Steinberg Cubase Le 8 Manual
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Chord Pads Moving and Copying Chord Pads 531 Moving and Copying Chord Pads You can swap the chord assignments between 2 pads or copy a specific chord and its settings from one pad to another. • To swap the chord pad assignment between 2 pads, click a chord pad and drag it to another chord pad. While you drag, the border of the destination chord pad changes its color. When you drop the pad on another, the chord assignments are swapped. • To copy the chord assignment of one chord pad to another pad, [Alt]/[Option]-click a chord pad and drag it to another chord pad. While you drag, the border of the destination chord pad changes its color. When you drop the pad on another, the first pad’s assignment is copied to the destination chord pad. NOTE When you move or copy chord pads, the chord is moved or copied, and all its settings are, except for the Adaptive Voicings Reference. Playing Back and Recording Chords Playing Back Chord Pads with your MIDI Keyboard PREREQUISITE You have connected and set up a MIDI keyboard. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Add Track > Instrument. 2. In the Add Instrument Track dialog, select a VST instrument. 3. Click Add Track. An instrument track with the selected VST instrument is added to your project. 4. On the instrument track, click Record Enable. 5. Select Project > Chord Pads to open the Chord Pads Zone at the bottom of the Project window. 6. Press some keys on your MIDI keyboard to trigger the chords that are preassigned to the chord pads. RELATED LINKS Chord Pad Settings – Remote Control on page 533 Changing the Pads Remote Range on page 535
Chord Pads Playing Back and Recording Chords 532 Recording Chords on MIDI or Instrument Tracks You can record the chords that are triggered through the chord pads on MIDI or instrument tracks. This way, you can play back and edit your performance at any time. PREREQUISITE You have connected and set up a MIDI keyboard, you have opened and set up the chord pads zone, and you have added an instrument or a MIDI track for which a VST instrument is loaded to your project. PROCEDURE 1. On the instrument track, click Record Enable. 2. On the Transport panel, activate Record. 3. On your MIDI keyboard, press the keys that trigger the chord pads. NOTE Use the keys that are not assigned to play and record other chords. RESULT The triggered chords are recorded on the track. The note events are automatically assigned to different MIDI channels according to their pitches. Note events that correspond to the soprano voice are assigned to MIDI channel 1, alto is assigned to MIDI channel 2, and so on. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can now open the Key Editor and fine-tune your recorded MIDI parts using the chord editing functions, for example. You can also use MIDI > Dissolve Part to dissolve the recorded chords by pitches/channels. Recording Chords on the Chord Track You can record the triggered chords on the chord track. This way, you can easily create chord events for a lead sheet, for example. PREREQUISITE You have connected and set up a MIDI keyboard, you have opened and set up the chord pads zone, and you have added an instrument or a MIDI track for which a VST instrument is loaded. PROCEDURE 1. On the instrument track, enable Monitor. 2. Select Project > Add Track > Chord to add the chord track. 3. In the Inspector for the chord track, click Record Enable. 4. On the Transport panel, activate Record.
Chord Pads Chord Pad Settings – Remote Control 533 5. On your MIDI keyboard, press the keys that trigger the chord pads. NOTE Use the keys that are not assigned to play and record other chords. RESULT The chord events are recorded on the chord track. NOTE The recorded chord events may sound different from the chord pad playback. This is because the voicing settings for the chord track differ from the chord pad voicings. RELATED LINKS Chord Functions on page 505 Voicings on page 512 Chord Pad Settings – Remote Control On the Remote Control tab in the chord pad Settings, you can change the default remote control assignments. • To the left of the chord pads zone, click Show/Hide Settings and activate the Remote Control tab. 1)Show/Hide Settings Opens the settings for the chord pads. 2)Pads Remote Range Allows you to set the start and end note for the remote range. 3)Voicings/Tension/Transpose Allows you to assign remote keys for changing the voicings, tension, and transposition settings of the last played chord pad. You can also assign continuous controllers to change all chord pads simultaneously.
Chord Pads Chord Pad Settings – Remote Control 534 4)MIDI Learn Activates/Deactivates the MIDI Learn function to assign MIDI input to the Pads Remote Range and to the parameters Voicings, Tensions, and Transpose. 5)Activate Activates/Deactivates the remote key assignment for the parameters Voicings, Tensions, and Transpose. If this is deactivated, only the remote key assignment for the Pads Remote Range is active. 6)Latch Chords Activate this if you want the chord pad to play back until it is triggered again. NOTE If you use MIDI controllers that are already assigned to other remote control features, for example, the VST Quick Controls, all previous assignments are lost. RELATED LINKS Pads Remote Range on page 534 Pads Remote Range The Pads Remote Range is the range of remote keys that trigger the chords that are assigned to the chord pads. By default, the Range Start is set to C1 and the Range End to B1. This is indicated by the corresponding keys on the keyboard in the chord pads zone being highlighted. You can trigger the chords that are assigned to the chord pads by hitting the keys that correspond to this note range on your MIDI keyboard. Default Remote Assignment By default, the MIDI events C1 to B1 trigger the chords that are assigned to the chord pads. All keys that are not assigned for remote control, by default G#2 and further, can be used for regular playback. You can change the voicing, tension or transposition of the triggered chord by enabling Activate in the lower part of the Remote Control tab and using the following default remote notes: Action Description Remote Note Voicings: Previous Plays back the previous voicing of the last played chord.C2
Chord Pads Chord Pad Settings – Remote Control 535 Remote Assignments are saved globally. NOTE If you use the remote keys for voicings, tensions, or transposition after releasing the remote key for the chord pad, the next played chord is affected. Changing the Pads Remote Range You can widen the pads remote range to access more chord pads. If you want to use a wider key range on your MIDI keyboard for regular playing, you can narrow the pads remote range. PROCEDURE 1. Select Show/Hide Settings > Remote Control to open the remote control assignments. Voicings: Next Plays back the next voicing of the last played chord.C#2 Voicings for all chord pads The wheel position determines the voicings for the next played chords of all chord pads.CC#1 Modulation wheel Tensions: Fewer Plays back the last played chord with fewer tensions.D2 Tensions: More Plays back the last played chord with more tensions.D#2 Tensions for all chord pads Allows you to determine the tension level for the next played chord of all chord pads.CC#16 Transpose: Down Plays back the last played chord and transposes it downwards.E2 Transpose: Up Plays back the last played chord and transposes it upwards.F2 Transpose all chord pads The wheel position determines the transposition value for the next played chords of all chord pads. Moving the wheel all the way up or all the way down corresponds to +/-5 semitones. Pitchbend wheel Action Description Remote Note
Chord Pads Chord Pad Settings – Players 536 2. Do one of the following: •Click MIDI Learn so that the button lights up, and on your MIDI keyboard, press the two keys that you want to assign as range start and range end. • Enter a new value in the Range Start and Range End fields. RESULT On the keyboard, the indication for pads remote range is changed. Chord Pad Settings – Players On the Players tab in the chord pad Settings you can change the voicing that is used for the chord pads. You can select different players with specific voicing settings that are typical for that kind of player. By default, the Piano Player option is active. • To the left of the chord pads zone, click Show/Hide Settings and activate the Players tab. 1)Show/Hide Settings Opens the settings for the chord pads. 2)Legato If this is activated, the common notes of two subsequent chords are connected. 3)Player Selection Selects the player, and uses its voicing for the chord pads. 4)Plain Chords/Pattern Select Plain Chords to trigger all notes of a chord simultaneously, or select Pattern to break up the chords into their individual notes. In Plain Chords mode, you can activate Legato to hold the common notes of two subsequent chords instead of triggering them again.
Chord Pads Chord Pad Settings – Players 537 5)Add Player Opens a menu where you can select the player that you want to add. From here, you can also rename or remove the current player. RELATED LINKS Players and Voicings on page 537 Voicings on page 512 Players and Voicings Different types of instruments and styles have different voicing libraries. These determine how the chords are played back, and which pitches are played. In the chord pads zone, these voicings are referred to as players. RELATED LINKS Voicings on page 512 Adaptive Voicing In Cubase, the Adaptive Voicing setting ensures that pitches in chord progressions do not change abruptly. By default, Adaptive Voicing is activated and the voicings of the chord pads are determined automatically according to specific voice leading rules. If you want to set the voicing of a specific chord pad manually, and do not to want it changed automatically, you can use the Voicing control to the right of a chord pad. When you assign your own voicing, Adaptive Voicing is deactivated for that chord pad, so that the pad does no longer follow the voice leading rules of the voicing reference. To activate Adaptive Voicing again, right-click the chord pad and activate Adaptive Voicing. To lock the voicing for a chord pad, you can right-click the pad and activate Lock. This locks this pad for editing and remote control changes, and deactivates Adaptive Voicing. To unlock the chord pad again, right-click the pad and deactivate Lock.
Chord Pads Chord Pad Settings – Players 538 Using the Pattern Player You can determine how the triggered chord is played: as a plain chord, or according to a selected pattern. The pattern player plays the notes that make up the chord one after another (arpeggio). PROCEDURE 1. Select Show/Hide Settings > Players > Pattern. 2. Perform one of the following actions: •Click Import MIDI Loop to select a MIDI loop that you want to use as a pattern. • Drag a MIDI part from the event display to the Drop MIDI Part field. NOTE The loop or part must have between 3 and 5 voices. In the MediaBay, the number of voices is indicated in the Voices column of the result list. The loop or part is taken as a reference and defines how the chord is played. The Drop MIDI Part field displays the name of the selected loop or part. 3. In the Velocity from: field, select a velocity source for the notes. • Activate MIDI Keyboard to determine the velocity values by pressing the keys on your MIDI keyboard harder or softer. • Activate Pattern to use the velocity values from the MIDI loop or the MIDI part that is selected as a pattern. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK If you have a pattern that you want to use in other projects, you can save it using the presets section in the pattern player. RELATED LINKS Assigning Voices to Notes on page 519 Setting Up the Results List Columns on page 341 Using Different Players on Multiple Tracks You can set up different players with different sounds on different tracks. If you record-enable these tracks and play the chord pads, each track uses a dedicated player. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Add Track > Instrument. 2. In the Add Instrument Track dialog, enter the number of tracks in the Count field, and select a VST instrument.
Chord Pads Chord Pad Settings – Pad Layout 539 3. Click Add Track. The instrument tracks are added to your project. 4. Select Project > Chord Pads to open the chord pads zone. 5. To the left of the chord pads zone, activate Show/Hide Settings and click Players. 6. Select the first instrument track, select a sound on the VST instrument, and in the chord pads zone, select a player. For example, select a piano sound and assign a Piano Player. NOTE When setting up the player for a track, make sure that Record Enable or Monitor is only active for this particular track. 7. Select the second instrument track, select a sound on the VST instrument, and set up another player. For example, select a guitar sound and assign a Guitar Player. 8. Select the next instrument track, and proceed as for the other 2 tracks. For example, select a string sound and assign a Basic Player. 9. Select all instrument tracks, and click Record Enable. RESULT You can now play the chord pads and use the remote control parameters for Tensions and Transpose to change all chord symbols for each player simultaneously. However, if you change the Voicing, only the selected player is affected. Chord Pad Settings – Pad Layout The Pad Layout tab in the chord pad Settings allows you to change the layout that is used for the chord pads. By default, the keyboard layout is active, but you can change to a grid layout, if you prefer that. After changing the pad layout you may need to adjust the remote setup. • To the left of the chord pads zone, click Show/Hide Settings and activate the Pad Layout tab.
Chord Pads Chord Pads Presets 540 1)Show/Hide Settings Opens the settings for the chord pads. 2)Keyboard Activate this to show the chord pads in a keyboard layout. You can display one or two octaves, and you can select if the first chord pad starts with C, A or E. 3)Grid Activate this to show the chord pads in a grid layout. You can display up to 4 rows and 16 columns. 4)Layout display Shows how the active chord pad layout is displayed. Chord Pads Presets Chord pads presets are templates that can be applied to newly created or to existing chord pads. Chord pads presets contain the chords that are assigned to the chord pads, as well as the player configurations including any pattern data that you have imported via the MediaBay or by using drag & drop. The chord pads presets allow you to quickly load chords, or reuse player settings. The Chord Pads Presets menu is located to the left of the chord pads zone. Chord pads presets are organized in the MediaBay, and you can categorize them with attributes. • To save/load a chord pads preset, select Chord Pads Presets > Save/Load Chord Pads Preset. You can also load only the assigned chords from a chord pads preset, without loading the player configurations. This is useful if you want to use specific chords that you have saved as a preset, but do not want to alter your current player setting. • To load only the chords of a chord pads preset, select Chord Pads Presets > Load Chords from Preset. In the same way, you can also load only the player configurations of a chord pads preset. This is useful if you have saved very complex player settings and want to reuse them on other chord pads without changing the currently assigned chords. • To load only the player settings of a chord pads preset, select Chord Pads Presets > Load Players from Preset.