two miniature vertical meters (by default at the 
left side of the panel/toolbar). 
						

							10
Automation