5 Cubase Elements 10.5.20. Table of Contents. 674 Extracting Audio from Video 675 ... This is the Operation Manual for Steinberg’s Cubase. Here you will find detailed... Go to site
Free Cubase User Guide, Download Instruction Manual and Support
Operation Manual Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Lillie Harris, Christina Kaboth, Insa Mingers, Matthias Obrecht, Sabine Pfeifer, Benjamin Schütte, Marita Sladek This PDF provides improved access for vision-impaired users. Please note that due to the complexity and number of images in this document, it is not possible to include text descriptions of images. The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. Registered licensees of the product described herein may print one copy of this document for their personal use. All product and company names are TM or ® trademarks of their respective owners. For more information, please visit www.steinberg.net/trademarks. © Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, 2020. All rights reserved. Cubase Elements_10.5.20_en-US_2020-05-26 Table of Contents 7 New Features 9 Introduction 9 Platform-Independent Documentation 9 PDF Documents and Online Documentation 10 Conventions 10 Key Commands 12 Setting up Your System 12 Studio Setup Dialog 13 Setting up Audio 20 Setting up MIDI 23 Synchronizers 24 Audio Connections 24 Audio Connections Window 25 Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs 26 Adding Input and Output Busses 27 Presets for Input and Output Busses 28 Monitoring Bus 28 Bus Configurations 30 Project Window 31 Showing/Hiding Zones 31 Project Zone 42 Left Zone 47 Lower Zone 52 Right Zone 57 Keyboard Focus in the Project Window 58 Zooming in the Project Window 61 Snap Function 64 Cross-Hair Cursor 64 Edit History Dialog 65 Color Handling 73 Project Handling 73 Creating New Projects 73 Hub 75 Project Assistant Dialog 76 Project Files 76 Template Files 79 Project Setup Dialog 82 Opening Project Files 83 Saving Project Files 84 Reverting to the Last Saved Version 84 Choosing a Project Location 85 Self-Contained Projects 87 Tracks 87 Track Inspector Settings Dialog 89 Track Controls Settings Dialog 94 Add Track Dialog 95 Audio Tracks 98 Instrument Tracks 101 Sampler Tracks 104 MIDI Tracks 108 Group Channel Tracks 111 FX Channel Tracks 114 Ruler Track 115 Folder Tracks 118 More Tracks 125 Track Handling 125 Adding Tracks via the Add Track Dialog 125 Adding Tracks Using Track Presets 126 Adding Tracks by Dragging Files from the MediaBay 126 Exporting MIDI Tracks as Standard MIDI Files 128 Removing Selected Tracks 128 Removing Empty Tracks 128 Moving Tracks in the Track List 128 Renaming Tracks 129 Automatically Assigning Colors to New Tracks/ Channels 129 Showing Track Pictures 131 Setting the Track Height 132 Selecting Tracks 133 Deselecting Tracks 133 Duplicating Tracks 133 Disabling Tracks 133 Organizing Tracks in Folder Tracks 134 Handling Overlapping Audio 134 Events Display on Folder Tracks 134 Modifying Event Display on Folder Tracks 135 Track Presets 140 Parts and Events 140 Events 144 Parts 145 Editing Techniques for Parts and Events 158 Range Editing 158 Creating a Selection Range 159 Editing Selection Ranges 163 Playback and Transport 163 Transport Panel 167 Transport Menu 172 Transport Bar 177 Transport Pop-Up Window 178 Time Display Window 179 Left and Right Locators 181 Setting the Project Cursor 181 Auto-Scroll Settings Menu 182 Time Formats 183 Pre-Roll and Post-Roll 184 Punch In and Punch Out 3 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Table of Contents 184 Metronome Click 189 Chase 190 On-Screen Keyboard 190 Recording MIDI With the On-Screen Keyboard 191 On-Screen Keyboard Options 192 Recording 192 Basic Recording Methods 196 Monitoring 198 Audio Recording Specifics 202 MIDI Recording Specifics 210 Remaining Record Time 210 Lock Record 212 Importing Audio and MIDI Files 212 Audio File Import 219 MIDI File Import 221 Quantizing MIDI and Audio 221 Quantize Functions 222 Quantizing MIDI Event Starts 223 Quantizing MIDI Event Lengths 223 Quantizing MIDI Event Ends 223 Quantizing Audio Event Starts 224 Quantize Panel 230 Fades and Crossfades 230 Event-Based Fades 234 Creating Clip-Based Fades 235 Crossfades 238 Auto Fades and Crossfades 241 Arranger Track 241 Adding Arranger Events on the Arranger Track 242 Arranger Editor 245 Setting up an Arranger Chain and Adding Events 247 Jump Mode 249 Arranging Music to Video 250 Markers 250 Position Markers 250 Cycle Markers 251 Markers Window 254 Marker Track 256 Importing and Exporting Markers 257 MixConsole 257 MixConsole in Lower Zone 258 MixConsole Window 304 Audio Effects 304 Insert Effects and Send Effects 306 Insert Effects 311 VST Effect Selector 311 Send Effects 316 Dither Effects 316 Effect Control Panel 318 Effect Presets 323 System Component Information Window 325 Direct Offline Processing 326 Direct Offline Processing Workflow 326 Direct Offline Processing Window 330 Built-In Audio Processes 335 Key Commands for Direct Offline Processing 337 Time Stretch Algorithms 337 Standard 338 Limitations 339 Audio Functions 339 Detect Silence Dialog 342 Spectrum Analyzer Window 344 Statistics Window 346 Sample Editor 348 Sample Editor Toolbar 352 Info Line 352 Overview Line 353 Sample Editor Inspector 354 Ruler 354 Waveform Display 356 Range Editing 358 Regions List 360 Snap Point 363 Hitpoints 363 Calculating Hitpoints 366 Locating to Hitpoints in the Project Window 366 Slices 368 Creating a Groove Quantize Map 369 Creating Markers 369 Creating Regions 369 Creating Events 370 Creating MIDI Notes 372 Tempo Matching Audio 372 Algorithm Presets 372 Stretching Audio Events to the Project Tempo 373 Musical Mode 374 Audio Part Editor 375 Audio Part Editor Toolbar 379 Info Line 380 Ruler 380 Lanes 380 Operations 384 Sampler Tracks 384 Loading Audio Samples into Sampler Control 385 Loading MIDI Parts into Sampler Control 385 Creating Sampler Tracks 386 Sampler Control 395 Sample Editing and Playback Functions 397 Transferring Samples from Sampler Control to VST Instruments 398 Pool 398 Pool Window 403 Working with the Pool 416 MediaBay and Media Rack 416 Media Rack in Right Zone 426 MediaBay Window 445 Working with Volume Databases 447 MediaBay Settings 448 Automation 448 Recording your Actions 448 Automation Curves 449 Static Value Line 449 Write/Read Automation 449 MIDI Part Data vs. Track Automation 450 Writing Automation Data 452 Editing Automation Events 456 Automation Tracks 4 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Table of Contents 458 VST Instruments 458 Adding VST Instruments 459 VST Instrument Control Panel 460 VST Instrument Selector 461 Creating Instrument Tracks 461 VST Instruments in the Right Zone 462 VST Instruments Window 462 VST Instruments Window Toolbar 463 VST Instrument Controls 464 Presets for Instruments 467 Playing Back VST Instruments 468 Latency 469 Import and Export Options 471 VST Quick Controls 473 Installing and Managing VST Plug-ins 473 Plug-ins and Collections 476 Adding New Plug-in Collections 477 Hiding Plug-ins 477 Reactivating Plug-ins from the Blocklist 479 Remote Controlling Cubase 479 Connecting Remote Devices 479 Removing the Remote Input from All MIDI Inputs 480 Setting up Remote Devices 482 Remote Devices and Automation 482 Assigning Commands to Remote Devices 483 Generic Remote Page 488 Remote Control Editor 493 VST Quick Controls 494 MIDI Realtime Parameters 494 MIDI Track Parameters 494 MIDI Modifiers 499 Transpose and Velocity on the Info Line 500 Using MIDI Devices 500 Program Change Messages and Bank Select Messages 501 Patch Banks 501 MIDI Device Manager 506 MIDI Functions 506 Transpose Setup Dialog 507 Merging MIDI Events into a New Part 508 Dissolve Part Dialog 510 Repeating MIDI Events of Independent Track Loops 510 Extending MIDI Notes 511 Fixing MIDI Note Lengths 511 Fixing MIDI Note Velocities 512 Rendering Sustain Pedal Data to Note Lengths 512 Deleting Overlaps 512 Editing Velocity 513 Deleting Double Notes 513 Deleting Controller Data 514 Deleting Continuous Controller Data 514 Restricting Polyphonic Voices 514 Thinning Out Controller Data 514 Extracting MIDI Automation 515 Reversing the Playback Order of MIDI Events 515 Inverting the Order of Selected MIDI Events 516 MIDI Editors 516 Common MIDI Editor Functions 523 Controller Display 535 Key Editor 545 Key Editor Operations 553 Score Editor 559 Score Editor Operations 566 Drum Editor 578 Drum Editor Operations 580 Drum Maps 586 Chord Functions 586 Chord Track 587 Chord Events 591 Scale Events 592 Voicings 595 Converting Chord Events to MIDI 595 Controlling MIDI Playback Using the Chord Track 599 Assigning Voices to Notes 600 Extracting Chord Events from MIDI 601 Recording Chord Events with a MIDI Keyboard 602 Chord Pads 602 Chord Pads Zone 605 Functions Menu 606 Chord Assistant 607 Chord Assignment 609 Swapping Chord Assignments 610 Copying Chord Assignments 610 Playing Back and Recording Chords 613 Player Setup 617 Chord Pads Setup Dialog 621 Chord Pads Presets 622 Creating Chord Events from Chord Pads 622 Creating MIDI Parts from Chord Pads 623 Editing Tempo and Time Signature 623 Project Tempo Modes 623 Tempo Track Editor 626 Tempo Changes for Projects 627 Setting up a Fixed Project Tempo 629 Beat Calculator 630 Set Definition from Tempo Dialog 631 Time Signature Events 632 Export Audio Mixdown 632 Export Audio Mixdown Dialog 637 Mixing Down to Audio Files 638 File Formats 645 Synchronization 645 Master and Slave 646 Timecode Formats 647 Clock Sources 648 Project Synchronization Setup Dialog 653 External Synchronization 654 VST System Link 654 Setting up VST System Link 658 Activating VST System Link 661 Application Examples 664 Video 664 Video File Compatibility 665 Frame Rates 665 Video Output Devices 666 Preparations for Creating Video Projects 668 Preparations for Video Playback 670 Editing Video 671 Export Video 5 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Table of Contents 674 Extracting Audio from Video 675 ReWire 675 Introduction 675 Enabling ReWire Applications 676 Launching and quitting 677 Activating ReWire channels 677 Using the transport and tempo controls 678 How the ReWire channels are handled 678 Routing MIDI via ReWire 679 Considerations and limitations 680 Key Commands 680 Key Commands Dialog 682 Assigning Key Commands 682 Searching for Key Commands 683 Removing Key Commands 683 Saving Key Commands Presets 683 Loading Key Command Presets 683 Importing Key Command Settings 684 Resetting Key Commands 684 Default Key Commands 695 Setting up Tool Modifier Keys 696 Customizing 696 Setup Options 698 Windows Dialog 699 Where are the Settings Stored? 699 Safe Mode Dialog 702 Optimizing 702 Optimizing Audio Performance 706 Preferences 706 Preferences Dialog 707 Editing 712 Editors 712 Event Display 715 General 716 MIDI 720 MediaBay 720 Metering 721 Record 722 Transport 724 User Interface 725 VST 727 Video 728 Index 6 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 New Features Cubase comes with many new features. The following list informs you about the most important improvements and provides links to the corresponding descriptions. New Features in Version 10.5.20 Remove Multiple Busses You can now remove multiple input or output busses at the same time in the Audio Connections window. See Removing Busses. Enhanced Direct Offline Processing The Direct Offline Processing window now allows you to reset audio processes to their default settings. See Direct Offline Processing Workflow. Plug-in Report The VST Plug-in Manager now allows you to create an extensive plug-in report with detailed information about the installed plug-ins on your system. See VST Plug-in Manager Window. Adjustable Event Opacity The new preference Event Opacity allows you to customize the visibility of the event background. See Event Display. Colorize Selected Channels The new preference Show Color for Selected Channel allows you to highlight the selected channel by colorizing it. See User Interface - Track & MixConsole Channel Colors. New Features in Version 10.5.0 Highlights MIDI Retrospective Recording Do you always deliver your best performances when not recording? The completely revised MIDI Retrospective Recording feature can help you to bring your A game to every project. Cubase tracks your MIDI input even when you are not recording and brings back your chords and melodies as a stacked cycle or a continuous performance with just one click. Even better, your performance is captured on multiple tracks. So no more worries -- Cubase has your back. See Recovery of MIDI Recordings. Colorized MixConsole Channels Maintaining a clear overview while your project is growing is essential for a fast and efficient workflow. With the new option to colorize complete channels in the MixConsole using track colors, you can focus on your mix by intuitively finding the tracks you are looking for. Even if you are sitting several meters away from the screen, you will not get lost in your mix. See Applying Channel Colors to Channel Controls. 7 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 New Features Video Export Export videos including audio for your clients and collaborators directly from Cubase. The new video export feature lets you render videos as MP4 with H.264 video compression and 16-bit stereo audio in 44.1 or 48 kHz. Export the whole video or just footage within the locator range, adding the timecode to the video export for the next production process. See Export Video. More New Features Safe Mode The new Safe Mode allows you to initiate Cubase without any third-party plug-ins loaded. See Safe Mode Dialog. Enter Track Name When Adding Folder Tracks You can enter a name for a folder track when you add it via the Add Track dialog. See Add Track Dialog Folder. New Preference for Cycle Activation The new preference Clicking Locator Range in Upper Part of the Ruler Activates Cycle allows you to disable the function to activate/deactivate cycle mode when you click the locator range in the upper part of the ruler. See Transport. 8 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Introduction This is the Operation Manual for Steinberg's Cubase. Here you will find detailed information about all the features and functions in the program. Platform-Independent Documentation The documentation applies to the operating systems Windows and macOS. Features and settings that are specific to one of these platforms are clearly indicated. In all other cases, the descriptions and procedures in the documentation are valid for Windows and macOS. Some points to consider: The screenshots are taken from Windows. Some functions that are available on the File menu on Windows can be found in the program name menu on macOS. PDF Documents and Online Documentation The documentation consists of several documents. You can read them online or download them from steinberg.help. To visit steinberg.help, do one of the following: Enter www.steinberg.help in the address bar of your web browser. In the program, select Help > Cubase Help. Operation Manual The main Cubase reference documentation, with detailed descriptions of operations, parameters, functions, and techniques. Remote Control Devices Lists the supported MIDI remote control devices. Plug-in Reference Describes the features and parameters of the included VST plug-ins and VST instruments. Steinberg Library Manager Describes how you can register and manage your VST Sound libraries. HALion Sonic SE Describes the features and parameters of the included VST instrument HALion Sonic SE. Groove Agent SE Describes the features and parameters of the included VST instrument Groove Agent SE. 9 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Introduction Conventions Conventions In our documentation, we use typographical and markup elements to structure information. Typographical Elements The following typographical elements mark the following purposes. Prerequisite Requires you to complete an action or to fulfill a condition before starting a procedure. Procedure Lists the steps that you must take to achieve a specific result. Important Informs you about issues that might affect the system, the connected hardware, or that might bring a risk of data loss. Note Informs you about issues that you should consider. Tip Adds further information or useful suggestions. Example Provides you with an example. Result Shows the result of the procedure. After Completing This Task Informs you about actions or tasks that you can perform after completing the procedure. Related Links Lists related topics that you can find in this documentation. Markup Bold text indicates the name of a menu, option, function, dialog, window, etc. EXAMPLE To open the Functions menu, click Functions Menu in the top right corner of the MixConsole. If bold text is separated by a greater-than symbol, this indicates a sequence of different menus to open. EXAMPLE Select Project > Add Track. Key Commands Many of the default key commands, also known as keyboard shortcuts, use modifier keys, some of which are different depending on the operating system. When key commands with modifier keys are described in this manual, they are indicated with the Windows modifier key first, followed by the macOS modifier key and the key. 10 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Introduction Key Commands EXAMPLE Ctrl/Cmd-Z means: press Ctrl on Windows or Cmd on macOS, then press Z. 11 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System To use Cubase, you must set up your audio, and if required, your MIDI system. Studio Setup Dialog The Studio Setup dialog allows you to set up your connected audio, MIDI, and remote control devices. To open the Studio Setup dialog, select Studio > Studio Setup. The following options are available: Add Device Allows you to manually add devices such as a Note Expression Input Device, an additional Time Display device, or specific remote control devices. Remove Selected Device Allows you to remove manually added devices. Send Reset Message to All Devices Resets all remote control devices in the Devices list. Devices list Select a device in the Devices list to show its settings in the right section. 12 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up Audio Reset Resets the selected remote device. Apply Applies the settings. Setting up Audio You must set up your audio equipment before you can use it in Cubase. IMPORTANT Make sure that all equipment is turned off before making any connections. Simple Stereo Input and Output Setup If you only use a stereo input and output from Cubase, you can connect your audio hardware, for example, the inputs of your audio card or your audio interface, directly to the input source and the outputs to a power amplifier and speaker. Audio Connections Your system setup depends on many different factors, for example, on the kind of project that you want to create, on the external equipment that you want to use, or on the computer hardware that is available to you. Therefore, the following sections can only serve as examples. How to connect your equipment, that is, whether to use digital or analog connections also depends on your setup. Recording Levels and Inputs When you connect your equipment, make sure that the impedance and levels of the audio sources and inputs are matched. Using the correct type of input is important to avoid distortion 13 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up Audio or noisy recordings. For example, different inputs can be used, such as consumer line level (-10 dBV) or professional line level (+4dBu). Sometimes, you can adjust input characteristics on the audio interface or on its control panel. For details, refer to the documentation that came with the audio hardware. IMPORTANT Cubase does not provide any input level adjustments for the signals that are coming into your audio hardware, since these are handled differently for each card. Adjusting input levels is either done in a special application that is included with the hardware or its control panel. Word Clock Connections If you are using a digital audio connection, you may also need a word clock connection between the audio hardware and external devices. For details, refer to the documentation that came with the audio hardware. IMPORTANT Set up word clock synchronization correctly, or you may experience clicks and crackles in your recordings. Selecting an Audio Driver By selecting an audio driver, you allow Cubase to communicate with the audio hardware. Normally, when you start Cubase, a dialog opens that prompts you to select a driver, but you can also select your audio hardware driver as described below. NOTE On Windows operating systems, we recommend that you access your hardware via an ASIO driver developed specifically for the hardware. If no ASIO driver is installed, contact the manufacturer of your audio hardware for information on available ASIO drivers. If no specific ASIO driver is available, you can use the Generic Low Latency ASIO driver. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select VST Audio System. 3. Open the ASIO Driver pop-up menu and select your audio hardware driver. 4. Click OK. Setting up Audio Hardware You must select and set up your audio hardware in the Studio Setup dialog before you can use it. PREREQUISITE You have selected a driver for your audio hardware. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware driver. 3. Do one of the following to open the control panel for your audio hardware: 14 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up Audio On Windows, click Control Panel. On macOS, click Open Config App. This button is available only for some hardware products. If it is not available in your setup, refer to the documentation of your audio hardware. NOTE The control panel is provided by the manufacturer of your audio hardware and is different for each audio interface brand and model. However, control panels for the Generic Low Latency ASIO Driver (Windows only) are provided by Steinberg. 4. Set up your audio hardware as recommended by the manufacturer. VST Audio System Page On the VST Audio System page you can select an ASIO driver for your audio hardware. To open the VST Audio System page, select Studio > Studio Setup and select VST Audio System in the Devices list. The following options are available: ASIO Driver Allows you to select a driver. Release Driver when Application is in Background Releases the driver and allows other applications to play back via your audio hardware even though Cubase is running. Input Latency Shows the input latency of the audio hardware. Output Latency Shows the output latency of the audio hardware. 15 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up Audio ASIO-Guard Latency Shows the ASIO-Guard latency. HW Sample Rate Shows the sample rate of your audio hardware. HW Pull Up/Down Shows the pull up/down status of the audio hardware. Set to Defaults Allows you to restore the default settings. Processing Precision Allows you to set the audio processing precision to 32 bit float or 64 bit float. Depending on this setting, all channels are processed and mixed in 32-bit floatingpoint or 64-bit floating-point format. NOTE A processing precision of 64 bit float can increase CPU load and memory consumption. To show all plug-ins that support 64-bit float processing, open the VST Plug-in Manager and activate Show Plug-ins That Support 64-Bit Float Processing in the Display Options pop-up menu. NOTE VST 2 plug-ins and instruments are always processed with 32-bit precision. Activate Multi Processing Allows you to distribute the processing load evenly to all available CPUs. This way, Cubase can make full use of the combined power of multiple processors. Activate ASIO-Guard Activates the ASIO-Guard. This is only available if Activate Multi Processing is activated. ASIO-Guard Level Allows you to set the ASIO-Guard level. The higher the level, the higher the processing stability and audio processing performance. However, higher levels also lead to an increased ASIO-Guard latency and memory usage. Audio Priority (Windows only) This setting should be set to Normal if you work with audio and MIDI. If you do not use MIDI at all, you can set this to Boost. Activate Steinberg Audio Power Scheme If this option is activated, all power safe modes that have an impact on real time processing are deactivated. Note that this is only effective for very low latencies, and that it increases the power consumption. Disk Preload Allows you to specify how many seconds of audio are preloaded into RAM prior to starting playback. This allows for smooth playback. Adjust for Record Latency If this is activated, the plug-in latencies are taken into account during recording. 16 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up Audio Record Shift Allows you to shift the recordings by the specified value. RELATED LINKS VST Plug-in Manager Window on page 474 ASIO Driver Setup Page This page allows you to set up your ASIO driver. To open the page where you can set up the ASIO driver, select Studio > Studio Setup and select the audio driver in the Devices list. The following options are available: Control Panel Opens the control panel for the audio hardware. Input Latency Shows the input latency of the audio driver. Output Latency Shows the output latency of the audio driver. Clock Source Allows you to select a clock source. Externally Clocked Activate this option if you use an external clock source. Direct Monitoring Activate this option to monitor via your audio hardware and to control it from Cubase. 17 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up Audio Ports Reset Allows you to reset all port names and visibilities. I/O The port input/output status. Port System Name The system name of the port. Show As Allows you to rename the port. This name is used in the Input Routing and Output Routing pop-up menus. Visible Allows you to activate/deactivate audio ports. State The state of the audio port. Using External Clock Sources If you are using an external clock source, Cubase must be notified that it receives external clock signals and derives its speed from that source. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware driver. 3. Activate Externally Clocked. RESULT Cubase now derives its speed from the external source. NOTE For proper audio playback and recording, you must set the sample rate of the project to the sample rate of the incoming clock signals. When a sample rate mismatch occurs, the Record Format field on the Project window status line is highlighted in a different color. Cubase accepts a sample rate mismatch, and playback is therefore faster or slower. Using Several Audio Applications Simultaneously You can allow other applications to play back via your audio hardware even though Cubase is running. PREREQUISITE Other audio applications accessing the audio hardware are set to release the audio driver. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select VST Audio System. 3. Activate Release Driver when Application is in Background. 18 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up Audio RESULT The application that has the focus gets access to the audio hardware. Audio Hardware Configuration Most audio cards provide one or more small applications that allow you to customize your hardware. The settings are normally gathered on a control panel that can be opened from within Cubase or separately, when Cubase is not running. For details, refer to the audio hardware documentation. Settings include: Selecting which inputs/outputs are active. Setting up word clock synchronization. Turning on/off monitoring via the hardware. Setting levels for each input. Setting levels for the outputs so that they match the equipment that you use for monitoring. Selecting digital input and output formats. Making settings for the audio buffers. Setting up Input and Output Ports Once you have selected the driver for your audio hardware and have set it up, you must specify which inputs and outputs to use. PREREQUISITE You have selected a driver for your audio hardware. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware driver. 3. Make your changes. 4. Click OK. RELATED LINKS ASIO Driver Setup Page on page 17 Audio Bus Setup Cubase uses a system of input and output busses to transfer audio between the program and the audio hardware. Input busses let you route audio from the inputs of your audio hardware into Cubase. This means that audio is always recorded through one or several input busses. Output busses let you route audio from Cubase to the outputs of your audio hardware. This means that audio is always played back through one or several output busses. Once you have set up the internal input and output busses, you can connect your audio source, for example, a microphone, to your audio interface and start recording, playing back, and mixing. 19 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up MIDI RELATED LINKS Audio Connections on page 24 Monitoring In Cubase, monitoring means listening to the input signal while recording. The following ways of monitoring are available: Externally by listening to the signal before it reaches Cubase. Via Cubase. By using ASIO Direct Monitoring. This is a combination of the other methods. RELATED LINKS External Monitoring on page 196 Monitoring via Cubase on page 196 ASIO Direct Monitoring on page 197 Setting up MIDI You must set up your MIDI equipment before you can use it in Cubase. IMPORTANT Turn off all equipment before making any connections. PROCEDURE 1. Connect your MIDI equipment (keyboard, MIDI interface, etc.) to your computer. 2. Install the drivers for your MIDI equipment. RESULT You can use your MIDI equipment in Cubase. MIDI Connections To play back and record MIDI data from your MIDI device, for example, a MIDI keyboard, you need to connect the MIDI ports. Connect the MIDI output port of your MIDI device to the MIDI input port of your audio hardware. This way, the MIDI device sends MIDI data to be played back or recorded inside your computer. Connect the MIDI input port of your MIDI device to the MIDI output port of your audio hardware. This way, you can send MIDI data from Cubase to the MIDI device. For example, you can record your own playing, edit the MIDI data in Cubase, and then play it back on the keyboard and record the audio that is coming out of the keyboard for a better edited performance. Showing or Hiding MIDI Ports You can show the MIDI ports that you want to use and hide those that you do not use on the MIDI pop-up menus in the program. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select MIDI Port Setup. 20 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up MIDI 3. To hide a MIDI port, deactivate its Visible column. 4. Click OK. Setting up All MIDI Inputs When you record MIDI, you can specify which MIDI input each recording MIDI track should use. However, you can also record any MIDI data from any MIDI input. You can specify which inputs are included when you select All MIDI Inputs for a MIDI track. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select MIDI Port Setup. 3. Activate In `All MIDI Inputs' for a port. NOTE If you have a MIDI remote control unit connected, make sure to deactivate the In `All MIDI Inputs' option for that MIDI input. This avoids accidental recording of data from the remote control when All MIDI Inputs is selected as input for a MIDI track. 4. Click OK. RESULT When you select All MIDI Inputs on the Input Routing menu of a MIDI track in the Inspector, the MIDI track uses all MIDI inputs that you specified in the MIDI Port Setup. MIDI Port Setup Page The MIDI Port Setup page in the Studio Setup dialog displays the connected MIDI devices and allows you to set up their ports. To open the MIDI Port Setup page, select Studio > Studio Setup and activate MIDI Port Setup in the Devices list. 21 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Setting up MIDI The following columns are displayed: Device The connected MIDI devices. I/O The port input/output status. Port System Name The system name of the port. Show As Allows you to rename the port. This name is used in the Input Routing and Output Routing pop-up menus. Visible Allows you to activate/deactivate MIDI ports. State The state of the MIDI port. In 'All MIDI Inputs' Allows you to record MIDI data from all MIDI inputs. NOTE Deactivate this option if you use remote control devices. The following options are available: Use System Timestamp for 'Windows MIDI' Inputs Activate this option if you have persistent timing problems such as shifted notes. If this is activated, the system timestamp is used as a time reference. 22 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Setting up Your System Synchronizers Use Device 'DirectMusic' If you do not use a device with a DirectMusic device driver, you can leave this option deactivated. This enhances the system performance. Use System Timestamp for 'DirectMusic' Inputs Activate this option if you have persistent timing problems such as shifted notes. If this is activated, the system timestamp is used as a time reference. Plug and Play Support for USB MIDI Devices Cubase supports plug and play of USB MIDI devices. These devices can be plugged in and switched on while the application is running. Synchronizers When using Cubase with external tape transports, you most likely must add a synchronizer to your system. IMPORTANT Make sure that all equipment is turned off before making any connections. For information on how to connect and set up your synchronizer, refer to the documentation of your synchronizer. RELATED LINKS Synchronization on page 645 23 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Connections To play back and record in Cubase, you must set up input and output busses in the Audio Connections window. The bus types that you need depend on your audio hardware, on your general audio setup, and on the projects that you use. Audio Connections Window The Audio Connections window allows you to set up input and output busses. To open the Audio Connections window, select Studio > Audio Connections. Inputs/Outputs Tab The Inputs and Outputs tabs allow you to set up and configure input and output busses. The following options are available above the bus list: Add Bus Opens the Add Input Bus dialog, where you can create a new bus configuration. Presets Opens the Presets menu, where you can select bus configuration presets. Store allows you to save a bus configuration as preset. Delete deletes the selected preset. Expand All/Collapse Expands/Collapses all busses in the bus list. The following columns are available for the bus list: Bus Name Lists the busses. Click the name of a bus to select or rename it. Speakers Indicates the speaker configuration (mono, stereo) of each bus. Audio Device Shows the selected ASIO driver. 24 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Connections Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs Device Port Shows which physical inputs/outputs on your audio hardware are used by the bus. Expand the bus entry to show all speaker channels. If the bus entry is collapsed, only the first port that is used by this bus is visible. The Device Port pop-up menu displays how many busses are connected to a given port. The busses are shown in square brackets next to the port name. Up to 3 bus assignments can be displayed in this way. If more connections have been made, this is indicated by a number at the end of the port name. For example, "Adat 1 [Stereo1] [Stereo2] [Stereo3] (+2)" means that the Adat1 port is already assigned to 3 stereo busses plus 2 additional busses. Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs Before you set up busses, you should rename the default inputs and outputs of your audio hardware. This allows transferring projects between different computers and setups. For example, if you move your project to another studio, the audio hardware may be of a different model. But if you and the other studio owner have agreed on identical names for your inputs and outputs, Cubase corrects inputs and outputs for your busses. NOTE If you open a project that was created on another computer and the port names do not match or the port configuration is not the same, the Missing Ports dialog appears. This allows you to manually re-route ports that are used in the project to ports that are available on your computer. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select VST Audio System. 3. Open the ASIO Driver pop-up menu and select your audio hardware driver. 4. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware driver. 5. In the Show As column, click on a port name and enter a new name. 6. Repeat the previous step until you have renamed all required ports. 7. Click OK. RELATED LINKS Re-Routing Missing Ports on page 83 Hiding Ports You can hide ports that you are not using. Hidden ports are not displayed in the Audio Connections window. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware driver. 3. In the Visible column, deactivate the ports that you want to hide. 4. Click OK. 25 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Connections Adding Input and Output Busses Activating and Deactivating Ports (macOS only) On macOS you can specify which input and output ports are active. This allows you to use the microphone input instead of the line input or to deactivate the audio card input or output. NOTE This function is only available for built-in audio, standard USB audio devices, and a certain number of other audio cards. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware driver. 3. Click Control Panel. 4. Activate/Deactivate ports. 5. Click OK. Adding Input and Output Busses You must add input and output busses to establish the connection between your audio hardware and Cubase. PROCEDURE 1. In the Audio Connections dialog, click the Inputs or Outputs tab. 2. Click Add Bus. 3. In the Add Input Bus dialog, configure the bus. 4. Optional: Enter a name for the bus. If you do not specify a name, the bus is named according to the channel configuration. 5. Click Add Bus. The new bus is added to the bus list. 6. For each of the speaker channels in the bus, click in the Device Port column and select a port of your audio hardware. Setting the Default Output Bus (Main Mix) The Main Mix is the default output bus to which each new audio, group, or FX channel is automatically routed. If only one bus is available, this bus is automatically used as the default output bus. PREREQUISITE Add an output bus. PROCEDURE 1. In the Audio Connections dialog, right-click the output bus that you want to use as default output bus. 2. Select Set <bus name> as Main Mix. 26 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Connections Presets for Input and Output Busses RESULT The selected bus is used as default bus. The Main Mix is indicated by a speaker icon next to its name. RELATED LINKS Inputs/Outputs Tab on page 24 Presets for Input and Output Busses For input and output bus configurations, you can use different kinds of presets. A number of standard bus configurations. Automatically created presets tailored to your specific hardware configuration. On startup, Cubase analyzes the physical inputs and outputs that are provided by your audio hardware and creates a number of hardware-dependent presets. Your own presets. NOTE You can create default presets for input and output bus configurations. If you create a new empty project, these default presets are applied. To create default presets, save your preferred input and output bus configurations under the name Default. If you have not defined default presets, the last used input and output bus configuration is applied when creating a new empty project. Saving a Bus Configuration Preset You can save your own input and output bus configuration as presets. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Audio Connections. 2. Click the Inputs or Outputs tab, and set up your bus configuration. 3. Click Store. 4. In the Type in Preset Name dialog, enter a name. 5. Click OK. RESULT The preset is available in the Presets menu. Deleting a Bus Configuration Preset You can delete bus configuration presets that you no longer need. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Audio Connections. 2. Click the Inputs or Outputs tab, and from the Presets menu, select the preset that you want to delete. 3. Click Delete. RESULT The preset is deleted. 27 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Connections Monitoring Bus Monitoring Bus The default output bus (Main Mix) is used for monitoring. You can adjust the monitoring level in the MixConsole. RELATED LINKS Setting the Default Output Bus (Main Mix) on page 26 MixConsole on page 257 Bus Configurations After you have set up all the required busses for a project you can edit the names and change port assignments. The bus configuration is saved with the project. Removing Busses You can remove busses that you no longer need. PROCEDURE In the Audio Connections window, do one of the following: To remove a single bus, right-click the bus in the list and select Remove Bus. Alternatively, you can select the bus and press Backspace. To remove multiple input or output busses at the same time, use Shift or Ctrl/Cmd to select them in the list, right-click them, and select Remove Selected Busses. Changing Port Assignments You can change the port assignment of busses. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Audio Connections. 2. Do one of the following: To change the assignment of a single bus, open the Device Port pop-up menu, and select a new port. To assign subsequent busses to several selected busses, open the Device Port popup menu for the first selected entry, press Shift, and select a device port. To assign the same port to several selected busses, open the Device Port pop-up menu for the first selected entry, press Shift-Alt, and select a device port. Renaming Multiple Busses You can rename all the selected busses at once using incrementing numbers or letters. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Audio Connections. 2. Select the busses that you want to rename. 3. Do one of the following: Enter a new name for one of the busses, followed by a number. Enter a new name for one of the busses, followed by a space and a capital letter. 28 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Connections Bus Configurations 4. Press Return. RESULT The busses are renamed automatically using either incrementing numbers or letters. NOTE The renaming starts from the bus where you edit the name until the bottom, and then continues from the top until all selected busses have been renamed. Exclusive Port Assignments For certain channel types, the port assignment is exclusive. Once a port has been assigned to such a bus or channel, it must not be assigned to another bus, otherwise the connection to the first bus will be broken. The corresponding ports are marked in the Audio Connections window on the Device Port popup menu. 29 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window The Project window provides an overview of the project, and allows you to navigate and perform large scale editing. Each project has one Project window. The Project window is displayed whenever you open or create a new project. To open a project, select File > Open. To create a new project, select File > New Project. The Project window is divided into several zones: 1 Left Zone The left zone shows the Inspector that features two tabs: The Track tab shows the settings for the track that is selected in the track list. NOTE In this documentation we use Inspector to refer to the Track tab of the Inspector. The Editor tab shows the settings for the editor that is open in the lower zone. 30 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Showing/Hiding Zones 2 Project Zone The project zone shows the toolbar, the track list with the tracks, the event display with the parts and events of the project, and the Project window ruler. On the toolbar, you can activate/deactivate the status line, the info line, the overview line, and the Transport Bar. 3 Lower Zone The lower zone shows the Chord Pads, the Editor, the Sampler Control, and the MixConsole. 4 Right Zone The right zone shows the VSTi rack, and the Media rack. RELATED LINKS Project Zone on page 31 Left Zone on page 42 Lower Zone on page 47 Right Zone on page 52 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Showing/Hiding Zones You can show/hide the zones in the Project window according to your needs. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: To show/hide the left zone, click Show/Hide Left Zone on the Project window toolbar. To show/hide the lower zone, click Show/Hide Lower Zone on the Project window toolbar. To show/hide the right zone, click Show/Hide Right Zone on the Project window toolbar. NOTE The project zone is always shown. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Project Zone The project zone is the heart of the Project window and cannot be hidden. The project zone features the track list and the event display with the ruler. Furthermore, you can activate/deactivate the status line, the info line, the overview line, and the Transport Bar for the project zone. 31 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone RELATED LINKS Track List on page 38 Event Display on page 39 Global Track Controls Ruler on page 39 Status Line on page 40 Info Line on page 41 Overview Line on page 42 Transport Bar on page 42 Project Window Toolbar The toolbar contains tools and shortcuts for opening other windows and various project settings and functions. To show/hide tools, open the toolbar context menu by right-clicking in an empty area of the toolbar and activate the tools that you want to display. To show all tools, select Show All. NOTE The number of elements that are shown also depends on the size of the Project window and the screen resolution. The following options are available: Activate Project NOTE Only available if more than one project is open. Activates a project. Project History Undo/Redo Undoes/Redoes actions in the Project window. 32 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone Constrain Delay Compensation Constrain Delay Compensation Minimizes the latency effects of the delay compensation. Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. Media & MixConsole Windows Open MediaBay Opens/Closes the MediaBay. Open Pool Window Opens/Closes the Pool window. Open MixConsole Opens/Closes the MixConsole. State Buttons Deactivate All Mute States Deactivates all mute states. Deactivate All Solo States Deactivates all solo states. Activate/Deactivate Read for All Tracks Activates/Deactivates read automation for all tracks. Activate/Deactivate Write for All Tracks Activates/Deactivates write automation for all tracks. Auto-Scroll Auto-Scroll Keeps the project cursor visible during playback. Select Auto-Scroll Settings Allows you to activate Page Scroll or Stationary Cursor and to activate Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing. 33 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone Locators Go to Left Locator Position Allows you to go to the left locator position. Left Locator Position Shows the left locator position. Go to Right Locator Position Allows you to go to the right locator position. Right Locator Position Shows the right locator position. Transport Controls Go to Previous Marker/Zero Moves the project cursor to the previous marker/zero position on the timeline. Go to Next Marker/Project End Moves the project cursor to the next marker/project end. Rewind Moves backward. Forward Moves forward. Activate Cycle Activates/Deactivates cycle mode. Stop Stops playback. Start Starts playback. Transport Record Activates/Deactivates record mode. 34 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone Tool Buttons Object Selection Selects events and parts. Range Selection Selects ranges. Draw Draws events. Erase Erases events. Split Splits events. Glue Glues events together. Mute Mutes events. Zoom Zooms in. Hold Alt and click to zoom out. Line Creates a series of contiguous events. Play Allows you to play back events. Color Allows you to colorize events. Color Menu Select Color for Selected Tracks or Events Opens the Colorize pane that allows you to colorize the selected tracks or events. 35 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone Nudge Palette Trim Start Left Increases the length of the selected event by moving its start to the left. Trim Start Right Decreases the length of the selected event by moving its start to the right. Move Left Moves the selected event to the left. Move Right Moves the selected event to the right. Trim End Left Decreases the length of the selected event by moving its end to the left. Trim End Right Increases the length of the selected event by moving its end to the right. Snap Snap to Zero Crossing Restricts editing to zero crossings, that is, positions where the amplitude is zero. Snap On/Off Restricts horizontal movement and positioning to the positions specified by the Snap Type. Snap Type Allows you to specify to what positions you want events to snap. Grid Type Grid Type Allows you to specify a grid type for the Snap function. This setting only has effect if Snap Type is set to one of the grid options. Quantize Apply Quantize Applies the quantize settings. 36 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone Quantize Presets Allows you to select a quantize preset. Iterative Quantize On/Off Activates/Deactivates iterative quantize. Open Quantize Panel Opens the Quantize Panel. System Performance Meter System Performance Meter Shows the meters for average audio processing load and the disk cache load. Right Divider Right Divider Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Window Zone Controls Show/Hide Left Zone Shows/Hides the left zone of the window. Show/Hide Lower Zone Shows/Hides the lower zone of the window. Show/Hide Right Zone Shows/Hides the right zone of the window. Set up Window Layout Allows you to set up the window layout. Set up Toolbar Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. RELATED LINKS Left/Right Toolbar Divider on page 38 Snap Types Menu on page 62 Markers on page 250 Automation on page 448 37 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone Synchronization on page 645 Left/Right Toolbar Divider The left and right toolbar dividers allow you to lock the position of specific tools at the left or at the right side of the toolbar, so that they are always shown. All other items are shown in the center of the toolbar. When you reduce the width of the Project window, these toolbar items are hidden successively. When you increase the width, they are shown again. Toolbox The toolbox makes the editing tools from the toolbar available at the mouse pointer position. It can be opened instead of the standard context menus in the event display and editors. To activate the toolbox function, activate Show Toolbox on Right-Click in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Tools page). To open the toolbox, right-click in the event display or editor. If Show Toolbox on Right-Click is deactivated, the context menu opens. To open the context menu instead of the toolbox, press any modifier key and right-click in the event display or editor. If Show Toolbox on Right-Click is deactivated, press any modifier key to open the toolbox instead of the context menu. Track List The track list shows the tracks that are used in the project. When a track is added and selected, it contains name fields and settings for this track. To decide which controls are visible for each track type, right-click the track list and open the Track Controls Settings dialog. RELATED LINKS Track Controls Settings Dialog on page 89 Dividing the Track List You can divide the track list into an upper track list and a lower track list. These track lists can have independent zoom and scroll controls. Dividing the track list is useful if you are working with a video track and multi-track audio, for example. It allows you to place the video track in the upper track list and to scroll the audio tracks separately in the lower track list, so that they can be arranged with the video. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Select Project > Divide Track List. Click Divide Track List in the top right corner of the Project window below the ruler. 38 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone RESULT The track list is divided and video, marker, or arranger tracks are automatically moved to the upper track list. All other track types are moved to the lower track list. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To move any type of track from the lower track list to the upper and vice versa, right-click it in the track list and select Toggle Track List from the context menu. To resize the upper part of the track list, click and drag the divider between the track list sections. To revert to a single track list, click Divide Track List again. Event Display The event display shows the parts and events that are used in the project. They are positioned along the timeline. Ruler The ruler shows the timeline and the display format of the project. Initially, the Project window ruler uses the display format that is specified in the Project Setup dialog. To select an independent display format for the ruler, click the arrow button to the right of the ruler and select an option from the pop-up menu. To set the display format globally for all windows, use Select Primary Time Format popup menu on the Transport panel, or hold down Ctrl/Cmd and select a format in any ruler. 39 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone RELATED LINKS Project Setup Dialog on page 79 Ruler Display Format Menu You can select a display format for the ruler. To show the ruler display formats, click the arrow button to the right of the ruler. The selection that you make affects the time display formats in the following areas: Ruler Info line Tooltip position values The following options are available: Bars+Beats Sets the ruler to display bars, beats, sixteenth notes, and ticks. By default, there are 120 ticks per sixteenth note. To change this, adjust the MIDI Display Resolution setting in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). Seconds Sets the ruler to display hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. Timecode Sets the ruler to display hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. The number of frames per second (fps) is set in the Project Setup dialog with the Project Frame Rate popup menu. To display subframes, activate Show Timecode Subframes in the Preferences dialog (Transport page). Samples Sets the ruler to display samples. Time Linear Sets the ruler linear to time. Bars+Beats Linear Sets the ruler linear to bars and beats. Status Line The status line shows the most important project settings. To activate the status line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activate Status Line. The following information is shown on the status line: 40 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Project Zone Audio Inputs/Audio Outputs These fields are shown if the audio device ports are not connected. Click to open the Audio Connections dialog and connect the ports. Max. Record Time Displays the remaining time for recording, depending on your project settings and the available hard disk space. Click in this field to display the remaining record time in a separate window. Record Format Displays the sample rate and the bit depth used for recording. Click in this field to open the Project Setup dialog. Project Frame Rate Displays the frame rate used in the project. Click in this field to open the Project Setup dialog. Project Pan Law Displays the current pan law setting. Click in this field to open the Project Setup dialog. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Info Line The info line shows information about the event or part that you selected in the project zone. To activate the info line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activate Info Line. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Value Editing Rules on the Info Line You can edit almost all event or part data on the info line using regular value editing. If you select several events or parts, the info line is shown in another color and only the information about the first item in the selection is displayed. The following rules apply: Value changes are applied to all selected elements, relative to the current values. For example, you have selected two audio events. The first event has a length of 1 bar, the second of 2 bars. If you change the info line value to 3, the first event is resized to 3 bars and the second event to 4 bars. Value changes are applied absolutely to the current values if you press Ctrl/Cmd while modifying the value on the info line. In the example above, both events are resized to 3 bars. NOTE To change the modifier, select a new modifier in the Info Line category of the Preferences dialog (Editing--Tool Modifiers page). 41 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Left Zone Overview Line The overview line allows you to zoom and navigate to other sections in the project. To activate the overview line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activate Overview. In the overview line, events and parts are displayed as boxes. A rectangle indicates the section of the project that is displayed in the event display. To zoom the event display in or out horizontally, resize the rectangle by dragging the edges. To navigate to another section of the event display, drag the rectangle to the left or right, or click in the upper part of the overview. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Transport Bar The Transport Bar allows displaying the transport functions in an integrated and fixed zone of the Project window. To activate the Transport Bar, click Set up Window Layout on the Project window toolbar and activate Transport Bar. To show/hide tools, open the Transport Bar context menu by right-clicking in an empty area of the Transport Bar and activate the tools that you want to display. To show all tools, select Show All. RELATED LINKS Common Record Modes Menu on page 195 Audio Record Modes on page 200 MIDI Record Modes on page 206 Left/Right Toolbar Divider on page 38 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Left Zone The left zone of the Project window allows you to display the Inspector. To show/hide the left zone, click Show/Hide Left Zone on the Project window toolbar. Inspector 42 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Left Zone RELATED LINKS Inspector on page 43 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Inspector The Inspector allows you to show controls and parameters for either the selected track in the track list or the event or part that is shown in the editor in the lower zone. To show/hide the Inspector, click Show/Hide Left Zone in the Project window toolbar. 43 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Left Zone The following tabs are available: Track Opens the Track Inspector for the selected track. Editor Opens the Editor Inspector for the event or part that is shown in the editor in the lower zone. RELATED LINKS Opening the Track Inspector on page 44 Opening the Editor Inspector on page 45 Opening the Editor in the Lower Zone on page 50 Opening the Track Inspector The Track Inspector shows controls and parameters for the selected track in the track list. PROCEDURE 1. Click Show/Hide Left Zone on the Project window toolbar to activate the Left Zone. 2. At the bottom of the left zone, click the Track tab. 44 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Left Zone RESULT The Track Inspector for the selected track opens. If more than one track is selected in the track list, the controls and parameters for the topmost selected track are shown. NOTE In this documentation we use Inspector to refer to the Track tab of the Inspector. Opening the Editor Inspector The Editor Inspector shows controls and parameters for the event or part that is shown in the editor in the lower zone. PREREQUISITE The Sample Editor, the Audio Part Editor, the Key Editor, the Drum Editor, or the Score Editor is shown in the lower zone. PROCEDURE 1. Click Show/Hide Left Zone on the Project window toolbar to activate the Left Zone. 2. At the bottom of the left zone, click the Editor tab. 45 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Left Zone RESULT The Editor Inspector for the event or part opens. NOTE The Editor Inspector only contains information if the lower zone shows an editor. Otherwise, it is empty. RELATED LINKS Opening the Editor in the Lower Zone on page 50 Inspector Sections The Track tab and the Editor tab of the Inspector are divided into a number of sections that each contain different controls for the track, event or part. Not all Inspector sections are shown by default. The available sections depend on the type of the selected track, event, or part, and on the settings in the setup dialog for the Track tab and the Editor tab of the Inspector. To open/close sections, click their names. Opening one section closes the other sections. To open a section without closing the other sections, Ctrl/Cmd-click the section name. RELATED LINKS Track Inspector Settings Dialog on page 87 Inspector Sections on page 88 Audio Track Inspector on page 97 Instrument Track Inspector on page 100 MIDI Track Inspector on page 106 Sampler Track Inspector on page 103 46 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Lower Zone Arranger Track Inspector on page 119 Marker Track Inspector on page 122 Video Track Inspector on page 124 Key Editor Inspector on page 543 Drum Editor Inspector on page 575 Sample Editor Inspector on page 353 Lower Zone The lower zone of the Project window allows you to display specific windows and editors in an integrated and fixed zone of the Project window. This is useful if you work on single screen systems and notebooks, for example. To show/hide the lower zone, click Show/Hide Lower Zone on the Project window toolbar. The lower zone features the following tabs: Chord Pads, MixConsole, Sampler Control, and Editor. To close the lower zone, click Close Lower Zone to the left of the tabs. RELATED LINKS Opening Chord Pads on page 48 Opening the MixConsole in the Lower Zone on page 49 Opening Sampler Control on page 49 Opening the Editor in the Lower Zone on page 50 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Setting up the Lower Zone In the lower zone, the MixConsole, Editor, Sampler Control, and Chord Pads tabs are shown. You can change their order, and you can hide tabs that you do not need. PROCEDURE 1. Click Set up Lower Zone in the bottom right of the lower zone. 47 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Lower Zone 2. Do one of the following: Activate/Deactivate the options in the pop-up menu to show/hide tabs in the lower zone. Select Setup to open a dialog where you can activate/deactivate the tabs and change their position. NOTE In the Presets section of this dialog you can also save a preset of your configuration. RESULT The tabs in the lower zone are shown according to your configuration. RELATED LINKS Setup Dialog on page 697 Opening Chord Pads Chord Pads allow you to play with chords, and to change their voicings and tensions. PROCEDURE 1. Click Show/Hide Lower Zone on the Project window toolbar to activate the lower zone. 2. At the bottom of the lower zone, click the Chord Pads tab. RESULT The Chord Pads are opened. 48 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Lower Zone RELATED LINKS Chord Pads on page 602 Setting up the Lower Zone on page 47 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Opening the MixConsole in the Lower Zone The MixConsole in the lower zone allows you to perform all basic mixing procedures from within the lower zone of the Project window, and at the same time to see the context of your tracks and events. PROCEDURE 1. Click Show/Hide Lower Zone on the Project window toolbar to activate the lower zone. 2. At the bottom of the lower zone, click the MixConsole tab. RESULT The MixConsole is opened in the lower zone. RELATED LINKS MixConsole in Lower Zone on page 257 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Opening Sampler Control Sampler Control allows you to display and edit the waveform of an audio sample on a sampler track. PROCEDURE 1. Click Show/Hide Lower Zone on the Project window toolbar to activate the lower zone. 2. At the bottom of the lower zone, click the Sampler Control tab. 49 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Lower Zone RESULT Sampler Control is opened. RELATED LINKS Sampler Tracks on page 384 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Opening the Editor in the Lower Zone The Editor in the lower zone allows you to perform event editing procedures from within the lower zone of the Project window, and at the same time to see the context of your tracks and events. NOTE By default, double-clicking an audio event/part or a MIDI part in the event display or selecting it and pressing Return opens the corresponding editor in the lower zone of the Project window. Using a menu command opens a separate editor window. You can change this in the Preferences dialog (Editors page). PROCEDURE 1. Click Show/Hide Lower Zone on the Project window toolbar to activate the lower zone. 2. At the bottom of the lower zone, click the Editor tab. 3. In the event display, do one of the following: Select a MIDI part. Select an audio event. Select an audio part. 50 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Lower Zone RESULT Depending on your event or part selection, the lower zone shows either the Audio Part Editor, the Sample Editor, or one of the MIDI editors. NOTE To change the default MIDI editor, select MIDI > Set up Editor Preferences, and select an option from the Default MIDI Editor pop-up menu. NOTE If you open the editor and no event or part is selected, the editor in the lower zone is empty. RELATED LINKS Selecting a different MIDI Editor on page 51 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Selecting a different MIDI Editor You can display the MIDI part that is opened in the editor in the lower zone in a different MIDI editor. You can do this without changing the default MIDI editor. PROCEDURE 1. On the Editor tab in the editor in the lower zone, click Select MIDI Editor. 2. Select an editor from the pop-up menu. 51 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Right Zone RESULT The MIDI part is displayed in the selected editor. NOTE This selection is temporary. Next time you open the MIDI part, the default MIDI editor is used. Right Zone The right zone of the Project window allows you to display the VSTi rack and the Media rack. To show/hide the right zone, click Show/Hide Right Zone on the Project window toolbar. The top of the right zone features the following tabs: VSTi and Media. 52 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Right Zone NOTE You can show/hide specific tabs in the right zone by right-clicking a tab and activating/ deactivating the options in the context menu. RELATED LINKS VSTi Rack in the Right Zone on page 53 Media Rack in the Right Zone on page 56 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Opening the VSTi Rack in the Right Zone You can show the VSTi rack in the right zone of the Project window. This allows you to add and edit VST instruments, and at the same time to see the context of your tracks and events. PROCEDURE 1. Click Show/Hide Right Zone on the Project window toolbar to activate the Right Zone. 2. At the top of the right zone, click the VSTi tab. 3. RESULT The VSTi rack is opened in the right zone of the Project window. RELATED LINKS VSTi Rack in the Right Zone on page 53 VST Instruments on page 458 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 VSTi Rack in the Right Zone The VSTi rack in the right zone of the Project window allows you to add and edit VST instruments in the context of the Project window. The following sections are available: 53 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Right Zone Track Shows the associated VST instrument for an instrument track. Rack Shows a VST instrument. The following controls are available: Add Track Instrument Opens the Add Track dialog that allows you to select an instrument and add an instrument track that is associated to this instrument. Find Instruments Opens a selector that allows you to find a loaded instrument. Set Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls to Previous Instrument Allows you to set the remote-control focus to the previous instrument. Set Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls to Next Instrument Allows you to set the remote-control focus to the next instrument. Show/Hide all VST Quick Controls Shows/Hides the default quick controls for all loaded instruments. Settings Opens the Settings menu where you can activate/deactivate the following modes: Show VST Quick Controls for One Slot Only shows the VST Quick Controls exclusively for the selected instrument. MIDI Channel follows track selection ensures that the Channel selector follows the MIDI track selection in the Project window. Use this mode if you work with multitimbral instruments. Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls follows track selection ensures that the VST Quick Controls remote-control focus follows the track selection. RELATED LINKS VST Instruments Window on page 462 54 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Right Zone Opening the Media Rack in the Right Zone You can show the Media rack in the right zone of the Project window. This allows you to see the context of your tracks and events when you drag audio events, MIDI parts, presets, or instruments into the Project window. PROCEDURE 1. Click Show/Hide Right Zone on the Project window toolbar to activate the Right Zone. 2. At the top of the right zone, click the Media tab. RESULT The Media rack is opened in the right zone of the Project window. RELATED LINKS Media Rack in the Right Zone on page 56 MediaBay and Media Rack on page 416 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 55 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Right Zone Media Rack in the Right Zone The Media rack in the right zone of the Project window allows you to drag audio events, MIDI parts, or instrument presets into the event display. It lists Steinberg factory content and any installed Steinberg content sets. The Media rack Home tab shows the following tiles: VST Instruments Shows all included VST instruments. VST Effects Shows all included VST effects. Loops & Samples Shows audio loops, MIDI loops, or instrument sounds ordered by content set. Presets Shows the track presets, strip presets, FX chain presets, and VST FX presets. User Presets Shows track presets, strip presets, pattern banks, FX chain presets, VST FX presets, and instrument presets that are listed in the User folder. Favorites Shows your favorite folders and allows you to add new favorites. The folder content is automatically added to the MediaBay database. File Browser Shows your file system and the pre-defined folders Favorites, This Computer, VST Sound, Factory Content, and User Content where you can search for media files and access them immediately. 56 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Keyboard Focus in the Project Window RELATED LINKS Media Rack in Right Zone on page 416 MediaBay and Media Rack on page 416 Keyboard Focus in the Project Window The different zones in the Project window can be controlled by using key commands. To make sure that a key command has effect on a specific zone, you must make sure that this zone has the keyboard focus. The following Project window zones can have the keyboard focus: Project zone Left zone Lower zone Right zone If a zone has the keyboard focus, the border that surrounds it is highlighted in a specific color. NOTE You can change the focus color in the Preferences dialog (User Interface--Custom Colors page). RELATED LINKS Project Zone on page 31 Left Zone on page 42 Lower Zone on page 47 Right Zone on page 52 Project Window on page 30 Activating Keyboard Focus for a Zone You can activate the keyboard focus for a zone by clicking with the mouse and by using key commands. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: To activate any zone, click in it. To activate the next zone, press Tab. This allows you to cycle forward through the zones. To activate the previous zone, press Shift-Tab. NOTE The editor in the lower zone automatically gets the keyboard focus if you double-click an event or part in the event display, if you select an event or part and press Return, or if you use key commands to open the zone. RESULT The keyboard focus is activated for this zone and the border of the zone is highlighted. 57 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Zooming in the Project Window NOTE The project zone and the lower zone have separate toolbars and info lines. If you use the toolbar or the info line for one of these zones, the corresponding zone automatically gets the focus. Zooming in the Project Window You can zoom in the Project window according to the standard zoom techniques. NOTE If screen redraws are slow on your system, consider activating Quick Zoom in the Preferences dialog (Editing page). Zooming Horizontally Select the Zoom tool and click in the event display to zoom in. To zoom out, hold down Alt and click. Use the horizontal zoom sliders to zoom in and out. Click the lower half of the ruler and drag down to zoom in horizontally. Click the lower half of the ruler and drag up to zoom out horizontally. Click H to zoom in horizontally. Click G to zoom out horizontally. NOTE If the Grid Type in the Project window toolbar is set to Adapt to Zoom, the horizontal zoom level affects the grid and snap resolution in the event display. Zooming Vertically Select the Zoom tool, click in the event display, and drag a selection rectangle to zoom in vertically and horizontally. NOTE For this to work, you must deactivate the Zoom Tool Standard Mode: Horizontal Zooming Only option in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Tools page). Use the vertical zoom sliders to zoom in and out. If you have made any individual track height adjustments, the relative height differences are maintained. Click Shift-H to zoom in vertically. Click Shift-G to zoom out vertically. RELATED LINKS Zoom Submenu on page 59 Zoom Presets on page 59 Zooming in on Cycle Markers on page 60 Zoom History on page 61 Grid Type Menu on page 63 Zooming in on Audio Contents You can zoom in vertically on the contents of audio parts and events. This is useful when viewing quiet audio passages. PROCEDURE Click the waveform zoom slider in the top right corner of the event display and drag up. 58 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Zooming in the Project Window RESULT The contents of audio parts and events in your project are zoomed in vertically. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To get an approximate reading on the level of the audio events by viewing the waveforms, zoom out by dragging the slider all the way down again. Otherwise, zoomed waveforms may be mistaken for clipped audio. Zoom Submenu The Zoom submenu contains options for zooming in the Project window. To open the Zoom submenu, select Edit > Zoom. The following options are available: Zoom In/Zoom Out Zooms in/out one step, centering on the project cursor. Zoom Full Zooms out so that the whole project is visible. The whole project means the timeline from the project start to the length set in the Project Setup dialog. Zoom to Selection Zooms in horizontally and vertically so that the current selection fills the screen. Zoom to Selection (Horiz.) Zooms in horizontally so that the current selection fills the screen. Zoom to Event Zooms in to show the currently selected event. This option is available in the Sample Editor and in some MIDI editors. Zoom In Vertically/Zoom Out Vertically Zooms in/out one step vertically. Zoom In Tracks/Zoom Out Tracks Zooms the selected tracks in/out one step vertically. Zoom Selected Tracks Zooms in vertically on the selected tracks and minimizes the height of all other tracks. Undo Zoom/Redo Zoom These options allow you to undo/redo the last zoom operation. RELATED LINKS Zoom Submenu on page 355 Zoom Presets You can create zoom presets that allow you to set up different zoom settings. For example, one where the whole project is displayed in the Project window and another with a high zoom factor 59 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Zooming in the Project Window for detailed editing. The Zoom Presets pop-up menu allows you to select, create, and organize zoom presets. To open the Zoom Presets pop-up menu, click the button to the left of the horizontal zoom control. The upper part of the menu lists the zoom presets. To save the current zoom setting as a preset, open the Zoom Presets pop-up menu and select Add. In the Type In Preset Name dialog that opens, type in a name for the preset and click OK. To select and apply a preset, select it from the Zoom Presets pop-up menu. To zoom out so that the whole project is visible, open the Zoom Presets pop-up menu and select Zoom Full. This displays the project from the Project Start Time to the Project Length that is set in the Project Setup dialog. To delete a preset, open the Zoom Presets pop-up menu and select Organize. In the dialog that opens, select the preset in the list and click Delete. To rename a preset, open the Zoom Presets pop-up menu and select Organize. In the dialog that opens, select a preset in the list and click Rename. In the dialog that opens, type in a new name for the preset. Click OK to close the dialogs. IMPORTANT Zoom presets are global for all projects. They are available in all projects that you open or create. Zooming in on Cycle Markers You can zoom in on the area between cycle markers in the project. PREREQUISITE You have created at least one cycle marker for the project. PROCEDURE Click the button to the left of the horizontal zoom control to open the Zoom Presets pop- up menu, and select a cycle marker. 60 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Snap Function The middle part of the pop-up menu lists any cycle markers that you have added to the project. RESULT The event display is zoomed in to encompass the marker area. RELATED LINKS Markers Window on page 251 Zoom History You can undo and redo zoom operations. This way, you can zoom in several steps and then easily go back to the zoom stage at which you started. You can undo and redo zoom operations in the following ways: To undo zoom, select Edit > Zoom > Undo Zoom or double-click with the zoom tool. To redo zoom, select Edit > Zoom > Redo Zoom or press Alt and double-click with the zoom tool. Snap Function The Snap function helps you to find exact positions when editing in the Project window. It does this by restricting horizontal movement and positioning to certain positions. Operations affected by Snap include moving, copying, drawing, sizing, splitting, range selection, etc. To activate/deactivate Snap, activate/deactivate Snap on the toolbar. Setting the Snap Point You can set the snap point at any position of the audio event. PROCEDURE 1. Select an event. 2. Place the project cursor at a position within the selected audio event. 3. Select Audio > Snap Point to Cursor. RESULT The snap point is set at the cursor position. The snap point for an event is displayed as a vertical line in the Project window. NOTE You can also set the snap point in the Sample Editor. 61 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Snap Function RELATED LINKS Adjusting the Snap Point on page 361 Snap to Zero Crossing When splitting and sizing audio events, sudden amplitude changes can cause pops and clicks. To avoid this, you can activate Snap to Zero Crossing to snap to points where the amplitude is zero. To activate Snap to Zero Crossing, activate Snap to Zero Crossing on the toolbar. Snap Types Menu You can select between different snap types to determine the snap point. To open the Snap Type pop-up menu, click Snap Type on the toolbar. The following snap types are available: Grid If this option is activated, the snap points are set with the Grid Type pop-up menu. The options depend on the display format that is selected for the ruler. If you select Seconds as ruler format, time-based grid options are available. If you select Bars+Beats as ruler format, musical grid options are available. Grid Relative If this option is activated, events and parts are not magnetic to the grid. Rather, the grid determines the step size for moving the events. This means that a moved event keeps its original position relative to the grid. For example, if an event starts at the position 3.04.01, Snap is set to Grid Relative, and Grid Type is set to Bar, you can move the event in steps of one bar to the positions 4.04.01, 5.04.01, and so on. NOTE This only applies when dragging existing events or parts. When you create new events or parts, this Snap Type works like Grid. Events If this option is activated, the start and end positions of other events and parts become magnetic. This means that if you drag an event to a position near the start or end of another event, it is automatically aligned with the start or end of the other event. For audio events, the position of the snap point is also magnetic. This includes marker events on the marker track. Shuffle Shuffle is useful when you want to change the order of adjacent events. If you have two adjacent events and drag the first one to the right, past the second event, the two events change places. The same principle works when changing the order of more than two events. 62 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Snap Function Cursor This grid type lets the project cursor become magnetic. Dragging an event near the cursor causes the event to be aligned with the cursor position. Grid + Cursor This is a combination of Grid and Cursor. Events + Cursor This is a combination of Events and Cursor. Events + Grid + Cursor This is a combination of Events, Grid, and Cursor. Grid Type Menu Allows you to specify a grid type that determines the grid and snap resolution in the event display. NOTE This setting only has an effect if Snap Type is set to one of the grid options. To open the Grid Type pop-up menu, click Grid Type on the toolbar. If you select Bars+Beats as ruler format, the following grid types are available: Bar Sets the grid and snap resolution to bars. Beat Sets the grid and snap resolution to beats. Use Quantize Sets the grid and snap resolution to the value that is activated in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu. Adapt to Zoom Sets the grid and snap resolution to the horizontal zoom level. The more you zoom in on the event display, the finer the resolution. High zoom levels allow you to snap to 64th notes, low zoom levels allow you to snap to bars. NOTE Adapt to Zoom is only available if Bars+Beats is set as ruler display format. NOTE You can assign key commands to the grid types in the Key Commands dialog in the Edit category. If you activate Time Linear in the ruler context menu, the distances between the grid lines are still constant but based on musical values such as bars and beats. If you select Seconds as ruler format, the following grid types are available: 1 ms Sets the grid and snap resolution to 1 ms. 10 ms Sets the grid and snap resolution to 10 ms. 63 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Cross-Hair Cursor 100 ms Sets the grid and snap resolution to 100 ms. 1000 ms Sets the grid and snap resolution to 1000 ms. RELATED LINKS Snap Types Menu on page 62 Zooming in the Project Window on page 58 Ruler Display Format Menu on page 40 Cross-Hair Cursor The cross-hair cursor is displayed when working in the Project window and in the editors, facilitating navigation and editing, especially when arranging large projects. You can set up the cross-hair cursor in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Tools page). You can set up the colors for the line and the mask of the cross-hair cursor, and define its width. The cross-hair cursor works as follows: When the Object Selection tool or one of its subtools is selected, the cross-hair cursor appears when you start moving/copying a part/event, or when using the event trim handles. Cross-hair cursor when moving an event. When the Object Selection tool, the Split tool, or any other tool that makes use of this function is selected, the cross-hair cursor appears as soon as you move the mouse over the event display. The cross-hair cursor is only available for tools where such a function is of any use. The Mute tool, for example, does not use a cross-hair cursor, as you have to click directly on an event to mute it. Edit History Dialog The Edit History dialog contains a list of all your edits. This allows you to undo all actions in the Project window as well as in the editors. To open the Edit History dialog, select Edit > History. 64 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Color Handling Action Shows the name of the action. Time Shows the time when this action was performed. State Shows the state of the action. Details Shows further details, and allows you to enter new text. Separator Move the separator upwards to undo your actions. To redo an action again, move the separator down. NOTE You can also undo applied audio processes. However, we recommend to modify or delete these using the Direct Offline Processing window. RELATED LINKS Direct Offline Processing on page 325 Setting the Number of Maximum Undo Steps You can limit the number of maximum undo steps. This is useful if you run out of memory, for example. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select General. 2. Set the number in the Maximum Undo Steps field. Color Handling You can colorize events and tracks in Cubase. This allows for an easier overview in the Project window. RELATED LINKS Color Picker on page 71 Project Colors Setup Dialog on page 68 Setting Event Colors to Track Colors on page 68 Colorizing Events on the Fly on page 68 Colorizing Selected Events or Parts on page 67 Resetting the Track Color on page 67 Colorizing Single Tracks on page 66 Colorizing Selected Tracks on page 66 Color Handling on page 65 User Interface - Track & MixConsole Channel Colors on page 724 Automatically Assigning Colors to New Tracks/Channels on page 129 65 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Color Handling Colorizing Selected Tracks You can colorize selected tracks. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, deselect all events or parts. 2. Select the tracks that you want to colorize. 3. On the Project window toolbar, select Select Color for Selected Tracks or Events. The Colorize pane opens. NOTE If you want to select colors by names instead, activate the Select Colors by Name option in the Project Colors Setup dialog (Options page). 4. Select a color. RESULT The selected tracks are colorized, and the events and parts get the track color. NOTE If you assign a different color to individual events or parts with the Color tool, events or parts no longer follow color changes of the track. RELATED LINKS Colorizing Events on the Fly on page 68 Options Tab on page 71 Colorizing Single Tracks You can colorize single tracks via the Inspector or the track list. This is useful if you want to ensure that no other tracks, events, or parts are colorized accidentally. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Select the track that you want to colorize, and in the Inspector, click Colorize Selected Track. Ctrl/Cmd-click the left area of the track list. The Colorize pane opens. NOTE If you want to select colors by names instead, activate the Select Colors by Name option in the Project Colors Setup dialog (Options page). 2. Select a color. 66 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Color Handling RESULT The track is colorized, and any events or parts on that track get the same color. NOTE If you assign a different color to individual events or parts with the Color tool, they no longer follow color changes of the track. RELATED LINKS Colorizing Events on the Fly on page 68 Options Tab on page 71 Resetting the Track Color You can reset the color of a track to the default color. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select the track that you want to reset to the default color, and deselect all events or parts. 2. On the Project window toolbar, select Select Color for Selected Tracks or Events. 3. In the Colorize pane, click Set Track Color to Default. RESULT The default color is assigned to the selected track. Colorizing Selected Events or Parts You can colorize selected events or parts with Select Color for Selected Tracks or Events. By default, events or parts follow the color of the corresponding track. However, you can overwrite this setting and, for example, select the same color for events or parts that reside on different tracks. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select all events or parts that you want to colorize. 2. On the Project window toolbar, select Select Color for Selected Tracks or Events. The Colorize pane opens. NOTE If you want to select colors by names, activate the Select Colors by Name option in the Project Colors Setup dialog (Options page). 3. Select a color. RESULT The selected events are colorized and no longer follow the color changes of the track. RELATED LINKS Colorizing Events on the Fly on page 68 Options Tab on page 71 67 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Color Handling Colorizing Events on the Fly You can colorize events or parts with the Color tool. By default, events or parts follow the color of the corresponding track. However, you can overwrite this setting and, for example, select the same color for events or parts that reside on different tracks. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window toolbar, select the Color tool. 2. Do one of the following to select a tool color: Alt-click an event or part to copy its color. Move the mouse pointer over the Color tool, and use the mouse wheel to step through the colors of the current color set. 3. Optional: Select the events or parts that you want to colorize with the Object Selection tool. This is only necessary if you want to colorize multiple events or parts. 4. On the Project window toolbar, select the Color tool. 5. Click the events or parts that you want to colorize. RESULT The events or parts are colorized and no longer follow color changes of the track. NOTE You can also Ctrl/Cmd-click an event or part with the Color tool to open the Colorize pane or to select colors by names. RELATED LINKS Colorizing Selected Events or Parts on page 67 Options Tab on page 71 Setting Event Colors to Track Colors You can set the color of events or parts to the track color. This is useful if you colorized events or parts with the Color tool and you want them to follow the track color again. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select the event or part that you want to set to the track color. 2. On the Project window toolbar, click Select Color for Selected Tracks or Events. 3. In the Colorize pane, click Set Event Color to Track. RESULT The track color is assigned to the selected event or part. RELATED LINKS Colorizing Events on the Fly on page 68 Project Colors Setup Dialog The Project Colors Setup dialog allows you to set up colors for your project. To open the Project Colors Setup dialog, select Project > Project Colors Setup. 68 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Color Handling RELATED LINKS Color Picker on page 71 Color Set Tab on page 69 Presets Tab on page 70 Options Tab on page 71 Color Set Tab The Color Set tab allows you to change the color set that is used in the project. The following options are available: 69 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Color Handling Color fields Click a field to open the Color Picker that allows you to specify a new color. Name Shows the name of the color. Double-click to change it. Set up Allows you to add or remove color fields. Insert Color Adds a new color field. Duplicate Color Duplicates the selected color field. Remove Color Removes the selected color field. Reset Color Resets the selected color field to the factory settings. Apply Applies your changes and closes the dialog. RELATED LINKS Color Picker on page 71 Presets Tab The Presets tab allows you to expand the color set to 24 or even 32 colors or reduce it to 8 colors. You can add tints, and you can sort colors according to their color tint or their basic color. In the New Color Set Settings section, the following options are available: Number of Basic Colors You can set up 8, 16, 24, or 32 basic colors. Number of Color Tints You can set up 1, 2, or 4 color tints. 70 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Color Handling Sort Colors by Allows you to sort the colors of the color set by their basic color or by their color tint. The New Color Set section displays the current colors of the new color set. The Missing Current Project Colors section shows which missing colors will be replaced. Move the mouse pointer over the color field of a color that is missing to highlight the color that is used to replace it in the New Color Set section. Apply Applies your changes and closes the dialog. Options Tab The Options tab allows you to access the color set options. In the Color Set Options section, the following options are available: Store Color Set as Default Saves the current set of colors as default. Reset Color Set to Default Applies the default set of colors. Reset Color Set to Factory Settings Returns to the standard color palette. Select Colors by Name Allows you to select the colors by name. Apply Applies your changes and closes the dialog. Color Picker The Color Picker allows you to define new custom colors. To open the Color Picker, do one of the following: Select Project > Project Colors Setup, and in the Project Colors Setup dialog on the Color Set tab, click a color field. This allows you to define custom project colors. Select Edit > Preferences, select one of the User Interface entries, and click a color field. This allows you to define custom user interface colors. 71 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Window Color Handling Color selectors Allow you to select a color shade and the nuance of the shade. Context menu Allows you to copy, paste, or reset colors. Current Color/New Color Shows the current color and the new color. Hue/Saturation/Value Allow you to edit the colors numerically. Red/Green/Blue Allow you to edit the colors numerically. OK Confirms the color changes. NOTE You must restart the application for some changes to take effect. 72 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling In Cubase, projects are the central documents. You must create and set up a project to work with the program. Creating New Projects You can create empty projects or projects that are based on a template. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > New Project. Depending on your settings, either the Hub or the Project Assistant dialog opens. 2. In the location options section, select where to store the new project. To use the default location, select Use default location. To choose another location, select Prompt for project location. 3. Do one of the following: To create an empty new project, click Create Empty. To create a new project from a template, select a template and click Create. RESULT A new, untitled project is created. If you selected a template, the new project is based on this template and includes the corresponding tracks, events, and settings. NOTE If you create an empty project, your default presets for the input and output bus configurations are applied. If you have not defined default presets, the last used configurations are applied. Hub RELATED LINKS Presets for Input and Output Busses on page 27 Hub keeps you up to date with the latest information and assists you with organizing your projects. To open the Hub, do one of the following: Select Hub > Open Hub. Select File > New Project. 73 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Hub News and Tutorials Section The News and Tutorials section displays Steinberg news, tutorial videos as well as links to the user forum, downloads, and the Help Center. NOTE Ensure that you have an active Internet connection to access this material. Projects Section The Projects section lets you create new projects, which can either be empty or based on a template. It lets you specify where to save the projects. It also allows you to access recently opened projects or projects that are stored in other locations. This section offers the same functionality as the Project Assistant dialog. Category bar In this section, the available factory templates are sorted into the predefined categories Recording, Scoring, Production, and Mastering. The Recent category contains a list of the recently opened projects. The More category contains the default project template and all templates that are not assigned to any of the other categories. Template list When you click on one of the category items, the list below the category bar shows the available templates for this category. Any new templates that you create are added at the top of the corresponding list. Location options This section allows you to specify where the project is stored. Open Other This button allows you to open any project file on your system. This is identical to using the Open command on the File menu. RELATED LINKS Project Assistant Dialog on page 75 74 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Project Assistant Dialog Deactivating the Hub To start Cubase or to create new projects without the Hub, you can deactivate it. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select General. 2. Deactivate Use Hub. RESULT Cubase starts without opening a project and opens the Project Assistant dialog when you create a new project using the File menu. However, you can still open the Hub through the Hub menu. Project Assistant Dialog The Project Assistant dialog assists you with organizing your projects. To open the Project Assistant dialog, deactivate Use Hub in the Preferences dialog (General page), and select File > New Project. Category bar In this section, the available factory templates are sorted into the predefined categories Recording, Production, Scoring, and Mastering. The Recent category contains a list of the recently opened projects. The More category contains the default project template and all templates that are not assigned to any of the other categories. 75 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Project Files Template list When you click on one of the category items, the list below the category bar shows the available factory templates for this category. Any new templates that you create are added at the top of the corresponding list. Location options This section allows you to specify where the project is stored. Open Other This button allows you to open any project file on your system. This is identical to using the Open command from the File menu. Project Files A project file (extension *.cpr) is the central document in Cubase. A project file contains references to media data that can be saved in the project folder. NOTE We recommend to save files only in the project folder, even though you can save them in any other location to which you have access. The project folder contains the project file and the following folders that Cubase automatically creates when necessary: Audio Edits Images Track Pictures Template Files Templates can be a good starting point for new projects. Templates are projects where you can save all settings that you regularly use, such as bus configurations, sample rates, record formats, basic track layouts, VSTi setups, drum map setups, etc. The following template types are available from within the Hub: Factory templates for specific scenarios. These are listed in the Recording, Scoring, Production, or Mastering categories. The default template. This is listed in the More category. Any new user templates that you create and save. These are listed in the More category. Template projects are not saved in project folders and therefore contain no subfolders and no media files. To open the location of a specific template, right-click a template in the template list and select Show in Explorer (Windows only) or Reveal in Finder (macOS only). Save As Template Dialog The Save As Template dialog allows you to save projects as templates. To open the Save As Template dialog, select File > Save As Template. 76 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Template Files The following options are available in the Current Presets section: New Folder Allows you to add and name a folder to the template list. Template list Lists the templates and the folders. The following options are available in the Attribute Inspector section: Value Click this field to enter a description for the Content Summary attribute, or to select a template category for Template Category attribute. The following options are available in the New Preset section: New Preset Allows you to enter a name for the new project template. Show Attribute Inspector Allows you to show/hide the Attribute Inspector. 77 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Template Files Saving a Project Template File You can save the current project as a template. When you create a new project, you can select this template as a starting point for your new project. PREREQUISITE You have removed all clips from the Pool. This ensures that references to media data from the original project folder are deleted. PROCEDURE 1. Set up a project. 2. Select File > Save as Template. 3. In the New Preset section of the Save as Template dialog, enter a name for the new project template. 4. In the Attribute Inspector section, double-click the Value field of the Content Summary attribute to enter a description for the template. 5. Click the Value field of the Template Category attribute and select a template category from the pop-up menu. If you do not select a category, the new template will be listed in the Hub in the More category. 6. Click OK to save the template. Renaming Templates You can rename template files from within the Hub or the Project Assistant. PROCEDURE 1. In the Hub or the Project Assistant, right-click a template and select Rename. 2. In the Rename dialog, enter a new name and click OK. 78 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Project Setup Dialog Project Setup Dialog The Project Setup dialog allows you to make general settings for your project. To open the Project Setup dialog, select Project > Project Setup. To open the Project Setup dialog automatically when you create a new project, activate the Run Setup on Create New Project option in the Preferences dialog (General page). IMPORTANT While most Project Setup settings can be changed at any time, you must set the sample rate directly after creating a new project. If you change the sample rate at a later stage, you must convert all audio files in the project to the new sample rate to make them play back properly. In the Project Duration section, the following options are available: Project Start Time Allows you to specify the start time of the project in timecode format. This also determines the sync start position when synchronizing to external devices. Project Length Allows you to specify the length of the project. Project Frame Rate In the Project Frame Rate section, the following options are available: Project Frame Rate Allows you to specify the timecode standard and frame rate for the project. When synchronizing to an external device, this setting must correspond to the frame rate of any incoming timecode. Get Frame Rate From Video Allows you to set the project frame rate to the frame rate of an imported video file. 79 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Project Setup Dialog Project Time Displays In the Project Time Displays section, the following options are available: Display Format Allows you to specify the global display format that is used for all rulers and position displays in the program, except the ruler tracks. However, you can make independent display format selections for the individual rulers and displays. Display Time Offset Allows you to specify an offset for the time positions that are displayed in the rulers and position displays to compensate for the Project Start Time setting. Display Bar Offset This setting is only used if you select the Bars+Beats display format. Allows you to specify an offset for the time positions that are displayed in the rulers and position displays to compensate for the Project Start Time setting. Record File Format In the Record File Format section, the following options are available: Sample Rate Allows you to specify the sample rate at which Cubase records and plays back audio. If your audio hardware generates the sample rate internally and you select a non-supported sample rate, this is indicated by a different color. In this case, you must set a different sample rate to make your audio files play back properly. If you select a sample rate that your audio hardware supports, but that differs from its current sample rate setting, it is automatically changed to the project sample rate. If your audio hardware is externally clocked and receives external clock signals, sample rate mismatches are accepted. Bit Depth Allows you to specify the bit depth of the audio files that you record in Cubase. Select the record format according to the bit depth that is delivered by your audio hardware. The available options are 16 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit, 32 bit float, and 64 bit float. NOTE If your audio interface supports a bit depth of 32 bit, and you want to maintain this precision in your recordings, you must select a Processing Precision of 64 bit float in the Studio Setup dialog. When you record with effects, consider setting the bit depth to 32 bit float or 64 bit float. This prevents clipping (digital distortion) in the recorded files and keeps the audio quality very high. Effect processing and level or EQ changes in the input channel are done in 32-bit float or 64-bit float format, depending on the Processing Precision setting in the Studio Setup dialog. If you record at 16 bit or 24 bit, the audio will be converted to this lower bit depth when it is written to a file. As a result, the signal may degrade. This is independent of the actual bit depth of your audio hardware. Even if the signal from the audio hardware has a bit depth of 16 bit, the signal will be 32 bit float or 64 bit float after the effects are added to the input channel. The higher the bit depth value, the larger the files and the more strain is put on the disk system. If this is an issue, you can lower the record format setting. 80 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Project Setup Dialog Record File Type Allows you to specify the file type of the audio files that you record in Cubase. NOTE For wave file recordings larger than 4GB, the EBU RIFF standard is used. If a FAT 32 disk is used (not recommended), audio files are split automatically. In the Preferences dialog, you can specify what happens if your recorded Wave file is larger than 4 GB. You can set up embedded strings in the Preferences dialog. Project Ownership In the Project Ownership section, the following options are available: Author Allows you to specify a project author that is written into the file, when you export audio files and activate the Insert iXML chunk option. You can specify a default author in the Default Author Name field in the Preferences dialog (General-- Personalization page). Company Allows you to specify a company name that is written into the file, when you export audio files and activate the Insert iXML chunk option. You can specify a default company in the Default Company Name field in the Preferences dialog (General-- Personalization page). Other Project Settings In the Other Project Settings section, the following options are available: Stereo Pan Law If you pan a channel left or right, the sum of the left and right side is higher (louder), than if this channel is panned center. These modes allow you to attenuate signals panned center. 0dB turns off constant-power panning. Equal Power means that the power of the signal remains the same regardless of the pan setting. Volume Max Allows you to specify the maximum fader level. By default, this is set to +12dB. If you load projects that were created with Cubase versions older than 5.5, this value is set to the old default value of +6dB. Hermode Tuning In the Hermode Tuning section, the following options are available: HMT Type (MIDI only) Allows you to specify a mode for Hermode tuning of MIDI notes. HMT Depth (MIDI only) Allows you to specify the overall degree of retuning. RELATED LINKS VST Audio System Page on page 15 Record - Audio on page 721 81 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Opening Project Files Opening Project Files You can open one or several saved project files at the same time. IMPORTANT If you open a project saved with a different program version that contains data for functions that are not available in your version, this data may be lost when you save the project with your version. NOTE If you open an external project, the last used view that was saved on your computer is used. External projects are automatically connected to the input and output busses. If you open a project that was created on a computer with an ASIO port configuration different from the configuration of your computer, this can result in unwanted audio connections. You can deactivate the automatic connection of input and output busses in the Preferences dialog (VST page). PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Open. 2. In the file dialog that opens, select the project that you want to open and click Open. 3. If there already is an open project, you are asked if you want to activate the new project. Do one of the following: To activate the project, click Activate. To open the project without activating it, click No. This reduces load times for projects. RELATED LINKS Do Not Connect Input/Output Busses When Loading External Projects on page 726 Activating Projects on page 82 Activating Projects If you have several projects opened at the same time in Cubase, only one project can be active. The active project is indicated by the lit Activate Project button in the upper left corner of the Project window. If you want to work on another project, you have to activate the other project. PROCEDURE To activate a project, click Activate Project . NOTE If you close the active project, you must activate another open project manually as Cubase can not automatically activate one of the other open projects. 82 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Saving Project Files Opening Recent Projects You can open recent projects directly from the recent projects list. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: In the category bar of the Hub or the Project Assistant dialog, click Recent, select a project from the projects list, and click Open. Select File > Recent Projects and select a recently opened project. Re-Routing Missing Ports If you open a Cubase project that was created on a different system with other audio hardware, Cubase tries to find matching audio inputs and outputs for the input/output busses. If Cubase cannot resolve all audio/MIDI inputs and outputs that are used in the project, the Missing Ports dialog opens. This allows you to manually re-route any ports specified in the project to ports that are available in your system. NOTE To improve the search for matching audio inputs and outputs for the input/output busses, you should use descriptive, generic names for your input and output ports. RELATED LINKS Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs on page 25 Saving Project Files You can save the active project as a project file. To keep your projects as manageable as possible, make sure that you save project files and all related files in the respective project folders. To save the project and specify a file name and location, open the File menu and select Save As. To save the project with its current name and location, open the File menu and select Save. Auto Save Cubase can automatically save backup copies of all open project files with unsaved changes. NOTE Only the project files are backed up. If you want to include the files from the Pool and save your project in a different location, you must use the Back up Project function. Cubase can automatically save backup copies of all open projects with unsaved changes. To set this up, activate the Auto Save option in the Preferences dialog (General page). The backup copies are named "<project name>-xx.bak" where xx is an incremental number. Unsaved projects are backed up in a similar way as "UntitledX-xx.bak", with X being the incremental number for unsaved projects. All backup files are saved in the project folder. To specify the time intervals in which a backup copy is created, use the Auto Save Interval setting. 83 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Reverting to the Last Saved Version To specify how many backup files are created with the Auto Save function, use the Maximum Backup Files option. When the maximum number of backup files is reached, the existing files are overwritten, starting with the oldest file. Saving Project Files As a New Version You can create and activate a new version of an active project file. This is useful if you are experimenting with edits and arrangements and want to be able to go back to a previous version at any time. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Select File > Save New Version. Press Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-S. RESULT The new file is saved with the same name as the original project and an attached incremental number. For example, if your project is called "My Project", new versions are called "My Project-01", "My Project-02", and so on. Reverting to the Last Saved Version You can return to the last saved version and discard all changes that have been introduced. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Revert. 2. In the warning message, click Revert. If you have recorded or created new audio files since the last version was saved, you are prompted to delete or keep the files. Choosing a Project Location You can specify a project location for saving projects in the Hub and in the Project Assistant. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Select Use default location to create a project in the default project location, and in the Project folder field, specify a name for the project folder. If you do not specify a project folder here, the project is saved in a folder named Untitled. Click in the path field to change the default project location, and specify the new default location in the file dialog that opens. Activate Prompt for project location to open a file dialog where you can specify the project folder location. 2. Do one of the following: Click Create Empty to create a new empty project. 84 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Self-Contained Projects Select one of the template projects and click Create to create a project based on a template. RESULT The project is created and saved in the specified location. Self-Contained Projects If you want to share your work or transfer it to another computer, your project must be selfcontained. The following functions facilitate this task: Select Media > Prepare Archive to verify that every clip that is referenced in the project is located in the project folder, and to take actions if that is not the case. Select File > Back up Project to create a new project folder where you can save the project file and the necessary work data. The original project remains unchanged. RELATED LINKS Preparing Archives on page 85 Backing up Projects on page 85 Preparing Archives The Prepare Archive function allows you to gather all files that are referenced by your project to ensure that these are in the project folder. This is useful if you want to move or archive your project. PROCEDURE 1. Select Media > Prepare Archive. If your project references external files, you are prompted if you want to copy them to your working directory. If any processing has been applied, you must decide if you want to flatten edits. 2. Click Proceed. RESULT Your project is ready to be archived. You can move or copy the project folder to another location. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You must copy audio files that reside within the project folder to the Audio folder or save them separately. You must also move your video clips manually, as videos are only referenced and not saved in the project folder. Backing up Projects You can create a backup copy of your project. Backups only contain the necessary work data. All media files except the files from VST Sound archives are included as a copy. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Back up Project. 2. Select an empty folder or create a new one. 3. Make your changes in the Back up Project Options dialog and click OK. 85 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Project Handling Self-Contained Projects RESULT A copy of the project is saved in the new folder. The original project remains unaffected. NOTE VST Sound content provided by Steinberg is copy-protected and is not included in the backup project. If you want to use a backup copy that uses VST Sound content on a different computer, make sure that the corresponding content is also available on that computer. Back up Project Options Dialog The Back up Project Options dialog allows you to create a backup copy of your project. To open the Back up Project Options dialog, select File > Back up Project. Project Name Allows you to change the name of the backed up project. Keep Current Project Active Allows you to keep the current project active after clicking OK. Minimize Audio Files Allows you to include only the audio file portions that are actually used in the project. This can significantly reduce the size of the project folder if you are using small sections of large files. It also means that you cannot use other parts of the audio files if you continue working with the project in its new folder. Make Direct Offline Processing Permanent Allows you to flatten all edits and make all processing and applied effects permanent to each clip in the Pool. Remove Unused Files Allows you to remove unused files and to back up only the files that are actually used. Do Not Back up Video Allows you to exclude video clips on the video track or in the Pool of the current project. 86 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Tracks are the building blocks of your project. They allow you to import, add, record, and edit parts and events. Tracks are listed from top to bottom in the track list and extend horizontally across the Project window. Each track is assigned to a particular channel strip in the MixConsole. If you select a track in the Project window, the controls, settings, and parameters displayed in the Inspector and the track list allow you to control the track. Track Inspector Settings Dialog The Track Inspector Settings dialog allows you to configure for each track type which Inspector sections are shown. You can also specify the order of the sections. To open the Track Inspector Settings dialog, click Set up Inspector, and select Setup from the pop-up menu. 87 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Track Inspector Settings Dialog Hidden Items Displays sections that are hidden in the Inspector. Visible Items Displays sections that are visible in the Inspector. Pin Activate Pin by clicking the column for a section to exclude this section from being closed automatically. Add Allows you to move an item selected in the hidden sections list to the list of visible sections. Remove Allows you to move an item selected in the visible sections list to the list of hidden sections. Move Up/Move Down Allows you to change the position of an item in the list of visible sections. Presets Allows you to save Inspector settings as presets. Reset All Allows you to restore the default Inspector settings. Inspector Sections Each track type has its basic track settings that are always shown. Apart from these, you can set up other track-specific Inspector sections in the Track Inspector Settings dialog. Depending on the track type, you can set up the following Inspector sections: Chords Allows you to specify how the track follows the chord track. Inserts Allows you to add audio insert effects to the track. 88 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Track Controls Settings Dialog Equalizers Allows you to adjust the EQs for the track. You can have up to four bands of EQs for each track. Sends Allows you to route the track to one or several FX channels. Fader Shows a duplicate of the corresponding MixConsole channel. Notepad Allows you to enter notes about the track. Quick Controls Allows you to configure quick controls to use remote devices, for example. MIDI Modifiers Allows you to transpose or adjust the velocity of the MIDI track events in real time during playback. Instrument Shows the audio-related controls for the sampler track. MIDI Fader Shows a duplicate of the corresponding MixConsole channel. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 46 Track Inspector Settings Dialog on page 87 Insert Effects on page 306 Send Effects on page 311 Equalizers (EQ) on page 281 Chords Section for MIDI Tracks on page 595 Track Quick Controls MIDI Modifiers Section on page 495 Track Controls Settings Dialog The Track Controls Settings dialog allows you to configure which track controls are shown in the track list. You can also specify the order of controls and group controls so that they are always shown adjacent to each other. NOTE The Track Controls Settings dialog is available for the main track types. Track types that can only be added once have their fixed set of track-specific controls. In the global Add Track dialog, these tracks are shown in the More Tracks section. An exception to this are the chord track and the video track. To open the Track Controls Settings dialog, right-click a track in the track list and select Track Controls Settings from the context menu, or click Open Track Controls Settings Dialog in the bottom right corner of the track list. 89 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Track Controls Settings Dialog Track type Allows you to select the track type to which your settings are applied. Hidden Controls Displays controls that are hidden in the track list. Visible Controls Displays controls that are visible in the track list. Width If you click in this column, you can set the maximum length for the track name. Group Displays the group number. Add Allows you to move an item selected in the hidden controls list to the list of visible controls. Remove Allows you to move an item selected in the visible controls list to the list of hidden controls. All controls can be removed except Mute and Solo. Move Up/Move Down Allows you to change the order of an item in the list of visible controls. Group Allows you to group two or more controls selected in the visible controls list that are adjacent to each other. This ensures that they are always positioned side by side in the track list. 90 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Track Controls Settings Dialog Ungroup Allows you to ungroup grouped controls in the visible controls list. To remove an entire group, select the first (topmost) element belonging to this group and click Ungroup. Reset Allows you to restore all default track controls settings for the selected track type. Controls Area Preview Shows a preview of the customized track controls. Presets Allows you to save track controls settings as presets. To recall a preset, click Switch Presets in the bottom right corner of the track list. The name of the selected preset is shown in the left corner. Controls Area Width Allows you to determine the width of the track controls area for the selected track type. In the Controls Area Preview, this area is shown with a frame. Track Name Width (global) Allows you to determine the global name width for all track types. Apply Applies your settings. Reset All Allows you to restore all default track controls settings for all track types. RELATED LINKS More Tracks on page 118 Track Controls You can configure which track controls are shown in the track list. NOTE You can only configure track controls for the main track types. Track types that can only be added once have their fixed set of track-specific controls. In the global Add Track dialog, these tracks are shown in the More Tracks section. An exception to this are the chord track and the video track. The following track controls are always shown: Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. The track name control is available for all track types: Name Shows the name of the track. Double-click to rename the track. 91 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Track Controls Settings Dialog Audio-Related Tracks The following track controls are specific to audio-related tracks, that is, audio tracks, instrument tracks, sampler tracks, group channel tracks, FX channel tracks: Bypass Inserts Bypasses the inserts for the track. Bypass EQs Bypasses the equalizers for the track. Bypass Sends Bypasses the sends for the track. Freeze Channel Opens a dialog that allows you to set the Tail Size time in seconds. Channel Configuration Shows the channel configuration of the track. MIDI-Related Tracks The following controls are specific to MIDI-related tracks, that is, MIDI tracks, sampler tracks, and instrument tracks: ASIO Latency Compensation Moves all recorded events on the track by the current latency. Programs Allows you to select a program. Drum Map Allows you to select a drum map for the track. Audio- and MIDI-Related Tracks The following track controls are specific to audio- and MIDI-related tracks: Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Monitor For audio-related tracks, this routes incoming signals to the selected output. For MIDI and instrument-related tracks, this allows you to route incoming MIDI signals to the selected MIDI output. For this to work, activate MIDI Thru Active in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). Edit Channel Settings 92 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Track Controls Settings Dialog Opens the Channel Settings window for the track. Read Automation Allows you to read track automation. Write Automation Allows you to write track automation. Instrument Tracks The following controls are specific to instrument tracks: Edit Instrument Allows you to open the instrument panel. Instrument Allows you to select an instrument. Sampler Tracks The following controls are specific to sampler tracks: Open/Close Sampler Opens/Closes the Sampler Control in the lower zone. MIDI Tracks The following controls are specific to MIDI tracks: Channel Allows you to specify the MIDI channel. Output Allows you to specify the output for the track. Group/FX/VCA Tracks The following track controls are specific to group/FX/VCA tracks: Mute Automation Deactivates the automation read function for the selected parameter. Automation parameter Allows you to select a parameter for automation. Parameter Allows you to select a parameter value for automation. Marker Tracks The following controls are specific to marker tracks: 93 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Add Track Dialog Add Marker Allows you to add a position marker at the project cursor position. This track control is always shown. Add Cycle Marker Allows you to add a cycle marker at the project cursor position. This track control is always shown. Locate Allows you to move the project cursor to the selected marker position. Cycle Allows you to select a cycle marker. Zoom Allows you to zoom in a cycle marker. Add Track Dialog The Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add tracks. To open the Add Track dialog, click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list. The More Tracks section shows track types that can only be added once. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Audio on page 95 Add Track Dialog Instrument on page 98 Add Track Dialog Sampler on page 102 Add Track Dialog MIDI on page 104 Add Track Dialog Group Channel on page 108 94 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Audio Tracks Add Track Dialog Effect on page 111 Add Track Dialog Ruler on page 114 Add Track Dialog Folder on page 116 More Tracks on page 118 Arranger Track on page 118 Chord Track on page 120 Video Track on page 123 Marker Track on page 122 Audio Tracks You can use audio tracks for recording and playing back audio events and audio parts. Each audio track has a corresponding audio channel in the MixConsole. An audio track can have any number of automation tracks for automating channel parameters, effect settings, etc. You can add audio tracks via the Add Track dialog. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Audio on page 95 Add Track Dialog Audio The Audio page of the Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add audio tracks. To open the Audio page of the Add Track dialog, do one of the following: Click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click Audio. This opens the global Add Track dialog on the Audio page. Select Project > Add Track > Audio or right-click in an empty area of the track list, and select Add Audio Track. This opens only the Audio page of the Add Track dialog. 95 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Audio Tracks The following settings are available: Audio Inputs Opens a window where you can select an input of your connected audio hardware. If you have added an input bus in the Audio Connections window, you can connect to that input bus. The Open Audio Connections button opens the Audio Connections window. Configuration Allows you to set the channel configuration. Audio-related tracks can be configured as mono or stereo tracks. Audio Outputs Allows you to set the output routing. Name Allows you to specify a track name. Count Allows you to enter the number of tracks that you want to add. Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Add Track. This allows you to click the page of another track type to set up and add more tracks. NOTE This is only available if you open the Add Track dialog from the global track controls. Add Track Adds one or more tracks, according to the track type and settings of the active page, and closes the dialog. RELATED LINKS Audio Connections Window on page 24 96 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Audio Tracks Audio Track Inspector The Inspector for audio tracks contains controls and parameters that allow you to edit your audio track. The top section of the audio track Inspector contains the following basic track settings: Track name Click once to show/hide the basic track settings section. Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Edit Channel Settings Opens the Channel Settings window for the track. Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. Read Automation Allows you to read track automation. Write Automation Allows you to write track automation. Auto Fades Settings Opens a dialog where you can make separate fade settings for the track. Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Monitor Routes incoming signals to the selected output. 97 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Instrument Tracks Freeze Audio Channel Allows you to freeze the audio channel. Volume Allows you to adjust the level of the track. Pan Allows you to adjust the panning of the track. Delay Allows you to adjust the playback timing of the track. Load/Save/Reload Track Preset Loads or saves a track preset or reverts the default presets. Input Routing Allows you to specify the input bus for the track. Output Routing Allows you to specify the output bus for the track. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 Instrument Tracks You can use instrument tracks for dedicated VST instruments. Each instrument track has a corresponding instrument channel in the MixConsole. An instrument track can have any number of automation tracks. You can add instrument tracks via the Add Track dialog. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Instrument on page 98 Add Track Dialog Instrument The Instrument page of the Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add instrument tracks. To open the Instrument page of the Add Track dialog, do one of the following: Click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click Instrument. This opens the global Add Track dialog on the Instrument page. 98 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Instrument Tracks Select Project > Add Track > Instrument or right-click in an empty area of the track list, and select Add Instrument Track. This opens only the Instrument page of the Add Track dialog. The following settings are available: Instrument Allows you to select an instrument. Audio Outputs Allows you to set the output routing. Count Allows you to enter the number of tracks that you want to add. Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Add Track. This allows you to click the page of another track type to set up and add more tracks. NOTE This is only available if you open the Add Track dialog from the global track controls. Add Track Adds one or more tracks, according to the track type and settings of the active page, and closes the dialog. 99 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Instrument Tracks Instrument Track Inspector The Inspector for instrument tracks contains controls and parameters that allow you to control your instrument track. It shows some of the sections from VST instrument channels and MIDI tracks. The top section of the instrument track Inspector contains the following basic track settings: Track name Click once to show/hide the basic track settings section. Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Edit Channel Settings Opens the Channel Settings window for the track. Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. Read Automation Allows you to read track automation. Write Automation Allows you to write track automation. Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Monitor Routes incoming MIDI to the selected MIDI output. For this to work, activate MIDI Thru Active in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). 100 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Sampler Tracks Freeze Instrument Channel Allows you to freeze the instrument. Volume Allows you to adjust the level of the track. Pan Allows you to adjust the panning of the track. Delay Allows you to adjust the playback timing of the track. Load/Save/Reload Track Preset Loads or saves a track preset or reverts the default presets. Input Routing Allows you to specify the input bus for the track. Activate Outputs This control is only available if the instrument provides more than one output. It allows you to activate one or more outputs for the instrument. Edit Instrument Allows you to open the instrument panel. Programs Allows you to select a program. Drum Maps Allows you to select a drum map for the track. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 Sampler Tracks You can use sampler tracks for controlling the playback of audio samples via MIDI. Each sampler track has a corresponding channel in the MixConsole. A sampler track can have any number of automation tracks. You can add sampler tracks via the Add Track dialog. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Sampler on page 102 Creating Sampler Tracks on page 385 Sampler Control on page 386 101 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Sampler Tracks Add Track Dialog Sampler The Sampler page of the Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add sampler tracks. To open the Sampler page of the Add Track dialog, do one of the following: Click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click Sampler. This opens the global Add Track dialog on the Sampler page. Select Project > Add Track > Sampler or right-click in an empty area of the track list, and select Add Sampler Track. This opens only the Sampler page of the Add Track dialog. The following settings are available: Name Allows you to specify a track name. Count Allows you to enter the number of tracks that you want to add. Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Add Track. This allows you to click the page of another track type to set up and add more tracks. NOTE This is only available if you open the Add Track dialog from the global track controls. 102 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Sampler Tracks Add Track Adds one or more tracks, according to the track type and settings of the active page, and closes the dialog. Sampler Track Inspector The Inspector for sampler tracks contains controls and parameters that allow you to edit your sampler track. The top section of the sampler track Inspector contains the following basic track settings: Track name Click once to show/hide the basic track settings section. Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Edit Channel Settings Opens the Channel Settings window for the track. Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. Read Automation Allows you to read track automation. Write Automation Allows you to write track automation. Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Monitor Routes incoming MIDI to the selected MIDI output. For this to work, activate MIDI Thru Active in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). 103 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks MIDI Tracks Freeze Sampler Channel Allows you to freeze the sampler track. Volume Allows you to adjust the level of the track. Pan Allows you to adjust the panning of the track. Delay Allows you to adjust the playback timing of the track. Load/Save/Reload Track Preset Loads or saves a track preset or reverts the default presets. Input Routing Allows you to specify the input bus for the track. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 MIDI Tracks You can use MIDI tracks for recording and playing back MIDI parts. Each MIDI track has a corresponding MIDI channel in the MixConsole. A MIDI track can have any number of automation tracks. You can add MIDI tracks via the Add Track dialog. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog MIDI on page 104 Add Track Dialog MIDI The MIDI page of the Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add MIDI tracks. To open the MIDI page of the Add Track dialog, do one of the following: Click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click MIDI. This opens the global Add Track dialog on the MIDI page. 104 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks MIDI Tracks Select Project > Add Track > MIDI or right-click in an empty area of the track list, and select Add MIDI Track. This opens only the MIDI page of the Add Track dialog. The following settings are available: Name Allows you to specify a track name. Count Allows you to enter the number of tracks that you want to add. Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Add Track. This allows you to click the page of another track type to set up and add more tracks. NOTE This is only available if you open the Add Track dialog from the global track controls. Add Track Adds one or more tracks, according to the track type and settings of the active page, and closes the dialog. 105 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks MIDI Tracks MIDI Track Inspector The Inspector for MIDI tracks contains controls and parameters that allow you to control your MIDI track. These affect MIDI events in real time, on playback, for example. The top section of the MIDI track Inspector contains the following basic track settings: Track name Click once to show/hide the basic track settings section. Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Edit Channel Settings Opens the Channel Settings window for the track. Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. Read Automation Allows you to read track automation. Write Automation Allows you to write track automation. Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Monitor Routes incoming MIDI to the selected MIDI output. For this to work, activate MIDI Thru Active in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). 106 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks MIDI Tracks Volume Allows you to adjust the level of the track. MIDI Pan Allows you to adjust the MIDI panning of the track. Delay Allows you to adjust the playback timing of the track. Load/Save/Reload Track Preset Loads or saves a track preset or reverts the default presets. Input Routing Allows you to specify the input bus for the track. Output Routing Allows you to specify the output bus for the track. Channel Allows you to specify the MIDI channel. Edit Instrument Allows you to open the instrument panel. Bank Selector Allows you to set a bank select message that is sent to your MIDI device. Programs Allows you to select a program. Program Selector Allows you to set a program change message that is sent to your MIDI device. Drum Maps Allows you to select a drum map for the track. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 107 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Group Channel Tracks Group Channel Tracks You can use group channel tracks to create a submix of several audio channels and apply the same effects to them. A group channel track contains no events as such, but displays settings and automation for the corresponding group channel. All group channel tracks are automatically placed in a special group track folder in the track list for easy management. Each group channel track has a corresponding channel in the MixConsole. A group channel track can have any number of automation tracks. You can add group channel tracks via the Add Track dialog. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Group Channel on page 108 Add Track Dialog Group Channel The Group page of the Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add group channel tracks. To open the Group page of the Add Track dialog, do one of the following: Click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click Group. This opens the global Add Track dialog on the Group page. Select Project > Add Track > Group. This opens only the Group page of the Add Track dialog. 108 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Group Channel Tracks The following settings are available: Configuration Allows you to set the channel configuration. Audio-related tracks can be configured as mono or stereo tracks. Audio Outputs Allows you to set the output routing. Folder Setup Allows you to select whether you want to create the effect inside or outside a dedicated folder. Name Allows you to specify a track name. Count Allows you to enter the number of tracks that you want to add. Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Add Track. This allows you to click the page of another track type to set up and add more tracks. NOTE This is only available if you open the Add Track dialog from the global track controls. Add Track Adds one or more tracks, according to the track type and settings of the active page, and closes the dialog. Group Channel Track Inspector The Inspector for group channel tracks shows the settings for the group channel. Track name 109 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Group Channel Tracks Click once to show/hide the basic track settings section. Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Edit Channel Settings Opens the Channel Settings window for the track. Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. Read Automation Allows you to read track automation. Write Automation Allows you to write track automation. Volume Allows you to adjust the level of the track. Pan Allows you to adjust the panning of the track. Output Routing Allows you to specify the output bus for the track. NOTE When you select the group folder track instead, the Inspector shows the folder and the group channels it contains. You can click one of the group channels shown in the folder to have the Inspector show the settings for that group channel. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 110 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks FX Channel Tracks FX Channel Tracks You can use FX channel tracks for adding send effects. Each FX channel can contain up to eight effect processors. By routing sends from an audio channel to an FX channel, you send audio from the audio channel to the effects on the FX channel. You can place FX channel tracks in a special FX channel folder, or in the track list, outside an FX channel folder. Each FX channel has a corresponding channel in the MixConsole. An FX channel track can have any number of automation tracks. You can add FX channel tracks via the Add Track dialog. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Effect on page 111 Add Track Dialog Effect The Effect page of the Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add FX channel tracks. To open the Effect page of the Add Track dialog, do one of the following: Click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click Effect. This opens the global Add Track dialog on the Effect page. Select Project > Add Track > Effect. This opens only the Effect page of the Add Track dialog. 111 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks FX Channel Tracks The following settings are available: Effect Allows you to select an effect. Configuration Allows you to set the channel configuration. Audio-related tracks can be configured as mono or stereo tracks. Audio Outputs Allows you to set the output routing. Folder Setup Allows you to select whether you want to create the effect inside or outside a dedicated folder. Name Allows you to specify a track name. Count Allows you to enter the number of tracks that you want to add. Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Add Track. This allows you to click the page of another track type to set up and add more tracks. NOTE This is only available if you open the Add Track dialog from the global track controls. Add Track Adds one or more tracks, according to the track type and settings of the active page, and closes the dialog. RELATED LINKS Adding FX Channel Tracks on page 312 Adding FX Channels to Selected Channels on page 313 FX Channel Track Inspector The Inspector for FX channel tracks shows the settings for the FX channel. When you select the folder track instead, the Inspector shows the folder and the FX channels it contains. You can click 112 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks FX Channel Tracks one of the FX channels shown in the folder to have the Inspector show the settings for that FX channel. Track name Click once to show/hide the basic track settings section. Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Edit Channel Settings Opens the Channel Settings window for the track. Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. Read Automation Allows you to read track automation. Write Automation Allows you to write track automation. Volume Allows you to adjust the level of the track. Pan Allows you to adjust the panning of the track. Output Routing Allows you to specify the output bus for the track. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 113 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Ruler Track Ruler Track You can use ruler tracks to show several rulers with different display formats for the timeline. This is completely independent from the main ruler, as well as rulers and position displays in other windows. You can add ruler tracks via the Add Track dialog. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Ruler on page 114 Add Track Dialog Ruler The Ruler page of the Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add ruler tracks. To open the Ruler page of the Add Track dialog, do one of the following: Click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click Ruler. This opens the global Add Track dialog on the Ruler page. Select Project > Add Track > Ruler. This opens only the Ruler page of the Add Track dialog. The following settings are available: Count Allows you to enter the number of tracks that you want to add. 114 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Folder Tracks Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Add Track. This allows you to click the page of another track type to set up and add more tracks. NOTE This is only available if you open the Add Track dialog from the global track controls. Add Track Adds one or more tracks, according to the track type and settings of the active page, and closes the dialog. Ruler Track Controls In the track list for ruler tracks, you can change the display format for the ruler. Click the display format to open a pop-up menu. The following display formats are available: Bars+Beats Activates a display format of bars, beats, sixteenth notes, and ticks. By default there are 120 ticks per sixteenth note. To adjust this, change the MIDI Display Resolution in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). Seconds Activates a display format of hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. Timecode Activates a display format of hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. The number of frames per second (fps) is set in the Project Setup dialog with the Project Frame Rate pop-up menu. To display subframes, activate Show Timecode Subframes in the Preferences dialog (Transport page). Samples Activates a display format of samples. NOTE Ruler tracks are not affected by the display format setting in the Project Setup dialog. Folder Tracks Folder tracks function as containers for other tracks, making it easier to organize and manage the track structure. They also allow you to edit several tracks at the same time. You can add folder tracks via the Add Track dialog. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Folder on page 116 115 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Folder Tracks Add Track Dialog Folder The Folder page of the Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add folder tracks. To open the Folder page of the Add Track dialog, do one of the following: Click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click Folder. This opens the global Add Track dialog on the Folder page. Select Project > Add Track > Folder. This opens only the Folder page of the Add Track dialog. The following settings are available: Name Allows you to specify a track name. Count Allows you to enter the number of tracks that you want to add. Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Add Track. This allows you to click the page of another track type to set up and add more tracks. NOTE This is only available if you open the Add Track dialog from the global track controls. 116 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks Folder Tracks Add Track Adds one or more tracks, according to the track type and settings of the active page, and closes the dialog. Folder Track Inspector The Inspector for folder tracks shows the folder and its underlying track, much like a folder structure in the File Explorer/macOS Finder. When you select one of the tracks shown under the folder, the Inspector shows the settings for that track. Track name Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Monitor For audio-related tracks, this routes incoming signals to the selected output. For MIDI and instrument-related tracks, this allows you to route incoming MIDI signals to the selected MIDI output. For this to work, activate MIDI Thru Active in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 Folder Track Controls The track list for folder tracks contains controls and parameters that allow you to edit all tracks in the folder. 117 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks More Tracks Expand/Collapse Folder Shows/Hides the tracks in the folder. Hidden tracks are played back as usual. Track name Double-click to rename the track. Mute Mutes the track. Solo Solos the track. Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Monitor For audio-related tracks, this routes incoming signals to the selected output. For MIDI and instrument-related tracks, this allows you to route incoming MIDI signals to the selected MIDI output. For this to work, activate MIDI Thru Active in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). More Tracks Some track types can only be added once. Arranger track Chord track Video track NOTE Marker track Arranger Track You can use the arranger track for arranging your project by marking out sections and determining in which order they are to be played back. To add the arranger track to your project, select Project > Add Track > Arranger. 118 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks More Tracks Arranger Track Inspector The arranger track Inspector displays the lists of available arranger chains and arranger events. The arranger track Inspector contains the following settings: Track name Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Open Arranger Editor Opens the Arranger Editor. Select Active Arranger Chain + Functions Allows you to select the active arranger chain, to rename it, to create a new one, to duplicate, or to flatten it. Current Arranger Chain Shows the active arranger chain. 119 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks More Tracks Arranger Events Lists all arranger events in your project. Click the arrow of an arranger event to play it back and start the live mode. Stop Allows you to stop the live mode. Jump Mode Allows you to define how long the active arranger event is played before jumping to the next one. Arranger Track Controls The track list for the arranger track contains controls and parameters that allow you to edit the arranger track. Select Active Arranger Chain Allows you to select the active arranger chain. Current Item/Current Repeat Displays which arranger event and which repeat is active. Activate Arranger Mode Allows you to activate and deactivate the arranger mode. Open Arranger Editor Opens the Arranger Editor for the track. Chord Track You can use the chord track for adding chord and scale events to your project. These can transform the pitches of other events. To add the chord track to your project, select Project > Add Track > Chord. Chord Track Inspector The chord track Inspector contains settings for the chord events. 120 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks More Tracks The top section of the chord track Inspector contains the following settings: Track name Click to show/hide the basic track settings section. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Mute Chord Track Mutes the track. Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Acoustic Feedback Allows you to audition the events on the chord track. For this to work, you need to select a track for auditioning in the track list. Voicing library Allows you to set up a voicing library for the track. Voicing library subset Allows you to select a library subset. Configure voicing parameters Allows you to configure your own voicing parameters for a specific voicing scheme. Adaptive Voicings If this option is activated, the voicings are set automatically. Automatic Scales If this option is activated, the program creates scale events automatically. Mapping Offset Allows you to specify an offset value to make sure that chord events also affect the MIDI notes that have been triggered too early (enter a negative value) or too late (enter a positive value). RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 121 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks More Tracks Chord Track Controls The track list for the chord track contains controls and parameters that allow you to edit the chord track. The track list for the chord track contains the following controls: Name Shows the name of the track. Double-click to rename the track. Record Enable Activates the track for recording. Mute Chord Track Mutes the track. Select Track for Auditioning Allows you to select a track for auditioning the chord events. Resolve Display Conflicts Allows you to show all chord events on the track properly, even at low horizontal zoom levels. Show Scales Allows you to show the scale lane in the lower part of the chord track. Marker Track You can use the marker track to add and edit markers that help you to locate certain positions quickly. To add the marker track to your project, select Project > Add Track > Marker. Marker Track Inspector The marker track Inspector displays the marker list. Track name Double-click to rename the track. Colorize Selected Track 122 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks More Tracks Allows you to colorize the selected track. Open Marker Window Opens the Markers window. Marker attributes Shows the markers, their IDs, and their time positions. Click in the leftmost column for a marker to move the project cursor to the marker position. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 Marker Track Controls The track list for the marker track contains controls and parameters that allow you to edit the marker track. Track name Double-click to rename the track. Locate Allows you to move the project cursor to the selected marker position. Cycle Allows you to select a cycle marker. Zoom Allows you to zoom in a cycle marker. Add Marker Allows you to add a position marker at the project cursor position. Add Cycle Marker Allows you to add a cycle marker at the project cursor position. Video Track You can use the video track to play back video events. Video files are displayed as events/clips on the video track, with thumbnails representing the frames in the film. To add a video track, select Project > Add Track > Video. 123 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tracks More Tracks Video Track Inspector The video track Inspector contains parameters to control the video track. Colorize Selected Track Allows you to colorize the selected track. Reveal Video Window Opens the Video Player window. Mute Video Track Mutes the track. RELATED LINKS Inspector Sections on page 88 Video Track Controls The track list for the video track contains parameters to control the video track. Mute Video Track Mutes the track. Name Shows the name of the track. Double-click to rename the track. 124 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Tracks are the building blocks of your project. In Cubase, events and parts are placed on tracks. Adding Tracks via the Add Track Dialog You can add tracks via the Add Track dialog. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Do one of the following: Click the track type and set up the options according to your needs. To add track types that can only be added once, open the More Tracks section and click the track type. 3. Click Add Track. RESULT The new track is added to the project below the selected track. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Audio on page 95 Add Track Dialog Instrument on page 98 Add Track Dialog Sampler on page 102 Add Track Dialog MIDI on page 104 Add Track Dialog Effect on page 111 Add Track Dialog Group Channel on page 108 Marker Track on page 122 Add Track Dialog Ruler on page 114 Add Track Dialog Folder on page 116 Arranger Track on page 118 Chord Track on page 120 Video Track on page 123 Adding Tracks Using Track Presets You can add tracks based on track presets. Track presets contain sound and channel settings. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Use Track Preset . 2. Select Using Track Preset. 3. In the Choose Track Preset dialog, select a track preset. The number and type of the added tracks depend on the selected track preset. 125 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Adding Tracks by Dragging Files from the MediaBay 4. Click OK. RESULT The new tracks are added to the project below the selected track. RELATED LINKS Track Presets on page 135 Adding Tracks by Dragging Files from the MediaBay You can add tracks by dragging files from the MediaBay. PREREQUISITE One of the following prerequisites must apply: The MediaBay is open. To open the MediaBay, press F5. The Media rack in the right zone of the Project window is open. Click Show/Hide Right Zone and click the Media tab to open it. PROCEDURE 1. In the MediaBay, select the files for which you want to add tracks. 2. Drag the files into the track list. The indicator highlights the position at which the new tracks will be added. If you drag multiple audio files into the track list, choose if you want to place all files on one track or on different tracks. If you drag multiple audio files into the track list, the Import Options dialog opens that allows you to edit the import options. RESULT The new tracks are added at the position that was highlighted by the indicator in the track list. The audio files are inserted at the cursor position. RELATED LINKS MediaBay and Media Rack on page 416 Media Rack in Right Zone on page 416 Import Options Dialog for Audio Files on page 213 Exporting MIDI Tracks as Standard MIDI Files You can export MIDI tracks as standard MIDI files. This allows you to transfer MIDI material to virtually any MIDI application on any platform. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Export > MIDI File. 2. In the file dialog that opens, specify a location and name for the file. 3. Click Save. 4. In the Export Options dialog, activate the options for the settings that you want to export, and click OK. 126 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Exporting MIDI Tracks as Standard MIDI Files RESULT The MIDI file is exported. It includes the tempo and time signature events of the Tempo Track Editor or, if the tempo track is deactivated on the Transport panel, the current tempo and time signature. NOTE If you want to include other Inspector settings than those specified in the Export Options, use Merge MIDI in Loop to convert these settings to real MIDI events. RELATED LINKS Export Options Dialog for MIDI Files on page 127 Merging MIDI Events into a New Part on page 507 Export Options Dialog for MIDI Files The Export Options for MIDI files allow you to specify what data is included in the exported MIDI files. To open the Export Options for MIDI files, select File > Export > MIDI File. Export Inspector Patch Includes MIDI patch settings in the Inspector as MIDI bank select and program change events in the MIDI file. Export Inspector Volume/Pan Includes volume and pan settings in the Inspector as MIDI volume and pan events in the MIDI file. Export Automation Includes automation as MIDI controller events in the MIDI file. Export Inserts Includes MIDI modifiers and MIDI inserts in the MIDI file. Includes MIDI modifiers in the MIDI file. Export Markers Includes markers as standard MIDI file marker events in the MIDI file. Export as Type 0 Exports a type 0 MIDI file with all data on a single track, but on different MIDI channels. If you deactivate this option, a type 1 MIDI file with data on separate tracks is exported. Export Resolution Allows you to set a MIDI resolution between 24 and 960 for the MIDI file. The resolution is the number of pulses, or ticks, per quarter note (PPQ) and determines the precision with which you will be able to view and edit the MIDI data. The higher 127 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Removing Selected Tracks the resolution, the higher the precision. The resolution should be chosen depending on the application or sequencer with which the MIDI file will be used, because certain applications and sequencers may not be able to handle certain resolutions. Export Locator Range Exports only the range between the left and right locator. Export includes Delay Includes delay settings you have made in the Inspector in the MIDI file. RELATED LINKS Automation on page 448 Markers on page 250 MIDI Track Parameters on page 494 Merging MIDI Events into a New Part on page 507 Export Options on page 718 Removing Selected Tracks You can remove selected tracks from the track list. PROCEDURE Select Project > Remove Selected Tracks. If you delete tracks that are not empty, a warning message is displayed. NOTE You can deactivate this message. To reactivate the message, activate Display Warning before Deleting Non-Empty Tracks in the Preferences dialog (Editing page). Removing Empty Tracks You can remove empty tracks from the track list. PROCEDURE Select Project > Remove Empty Tracks. Moving Tracks in the Track List You can move tracks up or down in the track list. PROCEDURE Select a track and drag it up or down in the track list. Renaming Tracks You can rename tracks. PROCEDURE 1. Double-click the track name and type in a new name for the track. 2. Press Return. 128 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Automatically Assigning Colors to New Tracks/Channels If you want all events on the track to get the same name, hold down any modifier key and press Return. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK If the Parts Get Track Names option is activated in the Preferences dialog (Editing page), and you move an event from one track to another, the moved event will automatically be named according to its new track. Automatically Assigning Colors to New Tracks/Channels You can automatically assign colors to newly added tracks or channels. PROCEDURE 1. Select Edit > Preferences. 2. Open the User Interface page, and select Track & MixConsole Channel Colors. 3. Open the Auto Track/Channel Color Mode pop-up menu and select an option. 4. Click OK. RESULT Any tracks/channels that you added by using Add Track, or by dragging files from the Media rack to the event display are automatically colorized according to your settings. RELATED LINKS User Interface - Track & MixConsole Channel Colors on page 724 Showing Track Pictures You can add pictures to tracks to recognize your tracks easily. Track pictures are available for audio, instrument, MIDI, FX channel and group channel tracks. PREREQUISITE Adjust the track height to at least 2 rows. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click any track in the track list. 2. From the track list context menu, select Show Track Pictures. If you move the mouse to the left on a track, a highlighted rectangle appears. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Double-click the rectangle to open the Track Pictures Browser and set up a track picture. RELATED LINKS Track Pictures Browser on page 130 129 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Showing Track Pictures Track Pictures Browser The Track Pictures Browser allows you to set up and select pictures that can be shown in the track list and in the MixConsole. Track pictures are useful to recognize tracks and channels easily. You can select pictures from the factory content or add new ones to the user library. To open the Track Pictures Browser for a track, double-click in the lower left side of the track list. Factory Shows the factory content in the pictures browser. Pictures browser Shows the pictures that you can assign to the selected track/channel. User Shows your user content in the pictures browser. Import Opens a file dialog that allows you to select pictures in bmp, jpeg, or png format and add them to the user library. Remove Selected Pictures from User Library Removes the selected pictures from the user library. Reset Current Picture Removes the picture from the selected track/channel. Show Preview/Hide Preview Opens/Closes a section with further color and zoom settings. Track Picture Preview Shows the current track picture. When you zoom in the picture, you can drag it with the mouse to change its visible part. Track Color Opens the Color Picker that allows you to select a track color. Intensity Allows you to apply the track color to the track picture and set the color intensity. 130 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Setting the Track Height Zoom Allows you to change the size of the track picture. Rotate Allows you to rotate the track picture. Setting the Track Height You can enlarge the track height to show the events on the track in detail, or you can decrease the height of several tracks to get a better overview of your project. To change the height of an individual track, click its lower border in the track list and drag up or down. To change the height of all tracks simultaneously, hold down Ctrl/Cmd, click the lower border of one track, and drag up or down. To set the number of tracks to view in the Project window, use the track zoom menu. To set the track height automatically when you select a track, click Edit > Enlarge Selected Track. RELATED LINKS Track Zoom Menu on page 131 Track Controls Settings Dialog on page 89 Track Zoom Menu The track zoom menu allows you to set the number of tracks and the track height in the Project window. To open the track zoom menu in the lower right of the Project window, click the arrow button above the vertical zoom control. The following options are available: Zoom Tracks x Rows Zooms all track heights to show the specified number of rows. Zoom Tracks Full Zooms all tracks to fit in the active Project window. Zoom Tracks N Rows Allows you to set the number of rows to fit in the active Project window. 131 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Selecting Tracks Zoom x Tracks Zooms the specified number of tracks to fit in the active Project window. Zoom N Tracks Allows you to set the number of tracks to fit in the active Project window. Zoom Tracks Minimal Zooms all track heights to the minimum size. Snap Track Heights Changes the track height in fixed increments when you resize it. Selecting Tracks You can select one or multiple tracks in the track list. To select a track, click on it in the track list. To select several tracks, Ctrl/Cmd-click several tracks. To select a continuous range of tracks, Shift-click the first and last track in a continuous range of tracks. Selected tracks are highlighted in the track list. RELATED LINKS Track Selection Follows Event Selection on page 708 Scroll to Selected Track on page 711 Select Channel/Track on Solo on page 711 Select Channel/Track on Edit Settings on page 711 Selecting Tracks with Arrow Keys You can select tracks and events with the Up Arrow key or the Down Arrow key on the computer keyboard. However, you can make the Up Arrow key and the Down Arrow key exclusively available for selecting tracks. To make the Up Arrow key and the Down Arrow key exclusively available for selecting tracks, activate Use Up/Down Navigation Commands for Selecting Tracks Only in the Preferences dialog (Editing page). The following applies: If this option is deactivated and no event/part is selected in the Project window, the Up Arrow key and the Down Arrow key are used to step through the tracks in the track list. If this option is deactivated and an event/part is selected in the Project window, the Up Arrow key and the Down Arrow key still step through the tracks in the track list but on the selected track, the first event/part will automatically be selected as well. If this option is activated, the Up Arrow key and the Down Arrow key are only used to change the track selection the current event/part selection in the Project window is not altered. 132 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Deselecting Tracks Deselecting Tracks You can deselect tracks that are selected in the track list. PROCEDURE Shift-click a selected track. RESULT The track is deselected. Duplicating Tracks You can duplicate a track with all contents and channel settings. PROCEDURE Select Project > Duplicate Tracks. RESULT The duplicated track appears below the original track. Disabling Tracks You can disable audio, instrument, MIDI, and sampler tracks that you do not want to play back or process at the moment. Disabling a track zeroes its output volume and shuts down all disk activity and processing for the track. PROCEDURE Right-click in the track list and select Disable Track from the context menu. RESULT The track color changes and the corresponding channel in the MixConsole is hidden. To enable a disabled track and restore all channel settings, right-click in the track list and select Enable Track. Organizing Tracks in Folder Tracks You can organize your tracks in folders by moving tracks into folder tracks. This allows you to perform editing on several tracks as one entity. Folder tracks can contain any type of track including other folder tracks. To add a folder track, click Add Track in the global track controls area of the track list, and click Folder. To move tracks into a folder, select them and drag them into the folder track. To remove tracks from a folder, select them and drag them out of the folder. To hide/show tracks in a folder, click the Expand/Collapse Folder button of the folder track. To hide/show data on a folder track, open the context menu for the folder track and select an option from the Show Data on Folder Tracks submenu. To mute/solo all tracks in a folder track, click the Mute or Solo button for the folder track. 133 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Handling Overlapping Audio NOTE Hidden tracks are played back as usual. Handling Overlapping Audio The basic rule for audio tracks is that each track can only play back a single audio event at a time. If two or more events overlap, only the one that is in front is played back. You can, however, select the event/region that you want to play back. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Right-click the audio event in the event display and select the desired event or region from the To Front or Set to Region submenu. NOTE The available options depend on whether you performed a linear or a cycle recording and the record mode you used. When recording audio in cycle mode, the recorded event is divided in regions, one for each take. Click the middle handle on the lower border of a stacked event and select an entry from the pop-up menu. In the track list, activate Show Lanes and select the desired take. Events Display on Folder Tracks Closed folder tracks can display data of the contained audio, MIDI, and instrument tracks as data blocks or as events. When you close folder tracks, the contents of the contained tracks are displayed as data blocks or events. Depending on the folder track height, the display of the events can be more or less detailed. Modifying Event Display on Folder Tracks You can modify the event display on folder tracks. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click the folder track. 2. On the context menu, select Show Data on Folder Tracks. You have the following options: Always Show Data Displays data blocks or event details always. Never Show Data Displays nothing. Hide Data When Expanded Hides the display of events when you open folder tracks. Show Event Details Displays event details instead of data blocks. 134 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Track Presets NOTE You can change these settings in the Preferences dialog (Event Display--Folders page). RELATED LINKS Event Display - Folders on page 715 Track Presets Track presets are templates that can be applied to newly created or existing tracks of the same type. You can create them from virtually all track types (audio, MIDI, instrument, sampler, group, FX, VST instrument return, input, and output channels). They contain sound and channel settings, and allow you to quickly browse, preview, select, and change sounds, or reuse channel settings across projects. Track presets are organized in the MediaBay. When you apply a track preset, all the settings that are saved in the preset are applied. Track presets can only be applied to tracks of their own type. The only exception are instrument tracks: for these, VST presets are also available. 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, inserts, or EQs. These settings are not stored in VST presets. Audio Track Presets Track presets for audio tracks, group tracks, FX tracks, VST instrument channels, input channels, and output channels include all settings that define the sound. You can use the factory presets as a starting point for your own editing and save the audio settings that you optimized for an artist that you often work with as a preset for future recordings. The following data is saved in audio track presets: Insert effects settings (including VST effect presets) EQ settings Volume and pan Input gain and phase NOTE To access the track presets functions for input and output channels, activate the Write buttons for input and output channels in the MixConsole. This creates input and output channel tracks in the track list. MIDI Track Presets You can use MIDI track presets for multitimbral VST instruments. 135 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Track Presets When creating MIDI track presets, you can either include the channel or the patch. The following data is saved in MIDI track presets: MIDI modifiers (Transpose, etc.) Output and Channel or Program Change Volume and pan Staff settings Color settings Drum map settings 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. 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. Loading Presets for Tracks You can choose from a variety of track presets. PROCEDURE 1. In the Inspector, click the Preset Management icon on the right of the Inserts section. 2. Select From Track Preset. 3. In the Results browser, double-click a track preset to apply it. RELATED LINKS Track Presets on page 135 Loading Presets for VST Instruments When working with VST instruments, you can choose from a variety of presets via the Results browser. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, right-click the instrument track and select Load Track Preset. 2. In the Results browser, double-click a preset to apply it. 136 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Track Presets Instrument Track Presets Instrument track presets offer both MIDI and audio features and are the best choice when handling sounds of simple, mono-timbral VST instruments. Use instrument track presets for auditioning your tracks or saving your preferred sound settings, for example. You can also extract sounds from instrument track presets for use in instrument tracks. The following data is saved in instrument track presets: Audio insert effects Audio EQ Audio volume and pan MIDI insert effects MIDI track parameters The VST instrument used for the track Staff settings Color settings Drum map 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. 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 Extract Sound from Track Preset. 3. In the preset 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. 137 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Track Presets 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. 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. Loading Multi-Track Presets You can apply multi-track presets to several selected tracks. 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 a track and select Load Track Preset. 3. In the preset browser, select a multi-track preset. 4. Double-click the preset to load it. RESULT The preset is applied. Sampler Track Presets You can use sampler track presets to reuse created sounds in later projects or newly created sampler tracks. The following data is saved in sampler track presets: Audio insert effects Audio EQ Audio volume and pan MIDI track parameters Color settings RELATED LINKS Sampler Tracks on page 101 Creating a Sampler Track Preset You can create a sampler track preset from a sampler track or you can use the Sampler Control toolbar. PROCEDURE 1. In the Sampler Control toolbar, click Preset Management . 138 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Track Handling Track Presets 2. Click Save Track Preset. 3. In the Save Track Preset dialog, type in a name for the new preset. 4. Click OK to save the preset and exit the dialog. RESULT The new sampler track preset is saved. It is displayed in the Preset Name field on the info line. Sampler track presets are saved within the application folder in the sampler track presets folder. RELATED LINKS Creating a Track Preset on page 136 Loading Track or VST Presets You can apply track or VST presets to selected tracks. 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. In the Sampler Control toolbar, click the Preset Management button next to the Preset Name field and select Load Track Preset. 3. In the preset browser, select a track, VST, or sampler track 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 or the File Explorer/macOS Finder onto a track of the same type. RELATED LINKS Filters Section on page 440 139 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Parts and events are the basic building blocks in Cubase. Events In Cubase, most event types can be viewed and edited on their specific tracks in the Project window. Events can be added by importing or recording. RELATED LINKS Audio Regions on page 142 MIDI Events on page 143 Audio Events Audio events are created automatically when you record or import audio in the Project window. You can view and edit audio events in the Project window and in the Sample Editor. An audio event triggers the playback of the corresponding audio clip. By adjusting the Offset and the Length values of the event, you can determine which section of the audio clip is played back. The audio clip itself remains unchanged. RELATED LINKS Project Window on page 30 Sample Editor on page 346 Audio Files and Audio Clips on page 141 Basic Recording Methods on page 192 Creating Audio Events You can create audio events by recording or importing audio into the Project window. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Record some audio. Select File > Import > Audio File to import an audio file from your hard disk or any external storage device. Select File > Import > Audio CD to import an audio file from an audio CD. Select File > Import > Audio from Video File to import the audio from a video file on your hard disk or any external storage device. Drag an audio file from the MediaBay, the Audio Part Editor, or the Sample Editor, and drop it in the event display. 140 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Events Copy an event from a different Cubase project and paste it in the event display. RELATED LINKS Basic Recording Methods on page 192 Audio File Import on page 212 Importing Audio CD Tracks on page 215 Importing Audio from Video Files on page 217 MediaBay and Media Rack on page 416 Audio Part Editor on page 374 Sample Editor on page 346 Creating New Files From Events An audio event plays a section of an audio clip, which in turn refers to one or more audio files on the hard disk. However, you can create a new file that consists only of the section that is played by the event. PROCEDURE 1. Select one or several audio events. 2. Set up fade in, fade out, and event volume. These settings will be applied to the new file. 3. Select Audio > Bounce Selection. You are asked whether you want to replace the selected event or not. 4. Do one of the following: To create a new file that only contains the audio in the original event, click Replace. To create a new file and add a clip for the new file to the Pool, click No. RESULT If you clicked Replace, a clip for the new file is added to the Pool, and the original event is replaced by a new event playing the new clip. If you clicked No, the original event is not replaced. NOTE You can also apply the Bounce Selection function to audio parts. In that case, the audio from all events in the part is combined to a single audio file. If you select Replace when asked, the part is replaced with a single audio event playing a clip of the new file. RELATED LINKS Event-Based Fades on page 230 Audio Files and Audio Clips In Cubase, audio editing and processing are non-destructive. When you edit or process audio in the Project window, the audio file on the hard disk remains untouched. Instead, your changes are saved to an audio clip that is automatically created on import or during recording, and that refers to the audio file. This allows you to undo changes or revert to the original version. If you apply processing to a specific section of an audio clip, a new audio file that contains only this section is created. The processing is applied to the new audio file only and 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 141 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Events correct positions. You will hear this as a single recording, with processing applied to one section only. This allows you to undo processing at a later stage, and to apply different processing to different audio clips that refer to the same original file. You can view and edit audio clips in the Pool. RELATED LINKS Pool on page 398 Audio Regions on page 142 Replacing Clips in Events on page 142 Replacing Clips in Events You can replace the clips in audio events. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Hold down Shift, drag an audio file from the File Explorer/macOS Finder, and drop it on the event. Click a clip in the Pool, hold down Shift, and drop it on the event. RESULT The clip in the event is replaced. However, the event edits remain unchanged. If the new clip is shorter than the replaced clip, the length of the event is adapted. If the new clip is longer than the replaced clip, the length of the event stays the same. RELATED LINKS Inserting Clips into a Project via Drag and Drop on page 404 Audio Regions Cubase allows you to create audio regions within audio clips to mark important sections in the audio. You can view audio regions in the Pool. You can create and edit them 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 because different events that refer to the same clip access the same clip information. RELATED LINKS Pool on page 398 Regions List on page 358 Creating Regions You can create regions from several selected audio events or from selection ranges. PROCEDURE 1. Select several audio events or selection ranges. 2. Select Audio > Advanced > Event or Range as Region. 142 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Events 3. In the Create Regions dialog, enter a name for the regions, and click OK. RESULT A region is created in the corresponding clip, with the start and end position of the region determined by the start and end position of the event or selection range within the clip. RELATED LINKS Creating Regions on page 359 Creating Events from Regions You can create events from regions. These replace the original event. PROCEDURE 1. Select an audio event whose clip contains regions within the boundaries of the event. 2. Select Audio > Advanced > Events from Regions. RESULT The original event is removed and replaced by events positioned and sized according to the regions. MIDI Events MIDI events are created automatically when you record or import MIDI in the Project window. You can view and edit MIDI events in the Key Editor, the Drum Editor, or the Score Editor. RELATED LINKS Project Window on page 30 Key Editor on page 535 Drum Editor on page 566 Score Editor on page 553 Basic Recording Methods on page 192 Creating MIDI Events You can create MIDI events by recording or importing MIDI into the Project window. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Record MIDI. Select File > Import > MIDI File to import a MIDI file from your hard disk. Drag a MIDI file from the File Explorer/macOS Finder, from one of the MIDI editors, or from the MediaBay, and drop it in the event display. Copy an event from a different Cubase project and paste it in the event display. RELATED LINKS Basic Recording Methods on page 192 Importing MIDI Files on page 220 MIDI Editors on page 516 MediaBay and Media Rack on page 416 143 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Parts Parts Parts are containers for MIDI or audio events, and for tracks. RELATED LINKS Audio Parts on page 144 MIDI Parts on page 144 Folder Parts on page 144 Audio Parts Audio parts are containers for audio events. If you want to treat several audio events as one unit in the Project window, you can convert them to a part. You can create audio parts in the following ways: Select the Draw tool and draw on the audio track. Press Alt, select the Object Selection tool, and draw on the audio track. Select the Object Selection tool and double-click on the audio track, between the left and right locator. Select several audio events on an audio track and select Audio > Events to Part. NOTE To make the events appear as independent objects on the track again, select the part and select Audio > Dissolve Part. RELATED LINKS Audio Part Editor on page 374 MIDI Parts A MIDI part is automatically created when you record. It contains the recorded events. However, you can also create empty MIDI parts in the following ways: Select the Draw tool and draw on the MIDI track. Press Alt, select the Object Selection tool and draw on the MIDI track. Select the Object Selection tool and double-click on the MIDI track, between the left and right locator. Folder Parts A folder part is a graphic representation of events and parts on the tracks in the folder. Folder parts indicate the time position as well as the vertical track position. If part colors are used, these are also shown in the folder part. Any editing that you perform to a folder part affects all the events and parts it contains. Tracks inside a folder can be edited as one entity. 144 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events NOTE If you want to edit the individual tracks within the folder, you can double-click the folder part. This opens the editors for the events and parts that are present on the tracks. RELATED LINKS Event Colors Menu on page 517 Editing Techniques for Parts and Events This section describes techniques for editing in the Project window. If not explicitly stated, all descriptions apply to both events and parts, even though we use the term event for convenience. In the Project window, you can edit events using the following techniques: By selecting and using one of the tools in the Project window toolbar. NOTE Some editing tools feature additional functions if you press modifier keys. You can customize the default modifier keys in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Tool Modifiers page). By opening the Edit menu and selecting one of the functions. By editing in the info line. By using a key command. NOTE Snap is taken into account. RELATED LINKS Editing - Tool Modifiers on page 711 Auditioning Audio Parts and Events You can audition audio parts and events in the Project window by using the Audition tool. PROCEDURE 1. Click Play and select Play. 2. Click where you want playback to start, and keep the mouse button pressed. 3. Optional: Select Media > MediaBay, and in the Previewer section, adjust the Preview Level. RESULT The track on which you click is played back, starting at the click position. Playback is stopped when you release the mouse button. NOTE When auditioning, the Main Mix bus is always used for monitoring. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Previewer Section on page 436 145 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events Scrubbing The Scrub tool allows you to locate positions in events by playing back, forwards or backwards. PROCEDURE 1. Click Play. 2. Click again to open a pop-up menu. 3. Select Scrub. 4. Click the event and keep the mouse button pressed. 5. Drag to the left or right. RESULT The project cursor moves correspondingly and the event is played back. The speed and the pitch of the playback depend on how fast you move the mouse. NOTE Insert effects are bypassed when scrubbing with the mouse. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Scrub Tool Scrubbing can be quite a burden on your system. If playback problems occur, open the Preferences dialog (Transport--Scrub page), and deactivate Use High Quality Scrub Mode. This lowers the resampling quality, but makes scrubbing less demanding on the processor, especially in large projects. In the Preferences dialog (Transport--Scrub page), you can also adjust the Scrub volume. Selecting with the Object Selection Tool PROCEDURE 1. Click Object Selection. 2. In the event display, click the events that you want to select. NOTE You can also use the Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Left Arrow or Right Arrow keys on the computer keyboard to select the event on the upper or lower track or the previous or next event on the same track. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Select Submenu If the Object Selection tool is selected, the Select submenu features specific options for selecting events in the Project window. To open the Select submenu, select Edit > Select. 146 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events All Selects all events in the Project window. None Deselects all events in the Project window. Invert Inverts the selection. All selected events are deselected and all events that were not selected are selected instead. In Loop Selects all events that are partly or wholly between the left and right locator. From Start to Cursor Selects all events that end to the left of the project cursor. From Cursor to End Selects all events that start to the right of the project cursor. Equal Pitch all Octaves/Equal Pitch same Octave These functions are available in the MIDI editors and the Sample Editor. Select Controllers in Note Range This function is available in the MIDI editors. All on Selected Tracks Selects all events on the selected track. Events under Cursor Automatically selects all events on the selected tracks that are touched by the project cursor. Select Event This function is available in the Sample Editor. Left Selection Side to Cursor/Right Selection Side to Cursor These functions are only used for range selection editing. NOTE When the Range Selection tool is selected, the Select submenu features different functions. RELATED LINKS Select Menu for Selection Ranges on page 158 Range Editing on page 356 Removing Events You can remove events from the Project window. PROCEDURE To remove an event from the Project window, do one of the following: On the Project window toolbar, activate Erase and click the event. In the event display, select the events and select Edit > Delete. In the event display, select the events and press Backspace. 147 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Event Movement Options Cubase provides several methods to move events in the Project window. You can move events using any of the following methods: Use the Object Selection tool. Use the Nudge tool. Select Edit > Move to and select one of the options. Select the event and edit the start position on the info line. RELATED LINKS Moving Events with the Object Selection Tool on page 148 Moving Events with the Nudge Buttons on page 148 Move to Submenu on page 149 Moving Events via the Info Line on page 149 Moving Events with the Object Selection Tool You can select one or several events with the Object Selection tool and drag them to a new position. PROCEDURE 1. Select Object Selection . 2. Click the events that you want to move and drag them to a new position. NOTE You can only drag events to tracks of the same type. If you hold down Ctrl/Cmd while dragging, you can restrict the movement either horizontally or vertically. RESULT The events are moved. If you moved several events, their relative positions are kept. NOTE To avoid accidentally moving events when you click them in the Project window, the response when you move an event by dragging is slightly delayed. You can adjust this delay with the Drag Delay setting in the Preferences dialog (Editing page). Moving Events with the Nudge Buttons You can move one or several selected events by using the nudge buttons on the Project window toolbar. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click the Project window toolbar and activate Nudge Palette. The nudge buttons become available on the toolbar. 2. Select the events that you want to move, and click Move Left or Move Right. 148 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events The selected events or parts are moved. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Move to Submenu If the Object Selection tool is selected, the Move to submenu features options for moving events to specific positions in the Project window. To open the Move to submenu, select Edit > Move to. The following options are available: Cursor Moves the selected event to the project cursor position. If you selected several events on the same track, the following events keep their relative position. Origin Moves the selected events to the positions at which they were originally recorded. Selected Track Moves the selected events to separate tracks, starting on the selected track. The events are placed at their current positions. Front/Back Moves the selected events to the front or back, respectively. This is useful if you have overlapping audio events and you want to play back another event. Moving Events via the Info Line You can move a selected event by changing its start value in the info line. PROCEDURE 1. Select the event that you want to move. 2. On the info line, double-click the Start field and enter a new value for the event start. RESULT The event is moved by the set value. Renaming Events PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Select the events and type in a new name in the File field on the info line. Change the track name, hold down a modifier key, and press Return to rename all events according to the track. 149 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events Event Resize Options You can resize events by moving their start or end positions individually. To resize events, you can use the Object Selection, the Scrub tool or the Trim tools on the Nudge palette. Resizing also works, if the Combine Selection Tools mode is active. IMPORTANT When resizing events, automation data is not taken into account. RELATED LINKS Resizing Events with the Object Selection Tool - Normal Sizing on page 150 Resizing Events with the Object Selection Tool - Sizing Moves Contents on page 150 Resizing Events with the Object Selection Tool - Sizing Applies Time Stretch on page 151 Resizing Events with the Trim Tools on page 151 Resizing Events with the Scrub Tool on page 152 Snap Function on page 61 Resizing Events with the Object Selection Tool - Normal Sizing You can move the start or end point of the event. PROCEDURE 1. Select Object Selection. 2. Click the Object Selection tool again, and select Normal Sizing from the pop-up menu. 3. Click and drag the lower left or right corner of the event. RESULT The event is resized and according to where you dragged, more or less of the content is revealed. If several events are selected, they are all resized in the same way. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Resizing Events with the Object Selection Tool - Sizing Moves Contents You can move the start or end point of the event and move the content. PROCEDURE 1. Select Object Selection. 2. Click the Object Selection tool again, and select Sizing Moves Contents from the pop-up menu. 3. Click and drag the lower left or right corner of the event. 150 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events RESULT The event is resized and the content follows. If several events are selected, they are all resized in the same way. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Resizing Events with the Object Selection Tool - Sizing Applies Time Stretch You can move the start or end point of the event and time stretch the content to fit the new event length. PROCEDURE 1. Select Object Selection. 2. Click the Object Selection tool again, and select Sizing Applies Time Stretch from the pop-up menu. 3. Click and drag the lower left or right corner of the event. RESULT The part is stretched or compressed to fit the new length. If you resize MIDI parts, the note events are stretched (moved and resized). Controller data are stretched, too. If you resize audio parts, the events are moved, and the referenced audio files are time stretched to fit the new length. If several events are selected, they are all resized in the same way. RELATED LINKS Time Stretch on page 334 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Resizing Events with the Trim Tools You can move the start or end point of the event by the amount set on the Grid Type pop-up menu. PREREQUISITE The Object Selection tool is set to Normal Sizing or to Sizing Moves Contents. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click the Project window toolbar and activate Nudge Palette. The nudge buttons become available on the toolbar. 2. Select the event. 3. Do one of the following: Click Trim Start Left. 151 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events Click Trim Start Right. Click Trim End Left. Click Trim End Right. RESULT The start or end position of the selected events are moved by the amount set on the Grid Type pop-up menu. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Resizing Events with the Scrub Tool You can scrub the event when moving the start or end point of the event. PROCEDURE 1. Click Play. 2. Click Play again to open a pop-up menu. 3. Select Scrub. 4. Click and drag the lower left or right corner of the event. RESULT The event is resized and you get an acoustic feedback while dragging. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Splitting Events PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Select Split and click the event that you want to split. Select Object Selection, hold down Alt and click the event. Move the project cursor to the position where you want to split the events, and select Edit > Functions > Split at Cursor. NOTE This splits all events on all tracks that are intersected by the project cursor. If you select specific events, only these events are split. Set up the left and right locators at the position where you want to split the events, and select Edit > Functions > Split Loop. NOTE This splits all events on all tracks that are intersected by the locators. If you select specific events, only these events are split. RESULT The events are split. 152 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events NOTE If you split a MIDI part so that the split position intersects one or several MIDI notes and Split MIDI Events is activated in the Preferences dialog (Editing--MIDI page), the intersected notes are split and new notes are created at the beginning of the second part. If it is deactivated, the notes remain in the first part, but stick out after the end of the part. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Splitting Events Repeatedly You can split events repeatedly into multiple events of equal size. PROCEDURE Select Split , hold down Alt and click the event where you want to make the first split. RESULT The event is automatically split into as many equal events as the length of the original event allows. Gluing Events In the Project window, you can glue two or more events on the same track. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Select the events that you want to glue, and select Edit > Glue. Select Glue and click the event that you want to glue to the next event. Select Glue, hold down Alt, and click the event that you want to glue to all following events. RESULT The events are glued together. NOTE If you first split an audio event and then glue the parts together again, an event is created. In any other case, a part is created. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Pasting Events You can paste events from the clipboard. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Select the events and select Edit > Functions > Paste at Origin to paste the event at the same position from which you cut or copied it. 153 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events Select the events, select the track where you want to paste them, and select Edit > Functions > Paste Relative to Cursor to paste the event while keeping its relative position to the project cursor. RESULT If you paste an audio event, it is inserted on the selected track, positioned so that its snap point is aligned with the cursor position. If the selected track is of the wrong type, the event is inserted on its original track. Pasting Events to Matching Track Names You can copy events in one project and paste them at the first track that matches the exact track name in another project. PROCEDURE 1. Copy the events in one project. 2. Activate the project where you want to paste the events. 3. Select Edit > Functions > Paste to Matching Track Name. RESULT The events are inserted on the track with the name that exactly matches the original track name. For all events that have no matching track name, new tracks are created. Duplicating Events In the Project window, you can duplicate selected events. PROCEDURE Select the event and do one of the following: Select Edit > Functions > Duplicate. Hold down Alt and drag the event to a new position. NOTE If you hold down Ctrl/Cmd as well, movement direction is restricted to either horizontal or vertical. RESULT A copy of the selected event is created and placed after the original. If several events are selected, all of these are copied as one unit, maintaining the relative distance between the events. NOTE If you duplicate audio events, the copies always refer to the same audio clip. Repeating Events PROCEDURE Do one of the following: 154 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events Select the events and select Edit > Functions > Repeat to open the Repeat Events dialog, that allows you to create a number of real or shared copies of the selected events. Select the events, hold down Alt, click the handle in the lower right corner of the last selected event, and drag to the right to create a real copy. Move the mouse pointer over the middle of the right event border so that it becomes a pointing hand symbol, click and drag to the right to create a real copy. Select the events, hold down Alt-Shift, and drag to the right to create a shared copy. NOTE This applies to MIDI events only. Move the mouse pointer over the middle of the right event border so that it becomes a pointing hand symbol, hold down Shift, click and drag to the right to create a shared copy. NOTE Repeating by dragging only works if the track has a height of at least 2 rows. RELATED LINKS Shared Copies on page 155 Repeat Events Dialog on page 155 Setting the Track Height on page 131 Repeat Events Dialog The Repeat Events dialog allows you to create a number of real or shared copies of the selected events. To open the Repeat Events dialog, select Edit > Functions > Repeat. Count Allows you to specify how many times you want the event to be repeated. Shared Copies Activate this to create a shared copy. RELATED LINKS Shared Copies on page 155 Shared Copies Shared copies are useful if you want to create copies that are automatically edited in the same way as the original event. You can convert a shared copy to a real copy by selecting Edit > Functions > Convert to Real Copy. This creates a new version of the clip that you can edit independently. The new clip is automatically added to the Pool. 155 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events RELATED LINKS Repeating Events on page 154 Repeat Events Dialog on page 155 Fill Loop You can create a number of copies between the right and left locators. Select Edit > Functions > Fill Loop to create a number of copies starting at the left locator and ending at the right locator. The last copy is automatically shortened to end at the right locator position. Sliding the Contents of Events You can move the contents of an event without changing its position in the Project window. PROCEDURE Hold down Ctrl/Cmd-Alt, click the event, and drag to the left or right. RESULT The content of the event is moved. NOTE You cannot slide an audio event past the start or end of the actual audio clip. If the event plays the whole clip, you cannot slide the audio at all. Inverting the Phase of Audio Events You can invert the phase of audio events in the Project window. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select one or multiple audio events. 2. On the info line, click the Invert Phase field. RESULT The phase of the events is inverted. This is reflected on the info line. RELATED LINKS Info Line on page 41 Muting Events You can mute events in the Project window. Muted events can be edited as usual with the exception of adjusting fades, but are not played back. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Select the Mute tool and click the events or drag a selection rectangle around them. Select the events and select Edit > Mute. 156 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Parts and Events Editing Techniques for Parts and Events RESULT The events are muted and grayed out. You can unmute events by selecting them and selecting Edit > Unmute. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 157 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Range Editing Editing in the Project window is not restricted to handling whole events and parts. You can also work with selection ranges, which are independent from the event/part and track boundaries. Creating a Selection Range PROCEDURE 1. On the Project window toolbar, select Range Selection. 2. Do one of the following: Draw a selection rectangle around the range that you want to select. Select Edit > Select, and select one of the menu functions. Double-click an event to create a selection range that encompasses it. NOTE If you hold down Shift and double-click several events in a row, you can create a selection range that encompasses several events. RELATED LINKS Select Menu for Selection Ranges on page 158 Select Menu for Selection Ranges If the Range Selection tool is selected, the Select submenu features specific options for selecting ranges in the Project window. To open the range selection options menu, select the Range Selection tool and select Edit > Select. All Makes a selection that covers all tracks, from the start of the project to the end. You can define the track length with the Project Length setting in the Project Setup dialog. None Removes the current selection range. Invert Inverts the selection. All selected events are deselected, and all events that were not selected are selected. Only used for event selection. In Loop Makes a selection between the left and right locator on all tracks. 158 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Range Editing Editing Selection Ranges From Start to Cursor Makes a selection on all tracks, from the start of the project to the project cursor. From Cursor to End Makes a selection on all tracks, from the project cursor to the end of the project. Equal Pitch - all Octaves This function requires that a single note is selected. It selects all notes of this part that have the same pitch in any octave as the selected note. Equal Pitch - same Octave This function requires that a single note is selected. It selects all notes of this part that have the same pitch and the same octave as the selected note. Select Controllers in Note Range Selects the controllers within the note range. All on Selected Tracks Selects all events on the selected track. Only used for event selection. Events under Cursor Selects all events on the selected tracks that are touched by the project cursor. Select Event This is available in the Sample Editor. Left Selection Side to Cursor Moves the left side of the current selection range to the project cursor position. Right Selection Side to Cursor Moves the right side of the current selection range to the project cursor position. RELATED LINKS Project Setup Dialog on page 79 Selecting with the Object Selection Tool on page 146 Select Submenu on page 146 Selecting Ranges for Several Tracks You can create selection ranges that cover several tracks. It is also possible to exclude tracks from a selection range. PROCEDURE 1. Create a selection range from the first to the last track. 2. Press Ctrl/Cmd and click in the selection range on the tracks that you want to exclude from the selection. Editing Selection Ranges You can edit selection ranges, that is, adjust their size, move or duplicate them, split them, etc. Adjusting the Size of Selection Ranges You can adjust the size of a selection range in the following ways: By dragging its edges. 159 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Range Editing Editing Selection Ranges The pointer takes the shape of a double arrow when you move it over an edge of the selection range. By holding down Shift and clicking. The closest selection range edge is moved to the position at which you clicked. By adjusting the selection range length, or the start or end position on the info line. By using the trim buttons on the toolbar. The left trim buttons move the start of the selection range and the right buttons move the end. The edges are moved by the amount specified on the Grid pop-up menu. NOTE The trim buttons are located on the Nudge Palette, which is not visible on the toolbar by default. By using Move Left and Move Right on the toolbar. These move the whole selection range to the left or the right. The amount of movement depends on the selected display format and the value specified on the Grid pop-up menu. IMPORTANT The contents of the selection are not moved. Using Move Left/Move Right is the same as adjusting the start and end of the selection range at the same time by the same amount. NOTE The move buttons are located on the Nudge Palette, which is not visible on the toolbar by default. To crop all events or parts that are partially within the selection range, select Edit > Range > Crop. Events that are fully inside or outside the selection range are not affected. RELATED LINKS Setup Context Menus on page 696 Moving Selection Ranges PREREQUISITE You have created a selection range. PROCEDURE Click the selection range and drag it to a new position. RESULT The contents of the selection range are moved to the new position. If the range intersected events or parts, these are split before moving, so that only the sections within the selection range are affected. RELATED LINKS Creating a Selection Range on page 158 Duplicating Events on page 154 160 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Range Editing Editing Selection Ranges Duplicating Selection Ranges PREREQUISITE You have created a selection range. PROCEDURE Click the selection range, hold down Alt, and drag. RELATED LINKS Creating a Selection Range on page 158 Cut, Copy, and Paste of Selection Ranges You can cut or copy and paste selection ranges, using the functions on the Edit menu. You can also use the Cut Time and Paste Time options. Cut Cuts the data in the selection range and moves it to the clipboard. The selection range is replaced by empty track space in the Project window, meaning that events to the right of the range keep their positions. Copy Copies the data in the selection range to the clipboard. Paste Pastes the clipboard data to the start position and track of the current selection. Existing events on the tracks remain at their original position. Paste at Origin Pastes the clipboard data back at its original position. Existing events on the tracks remain at their original position. This option is available in Edit > Functions. Cut Time Cuts the selection range and moves it to the clipboard. Events to the right of the removed range are moved to the left to fill the gap. This option is available in Edit > Range. Paste Time Pastes the selection range from the clipboard to the start position and track of the current selection. Existing events are moved to make room for the pasted data. This option is available in Edit > Range. Paste Time at Origin Pastes the selection range from the clipboard to its original position. Existing events are moved to make room for the pasted data. This option is available in Edit > Range. Global Copy Copies everything between the left and right locator. This option is available in Edit > Range. 161 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Range Editing Editing Selection Ranges Deleting Data in Selection Ranges To replace data within the deleted selection range with empty track space, select Edit > Delete or press Backspace. Events to the right of the range keep their position. To remove the selection range and make the events to the right move to the left to fill the gap, select Edit > Range > Delete Time. Splitting Selection Ranges To split any events or parts that are intersected by the selection range, at the positions of the selection range edges, select Edit > Range > Split. Inserting Silence You can insert empty track space from the start of the selection range. The length of the silence equals the length of the selection range. To insert silence, select Edit > Range > Insert Silence. Events to the right of the selection range start are moved to the right to make room. Events that are intersected by the selection range start are split, and the right section is moved to the right. 162 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Cubase offers multiple methods and functions to control playback and transport. RELATED LINKS Transport on page 722 Transport Panel The Transport panel contains the main transport functions as well as many other options related to playback and recording. To show the Transport panel, select Transport > Transport Panel or press F2. Transport Panel Sections The Transport panel has different sections that you can show or hide by activating the corresponding options on the Transport panel context menu. To show all Transport panel sections, right-click anywhere on the Transport panel and select Show All. The following sections are available: System Performance Meter System Performance Meter Shows the meters for average audio processing load and the disk cache load. Common Record Modes Common Record Modes Allow you to determine what happens if you click Record during an audio or MIDI recording, and where the recording should start. Audio Record Modes Audio Record Modes Allow you to select what happens when you record over existing audio events. MIDI Record Modes MIDI Record Modes 163 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Panel Allow you to select what happens when you record over existing MIDI parts. MIDI Auto Quantize Automatic MIDI Record Quantize Activates automatic quantizing during a MIDI recording. Locators Go to Left Locator Position Allows you to go to the left locator position. Left Locator Position Shows the left locator position. Go to Right Locator Position Allows you to go to the right locator position. Right Locator Position Shows the right locator position. Locator Range Duration Locators to Selection Allows you to set the locators to the selection. Locator Range Duration Shows the duration of the locator range. Punch Points Punch In Activates Punch In. Punch Out Activates Punch Out. Transport Controls Go to Previous Marker/Zero Moves the project cursor to the previous marker/zero position on the timeline. Go to Next Marker/Project End Moves the project cursor to the next marker/project end. 164 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Panel Rewind Moves backward. Forward Moves forward. Cycle Activates/Deactivates cycle mode. Stop Stops playback. Start Starts playback. Transport Record Activates/Deactivates record mode. Time Display Select Primary Time Format Allows you to select a time format for the primary time display. Primary Time Display Shows the position of the project cursor in the selected time format. Markers Jump to Marker Allows you to set and locate marker positions. Open Markers Window Opens the Markers window. Pre-roll & Post-roll Activate Pre-roll Activates pre-roll. Pre-roll Amount Allows you to set the pre-roll position. To show/hide this, click the points on the divider. 165 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Panel Activate Post-roll Activates post-roll. Post-roll Amount Allows you to set the post-roll position. To show/hide this, click the points on the divider. Tempo & Time Signature Activate Tempo Track Allows you to activate/deactivate the tempo track. Tempo Allows you to set the tempo value. Time Signature Allows you to set the first time signature value. To show/hide this, click the points on the divider. Activate External Sync Activate External Sync Activates external synchronization. Open Synchronization Setup Allows you to open the Project Synchronization Setup dialog. Click & Count-In & Click Pattern Activate Metronome Click Activates the metronome click. Activate Count-in Activates the metronome click in count-in. Open Metronome Setup Opens the Metronome Setup dialog. To show/hide this, click the points on the divider. Input/Output Activity MIDI In Activity Displays the MIDI input signals. 166 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Menu MIDI Out Activity Displays the MIDI output signals. Audio Activity Displays the audio input/output signals. Audio Clipping Displays audio clipping. Level Display Displays the output level. Level Control Allows you to control the output level. Set up Transport Set up Transport Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which elements are visible. RELATED LINKS Transport on page 722 Transport - Scrub on page 723 Transport Menu The Transport menu contains several transport functions as well as many other options related to playback and recording. Transport Panel Opens the Transport panel. Transport Commands Start Starts playback. Stop Stops playback. Start/Stop Starts/Stops playback. Cycle Activates/Deactivates cycle mode. Record Activates/Deactivates record mode. 167 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Menu Rewind Moves backward. Forward Moves forward. Fast Rewind Moves backward at a faster speed. Fast Forward Moves forward at a faster speed. Nudge Cursor Left Moves the project cursor position to the left. Nudge Cursor Right Moves the project cursor position to the right. Enter Project Cursor Position Allows you to enter the project cursor position manually. Enter Tempo Allows you to enter the tempo manually. Enter Time Signature Allows you to enter the time signature manually. Go to Project Start Moves the project cursor position to the start of the project. Go to Project End Moves the project cursor position to the end of the project. Exchange Time Formats Switches the primary and the secondary time display. Locators Go to Left Locator Position Moves the project cursor position to the left locator. Go to Right Locator Position Moves the project cursor position to the right locator. Set Left Locator to Project Cursor Position Sets the left locator to the project cursor position. Set Right Locator to Project Cursor Position Sets the right locator to the project cursor position. Enter Left Locator Position Allows you to enter the position of the left locator manually. Enter Right Locator Position Allows you to enter the position of the right locator manually. Enter Locator Range Duration Allows you to enter the duration of the locator range manually. Set Locators to Selection Range Sets the locators to encompass the selection. 168 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Menu Exchange Left & Right Locator Positions Switches the positions of the left and right locator. Loop Selection Range Activates playback from the start of the current selection and keeps starting over again when reaching the selection end. Punch Points Activate Punch In Activates/Deactivates punch in. Activate Punch Out Activates/Deactivates punch out. Go to Punch In Position (Left Locator) Moves the project cursor position to the punch in position. Go to Punch Out Position (Right Locator) Moves the project cursor position to the punch out position. Set Project Cursor Position Locate Selection Start Moves the project cursor to the beginning of the selection. Locate Selection End Moves the project cursor to the end of the selection. Locate Next Marker Moves the project cursor to the next marker. Locate Previous Marker Moves the project cursor to the previous marker. Locate Next Hitpoint Moves the project cursor to the next hitpoint on the selected track. Locate Previous Hitpoint Moves the project cursor to the previous hitpoint on the selected track. Locate Next Event Moves the project cursor to the next event on the selected track. Locate Previous Event Moves the project cursor to the previous event on the selected track. Play Project Range Play from Selection Start Activates playback from the start of the current selection. Play from Selection End Activates playback from the end of the current selection. Play until Selection Start Activates playback two seconds before the start of the current selection and stops at the selection start. 169 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Menu Play until Selection End Activates playback two seconds before the end of the current selection and stops at the selection end. Play until Next Marker Activates playback from the project cursor and stops at the next marker. Play Selection Range Activates playback from the start of the current selection and stops at the selection end. Pre-roll & Post-roll Use Pre-roll Activates/Deactivates the pre-roll. Use Post-roll Activates/Deactivates the post-roll. Post-roll from Selection Start Starts playback from the beginning of the selected range and stops after the time set in the post-roll field on the Transport panel. Post-roll from Selection End Starts playback from the end of the selected range and stops after the time set in the post-roll field on the Transport panel. Pre-roll to Selection Start Stops playback at the selection start. The playback start position is set in the pre-roll field on the Transport panel. Pre-roll to Selection End Stops playback at the selection end. The playback start position is set in the pre-roll field on the Transport panel. Use Tempo Track Activates/Deactivates the tempo track. Common Record Modes Punch In/Out Activates/Deactivates punch in/out. Re-Record Activates/Deactivates the re-record mode. Start Recording at Project Cursor Position Activates/Deactivates the start of the recording at the project cursor position. Start Recording at Left Locator/Punch In Position Activates/Deactivates the start of the recording at the left locator. Audio Record Mode These options allow you to select what happens when you record over existing events. Keep History Keeps existing events or portions of events. 170 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Menu Cycle History + Replace Replaces existing events or portions of events by the new recording. In cycle mode, all takes from the current cycle recording are kept. Replace Replaces existing events or portions of events by the last take. MIDI Record Mode These options allow you to select what happens when you record over existing parts. New Parts Keeps existing parts and saves the new recording as a new part. Merge Keeps existing events in parts and adds the newly recorded events. Replace Replaces existing events in parts by the new recording. Auto Quantize in Record Activates automatic quantizing during recording. MIDI Cycle Record Mode Mix Adds everything you record to what was previously recorded. Overwrite Overwrites all MIDI that you have recorded on previous laps as soon as you play a MIDI note or send any MIDI message. Keep Last Replaces previously recorded laps only if the new lap is completed. Auto Quantize in Record Activates automatic quantizing during recording. MIDI Retrospective Recording Allows you to recover MIDI data that you play in Stop mode or during playback. The following options are available: Insert from All MIDI Inputs Inserts MIDI data that was sent to all track inputs as a linear MIDI part on the selected track. Insert from Track Input as Linear Recording Inserts MIDI data that was sent to the track input as a linear MIDI part on the selected track. Insert from Track Input as Cycle Recording Inserts MIDI data that was sent to the track input as stacked MIDI parts on the selected track. Empty All Buffers Empties the retrospective record buffer for the selected track. Metronome Setup Opens the Metronome Setup dialog. 171 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Bar Activate Metronome Activates/Deactivates the metronome click. Project Synchronization Setup Opens the Project Synchronization Setup dialog. Activate External Sync Sets Cubase to be synchronized externally. RELATED LINKS Left and Right Locators on page 179 Punch In and Punch Out on page 184 Pre-Roll and Post-Roll on page 183 Common Record Modes Menu on page 195 Audio Record Modes on page 200 MIDI Record Modes on page 206 Recovery of MIDI Recordings on page 207 Metronome Click on page 184 Transport Bar The Transport Bar contains all transport functions in an integrated and fixed zone of the Project window. To activate the Transport Bar, click Set up Window Layout on the Project window toolbar and activate Transport Bar. To display all transport elements, right-click in an empty area of the Transport Bar and select Show All. To show all controls of a section, click the points to the right of the section and drag all the way to the right. To hide the controls again, drag to the left. RELATED LINKS Transport Bar on page 42 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Transport Bar Sections The Transport Bar has different sections that you can show or hide by activating the corresponding options on the context menu. To activate the Transport Bar, click Set up Window Layout on the Project window toolbar and activate Transport Bar. To show/hide tools, open the Transport Bar context menu by right-clicking in an empty area of the Transport Bar and activate the tools that you want to display. To show all tools, select Show All. Constrain Delay Compensation Constrain Delay Compensation Minimizes the latency effects of the delay compensation. 172 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Bar Common Record Modes Common Record Modes Allow you to determine what happens if you click Record during an audio or MIDI recording, and where the recording should start. Audio Record Modes Audio Record Modes Allow you to select what happens when you record over existing audio events. MIDI Record Modes MIDI Record Modes Allow you to select what happens when you record over existing MIDI parts. MIDI Auto Quantize Automatic MIDI Record Quantize Activates automatic quantizing during a MIDI recording. Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. System Performance Meter System Performance Meter Shows the meters for average audio processing load and the disk cache load. Locators Go to Left Locator Position Allows you to go to the left locator position. Left Locator Position Shows the left locator position. Go to Right Locator Position Allows you to go to the right locator position. Right Locator Position Shows the right locator position. 173 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Bar Locator Range Duration Locators to Selection Allows you to set the locators to the selection. Locator Range Duration Shows the duration of the locator range. Punch Points Punch In Activates Punch In. Punch Out Activates Punch Out. Transport Controls Go to Previous Marker/Zero Moves the project cursor to the previous marker/zero position on the timeline. Go to Next Marker/Project End Moves the project cursor to the next marker/project end. Rewind Moves backward. Forward Moves forward. Cycle Activates/Deactivates cycle mode. Stop Stops playback. Start Starts playback. Transport Record Activates/Deactivates record mode. 174 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Bar Retrospective Record Insert Retrospective Recording from All MIDI Inputs on Selected Track Allows you to recover MIDI notes that you played in stop mode or during playback. Time Displays Select Primary Time Format Allows you to select a time format for the primary time display. Primary Time Display Shows the position of the project cursor in the selected time format. Markers Jump to Marker Allows you to set and locate marker positions. Open Markers Window Opens the Markers window. Pre-roll & Post-roll Activate Pre-roll Activates pre-roll. Pre-roll Amount Allows you to set the pre-roll position. To show/hide this, click the points on the divider. Activate Post-roll Activates post-roll. Post-roll Amount Allows you to set the post-roll position. To show/hide this, click the points on the divider. Tempo & Time Signature Activate Tempo Track Allows you to activate/deactivate the tempo track. Tempo Allows you to set the tempo value. 175 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Bar Time Signature Allows you to set the first time signature value. To show/hide this, click the points on the divider. Right Divider Right Divider Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Activate External Sync Activate External Sync Activates external synchronization. Open Synchronization Setup Allows you to open the Project Synchronization Setup dialog. Click & Count-in Activate Metronome Click Activates the metronome click. Activate Count-in Activates the metronome click in count-in. Open Metronome Setup Opens the Metronome Setup dialog. To show/hide this, click the points on the divider. Input/Output Activity MIDI In Activity Displays the MIDI input signals. MIDI Out Activity Displays the MIDI output signals. Audio Activity Displays the audio input/output signals. Audio Clipping Displays audio clipping. 176 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Transport Pop-Up Window Level Display Displays the output level. Level Control Allows you to control the output level. Set up Transport Bar Set up Transport Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which elements are visible. Transport Pop-Up Window The Transport pop-up window allows you to access specific transport commands if the Transport panel, the Transport Bar, and theTransport Controls in the Project window toolbar are closed or hidden. The following default key commands open the Transport Bar pop-up window: Enter Left Locator Shift-L Enter Right Locator Shift-R Enter Project Cursor Position Shift-P Enter Tempo Shift-T Enter Time Signature Shift-C Enter Punch In Position Shift-I Enter Punch Out Position Shift-O Go to Left Locator Num 1 Go to Right Locator Num 2 Using a specific key command opens the corresponding section of the Transport pop-up window: Transport pop-up window for entering the left Locator position. 177 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Time Display Window NOTE To close the Transport pop-up window, press Esc. Time Display Window The Time Display window allows you to view the current time position in a separate window. You can adjust its size and specify the time format that you want to display. To open the Time Display window, select Studio > More Options > Time Display. Right-click the window to access the following options: Bars+Beats Displays the time in bars and beats. Seconds Displays the time in seconds. fps Displays the time in frames per second. Samples Displays the time in samples. Show Beat Count Only Shows the beat counts only. This is useful if you want to use the Time Display window as a visual metronome. Increase Window Size Increases the size of the window and the displayed values. Decrease Window Size Decreases the size of the window and the displayed values. NOTE You can set up the Window Transparency in the Studio Setup dialog (Time Display page). 178 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Left and Right Locators RELATED LINKS Time Signature Events on page 631 Left and Right Locators The left and right locators are a pair of markers that you can use as reference positions in the Project window and in the editors. Locators help you, for example, to do the following: Positioning the project cursor. Defining start and stop positions for recording. Defining start positions for importing or exporting events. Setting up a cycle range. Selecting, copying, creating or splitting events. Locators are indicated by the flags in the ruler. The area between the left and the right locator is the locator range. The locator range is highlighted in the ruler and the event display. NOTE In the event display of the MIDI editors, the locator range is only highlighted if Show Part Borders is deactivated. To activate/deactivate cycle mode, click the locator range in the upper part of the ruler, or activate Activate Cycle in the transport controls. NOTE If you activate cycle mode, and the right locator is positioned before the left locator, the locator range is skipped during playback. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Setting the Project Cursor on page 181 Activating Recording Manually on page 193 Activating Recording Automatically on page 193 Cycle Recording on page 194 Punch In and Punch Out on page 184 Common Record Modes Menu on page 195 Import Options for MIDI Files on page 219 Export Options Dialog for MIDI Files on page 127 Export Audio Mixdown on page 632 Setting the Locators Using Cycle Markers on page 250 Select Submenu on page 146 Select Menu for Selection Ranges on page 158 179 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Left and Right Locators Cut, Copy, and Paste of Selection Ranges on page 161 Audio Parts on page 144 MIDI Parts on page 144 Fill Loop on page 156 Splitting Events on page 152 Transport on page 722 Setting the Left Locator Setting the left locator can be useful if you want to add a reference position in the Project window and in the editors. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Press Ctrl/Cmd and click in the upper part of the ruler to set the left locator to that position. Adjust the Left Locator Position value. This is available in the Locators section of the Project window toolbar, the editor toolbars, the Transport panel, and the Transport Bar. Drag the left locator handle in the upper part of the ruler. Press Ctrl/Cmd, and on the numeric keypad press 1 to set the left locator to the project cursor position. Press Alt and click Go to Left Locator Position on the Transport panel. Setting the Right Locator Setting the right locator can be useful if you want to add a reference position in the Project window and in the editors. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Press Alt and click in the upper part of the ruler to set the right locator to that position. Adjust the Right Locator Position value. This is available in the Locators section of the Project window toolbar, the editor toolbars, the Transport panel, and the Transport Bar. Drag the right locator handle in the upper part of the ruler. Press Ctrl/Cmd, and on the numeric keypad press 2 to set the right locator to the project cursor position. Press Alt and click Go to Right Locator Position on the Transport panel. Setting up Locator Ranges You can set up the locator range, that is, the area between the left and the right locator. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Click and drag in the upper part of the ruler. Select a range or an event and press P to set the locators to the selection. 180 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Setting the Project Cursor Double-click a cycle marker. Press Ctrl/Cmd-Alt and click at a position in the upper part of the ruler to set both locators to the nearest snap position. RESULT The locator range is set up and highlighted in the ruler and the event display. Moving Locator Ranges In the ruler, you can move the locator range. PREREQUISITE You have set up a locator range. PROCEDURE 1. Move the mouse pointer to the upper part of the ruler inside a locator range. A hand symbol is shown. 2. Click and drag to the left or to the right to move the locator range. Setting the Project Cursor You can set the project cursor to the position where you click, or to markers or other predefined positions. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Hold down Shift-Alt and click in the Project window event display. Click Go to Previous Marker/Zero or Go to Next Marker/Project End. These are available in the Transport Controls section of the Project window toolbar, the editor toolbars, the Transport panel, and the Transport Bar. Click in the lower part of the ruler. Select Transport > Set Project Cursor Position, and select an entry in the submenu. RELATED LINKS Transport Panel Sections on page 163 Ruler on page 39 Transport Menu on page 167 Transport on page 722 Transport Bar on page 172 Left and Right Locators on page 179 Key Commands on page 680 Auto-Scroll Settings Menu Auto-Scroll allows you to keep the project cursor visible in the window during playback. If you activate Auto-Scroll on the toolbar of the Project window or one of the editors, the following modes are available in the Select Auto-Scroll Settings pop-up menu: 181 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Time Formats Page Scroll The project cursor moves from the left side to the right side of the window. When the project cursor reaches the right side of the window, the ruler and the project cursor jump to the left side of the window and start over again. This behavior can be compared to turning a page of a book. Stationary Cursor The project cursor is kept in the middle of the window and the ruler scrolls continuously to the left. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing If you do not want the Project window display to change when editing during playback, activate Suspend Auto-Scroll when Editing. Suspend Auto-Scroll when Editing is available as an option in the Select Auto-Scroll Settings pop-up menu to the right of the Auto-Scroll button. If this option is activated, auto-scrolling is suspended as soon as you click anywhere in the event display during playback until playback stops or you click Auto-Scroll again. As a visual feedback, the Auto-Scroll button changes its color. Time Formats You can set up different time formats. Selecting the Primary Time Format On the Transport panel, you can select the primary time format. This is the global display format that is used for all rulers and position displays in the program, except the ruler tracks. PROCEDURE 1. In the main transport section on the Transport panel, click Select Primary Time Format. 2. Select a time format from the pop-up menu. You can also select Project > Project Setup > Display Format to select the primary time format. RESULT The time format on the Transport panel and all rulers and position displays is updated. 182 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Pre-Roll and Post-Roll Independent Time Displays You can show time displays that are independent from the global display format. To select an independent time display, do one of the following: In the ruler of the Project window or any editor, click the arrow button to the right of the ruler. Select Project > Add Track > Ruler to add a ruler track, and right-click the ruler. In the Main Transport section of the Transport panel, click Select Secondary Time Format. RELATED LINKS Ruler on page 39 Ruler Track on page 114 Pre-Roll and Post-Roll You can activate pre-roll and post-roll with the corresponding buttons in the Pre-roll & Post-roll section on the Transport panel or by selecting Transport > Pre-roll & Post-roll > Use Preroll/Use Post-roll. NOTE To show the Pre-roll & Post-roll section, right-click anywhere in the Transport panel or in the Transport Bar and activate Pre-roll & Post-roll. By setting a pre-roll value, you instruct Cubase to roll back a short section whenever playback is activated. By setting a post-roll value, you instruct Cubase to play back a short section after automatic punch out before stopping. NOTE This only works if Punch Out is activated on the Transport panel, and if Stop after Automatic Punch Out is activated in the Preferences dialog (Record page). Using Pre-Roll and Post-Roll You can set up a pre-roll and a post-roll value for recording. PREREQUISITE PROCEDURE 1. Set the locators to where you want to start and end recording. 2. On the Transport panel or in the Transport Bar, activate Punch In and Punch Out. 3. In the Preferences dialog, select Record. 4. Activate Stop after Automatic Punch Out. 5. Right-click anywhere on the Transport panel or in the Transport Bar and activate Pre-roll & Post-roll. 6. In the Pre-roll & Post-roll section, activate Pre-roll and Post-roll . 183 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Punch In and Punch Out 7. In the Pre-roll Amount and Post-roll Amount fields, enter the pre-roll and post-roll values. 8. Activate Record. RESULT The project cursor rolls back by the specified pre-roll value and playback starts. When the cursor reaches the left locator, recording is automatically activated. When the cursor reaches the right locator, recording is deactivated, but playback continues for the specified post-roll value before stopping. Punch In and Punch Out The punch in and the punch out points are a pair of markers that you can use for punch in and punch out of recordings. The punch in position determines the record start position and the punch out position determines the record stop position. You can activate punch in and punch out by activating the corresponding buttons on the Transport panel. The punch in position is locked to the left locator position and the punch out position to the right locator position. RELATED LINKS Activating Recording Automatically on page 193 Stopping Recording Automatically with Punch Out on page 194 Metronome Click You can use the metronome click as a timing reference for playing along and recording. The two parameters that govern the timing of the metronome are project tempo and the time signature that you can set up on the Transport panel. To activate the metronome click, activate Activate Metronome Click on the Transport panel. You can also select Transport > Activate Metronome or use the corresponding key command. To define if the metronome click is played during playback, recording or count-in, select Transport > Metronome Setup and make your changes on the General tab. To set up the sounds for the metronome click, select Transport > Metronome Setup and make your changes on the Click Sounds tab. RELATED LINKS Transport Panel Sections on page 163 Project Tempo Modes on page 623 Metronome Setup Dialog The Metronome Setup dialog allows you to make settings for the metronome. To open the Metronome Setup dialog, do one of the following: Select Transport > Metronome Setup. In the Transport Bar, open the Click & Count-In section, and click Open Metronome Setup. 184 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Metronome Click RELATED LINKS General Tab on page 186 Click Sounds Tab on page 187 Transport Bar Sections on page 172 185 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Metronome Click General Tab The General tab allows you to make basic metronome settings. In the topmost section, the following options are available: Activate Metronome Click Activates/Deactivates the metronome click. In the Click Destinations section, the following options are available: Use MIDI Click Activates a MIDI click for the metronome. Use Audio Click Activates an audio click for the metronome that is output via the audio hardware. In the Click Options section, the following options are available: Click while Recording Activates the metronome click during recording. Click while Playing Activates the metronome click during playback. Click during Count-In Activates a musical count-in that is played when you start recording from stop mode. In the Count-In section, the following options are available: Number of Bars in Count-In Allows you to set the number of bars that the metronome counts in before recording starts. Time Signature at Record Start Position 186 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Metronome Click Activate this to let the count-in automatically use the time signature and tempo set at the position where recording starts. Time Signature at Project Position Activate this to let the count-in use the time signature at the project position. Use Custom Time Signature Allows you to set a time signature for the count-in. In this mode, signature changes in the project do not affect the count-in. Click Sounds Tab The Click Sounds tab allows you to set up and audition the MIDI click and the audio click. You can use the default audio or MIDI click, choose from a list of factory preset sounds, or assign your own custom sounds. The MIDI Click Settings section allows you to set up the MIDI click that sounds if you activate Use MIDI Click in the Click Destinations section on the General tab. MIDI Output Port Allows you to select a MIDI output port for the MIDI click. You can also select a VST instrument previously set up in the VST Instruments window. MIDI Output Channel Allows you to select a MIDI output channel for the MIDI click. Note Allows you to set the MIDI note number, that is, the pitch from C-2 to G8. Set the note number for the first beat in a bar in the top row, and the note numbers for the other beats in the rows below. 187 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Metronome Click Velocity Allows you to set the velocity of the MIDI click sound. Set the velocity for the first beat in a bar in the top row, and the velocities for the other beats in the rows below. The Audio Click Settings section allows you to set up the audio click that sounds if you activate Use Audio Click in the Click Destinations section on the General tab. Use Steinberg Click Sound Activates the default sounds for the metronome click. Pitch Allows you to set the pitch for the default sounds. Set the pitch for the first beat in a bar in the top row, and the pitches for the other beats in the rows below. Level Allows you to set the level for the default sounds. Set the level for the first beat in a bar in the top row, and the levels for the other beats in the rows below. Use Custom Sounds Activates custom sounds for the metronome click. For this to work, you must select an audio file for the custom sounds by clicking in the Sound column. Sound Allows you to select an audio file for the custom sounds. Select an audio file for the first beat in a bar in the top row, and the audio files for the other beats in the rows below. Level Allows you to set the level for the custom sounds. Set the level for the first beat in a bar in the top row, and the levels for the other beats in the rows below. Audio Click Level Allows you to adjust the level of the audio click. Click Sound Presets Allows you to load one of the click sound presets that supports up to 4 accents. Amongst other click sounds that are suited for a broad range of applications, you can also select Steinberg Click Sound, the default click sound of Cubase. You can also create your own presets and save them. Audition Click Sounds Click Play to audition the activated click sounds. Setting up a Custom Audio Click Sound If you do not want to use the default click sound, you can set up your own custom sound. PREREQUISITE In the Metronome Setup dialog on the General tab, Activate Metronome Click is activated. In the Click Destinations section, Use Audio Click is activated. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Click Sounds tab, and in the Audio Click Settings section, activate Use Custom Sounds. 2. In the Sound column, click the top row. 3. In the file dialog, navigate to the audio file that you want to use as a custom sound for the first beat and select it. 4. Click Open. 188 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Playback and Transport Chase 5. Click the other rows to select audio files for the other beats. 6. Set the level of the sounds by clicking the respective rows in the Level column and adjusting the value. 7. Optional: Click Play to audition the custom sounds. RESULT The metronome uses the defined custom sounds for the audio click. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Open the Click Sound Presets pop-up menu and save your custom sounds as a preset. Chase Chase is a function that makes sure your MIDI instruments sound as they should when you locate to a new position and start playback. This is accomplished by the program transmitting a number of MIDI messages to your instruments each time that you move to a new position in the project, making sure all MIDI devices are set up correctly with regard to program change, controller messages (such as MIDI volume), etc. EXAMPLE You have a MIDI track with a program change event inserted at the beginning. This event makes a synth switch to a piano sound. At the beginning of the first chorus, you have another program change event which makes the same synth switch to a string sound. 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 now still plays 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 tracks the music back to the beginning, finds the first program change, and transmits it to your synth, setting it to the correct sound. The same can apply to other event types as well. In the Preferences dialog (MIDI page), the Chase Events settings determine which event types are chased when you locate to a new position and start playback. RELATED LINKS Chase Events on page 717 189 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 On-Screen Keyboard The On-Screen Keyboard allows you to play and record MIDI notes by using your computer keyboard or mouse. This is useful if you have no external MIDI instrument at hand and you do not want to draw in notes with the Draw tool. When the On-Screen Keyboard is displayed, the usual key commands are blocked because they are reserved for the On-Screen Keyboard. The only exceptions are: Save: Ctrl/Cmd-S Start/Stop Record: Num * Start/Stop Playback: Space Jump to Left Locator: Num 1 Delete: Delete or Backspace Cycle on/off: Num / Show/Hide Transport panel: F2 Show/Hide On-Screen Keyboard: Alt-K Recording MIDI With the On-Screen Keyboard You can use the On-Screen Keyboard to record MIDI in Cubase. PREREQUISITE You have selected a MIDI or instrument track and activated Record Enable. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > On-Screen Keyboard. 2. Activate Record. 3. Perform one of the following actions to enter some notes: Click on the keys of the On-Screen Keyboard. Press the corresponding key on your computer keyboard. NOTE Press several keys simultaneously to enter polyphonic parts. The maximum number of notes that can be played at one time varies between the different operating systems and hardware configurations. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Close the On-Screen Keyboard to make all key commands available again. 190 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 On-Screen Keyboard On-Screen Keyboard Options On-Screen Keyboard Options The On-Screen Keyboard offers different display modes as well as other options. To open the On-Screen Keyboard, select Studio > On-Screen Keyboard. 1 Note Velocity Level This slider allows you to adjust the volume of the On-Screen Keyboard. You can also use Up Arrow or Down Arrow for this. 2 Change On-Screen Keyboard Type This button allows you to switch between computer keyboard and piano keyboard display mode. In computer keyboard mode, you can use the two rows of keys that are displayed on the On-Screen Keyboard to enter notes. The piano keyboard has a wider range of keys. It allows you to enter more than one voice simultaneously. You can also use Tab for this. 3 Octave Offset These buttons allow you to switch the keyboard range to a lower or higher octave. You have seven full octaves at your disposal. You can also use Left Arrow or Right Arrow for this. 4 Pitchbend/Modulation Sliders These sliders are only available in piano keyboard mode. The left slider displays pitchbend, the right slider shows modulation changes. To introduce modulation, click on a key and drag upwards or downwards. To introduce pitchbend, drag left or right. 191 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording In Cubase, you can record audio and MIDI. Make the following initial preparations: Set up, connect, and calibrate your audio hardware. Open a project and set up the parameters in the Project Setup dialog according to your specifications. The parameters in the Project Setup dialog determine the record file format, sample rate, project length, etc. that affect the audio recordings that you make during the course of the project. If you plan to record MIDI, set up and connect your MIDI equipment. RELATED LINKS Setting up Audio on page 13 Setting up MIDI on page 20 Basic Recording Methods The basic recording methods apply to audio and MIDI recordings. Record Enabling Tracks To be able to record, you must record-enable the tracks on which you want to record. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Activate Record Enable in the track list. Activate Record Enable in the MixConsole. Select the track that you want to record-enable, and activate Record Enable in the Inspector. RESULT The tracks are record-enabled. NOTE If you set up a key command for Activate Record Enable for all Audio Tracks in the Mixer category of the Key Commands dialog, you can record-enable all audio tracks simultaneously. The exact number of audio tracks that you can record simultaneously depends on your computer CPU and hard disk performance. Activate the Warn on Processing Overloads option in the Preferences dialog (VST page) to show a warning message as soon as the CPU overload indicator lights up during recording. 192 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Basic Recording Methods RELATED LINKS Editing - Project & MixConsole on page 711 VST on page 725 Record Enabling Tracks on Selection You can set up a preference so that tracks are record-enabled when you select them. PROCEDURE 1. Select Edit > Preferences. 2. Open the Editing--Project & MixConsole page and activate Enable Record on Selected Audio Track or Enable Record on Selected MIDI Track. RESULT The tracks are record-enabled when you select them. Activating Recording Manually You can activate recording manually. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Click Record on the Transport panel, on the toolbar, or in the Transport Bar. Press Num *. RESULT Recording starts from the current cursor position. NOTE When you start recording in stop mode, you can start recording from the left locator. For this to work, you must select Transport > Common Record Modes and activate Start Record at Left Locator/Punch In Position. The metronome count-in will be applied. Activating Recording Automatically Cubase can automatically switch from playback to recording at a given position. This is useful if you must replace a section of a recording and want to listen to what is already recorded up to the recording start position. PROCEDURE 1. Set the left locator to the position where you want to start recording. 2. Activate Punch In on the Transport panel. 3. Activate playback from any position before the left locator. RESULT When the project cursor reaches the left locator, recording is automatically activated. RELATED LINKS Punch In and Punch Out on page 184 193 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Basic Recording Methods Stopping Recording You can stop recording manually. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Click Stop on the Transport panel. Press Num *. RESULT Recording stops while playback continues. Stopping Recording Automatically with Punch Out Activating Punch Out allows you to stop recording automatically at the defined punch out position. PROCEDURE Activate Punch Out on the Transport panel. RESULT Recording stops automatically when the project cursor reaches the punch out position. Playback continues. RELATED LINKS Punch In and Punch Out on page 184 Stopping Recording and Playback You can stop recording and playback manually. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Click Stop on the Transport panel. Press Num 0. RESULT Recording and playback stops. Cycle Recording You can record in a cycle, that is, you can record a selected section repeatedly and seamlessly. PREREQUISITE A cycle is set up with the left and right locators. PROCEDURE 1. Click Activate Cycle on the Transport panel to activate cycle mode. 2. Activate recording from the left locator, before or within the cycle. 194 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Basic Recording Methods As soon as the project cursor reaches the right locator, it jumps back to the left locator and continues recording a new lap. RESULT The results of cycle recording depend on the selected record mode. They also differ for audio and MIDI. RELATED LINKS Left and Right Locators on page 179 MIDI Recording on page 204 Audio Recording on page 200 Common Record Modes Menu The Common Record Modes determine what happens if you click Record during an audio or MIDI recording. To access the record modes, select Transport > Common Record Modes. You can also access the Common Record Modes by clicking the upper part of the Record Modes section on the Transport panel. Punch In/Out In this mode, the recording is stopped. Re-Record In this mode, the recording is reinitiated, the events are removed, and recording is restarted from the exact same position. Start Recording at Project Cursor Position In this mode, recording starts from the cursor position. Start Recording at Left Locator/Punch In Position In this mode, recording starts from the left locator. RELATED LINKS Transport Menu on page 167 Transport Panel Sections on page 163 Re-Recording If you activate the Re-Record mode, you can reinitiate your recording by hitting the Record button again. Recording will restart from the initial position. PROCEDURE 1. Select Transport > Common Record Modes, and activate Re-Record. 2. Activate recording. 3. Click Record again to restart recording. RESULT The project cursor jumps back to the record start position and recording is reinitiated. NOTE The previous recordings are removed from the project and cannot be retrieved using Undo. However, they remain in the Pool. 195 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Monitoring Monitoring In Cubase, monitoring means listening to the input signal while preparing to record or while recording. The following ways of monitoring are available. Via Cubase. Externally by listening to the signal before it reaches Cubase. By using ASIO Direct Monitoring. This is a combination of both other methods. Monitoring via Cubase If you use monitoring via Cubase, the input signal is mixed with the audio playback. This requires an audio hardware configuration with a low latency value. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, activate Monitor. 2. In the MixConsole, adjust the monitoring level and the panning. You can add effects and EQ to the monitor signal using the track's channel. If you are using plug-in effects with large inherent delays, the automatic delay compensation function in Cubase will increase the latency. If this is a problem, you can use the Constrain Delay Compensation function while recording. 3. In the Preferences dialog, select VST. 4. Open the Auto Monitoring pop-up menu and select a monitoring mode. RESULT The monitored signal will be delayed according to the latency value which depends on your audio hardware and drivers. You can check the latency of your hardware in the Studio Setup dialog (VST Audio System page). RELATED LINKS VST on page 725 External Monitoring External monitoring means listening to the input signal before it is sent into Cubase. It requires an external mixer for mixing the audio playback with the input signal. The latency value of the audio hardware configuration does not affect the monitor signal. When using external monitoring, you cannot control the level of the monitor signal from within Cubase or add VST effects or EQ to the monitor signal. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select VST. 2. Open the Auto Monitoring pop-up menu and select Manual. 3. Deactivate Monitor in Cubase. 4. On your mixing desk or mixer application for your audio hardware, activate the Thru or Direct Thru mode to send the input audio back out again. 196 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Monitoring ASIO Direct Monitoring If your audio hardware is ASIO 2.0 compatible, it may support ASIO Direct Monitoring. This feature may also be available for audio hardware with macOS drivers. In ASIO Direct Monitoring mode, the monitoring is done in the audio hardware, and monitoring is controlled from Cubase. The latency value of the audio hardware configuration does not affect the monitor signal when using ASIO Direct Monitoring. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, activate Monitor. 2. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 3. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware driver, and activate Direct Monitoring. If the checkbox is grayed out, your audio hardware (or its driver) does not support ASIO Direct Monitoring. Consult the audio hardware manufacturer for details. 4. In the Preferences dialog, select VST. 5. Open the Auto Monitoring pop-up menu and select a monitoring mode. 6. In the MixConsole, adjust the monitoring level and panning. Depending on the audio hardware, this might not be possible. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can monitor the input levels of audio tracks, that is, you can map the input bus metering to monitor-enabled audio tracks and watch the input levels of your audio tracks when working in the Project window. Activate Map Input Bus Metering to Audio Track (in Direct Monitoring) in the Preferences dialog (Metering page). As the tracks are mirroring the input bus signal you will see the same signal in both places. When using mapped metering, any functions that you apply to the audio track are not reflected in its meters. RELATED LINKS VST on page 725 Monitoring MIDI Tracks You can monitor everything you play and record through the MIDI output and channel that are selected for the MIDI track. PREREQUISITE Local Off is activated on your MIDI instrument. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select MIDI. 2. Make sure MIDI Thru Active is activated. 3. In the track list, activate Monitor. 197 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Audio Recording Specifics RESULT Incoming MIDI is echoed back out again. RELATED LINKS MIDI on page 716 Audio Recording Specifics Specific preparations and settings are required for audio recording. Audio Recording Preparations Before you can record audio, you must make some preparations. Selecting a Record File Format You can set up the record file format, that is, the sample rate, bit depth, and record file type for new audio files. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Project Setup. 2. Set up the settings for Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Record File Type. IMPORTANT The bit depth and file type can be changed at any time while the sample rate of a project cannot be changed at a later stage. RELATED LINKS Creating New Projects on page 73 Setting the Audio Record Folder Each Cubase project has a project folder containing an Audio folder. By default, this is where recorded audio files are stored. However, you can select record folders independently for each audio track if needed. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select all tracks to which you want to assign the same record folder. 2. Right-click one of the tracks to open the context menu. 3. Select Set Record Folder. 4. In the file dialog, navigate to the folder that you want to use as record folder or create a new folder by clicking New Folder. If you want to have separate folders for different types of material (speech, ambient sounds, music, etc.), you can create subfolders within the project Audio folder and assign different tracks to different subfolders. This way, all audio files still reside within the project folder, which makes managing the project easier. 198 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Audio Recording Specifics Getting the Track Ready for Recording Before you can record audio, you must add a track and set it up. Adding a Track and Setting the Channel Configuration To record audio, you must add an audio track and set up its channel configuration. The channel configuration of the track determines the channel configuration of the recorded audio file. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Click Audio. 3. In the Count value field, select the number of tracks that you want to add. 4. Open the Configuration pop-up menu and select a channel configuration. 5. Optional: In the Name field, enter a track name. 6. Click Add Track. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Audio on page 95 RAM Requirements for Recording Each track on which you record requires a certain amount of RAM, and the memory usage increases the longer the recording lasts. For each audio channel, 2.4MB of RAM are required for MixConsole settings, etc. The memory usage increases with the length of the recording, the sample rate, and the number of tracks you record. Consider the RAM limitation of your operating system when setting up your project for recording. Selecting an Input Bus for the Track Before you can record on your track, you must add and set up the required input busses and specify from which input bus the track will record. PROCEDURE 1. In the Inspector for the audio track, open the Input Routing pop-up menu. 2. Select an input bus. RELATED LINKS Setting up Input and Output Ports on page 19 Audio Bus Setup on page 19 Audio Track Inspector on page 97 199 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Audio Recording Specifics Audio Recording You can record audio using any of the basic recording methods. When you finish recording, an audio file is created in the Audio folder within the project folder. In the Pool, an audio clip is created for the audio file, and an audio event that plays the whole clip appears on the recording track. Finally, a waveform image is calculated for the audio event. If the recording was very long, this may take a while. NOTE The waveform image is calculated and displayed during the actual recording process. This realtime calculation uses some processing power. If your processor is slow or if you are working on a CPU-intensive project, deactivate Create Audio Images during Record in the Preferences dialog (Record--Audio page). RELATED LINKS Basic Recording Methods on page 192 Cycle Recording on page 194 Audio Record Modes By selecting an Audio Record Mode, you decide what happens to your recording and to any existing events on the track where you are recording. This is necessary because you will not always record on an empty track. There may be situations where you record over existing events, especially in cycle mode. To access the record modes, select Transport > Audio Record Mode. You can also access the Audio Record Modes by clicking to the right of the audio symbol in the Record Modes section on the Transport panel. Keep History Existing events or portions of events that are overlapped by a new recording are kept. Cycle History + Replace Existing events or portions of events that are overlapped by a new recording are replaced by the new recording. However, if you record in cycle mode, all takes from the current cycle recording are kept. Replace Existing events or portions of events that are overlapped by a new recording are replaced by the last recorded take. RELATED LINKS Transport Menu on page 167 Transport Panel Sections on page 163 Recording and Effects Cubase allows you to add effects and/or EQ directly while recording. This is done by adding insert effects and/or making EQ settings for the input channel in the MixConsole. IMPORTANT If you record with effects, the effects become part of the audio file itself. You cannot change the effect settings after recording. 200 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Audio Recording Specifics When you are recording with effects, consider using 32-bit float or 64-bit float format. This way, the bit depth will not be reduced, which means there is no risk of clipping at this stage. Also, this preserves the signal quality perfectly. If you record in 16-bit or 24-bit format, the available headroom is lower, which means clipping can occur if the signal is too loud. Undoing Recordings You can undo a recording immediately after recording it. PROCEDURE Select Edit > Undo. RESULT The events that you just recorded are deleted from the Project window. The audio clips in the Pool are moved to the trash folder. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To remove the recorded audio files from the hard disk, select Media > Open Pool Window, rightclick the Trash icon and select Empty Trash. RELATED LINKS Pool Window on page 398 Recovery of Audio Recordings Cubase allows you to recover audio recordings. You can recover audio recordings in two situations: You hit Record too late. For this to work, you must specify an audio pre-record time. The system failed during recording. Specifying an Audio Pre-Record Time You can capture up to 1 minute of any incoming audio that you play in stop mode or during playback. This is possible because Cubase can capture audio input in buffer memory, even when not recording. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select Record > Audio. 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 that an audio track is record-enabled and receives audio from the signal source. 4. When you have played some audio material that you want to capture (either in stop mode or during playback), click Record. 5. Stop the recording after a few seconds. This creates an audio event that starts where the cursor position was when you activated recording. If you were in stop mode, and the cursor was at the beginning of the project, you may have to move the event to the right in the next step. If you were playing along to a project, you leave the event where it is. 6. Select the Object Selection tool and place the cursor on the bottom left edge of the event so that a double arrow appears. Then click and drag to the left. 201 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording MIDI Recording Specifics RESULT The event is now extended, and the audio that you played before activating the recording is inserted. This means that if you played along during playback, the captured notes end up exactly where you played them in relation to the project. RELATED LINKS Record - Audio on page 721 Recovery of Audio Recordings after System Failure Cubase allows you to recover audio recordings after a system failure, because of a power cut or other mishap, for example. When you experience a computer crash during a recording, relaunch the system and check the project record folder. By default, this is the Audio subfolder inside the project folder. It should contain the audio file that you recorded, from the moment when you started recording to the time when your computer crashed. NOTE This feature does not constitute an overall guarantee by Steinberg. While the program itself was improved in such a way that audio recordings can be recovered after a system failure, it is always possible that a computer crash, power cut, etc. might have damaged another component of the computer, making it impossible to save or recover any of the data. Do not try to actively bring about this kind of situation to test this feature. Although the internal program processes have been improved to cope with such situations, Steinberg cannot guarantee that other parts of the computer are not damaged as a consequence. MIDI Recording Specifics Specific preparations and settings are required for MIDI recordings. RELATED LINKS MIDI Recording Specifics on page 202 Recording in MIDI Editors on page 204 MIDI Record Modes on page 206 MIDI Recording Preparations The preparations described in the following sections mainly focus on external MIDI devices. MIDI Instruments and Channels Most MIDI synthesizers can play several sounds at the same time, each on a different MIDI channel. This allows you to play back several sounds (bass, piano, etc.) from the same instrument. Some devices, such as General MIDI compatible sound modules, always receive on all 16 MIDI channels. If you have such an instrument, there is no specific setting to make in the instrument. On other instruments, you must use the front panel controls to set up a number of parts, timbres, or similar so that they all receive on one MIDI channel. For more information, refer to the manual that came with your instrument. 202 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording MIDI Recording Specifics Naming MIDI Ports MIDI inputs and outputs are often displayed with long and complicated names. In Cubase, you can rename your MIDI ports to more descriptive names. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select MIDI Port Setup. The available MIDI inputs and outputs are listed. On Windows, the device to choose depends on your system. 3. Click in the Show As column and type in a new name. 4. Click OK. RESULT The new port names appear on the Input Routing and Output Routing pop-up menus. Setting the MIDI Input In the Inspector, you set the MIDI input for the track. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select the track to which you want to assign a MIDI input. 2. In the topmost Inspector section, open the Input Routing pop-up menu and select an input. The available inputs on the menu depend on the type of MIDI interface that you are using. If you hold down Shift-Alt, the selected MIDI input is used for all selected MIDI tracks. NOTE If you select All MIDI Inputs, the track will receive MIDI data from all available MIDI inputs. Setting the MIDI Channel and Output The MIDI channel and output settings determine where the recorded MIDI is routed during playback. They are also relevant for monitoring MIDI in Cubase. You can select the channel and output in the track list or in the Inspector. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select the track to which you want to assign a MIDI channel and output. 2. In the topmost Inspector section, open the Output Routing pop-up menu and select an output. The available outputs on the menu depend on the type of MIDI interface that you are using. If you hold down Shift-Alt, the selected MIDI output is used for all selected MIDI tracks. 3. Open the Channel pop-up menu and select a MIDI channel. NOTE If you select the Any MIDI channel, the MIDI material is routed to the channels that are used by your MIDI instrument. 203 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording MIDI Recording Specifics Selecting a Sound You can select sounds from within Cubase by instructing the program to send Program Change and Bank Select messages to your MIDI device. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select the track to which you want to assign a sound. 2. In the track list or the Inspector, open the Program Selector pop-up menu and select a program. Program Change messages give access to 128 different program locations. 3. If your MIDI instruments have more than 128 programs, you can open the Bank Selector pop-up menu and select different banks, each containing 128 programs. NOTE Bank Select messages are recognized differently by different MIDI instruments. The structure and numbering of banks and programs may also vary. Refer to the documentation of your MIDI instruments for details. RELATED LINKS MIDI Track Inspector on page 106 Recording in MIDI Editors You can record MIDI data into the MIDI part that is opened in a MIDI editor. PREREQUISITE You have selected Merge or Replace as MIDI Record Mode. PROCEDURE 1. Click in the MIDI editor so that it gets the focus. 2. In the MIDI editor toolbar, activate Record in Editor. 3. Do one of the following to activate recording: Click Record on the Transport panel. Click Record on the toolbar. RESULT The MIDI data is recorded into the MIDI part that is opened in the MIDI editor. If you record outside the part borders, the part is automatically enlarged. RELATED LINKS Key Editor Toolbar on page 537 MIDI Recording You can record MIDI using any of the basic recording methods. When you finish recording, a part that contains MIDI events is created in the Project window. NOTE If you perform a live recording on a VST instrument, you usually compensate the latency of the audio card by playing earlier. In consequence, the timestamps are recorded too early. If you 204 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording MIDI Recording Specifics activate ASIO Latency Compensation on the track list, all recorded events are moved by the current latency setting. The following preferences affect MIDI recording: Length Adjustment Snap MIDI Parts to Bars MIDI Record Catch Range in ms ASIO Latency Compensation Active by Default You can find them in the Preferences dialog on the MIDI and on the Record--MIDI page. RELATED LINKS Basic Recording Methods on page 192 MIDI on page 716 Record - MIDI on page 721 Types of MIDI Messages You can record different types of MIDI messages. To specify which event types are recorded, deactivate the options for the type of MIDI message that you want to record in the Preferences dialog (MIDI--MIDI Filter page). RELATED LINKS MIDI - MIDI Filter on page 719 Note Messages Cubase records note on, note off, and MIDI channel messages. If you press and release a key on your synthesizer or on another MIDI keyboard, the following messages are recorded: Note On (key down) Note Off (key up) MIDI channel NOTE Normally, the MIDI channel information is overridden by the MIDI channel setting for the track. However, if you set the track to the Any MIDI channel, the notes will be played back on their original channels. Continuous Messages Pitchbend, aftertouch, and controllers, such as modulation wheel, sustain pedal, volume, etc. are considered MIDI continuous events, as opposed to the momentary key down and key up messages. You can record continuous messages together or independently from the notes, that is, afterwards or before. You can record continuous messages on their own tracks, separately from the notes to which they belong. As long as you set the two tracks to the same output and MIDI channel, it will appear to the MIDI instrument as if you made the two recordings at the same time. 205 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording MIDI Recording Specifics Program Change Messages When you switch from one program to another on your synthesizer or on another MIDI keyboard, a number corresponding to that program is sent out via MIDI as a Program Change Message. You can record Program Change Messages together or independently from the notes, that is, afterwards or before. You can record Program Change Messages on their own tracks, separately from the notes to which they belong. As long as you set the two tracks to the same output and MIDI channel, it will appear to the MIDI instrument as if you made the two recordings at the same time. System Exclusive Messages System Exclusive (SysEx) messages are special types of MIDI messages that are used to send data that only makes sense to a unit of a certain make and type. SysEx can be used to transmit a list of the numbers that make up the settings of one or more sounds in a synth. Reset Function The Reset function sends out note-off messages and resets controllers on all MIDI channels. This is sometimes necessary if you experience hanging notes, constant vibrato, etc. when punching in and out on MIDI recordings with pitchbend or controller data. To perform a MIDI reset manually, select MIDI > Reset. If you want Cubase to perform a MIDI reset on stop, activate Reset on Stop in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). If you want Cubase to insert a reset event at the end of a recorded part, activate Insert Reset Events after Record in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). This resets controller data such as sustain, aftertouch, pitchbend, modulation, and breath control. This is useful if a MIDI part is recorded and the sustain pedal is still held after stopping recording. Usually, this would cause all following parts to be played with sustain, as the pedal off command was not recorded. RELATED LINKS MIDI on page 716 MIDI Record Modes By selecting a MIDI Record Mode you decide what happens to any existing parts on the track where you are recording. MIDI tracks can play back all events in overlapping parts. If you record several parts in the same locations or move parts so that they overlap, you will hear the events in all parts. NOTE If you activate Record in Editor to record MIDI data in the editor, all new recordings are merged into the active part, and the MIDI Record Modes do not apply. To access the record modes, select Transport > MIDI Record Mode. You can also access the MIDI Record Modes by clicking to the right of the MIDI symbol in the MIDI Recording Modes section on the Transport panel. 206 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording MIDI Recording Specifics MIDI Record Mode New Parts Existing parts that are overlapped by a new recording are kept. The new recording is saved as a new part. Merge Existing events in parts that are overlapped by a new recording are kept. The newly recorded events are added to the existing part. Replace Existing events in parts that are overlapped by a new recording are replaced. MIDI Cycle Record Mode When you record MIDI in cycle mode, the result not only depends on the MIDI record mode, but also on the cycle record mode that is selected in the Cycled MIDI Recording Only section. Mix For each completed lap, everything you record is added to what was previously recorded. This is useful for building up rhythm patterns. Record a hi-hat part on the first lap, the bass drum part on the second lap, etc. Overwrite As soon as you play a MIDI note or send any MIDI message, all MIDI that you have recorded on previous laps is overwritten from that point. Make sure that you stop playing before the next lap begins. Otherwise, you will overwrite the entire take. Keep Last Each completed lap replaces the previously recorded lap. If you deactivate recording or press Stop before the cursor reaches the right locator, the previous take will be kept. If you do not play or input any MIDI during a lap, nothing happens, and the previous take will be kept. RELATED LINKS MIDI Recording Specifics on page 202 Recording in MIDI Editors on page 204 Transport Menu on page 167 Transport Panel Sections on page 163 Automatic MIDI Record Quantize Cubase can automatically quantize MIDI notes on recording. Automatic MIDI Record Quantize is available in the MIDI Auto Quantize section of the Transport Bar. If you activate Auto Quantize, the notes that you record are automatically quantized according to the quantize settings. RELATED LINKS Quantizing MIDI and Audio on page 221 Quantize Panel on page 224 Recovery of MIDI Recordings Cubase allows you to recover MIDI data, including controller data, that was captured in Stop mode or during playback. 207 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording MIDI Recording Specifics The MIDI data is stored in the retrospective record buffer, and you can insert it as a MIDI part on the selected MIDI track. The buffer captures up to 10000 MIDI events. This can correspond to a MIDI recording of around 2 minutes and 30 seconds. However, if you use a keyboard that produces a large amount of MIDI controller events, such as the ROLI Seaboard, this only corresponds to a recording of around 20 seconds. NOTE In the Preferences dialog (Record--MIDI page), you can specify a Retrospective Record Buffer Size. If the buffer is full, the MIDI events that were captured first are replaced by the new events. MIDI events in the buffer are also replaced in the following situations: When you have inserted the retrospective recording on a track and you play new events in Stop mode or during playback. When you play MIDI notes in Stop mode and you do not play for more than 30 seconds, before playing more MIDI events in Stop mode. NOTE You can also empty the buffer manually. RELATED LINKS Record - MIDI on page 721 Emptying the Retrospective Record Buffer on page 210 Inserting a Retrospective Recording from All MIDI Inputs on the Selected Track You can insert a retrospective recording, that is, MIDI data that was sent to All MIDI Inputs in Stop mode or during playback, on the selected track. PREREQUISITE You have played some MIDI notes in Stop mode or during playback, and you want to recover them. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI track on which you want to insert the captured MIDI data. 2. Select Transport > MIDI Retrospective Recording > Insert from All MIDI Inputs. RESULT The MIDI data that was captured at All MIDI Inputs is inserted on the selected track as one, linear MIDI part. NOTE If you insert buffer data from multiple selected tracks, the timing offsets between the data played on the different tracks are retained. 208 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording MIDI Recording Specifics Inserting a Retrospective Track Recording You can insert a retrospective track recording, that is, MIDI data that was sent to the track input in Stop mode or during playback, on the selected track. PREREQUISITE You have played some MIDI notes in Stop mode or during playback, and you want to recover them. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI track on which you want to insert the captured MIDI data. 2. In the top section of the MIDI track Inspector, click Retrospective Recording. 3. From the pop-up menu, select one of the following: To insert the MIDI data as one, continuous MIDI part, select Insert as Linear Recording. To insert the MIDI data as stacked MIDI parts, select Insert as Cycle Recording. NOTE This is only available if your MIDI data was captured during playback, and cycle mode was active. RESULT The MIDI data that was captured at the track input is inserted on the track. NOTE If the data was captured during playback, it is inserted at the position where you played it. If the data was captured in Stop mode, it is inserted at the project cursor position. Inserting a Retrospective Track Recording into an Editor You can insert a retrospective track recording, that is, MIDI data that was sent to the track input in Stop mode or during playback, into the MIDI part that is opened in a MIDI editor. PREREQUISITE You have played some MIDI notes in Stop mode or during playback, and you want to recover them. 209 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Remaining Record Time PROCEDURE 1. Double-click the MIDI part where you want to insert the captured MIDI data to open it in a MIDI editor. 2. On the MIDI editor toolbar, click Insert MIDI Retrospective Recording in Editor. RESULT The MIDI data that was captured on the track input is inserted into the MIDI part. If the data was captured during playback, it is inserted into the MIDI part along the timeline. If the data was captured in Stop mode, it is inserted at the project cursor position. Emptying the Retrospective Record Buffer You can empty the retrospective record buffer manually. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: In the top section of the MIDI track Inspector, open the Retrospective Recording pop-up menu, and select Empty Retrospective Record Buffer. Select a track, and select Transport > MIDI Retrospective Recording > Empty All Buffers. Remaining Record Time The Max. Record Time display lets you see how much time you have left for recording. The available time depends on the current setup, for example, on the amount of tracks that are record-enabled, the sample rate for your project, and the available hard disk space. To open the display, select Studio > More Options > Max. Record Time. NOTE The remaining record time is also shown in the status line above the track list. If you use individual record folders to store your tracks on different drives, the time display refers to the medium with the least storage space available. Lock Record The Lock Record function prevents you from accidentally deactivating record mode. Select Edit > Key Commands and in the Transport category, assign key commands to the Lock Record and Unlock Record commands. If Lock Record is activated and you want to enter stop mode, a dialog opens in which you need to confirm that you want to stop recording. You can also use the Unlock Record key command first and then enter stop mode as usual. 210 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Recording Lock Record NOTE An automatic punch out at the right locator position will be ignored in Lock Record mode. 211 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files You can add audio and MIDI files to your project by importing them. Audio File Import You can import compressed and uncompressed audio files in a variety of different formats. You can also import audio from audio CDs or extract the audio of video files. RELATED LINKS Importing Audio Files on page 214 Importing Audio CD Tracks on page 215 Importing Audio from Video Files on page 217 Importing ReCycle Files on page 218 Importing Media on page 410 Setting up Audio File Import Options You can specify how audio files should be handled on import. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select Editing > Audio. 2. Select an option from the On Import Audio Files pop-up menu. 3. Click OK. RESULT The import settings are saved and will take effect when you import audio. If you selected Open Options Dialog, the Import Options dialog opens on every import and allows you to make your changes. If you selected Use Settings, the settings specified in the On Import Audio Files section of the Preferences dialog are used. RELATED LINKS Import Options Dialog for Audio Files on page 213 On Import Audio Files Settings on page 214 212 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files Audio File Import Import Options Dialog for Audio Files The Import Options dialog allows you to make specific settings for the audio import. When you import audio files and Open Options Dialog is activated in the On Import Audio Files section of the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page), the Import Options dialog opens. Import Options dialog for single file import Import Options dialog for multiple file import Copy File to Project Folder/Copy All Files to Project Folder Copies the audio file to the Audio folder of the project, and has the clip refer to the copy. Deactivate this option to have the clip refer to the original file in the original location. In this case, it is marked as "external" in the Pool. Convert to Project Settings/Convert to Project Settings and Copy to Project Folder If Needed Converts the imported file if the sample rate or the bit depth differ from the settings in the Project Setup dialog. For single file import, you can choose which properties are converted. Do not ask again Always imports files according to the settings without opening the dialog again. You can reset this option in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page). RELATED LINKS Setting up Audio File Import Options on page 212 213 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files Audio File Import On Import Audio Files Settings You can set up standard settings that are performed automatically each time you import audio files. When you import audio files and Use Settings is activated in the On Import Audio Files section of the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page), the settings are used for importing audio. Copy File to Project Folder/Copy All Files to Project Folder Copies the audio file to the Audio folder of the project, and has the clip refer to the copy. Deactivate this option to have the clip refer to the original file in the original location. In this case, it is marked as "external" in the Pool. Convert to Project Settings/Convert to Project Settings and Copy to Project Folder If Needed Converts the imported file if the sample rate or the bit depth differ from the settings in the Project Setup dialog. For single file import, you can choose which properties are converted. Importing Audio Files You can import uncompressed audio and compressed audio in several formats. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Import > Audio File. 2. In the file dialog that opens, locate and select the audio file and click Open. 3. Make your changes in the Import Options dialog. NOTE If Use Settings is activated in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page), the corresponding import settings are used instead. RESULT In the Project window, an event referencing the audio file is inserted on the selected track at the project cursor position. If no track was selected, a new track is created. A new audio clip is created and added to the Pool. If you chose a compressed audio file other than FLAC, Cubase copies the original compressed file and converts it to wave format (Windows) or AIFF format (macOS). NOTE The resulting Wave/AIFF file is significantly larger than the original compressed file. The imported file is placed in the Audio folder of the project. RELATED LINKS Setting up Audio File Import Options on page 212 214 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files Audio File Import Supported Compressed Audio File Formats In Cubase, you can import compressed audio files. The following compressed audio file formats are supported: FLAC File This is an open source format that reduces the size of audio files by 50% to 60% compared to regular Wave files. The files have the extension .flac. MPEG 1 Layer 3 File This is a family of standards used for encoding audio-visual information such as movies, video, and music in a digital compressed format. Cubase can read MPEG Layer 2 and MPEG Layer 3. MP3 files are highly compressed files that still provide good audio quality. The files have the extension .mp3. Ogg Vorbis File This is an open source, patent-free audio encoding and streaming technology. The Ogg Vorbis encoder uses variable bit rate encoding. It offers compressed audio files of small size, but with comparatively high audio quality. The files have the extension .ogg. Windows Media Audio File (Windows only) This is an audio file format defined by Microsoft Inc. WMA files can be decreased in size with no loss of audio quality. The files have the extension .wma. Importing Audio CD Tracks You can import audio from audio CDs into Cubase projects. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Import > Audio CD to import the CD tracks into the Project window. 2. Activate every audio file that you want to import in the Copy column. 3. Optional: Set a Default Name and a Destination Folder for the imported audio files. 4. Click the Copy button to create a local copy of the audio files or sections. 5. Click OK. RESULT The copied audio files are imported into the Project window and inserted on new tracks at the project cursor position. By default, imported audio CD tracks are saved as wave files (Windows) or AIFF files (macOS) in the Audio folder of the current project. New audio clips are created and added to the Pool. NOTE You can also import audio files to the Pool only without importing them into the Project window. RELATED LINKS Importing Media on page 410 Import From Audio CD Dialog The Import from Audio CD dialog allows you to specify how the CD tracks are imported. To open the Import from Audio CD dialog, select File > Import > Audio CD. 215 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files Audio File Import Drive Opens a pop-up menu that allows you to select the correct CD drive. Speed (Windows only) Allows you to select the data transfer speed. NOTE While you normally want to use the fastest possible speed, you may have to select a slower speed for flawless audio extraction. Eject CD Opens the CD drive. Secure Mode (Windows only) Activates error checking and correction when reading the CD. Columns The columns in the dialog have the following functions: Copy Activate this option for the tracks that you want to copy/import. # Shows the track number. CD Track The name of the CD track. On import, this is used as file name. It is provided automatically from CDDB, if available. To rename a track, click the track name and enter a new name. Length The length of the audio CD track in minutes and seconds. Size The file size of the audio CD track in MB. 216 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files Audio File Import Copy Start The start of the section that is imported. On the ruler, drag the Left Marker to the right to adjust this. Copy End The end of the section that is imported. On the ruler, drag the Right Marker to the left to adjust this. The Ruler The ruler has the following functions: 1 Play Tracks Plays back the selected track from the start to the end or from the left marker to the right marker. 2 Stop Playback Stops playback. 3 Play from Left Marker Starts playback at the left marker. 4 Play to Right Marker Starts playback some moments before the right marker and stops at the right marker. 5 Left Marker Allows you to set the copy start manually. 6 Right Marker Allows you to set the copy end manually. Destination Folder Allows you to select a folder for the imported files. Copy Copies the files. Copied Files Lists the files that you copied for import. Importing Audio from Video Files You can import the audio from a video file without importing the video itself. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Import > Audio from Video File. 2. In the file dialog that opens, locate and select the video file, and click Open. RESULT The audio of the selected video file is extracted and converted to a wave file that is saved in the Audio folder. 217 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files Audio File Import A new audio clip is created and added to the Pool. In the Project window, an event referencing the audio file is inserted on the selected track at the project cursor position. If no track was selected, a new track is created. RELATED LINKS Extracting Audio from Video on page 674 Importing Video Files on page 666 Importing ReCycle Files You can import REX and REX 2 audio files created by ReCycle from Propellerhead Software. ReCycle slices a loop and creates separate samples of each beat, so that you can tempo match and edit a loop as if it was built of individual sounds. PREREQUISITE REX Shared Library is installed on your system. PROCEDURE 1. Select an audio track and move the project cursor to where you want the imported file to start. 2. Select File > Import > Audio File. 3. In the file dialog, open the file type pop-up menu and select REX File or REX 2 File. 4. Select the file you want to import, and click Open. RESULT The file is imported and automatically adjusted to the current Cubase tempo. The imported REX file consists of several events, one for each slice in the loop. The events are automatically placed in an audio part on the selected track and positioned so that the original internal timing of the loop is preserved. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Open the part in the Audio Part Editor to edit each slice separately by muting, moving, and resizing events, adding effects and processing, for example. You can also adjust the tempo and have the REX file automatically follow, provided that its track is set to a musical time base. NOTE You can achieve similar results by using Cubase's own loop slicing features. RELATED LINKS Slices on page 366 218 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files MIDI File Import MIDI File Import Cubase can import standard MIDI files. This allows you to transfer MIDI material to and from virtually any MIDI application on any platform. Import Options for MIDI Files The Import Options for MIDI files allow you to specify what data is included in imported MIDI files. Extract First Patch Converts the first Program Change and Bank Select events for each track to Inspector settings for the track. Extract First Volume/Pan Converts the first MIDI Volume and Pan events for each track to Inspector settings for the track. Import Controller as Automation Tracks Converts MIDI Controller events in the MIDI file to automation data for the MIDI tracks. Import to Left Locator Aligns the imported MIDI file at the position of the left locator. Import Markers Imports any markers that have been added. Import Dropped File as Single Part Places the file on one track if you drag a MIDI file into the project. Ignore Master Track Events on Merge Ignores tempo track data if you import a MIDI file into the current project. The imported MIDI file will play according to the current tempo track in the project. Auto Dissolve Format 0 Automatically dissolves imported MIDI files of type 0. Each embedded MIDI channel in the file is placed on a separate track in the Project window. Destination Allows you to specify what happens when you drag a MIDI file into the project. MIDI Tracks creates MIDI tracks for the imported file. Instrument Tracks creates instrument tracks for each MIDI channel in the MIDI file and lets the program automatically load appropriate presets. HALion Sonic SE multi-timbral creates several MIDI tracks, each routed to a separate instance of HALion Sonic SE in the VST Instruments window, and loads the appropriate presets. 219 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Importing Audio and MIDI Files MIDI File Import Import Karaoke Lyrics as Text Converts karaoke lyrics in the MIDI file to text that can be displayed in the Score Editor. If this option is deactivated, lyrics are only shown in the List Editor. Importing MIDI Files In Cubase, you can import MIDI files. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Import > MIDI File. 2. Optional: If a project is open, choose if you want to create a new project. If you select No, the MIDI file is imported into the current project. 3. In the file dialog that opens, locate and select the MIDI file and click Open. RESULT The MIDI file is imported. The result depends on the contents of the MIDI file and the setting you made in the Import Options section in the Preferences dialog (MIDI--MIDI File page). RELATED LINKS Import Options for MIDI Files on page 219 Markers on page 250 Yamaha XF Format Cubase supports the Yamaha XF format. XF is an extension of the standard MIDI file format that allows you to save song-specific data with a MIDI file of type 0. When importing a MIDI file containing XF data, this data is placed in parts on separate tracks called XF Data, Chord Data, or SysEx Data. You can edit such a part in the List Editor to add or change lyrics, for example. IMPORTANT Do not change the order of events within the XF data or the event data itself, unless you have a lot of experience with XF data. Cubase can also export XF data as part of a MIDI file of type 0. If you do not want to export the XF data together with the MIDI data, mute or delete the tracks containing the XF data. MIDI Loops In Cubase, you can import MIDI loops. To import MIDI loops, use the MediaBay. MIDI loops have the file extension .midiloop. RELATED LINKS Importing MIDI Loops on page 469 220 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantizing means moving recorded audio or MIDI and positioning it on the nearest grid position that is musically relevant. Quantizing is designed to correct errors, but you can also use it in a creative way. You can quantize audio and MIDI to a grid or to a groove. Audio and MIDI can be quantized at the same time. However, what exactly happens during quantizing differs for audio and MIDI: Audio quantizing affects the audio event starts. MIDI quantizing can affect the starts of MIDI events in a part, the MIDI event lengths, or the MIDI event ends. NOTE Quantizing is based on the original position of the events. Therefore, you can freely try out different quantize settings without the risk of destroying anything. RELATED LINKS Quantizing Audio Event Starts on page 223 Quantizing MIDI Event Starts on page 222 Quantizing MIDI Event Lengths on page 223 Quantizing MIDI Event Ends on page 223 Quantize Functions The quantize functions are available in the Edit menu and in the Snap and Quantize sections of the Project window toolbar. Quantize Functions on the Edit Menu Quantize Quantizes audio or MIDI event starts. Reset Quantize Reverts your audio or MIDI to its original, unquantized state, and resets any length changes that you performed in the Quantize Panel. Quantize Panel Opens the Quantize Panel. Advanced Quantize From this submenu, you can select the following functions: Quantize MIDI Event Lengths Cuts off the ends of selected MIDI events so that the events match the length quantize value. The start positions are kept. 221 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantizing MIDI Event Starts Quantize MIDI Event Ends Moves the ends of MIDI events to the nearest grid positions. Freeze MIDI Quantize Makes the start and end positions of MIDI events permanent. This function is useful in situations where you want to quantize a second time, based on the current quantized positions rather than the original positions. Create Groove Quantize Preset Creates a groove quantize map based on hitpoints that you have created in the Sample Editor. Quantize Functions on the Project Window Toolbar Iterative Quantize On/Off Activates/Deactivates iterative quantize. Quantize Presets Allows you to select a quantize preset. Apply Quantize Applies the quantize settings. Open Quantize Panel Opens the Quantize Panel. Quantizing MIDI Event Starts You can quantize the MIDI event start positions. PREREQUISITE You have set up a quantize grid on the Quantize Presets pop-up menu on the Project window toolbar. PROCEDURE 1. Perform one of the following actions: In the Key Editor, select the MIDI events that you want to quantize. In the Project window, select a MIDI part. 2. Select Edit > Quantize. RESULT The starts of the selected MIDI events or all events of the selected MIDI part are quantized. Events that do not match exact note positions are moved to the closest grid position. The note lengths are maintained. 222 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantizing MIDI Event Lengths Quantizing MIDI Event Lengths You can quantize the MIDI event lengths. PREREQUISITE You have set up a length quantize value on the Length Quantize pop-up menu on the Key Editor toolbar. PROCEDURE 1. Perform one of the following actions: In the Key Editor, select the MIDI events that you want to quantize. In the Project window, select a MIDI part. 2. Select Edit > Advanced Quantize > Quantize MIDI Event Lengths. RESULT The ends of the selected MIDI events are cut off so that the events match the length quantize value. The start positions are kept. NOTE If you have selected Quantize Link, the events are resized according to the grid that is set up in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu. The Swing, Tuplet, and Catch Range settings on the Quantize Panel are taken into account. Quantizing MIDI Event Ends You can quantize the MIDI event end positions. PREREQUISITE You have set up a quantize grid on the Quantize Presets pop-up menu on the Project window toolbar. PROCEDURE 1. Perform one of the following actions: In the Key Editor, select the MIDI events that you want to quantize. In the Project window, select a MIDI part. 2. Select Edit > Advanced Quantize > Quantize MIDI Event Ends. RESULT The ends of the MIDI events are moved to the nearest grid positions. Quantizing Audio Event Starts You can quantize the audio event start positions. PREREQUISITE You have set up a quantize grid on the Quantize Presets pop-up menu on the Project window toolbar. 223 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantize Panel PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select an audio event, a sliced loop, or an audio part. 2. Select Edit > Quantize. RESULT The event snap point, or, if not available, the start of the audio event, is quantized. Event starts that do not match exact note positions are moved to the closest grid positions. NOTE If you use the Quantize function on an audio part, the starts of the events inside the part are quantized. Quantize Panel The Quantize Panel allows you to define how to quantize audio or MIDI to the grid or to a groove. Depending on what method you choose, different parameters are shown. To open the Quantize Panel, perform one of the following actions: Click Open Quantize Panel on the toolbar. Select Edit > Quantize Panel. 224 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantize Panel Quantize Presets To the top of the Quantize Panel the quantize presets are shown. Here, you can load and save presets that include all settings for quantizing. Select Preset Allows you to select a preset. Save Preset Allows you to save the current settings as a preset, so that they become available on all Quantize Presets pop-up menus. Remove Preset Allows you to remove the selected preset. Rename Preset Opens a dialog where you can rename the selected preset. Restore Factory Presets Allows you to restore the factory presets. Creating Groove Quantize Presets You can create a groove quantize map based on hitpoints that you have created in the Sample Editor. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, double-click the audio event from which you want to extract the timing. The Sample Editor opens. 2. Open the Hitpoints section. 225 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantize Panel The hitpoints for the audio event are detected and displayed automatically. 3. Click Create Groove. The groove is extracted. RESULT The groove is extracted from the audio event and made available in the Quantize Presets popup menu on the Project window toolbar. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Open the Quantize Panel and save the groove as a preset. RELATED LINKS Creating a Groove Quantize Map on page 368 Quantize Presets on page 225 Options For Quantizing to a Musical Grid You can use the musical grid to quantize your recorded music. To access the options for quantizing to a musical grid, select a musical time format from the Select Preset pop-up menu on the Quantize Panel. The following options are available: Grid Allows you to select the basic value for the quantize grid. Swing Offsets every second position in the grid, creating a swing or shuffle feel. 226 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantize Panel NOTE Swing is only available if Grid is set to a straight value and Tuplet is deactivated. Catch Range Allows you to set a value that determines that quantizing affects only audio or MIDI within the set distance from the grid lines. This is reflected in the grid display. Non-Quantize Range Creates a safe zone before and after the quantize positions. If you specify a distance in ticks (120 ticks = one 16th note), events that lie within this zone are not quantized. This way, slight variations are kept. Grid display Shows the quantize grid. Quantized audio or MIDI is moved to the positions indicated by the vertical grid lines. Tuplet Creates rhythmically more complex grids by dividing the grid into smaller steps, and thereby creating n-tuplets. Randomize Allows you to set a distance in ticks, so that your audio or MIDI is quantized to random positions within the specified distance from the quantize grid. This allows for slight variations and, at the same time, prevents your audio or MIDI from ending up too far away from the grid. Mode Applies a loose quantization so that your audio or MIDI moves only part of the way to the closest quantize grid position. The Iterative Strength value to the right determines how close your audio or MIDI moves towards the grid. NOTE Iterative quantizing is based on the current, quantized positions and not on the original event positions. You can repeatedly use the iQ mode to gradually move your audio or MIDI closer to the quantize grid until you have found the right timing. MIDI CC Moves controllers related to MIDI notes (pitchbend, etc.) automatically with the notes when these are quantized. Reset Quantize Resets your audio or MIDI to its original, unquantized state. IMPORTANT This function has no effect on an event that was moved manually. Auto Applies any changes immediately to the selected parts or events. A way of using this feature is to set up a playback loop and adjust the settings until you are satisfied with the result. Quantize Applies your settings. 227 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantize Panel Options for Quantizing to a Groove You can generate a timing grid from a MIDI part or an audio loop, and use this groove to quantize your recorded music. This way, you can recreate the rhythmic feel of this specific event or part. To access the options for quantizing to a groove, select a MIDI part from an audio loop, an audio event with hitpoints, or sliced audio, and perform one of the following actions: Drag the part or event to the grid display in the middle of the Quantize Panel. Select Edit > Advanced Quantize > Create Groove Quantize Preset. The following options become available: Position Determines how much the timing of the groove affects the music. Velocity (MIDI Only) Determines how much the velocity values within the groove affect the music. NOTE Not all grooves contain velocity information. Length (MIDI Only) Allows you to specify how much the lengths of the notes are affected by the groove. NOTE For drums, the Length setting is ignored. Non-Quantize Range Allows you to create a safe zone before and after the quantize positions. If you specify a distance in ticks (120 ticks = one 16th note), events that lie within this zone are not quantized. This way, slight variations are kept. Grid display Shows the quantize grid. Quantized audio or MIDI is moved to the positions indicated by the vertical grid lines. Pre-Q Allows you to select a musical grid to which you can quantize your audio or MIDI first. This gets the notes closer to their groove destination. 228 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Quantizing MIDI and Audio Quantize Panel NOTE If you apply a shuffle groove to a 16th-note pattern, for example, set up a prequantize value of 16 to straighten up the timing before applying the groove quantizing. Max. Move Allows you to select a note value to specify a maximum distance that the audio or MIDI can be moved. Orig. Position Sets the original starting position of the quantized material as starting point of the quantizing. This allows you to synchronize material that does not start from bar 1 of the project. Randomize Allows you to set a distance in ticks so that your audio or MIDI is quantized to random positions within the specified distance from the quantize grid. This allows for slight variations and, at the same time, prevents your audio or MIDI from ending up too far away from the grid. iQ Mode Applies a loose quantization so that your audio or MIDI moves only part of the way to the closest quantize grid position. The Iterative Strength value to the right determines how close your audio or MIDI moves towards the grid. NOTE Iterative quantizing is based on the current, quantized positions and not on the original event positions. You can repeatedly use the iQ mode to gradually move your audio or MIDI closer to the quantize grid until you have found the right timing. MIDI CC Moves controllers related to MIDI notes (pitchbend, etc.) automatically with the notes when these are quantized. Reset Quantize Resets your audio or MIDI to its original, unquantized state. IMPORTANT This function has no effect on an event that was moved manually. Auto Applies any changes immediately to the selected parts or events. A way of using this feature is to set up a playback loop and adjust the settings until you are satisfied with the result. Quantize Applies your settings. RELATED LINKS Creating Groove Quantize Presets on page 225 229 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Fades allow you to gradually increase or decrease the volume at the start or end of audio events or audio clips, and to create smooth transitions. You can create the following fades: Fade ins/fade outs Fade ins and fade outs allow you to gradually increase or decrease the volume of audio events or audio clips. Fade ins and fade outs can be either event-based or clip-based. Event-based fades are calculated in real time when you play back audio events. You can create different fade curves for several events, even if they refer to the same audio clip. NOTE The more event-based fades you apply, the more processing power is used. Clip-based fades are applied to the audio clip. Events that refer to the same clip will have the same fades. Crossfades Crossfades allow you to create smooth transitions for consecutive audio events on the same track. Crossfades are always event-based. Auto fades Auto fades allow you to automatically apply short fade ins and fade outs to the events on specific audio tracks. You can also apply them globally on all audio tracks. This creates smooth transitions between events. RELATED LINKS Event-Based Fades on page 230 Creating Clip-Based Fades on page 234 Crossfades on page 235 Auto Fades and Crossfades on page 238 Event-Based Fades You can create event-based fade ins and fade outs. These are calculated in real time when you play back audio events. You can create different fade curves for several events, even if they refer to the same audio clip. There are several ways to create event-based fades: By using the event handles By using range selections You can edit event-based fades in the Fade dialogs. 230 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Event-Based Fades RELATED LINKS Creating and Editing Fades with the Handles on page 231 Creating and Editing Fades with the Range Selection Tool on page 232 Fade Dialog for Event-Based Fades on page 233 Creating and Editing Fades with the Handles You can create and edit event-based fade ins and fade outs using the event handles. This gives you a visual feedback and allows you to apply the same fade type to several selected events. PROCEDURE 1. Select the audio events for which you want to create fades and point at one of them with the mouse. Triangular fade handles become visible in the upper left and right corners. 2. Perform one of the following actions: Drag the left fade handle to the right to create a fade in. Drag the right fade handle to the left to create a fade out. RESULT The fade is applied and shown in the event waveform. If you select multiple events, the same fade is applied to all selected events. NOTE You can change the length of the fades at any time by dragging the handles. Event Handles Audio events have a fade-in and a fade-out handle, as well as a volume handle. These handles provide a quick way to change the fade length or the volume of events in the Project window. Event handles become visible if you point the mouse at an event or if you select events. NOTE To show event handles and fade curves always and not only when you point at events, activate Show Event Volume Curves Always in the Preferences dialog (Event Display--Audio page). In the upper left and right corners, you find triangular fade handles that allow you to change the fade-in or fade-out length. In the top middle, you find a square handle that allows you to change the volume. To change the fade-in length, drag the fade handle in the upper left to the right or to the left. 231 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Event-Based Fades To change the fade-out length, drag the fade handle in the upper right to the left or to the right. To change the volume, drag the volume handle in the top middle up or down. Fade and volume changes are reflected in the event waveform and on the info line. NOTE To change the event volume and the fades with the mouse wheel, activate Use Mouse Wheel for Event Volume and Fades in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page). When you press Shift while moving the mouse wheel, and position the mouse pointer somewhere in the left half of the event, the fade in end point is moved. When the mouse pointer is in the right half of the event, the fade out start point is moved. Creating and Editing Fades with the Range Selection Tool You can create and edit event-based fades with the Range Selection tool. This allows you to apply a fade in and a fade out at the same time. Using the Range Selection tool is also useful if you want to create fades for multiple audio events on separate tracks. PROCEDURE 1. On the Project window toolbar, select the Range Selection tool. 2. Perform one of the following actions: To create a fade in that starts at the event start, select a range that starts at the event start. To create a fade out that ends at the event end, select a range that ends at the event end. To create a fade in and a fade out, select a range in the middle of the event. To create fades on multiple tracks, select a range that spans multiple audio events on multiple audio tracks. 3. Select Audio > Adjust Fades to Range. Removing Event-Based Fades You can remove event-based fades for a whole event or for a range. PROCEDURE 1. Perform one of the following actions: To remove the fades for an event, select the event with the Object Selection tool. To remove the fades for a range, select the fade area with the Range Selection tool. 2. Select Audio > Remove Fades. 232 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Event-Based Fades Fade Dialog for Event-Based Fades The fade dialog for event-based fades allows you to set up the selected event-based fades. To open the dialog for event-based fades, create a fade for one or more audio events, select the events and select Audio > Open Fade Editor(s). NOTE If you select several events, you can adjust the fade curves for all selected events at the same time. This is useful if you want to apply the same type of fade in to more than one event, for example. The following options are available: 1 Presets pop-up menu Allows you to set up presets for fade-in or fade-out curves. To apply a saved preset, select it from the pop-up menu. To remove a saved preset, select it from the pop-up menu and click Remove. 2 Curve Type buttons Apply a spline interpolation, a damped spline interpolation, or a linear interpolation to the curve. 3 Restore Click this button to cancel any changes you have made since opening the dialog. 4 Fade display Shows the shape of the fade curve. The resulting waveform shape is shown darker, the current waveform shape is shown lighter. To add points, click the curve. To change the curve shape, click and drag existing points. To remove a point from the curve, drag it outside the display. 5 Curve Shape buttons Give you quick access to some common curve shapes. 6 Length field 233 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Creating Clip-Based Fades Allows you to enter fade lengths numerically. The format of values displayed here is determined by the time display on the Transport panel. If you activate Apply Length, the value entered in the Fade Length value field is used when clicking Apply or OK. If you set the current fade as the default fade, the length value is included as part of the default settings. 7 As Default Saves the current settings as default fade. 8 Apply Applies the current fade settings to the selected events. Creating Clip-Based Fades You can create and edit clip-based fade ins and fade outs using Direct Offline Processing. These fades are applied to the audio clip. Events that refer to the same clip get the same fades. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select one or more audio events or a range for which you want to create a fade. The length of your selection determines the length of the fade area. 2. Perform one of the following actions: To create a fade in, select Audio > Processes > Fade In. To create a fade out, select Audio > Processes > Fade Out. 3. In the Direct Offline Processing window, click the Curve Type buttons to specify a fade curve, or click and drag with the mouse in the curve display to draw in a curve. 4. Optional: Activate Audition to hear the effect of the specified fade on the selected audio event. RESULT The fade is applied to the audio. RELATED LINKS Direct Offline Processing on page 325 Fade In/Fade Out on page 331 On Processing Shared Clips on page 234 On Processing Shared Clips If several events refer to the same audio clip, this clip is a shared clip. If you edit one of the events that refer to a shared clip, you can decide if you want to apply the processing to all events referring to this clip. Continue Click Continue to apply the processing to all events that refer to the audio clip. 234 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Crossfades New Version Click New Version to create a separate, new version of the audio clip for the selected event. Crossfades Crossfades allow you to create smooth transitions for consecutive audio events on the same track. Crossfades are always event-based. You can only create crossfades if the consecutive events or their respective clips overlap. If the audio events overlap, a crossfade of the default shape (linear, symmetric) is applied in the overlapping area. NOTE You can edit the default crossfade length and shape in the Crossfade editor. If the respective audio clips overlap, the two events are resized so that they overlap, and a crossfade of the default length and shape is applied in the overlapping area. If neither the audio events nor the clips overlap, a crossfade cannot be created. RELATED LINKS Crossfade Editor on page 236 Creating Crossfades You can create crossfades between two consecutive audio events. PROCEDURE 1. Perform one of the following actions: To create a crossfade between two events, select the Object Selection tool, and select two consecutive audio events. To create a crossfade to a selected range between two events, select the Range Selection tool, and select a range covering the area where you want to apply a crossfade. 2. Select Audio > Crossfade or use the key command X. RESULT The crossfade is applied. Changing the Crossfade Length You can change the length of a crossfade. PROCEDURE 1. Select the Range Selection tool. 235 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Crossfades 2. Select a range between two events that covers the length of the crossfade you want to apply. 3. Select Audio > Adjust Fades to Range. RESULT The crossfade length is adjusted to the selected range. Crossfade Editor The Crossfade editor allows you to edit crossfades. It contains fade-in and fade-out curve settings, and common settings. To open the Crossfade editor, select one or both crossfaded events, and select Audio > Crossfade, or double-click the crossfade zone. Curve Type buttons Determine whether the corresponding fade curve uses Spline Interpolation , Damped Spline Interpolation , or Linear Interpolation . Curve Shape buttons Give you quick access to some common curve shapes. Fade Curve displays Show the shape of the fade-out and fade-in curve, respectively. To add points, click a curve. To change the fade shape, click and drag existing points. To remove a point, drag a point outside the display. Presets Click Save Preset on the Presets pop-up menu to store the crossfade settings so that you can apply them to other events. To remove a preset, select it on the pop-up menu and click Remove Preset. 236 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Crossfades Default buttons Click As Default to store the current settings as default. Default settings are used whenever you create new crossfades. Click Recall Default to apply the curves and settings of the default crossfade. Length Specifies the length of the crossfade area. Cubase tries to center the crossfade, that is, the length change is applied equally to both sides. To be able to resize a crossfade, it must be possible to resize the corresponding event. For example, if the fade-out event already plays its audio clip to the end, its end point cannot be moved any further to the right. Equal Gain Adjusts the fade curves so that the summed fade-in and fade-out amplitudes are the same all along the crossfade region. This is often suitable for short crossfades. Equal Power Adjusts the fade curves so that the energy (power) of the crossfade is constant all along the crossfade region. Equal Power curves have only one editable curve point. You cannot change the curve shape if this mode is selected. Volume Allows you to set the audition level. Pre-roll and Post-roll To start playback before the fade area, activate Use Pre-roll. To stop playback after the fade area, activate Use Post-roll. To adjust the pre-roll time, use the Pre-roll Amount value field. To adjust the post-roll time, use the Post-roll Amount value field. Audition buttons To audition the fade-out part of the crossfade, click Play Fade Out. To audition the whole crossfade, click Play Crossfade. To audition the fade-in part of the crossfade, click Play Fade In. You can set up key commands for this in the Key Commands dialog. RELATED LINKS Key Commands on page 680 Event Handles on page 231 Auto-Scroll Settings Menu on page 181 Removing Crossfades You can remove crossfades. PROCEDURE 1. Perform one of the following actions: Select the Object Selection tool and select one of the crossfaded events. Select the Range Selection tool and select the crossfades you want to remove. 2. Select Audio > Remove Fades. 237 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Auto Fades and Crossfades RESULT The selected crossfades are removed. NOTE You can also remove a crossfade by clicking and dragging it outside the track. Auto Fades and Crossfades Cubase features an Auto Fade function that can be set both globally and separately for each audio track. Auto fades allow you to create smoother transitions between events by applying fade ins and fade outs with a length between 1 and 500ms. IMPORTANT As event-based fades are calculated in real time during playback, applying auto fades to a higher number of audio events results in a higher demand on the processor. NOTE Auto fades are not indicated by fade lines. Auto Fades Dialog The Auto Fades dialog allows you to set up auto fades and crossfades for the whole project, or separately for each audio track. To open the global Auto Fades dialog, select Project > Auto Fades Settings. To open the Auto Fades dialog for a track, right-click in the track list and select Auto Fades Settings. 238 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Auto Fades and Crossfades 1 Auto Fade In Activates auto fade ins. 2 Auto Fade Out Activates auto fade outs. 3 Auto Crossfades Activates auto crossfades. 4 Use Project Settings This is only available if you opened the Auto Fades dialog for individual tracks. Deactivate this to set up and apply the settings to individual tracks only. If you want a track with individual auto fade settings to use the global settings again, activate Use Project Settings. 5 Length Specifies the length of the auto fades or crossfades. 6 As Default Saves the current settings as default. 7 Fades section Provides the settings for auto fades. The Curve Type buttons allow you to determine whether the corresponding fade curve uses Spline Interpolation , Damped Spline Interpolation or Linear Interpolation . The Curve Shape buttons give you quick access to common curve shapes. 8 Crossfades section 239 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Fades and Crossfades Auto Fades and Crossfades Provides the settings for auto crossfades. Equal Gain allows you to adjust the fade curves so that the summed fade-in and fade-out amplitudes are the same all along the crossfade region. Equal Power allows you to adjust the fade curves so that the energy (power) of the crossfade is constant all along the crossfade region. Making Global Auto Fade Settings You can set up auto fades and crossfades for the whole project. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Auto Fades Settings. This opens the Auto Fades dialog for the project. 2. Set up the fades as desired. 3. Click OK. RELATED LINKS Fade Dialog for Event-Based Fades on page 233 Crossfade Editor on page 236 Making Auto Fade Settings for Individual Tracks As auto fades use computing power, you might consider to turn auto fades off globally and activate them only for individual tracks. PROCEDURE 1. Perform one of the following actions: Right-click the track in the track list, and from the context menu, select Auto Fades Settings. Select the track, and in the Inspector, click Auto Fades Settings. The Auto Fades dialog for the track opens. 2. Deactivate Use Project Settings. Any settings you now make are applied to the track only. 3. Set up the auto fades. 4. Click OK. 240 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track The arranger functions in Cubase allow you to work in a non-linear fashion. Using an arranger track allows you to specify how and when specific sections are played back, even in live performances. This way, you do not need to move, copy, and paste events in the Project window. NOTE There can be only one arranger track in a project. To use the arranger functions, you must add an arranger track and define arranger events. Arranger events can be of any length. They can overlap and are not bound to the start or end of existing events and parts. You can order them in a list, and add repeats as desired. You can edit arranger events using the standard techniques. Copies from arranger events are independent from the original event. You can create several arranger chains that allow you to save different versions of a song within the project. You can flatten arranger chains to convert them into a linear project. RELATED LINKS Adding Arranger Events on the Arranger Track on page 241 Setting up an Arranger Chain and Adding Events on page 245 Flattening the Arranger Chain on page 247 Adding Arranger Events on the Arranger Track On the arranger track, you can add arranger events that define specific sections of the project. PREREQUISITE Snap is activated, and Snap Type is set to Events. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Add Track > Arranger. The arranger track is added. 2. Select the Draw tool and draw an arranger event on the arranger track. An arranger event is added. 3. Draw as many events as you need. RESULT The arranger events are added to your project. 241 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track Arranger Editor AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Use the functions of the Arranger Editor to arrange the events. RELATED LINKS Arranger Track on page 118 Setting up an Arranger Chain and Adding Events on page 245 Snap Function on page 61 Snap Types Menu on page 62 Renaming Arranger Events When you add arranger events, they are automatically named in alphabetical order. You can change the names so that they reflect the structure of your project, such as Intro, Chorus, Bridge, for example. PROCEDURE 1. Select the arranger event that you want to rename. 2. Perform one of the following actions: Select the event name on the info line. Hold down Alt and double-click the name in the arranger chain. 3. Enter a new name. Arranger Editor The Arranger Editor allows you to set up arranger chains. To open the Arranger Editor, select an arranger track, and click Open Arranger Editor in the track list. Arranger toolbar Shows the transport buttons, the arranger transport buttons, and the arranger tools. Current Arranger Chain Shows the order in which the events are played back, from top to bottom, and how many times they are repeated. NOTE Initially, the arranger chain is empty. To fill it up, you must add events from the Arranger Events list. 242 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track Arranger Editor Arranger Events Lists the available arranger events in the order they appear on the timeline. Arranger Editor Toolbar The Arranger Editor contains tools and shortcuts for setting the flatten options. To open the Arranger Editor, select an arranger track, and click Open Arranger Editor in the track list. Stop Stops playback. Play Starts playback. Previous Chain Step Navigates to the previous entry in the current arranger chain list. Next Chain Step Navigates to the next entry in the current arranger chain list. First Repeat of Current Chain Step Navigates to the first repeat of the current entry in the current arranger chain list. Last Repeat of Current Chain Step Navigates to the last repeat of the current entry in the current arranger chain list. Activate Arranger Mode Activates playback in arranger mode. Select Active Chain Allows you to select and activate an arranger chain. Rename Current Chain Allows you to rename the current arranger chain. Create New Chain Creates a new, empty arranger chain. Duplicate Current Chain Creates a duplicate of the current arranger chain, containing the same events. 243 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track Arranger Editor Remove Current Chain Removes the selected arranger chain. This is only available if you have created more than one arranger chain. Flatten Converts the current arranger chain into a linear project. Flatten (with Options & Preferences) Allows you to set up the flatten options. Arranger Chain Repeat Modes The Arranger Editor features a function that allows you to repeat and loop your arranger events. This way, you can create a sketch of a song structure. To open the Arranger Editor, select an arranger track, and click Open Arranger Editor in the track list. To select one of the repeat modes, click the Mode column in the Current Arranger Chain list. 1 Normal Plays back the arranger chain exactly the way you set it up. 2 Repeat Forever Repeats the current arranger event in a loop until you click another event in the Arranger Editor or until you click Play once again. 3 Pause After Repeats Pauses playback after all repeats of the current arranger event have been played back. NOTE During playback, the Counter column indicates which repetition of the event is playing. Flatten Options & Preferences The flatten options allow you to define what happens when you flatten the arranger track. To show the flatten options, open the Arranger Editor, and click Flatten (with Options & Preferences). In the Source section, you can specify which arranger chains are flattened. Current Chain Flattens the current chain only. 244 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track Setting up an Arranger Chain and Adding Events Checked Chains Opens a list of the available arranger chains where you can activate the arranger tracks that you want to flatten. All Chains Flattens all arranger chains of the current project. The Destination section allows you to choose where the result of the flattening is saved. Current Project This is only available if Source is set to Current Chain. Activate this option if you want to save the flattened chain in the current project. New Project Allows you to flatten one or more chains in a new project with the following naming options: Append Chain Name Appends the chain names to the project name. Use Chain Name Names the new projects after the current arranger chains. Add Number Names the new projects after the old ones and adds a number. The Options section contains further settings. Keep Arranger Track Keeps the arranger track after flattening. Activate Rename Arranger Events to append numbers to the events. Make Real Event Copies Allows you to create real copies of the arranger track instead of shared copies. Don`t Split Events Excludes MIDI notes that start before or are longer than the arranger event. Only MIDI notes that begin and end inside the arranger event are taken into account. Open New Projects Creates a new project for every flattened arranger chain. If you activate Cascade New Projects, the opened projects are cascaded. RELATED LINKS Flattening the Arranger Chain on page 247 Setting up an Arranger Chain and Adding Events In the Arranger Editor you can set up arranger chains and add events to them. PROCEDURE 1. Click e to open the Arranger Editor. 2. Activate Activate Arranger Mode. 3. Perform one of the following actions to add arranger events to the arranger chain: Double-click an event in the Arranger Events list. 245 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track Setting up an Arranger Chain and Adding Events Select one or more events in the Arranger Events list, right-click, and select Append Selected In Arranger Chain. Drag an arranger event from the Arranger Events list and drop it in the Current Arranger Chain list. Drag an arranger event from the Project window and drop it in the Current Arranger Chain list. 4. Click Play. RESULT The arranger events are played back in the order that you specified in the arranger chain. RELATED LINKS Arranger Chain Repeat Modes on page 244 Adding a New Arranger Chain You can create several arranger chains in order to set up alternative versions for playback. PREREQUISITE Arranger Mode is activated. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Arranger Editor. 2. Click Create New Chain. RESULT A new, empty arranger chain is activated. This is reflected by a new name in the Select Active Chain pop-up menu and a new, empty Current Arranger Chain list. Editing Arranger Events in the Arranger Chain In the Current Arranger Chain list, you can edit your arranger events. You can perform the following actions: To select multiple events, Ctrl/Cmd-click or Shift-click them. To move events in the list, drag them up or down. To copy events, select them, hold Alt and drag. To repeat events, click in the Repeats column and enter the number of repeats. To specify how the event is repeated, click in the Mode column and select a Repeat Mode from the pop-up menu. To move the playback position to the start of an event, click the arrow to the left of the event. To remove an event from the list, right-click on it, and from the context menu, select Remove Touched. To remove several events, select them, right-click, and from the context menu, select Remove Selected. RELATED LINKS Arranger Chain Repeat Modes on page 244 246 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track Jump Mode Flattening the Arranger Chain When you have set up an arranger chain that you like, and you are sure that you do not want to edit it any more, you can convert it to a linear project. PREREQUISITE You have saved a copy of the project before flattening the arranger chain. NOTE Flattening the arranger chain may remove events and parts from the project. Only use Flatten when you know you do not want to edit the arranger track/chain any more. If in doubt, save a copy of the project before flattening the arranger chain. PROCEDURE 1. Select the arranger chain that you want to convert into a linear project. 2. Optional: Click Flatten (with Options & Preferences) 3. Optional: Activate the desired flattening options. NOTE If you realize that you want to do further adjustments, click Go Back. The activated flatten options are kept. 4. Click Flatten. RESULT The events and parts in the project are reordered, repeated, resized, moved and/or deleted, so that they correspond exactly to the arranger chain. Jump Mode If you have set up an arranger track and play it back, you have live access to the playback order. This way, you can loop your arranger events with more flexibility regarding the length of the playback. PREREQUISITE An arranger chain is set up and the arranger mode is activated. PROCEDURE 1. Click Play to play back your project. 2. In the lower part of the Inspector, open the Jump Mode pop-up menu, and select an option from the pop-up menu. This determines how long the active arranger event is played, before jumping to the next one. 3. In the Arranger Events list of the Inspector, click the arrow to the left of the arranger event that you want to trigger. 247 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track Jump Mode RESULT The arranger event is looped according to your settings, until you click another arranger event. NOTE You can assign key commands to trigger arranger events in the Arranger category of the Key Commands dialog. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To stop Jump Mode, click Stop. To continue playback from a specific arranger event, click the arranger event in the Current Arranger Chain list. RELATED LINKS Jump Mode Options on page 248 Jump Mode Options The Jump Mode pop-up menu allows you to define how long the active arranger event is played before jumping to the next one. To show the Inspector for the arranger track, select the arranger track in the track list. The following options are available: None Jumps to the next section immediately. 4 Bars, 2 Bars Jumps to the next arranger event after 2 or 4 bars. If the current arranger event is shorter than 2 or 4 bars, playback jumps to the next arranger event at the event end. 1 Bar Jumps to the next section at the next barline. 1 Beat Jumps to the next section at the next beat. 248 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Arranger Track Arranging Music to Video End Plays the current section to the end, then jumps to the next section. Arranging Music to Video When you compose music for video, you can use arranger events to fill a specific video section with music. The following is an example on how you could do that. PREREQUISITE You have connected and set up an external sync master device to your computer. You have created a new, empty project and added a MIDI track. PROCEDURE 1. Create a MIDI part that starts at position 00:00:00:00 and ends at position 00:01:00:00. 2. Create a MIDI part that starts at position 00:01:00:00 and ends at position 00:02:00:00. 3. Create a MIDI part that starts at position 00:02:00:00 and ends at position 00:03:00:00. 4. On the Transport panel, activate Sync. 5. Select Project > Add Track > Arranger. The arranger track is added. 6. On the arranger track, add arranger events at the positions of the MIDI parts. 7. Set up the arranger chain A-A-B-B-C-C. 8. Activate Arranger mode and click Play. 9. On your external sync master device, start external timecode at position 00:00:10:00. In your project, the position 00:00:10:00 is located, and arranger part A is played back. 10. Start your external sync master device at a position that does not match the project start time, for example, 00:01:10:00. In your project, the position 00:01:10:00 is located, and arranger part A is played back. RESULT If you position the external sync master device to a position that does not match the project start time, Cubase automatically jumps to the right position in the arranger track. NOTE The reference for the external timecode can be MIDI or any other timecode that can be interpreted by Cubase. RELATED LINKS Arranger Track on page 118 249 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Markers Markers are used to locate certain positions quickly. There are two types of markers: position markers and cycle markers. If you often find yourself jumping to a specific position within a project, you should insert a marker at this position. You can also use markers to make range selections or for zooming. Markers are located on the marker track. You can add 1 marker track. RELATED LINKS Position Markers on page 250 Cycle Markers on page 250 Marker Track on page 254 Position Markers Position markers allow you to save a specific position. Position markers on the marker track are shown as marker events: vertical lines with the marker description (if assigned) and number beside it. If you select a marker track, all its markers are shown in the Inspector. Cycle Markers By creating cycle markers you can save any number of left and right locator positions as start and end positions of a range and recall them by double-clicking on the corresponding marker. Cycle markers are shown on a marker track as two markers bridged by a horizontal line. Cycle markers are ideal for saving sections of a project. By defining cycle markers for the intro, verse, and chorus of a song, for example, you can quickly navigate to the song sections and repeat the section by activating Activate Cycle on the Transport panel. Setting the Locators Using Cycle Markers Cycle markers represent ranges in your project. You can use them for moving the left and right locators. PROCEDURE To set the left locator to the cycle marker start and the right locator to the cycle marker end, perform one of the following actions: Double-click on a cycle marker. From the Cycle pop-up menu in the track list, select a cycle marker. 250 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Markers Markers Window RESULT The left and right locators are moved to encompass the cycle marker. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Now you can move the project cursor position to the start or the end of the cycle marker by moving it to the corresponding locator or use cycle markers to export specific ranges of your project with the Export Audio Mixdown dialog. Editing Cycle Markers When editing cycle markers on a marker track, snap is taken into account. To add a cycle marker, press Ctrl/Cmd, click and drag on the marker track. To change the start/end position of a cycle marker, drag the start/end handle. To move a cycle marker to another position, drag the upper border. To delete a cycle marker, click with the Erase tool. If you hold down Alt when you click, all consecutive markers are deleted. To cut a range in a cycle marker, select a range in the cycle marker and press Ctrl/Cmd-X. To set the marker start/end of the selected cycle marker to the cursor position, select Project > Markers to open the Markers window, and select Functions > Set Marker Start/End to Cursor. To set the left and right locators, double-click a cycle marker. To zoom in on a cycle marker, press Alt and double-click the cycle marker. Markers Window In the Markers window, you can view and edit markers. The markers on the marker track are displayed in the marker list in the order in which they occur in the project. To open the Markers window, you have the following possibilities: Select Project > Markers. On the Transport panel in the marker section, click Show. Use a key command (by default Ctrl/Cmd-M). Functions menu Lists all functions available in the Marker window. Filter Markers Allows you to specify which marker type is shown in the marker list. 251 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Markers Markers Window Auto-Scroll with Project Cursor Allows you to keep track of the locate arrow, even if your project contains a large number of markers. If this option is activated, the Marker window is automatically scrolled to keep the locate arrow visible. Markers list Shows the markers in the order in which they occur in the project. Marker Settings Shows the marker settings. Editing in the Markers Window In the Markers window, you can select, edit, add, move, and remove markers. To select or edit a marker, click on it. Select multiple markers by Shift- or Ctrl/Cmd-clicking them. To add a position marker at the cursor position, select Functions > Insert Marker. A position marker is added at the current project cursor position on the marker track. To add a cycle marker at the cursor position, select Functions > Insert Cycle Marker. This adds a cycle marker between the left and right locators on the marker track. To move a marker to the cursor position, select the marker and select Functions > Move Markers to Cursor. You can also enter the new position numerically in the Position column. If a cycle marker is selected, the move operation affects the cycle marker start position. To remove a marker, select it and select Functions > Remove Marker. Navigating in the Marker List You can navigate in the marker list using your computer keyboard and select entries by pressing Return. This is a quick and easy way to jump to markers during playback or recording. To move to the previous/next marker in the list, press the Up Arrow/Down Arrow keys. To jump to the first/last marker, press the Page Up/Page Down keys. Sorting and Reordering the Marker List You can customize the display of the marker attributes in the marker list by sorting or reordering the columns. To sort the marker list by a specific attribute, click on the corresponding column header. To reorder the marker attributes, drag and drop the corresponding column headers. To adjust the width of a column, place the mouse pointer between two column headers and drag left or right. NOTE No matter by which attribute you sort, the second sort criterion will always be the position attribute. Marker Settings You can make general marker settings for your project. To open the marker settings, select Project > Markers, and click Marker Settings . 252 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Markers Markers Window Cycle follows when locating to Markers This sets the left and right locators automatically to a position or cycle marker, when locating to this marker. This is useful if you need to set the locators on the fly during recording for Punch In/Punch Out, for example. Show marker IDs on marker track If this option is activated, the marker IDs are shown on the marker track. Sync Selection If this option is activated, the Markers window selection is linked to the selection in the Project window. Marker Attributes Marker attributes are shown in the marker list of the Markers window. To open the Markers window, select Project > Markers. The following attributes are available: Locate An arrow indicates which marker is at the project cursor position (or closest to the project cursor). If you click in this column, the project cursor is moved to the corresponding marker position. This column cannot be hidden. ID This column shows the marker ID numbers. Position In this column, you can view and edit the markers' time positions (or start positions for cycle markers). This column cannot be hidden. End In this column, you can view and edit the end positions of cycle markers. Length In this column, you can view and edit the length of cycle markers. Description Here you can enter names or descriptions for markers. RELATED LINKS Marker IDs on page 254 Cycle Markers on page 250 Editing Attributes To edit a marker attribute, select the corresponding marker, click in the desired attribute column, and make your changes. To change the attributes of several markers, select the markers and activate the checkbox for the attribute. All selected markers change their attributes accordingly. Note that this does not work when clicking on a timecode value or a text field. NOTE To navigate in the list of marker attributes, you can also use the Tab key and the Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Left Arrow, and Right Arrow keys. 253 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Markers Marker Track Sorting and Reordering Columns You can customize the display of the marker attributes in the marker list by sorting or reordering the columns. To sort the marker list by a specific attribute, click on the corresponding column header. NOTE No matter by which attribute you sort, the second sort criterion will always be the position attribute. To reorder the marker attributes, drag and drop the corresponding column headers. To adjust the width of a column, place the mouse pointer between two column headers and drag left or right. Marker IDs Each time you add a marker, it is automatically and sequentially assigned an ID number, starting from 1. IDs for cycle markers are shown in brackets and start from 1. ID numbers can be changed at any time this allows you to assign specific markers to key commands. Reassigning Marker IDs Sometimes, especially when setting markers on the fly, you may forget or miss to set a marker. When added later, this marker's ID will not correspond to its position on the marker track. Therefore, it is possible to reassign the IDs for all markers on a track. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Markers window. 2. Open the Functions pop-up menu and select either Reassign Position Marker IDs or Reassign Cycle Marker IDs. RESULT The marker IDs of the selected type are reassigned to match the order of markers on the marker track. Marker Track A marker track is used for adding and editing markers. 1 Add Marker Adds a position marker at the cursor position. 2 Add Cycle Marker Adds a cycle marker at the cursor position. 3 Locate pop-up menu If you select a position or a cycle marker in this pop-up menu, the corresponding marker in the event display or in the Markers window is selected. 254 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Markers Marker Track 4 Cycle pop-up menu If you select a cycle marker in this pop-up menu, the left and right locators are set to the corresponding cycle marker. 5 Zoom pop-up menu If you select a cycle marker in this pop-up menu, the view zooms to the corresponding cycle marker. 6 Marker event (inactive) Shows an inactive marker event. 7 Marker event (active) Shows an active marker event. 8 Cycle marker event (inactive) Shows an inactive cycle marker event. 9 Cycle marker event (active) Shows an active cycle marker event. Adding, Moving, and Removing the Marker Track You can add, move, and remove the marker track. To add a marker track to the project, select Project > Add Track > Marker. To move a marker track to another position in the track list, click and drag it up or down. To remove the marker track, right-click it in the track list and select Remove Selected Tracks. To remove an empty marker track, select Project > Remove Empty Tracks. This also removes any other tracks that are empty. Editing Markers on the Marker Track You can edit markers on the marker track. To add a position marker, click Add Marker or use the Draw tool. To add a cycle marker, click Add Cycle Marker or use the Draw tool. To select a marker, use the standard techniques. To resize a cycle marker, select it and drag the handles. You can also do this numerically on the info line. To move a marker, select it and drag it. You can also edit marker positions on the info line. To remove a marker, select it and press Delete or use the Erase tool. RELATED LINKS Marker Track on page 254 Using Markers to Select Ranges Markers can be used in conjunction with the Range Selection tool to make range selections in the Project window. This is useful if you quickly want to make a selection that spans all tracks in the project. PROCEDURE 1. Set markers at the start and end of the section that you want to move or copy. 2. Select the Range Selection tool and double-click on the marker track between the markers. 255 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Markers Importing and Exporting Markers Everything in the project within the marker boundaries is selected. Any functions or processing you perform now affect the selection only. 3. Click on the marker track in the selected range and drag the range to a new position. If you hold down Alt while you drag the range, the selection in the Project window is copied instead. Importing and Exporting Markers Markers and marker tracks can be imported and exported. The following files can contain markers: MIDI files Importing Markers via MIDI You can import position markers by importing MIDI files containing markers. This is useful if you want to use your marker tracks in other projects or if you want to share them with other Cubase users. Any markers you have added are included in the MIDI file as standard MIDI file marker events. Activate Import Markers in the Preferences dialog (MIDI--MIDI File page). The following settings are imported: The start position of position markers and cycle markers RELATED LINKS Importing MIDI Files on page 220 Exporting Markers via MIDI You can export your markers as part of a MIDI file. To include any markers in the MIDI file, activate Export Markers in the Export Options dialog. The following settings are exported: The start position of position markers and cycle markers NOTE To be able to export markers via MIDI export, your project must contain a marker track. RELATED LINKS Exporting MIDI Tracks as Standard MIDI Files on page 126 256 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole The MixConsole provides a common environment for producing mixes in stereo. It allows you to control level, pan, solo/mute status, etc. for audio and MIDI channels. Furthermore, you can set up the input and output routing for multiple tracks or channels at the same time. You can open the MixConsole in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. While the MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window features the key functions for mixing, the separate MixConsole window gives you access to additional functions and settings. RELATED LINKS MixConsole in Lower Zone on page 257 MixConsole Window on page 258 MixConsole in Lower Zone You can show a MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window. This is useful if you want to access the most important MixConsole functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. The MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window is a separate MixConsole that does not follow any visibility changes you perform in the MixConsole window. To open a MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window, do one of the following: Press Alt-F3. Select Studio > MixConsole in Project Window. The MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window is divided into the following sections: 257 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window 1 Page selector Allows you to select what page is displayed in the fader section: the channel faders, the insert effects for a channel, or the send effects. The top button allows you to show/hide the toolbar. 2 Toolbar The toolbar shows tools and shortcuts for settings and functions in the MixConsole. 3 Fader section The fader section is always visible and shows all channels in the same order as in the track list. RELATED LINKS Fader Section on page 270 Inserts on page 280 Sends on page 290 Filtering Channel Types on page 266 Linking Channels on page 268 Functions Menu on page 269 MixConsole Window You can open the MixConsole in a separate window. To open the MixConsole, do one of the following: Press F3. Select Studio > MixConsole. On the Project window toolbar, click Open MixConsole. NOTE This is only visible on the toolbar if the Media & MixConsole Windows section is activated. 258 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window The MixConsole is divided into the following sections: 1 Toolbar The toolbar shows tools and shortcuts for settings and functions in the MixConsole. 2 Left Zone Allows you to set up the visibility of channels in the fader section. 3 Fader section The fader section is always visible and shows all channels in the same order as in the track list. 259 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Apart from the main sections, you can also access the following sections from within the MixConsole window: 1 Meter bridge Allows you to monitor the levels of your channels. 2 Equalizer curves Allows you to draw an EQ curve. Click in the curve display to open a larger view where you can edit the curve points. 3 Channel racks Allows you to show additional channel controls as needed. 4 Pictures Allows you to add a picture to the selected channel. Pictures can help you identify your MixConsole channels quickly. 5 Notepads Allows you to enter notes and comments about a channel. Each channel has its own notepad. 6 Channel Latencies Allows you to show the latencies caused by insert effects or channel strip modules. 260 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window RELATED LINKS MixConsole Left Zone on page 261 MixConsole Toolbar on page 262 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Fader Section on page 270 Channel Racks Selector on page 267 Track Pictures Browser on page 130 Adding Notes to a MixConsole Channel on page 291 Channel Latency Overview on page 292 Channel Strips on page 284 MixConsole Left Zone The left zone of the MixConsole shows a list of the MixConsole channels that allows you to show/hide specific channels. To show/hide the left zone of the MixConsole, click Show/Hide Left Zone in the MixConsole window toolbar. Visibility Lists all channels contained in your project, and allows you to show/hide specific channels. RELATED LINKS MixConsole Toolbar on page 262 MixConsole Visibility The Visibility tab in the MixConsole lists all channels contained in your project, and allows you to show/hide specific channels. To show/hide channels, check/uncheck them by clicking to the left of the channel name. To collapse/expand groups and folders, click the group or folder name. 261 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window NOTE The MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window does not follow any visibility changes that you perform in the MixConsole window and vice versa. MixConsole Toolbar The toolbar contains tools and shortcuts for settings and functions in the MixConsole. NOTE The MixConsole toolbar in the lower zone of the Project window contains a limited set of tools. Left Divider Left Divider Allows you to use the left divider. Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. Channel Visibility Configuration Channel Visibility Configurations Allows you to create configurations that are useful for switching quickly between different visibility setups. Set Channel Type Filter Opens the channel filter that allows you to show/hide all channels of a certain channel type. Racks Select Rack Types Opens the rack selector that allows you to show/hide specific racks. Rack Settings Opens a pop-up menu with settings for the racks. Locators Go to Left Locator Position Allows you to go to the left locator position. Left Locator Position Shows the left locator position. Go to Right Locator Position Allows you to go to the right locator position. 262 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Right Locator Position Shows the right locator position. Locator Range Duration Locators to Selection Allows you to set the locators to the selection. Locator Range Duration Shows the duration of the locator range. Transport Buttons Go to Previous Marker/Zero Moves the project cursor to the previous marker/zero position on the timeline. Go to Next Marker/Project End Moves the project cursor to the next marker/project end. Rewind Moves backward. Forward Moves forward. Activate Cycle Activates/Deactivates cycle mode. Stop Stops playback. Start Starts playback. Transport Record Activates/Deactivates record mode. Time Displays Primary Time Display Shows the position of the project cursor in the selected time format. 263 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Select Primary Time Format Allows you to select a time format for the primary time display. Secondary Time Display Shows the position of the project cursor in the selected time format. Select Secondary Time Format Allows you to select a time format for the secondary time display. Markers Jump to Marker Allows you to set and locate marker positions. Open Markers Window Opens the Markers window. State Buttons Deactivate All Mute States Deactivates all mute states. Deactivate All Solo States Deactivates all solo states. Activate/Deactivate Read for All Tracks Activates/Deactivates read automation for all tracks. Activate/Deactivate Write for All Tracks Activates/Deactivates write automation for all tracks. Bypass Inserts Bypasses all inserts. Bypass EQs Bypasses all EQs. Bypass Channel Strip Bypasses all channel strip modules. Bypass Sends 264 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Bypasses all sends. Link Group Temporary Link Mode Synchronizes all touched parameters of selected channels. Zoom Palette Reduce Channel Width Allows you to reduce the channel width. Set Number of Channels Displays the set number of channels. Increase Channel Width Allows you to increase the channel width. Reduce Rack Height Allows you to reduce the rack height. Increase Rack Height Allows you to increase the rack height. System Performance Meter System Performance Meter Shows the meters for average audio processing load and the disk cache load. Right Divider Right Divider Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Mixer Functions Menu Functions Menu Opens a pop-up menu where you can select a MixConsole function. Window Zone Controls Show/Hide Left Zone Shows/Hides the left zone of the window. 265 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Set up Window Layout Allows you to set up the window layout. Set up Toolbar Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. Filtering Channel Types The channel types filter on the MixConsole toolbar allows you to determine which channel types are shown. PROCEDURE 1. Click Set Channel Type Filter. This opens the channel types filter. 2. Click to the left of a channel type to uncheck it and hide all channels of that type. RESULT Channels of the filtered type are removed from the fader section and the color of the Set Channel Type Filter button changes to indicate that a channel type is hidden. Channel Visibility Configurations Menu The Channel Visibility Configurations button on the MixConsole toolbar allows you to create configurations that are useful for switching quickly between different visibility setups. The button displays the name of the active configuration. A list of configurations is shown as soon as you create at least one configuration. To load a configuration, select it from the menu. Channel visibility configurations are saved with the project. Add Configuration Opens the Add Configuration dialog that allows you to save the configuration and enter a name for it. Update Configuration If you change the active configuration, this is indicated by an asterisk after the configuration name. Use this function to save changes to the active configuration. 266 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Rename Configuration Opens the Rename Configuration dialog that allows you to rename the active configuration. Delete Configuration Allows you to delete the active configuration. Move Configuration to Position This function becomes available if 2 or more configurations exist. It allows you to change the position of the active configuration on the menu. This is useful as you can assign key commands to the first 8 configurations in the Channel & Track Visibility category of the Key Commands dialog. Saving Configurations To quickly switch between different channel setups, you can save configurations. The configurations contain visibility settings as well as the show/hide status of channel types and racks. PROCEDURE 1. Set up the configuration that you want to save. 2. On the toolbar, click Channel Visibility Configurations. 3. From the pop-up menu, select Add Configuration. 4. In the Add Configuration dialog, enter a name for the configuration. 5. Click OK. RESULT The configuration is saved and you can return to it at any time. Rack Selector The rack selector allows you to activate specific MixConsole functions that are organized in racks, such as routing, insert, or send handling. Channel Racks Selector You can activate and deactivate the different channel racks in the MixConsole. To open the rack selector, click Select Rack Types on the MixConsole toolbar. Depending on the channel type, you can activate/deactivate the following racks: Hardware Allows you to control your audio hardware effects. This rack is only available if supported by your hardware. Routing Allows you to set up the input and output routing. For MIDI, you can also select the MIDI channel. Pre (Filters/Gain/Phase) Contains input filter controls along with Phase and Gain controls for audio-related channels. Inserts Allows you to select insert effects for your channel. 267 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Equalizers (audio-related channels only) Allows you to set the channel EQ. Channel Strip (audio-related channels only) Allows you to integrate channel strip modules, such as Gate, Compressor, EQ, Transformer, Saturator, and Limiter that allow you to enhance your sound. Sends Allows you to select send effects for your channel. RELATED LINKS MixConsole Toolbar on page 262 Rack Settings Menu The Rack Settings pop-up menu allows you to make settings for the racks. To open the Rack Settings pop-up menu, click Rack Settings on the MixConsole toolbar. Exclusive Expanded Rack Shows the selected rack exclusively and collapses the other racks. Fixed Number of Slots Shows all available slots for the Inserts, Sends, Cues, and Quick Controls racks. Link Racks to Configurations If this option is activated, the rack status is taken into account when you save and load a configuration. Show Pre/Filters as <Combined Label & Setting> Select Combined Label & Setting if you want to show the label and the setting in one line. Select Separate Label & Setting if you want to show the label and the setting in separate lines. Show Inserts as <Plug-in Names & Insert Controls> Select Plug-in Names if you want to show the plug-in names only. Select Plug-in Names & Insert Controls if you want to show the plug-in names and the insert controls. Show All Channel Strip Controls Shows all available controls on the Channel Strip rack. Show One Channel Strip Type Shows only one channel strip type at a time. Show Sends as <Send Destination & Gain> Select Send Destination & Gain if you want to show the destination and the gain in one line. Select Send Destination, Gain & Send Controls if you want to show the destination, the gain and the send controls. RELATED LINKS MixConsole Toolbar on page 262 Linking Channels You can link selected channels in the MixConsole temporarily. Any change that is applied to one channel is mirrored by all linked channels. 268 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Using Quick Link You can activate the Temporary Link Mode to synchronize all touched parameters of selected channels. PROCEDURE 1. Select the channels that you want to link. 2. On the MixConsole toolbar, activate Q-Link. NOTE You can also press Shift-Alt to temporarily link channels. In that case, the link is only active as long as you press the keys. 3. Change the parameters for one of the selected channels. RESULT The changes are applied to all selected channels until you deactivate Q-Link. Functions Menu The Functions Menu contains tools and shortcuts for settings and functions in the MixConsole. To open the Functions Menu, click Functions Menu on the MixConsole toolbar. Scroll to Selected Channel If this option is activated and you select a channel on the Visibility tab, the selected channel is automatically displayed in the fader section. Copy First Selected Channel's Settings Copies the settings of the first selected channel. Paste Settings to Selected Channels Pastes the settings to the selected channels. Zoom Opens a submenu where you can increase or reduce the channel width and the rack height. Open Audio Connections Opens the Audio Connections window. Constrain Delay Compensation Allows you to activate/deactivate the Constrain Delay Compensation that keeps all channels in perfect sync and automatically compensates any delay inherent in VST plug-ins during playback. EQ/Filter Transition Allows you to change the EQ/Filter Transition mode from Soft to Quick. Save Selected Channels Saves the settings for the selected channels. Load Selected Channels Loads the settings for the selected channels. Global Meter Settings Opens a submenu where you can set up the global meter settings. 269 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Reset MixConsole Channels Allows you to reset EQ, insert, and send effect settings for all or selected channels. Solo and mute buttons are deactivated, the volume fader is set to 0dB, and pan is set to the center position. RELATED LINKS MixConsole Toolbar on page 262 Saving MixConsole Settings You can save MixConsole settings for selected audio-related channels and load them into any project. PROCEDURE 1. Select the channels with the settings that you want to save. 2. Select Functions Menu > Save Selected Channels. 3. In the file dialog, specify the file name and location. 4. Click Save. RESULT The settings for the selected channels are saved with the file extension .vmx. The input/output routing is not saved. Loading MixConsole Settings You can load MixConsole settings that have been saved for selected channels. PROCEDURE 1. Select the same number of channels that you selected when you saved your MixConsole settings. The loaded MixConsole settings are applied in the same order as originally saved. For example, if you have saved the settings for channels 4, 6, and 8, and apply these settings to channels 1, 2, and 3, the settings saved for channel 4 are applied to channel 1, the settings saved for channel 6 to channel 2, and so on. 2. Select Functions Menu > Load Selected Channels. 3. In the Load Selected Channels dialog, select the .vmx file and click Open. RESULT The channel settings are applied to the selected channels. NOTE When you apply loaded MixConsole settings to fewer channels, some of the saved settings are not applied. Since the saved settings are applied from left to right as shown in the MixConsole, the settings for the channels furthest to the right are not applied to any channels. Fader Section The fader section is the heart of the MixConsole. It shows input and output channels together with audio, instrument, MIDI, group, FX, and ReWire channels. 270 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window NOTE If a channel is deactivated on the Visibility tab or if its channel type is deactivated, it is not shown in the fader section. The MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window does not follow any visibility changes you perform in the MixConsole window and vice versa. It is linked to the track visibility of the Project window. The fader section allows you to do the following: Set panorama Activate mute and solo Open channel settings Set volume Enable automation Set input levels NOTE All fader section functions and settings are also available in the MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window. RELATED LINKS Channel Settings on page 292 Write/Read Automation on page 449 Pan Control For each audio-related channel with at least a stereo output configuration, you can find a pan control at the top of the fader section. 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. The pan control allows you to position a channel in the stereo spectrum. 271 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window To make fine adjustments, hold down Shift when you move the pan control. To select the default center pan position, hold down Ctrl/Cmd, and click the pan control. To edit the value numerically, double-click the pan control. RELATED LINKS Creating New Projects on page 73 Stereo Balance Panner The stereo balance panner allows you to control the balance between the left and right channels. It is activated by default. Pan Bypass You can bypass the panning for all audio-related channels. To activate panning bypass, click the button to the left or press Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Shift and click the pan control. To deactivate panning bypass, press Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Shift and click again. When panning is bypassed for a channel, the following happens: Mono channels are panned center. Stereo channels are panned hard left and right. Using Solo and Mute You can silence one or several channels using Solo and Mute. To silence a channel, click Mute. Click again to deactivate the mute state for the channel. To mute all other channels, click Solo for a channel. Click again to deactivate the solo state. To deactivate the mute or solo states for all channels simultaneously, click Deactivate All Mute States or Deactivate All Solo States on the toolbar. To activate exclusive solo mode, hold down Ctrl/Cmd and click Solo for the channel. The Solo buttons of all other channels are deactivated. To activate solo defeat for a channel, Alt-click Solo. Volume You can also click and hold Solo to activate solo defeat. In this mode, the channel is not muted when you solo another channel. Alt-click again to deactivate solo defeat. Each channel in the fader section of the MixConsole has a volume fader. The fader levels are displayed below the fader, in dB for audio-related channels and as MIDI volume (0 to 127) for MIDI channels. To change the volume, move the fader up or down. To make fine volume adjustments, press Shift while moving the faders. To reset the volume to its default value, press Ctrl/Cmd and click a fader. 272 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window For audio channels, the volume fader controls the volume of the channel before it is routed to an output bus, directly or via a group channel. For output channels, the volume fader controls the master output level of all audio channels that are routed to an output bus. For MIDI channels, the volume fader controls the volume changes in the MixConsole by sending out MIDI volume messages to the connected instruments that are set to respond to MIDI messages. Global Meter Settings Menu You can change the meter characteristics for audio channels using the context menu of the channel meter. Right-click the channel meter and select one of the following options from the Global Meter Settings menu: Meter Peak Options - Hold Peaks The highest registered levels are held and shown as static horizontal lines in the meter. Meter Peak Options - Hold Forever If this option is activated, the peak levels are shown until you reset the meters. If this option is deactivated, you can use the Meters' Peak Hold Time parameter in the Preferences dialog (Metering page) to specify for how long the peak levels are held. The peak hold time can be between 500 and 30000ms. Meter Position - Input If this option is activated, the meters show input levels for all audio channels and input/output channels. The input meters are post input gain. Meter Position - Post-Fader If this option is activated, the meters show post-fader levels. Meter Position - Post-Panner If this option is activated, the meters show post-fader levels and also reflect pan settings. Reset Meters Resets the meters. Setting up Meter Colors Setting up meter colors can help you to keep an overview of what levels are being reached. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select Metering > Appearance. 273 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window 2. Do one of the following to set the level position for a color change: Double-click a level position to the right of the meter scale and enter the level (dB) value. To enter dB values smaller than zero, add a minus sign before the entered number. Click a level position and drag it to a specific level, and press Shift for more accurate positioning. Click a level position and nudge it up or down with the Up Arrow/Down Arrow keys, and press Shift for faster positioning. 3. Click the upper or lower part of a color handle so that a frame is shown, and in the color picker, select a color. Selecting the same color for the upper and lower part of the handle results in a meter that changes its colors gradually. Different colors indicate level changes even more precisely. NOTE To add more color handles, click Add, or Alt-click at a level position to the right of the meter scale. Each new handle is automatically associated with a default color. To remove a handle, select the handle and click Remove, or Ctrl/Cmd-click the handle. 4. Click OK. RELATED LINKS Metering - Appearance on page 720 Level Meters The channel meters show the level when you play back audio or MIDI. The Meter Peak Level indicator shows the highest registered level. To reset the peak level, Alt-click the Meter Peak Level value. NOTE Input and output channels have clipping indicators. When they light up, lower the gain or the levels until the indicator is no longer lit. 274 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Input Levels When recording digital sound, it is important to set the input levels high enough to ensure low noise and high audio quality. At the same time, you must avoid clipping (digital distortion). Setting Input Levels In the MixConsole, you can set the input level. Make sure that the signal is loud enough but does not exceed 0dB. PROCEDURE 1. Select Functions Menu > Global Meter Settings > Meter Position and activate Input. In this mode, the input channel level meters show the level of the signal at the input of the bus, before any adjustments, such as input gain, EQ, effects, level, or pan are made. This allows you to check the level of the unprocessed signal coming into the audio hardware. 2. Play back the audio and check the level meter for the input channel. The signal should be as loud as possible without exceeding 0dB, that is, the clipping indicator for the input bus should not light up. 3. If necessary, adjust the input level in one of the following ways: Adjust the output level of the sound source or the external mixer. If possible, use the audio hardware's own application program to set the input levels. Refer to the documentation for the audio hardware. If your audio hardware supports the ASIO control panel function, it may be possible to make input level settings. To open the ASIO control panel, select Studio > Studio Setup and in the Devices list, select your audio card. When this is selected, you can open the control panel by clicking Control Panel in the settings section to the right. 4. Optional: Select Functions Menu > Global Meter Settings > Meter Position and activate Post-Fader. NOTE This allows you to check the level of the audio being written to a file on your hard disk, which is only necessary if you make any adjustments to the input channel. 5. Optional: In the Channel Racks section, in the Inserts rack, click a slot and select an effect, or in the Equalizers rack, make your EQ settings. For some effects you may want to adjust the level of the signal going into the effect. Use the input gain function for this. Press Shift or Alt to adjust the input gain. 6. Play back the audio and check the level meter of the input channel. The signal should be reasonably loud without exceeding 0dB, that is, the clipping indicator for the input bus should not light up. 7. If necessary, use the input channel fader to adjust the signal level. 275 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Clipping Clipping typically occurs in the audio hardware when an analog signal is too loud and therefore converted to digital in the hardware's A/D converters. Channel Racks The Channel Racks section contains specific MixConsole functions, such as routing, insert, or send handling. These are organized in racks. NOTE The MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window features the Inserts and the Sends rack only. RELATED LINKS Routing on page 277 Pre (Filters/Gain/Phase) on page 278 Inserts on page 280 Equalizers (EQ) on page 281 Channel Strips on page 284 Sends on page 290 Copying and Moving Rack and Channel Settings You can use drag and drop to copy or move rack and channel settings. NOTE This function is only available in the MixConsole window. Drag and drop works between different channels or different rack slots on the same channel. When you drag, a visual feedback indicates the sections where you can drop your settings. The following applies: To move the rack settings from one rack to another, drag the rack and drop it on the rack to which you want to move the settings. To copy the rack settings from one rack to another, press Alt, drag the rack, and drop it on the rack to which you want to copy the settings. To copy the channel settings from one channel to another, drag the channel and drop it on the channel to which you want to copy the settings. To copy the channel settings from one channel to another, including the output routing settings, press Alt, drag the channel, and drop it on the channel to which you want to copy the settings. 276 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Routing You can copy rack and channel settings between different types of channels, provided that the target channels have corresponding settings. For example, copying from input/output channels leaves the sends settings in the target channel unaffected. The Routing rack allows you to configure input and output routing, that is, setting up input and output busses. NOTE This channel rack is only available in the MixConsole window. Input busses are used when you record on an audio track. In this case, you must select from which input bus the audio is received. NOTE The settings that you make for the input channel will be a permanent part of the recorded audio file. Output busses are used when you play back an audio, group, or FX channel. In this case, you must route the channel to an output bus. You can route the outputs from multiple audio channels to a group. For example, to control the channel levels using one fader, and to apply the same effects and equalization to all the channels. Setting up Routing You can set up the input and output busses in Routing rack of the MixConsole. PREREQUISITE Set up busses and group channels in the Audio Connections window. PROCEDURE 1. On the MixConsole toolbar, click Racks and activate Routing to show the Routing rack above the fader section. 2. Click one of the slots of the Routing rack to open the input or the output routing pop-up menu for a channel. 3. In the routing selector, select an entry. To set up the routing for multiple selected channels simultaneously, press Shift-Alt and select a bus. To set several selected channels to incrementing busses (the second selected channel to the second bus, the third to the third bus, etc.), press Shift and select a bus. To disconnect input or output bus assignments, select No Bus. Input Busses The input routing selector only lists busses that correspond to the channel configuration. NOTE If you select a group channel as input for an audio channel, you can record a downmix. 277 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Input Routing Configurations for Mono Channels For mono channels, the following input routing configurations are available. Mono input busses. Mono output busses, or mono group output busses. These should not lead to feedback. RELATED LINKS Routing on page 277 Input Routing Configurations for Stereo Channels For stereo channels, the following input routing configurations are available. Mono or stereo input busses. Mono or stereo output busses, and mono or stereo group output busses. These should not lead to feedback. RELATED LINKS Routing on page 277 Output Busses For output busses any assignment is possible. Using Group Channels You can route the outputs from multiple audio channels to a group. This enables you to control the channel levels using one fader, apply the same effects and EQ to all channels, etc. You can also select a group channel as input for an audio track, to record a downmix of separate tracks, for example. PREREQUISITE You have created and set up a group channel track in stereo. PROCEDURE 1. Route the group channel track to an output bus. 2. Add effects to the group channel as insert effects. 3. Route the mono audio track to the group channel. RESULT The signal from the mono audio track is sent directly to the group, where it passes through the insert effect in stereo. Pre (Filters/Gain/Phase) The Pre rack for audio-related channels features a high-cut and a low-cut filter as well as gain and phase settings. NOTE This channel rack is only available in the MixConsole window. 278 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window NOTE You cannot edit the Pre rack settings in the EQ curve display. RELATED LINKS Equalizer Settings on page 282 Making Filter Settings Each audio-related channel has separate high-cut and low-cut filters that allow you to attenuate signals with frequencies that are higher or lower than the cutoff frequency. PROCEDURE 1. On the MixConsole toolbar, click Racks and activate Pre (Filters/Gain/Phase) to show the Pre rack above the fader section. 2. Click to the left of the high-cut filter to activate the high-cut filter. You have the following options: Drag the slider to adjust the cutoff frequency. The available range spans from 20kHz to 50Hz. Click Select Filter Slope on the right of the high-cut filter to select a filter slope. You can choose between 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48dB. The default value is 12dB. 3. Click to the left of the low-cut filter to activate the low-cut filter. You have the following options: Drag the slider to adjust the cutoff frequency. The available range spans from 20Hz to 20kHz. Click Select Filter Slope on the right of the low-cut filter to select a filter slope. You can choose between 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48dB. The default value is 12dB. RESULT The changed settings are visible in the curve display. If you deactivate the high-cut and low-cut filters, the filter curves are removed from the display. Bypassed high-cut and low-cut filters are displayed in a different color. Making Input Gain Settings The Pre-Gain slider allows you to change the level of a signal before it reaches the EQ and the effects section. This is useful as the level going into certain effects can change the way the signal is affected. A compressor, for example, can be driven harder by raising the input gain. Gain can also be used to boost the level of poorly recorded signals. PROCEDURE 1. On the MixConsole toolbar, click Racks and activate Pre (Filters/Gain/Phase) to show the Pre rack above the fader section. 2. Drag the Gain slider to the left or to the right to cut or boost the gain. 279 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Making Phase Settings Each audio-related channel and input/output channel has a Phase button that allows you to correct the phase for balanced lines and microphones that are wired backwards or that are out of phase due to their positioning. PROCEDURE 1. On the MixConsole toolbar, click Racks and activate Pre (Filters/Gain/Phase) to show the Pre rack above the fader section. 2. Activate Phase to invert the phase polarity for the signal. Inserts The Inserts rack for audio-related channels features insert effect slots that allow you to load insert effects for a channel. For MIDI channels you can load MIDI inserts. For further information, see the separate document Plug-in Reference. RELATED LINKS Audio Effects on page 304 Adding Insert Effects You can add insert effects to MixConsole channels. PROCEDURE 1. On the MixConsole toolbar, click Racks and activate Inserts to show the Inserts rack above the fader section. 2. Click one of the insert slots to open the insert selector. 3. Click an insert effect to select it. RESULT The selected insert effect is loaded and automatically activated. Its plug-in panel opens. Bypassing Insert Effects You can bypass all insert effects. To bypass all inserts, click Bypass at the top of the Inserts rack. To bypass a single insert, click the button on the left of the inserts slot. To deactivate bypass, click the button again. Saving/Loading FX Chain Presets You can save and load all insert rack settings using FX chain presets. FX chain presets have the file name extension .fxchainpreset. PROCEDURE In the top right corner of the Inserts rack, open the Presets pop-up menu and perform one of the following actions: To save the current settings as a preset, select Save FX Chain Preset and name your preset. To load a preset, select Load FX Chain Preset and select a preset. 280 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window NOTE You can also apply inserts together with EQ and channel strip settings from track presets. You can load, tag, and save FX chain presets in the MediaBay. Equalizers (EQ) The Equalizers (EQ) rack is only available for audio-related channels. It features a built-in parametric equalizer with up to 4 bands for each audio channel. NOTE This channel rack is only available in the MixConsole window. Activating Equalizer Bands On the EQ rack, you can activate up to 4 EQ bands for each audio channel. PROCEDURE 1. On the MixConsole toolbar, click Racks and activate Equalizers to show the EQ rack above the fader section. 2. Click Activate/Deactivate Band to activate an EQ band. 281 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Equalizer Settings You can make equalizer settings for the 4 bands. These have different default frequency values and different Q names. However, they all have the same frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz). You can specify different filter types for each individual module. 1 Bypass EQ Click to bypass all EQ bands. 2 Curve display Click on the display in a channel to show a larger version. The display is also available in the Equalizers section of the Project window Inspector and in the Channel Settings window. Clicking the curve display enlarges the view and shows a cross-hair cursor. The current mouse position shows the frequency, note value, offset, and level at the top or bottom of the display. Click to add a curve point and activate the corresponding EQ band. Double-click the curve point to deactivate it. Drag the curve point up or down to adjust the gain. Press Ctrl/Cmd to edit only the gain. Drag left or right to adjust the frequency. Press Alt to edit only the frequency. Press Shift while dragging to set the Q-factor. To invert the EQ curve, open the context menu and select Invert EQ Settings. The final curve shows the EQ settings as well as active high-cut and low-cut filters of the Pre rack settings. Bypassed filter settings are shown in a different color than the active settings. Disabled filter settings are hidden from the display. NOTE You cannot edit the high-cut and low-cut filters in the curve display. To edit the filters, open the Pre rack. 3 Select Preset Opens a pop-up menu where you can load/save a preset. 282 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window 4 Activate/Deactivate Band Click to activate/deactivate an EQ band. Band Settings 1 Activate/Deactivate Band Activates/Deactivates the equalizer band. 2 Gain Sets the amount of cut or boost. The range is ±24dB. 3 Frequency Sets the center frequency of the frequency range to be cut or boosted. You can set the frequency either in Hz or as a note value. If you enter a note value, the frequency is automatically displayed in Hz. For example, a note value of A3 sets the frequency to 440 Hz. When you enter a note value, you can also enter a cent offset. For example, enter A5 -23 or C4 +49. NOTE Ensure that you enter a space between the note and the cent offset. Only in this case, the cent offsets are taken into account. 4 Q-Factor Determines the width of the affected frequency range. Higher values give narrower frequency ranges. 5 Select EQ Band Type Opens a pop-up menu where you can select an EQ type for the band. Bands 1 and 4 can act as parametric, shelving, or high/low-cut filters. EQ bands 2 and 3 are always parametric filters. RELATED LINKS Making Filter Settings on page 279 Saving/Loading EQ Presets You can save and load EQ presets. PROCEDURE In the top right corner of the EQ rack, open the presets pop-up menu and perform one of the following actions: To save the current settings as a preset, select Save Preset and name your preset. To load a preset, select Load Preset and select a preset. NOTE You can also apply EQ together with insert and channel strip settings from track presets. You can load, tag, and save EQ presets in the MediaBay. 283 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Channel Strips The Channel Strip rack is only available for audio-related channels. It allows you to load built-in processing modules for separate channels. You can change the position of specific modules in the signal flow via drag and drop. NOTE The Channel Strip rack is only available in the MixConsole window. Noise Gate Allows you to silence audio signals below a set threshold level. As soon as the signal level exceeds the set threshold, the gate opens to let the signal through. Compressor Allows you to create smooth compression effects. Drag the compressor up or down to change its position in the signal flow. EQ Allows you to make EQ settings. Tools Provides various tools. Sat Allows you to add warmth to the sound. Limit Allows you to avoid clipping even at high levels. Noise Gate Noise gating silences audio signals below a set threshold. As soon as the signal level exceeds the threshold, the gate opens to let the signal through. Threshold Determines the level at which Gate is activated. Signal levels above the set threshold trigger the gate to open, and signal levels below the set threshold close the gate. Range Adjusts the attenuation of the gate when it is shut. The higher the value, the higher the level of the signal that passes through the shut gate. Attack Sets the time after which the gate opens when it is triggered. Release Sets the time after which the gate closes. Listen Filter Allows you to monitor the filtered signal. Activate Filter Activates/Deactivates the internal side-chain and allows you to set up a filter to modify the signal detection. Auto Release Automatically finds the best release setting for the audio material. 284 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Filter Frequency If the internal side-chain is activated, this parameter sets the filter frequency for the signal detection. Q-Factor If the internal side-chain is activated, this parameter sets the resonance of the filter for the signal detection. State LED Indicates whether the gate is open (LED lights up in green), closed (LED lights up in red), or in an intermediate state (LED lights up in yellow). Compressor This channel strip module reduces the dynamic range of the audio, making softer sounds louder or louder sounds softer, or both. Open the pop-up menu to select between Standard Compressor, Tube Compressor, and VintageCompressor. Standard Compressor The Standard Compressor allows you to create smooth compression effects. Drag the compressor up or down to change its position in the signal flow. Threshold Determines the level where the compressor kicks in. Only signal levels above the set threshold are processed. Ratio Sets the amount of gain reduction that is applied to signals above the set threshold. A ratio of 3:1 means that for every 3dB the input level increases, the output level increases by 1dB. Attack Determines how fast the compressor responds to signals above the set threshold. If the attack time is long, more of the early part of the signal passes through unprocessed. Release Sets the time after which the gain returns to the original level when the signal drops below the threshold. Auto Make-Up Automatically adjusts the output for gain loss. Auto Release Automatically finds the best Release setting for the audio material. Make-Up Gain Compensates for output gain loss that is caused by compression. Gain Reduction LED Indicates the amount of compression of the signal. RELATED LINKS Standard Compressor Details View on page 297 285 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Tube Compressor The Tube Compressor with integrated tube-simulation allows you to achieve smooth and warm compression effects. The VU meter shows the amount of gain reduction. This compressor features an internal side-chain section that lets you filter the trigger signal. Input Gain Determines the compression amount. The higher the input gain, the more compression is applied. Output Gain Sets the output gain. Gain Reduction LED Indicates the amount of compression of the signal. Attack Determines how fast the compressor responds. If the attack time is long, more of the initial part of the signal passes through unprocessed. Release Sets the time after which the gain returns to the original level. Auto Release Automatically finds the best Release setting for the audio material. Drive Controls the amount of tube saturation. Mix Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the wet signal. RELATED LINKS Tube Compressor Details View on page 298 VintageCompressor The VintageCompressor is modeled after vintage type compressors. Input Gain In combination with the Output Gain setting, this parameter determines the compression amount. The higher the input gain setting and the lower the output gain setting, the more compression is applied. Output Gain Sets the output gain. Attack Determines how fast the compressor responds. If the attack time is long, more of the early part of the signal passes through unprocessed. Release Sets the time after which the gain returns to its original level. Attack Mode (Punch) If this option is activated, the early attack phase of the signal is preserved, retaining the original punch in the audio material, even with short Attack settings. Auto Release Automatically finds the best Release setting for the audio material. 286 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Gain Reduction LED Indicates the amount of compression of the signal. RELATED LINKS VintageCompressor - Details View on page 299 EQ You can make equalizer settings for the 4 bands. These have different default frequency values and different Q names. However, they all have the same frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz). You can specify different filter types for each individual module. 1 Activate/Deactivate Band Activates/Deactivates the equalizer band. 2 Select EQ Band Type Opens a pop-up menu where you can select an EQ type for the band. Bands 1 and 4 can act as parametric, shelf, or high/low-cut filters. EQ bands 2 and 3 are always parametric filters. 3 Gain Sets the amount of cut or boost. The range is ±24dB. 4 Q-Factor Determines the width of the affected frequency range. Higher values give narrower frequency ranges. 5 Frequency Sets the center frequency of the frequency range to be cut or boosted. Tools Provides a tool to attenuate or boost the gain of the attack and release phase of your audio. EnvelopeShaper This channel strip module can be used to attenuate or boost the gain of the attack and release phase of audio material. You can use the knobs to change parameter values. Be careful with levels when boosting the gain and if needed reduce the output level to avoid clipping. Attack Changes the gain of the attack phase of the signal. Release Changes the gain of the release phase of the signal. Attack Length Determines the length of the attack phase. Output Gain Sets the output level. 287 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Sat Allows you to add warmth to the sound. Open the pop-up menu to select between Tape Saturation, and Tube Saturation. Tape Saturation This channel strip module simulates the saturation and compression of recording on analog tape machines. Drive Controls the amount of tape saturation. Low-Frequency This is a low shelving filter with fixed frequency. High-Frequency This is a high-cut filter. Use the frequency fader to reduce harshness of the output signal. Dual Simulates the use of two tape machines. Auto Gain Adjusts the gain automatically. Output Sets the output gain. Drive Amount LED Indicates the amount of drive of the signal. Tube Saturation This channel strip module simulates the saturation and compression of recording of analogue tube compressors. Drive Controls the amount of tube saturation. Low-Frequency This is a low shelving filter with fixed frequency. High-Frequency This is a high-cut filter. Use the frequency fader to reduce harshness. Output Gain Sets the output gain. Drive Amount LED Indicates the amount of drive of the signal. 288 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Limit Allows you to avoid clipping even at high levels. Open the pop-up menu to select between Brickwall Limiter, Maximizer, and Standard Limiter. Brickwall Limiter Brickwall Limiter ensures that the output level never exceeds a set limit. Due to its fast attack time, Brickwall Limiter can reduce even short audio level peaks without creating audible artifacts. However, this channel strip module creates a latency of 1ms. Threshold Determines the level where the limiter kicks in. Only signal levels above the set threshold are processed. Release Sets the time after which the gain returns to the original level when the signal drops below the threshold. Auto Release Automatically finds the best Release setting for the audio material. Gain Reduction LED Displays the amount of gain reduction. Maximizer This channel strip module raises the loudness of audio material without the risk of clipping. Optimize Determines the loudness of the signal. Mix Amount Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the wet signal. Output Determines the maximum output level. Set this to 0dB to avoid clipping. Gain Reduction LED Displays the amount of gain reduction. Standard Limiter This channel strip module is designed to ensure that the output level does not exceed a set output level, to avoid clipping in following devices. Standard Limiter can adjust and optimize the Release parameter automatically according to the audio material, or it can be set manually. Input Adjusts the input gain. Release Sets the amount of time it takes for the gain to return to its original level. If Auto Release is activated, Standard Limiter automatically finds the best release setting for the audio material. Output Determines the maximum output level. Gain Reduction LED Displays the amount of gain reduction. 289 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Saving/Loading Strip Presets You can save and load strip presets. Strip presets have the file name extension .strippreset. PROCEDURE In the top right corner of the Channel Strip rack, open the Presets pop-up menu and perform one of the following actions: To save the current settings as a preset, select Save Strip Preset and name your preset. To load a preset, select Load Strip Preset and select a preset. NOTE You can also apply channel strip settings together with insert and EQ settings from track presets. You can load, tag, and save strip presets in the MediaBay. RELATED LINKS Loading Strip Presets on page 444 Sends The Sends rack for audio-related channels features send effect slots that allow you to load send effects and value sliders that for determining the send level for a channel. For MIDI channels, the Sends rack features send effect slots that allow you to load send effects. Adding Send Effects On the Sends rack, you can add send effects. PROCEDURE 1. On the MixConsole toolbar, click Racks and activate Sends to show the rack above the fader section. 2. Click one of the send slots to open the send selector. 3. Click a send effect to select it. The selected send effect is loaded. 4. Click on the left of the slot to activate the send. Bypassing Send Effects You can bypass all send effects. To bypass all sends, click the bypass button at the top of the Sends rack. To deactivate bypass, click the button again. Adding FX Channels to a Send You can add an FX channel track that is routed to a send from within the MixConsole. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click on the send slot to open the context menu. 2. Select Add FX Channel to <send name>. 3. In the Add FX Channel Track window, select the effect and configuration. 4. Click OK. 290 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window RESULT The FX channel track is added in the Project window, and the send is automatically routed to it. Adding Notes to a MixConsole Channel You can add annotations to MixConsole channels. PROCEDURE 1. On the MixConsole toolbar, click Set up Window Layout, and activate Notepads. The Notepads section is shown above the fader section. 2. Select the channel for which you want to add notes, click in the notepad section and enter your notes. 3. To close the notepad, press Esc, or click in another section of the MixConsole. Applying Channel Colors to Channel Controls You can apply channel colors to the channel controls as well. This is useful if you have many channels in the MixConsole and you want to discern them by their color. PREREQUISITE You have manually or automatically assigned track/channel colors. PROCEDURE 1. Select Edit > Preferences. 2. Open the User Interface page, and select Track & MixConsole Channel Colors. 3. In the Colorize Tracks and MixConsole Channels section, activate MixConsole Channels. 4. Optional: To adjust the brightness of a selected channel, adjust the Selected Channel Brightness slider. NOTE By default, the selected channel is shown in gray. If you want to display the selected channel in color, activate Show Color for Selected Channel. You can then discern it from the other channels by its pronounced color strength 5. Click OK. RESULT The channel colors are applied to the channel controls. RELATED LINKS Automatically Assigning Colors to New Tracks/Channels on page 129 Colorizing Single Tracks on page 66 Colorizing Selected Tracks on page 66 User Interface on page 724 User Interface - Track & MixConsole Channel Colors on page 724 291 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Channel Latency Overview The Channel Latencies display the latencies caused by insert effects or channel strip modules for audio-related channels in the MixConsole. To show the channel latency display in the fader section of the MixConsole, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activate Channel Latencies. To open an overview of the latencies for a specific channel, click Open Channel Latency Overview. The Channel Latency Overview shows the following information: Name The name of the effect that causes the latency. Type Indicates if the latency is caused by an insert effect, a channel strip module or a panner. Latency (ms) Shows the latency in milliseconds. Latency (Samples) Shows the latency in samples. Total Channel Latency Shows the total latency for that channel in milliseconds and in samples. NOTE If you want any plug-in delay to be compensated during playback, make sure that Constrain Delay Compensation is deactivated. RELATED LINKS Plug-In Delay Compensation on page 305 Functions Menu on page 269 Constrain Delay Compensation on page 468 MixConsole Window on page 258 Channel Settings You can open each MixConsole channel in a separate Channel Settings window. This allows for better overview and editing of individual channels and their settings. The channel selection in the Channel Settings window is synchronized with the channel selection in the MixConsole, and the track selection in the Project window. 292 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window NOTE To separate the channel selection in the Channel Settings window from the channel selection in the MixConsole, open the Functions Menu on the toolbar of the Channel Settings window, and deactivate Follow `e' buttons or selection changes. To open the channel settings for an audio-related channel, do one of the following: In the fader section of the MixConsole, select the channel, and click Edit Channel Settings. In the track list, select the track, and in the top section of the Inspector, click Edit Channel Settings. In the track list, select the track, and on the track click Edit Channel Settings. The Channel Settings window is divided into several sections: 1 Toolbar The toolbar shows tools and shortcuts for settings and functions in the Channel Settings window. 2 Inserts/Strip The Inserts section features insert effect slots that allow you to load insert effects for a channel. The Strip section allows you to load built-in processing modules for separate channels. 3 Channel Strip/Equalizer The Channel Strip section allows you to load built-in processing modules for separate channels. The Equalizer section features a built-in parametric equalizer with up to 4 bands for each audio channel. 4 Destinations The Destinations section features send effect slots that allow you to load send effects. 5 Fader The fader section shows the current channel. The sections are arranged in zones at the left and right of the Channel Settings window. 293 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window RELATED LINKS Channel Settings Channel Inserts on page 296 Channel Settings Channel Strip on page 296 Channel Settings Equalizer on page 300 Channel Settings Destinations on page 301 Channel Settings Channel Faders on page 302 Equalizer Settings on page 282 Channel Settings Toolbar The toolbar in the Channel Settings window contains tools and shortcuts for settings and functions in the Channel Settings window. Channel Navigation Go to Last Edited Channel Shows the channel that you last edited in the Channel Settings window. This is only available if you have edited at least 2 channels. Go to Next Edited Channel Shows the next channel in the Channel Settings window. This is only available if you have edited at least 2 channels. Go to Previous MixConsole Channel Shows the previous MixConsole channel in the Channel Settings window. Go to Next MixConsole Channel Shows the next MixConsole channel in the Channel Settings window. Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. Channel Sources Input Opens the name of the input channel. Go to Input/Select an Input Shows the input channel in the Channel Settings window. Channel Name Channel Name Shows the name of the channel that is shown in the Channel Settings window. 294 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Channel Destinations Go to Output/Select an Output Opens the output channel in the Channel Settings window. Output Shows the name of the output channel. Edit Instrument Edit VST Instrument Allows you to open the VST instrument control panel. This is only available for MIDI and instrument channels. Output Chain Show Output Chain Shows the output chain. This allows you to keep track of more complicated output routings. Track Templates Load/Save Track Preset Allows you to load/save track presets. Reload Track Preset Allows you to reload track presets. Channel Functions Functions Menu Opens a pop-up menu where you can select a Channel Settings function. Window Zone Controls Set up Window Layout Allows you to set up the window layout. Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. 295 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Channel Settings Channel Inserts The Channel Inserts section is shown in the Channel Settings window. Bypass Inserts Bypasses the insert effects for the channel. Inserts Allows you to add insert effects for the channel. Preset Management Allows you to load or save FX Chain presets. Move Channel Strip to Pre/Post-Inserts Position Allows you to move the channel strip to pre-fader position or to post-fader position in the signal flow. Strip Allows you to activate and set up channel strip modules for the channel. RELATED LINKS Channel Settings on page 292 Channel Settings Channel Strip The Channel Strip/Equalizer section is shown in the Channel Settings window. 296 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Bypass Channel Strip Bypasses the channel strip modules for the channel. Channel Strip Allows you to activate and set up channel strip modules for the channel. Preset Management Allows you to load or save strip presets. Channel Strip Modules The following channel strip modules are shown: Noise Gate Compressor EQ Tools Sat Limit You can change the position of channel strip modules in the signal chain by dragging. RELATED LINKS Noise Gate on page 284 Compressor on page 285 EQ on page 287 Tools on page 287 Sat on page 288 Limit on page 289 Channel Settings on page 292 Standard Compressor Details View The Standard Compressor features a details view with more controls and value readouts for the meters. To open the details view, click Edit Module . 297 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window In the details view, the following additional parameters are available: Soft Knee/High Ratio Hold Analysis Dry Mix Input Gain meter Output Gain meter Gain Reduction meter You can close the details view by clicking Close Module . RELATED LINKS Standard Compressor on page 285 Tube Compressor Details View The Tube Compressor features a details view with more controls and value readouts for the meters. To open the details view, click Edit Module . In the details view, the following additional parameters are available: Character Low/High switch for Ratio Side-chain section with Frequency, Filter Type, Q-Factor, and Monitor Input Gain meter Output Gain meter You can close the details view by clicking Close Module . RELATED LINKS Tube Compressor on page 286 298 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window VintageCompressor - Details View The VintageCompressor features a details view with more controls and value readouts for the meters. To open the details view, click Edit Module . In the details view, the following additional parameters are available: Mix Ratio buttons Input Gain meter Output Gain meter Gain Reduction meter You can close the details view by clicking Close Module . RELATED LINKS VintageCompressor on page 286 299 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Channel Settings Equalizer The Channel Strip/Equalizer section is shown in the Channel Settings window. Bypass Equalizers Bypasses the equalizer settings for the channel. Preset Management Allows you to load or save equalizer presets. Equalizer Settings Opens the Equalizer Settings panel. Equalizer display Allows you to make equalizer settings for the 4 bands in a large EQ curve display with several modes. Equalizer Controls Allows you to make equalizer settings for the 4 bands in a large EQ curve display with several modes. RELATED LINKS Channel Settings on page 292 Equalizer Settings Panel The Equalizer Settings panel allows you to set up the equalizer. To open the Equalizer Settings panel, click Equalizer Settings in the Equalizer section of the Channel Settings window. 300 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Show Equalizer Controls Shows/Hides the equalizer controls. Show FFT Pre EQ Curve Shows/Hides the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) input curve for the reference channel. Hold FFT Post EQ Peak Curve Holds the peak values of the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) output curve for the reference channel. Transparency for Channel Curve Allows you to adjust the transparency of the filled area for the spectral curve. Channel Settings Destinations The Channel Sends section is shown in the Channel Settings window. Bypass Sends Bypasses the send effects for the channel. Sends--Destinations Allows you to set up a destination for the send effects for the channel. RELATED LINKS Channel Settings on page 292 301 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window Channel Settings Channel Faders The Channel Faders section is shown in the Channel Settings window. The controls are the same as in the MixConsole fader section. RELATED LINKS Fader Section on page 270 Channel Settings on page 292 Keyboard Focus in the MixConsole The left zone, the channel rack section, and the fader section can be controlled with the computer keyboard. For this to work, the section must have the focus. If a section has the keyboard focus, the border that surrounds it is highlighted in a specific color. Activating Keyboard Focus To be able to control the MixConsole with the keyboard, you must activate the keyboard focus. PROCEDURE 1. Click in an empty area of the section to activate the keyboard focus. 2. Press Tab to activate the next section. This allows you to cycle forward through the sections. 3. Press Shift-Tab to activate the previous section. Navigating in a Section Once you have activated the focus for a section, you can control it with the computer keyboard. In the channel racks section and in the fader section, controls that are selected for keyboard control are indicated by a red border. To navigate through the controls, use the Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Left Arrow, or Right Arrow keys. 302 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MixConsole MixConsole Window To activate or deactivate a switch, press Return. To expand or collapse an active rack, to open or close a value field in a slot, or to open the plug-in panel for a loaded plug-in, press Return. To access the controls in the left zone, press Ctrl/Cmd-Return. To access the controls in the middle zone, press Return. To access the controls in the right zone, press Alt-Return. To close a pop-up menu or a plug-in panel, press Esc. To enable or disable the loaded plug-in, press Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Return. 303 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Cubase comes with a number of included effect plug-ins that you can use to process audio, group, instrument, and ReWire channels. The effects and their parameters are described in the separate document Plug-in Reference. Insert Effects and Send Effects You can apply effects to audio channels by using insert effects or send effects. Insert Effects Insert effects are inserted in the signal chain of an audio channel. This way, the whole channel signal passes through the effect. You can add up to 8 different insert effects per channel. Use insert effects for effects such as distortion, filters, or other effects that change the tonal or dynamic characteristics of the sound. To add and edit insert effects, you can use the following inserts sections: The Inserts rack in the MixConsole. The Inserts section in the Channel Settings window. The Inserts section in the Inspector. Send Effects Send effects can be added to FX channel tracks, and the audio data to be processed can be routed to the effect. This way, the send effects remain outside the audio channel's signal path. Each audio channel has 8 sends, each of which can be freely routed to an effect (or to a chain of effects). Use send effects in the following cases: 304 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Insert Effects and Send Effects To control the balance between the dry and wet sound individually for each channel. To use the same effect for several different audio channels. To edit send effects, you can use the following sends sections: The Sends rack in the MixConsole. The Destinations section in the Channel Settings window. The Sends section in the Inspector. RELATED LINKS Direct Offline Processing on page 325 VST Standard Audio effects can be integrated in Cubase thanks to the VST standard. At the moment, the VST3 and VST2 standards are supported. The VST3 plug-in standard offers improvements, such as smart plug-in processing. Yet it retains full backwards compatibility to VST2. Smart Plug-In Processing Smart plug-in processing is a technology that allows to disengage the processing for plug-ins when no signal is present. This reduces the CPU load on silent passages and allows you to load more effects. To activate smart plug-in processing, activate Suspend VST 3 plug-in processing when no audio signals are received in the Preferences dialog (VST--Plug-ins page). NOTE Check the processor for the passage with the largest number of events playing simultaneously to make sure that your system offers the required performance at every time position. Plug-In Delay Compensation Some audio effects, especially dynamics processors that feature a look-ahead functionality, may take a brief time to process the audio fed into them. As a result, the output audio is slightly delayed. To compensate for this, Cubase provides plug-in delay compensation. Plug-in delay compensation is featured throughout the entire audio path maintaining the sync and timing of all audio channels. 305 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Insert Effects VST 3 dynamics plug-ins with look-ahead functionality feature a Live button that allows you to disengage the look-ahead. This minimizes latency during real-time recording. For details, see the separate document Plug-in Reference. To avoid latency during real-time recording or real-time playback of VST instruments, you can also use Constrain Delay Compensation. RELATED LINKS Constrain Delay Compensation on page 468 MixConsole Window on page 258 Tempo Sync Plug-ins can receive timing and tempo information from Cubase. This is useful to synchronize plug-in parameters, such as modulation rates or delay times, to the project tempo. Timing and tempo information is provided to plug-ins of the standard VST 2.0 or later. To set up tempo sync, you must specify a base note value. Straight, triplet, or dotted note values (1/1 to 1/32) are supported. For details about the included effects, see the separate document Plug-in Reference. Insert Effects Insert effects can be inserted in the signal chain of an audio channel. This way, the whole channel signal passes through the effect. You can add up to 8 different insert effects independently for each audio-related channel (audio track, group channel track, FX channel track, instrument channel, or ReWire channel) or output bus. The signal passes through the insert effects corresponding to their slot position from top to bottom. You can define post-fader insert slots for any channel. Post-fader insert slots are always post-EQ and post-fader. NOTE To show all post-fader slots in the MixConsole, open the Rack Settings and activate Fixed Number of Slots. Use post-fader slots for insert effects where you want the level to remain unchanged after the effect. Dithering and maximizers are typically used as post-fader insert effects for output busses, for example. NOTE If you want to use an effect with identical settings on several channels, set up a group channel and apply your effect as a single insert for this group. RELATED LINKS Dither Effects on page 316 Adding Insert Effects to Group Channels on page 307 Rack Settings Menu on page 268 306 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Insert Effects Adding Insert Effects If you add insert effects to audio channels, the audio is routed through the insert effects. PROCEDURE 1. Select the audio track. 2. In the track list, click Edit Channel Settings. The Channel Settings window for the audio channel opens. 3. In the Inserts section, click the first insert slot on the Inserts tab, and select an effect from the selector. RESULT The selected insert effect is loaded and activated, and the audio is routed through it. The effect control panel is opened. RELATED LINKS Effect Control Panel on page 316 Adding Insert Effects to Busses If you add insert effects to input busses, the effects become a permanent part of the recorded audio file. If you add insert effects to output busses, all audio routed to that bus is affected. Insert effects that are added to output busses are sometimes referred to as master effects. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > MixConsole to open the MixConsole. 2. In the fader section, perform one of the following actions: Locate the input channel and click Edit Channel Settings to edit the input bus. Locate the output channel and click Edit Channel Settings to edit the output bus. The Channel Settings window for the selected channel opens. 3. In the Inserts section, click the first insert slot on the Inserts tab, and select an effect from the selector. RESULT The selected insert effect is added to the bus and activated. The effect control panel is opened. Adding Insert Effects to Group Channels If you add insert effects to group channels, you can process several audio tracks through the same effect. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Click Group. 3. Open the Audio Outputs pop-up menu, and select the desired output bus. 307 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Insert Effects 4. Click Add Track. The group track is added to the track list. 5. In the Inspector for the group track, open the Inserts section. 6. Click the first effect slot and select an effect from the selector. 7. In the Inspector for the audio tracks, open the Output Routing pop-up menus and select the group. RESULT The signal from the audio track is routed through the group channel and passes through the insert effect. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Group Channel on page 108 Adding Group Channels to Selected Channels You can add a group channel to several selected channels. PREREQUISITE Your project contains some tracks that you want to route to a group channel. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, right-click the tracks that you want to route to a group channel, and select Add Track > Group Channel to Selected Channels. 2. In the Add Track dialog, open the Configuration pop-up menu, and select a channel configuration for the group channel track. 3. Open the Folder Setup pop-up menu, and select if you want to create group channel tracks inside or outside a dedicated folder. 4. Click OK. RESULT The group channel track is added to the track list. In the Output Routing pop-up menu of the selected tracks, the group is selected. The tracks are routed to the group channel. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Group Channel on page 108 Copying Insert Effects You can add insert effects to audio channels by copying them from other audio channels or from other slots of the same audio channel. PREREQUISITE You have added at least one insert effect to an audio channel. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > MixConsole. 2. In the Inserts rack, locate the insert effect that you want to copy. 3. Hold down Alt, and drag the insert effect on an insert slot. 308 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Insert Effects RESULT The insert effect is copied. If the destination slot already contains an insert effect, it is replaced. Rearranging Insert Effects You can change the position of an insert effect in the signal chain of the audio channel by moving it to a different slot of the same channel. You can also move an insert effect to another audio channel. PREREQUISITE You have added at least one insert effect to an audio channel. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > MixConsole. 2. In the Inserts rack, locate the insert effect that you want to rearrange. 3. Drag the insert effect to another insert slot. RESULT The insert effect is removed from the source slot and placed on the destination slot. If the destination slot already contains an insert effect, this effect is moved to the next insert slot. Deactivating Insert Effects If you want to listen to a track without having it processed by an effect, but do not want to remove this effect completely from the insert slot, you can deactivate it. PREREQUISITE You have added an insert effect to an audio channel. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select the audio track with the insert effect that you want to deactivate. 2. In the Inspector, open the Inserts section, and Alt-click Bypass Insert. RESULT The effect is deactivated and all processing is terminated, but the effect is still loaded. Bypassing Insert Effects If you want to listen to the track without having it processed by a particular effect, but do not want to remove this effect completely from the insert slot, you can bypass it. A bypassed effect is still processing in the background. This allows for crackle-free comparison of the original and the processed signal. PREREQUISITE You have added an insert effect to an audio channel. 309 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Insert Effects PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select the audio track with the insert effect that you want to bypass. 2. In the Inspector, open the Inserts section, and click Bypass Insert. RESULT The effect is bypassed, but still processing in the background. Removing Insert Effects PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select the audio track with the insert effect that you want to remove. 2. In the Inspector, open the Inserts section and on the effect that you want to remove, click Select Insert. 3. In the effect selector, select No Effect. RESULT The insert effect is removed from the audio channel. Freezing Insert Effects Freezing an audio track and its insert effects allows you to reduce processor power. However, frozen tracks are locked for editing. You cannot edit, remove, or add insert effects for the frozen track. PREREQUISITE You have made all settings for the track and you are sure that you do not need to edit it anymore. PROCEDURE 1. In the Inspector for the audio track that you want to freeze, click Freeze Audio Channel. 2. In the Freeze Channel Options dialog, specify a Tail Size in seconds. This adds time at the end of the rendered file. This way, reverb and delay tails can fully fade out. RESULT The output of the track including all pre-fader insert effects is rendered to an audio file. 310 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects VST Effect Selector NOTE Post-fader inserts cannot be frozen. The frozen audio track is saved in the Freeze folder that can be found in the following location: Windows: within the Project folder macOS: User/Documents In the MixConsole, the frozen audio channel is indicated by a snowflake symbol above the channel name. You can still adjust the level and panning, make EQ settings, and adjust the effect sends. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To unfreeze a frozen track, click Freeze again. VST Effect Selector The VST effect selector allows you to select VST effects of the active collection. To open the VST effect selector, open the Inserts section of the audio track Inspector, and on an insert slot, click Select Insert. The following controls are available: 1 Expand Tree/Collapse Tree Expands/Collapses the tree. 2 Search VST Effect Allows you to search for VST effects by typing in the name or parts of the name, or the category. 3 Plug-in Collections and Options Allows you to select a collection. If you select the Default collection, the options Sort By Category and Sort by Vendor become available. These allow you to sort the default collection. Send Effects Send effects are outside the signal path of an audio channel. The audio data that is to be processed must be sent to the effect. You can select an FX channel track as routing destination for a send. You can route different sends to different FX channels. 311 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Send Effects You can control the amount of signals sent to the FX channel by adjusting the effect send level. NOTE In the Preferences dialog (VST page), you can set a default send level. Use Ctrl/Cmd-click to set the send level to this default value. To do this, you must create FX channel tracks. RELATED LINKS FX Channel Tracks on page 312 VST on page 725 FX Channel Tracks You can use FX channel tracks as routing destinations for audio sends. The audio is sent to the FX channel and through any insert effects set up for it. You can add several insert effects to an FX channel. The signal passes through the effects in series, from the top downward. You can rename FX channel tracks as any other tracks. You can add automation tracks to FX channel tracks. This allows for automating various effect parameters. You can route the effect return to any output bus. You can adjust the FX channel in the MixConsole. This includes adjusting the effect return level, the balance, and the EQ. When you add an FX channel track, you can select if FX channel tracks are created inside or outside a dedicated folder. If you select Create Inside Folder, FX channel tracks are shown in a dedicated folder. This allows for better overview and editing of the FX channel tracks. NOTE By folding FX channel folders, you can save screen space. RELATED LINKS Adding FX Channel Tracks on page 312 Adding FX Channel Tracks PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Click Effect. 3. Open the Effect pop-up menu, and select an effect for the FX channel track. 312 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Send Effects 4. Open the Configuration pop-up menu, and select a channel configuration for the FX channel track. 5. Open the Folder Setup pop-up menu, and select if you want to create FX channel tracks inside or outside a dedicated folder. 6. Click Add Track. RESULT The FX channel track is added to the track list and the selected effect is loaded into the first available insert effect slot of the FX channel. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Effect on page 111 Adding FX Channels to Selected Channels PREREQUISITE Your project contains some tracks to which you want to add an FX channel. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, right-click the tracks to which you want to add an FX channel, and select Add Track > FX Channel to Selected Channels. 2. In the Add Track dialog, open the Effect pop-up menu and select an effect for the FX channel track. 3. Open the Configuration pop-up menu, and select a channel configuration for the FX channel track. 4. Open the Folder Setup pop-up menu, and select if you want to create FX channel tracks inside or outside a dedicated folder. 5. Click OK. RESULT The FX channel track is added to the track list. The selected effect is loaded into the first available insert effect slot of the FX channel, and to the first available send effect slot of all channels that you selected. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Effect on page 111 Adding Insert Effects to FX Channel Tracks You can add insert effects to FX channel tracks. PREREQUISITE You have added an FX channel track and set up the correct output bus in the Output Routing pop-up menu. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list for the FX channel track, click Edit Channel Settings. The Channel Settings window for the FX channel track opens. 2. In the Inserts section, click an insert slot on the Inserts tab, and select an effect from the selector. 313 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Send Effects RESULT The selected effect is added as an insert effect to the FX channel track. Routing Audio Channels to FX Channels If you route an audio channel send to an FX channel, the audio is routed through the insert effects that you have set up for the FX channel. PROCEDURE 1. Select the audio track. 2. In the track list, click Edit Channel Settings to open the Channel Settings window. 3. In the Sends section on the Destinations tab, click Select Destination for an effect slot, and select the FX channel track from the selector. 4. On the send slot, click Activate/Deactivate Send. RESULT The audio is routed through the FX channel. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK In the Channel Settings window for the audio channel, you can hold down Alt and double-click to show the send destination. If you have routed the send to an FX channel, the effect control panel is opened. RELATED LINKS Adding FX Channel Tracks on page 312 Pre/Post Fader Sends You can send the signal from the audio channel to the FX channel before or after the audio channel volume fader. Pre-fader sends The audio channel signal is sent to the FX channel before the audio channel volume fader. Post-fader sends The audio channel signal is sent to the FX channel after the audio channel volume fader. 314 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Send Effects To move a send to pre-fader position, open the Channel Settings window for the audio channel, right-click a send and select Move to Pre-Fader. The Pre-/Post-Fader button indicates that the send is in pre-fader position. To move a send to post-fader position, open the Channel Settings window for the audio channel, right-click a send and select Move to Post-Fader. The Pre-/Post-Fader button indicates that the send is in post-fader position. NOTE If you activate Mute Pre-Send when Mute in the Preferences dialog (VST page), sends in prefader mode are muted if you mute their channels. Setting the Level for the Sends PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select the FX channel track that contains the effect for which you want to set the level. 2. Open the Inserts section of the Inspector and click the effect slot to open the effect control panel. 3. In the effect control panel, set the Mix control to 100. This allows for full control of the effect level when you use the effect sends to control the signal balance later. 4. In the track list, select the audio track that is routed through the effect for which you want to set the level. 5. Click Edit Channel Settings to open the Channel Settings window for the audio track. 6. In the Sends section on the Destinations tab, locate the effect slot and drag to the left or right to set the send level. Ctrl/Cmd-click to set the level to the default send level specified in the Preferences dialog (VST page). This determines how much of the signal from the audio channel is routed to the FX channel. RESULT The effect level is adjusted according to your settings. 315 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Dither Effects NOTE To determine how much of the signal from the FX channel is sent to the output bus, open the Channel Settings window for the FX channel track and adjust the effect return level. Dither Effects Dither effects allow you to control the noise that is produced by quantization errors that can occur when you mix down to a lower bit depth. Dithering adds a special kind of noise at an extremely low level to minimize the effect of quantization errors. This is hardly noticeable and preferable to the distortion that otherwise occurs. Applying Dither Effects PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > MixConsole. 2. Open the Rack Settings and activate Fixed Number of Slots. 3. Click Edit Channel Settings for the output channel. 4. In the Inserts section, click a post-fader effect slot, and select Mastering > UV22HR. 5. On the plug-in panel, select a bit depth for the mixdown file you want to create. RELATED LINKS Export Audio Mixdown on page 632 Rack Settings Menu on page 268 Effect Control Panel The effect control panel allows you to set up the parameters of the selected effect. The contents, design, and layout of the control panel depend on the selected effect. To open the control panel for a plug-in, click the effect slot. The following controls are available for all effects: 1 Activate Effect 316 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Effect Control Panel Activates/Deactivates the effect. 2 Bypass Effect Allows you to bypass the effect. 3 Read Automation/Write Automation Allows you to read/write automation for the effect parameter settings. 4 Switch between A/B Settings Switches to setting B when setting A is active, and to setting A when setting B is active. 5 Copy A to B Copies the effect parameters of effect setting A to effect setting B. 6 Preset browser Opens the preset browser where you can select another preset. 7 Preset Management Opens a pop-up menu that allows you to save or load a preset. 8 Add VST Plug-in Picture to Media Rack Adds a picture of the VST plug-in to the Media rack. This is only available for plug-ins of other vendors. 9 Functions menu Opens a menu with specific functions and settings. NOTE For detailed information about the included effects and their parameters, see the separate document Plug-in Reference. RELATED LINKS Hiding/Showing Effect Control Panels on page 318 Fine-Tuning Effect Settings You can take your effect parameter settings as a starting point for further fine-tuning and then compare the new settings with the original settings. PREREQUISITE You have adjusted the parameters for an effect. PROCEDURE 1. On the control panel for the effect, click Switch between A/B Settings. This copies the initial parameter setting A to setting B. 2. Fine-tune the effect parameters. These parameter settings are now saved as setting B. RESULT You can now switch between both settings by clicking Switch between A/B Settings. You can compare them, make further adjustments or just go back to setting A. Settings A and B are saved with the project. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can copy the settings between A and B by clicking Copy A to B. You can take these settings as a starting point for further fine-tuning. 317 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Effect Presets Hiding/Showing Effect Control Panels When you add an audio effect, the respective plug-in control panel opens automatically. You can hide the control panels from view. This is useful to get a better overview if you added a number of plug-ins to your project whose control panels clutter up the screen. PROCEDURE Select Window > Hide Plug-in Windows. NOTE This also hides VST instrument control panels. RESULT The control panels are hidden and sent to the back of the application. To show them again, select Show Plug-in Windows. RELATED LINKS Effect Control Panel on page 316 Closing All Control Panels When you add an audio effect, the respective plug-in control panel opens automatically. You can close all control panels at once. PROCEDURE Select Window > Close All Plug-in Windows. NOTE This also closes VST instrument control panels. RESULT The control panels are closed. RELATED LINKS Effect Control Panel on page 316 Effect Presets Effect presets store the parameter settings of an effect. The included effects come with a number of presets that you can load, adjust, and save. The following effect preset types are available: VST presets for a plug-in. These are plug-in parameter settings for a specific effect. Insert presets that contain insert effect combinations. These can contain the whole insert effects rack with settings for each effect. Effect presets are saved in the following location: Windows: \Users\<user name>\My Documents\VST 3 Presets\<company>\<plug-in name> macOS: /Users/<user name>/Library/Audio/Presets/<company>/<plug-in name> 318 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Effect Presets RELATED LINKS Loading Presets for Effects on page 319 Loading Insert Presets on page 322 Preset Browser The preset browser allows you to select a VST preset for the loaded effect. To open the preset browser, click the preset browser field in the effect control panel. The Results section of the presets browser lists the available presets for the selected effect. Loading Presets for Effects Most VST effect plug-ins come with a number of useful presets that you can instantly select. PREREQUISITE You have loaded an effect, either as a channel insert or into an FX channel, and the effect control panel is open. PROCEDURE 1. Click the preset browser field at the top of the control panel. 319 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Effect Presets 2. In the Results section, select a preset from the list. 3. Double-click to load the preset that you want to apply. RESULT The preset is loaded. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can return to the preset that was selected when you opened the preset browser by clicking Revert to Last Setting. Saving Effect Presets You can save your effect settings as presets for further use. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Preset Management pop-up menu. 2. Select Save Preset. The Save <plug-in name> Preset dialog opens. 3. In the New Preset section, enter a name for the new preset. 4. Optional: Click New Folder to add a subfolder inside the effect preset folder. 5. Optional: Click Show Attribute Inspector in the bottom left corner of the dialog and define attributes for the preset. 6. Click OK. 320 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Effect Presets RESULT The effect preset is saved. Saving Default Effect Presets You can save your effect parameter settings as default effect preset. This allows you to load your parameter settings automatically every time you select the effect. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Preset Management pop-up menu. 2. Select Save as Default Preset. You are asked if you want to save the current settings as default preset. 3. Click Yes. RESULT The effect settings are saved as default preset. Every time you load the effect, the default preset is loaded automatically. Copying and Pasting Presets Between Effects You can copy and paste effect presets between different instances of the same plug-in. PROCEDURE 1. Open the control panel for the effect that you want to copy. 2. Right-click the control panel and select Copy <plug-in name> Setting from the context menu. 3. Open another instance of the same effect. 4. Right-click the control panel and select Paste <plug-in name> Setting from the context menu. Saving Insert Presets You can save the inserts of the inserts effect rack for a channel as an inserts preset, together with all parameter settings. Insert presets can be applied to audio, instrument, FX channel, or group tracks. PREREQUISITE You have loaded a combination of insert effects and the effect parameters are set up for each effect. PROCEDURE 1. Select the track. 2. In the Inspector, open the Inserts section. 3. On the Inserts tab, click Preset Management and select Save FX Chain Preset. 321 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects Effect Presets 4. In the Save FX Chain Preset pane, enter a name for the new preset in the New Preset section. 5. Click OK. RESULT The insert effects and their effect parameters are saved as insert preset. Loading Insert Presets You can load insert presets to audio, group, instrument, and FX channels. PREREQUISITE You have saved a combination of insert effects as insert presets. PROCEDURE 1. Select the track to which you want to apply the new preset. 2. In the Inspector, open the Inserts section. 3. On the Inserts section, click Preset Management and select Load FX Chain Preset. 4. Select an insert preset. 5. Double-click to apply the preset and close the pane. RESULT The effects of the insert effect preset are loaded and any plug-ins that were previously loaded for the track are removed. 322 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects System Component Information Window Loading Insert Effect Settings from Track Presets You can extract the effects that are used in a track preset and load them into your inserts rack. PROCEDURE 1. Select the track to which you want to apply the new preset. 2. In the Inspector, open the Inserts section. 3. On the Inserts tab, click Preset Management and select From Track Preset. 4. In the track preset pane, select the preset that contains the insert effects you want to load. 5. Double-click to load the effects and close the pane. RESULT The effects used in the track preset are loaded. RELATED LINKS Track Presets on page 135 System Component Information Window The System Component Information window lists all available audio-codec plug-ins, program plug-ins, project import-export plug-ins, and the virtual file system plug-ins. To open the System Component Information window, select Studio > More Options > System Component Information. The following columns are available: Active Allows you to activate or deactivate a plug-in. Instances The number of plug-in instances that are used in Cubase. Name The name of the plug-in. Vendor The manufacturer of the plug-in. File The name of the plug-in, including its file name extension. Path The path in which the plug-in file is located. 323 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Effects System Component Information Window Category The category of each plug-in. Version The version of the plug-in. SDK The version of the VST protocol with which the plug-in is compatible. Managing System Components in the System Component Information Window To make a plug-in available for selection, activate the checkbox in the left column. Only the activated plug-ins appear in the effect selectors. To see where a plug-in is used, click in the Instances column. NOTE A plug-in may be in use even if it is not activated in the left column. The left column only determines whether or not the plug-in is visible on the effect selectors. Exporting System Component Information Files You can save system component information as an XML file, for example, for archiving purposes or troubleshooting. The system component information file contains information on the installed/available plug-ins, their version, vendor, etc. The XML file can then be opened in any editor application supporting the XML format. NOTE The export function is not available for program plug-ins. PROCEDURE 1. In the System Component Information window, right-click in the middle of the window and select Export. 2. In the dialog, specify a name and location for the system component information export file. 3. Click Save to export the file. 324 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Direct Offline Processing allows you to instantly add audio processes to the selected audio events, clips, or ranges, without destructing the original audio. Applying offline effects is common practice in dialogue editing and sound design. Offline processing has several advantages over applying real-time mixer effects: The workflow is clip-based. This allows you to apply different effects to events on the same track. The MixConsole can be kept clean from insert effects and parameter changes. This facilitates later mixing by another person, on a different system. Less CPU load is used. Direct Offline Processing allows you to undo any changes regarding audio processes. You can always revert to the original version. This is possible because processing does not affect the actual audio files. If you process an event, a clip, or a selection range, the following happens: A new audio file is created in the Edits folder within your project folder. This file contains the processed audio, and the processed section of the audio clip refers to it. The original file remains unaffected. The unprocessed sections still refer to it. All applied offline processing is saved with the project and can still be modified after reopening the project. Direct Offline Processing operations on the selected audio are persistent in project backups. Processing is always applied to the selection. This can be one or multiple events in the Project window or in the Audio Part Editor, an audio clip in the Pool, or a selection range on one or multiple events in the Project window or in the Sample Editor. If a selection is shorter than the audio file, only the selected range is processed. If you select an event that is a shared copy, and therefore refers to a clip that is used by other events in the project, you can decide how to proceed: Select Continue to process all shared copies. Select New Version to process the selected event only. NOTE This only works if Open Options Dialog is selected for the On Processing Shared Clips setting in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page). RELATED LINKS Modifying Processes on page 329 Editing - Audio on page 708 Direct Offline Processing Workflow on page 326 325 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Direct Offline Processing Workflow Direct Offline Processing Window on page 326 Direct Offline Processing Workflow You can perform offline processing operations in the Direct Offline Processing window. The window always shows the processing of the selected audio. When you add or modify offline processing, the following applies: If you add a process, its last used parameter settings are loaded. You can reset it to its default settings by clicking Reset to Default Values. All changes are instantly applied to the audio. If you modify parameters or remove processing, these changes are instantly applied to the audio. You get a visual feedback while a process is running. NOTE You can add, modify, or delete audio processes at any time, even if a process is running. A new rendering process is instantly started. You can undo and redo all Direct Offline Processing operations by using Ctrl/Cmd-Z or Shift-Ctrl/Cmd-Z. You can apply all offline processing permanently to the audio. If you load a project with offline processing of audio processes that are not available on your computer, these processes are shown as Not available in the Direct Offline Processing window. RELATED LINKS Direct Offline Processing Window on page 326 Key Commands for Direct Offline Processing on page 335 Direct Offline Processing Window The Direct Offline Processing window allows you to add, modify, or delete audio processing instantly for one or multiple events, clips, or selection ranges in one window. Furthermore, you can undo any audio processing. To open the Direct Offline Processing window, do one of the following: Select Audio > Direct Offline Processing. Press F7. On the Project window toolbar, click Open Direct Offline Processing Window. Select Audio > Processes, and from the submenu, select a process. NOTE Processes without adjustable parameter settings, such as Silence, do not open the Direct Offline Processing window when applied from the menu or using a key command. 326 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Direct Offline Processing Window In the Direct Offline Processing window, the following options and settings are available: Toolbar Allows you to add audio processing, to audition the audio with the current edits, and to make global settings for offline processing. Process Shows the last added process and allows you to modify or reset its settings, or to delete it. RELATED LINKS Applying Processing on page 328 Applying Processing to Multiple Events on page 329 Direct Offline Processing Toolbar on page 327 Direct Offline Processing Toolbar The Direct Offline Processing toolbar allows you to add audio processing, to audition the audio with the current edits, and to make global settings for offline processing. On the toolbar, the following options and settings are available: Add Processes Add Process Allows you to add a built-in audio process to the selected event or clip. Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. 327 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Direct Offline Processing Window Audition Audition Allows you to audition the selected audio with all processing from the top of the process list up to the selected process in the list. All processes below are ignored during playback. Audition Loop Loops the playback until you deactivate the Audition button. Audition Volume Allows you to adjust the volume. Extend Process Range Extend Process Range in ms Allows you to extend the process range over the left and right of the event borders. This allows you to enlarge the event at a later stage with all applied processing. RELATED LINKS Process Range Extension on page 329 Applying Processing You can add processing to one or multiple events, clips, or ranges in the Direct Offline Processing window. This includes audio processes and Sample Editor operations, such as Cut, Paste, Delete, and using the Draw tool. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Select an event or a range in the Project window. Select a clip in the Pool. Select a range in the Sample Editor. Select an event or a range in the Audio Part Editor. 2. Select Audio > Direct Offline Processing. 3. On the Direct Offline Processing toolbar, click Add Process and select an audio process. The selected audio process is added to process list in the left zone. 4. Activate Audition and make your changes on the process panel. You get a visual feedback while a process is running. However, even if the processing is not finished, you can activate Audition at any time. RESULT The audio process is rendered into the audio. In the Project window, the Pool or the Audio Part Editor, the processed events show a waveform symbol. 328 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Direct Offline Processing Window Applying Processing to Multiple Events Direct Offline Processing allows you to add the built-in audio processes to multiple events at once. You can also modify or delete processing on multiple events simultaneously. To apply audio processes to multiple events at once, select the audio and add, modify, or delete the processing. NOTE In the Direct Offline Processing window, you can also edit the audio processing of multiple clips in the Pool simultaneously. RELATED LINKS Built-In Audio Processes on page 330 Direct Offline Processing Window on page 326 Process Range Extension You can extend the process range over the left and right borders of the audio event. This setting allows you to enlarge the event even after applying the processing. To extend the process range, click Extend Process Range in ms on the Direct Offline Processing toolbar and specify a value in milliseconds. NOTE For this to work, audio must be available outside the event borders. This setting works globally for all events. Modifying Processes You can delete or modify some or all processing from a clip in the Direct Offline Processing window. This includes the audio processes on the Processes menu and Sample Editor operations, such as Cut, Paste, Delete, and drawing with the Draw tool. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Select the processed event in the Project window or in the Audio Part Editor. NOTE In the Project window or in the Audio Part Editor, processed events are indicated by a waveform symbol in the upper right corner. Select the processed clip in the Pool. NOTE In the Pool, processed clips are indicated by a waveform symbol in the Status column. Select the processed range in the Sample Editor. 2. Select Audio > Direct Offline Processing. 3. Do one of the following: Activate Audition and modify the settings of the process. Reset the process to its default settings by clicking Reset to Default Values. 329 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Built-In Audio Processes Delete the process by clicking Delete on the process panel. RELATED LINKS Direct Offline Processing Window on page 326 Pool Window Columns on page 400 Built-In Audio Processes Cubase provides several built-in audio processes that can be used for Direct Offline Processing. Envelope Envelope allows you to apply a volume envelope to the selected audio. Curve Type buttons Determine whether the corresponding envelope uses Spline Interpolation, Damped Spline Interpolation, or Linear Interpolation. Envelope display Shows the shape of the envelope. The resulting waveform shape is shown in a dark tone, with the current waveform shape in a light tone. To add a curve point, click the curve. To move a curve point, click and drag. To remove a curve point, click and drag it outside the display. Presets pop-up menu Allows you to manage your presets. To save a preset, select Save Preset from the pop-up menu, enter a name, and click OK. To apply a preset, select it from the pop-up menu. To remove a preset, select it from the pop-up menu, and click Remove Preset. 330 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Built-In Audio Processes Fade In/Fade Out Fade In and Fade Out allow you to apply a fade to the selected audio. Gain Curve Type buttons Determine whether the corresponding envelope uses Spline Interpolation, Damped Spline Interpolation, or Linear Interpolation. Fade display Shows the shape of the fade curve. The resulting waveform shape is shown in a dark tone, with the current waveform shape in a light tone. To add points, click the curve. To change the curve shape, click and drag existing points. To remove a point from the curve, drag it outside the display. Presets pop-up menu Allows you to manage your presets. To save a preset, select Save Preset from the pop-up menu, enter a name, and click OK. To apply a preset, select it from the pop-up menu. To remove a preset, select it from the pop-up menu, and click Remove Preset. Curve Shape buttons These buttons give you quick access to some common curve shapes. Gain allows you to change the gain, that is, the level of the selected audio. Gain Allows you to set a gain value between -50dB and +20dB. Clipping Detection text This text is displayed if you use Audition and the gain setting results in audio levels above 0dB. 331 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Built-In Audio Processes NOTE In case of clipping, lower the Gain value and use the Normalize audio process instead. This allows you to increase the level of the audio as much as possible without causing clipping. RELATED LINKS Normalize on page 332 Invert Phase Invert Phase allows you to invert the phase of the selected audio. For stereo audio files, a pop-up menu is available. It allows you to specify which channels are phase-inverted: the left channel, the right channel, or both. Normalize Normalize allows you to raise or lower the level of audio that was recorded at an inappropriate input level. Maximum Peak Level Allows you to normalize your audio based on the maximum peak level. Maximum Peak Level in dBFS sets a maximum peak level for the audio, between -50dB and 0dB. From this maximum level, the current maximum level of the selected audio is subtracted, and the gain is raised or lowered by the resulting amount. Remove DC Offset Option Remove DC Offset allows you to remove any DC offset in the audio selection. If your audio signal contains too large a component of direct current, you may notice that it is not centered around the zero level axis. This is called DC offset. To verify if your audio contains DC offsets, select the audio and select Audio > Statistics. IMPORTANT DC offset is normally present throughout the entire recording. Therefore, always apply Remove DC Offset to complete audio clips. There are no adjustable parameters for this audio process. RELATED LINKS Statistics Window on page 344 332 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Built-In Audio Processes Resample Resample allows you to change the length, tempo, and pitch of an event. If you resample to a higher sample rate, the event gets longer and the audio plays back at a slower speed with a lower pitch. If you resample to a lower sample rate, the event gets shorter and the audio plays back at a faster speed with a higher pitch. File Sample Rate Shows the original sample rate of the event. New Sample Rate Allows you to resample the event by specifying a sample rate. Difference Allows you to resample the event by specifying the difference between the original sample rate and the new sample rate. Reverse Reverse allows you to reverse the audio selection so that it sounds as if you play back a tape backwards. There are no adjustable parameters for this audio process. Silence Silence allows you to replace the selection with silence. There are no adjustable parameters for this audio process. Stereo Flip Stereo Flip allows you to manipulate the left and right channels of stereo audio selections. In the Mode pop-up menu, the available options are: Flip Left-Right Swaps the left and right channel. Left to Stereo Copies the left channel sound to the right channel. Right to Stereo Copies the right channel sound to the left channel. Merge Merges both channels on each side for mono sound. Subtract Subtracts the left channel information from the right. This function is typically used for karaoke background as it removes the centered mono material from a stereo signal. 333 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Built-In Audio Processes Time Stretch Time Stretch allows you to change the length and tempo of the selected audio without affecting the pitch. Define Bars You can set the length of the selected audio and the time signature in this section. Bars Allows you to set the length of the selected audio in bars. Beats Allows you to set the length of the selected audio in beats. Signature Allows you to set the time signature. Original Length This section contains information and settings regarding the audio that is selected for processing. Length in Samples Shows the length of the selected audio in samples. Length in Seconds Shows the length of the selected audio in seconds. Tempo in BPM Allows you to enter the actual tempo of the audio in beats per minute. This option allows you to time-stretch the audio to another tempo, without having to compute the actual time stretch amount. Resulting Length These values change automatically if you adjust the Time Stretch Ratio to stretch the audio so that it fits within a specific time span or tempo. Samples Shows the resulting length in samples. 334 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Key Commands for Direct Offline Processing Seconds Shows the resulting length in seconds. BPM Shows the resulting tempo in beats per minute. For this to work, the Original Length values must be specified. Seconds Range These settings allow you to set a range for the time stretch. Arbitrary Range Start Time Allows you to set a start position for the range. Arbitrary Range End Time Allows you to set an end position for the range. Use Locators Allows you to set the Seconds Range values to the left and right locator positions, respectively. Algorithm Allows you to select a time stretch algorithm. Time Stretch Ratio Allows you to set the amount of time stretch as a percentage of the original length. If you use the settings in the Resulting Length section to specify the amount of time stretch, this value changes automatically. RELATED LINKS Time Stretch Algorithms on page 337 Key Commands for Direct Offline Processing You can apply offline processing by using key commands. If you add audio processes via key commands, the following applies: The current settings are used. The Direct Offline Processing window opens. This does not apply if the selected process does not feature any adjustable parameters or if the window is in the background or minimized. You can apply offline processing by using key commands even if Auto Apply is deactivated. If the corresponding section in the Direct Offline Processing window has the focus, the following default key commands apply: Option Key command Open/Close Direct Offline Processing window F7 Set focus within Direct Offline Processing Tab window 335 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Direct Offline Processing Key Commands for Direct Offline Processing Option Key command Navigate in the process list Up Arrow/Down Arrow Activate/Deactivate Audition (Playback Toggle Space triggers Local Preview must be activated in the Preferences dialog) Undo Ctrl/Cmd-Z To define key commands for further Direct Offline Processing operations, and for directly adding particular audio processes, use the Key Commands dialog. RELATED LINKS Direct Offline Processing Window on page 326 Transport on page 722 Key Commands on page 680 336 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Time Stretch Algorithms In Cubase, time stretching algorithms are used for operations like the Time Stretch offline process, or in the Sample Editor. RELATED LINKS Time Stretch on page 334 Sample Editor on page 346 Standard on page 337 Limitations on page 338 Standard The Standard algorithm is optimized for CPU-efficient realtime processing. The following presets are available: Standard Drums For percussive sounds. This mode does not change the timing of your audio. If you use it with certain tuned percussion instruments, you may experience audible artifacts. In this case, try Mix mode as an alternative. Standard Plucked For audio with transients and a relatively stable spectral sound character like plucked instruments. Standard Pads For pitched audio with slower rhythm and a stable spectral sound character. This minimizes sound artifacts, but the rhythmic accuracy is not preserved. Standard Vocals For slower signals with transients and a prominent tonal character like vocals. Standard Mix For pitched material with a less homogenous sound character. This mode preserves the rhythm and minimizes the artifacts. Standard Custom Allows you to set the time-stretching parameters manually. Standard Solo For monophonic material like solo woodwind/brass instruments or solo vocals, monophonic synths or string instruments that do not play harmonies. This mode preserves the timbre of the audio. Custom Warp Settings If you select the Standard Custom mode, a dialog opens where you can manually adjust the parameters that govern the sound quality of the time stretching: 337 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Time Stretch Algorithms Limitations Grain Size Allows you to determine the size of the grains in which the standard time-stretching algorithm splits the audio. Low grain size values lead to good results for material that has many transients. Overlap This is the percentage of the whole grain that will overlap with other grains. Use higher values for material with a stable sound character. Variance This is a percentage of the whole length of the grains, and sets a variation in positioning, so that the overlapping area sounds smooth. A variance setting of 0 produces a sound akin to time stretching used in early samplers, whereas higher settings produce more rhythmic smearing effects but fewer audio artifacts. Limitations Applying time stretching to audio material can lead to a degradation in audio quality and to audible artifacts. The result depends on the source material, the particular stretch operations applied, and the selected audio algorithm preset. As a rule of thumb, smaller changes in duration cause less degradation. However, there are additional issues one should be aware of when working with time stretching algorithms. NOTE In rare cases, editing warped audio events may cause discontinuities at the edit points. You can then try to move the edit point to a different position or bounce the audio event prior to editing. Reverse Playback and Scrubbing Most of the algorithms used for time stretching only support forward playback. Reverse playback or scrubbing of warped audio events can lead to recurring artifacts in playback. Stretch Factor Some algorithms may put limitations on the maximum degree of time stretching supported. 338 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Functions Cubase offers particular functions for analyzing the audio in your project. RELATED LINKS Detect Silence Dialog on page 339 Spectrum Analyzer Window on page 342 Statistics Window on page 344 Detect Silence Dialog The Detect Silence dialog allows you to search for silent sections in events. You can split events and remove the silent parts from the project, or create regions corresponding to the non-silent sections. To open the Detect Silence dialog for a selected audio event, clip, or selection range, select Audio > Advanced > Detect Silence. NOTE If you select multiple events, you can process the selected events successively with individual settings or apply the same settings to all selected events simultaneously. 339 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Functions Detect Silence Dialog The following options are available: Waveform display Allows you to zoom in on and out of the waveform by using the zoom slider to the right or by clicking in the waveform and moving the mouse up or down. You can scroll the waveform by using the scrollbar, or by using the mouse wheel. You can adjust the Open Threshold and Close Threshold values by moving the squares at the beginning and at the end of the audio file. The Detection section features the following options: Open Threshold When the audio level exceeds this value, the function opens and lets the sound pass. Audio material below the set level is detected as silence. Close Threshold When the audio level drops below this value, the function closes and detects sounds below this level as silence. This value cannot be higher than the Open Threshold value. Linked Activate this option to set the same values for Open Threshold and Close Threshold. Minimum Time Open Determines the minimum time that the function remains open after the audio level has exceeded the Open Threshold value. 340 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Functions Detect Silence Dialog NOTE If your audio contains repeated short sounds, and this results in too many short open sections, try raising this value. Minimum Time Closed Determines the minimum time that the function remains closed after the audio level has dropped below the Close Threshold value. Set this to a low value to make sure that you do not remove sounds. Pre-roll Causes the function to open slightly before the audio level exceeds the Open Threshold value. Use this option to avoid removing the attack of sounds. Post-roll Causes the function to close slightly after the audio level drops below the Close Threshold value. Use this option to avoid removing the natural decay of sounds. The Output section features the following options: Non-silent Sections Shows the number of events that are created if you click Process. Add as Regions Creates regions of the non-silent sections. Region Name Allows you to specify a name for the non-silent sections. Auto Number Start Allows you to specify the start number for the numbers that are automatically appended to the region names. Strip Silence Splits the event at the beginning and end of each non-silent section, and removes the silent sections in between. Process all selected Events Applies the same settings to all selected events. This option is only available if you selected more than one event. Auto Activate this option to analyze the audio event and update the display automatically every time you change the settings. NOTE If you are working with very long files, consider deactivating the Auto option as this may slow down the process. Compute Analyzes the audio event and redraws the waveform display to indicate which sections are considered silent. Preview Allows you to listen to the result before it is processed. Process Processes the audio according to your settings. 341 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Functions Spectrum Analyzer Window RELATED LINKS Removing Silent Sections on page 342 Removing Silent Sections The Detect Silence dialog allows you to detect and remove silent sections of your audio. PROCEDURE 1. Select one or multiple audio events with silent sections in the Project window. 2. Select Audio > Advanced > Detect Silence. 3. In the Detect Silence dialog, make your changes. 4. Click Compute to analyze the audio. The audio is analyzed and the waveform is redrawn to indicate which sections are considered silent according to your settings. The number of detected regions is displayed. 5. Optional: Click Preview to listen to the result. The event is played back and the sections are silenced according to your settings. 6. Optional: In the Detection section, readjust the settings until you are satisfied with the result. 7. Optional: In the Output section, activate Add as Regions. 8. In the Output section, activate Strip Silence. 9. Click Process. RESULT The event is split and the silent sections are removed. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK If you have selected more than one event and did not activate Process all selected Events, the Detect Silence dialog opens again after processing, allowing you to make separate settings for the next event. RELATED LINKS Detect Silence Dialog on page 339 Spectrum Analyzer Window The Spectrum Analyzer window displays the audio spectrum of an event, clip, or selection range as a two-dimensional graph, with frequency range on the x-axis and level distribution on the yaxis. To open the Spectrum Analyzer window for a selected audio event, clip, or selection range, select Audio > Spectrum Analyzer. 342 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Functions Spectrum Analyzer Window Frequency display Shows the frequency graphs for the analyzed audio. If you move the mouse pointer over a certain position, the channel, frequency, note, and level at that position are shown in the value field at the top of the display. Channel selector For multichannel audio, this pop-up menu allows you to select which channels are shown in the frequency display. Zoom slider Allows you to zoom in and out horizontally. RELATED LINKS Analyzing the Audio Spectrum on page 343 Analyzing the Audio Spectrum The Spectrum Analyzer allows you to analyze the audio of a selected event, clip, or selection range. PROCEDURE 1. Select an audio event, clip, or a selection range. 2. Select Audio > Spectrum Analyzer. RESULT The audio spectrum of the selected event, clip, or selection range is displayed as a twodimensional graph in the Spectrum Analyzer window. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can display the difference in level between two positions on the same or different graphs. RELATED LINKS Comparing Level Values on page 344 343 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Functions Statistics Window Comparing Level Values You can display the difference in level between two positions on the same or different graphs in the Spectrum Analyzer window. PROCEDURE 1. Move the mouse pointer to the first position and right-click to select it. 2. Move the mouse pointer to the second frequency position. RESULT The difference in level between the positions is displayed as value D in the value field. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Click the frequency display to reset the selection of the first position. RELATED LINKS Spectrum Analyzer Window on page 342 Statistics Window The Statistics function analyzes the selected audio events, clips, or selection ranges. To open the Statistics window for a selected audio event, clip, or selection range, select Audio > Statistics. 344 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Functions Statistics Window The Statistics window shows the following information: Channel Shows the name of the analyzed channel. Min. Sample Value Shows the lowest sample value in dB. Max. Sample Value Shows the highest sample value in dB. Peak Amplitude Shows the largest amplitude in dB. True Peak Shows the maximum absolute level of the audio signal waveform in the continuous time domain. DC Offset Shows the amount of DC offset as a percentage and in dB. Bit Depth Shows the current calculated bit depth. Estimated Pitch Shows the estimated pitch. Sample Rate Shows the sample rate. Average RMS (AES17) Shows the average loudness in accordance with the AES17 standard. Max. RMS Shows the highest RMS value. Max. RMS All Channels Shows the highest RMS value of all channels. RELATED LINKS Remove DC Offset Option on page 332 345 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor The Sample Editor provides an overview of the selected audio event. It allows you to view and edit audio by cutting and pasting, removing, or drawing audio data, and by processing audio. Editing is non-destructive so that you can undo modifications at any time. You can open the Sample Editor in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. This is useful if you want to access the Sample Editor functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. To open an audio event in the Sample Editor, do one of the following: Double-click an event in the Project window. Select an event in the Project window and press Return or Ctrl/Cmd-E. Select an event in the Project window and select Audio > Open Sample Editor. In the Key Commands dialog in the Editors category, assign a key command for Open Sample Editor. Select an event in the Project window and use the key command. NOTE If you select Audio > Set up Editor Preferences, the Preferences dialog opens on the Editors page. Make your changes to specify if you want the Sample Editor to open in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. The Sample Editor window: 346 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor The Sample Editor in the lower zone of the Project window: The Sample Editor is divided into several sections: 1 Toolbar Contains tools for selecting, manipulating, and playing back audio. 2 Info Line Shows information about the audio. 3 Overview Shows an overview of the whole audio clip and indicates which part of the clip is shown in the waveform display. 4 Inspector Contains audio editing tools and functions. NOTE The Inspector for the lower zone editor is shown in the left zone of the Project window. 5 Ruler Shows the timeline and the display format of the project. 6 Waveform display Shows the waveform image of the edited audio clip. 7 Regions Allows you to add and edit regions. NOTE The info line, the overview line, and the regions can be activated/deactivated by clicking Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activating/deactivating the corresponding options. 347 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Sample Editor Toolbar RELATED LINKS Opening the Editor in the Lower Zone on page 50 Opening the Editor Inspector on page 45 Sample Editor Toolbar on page 348 Info Line on page 352 Overview Line on page 352 Sample Editor Inspector on page 353 Ruler on page 354 Waveform Display on page 354 Regions List on page 358 Sample Editor Toolbar The toolbar contains tools for selecting, editing, and playing back audio. To show or hide the toolbar elements, right-click the toolbar and activate or deactivate the elements. The following options are available: Static Buttons Solo Editor Solos the selected audio during playback. Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. View Options Show Audio Event Highlights the section corresponding to the edited event in the waveform display and the overview line. NOTE This button is not available if you opened the audio event from the Pool. You can adjust the start and end of the event in the clip by dragging the event handles in the waveform display. Currently Edited Audio Event Lists all audio events that are opened in the Sample Editor, and allows you to activate an audio event for editing. Auto-Scroll Auto-Scroll Keeps the project cursor visible during playback. 348 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Sample Editor Toolbar Select Auto-Scroll Settings Allows you to activate Page Scroll or Stationary Cursor and to activate Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing. Preview Audition Plays back the selected audio. Audition Loop Loops the playback until you deactivate Audition. Audition Volume Allows you to adjust the volume. Tool Buttons Range Selection Selects ranges. Zoom Zooms in. Hold Alt and click to zoom out. Draw Draws a volume curve. Play Allows you to play back the clip from the position where you click until you release the mouse button. Scrub Allows you to locate positions. Snap Snap to Zero Crossing Restricts editing to zero crossings, that is, positions where the amplitude is zero. Snap On/Off Restricts horizontal movement and positioning to the specific positions. 349 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Sample Editor Toolbar Musical Information Musical Mode Locks audio clips to the project tempo by using realtime time stretching. Number of Bars Defined in Audio File Displays the estimated bars of your audio file. Remaining Number of Beats Defined in Audio File Displays the remaining number of beats of your audio file. Defined Tempo of Audio File Displays the estimated tempo of your audio file. Defined Time Signature of Audio File Displays the estimated time signature of your audio file. Warping Algorithm for Audio Clip Allows you to select a warp algorithm. Right Divider Right Divider Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Window Zone Controls Open in Separate Window This button is available in the lower zone editor. It opens the editor in a separate window. Open in Lower Zone This button is available in the editor window. It opens the editor in the lower zone of the Project window. Set up Window Layout Allows you to set up the window layout. Show/Hide Left Zone Allows you to activate/deactivate the left zone. Show/Hide Regions 350 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Sample Editor Toolbar Allows you to activate/deactivate the regions. Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. RELATED LINKS Auto-Scroll Settings Menu on page 181 Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing on page 182 Locating Positions with the Scrub Tool The Scrub tool allows you to locate positions in the audio. PROCEDURE 1. On the toolbar, activate the Scrub tool. 2. Click in the waveform display and keep the mouse button pressed. The project cursor moves to the position where you clicked. 3. Drag to the left or right. RESULT The audio is played back, and you can hear at which position the cursor is located. NOTE You can determine the speed and pitch of the playback by dragging faster or slower. Editing Audio Samples with the Draw Tool You can edit the audio clip at sample level with the Draw tool. This way, you can remove audio clicks manually, for example. PROCEDURE 1. On the audio waveform, locate the sample position that you want to edit and zoom in to the highest zoom level. 2. Select the Draw tool. 351 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Info Line 3. Click at the beginning of the section that you want to correct and draw in the new curve. RESULT A range selection covering the edited section is automatically applied. Info Line The info line shows information about the audio clip, such as the audio format and the selection range. To show or hide the info line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activate or deactivate Info Line. The on/off status of the info line in the Sample Editor window and in the lower zone editor are independent of each other. NOTE Initially, length and position values are displayed in the format specified in the Project Setup dialog. Overview Line The overview line displays the whole clip, and indicates which part of the clip is shown in the waveform display. To show or hide the overview line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activate or deactivate the Overview option. 352 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Sample Editor Inspector The on/off status of the overview line in the Sample Editor window and in the lower zone editor are independent of each other. 1 Event Start Shows the start of the audio event if Show Audio Event is activated on the toolbar. 2 Selection Shows which section is selected in the waveform display. 3 Event End Shows the end of the audio event if Show Audio Event is activated on the toolbar. 4 Waveform display Shows the section of the audio that is displayed in the waveform display. You can specify which section of the audio is shown by clicking in the lower half of this display and dragging to the left or right. You can zoom in or out horizontally by dragging the left or right edge of this display. You can show a different section of the audio by clicking in the upper half of this display and dragging a rectangle. 5 Snap Point Shows the start of the audio event if Show Audio Event is activated on the toolbar. Sample Editor Inspector The Inspector shows controls and parameters that allow you to edit the audio event that is opened in the Sample Editor. In the Sample Editor window, you can show or hide the Inspector by clicking Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activating or deactivating Inspector. NOTE In the lower zone editor, the Inspector is always shown in the left zone of the Project window. To open or close the Inspector sections, click their names. RELATED LINKS Opening the Editor Inspector on page 45 Hitpoints Section The Hitpoints section allows you to edit hitpoints to slice your audio. Here you can create groove quantize maps, markers, regions, and events based on hitpoints. 353 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Ruler To open the Hitpoints section, click its tab in the Inspector. Ruler The ruler shows the timeline and display format of the project, the project tempo grid. The ruler is located above the waveform display. It is always shown. Waveform Display The waveform display shows the waveform image of the edited audio clip. 1 Level Scale menu 354 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Waveform Display Allow you to show the level as a percentage or in dB. Here, you can also activate the display of the half level axis. 2 Ruler Shows the project tempo grid. 3 Audio waveform Shows the waveform image of the selected audio. 4 Half Level Axis To show the half level axis, open the level scale menu and select Show Half Level Axis. NOTE You can set up a wave image style in the Preferences dialog (Event Display--Audio page). Zooming Vertically You can zoom in the waveform vertically. This allows you to see a specific detail of the waveform. PROCEDURE Drag the vertical zoom slider down to zoom in or up to zoom out. RESULT The vertical scale changes relative to the height of the Sample Editor. Zooming Horizontally You can zoom in the waveform horizontally. This allows you to zoom in or out on the time scale. PROCEDURE Drag the horizontal zoom slider to the right to zoom in or to the left to zoom out. RESULT The horizontal zoom setting is shown on the info line as samples per pixel. You can zoom in horizontally to a scale of less than one sample per pixel. This is required for using the Draw tool. NOTE If you have zoomed in to one sample per pixel or less, the appearance of the samples depends on the Interpolate Audio Waveforms option in the Preferences dialog (Event Display--Audio page). Zoom Submenu The Zoom submenu of the Edit menu contains options for zooming in the Sample Editor. To open the Zoom submenu, select Edit > Zoom. The following options are available: 355 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Range Editing Zoom In Zooms in one step, centering on the project cursor. Zoom Out Zooms out one step, centering on the project cursor. Zoom Full Zooms out so that the whole clip is visible in the waveform display. Zoom to Selection Zooms out so that the whole clip is visible in the waveform display. Zoom to Selection (Horiz.) Zooms in horizontally so that the current selection fills the waveform display. Zoom to Event Zooms in so that the waveform display shows the section of the clip corresponding to the edited audio event. This is not available if you have opened the Sample Editor from the Pool. Zoom In Vertically Zooms in one step vertically. Zoom Out Vertically Zooms out one step vertically. Undo/Redo Zoom Allows you to undo/redo the last zoom operation. Range Editing In the Sample Editor you can edit selection ranges. This is useful if you want to quickly edit a specific section in the audio waveform, or if you want to create a new event or clip. You can only select one range at a time. The selection is indicated in the Selection field on the Info Line. RELATED LINKS Shared Copies on page 155 Selecting a Range PREREQUISITE Snap to Zero Crossing is activated on the toolbar. This option ensures that the start and the end of the selection are always at zero crossings. PROCEDURE 1. On the toolbar, activate the Range Selection tool. 2. Click at the position in the waveform display where you want the range to start and drag to the position, where you want the range to end. 3. Optional: Perform one of the following actions to resize the selection range: Drag the left or the right edge of the selection to a new position. Hold down Shift and click at a new position. 356 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Range Editing RESULT The selected range is highlighted in the waveform display. NOTE You can also use the functions in the Select menu to select ranges. RELATED LINKS Select Menu on page 357 Select Menu Select Menu on the Edit Menu If you select Edit > Select, the following functions are available: All Selects the whole clip. None Deselects everything. In Loop Selects the audio between the left and right locator. From Start to Cursor Selects the audio between the clip start and the project cursor. From Cursor to End Selects the audio between the project cursor and the clip end. This option is available if the project cursor is positioned between the clip boundaries. Select Event Selects the event. Left Selection Side to Cursor Moves the left side of the selection range to the project cursor position. This option is available if the project cursor is positioned between the clip boundaries. Right Selection Side to Cursor Moves the right side of the selection range to the project cursor position or the end of the clip if the project cursor is positioned to the right of the clip. Creating Events from Selection Ranges You can create a new event that contains only the selected range. PROCEDURE 1. Select a range. 2. Drag the selection range to an audio track in the Project window. RELATED LINKS Selecting a Range on page 356 357 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Regions List Creating Clips from Selection Ranges You can create a new clip that contains only the selected range. PROCEDURE 1. Select a range. 2. Click the selected range and select Audio > Bounce Selection. 3. Perform one of the following actions: Click Replace if you want to replace the original. Click No if you want to keep the original. RESULT A new Sample Editor window opens with the new clip. It refers to the same audio file as the original clip, but it contains the audio corresponding to the selection range only. Regions List Regions are sections within an audio clip that allow you to mark important sections in the audio. You can add and edit regions for the selected audio clip in the regions zone. To show or hide the Regions, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activate or deactivate Regions. The following controls are available: 1 Region Start/Region End Shows the start and end of the region in the audio waveform. 2 Add Region Allows you to create a region of the current range selection. 3 Remove Region Allows you to remove the selected region. 4 Select Region If you select a region in the list and click this button above, the corresponding section of the audio clip is selected (as if you had selected it with the Range Selection tool) and zoomed. This is useful if you want to apply processing to the region only. 5 Play Region 358 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Regions List Plays back the selected region. 6 Regions list Allows you to select and display regions in the audio waveform. Creating Regions PREREQUISITE You have clicked Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activated Regions. PROCEDURE 1. On the Sample Editor toolbar, activate the Range Selection tool and in the waveform display, select the range that you want to convert into a region. 2. Perform one of the following actions: Above the regions list, click Add Region. Select Audio > Advanced > Event or Range as Region. A region is created, corresponding to the selected range. 3. Optional: Double-click the region name in the list and enter a new name. RESULT The region is added to the regions list. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Click the region in the regions list to instantly display it in the Sample Editor. RELATED LINKS Creating Regions on page 369 Creating Regions from Hitpoints You can create regions from hitpoints. This is useful to isolate specific sounds. PREREQUISITE The audio event from which you want to create regions is opened in the Sample Editor and the hitpoints are set at the correct positions. PROCEDURE In the Hitpoints section of the Inspector, click Create Regions. RESULT Regions are created between two hitpoint positions and shown in the Sample Editor. Adjusting Start and End Positions of Regions PREREQUISITE You have clicked Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activated Regions. You have created regions. PROCEDURE Perform one of the following actions: 359 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Snap Point Drag the Region Start or Region End handle to a different position in the waveform display. Double-click the Start or End field in the regions list and enter a new value. NOTE The positions are shown in the display format selected for the ruler and info line, but are relative to the start of the audio clip. Removing Regions PREREQUISITE You have clicked Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activated Regions. You have created regions. PROCEDURE 1. In the regions list, select the region that you want to remove. 2. Above the regions list, click Remove Region. RESULT The region is removed from the regions list. Creating Audio Events from Regions You can create new audio events from regions using drag and drop. PREREQUISITE You have clicked Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activated Regions. You have created regions. PROCEDURE 1. Select the region in the regions list. 2. Drag the region to the desired position in the Project window. RESULT An event is created from the region. Snap Point The snap point is a marker within an audio event that can be used as a reference position. To show the snap point, activate Show Audio Event on the toolbar. The snap point is set at the audio event start, but you can move it to another relevant position in the audio. 360 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Snap Point The snap point is used when Snap is activated and you insert a clip from the Sample Editor in the event display. It is also used when you move or copy events in the event display. In the Sample Editor, you can edit the following snap points: Event Snap Point This is shown in the Sample Editor if you open a clip from within the Project window. Clip Snap Point This is shown in the Sample Editor if you open a clip from the Pool. NOTE The clip snap point serves as a template for the event snap point. However, it is the event snap point that is taken into account when snapping. RELATED LINKS Sample Editor Toolbar on page 348 Adjusting the Snap Point PREREQUISITE The audio event is opened in the Sample Editor and Show Audio Event is activated on the toolbar. PROCEDURE 1. Optional: On the Sample Editor toolbar, select the Scrub tool. This allows you to audition the audio while setting the snap point. 2. Move the mouse pointer over the snap point, and drag it to the desired position in the audio event. The mouse pointer becomes a hand symbol and a tooltip indicates that you can set the snap point. RESULT The event snap point is adjusted to the position where you dragged it. 361 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sample Editor Snap Point NOTE You can also adjust the snap point by setting the project cursor at the desired position and selecting Audio > Snap Point to Cursor. 362 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Hitpoints mark musically relevant positions in audio files. Cubase can detect these positions and create hitpoints automatically by analyzing onsets and melodic changes of the audio. NOTE All hitpoint operations can be performed in the Sample Editor window and in the lower zone editor. When you add an audio file to your project by recording or by importing, Cubase automatically detects hitpoints. In the Project window, hitpoints are shown for the selected event, provided that the zoom factor is high enough. The hitpoint functions are available in the Hitpoints section of the Sample Editor. You can use hitpoints for the following purposes: Create slices of the audio Slices allow you to change tempo and timing of the audio without affecting its pitch and quality, or to replace or extract individual sounds from loops. Quantize audio Extract the groove from the audio The timing is extracted from the audio and a groove map is created. You can use this groove map to quantize other events. Create markers from the audio Create regions from the audio Create events from the audio Create MIDI notes from the audio NOTE Hitpoints work best with drums, rhythmic recordings, or loops. Calculating Hitpoints When you add an audio file to your project by recording or by importing, Cubase automatically detects hitpoints. PROCEDURE 1. Import or record an audio file. Cubase automatically detects hitpoints. NOTE If your audio file is very long, this may take a while. 363 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Calculating Hitpoints 2. Select the audio event in the Project window and make sure the zoom factor is high enough. RESULT The calculated hitpoints for the selected event are shown in the Project window. NOTE You can disable automatic hitpoint detection by deactivating Enable Automatic Hitpoint Detection in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page). Hitpoint Filters in the Hitpoint Section Cubase automatically detects and filters hitpoints. However, if the result does not meet your expectations you can filter hitpoints manually. To filter hitpoints, open the audio event in the Sample Editor and open the Hitpoints section. Threshold Filters hitpoints by their peaks. Drag the slider to the right to discard hitpoints of quieter crosstalk signals, for example. Intensity Filters hitpoints by their intensity. Drag the slider to the right to discard less intense hitpoints. Minimum Length Filters hitpoints by their distance between two hitpoints. This option allows you to avoid creating slices that are too short. Beats Filters hitpoints by their musical position. This option allows you to discard hitpoints that do not fit within a certain range of a defined beat value. Editing Hitpoints Manually It is absolutely crucial for any further editing that the hitpoints are set at the correct positions. Therefore, if the automatic hitpoint detection does not meet your expectations, you can edit hitpoints manually. 364 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Calculating Hitpoints PREREQUISITE The audio event is opened in the Sample Editor, and in the Hitpoints section, hitpoints are filtered by their peak and/or intensity, by their distance, or by their musical position. PROCEDURE 1. In the Hitpoints section in the Inspector, activate the Edit Hitpoints tool. 2. Move the mouse to the waveform display and click between two hitpoints. The mouse pointer changes to a speaker icon and the tooltip Play back Slice is shown. The slice is played back from the beginning to the end. 3. To disable a hitpoint that you do not need, press Shift and click on the line that represents the hitpoint. The mouse pointer changes to a cross icon and the tooltip Disable Hitpoints is shown. Disabled hitpoints are not taken into account for further operations. 4. Press Tab to navigate to the next slice. The slice is played back automatically. 5. To insert a hitpoint, press Alt and click at the position where you want to insert the hitpoint. 365 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Locating to Hitpoints in the Project Window The mouse pointer changes to a draw icon and the tooltip Insert Hitpoint is shown. 6. To move a hitpoint, move the mouse pointer on the vertical line that represents the hitpoint, and drag to the left or to the right. The mouse pointer changes to a double arrow and the tooltip Move Hitpoint is shown. Moved hitpoints are locked by default. 7. To make sure that a hitpoint is not accidentally filtered out, lock it by pointing at it and clicking. The tooltip Lock Hitpoint is shown. RESULT The hitpoints are edited according to your settings. NOTE To reset a hitpoint to its original state, press Ctrl/Cmd-Alt until the tooltip Enable/Unlock Hitpoints is shown and click. RELATED LINKS Hitpoint Filters in the Hitpoint Section on page 364 Locating to Hitpoints in the Project Window You can navigate through the hitpoints of an audio event in the Project window. PREREQUISITE Enable Automatic Hitpoint Detection is activated in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page). PROCEDURE 1. Select the audio track that contains the audio event for which you want to locate hitpoints. 2. Perform one of the following actions: Press Alt-N to navigate to the next hitpoint. Press Alt-B to navigate to the previous hitpoint. RESULT The project cursor jumps to the respective hitpoint. Slices You can create slices from hitpoints, where each slice ideally represents an individual sound or beat of the audio. You can use these slices to change tempo and timing of the audio without affecting its pitch and quality. NOTE Slices are created in the Sample Editor and edited in the Audio Part Editor. Audio that meets the following characteristics is suitable: Individual sounds have a noticeable attack. The recording quality is good. 366 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Slices The recording is free of crosstalk signals. The audio is free of smearing effects like delays, for example. Slicing Audio Slicing audio is useful if you want to change tempo and timing of the audio without affecting its pitch and quality. PREREQUISITE The audio event is opened in the Sample Editor and the hitpoints are set at the correct positions. NOTE When slicing audio, all events referring to the edited clip are also replaced. PROCEDURE Perform one of the following actions: In the Hitpoints section in the Inspector, click Create Slices. Select Audio > Hitpoints > Create Audio Slices from Hitpoints. RESULT The areas between the hitpoints are sliced and become separate events. The original audio event is replaced by an audio part containing the slices. On playback, the audio plays back seamlessly at the project tempo. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Change the project tempo. The slices are moved accordingly, keeping their relative positions within the part. Double-click the sliced audio part and replace or extract individual slices in the Audio Part Editor. RELATED LINKS Slices and the Project Tempo on page 367 Audio Part Editor on page 374 Slices and the Project Tempo The project tempo affects how the sliced audio is played back. RELATED LINKS Closing Gaps on page 368 Deleting Overlaps on page 368 Musical Mode on page 373 Making Global Auto Fade Settings on page 240 Making Auto Fade Settings for Individual Tracks on page 240 367 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Creating a Groove Quantize Map Closing Gaps If the project tempo is slower than the tempo of the original audio event, there may be audible gaps between the slice events in the part. You can close these gaps so that the audio plays without any breaks. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Select Audio > Advanced > Close Gaps (Time Stretch) to apply time stretch to each slice and close the gaps. Consider activating auto fades for the corresponding audio track, and setting the fade-out to 10ms to eliminate clicks. Select Audio > Advanced > Close Gaps (Crossfade) to apply crossfades to the slices and close the gaps. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK NOTE If you decide to change the tempo again, undo your actions and use the original, unstretched file. Deleting Overlaps If the project tempo is higher than the tempo of the original audio event, the slice events in the part may overlap. You can delete these overlaps. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click the track in the track list and from the context menu, select Auto Fades Settings. 2. In the Auto Fades dialog, activate Auto Crossfades. 3. Click OK. 4. Select the overlapping events in the part and select Audio > Advanced > Delete Overlaps. RESULT The sound is smoothed out. Creating a Groove Quantize Map You can use hitpoints to create a groove quantize map. PREREQUISITE The audio event from which you want to extract the timing is opened in the Sample Editor, and the hitpoints are set at the correct positions. PROCEDURE In the Hitpoints section in the Inspector, click Create Groove. RESULT The groove is extracted from the audio event and automatically selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu on the Project window toolbar. 368 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Creating Markers AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Open the Quantize Panel and save the groove as a preset. Creating Markers You can create markers at hitpoint positions. This allows you to snap to hitpoint positions. PREREQUISITE The audio event from which you want to create markers is opened in the Sample Editor, and the hitpoints are set at the correct positions. PROCEDURE In the Hitpoints section in the Inspector, click Create Markers. RESULT If your project has no marker track, a marker track is added and activated automatically, and a marker is created at every hitpoint position. RELATED LINKS Markers on page 250 Creating Regions You can create regions at hitpoint positions. This allows you to isolate recorded sounds. PREREQUISITE The audio event from which you want to create regions is opened in the Sample Editor, and the hitpoints are set at the correct positions. PROCEDURE In the Hitpoints section in the Inspector, click Create Regions. RESULT Regions are created between two hitpoint positions and shown in the Sample Editor. RELATED LINKS Creating Regions on page 359 Creating Events You can create events at hitpoint positions. PREREQUISITE The audio event from which you want to create events is opened in the Sample Editor, and the hitpoints are set at the correct positions. PROCEDURE In the Hitpoints section in the Inspector, click Create Events. RESULT Events are created between two hitpoint positions. 369 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Creating MIDI Notes Creating MIDI Notes You can create MIDI notes from hitpoints. This allows you to double, replace, or enrich drum hits by triggering sounds of a VST instrument. PREREQUISITE The audio event from which you want to create MIDI notes is opened in the Sample Editor, and the hitpoints are set at the correct positions. PROCEDURE 1. In the Hitpoints section in the Inspector, click Create MIDI Notes. 2. In the Convert Hitpoints to MIDI Notes dialog, set up the parameters. 3. Click OK. RESULT A MIDI track is added to your project, and MIDI notes are created at every hitpoint position. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Assign a VST instrument to the MIDI track, and select a sound to enrich the audio. Convert Hitpoints to MIDI Notes Dialog The Convert Hitpoints to MIDI Notes dialog allows you to specify how hitpoints should be converted when you create MIDI notes from hitpoints. The following options are available: Velocity Mode Allows you to select a velocity mode: If you want the velocity values of the created MIDI notes to vary according to the peak levels of the corresponding hitpoints, select Dynamic Velocity. If you want to assign the same velocity value to all created MIDI notes, select Fixed Velocity. Velocity Sets the Fixed Velocity. Pitch Sets a note pitch for all created MIDI notes. Length Sets a note length for all created MIDI notes. 370 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Hitpoints Creating MIDI Notes Destination Allows you to select a destination: To place the MIDI part on the first selected MIDI or instrument track, select First Selected Track. NOTE Any MIDI parts from previous conversions on this track will be deleted. To create a new MIDI track for the MIDI part, select New MIDI Track. To copy the MIDI part to the clipboard, select Project Clipboard. 371 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tempo Matching Audio Cubase offers several functions that allow you to match the tempo of audio in your project. In the Sample Editor window and in the lower zone editor, you can perform the following tempo matching operations: Stretch to Project Tempo Stretches the selected event to match the project tempo. Musical Mode Applies realtime time stretching to audio clips, so that they match the project tempo. RELATED LINKS Stretching Audio Events to the Project Tempo on page 372 Musical Mode on page 373 Algorithm Presets You can select an algorithm preset that is applied for realtime playback and time stretching. The Warping Algorithm for Audio Clip pop-up menu on the Sample Editor toolbar contains various presets that determine the audio quality of the realtime time stretching. The algorithm preset affects warp changes in Musical Mode. RELATED LINKS Algorithm Presets on page 372 Time Stretch Algorithms on page 337 Stretching Audio Events to the Project Tempo You can stretch audio loops to the project tempo. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Import > Audio File, select the audio loop that you want to import, and click OK. 2. Select the audio loop in the project. 372 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Tempo Matching Audio Musical Mode 3. Select Audio > Advanced > Stretch to Project Tempo. RESULT The audio loop is stretched to match the project tempo. Musical Mode The Musical Mode allows you to tempo-match audio loops to the project tempo. If you activate Musical Mode for an audio clip, realtime time stretching is applied to the clip so that it matches the project tempo. The audio events adapt to any tempo changes in Cubase, just like MIDI events. In the Sample Editor, you can activate Musical Mode on the toolbar. NOTE You can also activate/deactivate Musical Mode from within the Pool by clicking the corresponding checkbox in the Musical Mode column. Cubase supports ACID® loops. These loops are standard audio files but with embedded tempo/length information. When ACID® files are imported into Cubase, Musical Mode is automatically activated and the loops will adapt to the project tempo. 373 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor The Audio Part Editor provides an overview of the selected audio parts. It allows you to view, audition and edit parts by cutting and pasting, crossfading, drawing level curves, or by processing parts. Editing is non-destructive so that you can undo modifications at any time. You can open the Audio Part Editor in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. Opening the Audio Part Editor in the lower zone of the Project window is useful if you want to access the Audio Part Editor functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. To open an audio part in the Audio Part Editor, do one of the following: Double-click an audio part in the Project. Select an audio part in the Project window and press Return or Ctrl/Cmd-E. Select an audio part in the Project window and select Audio > Open Audio Part Editor. In the Key Commands dialog in the Editors category, assign a key command for Open Audio Part Editor. Select an audio part in the Project window and use the key command. NOTE If you select Audio > Set up Editor Preferences, the Preferences dialog opens on the Editors page. Make your changes to specify if you want the Audio Part Editor to open in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. The Audio Part Editor window: 374 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Audio Part Editor Toolbar The Audio Part Editor in the lower zone of the Project window: 1 Toolbar Contains tools for selecting, editing, and playing back audio parts. 2 Info Line Displays information on the audio parts. 3 Ruler Displays the timeline and the display format of the project. RELATED LINKS Opening the Editor in the Lower Zone on page 50 Opening the Editor Inspector on page 45 Ruler on page 39 Info Line on page 41 Audio Part Editor Toolbar on page 375 Audio Part Editor Toolbar The toolbar contains tools for selecting, editing, and playing back audio parts. To show or hide the toolbar elements, right-click the toolbar and activate or deactivate the elements. The following options are available: Info/Solo Solo Editor Solos the selected audio during playback. 375 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Audio Part Editor Toolbar Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. Auto-Scroll Auto-Scroll Keeps the project cursor visible during playback. Select Auto-Scroll Settings Allows you to activate Page Scroll or Stationary Cursor and to activate Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing. Preview Audition Plays back the selected audio. Audition Loop Loops the playback until you deactivate Audition. Audition Volume Allows you to adjust the volume. Tool Buttons Object Selection Selects audio parts. Range Selection Selects ranges. Zoom Zooms in. Hold Alt and click to zoom out. Erase Deletes audio parts. Split Splits audio parts. 376 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Audio Part Editor Toolbar Mute Mutes audio parts. Draw Draws a volume curve. Play Allows you to play back the clip from the position where you click until you release the mouse button. Scrub Allows you to locate positions. Multiple Part Controls Show Part Borders Shows/Hides part borders for the active audio part, within the left and right locators. Edit Active Part Only Restricts editing operations to the active part. Currently Edited Part Lists all parts that were selected when you opened the editor, and allows you to activate a part. Nudge Palette Trim Start Left Increases the length of the selected element by moving its start to the left. Trim Start Right Decreases the length of the selected element by moving its start to the right. Move Left Moves the selected element to the left. Move Right Moves the selected element to the right. Trim End Left Decreases the length of the selected element by moving its end to the left. 377 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Audio Part Editor Toolbar Trim End Right Increases the length of the selected element by moving its end to the right. Snap Snap to Zero Crossing Restricts editing to zero crossings, that is, positions where the amplitude is zero. Snap On/Off Restricts horizontal movement and positioning to the specific positions. Snap Type Allows you to specify to what positions you want events to snap. Grid Type Grid Type Allows you to select a grid type. The options depend on the display format that is selected for the ruler. If you select Seconds as ruler format, time-based grid options are available. If you select Bars+Beats as ruler format, musical grid options are available. Quantize Iterative Quantize On/Off Activates/Deactivates iterative quantize. Quantize Presets Allows you to select a quantize preset. Apply Quantize Applies the quantize settings. Open Quantize Panel Opens the Quantize Panel. Event Colors Select Color for Selected Tracks or Events Allows you to define audio part colors. 378 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Info Line Independent Track Loop Independent Track Loop Activates/Deactivates the independent track loop for the edited part. Right Divider Right Divider Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Window Zone Controls Open in Separate Window This button is available in the lower zone editor. It opens the editor in a separate window. Open in Lower Zone This button is available in the editor window. It opens the editor in the lower zone of the Project window. Show/Hide Info Allows you to activate/deactivate the info line. Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. RELATED LINKS Auto-Scroll Settings Menu on page 181 Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing on page 182 Info Line The info line shows information about the audio part, such as the start, end, length, or the time stretch algorithm. To show or hide the info line, activate Show/Hide Info on the toolbar. The on/off status of the info line in the Audio Part Editor window and in the lower zone editor are independent of each other. RELATED LINKS Audio Part Editor Toolbar on page 375 379 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Ruler Ruler Lanes The ruler shows the timeline and the display format of the project. You can select a separate display format by clicking on the arrow button on the right. Select an option from the pop-up menu. Lanes can make it easier to work with several audio events in a part. Moving some of the events to another lane can make selecting and editing much easier. If Snap is deactivated and you want to move an event to another lane without accidentally moving it horizontally, press Ctrl/Cmd while dragging it up or down. RELATED LINKS Track Handling on page 125 Operations All operations can be performed in the Audio Part Editor window and in the lower zone editor. Zooming, selecting and editing in the Audio Part Editor is done just as in the Project window. NOTE If a part is a shared copy, any editing you perform affects all shared copies of this part. RELATED LINKS Project Window on page 30 Shared Copies on page 155 Audition When auditioning with the Speaker tool or Audition icon, audio will be routed directly to the main mix (the default output bus). 380 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Operations Auditioning Using the Audition Tool You can use the Audition tool to directly start a single audition of a selection or loop an audition using the Audition Loop function. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: To play back the section between the first and last selected event, select the events with the Object Selection tool. To play back a range, select a range with the Range Selection tool. To start playback from the current cursor position, set the project cursor to that position. 2. On the toolbar, click Audition. NOTE If you activate Audition Loop, playback continues until you deactivate Audition. RELATED LINKS Audio Part Editor Toolbar on page 375 Auditioning Using the Play Tool PROCEDURE 1. Select Play on the toolbar. 2. On an audio part, click and hold at the position from which you want to begin auditioning. RESULT You are auditioning the audio part. The audition will stop at the end of the part you clicked on. RELATED LINKS Audio Part Editor Toolbar on page 375 Auditioning Using Regular Playback PROCEDURE 1. Set the project cursor to the position from where you want to start playback. 2. Optional: On the toolbar of the Audio Part Editor, activate Solo Editor. This way, only the events in the edited part are played back. 3. On the Transport panel, activate Start. Setting up the Independent Track Loop The independent track loop is a sort of mini-cycle, affecting only the edited part. When the loop is activated, the events in the parts that are within the loop will be repeated continuously and completely independent other events (on other tracks) are played back as usual. The only interaction between the loop and the regular playback is that the loop starts every time the cycle starts over again. 381 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Operations PROCEDURE 1. Activate Independent Track Loop on the toolbar. If it is not visible, right-click the toolbar and add the Independent Track Loop section. 2. Ctrl/Cmd-click in the ruler to set the start and Alt-click to set the end of the loop. NOTE You can also edit the loop start and end positions numerically in the fields next to the Loop button. RESULT The loop is indicated in blue in the ruler. NOTE The events are looped as long as the Loop button is activated and the Audio Part Editor is open. RELATED LINKS Setup Options on page 696 Audio Part Editor Toolbar on page 375 Scrub In the Audio Part Editor, the Scrub tool has a separate icon on the toolbar. Apart from that, scrubbing works exactly as in the Project window. RELATED LINKS Scrubbing on page 146 Handling Several Parts When you open the Audio Part Editor with several parts selected all on the same track or on different tracks they might not all fit in the editor window, which can make it hard to get an overview of the different parts when editing. Therefore, the toolbar features functions to make working with multiple parts easier and more comprehensive: The Currently Edited Part pop-up menu lists all parts that were selected when you opened the editor, and lets you select which part is active for editing. When you select a part from the list, it is automatically made active and centered in the display. NOTE You can also activate a part by clicking on it with the Object Selection tool. Edit Active Part Only lets you restrict editing operations to the active part only. If you select Edit > Select > All with this option activated, all events in the active part are selected, but not the events in other parts. You can zoom in on an active part so that it is displayed in its entirety in the window by selecting Edit > Zoom > Zoom to Event. Show Part Borders can be used if you want to see clearly defined borders for the active part. 382 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Audio Part Editor Operations If this option is activated, all parts except the active one are grayed out, making the borders easily discernible. There are also two markers in the ruler with the name of the active part, marking its beginning and end. These can be moved freely to change the part borders. It is possible to cycle between parts, making them active using key commands. In the Key Commands dialog, there are two functions in the Edit category: Activate Next Part and Activate Previous Part. If you assign key commands to these, you can use them to cycle between parts. RELATED LINKS Key Commands on page 680 Audio Part Editor Toolbar on page 375 383 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks The sampler track features allow you to chromatically play back any audio from your audio sample library via MIDI. You can create and edit new sounds based on specific samples, and integrate them into an existing project. The sampler track features include: A sampler track that allows you to control the playback of the audio sample that is loaded in Sampler Control. Sampler Control that allows you to load and edit audio samples. RELATED LINKS Creating Sampler Tracks on page 385 Sampler Control on page 386 Loading Audio Samples into Sampler Control You can load audio samples into Sampler Control by dragging. Cubase allows you to load mono or stereo samples in .wav or .aiff file format into Sampler Control. To load an audio sample, drag it from the MediaBay, the Project window event display, or the File Explorer/macOS Finder and drop it in Sampler Control. IMPORTANT If Sampler Control already contains an audio sample, this sample and all its settings are overwritten. NOTE Audio samples that you load into Sampler Control are not copied to the project audio folder. If you want to archive or share your project including all audio samples that you have loaded into Sampler Control, you must create a self-contained project. In the Pool, all audio samples that you have loaded into Sampler Control are listed in a dedicated sampler track subfolder in the main audio folder. RELATED LINKS Self-Contained Projects on page 85 Pool on page 398 384 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Loading MIDI Parts into Sampler Control Loading MIDI Parts into Sampler Control You can load MIDI parts from instrument tracks or MIDI tracks into Sampler Control by dragging. NOTE For this to work, the instrument track or the MIDI track must be routed to a VST instrument. To load a MIDI part, drag it from the MediaBay, the Project window event display, or the File Explorer/macOS Finder and drop it in Sampler Control. IMPORTANT If Sampler Control already contains MIDI, it is overwritten. Cubase creates an audio file from the MIDI part. This includes the instrument sound and the channel settings from the VST instrument or the return channel. The audio file is copied to the project audio folder. RELATED LINKS VST Instruments on page 458 Instrument Track Inspector on page 100 MIDI Track Inspector on page 106 Creating Sampler Tracks To create a sampler track, do one of the following: In the Project window, select an audio event and select Audio > Create Sampler Track. In the MediaBay, right-click an audio file and select Create Sampler Track. In the Inspector of the Sample Editor, open the Range section and click Create Sampler Track. This creates a sampler track from the selected range. If no range is selected, the entire event is used. On the context menu of the track list, select Add Sampler Track. In this case, Sampler Control is empty and you must load an audio sample by dragging. 385 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control Sampler Control If the sampler track is selected, Sampler Control is available in the lower zone of the Project window. Sampler Control allows you to view, edit, and play back samples or specific sections of the samples. 1 Toolbar Contains tools that allow you to select and edit the audio sample, to organize track presets, and to transfer the sample with its settings to an instrument. 2 Waveform Display/Envelope Editor Shows the waveform image of the sample and allows you to define the playback range for the sample and to set a loop. If the envelope editors for the pitch, filter, or amp section are shown, you can adjust their envelope curve settings here. 3 Sound Parameter Section Allows you to make settings for time stretching and formant shifting (AudioWarp section), tuning and pitch modulation (Pitch section), filtering (Filter section), or level and panorama (Amp section). 4 Keyboard Section Allows you to set the key range of the sample, its root key, and the modulation range of the pitchbend wheel. These settings are used if you work with an external MIDI device. RELATED LINKS Creating Sampler Tracks on page 385 Waveform Display on page 389 Envelope Editors on page 392 Sound Parameter Section on page 390 Keyboard Section on page 394 Sampler Control Toolbar The Sampler Control toolbar contains various settings and functions. Read Automation Allows you to read track automation. Write Automation 386 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control Allows you to write track automation. Switch between A/B Settings Allows you to switch between different parameter settings. Event Received Indicator This LED indicates incoming MIDI messages via the selected MIDI input. The LED lights up on receiving note-on and controller messages. This way, you can check if Cubase and your MIDI keyboard are connected to the same MIDI device input. Snap to Zero Crossing Restricts sample editing to zero crossings, that is, to positions where the amplitude is zero. Auto-Scroll Keeps the project cursor visible during playback. Preset section Shows the name of the track preset that is loaded for the sampler track. You can also save and load presets. Import Audio File Opens the Import Audio dialog that allows you to load an audio file into Sampler Control. NOTE If Sampler Control already contains an audio file, the original file is replaced by the new file. File Name Shows the file name of the sample. Tempo Shows the tempo of the sample. Root Key Shows the root key that determines the pitch of the sample. You can change the root key by entering a new value in the value field or by dragging the root key handle on the Sampler Control keyboard. Loop Mode Allows you to select a loop mode for playback via MIDI. If this is set to No Loop, the sample is played once. 387 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control One Shot If this is set to Continuous, the sample is played in a continuous loop. If this is set to Alternate, the sample is played back in a loop that alternates forward and backward. If this is set to Once, the sample is looped once. If this is set to Until Release, the sample is looped repeatedly until you release the key on the keyboard. If this is set to Alternate Until Release, the loop alternates forward and backward for as long as you hold the key. The sample is played back once from beginning to end, regardless of any loop settings. MIDI Reset Stops playback and resets all MIDI controllers to their default values. This is useful, for example, if you want to stop playback of a long audio sample in One Shot mode. Fixed Pitch If a sample is triggered by a MIDI note other than the one defined by the Root Key setting, the sample is pitched accordingly. If Fixed Pitch is activated, the relation between played note and root key is disregarded and all keys play the sample just as it was recorded. Reverse Sample Reverses the sample. This allows you to play back the sample backwards. Monophonic Mode Activates monophonic playback. For solo instruments, this usually results in a more naturally sounding performance. If monophonic playback is activated, a note that was stolen by another note is retriggered if you still hold the stolen note when you release the new one. This way, you can play trills by holding one note and quickly and repeatedly pressing and releasing another note, for example. If this option is deactivated, you can play up to 128 notes simultaneously. Transfer to New Instrument Allows you to transfer the audio sample with all its Sampler Control settings to an instrument that is loaded to a new instrument track. Open in Separate Window Opens Sampler Control in a separate window. Open in Lower Zone Opens Sampler Control in the lower zone. 388 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control RELATED LINKS Setting the Root Key Manually on page 395 Setting up Loops for Audio Samples on page 395 Transferring Samples from Sampler Control to VST Instruments on page 397 Waveform Display The waveform display shows the waveform of your audio sample. It allows you to define the start and end of the audio sample, of the loop, and of the fade-in/-out. Set Sample Start Defines the sample start. On playback, all audio before the sample start is ignored. Set Sample End Defines the sample stop. On playback, all audio after the sample end is ignored. Set Sustain Loop Start Defines where the sustain loop starts. Set Sustain Loop End Defines where the sustain loop ends. When this marker is reached, playback jumps back to the sustain loop start. Set Fade-In Length Defines the fade-in length. Set Fade-Out Length Defines the fade-out length. Set Sustain Loop Crossfade Length Loop crossfades allow for smoother loops. This marker defines the length for the loop crossfade. Ruler The ruler shows the timeline in the specified display format. To select the format, click the arrow button to the right of the ruler and select an option from the pop-up menu. You can display bars and beats, seconds, or samples. Zooming To zoom in/out on the time and level axes, use the horizontal and vertical zoom sliders or the corresponding key commands. RELATED LINKS Key Commands on page 680 389 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control Sound Parameter Section In the sound parameter section you can make settings for time stretching and formant shifting (AudioWarp section), tuning and pitch modulation (Pitch section), filtering (Filter section), or level and panorama (Amp section). AudioWarp Section In the AudioWarp section, you can apply time stretching and formant shifting to your samples. To activate the AudioWarp settings, click Activate/Deactivate AudioWarp. AudioWarp Mode Solo mode offers parameters for time stretching and formant shifting. This mode is suitable for loops and samples of solo instruments or vocals. Music mode offers parameters for time stretching. This mode is suitable for complex material like drum loops and samples of mixed music. It uses considerably more CPU time than Solo mode. NOTE The more the sample is stretched, the higher the CPU load. AudioWarp Sync Mode Allows you to match the playback speed of the sample to the project tempo. If Off is selected, the playback speed is specified manually, in percent. If Tempo is selected, the playback speed is calculated using the ratio between the original tempo of the sample and the tempo of the host. Legato If this option is deactivated, each note that is played via MIDI starts playback from the Sampler Control position cursor. If this option is activated, the first note starts playback from the position cursor, and any following notes start from the current playback position for as long as the first note is held. Speed If AudioWarp Sync Mode is set to Off, you can adjust the playback speed of the sample. In Music mode, the minimum playback speed adjustment is 12.5 %. Values below this limit have no effect. Original BPM If AudioWarp Sync Mode is set to Tempo, you can enter the original tempo of the sample in beats per minute. The playback speed of the sample is adjusted to match the tempo of the host application. 390 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control NOTE This parameter is only available in Solo and in Music mode. In Music mode, the lower limit of the playback speed adjustment is 12.5 %. Values below this limit have no further effect. Formant Allows you to adjust formant shifting. Formant shifting allows you to avoid so-called Mickey Mouse effects when pitch-shifting a sample. This is especially useful with samples of human voices or acoustic instruments. This parameter is only available in Solo mode. Pitch Section In the Pitch section, you can adjust the tuning and pitch of your audio sample. The pitch envelope allows you to modulate the pitch over time. Coarse Sets the pitch of the audio sample in semitone steps. Fine Fine-tunes the pitch of the audio sample in cents (hundredths of a semitone). Glide Specifies the time that is needed to bend the pitch of the audio sample from one note to the following note. If you move this control all the way to the left, Glide is deactivated. Show/Hide Pitch Envelope Shows the pitch envelope editor. RELATED LINKS Envelope Editors on page 392 Filter Section In the Filter section, you can adjust the tone color of the sample sound. The filter envelope allows you to control the cutoff frequency to shape the harmonic content over time. To activate the filter settings, click Activate/Deactivate Filter. Cutoff Controls the cutoff frequency of the filter. Resonance Sets the filter resonance. 391 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control Drive Determines the level of the input signal and thus the amount of saturation. Show/Hide Filter Envelope Shows the filter envelope editor. RELATED LINKS Envelope Editors on page 392 Amp Section In the Amp section, you can set the volume and the pan of the sample. The amplifier envelope allows you to shape the volume over time. Volume Sets the level of the sample. Pan Sets the position of the sample in the stereo panorama. Show/Hide Amp Envelope Shows the amplifier envelope editor. RELATED LINKS Envelope Editors on page 392 Envelope Editors You can adjust the Pitch, Filter, and Amp envelope curves. Each of these envelopes can contain up to 128 nodes. Click Show/Hide Envelope at the top right of a section to show the corresponding envelope editor. Pitch Envelope Pitch Envelope Amount Determines how much the selected envelope affects the audio. This parameter allows for positive and negative values. If the Envelope Amount is set to 0, the envelope has no effect. NOTE This parameter is only available for Filter and Pitch. 392 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control Envelope display Shows the envelope curve. You can adjust it by adding, moving, and deleting nodes. The nodes for attack (A), sustain (S), and release (R) are always shown and cannot be deleted. Next to the release node, the release time of the envelope is shown. Mode Determines how the envelope is played back when it is triggered. Select Sustain to play the envelope from the first node to the sustain node. The sustain level is held for as long as you play the note. When you release the note, the envelope continues with the stages following the sustain. This mode is suited for looped samples. Select Loop to play back the envelope from the first node to the loop nodes. Then, the loop is repeated for as long as the key is held. When you release the note, the envelope continues playing the stages that follow the sustain. This mode is suited for adding motion to the sustain of the envelope. Select One Shot to play the envelope from the first to the last node, even if you release the key. The envelope has no sustain stage. This mode is suited for drum samples. Select Sample Loop to preserve the natural attack of the sample. The decay of the envelope does not start until the sample has reached the sample loop start. If you set the second node to the maximum level and use the following nodes to shape the decay during the loop phase of the sample, the envelope only affects the loop phase. The attack of the envelope is still executed. Velocity Determines how the velocity affects the level of the envelope. The level of the envelope depends on the velocity setting and on how hard you hit a key. Higher values increase the level of the envelope the harder you hit a key. RELATED LINKS Selecting Nodes on page 393 Adding and Removing Nodes on page 394 Adjusting the Envelope Curve on page 394 Zoom Functions in the Envelope Editors on page 394 Selecting Nodes You can select single nodes or multiple nodes. Selected nodes are edited together. To select a node, click on it in the graphical editor. The Time field at the top of the graphical envelope editor shows the parameters of the selected node. To add a node to a selection, Shift-click the node. To select multiple nodes, draw a rectangle around them with the mouse. If multiple nodes are selected, the Time field shows the parameters of the node that is indicated by a white border. To select all envelope nodes, press Ctrl/Cmd-A. If the envelope editor has the keyboard focus, you can select the next or the previous node using Left Arrow and Right Arrow. RELATED LINKS Keyboard Focus in the Project Window on page 57 393 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sampler Control Adding and Removing Nodes You can add up to 128 nodes to an envelope curve. To add a node, double-click at the position where you want to add the node. To remove a node, double-click it. To delete several selected nodes, press Delete or Backspace. NOTE You cannot remove the attack (A), the sustain (S), or the release node (R). All nodes added after the sustain node always affect the release phase of the envelope. Adjusting the Envelope Curve The envelope editor allows you to adjust the envelope curve by dragging. To move a node horizontally or vertically, click and drag it. To move the envelope curve vertically between two nodes, click and drag it. Zoom Functions in the Envelope Editors The vertical axis of the envelope editor displays the level. The horizontal axis displays the time. To zoom in or out, click the + or - buttons to the right of the scrollbar below the envelope editor or use the corresponding key commands. To zoom in or out at the current position, click in the timeline and drag up or down. To zoom to a specific region, hold Alt and click and drag the mouse over the region. RELATED LINKS Key Commands on page 680 Keyboard Section In the keyboard section of Sampler Control you can set the root key and the key range of the sample, and the modulation range of the pitchbend wheel on your MIDI keyboard. Pitchbend Determines the maximal modulation that is applied when you move the pitchbend wheel on your MIDI keyboard. You can set the pitchbend range in semitone steps up to 12 semitones. Keyboard Determines the root key and the key range of the sample. RELATED LINKS Setting the Root Key Manually on page 395 Setting the Key Range on page 396 394 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sample Editing and Playback Functions Sample Editing and Playback Functions All sample editing in Sampler Control is non-destructive. Setting Sample Start and End By setting the sample start and end, you can define what range of the sample is played back when you press a key on your MIDI keyboard. PROCEDURE 1. Drag the Set Sample Start handle to the right to adjust the sample start point. 2. Drag the Set Sample End handle to the left to adjust the sample end point. Setting up Loops for Audio Samples You can set up a loop that is played back when the sample is triggered. PROCEDURE 1. On the toolbar, click Loop Mode and select a loop mode from the pop-up menu. The Set Sustain Loop Start and Set Sustain Loop Endhandles and the green loop range overlay are shown. 2. Drag the Set Sustain Loop Start and Set Sustain Loop End handles to adjust the loop start and end points. To create a smooth loop transition, try to match the shape of the green loop range overlay with the shape of the gray sample waveform. NOTE You cannot drag the loop start and end points outside the defined sample range. RELATED LINKS Setting Sample Start and End on page 395 Setting the Root Key Manually The Root Key shows the original pitch of the sample. Sometimes, if the sample does not contain any root key information or if you want the sample to play at a different pitch, you must set the root key manually. NOTE If you load a sample that does not contain any root key information, the root key is automatically set to C3. To set the root key manually, do one of the following: In the keyboard section of Sampler Control, click and drag the root key handle. On the toolbar of Sampler Control, double-click in the Root Key field and enter the new root key using your computer keyboard, your mouse wheel, or your MIDI keyboard. RELATED LINKS Keyboard Section on page 394 Setting the Key Range on page 396 395 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Sample Editing and Playback Functions Setting the Key Range You can determine the key range for the sample. This is useful for samples that only sound good within a certain key range. PROCEDURE In the keyboard section, adjust the key range by dragging the range handles above the keyboard display. RESULT Only keys within the determined key range play a sound when triggered. RELATED LINKS Keyboard Section on page 394 Playing Back Samples After you have loaded an audio sample into Sampler Control, you can play back the sample using an external MIDI keyboard or the On-Screen Keyboard. PREREQUISITE You have loaded a sample into Sampler Control and made all sample editing and settings. You have installed and set up your MIDI keyboard. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, activate Monitor for the sampler track. 2. Optional: On the Sampler Control toolbar, activate Fixed Pitch. This allows you to play back the sample in its original pitch and speed. 3. Hit some notes on your keyboard or use the On-Screen Keyboard to play back the sample. RESULT If Fixed Pitch is deactivated, the sample is played back and the pitch is defined by the notes you play. If you hit lower keys, the sample is played back with a low pitch. If you hit higher keys, the sample is played back with a high pitch. If Fixed Pitch is activated, the sample is played back in its original pitch. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To use the sound of the edited sample in your project, create or record a MIDI event on the sampler track. RELATED LINKS On-Screen Keyboard on page 190 Monitoring via Cubase on page 196 MIDI Events on page 143 Basic Recording Methods on page 192 MIDI Editors on page 516 396 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Sampler Tracks Transferring Samples from Sampler Control to VST Instruments Transferring Samples from Sampler Control to VST Instruments You can transfer audio samples with all settings that you have made in Sampler Control to specific Steinberg VST instruments. Transferring audio samples from Sampler Control to a VST instrument creates a new instrument track in the track list. This new track is added below the sampler track. The audio sample and all its settings are loaded in the VST instrument. You can transfer audio samples from Sampler Control to the following Steinberg VST instruments: Groove Agent Groove Agent SE HALion Padshop Transferring a Sample PREREQUISITE You have installed Groove Agent, Groove Agent SE, HALion, or Padshop. You have loaded an audio sample in Sampler Control. PROCEDURE 1. In the Sampler Control toolbar, click Transfer to New Instrument. 2. In the pop-up menu, select the instrument to which you want to transfer the sample. RESULT In the track list, a new instrument track is created below the sampler track. The instrument track has the same name as the sampler track. The audio sample and all its settings are loaded in the selected VST instrument. RELATED LINKS Transferring a Sample on page 397 397 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Every time that you record on an audio track, a file is created on your hard disk. A reference to this file, a clip, is added to the Pool. The following rules apply to the Pool: All audio and video clips that belong to a project are listed in the Pool. Every project has a separate Pool. The way the Pool displays folders and their contents is similar to the way the File Explorer/macOS Finder displays folders and file lists. In the Pool, you can perform operations that affect files on disk and operations that only affect clips. Operations That Affect Files Importing clips (audio files can automatically be copied and/or converted) Converting file formats Renaming clips (this also renames the referenced files on disk) and regions Deleting clips Preparing file archives for backup Minimizing files Operations That Affect Clips Copying clips Auditioning clips Organizing clips Applying audio processing to clips Pool Window The Pool window allows you to manage the media files of the active project. To open the Pool, do one of the following: On the Project window toolbar, click Open Pool Window. If this icon is not visible, you must activate the Media & MixConsole Windows option on the toolbar context menu. Select Project > Pool. Select Media > Open Pool Window. 398 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Pool Window The content of the Pool is divided into the following folders: Audio folder Contains all audio clips and regions that are in the project. If the project contains one or more sampler tracks, a dedicated Sampler Track subfolder is created in the Audio folder. This subfolder contains all clips of samples that you have loaded into Sampler Control. Video folder Contains all video clips that are in the project. Trash folder Contains unused clips that have been moved here for later permanent removal from the hard disk. NOTE You cannot rename or delete these folders, but you can add any number of subfolders. 399 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Pool Window Pool Window Columns The Pool window columns display information about the clips and regions. The following columns are available: Media Contains the Audio, Video, and Trash folders. If the folders are opened, the clip or region names are shown and can be edited. Used Displays how many times a clip is used in the project. If there is no entry in this column, the corresponding clip is not used. Status Displays various icons that relate to the current Pool and clip status. The following symbols can be displayed: Record folder Indicates the Record folder. Process Indicates that a clip has been processed. Missing Indicates that a clip is referenced in the project but missing from the Pool. External Indicates that the file the clip relates to is external, for example, located outside the current Audio folder for the project. Recorded Indicates that the clip has been recorded in the open version of the project. This is useful for finding recently recorded clips quickly. Musical Mode You can use Musical Mode to tempo-match audio loops to the project tempo. The checkbox in this column allows you to activate or deactivate musical mode. If the Tempo column displays "???", you must enter the correct tempo before you can activate Musical Mode. 400 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Pool Window Tempo Displays the tempo of audio files if available. If no tempo has been specified, the column displays "???". Sign. Displays the time signature, for example, "4/4". Key Displays the root key if one has been specified for the file. Algorithm Displays the algorithm preset that is used if the audio file is processed. To change the default preset, click the preset name and select another preset from the pop-up menu. Info For audio clips, this column displays the sample rate, bit depth, number of channels, and length. For regions, it displays start and end times in frames. For video clips, it displays the frame rate, resolution, number of frames, and length. Type Displays the file format of the clip. Date Displays the date when the audio file was last changed. Origin Time Displays the original start position where a clip was recorded in the project. As this value can be used as a basis for the Insert into Project option in the Media or context menu, you can change it if the Origin Time value is independent (for example, not for regions). In the Pool, you can change the value by editing the Origin Time. In the Project window, you can change the value by moving the event to a new position and selecting Audio > Update Origin. Image Displays waveform images of audio clips or regions. Path Displays the path to the location of a clip on the hard disk. Reel Name Audio files may include this attribute, which is then shown in this column. It describes the reel or tape from which the media was originally captured. NOTE You can rearrange the order of the columns by clicking a header and dragging left or right. Pool Window Toolbar The toolbar contains tools and settings for working in the Pool. Show Info Shows/Hides the info line. 401 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Pool Window Audition Plays back the selected audio. Audition Loop Loops the playback until you deactivate Audition. Audition Volume Allows you to adjust the volume. View/Attributes Allows you to activate/deactivate the attributes that are displayed in the Pool window. +/- All Opens/Closes all folders. Import Allows you to import media files to the Pool. Search Allows you to search the Pool and connected disks for media files. Project Folder Displays the path to the folder of the active project. Pool Record Folder Displays the path to the Record folder of the active project. By default, this is the Audio folder. However, you can create a new Audio subfolder and designate this as your Pool record folder. Info Line The info line shows information about the event or part that you selected in the Pool. To activate the info line, click Show Info at the left of the toolbar. The info line shows the following information: Audio Files The number of audio files in the Pool. Used The number of audio files in use. Total Size The total size of all audio files in the Pool. External Files The number of files in the Pool that do not reside in the project folder (for example, video files). 402 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Working with the Pool NOTE Most of the Pool-related main menu functions are also available on the Pool context menu. Renaming Clips or Regions in the Pool IMPORTANT Renaming clips or regions in the Pool also renames the referenced files on disk. It is recommended to rename clips or regions in the Pool. Otherwise, the reference from the clip to the file may get lost. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select a clip or region, and click the existing name. 2. Enter a new name and press Return. RELATED LINKS Missing Files on page 408 Duplicating Clips in the Pool You can create duplicates of clips and apply different processing methods to them. NOTE Duplicating a clip does not create a new file on disk, but a new edit version of the clip that refers to the same audio file. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the clip that you want to duplicate. 2. Select Media > New Version. RESULT A new version of the clip appears in the same Pool folder. The duplicated clip has the same name as the original but with a version number after it. Regions within a clip are also copied, but keep their name. Inserting Clips into a Project To insert a clip into a project, you can either use the insert commands on the Media menu or use drag and drop. Inserting Clips into a Project via Menu Commands PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the clips that you want to insert into the project. 2. Select Media > Insert into Project and select one of the insert options. If several clips are selected, choose whether to insert them on one track or each on a different track. 403 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool NOTE The clips are positioned so that their snap points are aligned with the selected insert position. If you want to adjust the snap point before inserting a clip, double-click a clip to open the Sample Editor. Here, you can adjust the snap position and then perform the insert options. RESULT The clip is inserted on the selected track or on a new audio track. If several tracks are selected, the clip will be inserted on the first selected track. RELATED LINKS Adjusting the Snap Point on page 361 Inserting Clips into a Project via Drag and Drop You can drag a clip from the Pool into the Project window. Snap is taken into account if Snap is activated. If you drag the clip into the Project window, the cross-hair cursor and a tooltip are shown. The tooltip indicates the timeline position where the snap point of the clip is aligned. If you position the clip in an empty area of the track list, that is, where no track exists, a new track is created for the inserted event. NOTE If you press and hold Shift while dragging the clip from the Pool on an event, the clip in this event is replaced. RELATED LINKS Adjusting the Snap Point on page 361 Replacing Clips in Events on page 142 Cross-Hair Cursor on page 64 Deleting Clips from the Pool You can delete clips from the Pool with or without deleting the corresponding file from the hard disk. Removing Clips from the Pool You can remove clips from the Pool without deleting the corresponding files from the hard disk. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the clips that you want to remove, and select Edit > Delete You can also press Backspace or Delete. 2. Depending on whether the clips are used by an event, you have the following options: If the clips are used by an event, click Remove and then click Remove from Pool. If the clips are not used by an event, click Remove from Pool. RESULT The clips are no longer available in the Pool for this project, but the files still exist on the hard disk and can be used in other projects, etc. This operation can be undone. 404 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Deleting Files from the Hard Disk You can delete clips from the Pool by deleting the corresponding file from the hard disk. To delete a file permanently from the hard disk, you must first move the corresponding clips to the Trash folder in the Pool. IMPORTANT Make sure that the audio files that you want to delete are not used in other projects. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the clips that you want to delete from the hard disk, and select Edit > Delete. You can also press Backspace or Delete, or drag the clips into the Trash folder. NOTE You can retrieve a clip or region from the Trash folder by dragging it back into an Audio or Video folder. 2. Depending on whether the clips are used by an event, you have the following options: If the clips are used by an event, click Remove and then click Trash. If the clips are not used by an event, click Trash. 3. Select Media > Empty Trash. 4. Click Erase. RESULT The files are deleted from the hard disk. Removing Unused Clips from the Pool You can find all clips in the Pool that are not used in the project. This allows you to quickly remove all unused clips. PREREQUISITE The Pool window is open. PROCEDURE 1. Select Media > Remove Unused Media. 2. Do one of the following: To move the clips to the Trash folder, select Trash. To remove the clips from the Pool, select Remove from Pool. Removing Regions from the Pool PROCEDURE In the Pool, select a region and select Edit > Delete. You can also press Backspace or Delete. IMPORTANT You are not warned if the region is still in use. 405 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Locating Events and Clips You can quickly display to which clips the selected events belong and to which events the selected clips belong. Locating Events via Clips in the Pool You can find out which events in the project refer to a particular clip in the Pool. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select one or more clips. 2. Select Media > Select in Project. RESULT All events that refer to the selected clips are now selected in the Project window. Locating Clips via Events in the Project Window You can find out which clip belongs to a particular event in the Project window. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select one or more events. 2. Select Audio > Find Selected in Pool. RESULT The corresponding clips are located and highlighted in the Pool. Searching for Audio Files The search functions help you locate audio files in the Pool, on your hard disk, or on other media. This works much like the regular file search, but with extra features. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, click Search on the toolbar. A search pane appears at the bottom of the window, displaying the search functions. 2. Specify the files that you search for in the Name field. You can use partial names or wildcards (*). NOTE Only audio files of the supported formats will be found. 3. Use the Location pop-up menu to specify where to search. The pop-up menu lists all your local drives and removable media. To limit the search to certain folders, select Select Search Path, and in the dialog that opens, select the folder in which you want to search. The search includes the selected folder and all subfolders. 406 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool NOTE Folders that you have recently selected using the Select Search Path function appear on the pop-up menu, so that you can quickly select them again. 4. Click Search. The search is started and Search is labeled Stop. To cancel the search, click Stop. When the search is finished, the files that are found are listed on the right. To audition a file, select it in the list and use the playback controls to the left (Play, Stop, Pause, and Loop). If Auto Play is activated, selected files are automatically played back. To import a file into the Pool, double-click the file in the list or select it and click Import. 5. To close the search pane, click Search on the toolbar again. Using the Extended Search Functionality Apart from the search criterion Name, additional search filters are available. The extended search options allow for a detailed search, helping you to master even the largest sound database. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, click Search on the toolbar. The search pane is displayed in the lower part of the Pool window. 2. Click Name to open the extended search pop-up menu where you can select and define a search criterion. The menu also contains the Add Filter and Presets submenus. The search criteria have the following parameters: Name: partial names or wildcards (*) Size: less than, more than, equal, between (two values), in seconds, minutes, hours, and bytes Bit Depth: 8 bit, 16 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit, 32 bit float, 64 bit float Channels: mono, stereo, and from 3 to 16 Sample Rate: various values, choose Other for free setting Date: various search ranges 3. Select one of the search criteria in the pop-up menu. The search criterion changes to the selected criterion. 4. Optional: To display more search options, open the extended search pop-up menu, select the Add Filter submenu, and select an element. 5. Optional: To save your search filter settings as a preset, open the extended search pop-up menu, select Presets > Save Preset, and enter a name for the preset. Saved presets are added to the Presets submenu. 6. Optional: To remove a search filter settings preset, open the extended search pop-up menu, select the preset, and then select Remove Preset. 407 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Missing Files When you open a project and one or more files are missing, the Resolve Missing Files dialog opens. If you click Close, the project opens without the missing files. In the Pool, you can check which files are considered missing. This is indicated by a question mark in the Status column. A file is considered missing under one of the following conditions: The file has been moved or renamed outside the program since you last worked with the project, and you ignored the Resolve Missing Files dialog when you opened the project for the current session. You have moved or renamed the file outside the program during the current session. You have moved or renamed the folder in which the missing files are located. Locating Missing Files PROCEDURE 1. Select Media > Find Missing Files. 2. In the Resolve Missing Files dialog, decide if you want the program to find the file for you (Search), if you want to find it yourself (Locate), or if you want to specify in which directory the program searches for the file (Folder). If you select Search, a dialog opens to let you specify which folder or disk the program scans. Click Search Folder, select a directory or a disk, and click Start. If found, select the file from the list and click Accept. Afterwards, Cubase tries to map all other missing files automatically. If you select Locate, a file dialog opens, allowing you to locate the file manually. Select the file and click Open. If you select Folder, a dialog opens to let you specify the directory in which the missing file can be found. This might be the preferred method if you have renamed or moved the folder containing the missing file, but the file still has the same name. Once you select the correct folder, the program finds the file and you can close the dialog. Reconstructing Missing Edit Files If a missing file cannot be found, this is normally indicated with a question mark in the Status column in the Pool. However, if the missing file is an edit file (a file that is created when you process audio and that is stored in the Edits folder within the project folder), it may be possible for the program to reconstruct it by recreating the editing to the original audio file. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, locate the clips for which files are missing. 2. Check the Status column. If the status of the files is "Reconstructible", the files can be reconstructed by Cubase. 3. Select the reconstructible clips and select Media > Reconstruct. RESULT The editing is performed and the edit files are recreated. 408 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Removing Missing Files from the Pool If the Pool contains audio files that cannot be found or reconstructed, you may want to remove these. PROCEDURE In the Pool window, select Media > Remove Missing Files. RESULT All missing files from the Pool and the corresponding events from the Project window are removed. Auditioning Clips in the Pool You can audition clips in the Pool using key commands, the Audition button, or by clicking in the waveform image for a clip. Use key commands. If you activate Playback Toggle Triggers Local Preview in the Preferences dialog (Transport page), you can use Space to audition. This is the same as activating Audition on the toolbar. Select a clip and activate Audition. The whole clip plays back. To stop playback, click Audition again. Click in the waveform image for a clip. The clip plays back from the selected position in the waveform until the end. To stop playback, click Audition or anywhere else in the Pool window. The audio is routed directly to the Main Mix (the default output) bus, bypassing the settings of the audio channel, effects, and EQs. NOTE You can adjust the auditioning level with the miniature level fader on the toolbar. This does not affect the regular playback level. If you have activated Audition Loop before you audition, the following happens: When you click Audition to audition a clip, the clip is repeated indefinitely until you stop playback by clicking Audition or Audition Loop again. When you click in the waveform image to audition, the section from the selected point to the end of the clip is repeated indefinitely until you stop playback. Opening Clips in the Sample Editor The Sample Editor allows you to perform detailed editing on the clip. To open a clip in the Sample Editor, double-click a clip waveform icon or a clip name in the Media column. To open a certain region of a clip in the Sample Editor, double-click a region in the Pool. You can use this to set a snap point for a clip, for example. When you later insert the clip from the Pool into the project, the defined snap point allows it to be properly aligned. RELATED LINKS Adjusting the Snap Point on page 361 Sample Editor on page 346 409 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Importing Media The Import Medium dialog lets you import files directly into the Pool. To open the dialog, select Media > Import Medium, or click Import on the Pool toolbar. This opens a standard file dialog, where you can navigate to other folders, audition files, etc. The following audio file formats can be imported: Wave (Normal or Broadcast) AIFF and AIFC (Compressed AIFF) REX or REX 2 FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) MPEG Layer 2 and Layer 3 (MP2 and MP3 files) Ogg Vorbis (OGG files) Windows Media Audio (Windows only) Wave 64 (W64 files) The following characteristics are possible: Stereo or mono Any sample rate NOTE Files that have a different sample rate than the project sample rate are played back at the wrong speed and pitch. 8bit, 16bit, 24bit, 32bit, 32bit float, or 64bit float Various video formats NOTE You can also use the commands on the Import submenu of the File menu to import audio or video files into the Pool. RELATED LINKS Wave Files on page 638 Importing ReCycle Files on page 218 Supported Compressed Audio File Formats on page 215 Video File Compatibility on page 664 Importing Audio CDs into the Pool You can import tracks or sections of tracks from an audio CD directly into the Pool. This opens a dialog in which you can specify which tracks are copied from the CD, converted to audio files, and added to the Pool. To import an audio CD to the Pool, select Media > Import Audio CD. RELATED LINKS Importing Audio CD Tracks on page 215 410 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Import Options Dialog The Import Options dialog allows you to specify how audio files are imported into the Pool. If you select a file in the Import Medium dialog and click Open, the Import Options dialog opens. Import Options dialog for single file import Import Options dialog for multiple file import Copy File to Project Folder/Copy All Files to Project Folder Copies the audio file to the Audio folder of the project, and has the clip refer to the copy. Deactivate this option to have the clip refer to the original file in the original location. In this case, it is marked as "external" in the Pool. Convert to Project Settings/Convert to Project Settings and Copy to Project Folder If Needed Converts the imported file if the sample rate or the bit depth differ from the settings in the Project Setup dialog. For single file import, you can choose which properties are converted. Do not ask again Always imports files according to the settings without opening the dialog again. You can reset this option in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Audio page). RELATED LINKS Pool Window Columns on page 400 Converting Files on page 414 411 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Exporting Regions as Audio Files If you have created regions within an audio clip, these can be exported as separate audio files. If you have two clips that refer to the same audio file, you can create a separate audio file for each clip. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the region that you want to export. 2. Select Audio > Bounce Selection. 3. Select the folder in which you want the new file to be created and click OK. 4. Optional: If you are using the Bounce Selection option to create a separate audio file for a clip that refers to the same audio file as another clip, enter a name for the new audio file. RESULT A new audio file is created in the specified folder. The file has the name of the region and is automatically added to the Pool. RELATED LINKS Creating Audio Events from Regions on page 360 Changing the Pool Record Folder All audio clips that you record in the project are saved in the Pool Record folder. The Pool Record folder is indicated by the text Record in the Status column and by a dot on the folder itself. By default, this is the main Audio folder. However, you can create a new Audio subfolder and designate this as your Pool Record folder. NOTE The folders that you create in the Pool are only for organizing your files in the Pool. All files are recorded to the folder that you specified as the Pool Record folder. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool, select the Audio folder or any audio clip. NOTE You cannot designate the Video folder or any of its subfolders as the Pool Record folder. 2. Select Media > Create Folder. 3. Rename the new folder. 4. Select the new folder and select Media > Set Pool Record Folder, or click in the Status column of the new folder. RESULT The new folder becomes the Pool Record folder. Any audio recorded in the project is saved in this folder. 412 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Organizing Clips and Folders If you accumulate a large number of clips in the Pool, it can be difficult to quickly find specific items. Organizing clips in new subfolders with names that reflect the content can be a solution. For example, you could put all sound effects in one folder, all lead vocals in another, etc. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the folder for which you want to create a subfolder. NOTE You cannot put audio clips in a video folder and vice versa. 2. Select Media > Create Folder. 3. Rename the folder. 4. Drag the clips to the new folder. Applying Processing to Clips in the Pool You can apply audio processing to clips from within the Pool in the same way as to events in the Project window. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the clips that you want to process. 2. Select Audio > Direct Offline Processing and select a processing method. RESULT A waveform symbol indicates that the clips have been processed. RELATED LINKS Direct Offline Processing on page 325 Minimizing Files You can minimize the audio files according to the size of the audio clips referenced in the project. The files that are produced using this option only contain the audio file portions that are actually used in the project. This can significantly reduce the size of the project if large portions of the audio files are unused. Therefore, the option is useful for archiving purposes after you have completed a project. IMPORTANT This operation permanently changes the selected audio files in the Pool. This cannot be undone. If you only want to create the minimized audio files as a copy, leaving the original project untouched, you can use the Back up Project option. NOTE Minimizing files clears the entire edit history. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the files that you want to minimize. 2. Select Media > Minimize File. 413 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool 3. Click Minimize. After the minimizing is finished, the file references in the stored project become invalid. 4. Do one of the following: To save the updated project, click Save Now. To proceed with the unsaved project, click Later. RESULT Only the audio portions that are actually used in the project remain in the corresponding audio files in the Pool Record folder. RELATED LINKS Backing up Projects on page 85 Converting Files In the Pool, you can convert files to another format. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select the files that you want to convert. 2. Select Media > Convert Files. 3. In the Convert Options dialog, make your changes and click OK. Convert Options Dialog In this dialog, you can convert audio files in the Pool. To open the Convert Options dialog, select a clip in the Pool window, and select Media > Convert Files. Sample Rate Allows you to convert to another sample rate. Bit Depth Allows you to convert to 16 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit, 32 bit float, or 64 bit float. Channels Allows you to convert to mono or stereo interleaved. File Format Allows you to convert to Wave, AIFF, Wave64, or Broadcast Wave Format. Options You can use the Options pop-up menu to set one of the following options: New Files 414 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Pool Working with the Pool Creates a copy of the file in the audio folder and converts this new file according to the chosen attributes. The new file is added to the Pool, but all clip references still point to the original, unconverted file. Replace Files Converts the original file without changing clip references. However, the references are saved with the next save action. New + Replace in Pool Creates a new copy with the chosen attributes, replaces the original file with the new one in the Pool and redirects the current clip references from the original file to the new file. Select this option if you want your audio clips to refer to the converted file, but want to keep the original file on disk, for example, if the file is used in other projects. Extracting Audio from Video File You can extract audio from video files. This automatically generates a new audio clip that appears in the Pool Record folder. NOTE This function is not available for MPEG-1 video files. PROCEDURE 1. In the Pool window, select Media > Extract Audio from Video File. 2. Select the video file from which you want to extract audio and click Open. RESULT The audio is extracted from the video file. The audio file gets the same file format and sample rate/width as in the current project, and the same name as the video file. 415 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack You can manage media files on your computer as well as presets from multiple sources from within the MediaBay or the Media rack. The MediaBay window offers advanced functions for working with media files and managing database items. To show the media files on your computer in the MediaBay, you must scan the folders or volumes that contain the files so that these are added to the database. The Media rack in the right zone of the Project window allows you to access some of the most important MediaBay functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. For quick access to specific media files, the Media rack allows you to add specific folders on your computer as favorites. Media files within the favorite folders that you add in the Media rack are automatically scanned and added to the database. RELATED LINKS MediaBay Window on page 426 Scanning Folders on page 430 Media Rack in Right Zone on page 416 Adding Favorites Using the Favorites Page on page 424 Adding Favorites Using the File Browser Page on page 425 Media Rack in Right Zone The Media rack in the right zone of the Project window allows you to access the MediaBay functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. To open the Media rack in the right zone, click Show/Hide Right Zone on the Project window toolbar, and at the top of the right zone, click the Media tab. The Media rack opens on the Home page that features different tiles. These tiles correspond to the available media types. RELATED LINKS Showing/Hiding Zones on page 31 Home Page on page 416 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Home Page The Home page gives you access to the tiles that correspond to the available media types, to the Favorites, and to the File Browser. To open the Home page, click the Home navigation control on the Media rack. 416 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone The following tiles are available: VST Instruments Shows VST instruments and instrument presets. VST Effects Shows VST effects and effect presets. Loops & Samples Shows audio loops, MIDI loops, or instrument sounds ordered by content set. Presets Shows the track presets, strip presets, FX chain presets, and VST FX presets. User Presets Shows track presets, strip presets, pattern banks, FX chain presets, VST FX presets, and instrument presets that are listed in the User Content folder. Shows the track presets, strip presets, FX chain presets, and VST FX presets. Favorites Shows your favorite folders and allows you to add new favorites. The folder content is automatically added to the MediaBay database. File Browser Shows your file system and the pre-defined folders Favorites, This Computer, VST Sound, Factory Content, and User Content where you can search for media files and access them immediately. RELATED LINKS Loading Instrument Presets on page 443 Loading Loops and Samples on page 442 Loading Track Presets on page 442 Loading Effect Plug-In Presets on page 443 417 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone Loading FX Chain Presets on page 444 Loading Strip Presets on page 444 Adding Favorites Using the Favorites Page on page 424 Adding Favorites Using the File Browser Page on page 425 Favorites Page The Favorites page allows you to add your own favorite folders to the Media rack. 1 Add Favorite Opens a file dialog where you can navigate to the location of a folder and add it as a favorite folder. 2 Favorite folders The folders that you added as favorites are shown as tiles on the Favorites page. To show the content of a folder, click it. To delete a folder from the Favorites page, click its close button. RELATED LINKS Adding Favorites Using the Favorites Page on page 424 Results Page The Results page shows all media files that are found in the defined favorite folder. To open the Results page, click the Show All Results navigation control on the Media rack. The following options are available: 1 Media Rack navigation controls 418 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone Allow you to navigate to specific folders and filter the Results list. 2 Attribute filter Allows you to view and edit some of the standard file attributes found in your media files. 3 Results list Shows all media files that are found in the selected folder and allows you to select a media file. 4 Previewer Allows you to preview the selected media file. RELATED LINKS Media Rack Navigation Controls on page 422 Setting up the Results List Columns on page 432 Results Section on page 431 Previewer Section on page 436 File Browser Page The File Browser page shows all media files that are found in the File Browser. To open the File Browser page, go to the Home page of the Media rack, and click File Browser. The following options are available: 1 Media Rack navigation controls Allow you to navigate to specific folders and filter the Results list. 2 Add Favorite Allows you to add the selected folder as a favorite folder. 3 Back/Forward/Up 419 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone Up navigates to the parent folder. Back navigates to the previously used folder. Forward navigates to the most recent folder. 4 File browser Allows you to browse selected folders. 5 Results list Shows all supported media files that are found in the selected folder and allows you to select a media file. 6 Previewer Allows you to preview the selected media file. RELATED LINKS Media Rack Navigation Controls on page 422 File Browser Section on page 429 Results Section on page 431 Previewer Section on page 436 VST Instruments Page The VST Instruments page shows all VST instruments of the selected collection. To open the VST Instruments page, go to the Home page of the Media rack, and click VST Instruments. The following options are available: 1 Media Rack navigation controls Allow you to navigate to specific folders and filter the Results list. 2 Expand All Expands all results. 3 Collapse All Collapses all results. 4 Show/Hide VST Plug-in Pictures 420 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone Shows/Hides the pictures of the VST instrument control panels. 5 Plug-in Collections and Options Default activates the default collection. Sort By Category sorts the collection by category. This is only available for the Default collection. Sort By Vendor sorts the collection by vendor. This is only available for the Default collection. Plug-in Manager opens the Plug-in Manager that allows you to create new plug-in collections. These will be listed in the Plug-in Collections and Options menu below the Default collection. 6 Plug-in list Shows the plug-ins of the selected collection. RELATED LINKS VST Plug-in Manager Window on page 474 Adding Pictures of VST Instruments to the Media Rack on page 425 VST Effects Page The VST Effects page shows all VST effects of the selected collection. To open the VST Effects page, go to the Home page of the Media rack, and click VST Effects. The following options are available: 1 Media Rack navigation controls Allow you to navigate to specific folders and filter the Results list. 2 Expand All 421 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone Expands all results. 3 Collapse All Collapses all results. 4 Show/Hide VST Plug-in Pictures Shows/Hides the pictures of the VST effect control panels. 5 Plug-in Collections and Options Default activates the default collection. Sort By Category sorts the collection by category. This is only available for the Default collection. Sort By Vendor sorts the collection by vendor. This is only available for the Default collection. Plug-in Manager opens the Plug-in Manager that allows you to create new plug-in collections. These will be listed in the Plug-in Collections and Options menu below the Default collection. 6 Plug-in list Shows the plug-ins of the selected collection. RELATED LINKS VST Plug-in Manager Window on page 474 Adding Pictures of VST Effects to the Media Rack on page 426 Media Rack Navigation Controls The navigation controls allow you to navigate to files and folders in the Media rack. The following controls allow you to perform a text search, and to show all results on the current page. 1 Search Allows you to search media files by name or by attribute. 2 Reset Search Allows you to reset the search. 3 Show All Results Shows the Results page for a selected tile. If no tile is selected, all media files are shown. The following controls allow you to navigate from the current page to other pages. 1 Back Allows you to navigate back to the previous page. 2 Home Allows you to navigate back to the Home page. 3 Breadcrumb path Shows the path to the current page and allows you to navigate back to the previous page. The following controls allow you to set up and modify the Results page. 422 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone 1 Select Media Types Allows you to select the media types that are displayed on the Results page. 2 Shuffle Results Shuffles the Results page. 3 Reset Attribute Filter Lights up if an attribute filter is set. Click this button to reset the attribute filter. 4 Set up Result Columns Allows you to specify which attribute columns are displayed on the Results page. 5 Show/Hide Attribute Filters Shows/Hides the Attribute Filters section. RELATED LINKS Home Page on page 416 Results Page on page 418 Media File Attributes on page 440 Working with the Media Rack The Media rack in the right zone of the Project window allows you to search for supported media files and included VST instruments, and add them to your project. The controls on the different pages of the Media rack allow you to browse, filter, select, and to preview your media files. The Favorites page and the File Browser page allow you to add folders where your media files are located as Favorites. This helps you to quickly navigate to these media files. The tiles and controls on the different pages of the Media rack allow you to browse, filter, select, and preview the content. Once you have located the media file, the instrument, or the preset that you want to use, and selected it in the Results list, you can insert it into your project by using drag and drop, by using the context menu options, or by double-clicking. RELATED LINKS Media Rack in Right Zone on page 416 Results Page on page 418 Adding VST Instruments to Projects You can use the Media rack to add VST instruments to your project. PROCEDURE 1. In the Media rack, click the VST Instruments tile. 2. Drag an instrument on the track list or on the event display. NOTE To exchange the VST instrument of an instrument track, drag the instrument from the Media rack, and drop it on the top section of the instrument track Inspector. Note that you must update the track name manually if needed. 423 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone RELATED LINKS Loading Instrument Presets on page 443 Adding VST Effects to Projects You can use the Media rack to add VST effects to your project. PROCEDURE 1. In the Media rack, click the VST Effects tile. 2. Do one of the following: Drag an effect on the track list to create an FX channel track. To add the effect to an audio-related track, drag the effect from the Media rack, and drop it in the Inserts or Sends section of the track Inspector. To add the effect to an audio-related channel, drag the effect from the Media rack, and drop it in the Inserts or Sends section of the MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window, or the Channel Settings window. RELATED LINKS Loading Effect Plug-In Presets on page 443 Applying Track Presets You can use the Media rack to add track presets to your project. PROCEDURE 1. In the Media rack, click the Presets tile. 2. Click Track Presets. 3. Click Audio, VST Instruments, MIDI, Multi, or Sampler depending on the track type. 4. Do one of the following: Drag a track preset on the Inspector or in the track list for the corresponding track type. Drag a track preset below the track list to add a new track with the track preset loaded. NOTE To exchange the track preset of a track, drag the preset from the Media rack, and drop it on the track in the track list. Note that you must update the track name manually if needed. RESULT The track preset is applied. Adding Favorites Using the Favorites Page You can add favorite folders to the Favorites page. This allows you to directly access media files in specific folders. PROCEDURE 1. In the Media rack, click the Favorites tile. 2. At the top left of the page, click Add Favorite. 3. Select the folder that you want to add as a Favorite. 424 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Media Rack in Right Zone 4. Click OK. RESULT The favorite folder is added to the database. On the Favorites page, a new tile with the specified name is added. In the File Browser, a new folder with the specified name is added to the Favorites folder. RELATED LINKS Favorites Page on page 418 Adding Favorites Using the File Browser Page You can add favorite folders using the File Browser page. This allows you to directly access media files in specific folders. PROCEDURE 1. In the Media rack, click the File Browser tile. 2. In the File Browser, navigate to the folder that you want to add as a favorite and select it. 3. Do one of the following: At the top left of the page, click Add Favorite. Right-click the folder, and from the context menu, select Add Favorite. 4. In the Set Name dialog that opens, enter a name for the folder. 5. Click OK. RESULT The favorite folder is added to the database. In the File Browser, a new folder with the specified name is added to the Favorites folder. On the Favorites page, a new tile with the specified name is added. RELATED LINKS File Browser Page on page 419 Adding Pictures of VST Instruments to the Media Rack Pictures of VST instruments from other vendors are not loaded by default. However, you can add them to the Media rack manually. PREREQUISITE You have added the VST instrument of another vendor as a rack or a track instrument. PROCEDURE 1. Open the control panel of the VST instrument. 2. On the control panel, click Add VST Plug-in Picture to Media Rack. RESULT The picture of the VST instrument is shown in the Media rack. RELATED LINKS Adding VST Instruments on page 458 VST Instrument Control Panel on page 459 425 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Adding Pictures of VST Effects to the Media Rack Pictures of VST effects from other vendors are not loaded by default. However, you can add them to the Media rack manually. PREREQUISITE You have added a VST effect from another vendor. PROCEDURE 1. Open the control panel of the VST effect. 2. On the control panel, click Add VST Plug-in Picture to Media Rack. RESULT The picture of the VST effect is shown in the Media rack. RELATED LINKS Adding Insert Effects on page 307 Effect Control Panel on page 316 MediaBay Window To open the MediaBay in a separate window, do one of the following: Select Media > MediaBay. Press F5. The MediaBay is divided into the following sections: 1 File Browser Allows you to scan specific folders in your file system, and to add favorites. 2 Toolbar 426 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Contains tools and shortcuts for settings and functions in the MediaBay, and allows you to switch between the previously defined favorite locations. Favorites in the MediaBay window are not automatically scanned. 3 Filters Allows you to filter the Results list using a logical or an attribute filter. 4 Results Displays all supported media files. You can filter the list and perform text searches. 5 Previewer Allows you to preview the files shown in the Results list. RELATED LINKS File Browser Section on page 429 MediaBay Toolbar on page 427 Adding Favorites on page 430 Scanning Folders on page 430 Filters Section on page 440 Results Section on page 431 Previewer Section on page 436 Setting up the MediaBay on page 429 MediaBay Toolbar The toolbar contains tools and shortcuts for settings and functions in the MediaBay. Navigation Back Navigates to the previously used folder. Forward Navigates to the most recent folder. Up Navigates to the parent folder. Favorites Add Favorite Allows you to add the selected folder as a favorite folder. Select Defined Favorite Allows you to select a Favorite to quickly browse to the files you are looking for. Include Folders and Subfolders Activate this to show the content of folders and subfolders. 427 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. Text Search Search Allows you to search media files by name or by attribute. Media Types Filter Select Media Types Allows you to select the media types that are displayed on the Results page. Rating Filter Rating Filter Filters files according to their rating. Reset Result Filters Reset Filters Allows you to reset the filters. Results Update Results Updates the results. Shuffle Results Shuffles the Results page. Attribute Counter Attribute Counter Shows the number of attributes that are being updated. Right Divider Right Divider Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. 428 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window MediaBay Settings MediaBay Settings Opens the MediaBay settings. Window Zone Controls Show/Hide Left Zone Shows/Hides the left zone of the window. Show/Hide Lower Zone Shows/Hides the lower zone of the window. Show/Hide Right Zone Shows/Hides the right zone of the window. Set up Window Layout Allows you to set up the window layout. Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. Setting up the MediaBay You can show and hide the different sections of the MediaBay. This saves screen space and allows you to display only the information that you need. PROCEDURE 1. Click Set up Window Layout. 2. Activate/Deactivate the checkboxes for the sections that you want to show/hide. 3. Click outside the pane to exit the setup mode. File Browser Section The File Browser section shows your file system with the pre-defined folders Favorites, This Computer, VST Sound, Factory Content, and User Content. To open the File Browser section in the MediaBay, click Set up Window Layout and activate File Browser. 429 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window To show the supported media files in the Results section of the MediaBay, you must scan all folders that you want to include in the search. You can also add favorite folders. All media files contained in a Favorite are automatically scanned. RELATED LINKS Scanning Folders on page 430 Adding Favorites on page 430 Scanning Folders To include specific folders in the MediaBay search, you must scan them. PROCEDURE 1. In the File Browser section of the MediaBay, navigate to the folder that you want to include in the scan. 2. Activate the checkbox for the folder to activate the scan. RESULT All files that are found in the scanned folder are shown in the Results list. The scan result is saved in a database file. The color of the checkmark helps you to identify which folders and subfolders are scanned: White indicates that all subfolders are included in the scan. Orange indicates that at least one subfolder is excluded from the scan. The color of the folder indicates the state of the scan: Red indicates that a folder is currently being scanned. White indicates that all subfolders have been scanned. Yellow indicates that at least one subfolder is not yet scanned. NOTE Please wait until the MediaBay completes the scan to continue your work. Adding Favorites You can add favorite folders using the File Browser section. PROCEDURE 1. In the File Browser section, navigate to the folder that you want to add as a favorite, and select it. 2. Right-click the folder or the volume, and from the context menu, select Add Favorite. 3. In the Set Name dialog that opens, enter a name for the folder. 4. Click OK. 430 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window RESULT In the File Browser section, a new folder with the specified name is added to the Favorites folder. In the Favorites section, the added favorite is available in the Select Defined Favorite pop-up menu. In the Media rack in the right zone of the Project window, a new tile with the specified name is added on the Favorites page. NOTE Favorites in the MediaBay window are not automatically scanned. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To remove a Favorite, select it in the Favorites tree of the File Browser section, open the context menu and select Remove Favorite. RELATED LINKS Scanning Folders on page 430 Refresh Views If you change already scanned folders by adding or removing files when Cubase is closed, you must rescan the corresponding media folders. This also applies if you modified attributes of your user content using another program. If you have made changes to your content and want the changes to be displayed in the MediaBay, you must refresh the views of the corresponding media folders. To refresh a folder, in the File Browser section of the MediaBay, right-click a folder, and select Refresh Views. To display a new drive, in the File Browser section of the MediaBay, right-click the parent node, and select Refresh Views. You can then scan the drive for media files. To update the scan state of the folders after modifying the volume database with another program, right-click the volume database, and select Refresh Views. Results Section The Results list shows all media files that are found in the selected folder in the File Browser. To show media files in the Results section, you must select a scanned folder in the File Browser section of the MediaBay. 431 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window NOTE You can set the maximum number of files that are displayed in the Results list in the MediaBay Settings. Setting up the Results List Columns For each media type, or for combinations of media types, you can specify the attribute columns that are displayed in the Results list. PROCEDURE 1. In the Results section, select the media types for which you want to make settings. 2. Click Set up Result Columns and activate or deactivate the options on the submenus. To exclude a particular category, select Select None on the corresponding submenu. RELATED LINKS Setting up the MediaBay on page 429 Managing Media Files in the Results List To move or copy a file from the Results list to another location, drag it to another folder in the File Browser section. To change the order of the columns in the Results list, click a column header and drag that header to another position. To delete a file, right-click it in the list and select Delete. The file is permanently deleted from your computer. IMPORTANT If you delete a file using the File Explorer/macOS Finder, it is still displayed in the Results list, although it is no longer available to the program. To remedy this, rescan the corresponding folder. Shuffling the Results List You can display the Results list entries in a random order. To shuffle the Results list, click Shuffle Results in the MediaBay toolbar. 432 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Finding the Location of a File You can show the location of a file on your system in the File Explorer/macOS Finder. NOTE This function is not available for files which are part of a VST Sound archive. PROCEDURE In the Results list, right-click a file, and select Show in Explorer/Reveal in Finder. RESULT The File Explorer/macOS Finder opens and the corresponding file is highlighted. Filtering According to Media Type You can set up the Results list to display only a particular media type or a combination of media types. PROCEDURE 1. In the MediaBay toolbar, open the Show Media Types selector. 2. Activate the media types that you want to be displayed in the Results list. RESULT The files are filtered by the selected media type. 433 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Show Media Types Selector You can activate the media types that you want to be displayed in the Results list. The following media types are available: Audio Files Shows all audio files. The supported formats are .wav, .w64, .aiff, .aifc, .rex, .rx2, .mp3, .mp2, .ogg, .wma (Windows only). MIDI Files Shows all MIDI files (file name extension .mid). MIDI Loops Shows all MIDI loops (file name extension .midiloop). Track Presets Shows all track presets for audio, MIDI, and instrument tracks (file name extension .trackpreset). Track presets are a combination of track settings, effects, and MixConsole settings that can be applied to new tracks of various types. Plug-in Presets Shows all VST presets for instrument and effect plug-ins. Furthermore, EQ presets that you save in the MixConsole are listed. These presets contain all parameter settings for a particular plug-in. They can be used to apply sounds to instrument tracks and effects to audio tracks. Strip Presets Shows all strip presets (file name extension .strippreset). These presets contain channel strip effect chains. FX Chain Presets Shows all effect chain presets (file name extension .fxchainpreset). These presets contain insert effect chains. Video Files Shows all video files. Projects Shows all project files (.cpr). RELATED LINKS Track Presets on page 135 Saving/Loading Strip Presets on page 290 Saving/Loading EQ Presets on page 283 434 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Saving/Loading FX Chain Presets on page 280 Video File Compatibility on page 664 Filtering According to Rating With the Rating Filter, you can filter files according to their rating. NOTE The Rating Filter is not available in the Media rack in the right zone. PROCEDURE In the Rating Filter section of the MediaBay toolbar, select a value from the Rating Filter pop-up menu. Performing a Text Search You can perform a text search of the Results list. If you enter text in the text search field on the MediaBay toolbar, only media files whose attributes match the entered text are displayed. Click the field and enter the text that you want to find. For example, if you are looking for all audio loops relating to drum sounds, enter "drum" in the search field. The search results will contain loops called "Drums 01", "Drumloop", "Snare Drum", etc. In addition, all media files with the Drum&Percussion category attribute or any other attribute that contains "drum" are found. You can also add apostrophes to find exact matches for the entered words and use boolean operators. To reset the text search, delete the text, or click Reset Filters. Boolean Text Search You can perform advanced searches, using boolean operators or wildcards. You can use the following elements: And [+] [a and b] When entering strings separated by "and" (or a plus sign), all files are found that contain both a and b. [And] is the default setting when no boolean operator is used, for example, you can also enter [a b]. Or [,] [a or b] When entering strings separated by "or" (or a comma), files are found that contain either a or b, or both. Not [-] [not b] 435 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window When entering text preceded by "not" (or a minus sign), all files not containing b are found. Parentheses [()] [(a or b) + c] Using parentheses, you can group text strings. In this example, files are found that contain c and either a or b. Quotation marks [""] ["your search text"] With quotation marks, you can define sequences of several words. Files are found if they contain the sequence of words that you entered. IMPORTANT When you are searching for files whose names contain a hyphen, put the search text in quotation marks. Otherwise the program treats the hyphen as the boolean operator "not". NOTE These operators can also be used for logical filtering. Resetting the Results List You can reset all filter settings and filter results. In the MediaBay toolbar, click Reset Filter. Previewer Section You can preview individual files in the Previewer section to find out which one to use in your project. The elements visible in this section and their functions depend on the media type. IMPORTANT The Previewer section is not available for video files, project files, and audio track presets. RELATED LINKS MediaBay Settings on page 447 Audio Files Previewer The Previewer for audio files allows you to listen to audio files before you use them in your project. 1 Transport controls Start, stop, pause, and cycle the preview. 436 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window 2 Preview Level fader Specifies the preview level. 3 Auto Play New Results Selection Automatically plays back the selected file. 4 Align Beats to Project Plays back the selected file in sync with the project, starting at the project cursor position. Note that this can apply real-time time stretching to your audio file. NOTE If you import an audio file into your project for which Align Beats to Project is activated in the Previewer, Musical Mode is automatically activated for the corresponding event. 5 Wait for Project Play Synchronizes the play and stop functions from the Transport panel with the play and stop buttons in the Previewer section. To use this option to its full extent, set the left locator at the beginning of a bar, then start playing back the project using the Transport panel. The loops that you now select in the Results list start together with the project in perfect sync. RELATED LINKS Musical Mode on page 373 MIDI Files Previewer The Previewer for MIDI files allows you to listen to MIDI files before you use them in your project. To preview a MIDI file, load a VST instrument, and select it as output device from the Select MIDI Output pop-up menu. 1 Transport controls Start and stop the preview. 2 Preview Level fader Specifies the preview level. 3 Output Allows you to select the output device. 4 Align Beats to Project Plays back the selected file in sync with the project, starting at the project cursor position. Note that this can apply real-time time stretching to your MIDI file. 5 Auto Play New Results Selection Automatically plays back the selected file. RELATED LINKS VST Instruments on page 458 437 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window MIDI Loops Previewer The Previewer for MIDI loops allows you to listen to MIDI loops before you use them in your project. NOTE MIDI loops are always played back in sync with the project. 1 Transport controls Start and stop the preview. 2 Preview Level fader Specifies the preview level. 3 Auto Play New Results Selection Automatically plays back the selected file. 4 Link Playback to Chord Track Transposes the events of the MIDI loop to play back in context with the chord track. Note that you need a chord track with chord events for this. If this option is activated, and you insert a MIDI loop into the project, Follow Chord Track is automatically activated for the track. RELATED LINKS Using Follow Chord Track on page 597 VST Presets and Track Presets Previewer for MIDI and Instrument Tracks The Previewer for VST presets and track presets allows you to listen to presets before you use them in your project. To preview track presets for MIDI or instrument tracks and VST presets, you must send some MIDI notes to the track preset via MIDI input, using a MIDI file, the Memo Recorder mode, or via the computer keyboard. 1 Transport controls Start and stop the preview. 2 Previewer Sequence Mode Allows you to load a MIDI file to apply the selected preset to the MIDI file. You can also select the Memo Recorder mode that continually repeats a given sequence of notes as a loop. 3 MIDI Activity Allows you to monitor incoming MIDI messages. 4 Preview Level fader Specifies the preview level. 438 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window 5 Keyboard You can display the Keyboard in keyboard display mode or in piano display mode. 6 Computer Keyboard Input Allows you to use your computer keyboard to preview the presets. RELATED LINKS Previewing Presets Using the Memo Recorder Mode on page 439 On-Screen Keyboard on page 190 Previewing Presets Via MIDI Input MIDI input is always active. For example, when a MIDI keyboard is connected to your computer and set up properly, you can directly start playing the notes to preview the selected preset. Previewing Presets Using a MIDI File PROCEDURE 1. On the Previewer Sequence Mode pop-up menu, select Load MIDI File. 2. In the file dialog that opens, select a MIDI file and click Open. The name of the MIDI file is displayed on the pop-up menu. 3. Click Play to the left of the pop-up menu. RESULT The notes received from the MIDI file are played back with the settings of the track preset applied. NOTE The recently used MIDI files are kept on the menu for quick access. To remove an entry from this list, select it on the menu and then select Remove MIDI File. Previewing Presets Using the Memo Recorder Mode The Memo Recorder mode continually repeats a given sequence of notes as a loop. NOTE You cannot use the Memo Recorder mode when previewing presets using a MIDI file. PROCEDURE 1. On the Previewer Sequence Mode pop-up menu, select Memo Recorder. 2. Activate Play. 3. Play some notes on the MIDI keyboard or on the computer keyboard. RESULT The notes are played back with the instrument preset that is selected in the Results section. When you stop playing notes and wait for 2 seconds, the note sequence that you played until this moment is played back in a continuous loop. To use another sequence, start entering notes again. 439 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Previewing Presets Via the Computer Keyboard NOTE If you activate Computer Keyboard Input, the computer keyboard is used exclusively for the Previewer section. However, you can still use the following key commands: Ctrl/Cmd-S (Save), Num * (Start/Stop Record), Space (Start/Stop Playback), Num 1 (Jump to left locator), Delete or Backspace, Num / (Cycle on/off), and F2 (Show/Hide Transport panel). PROCEDURE 1. Activate Computer-Keyboard Input. 2. Play some notes on the computer keyboard. Filters Section The MediaBay allows you to refine your file searches. Media File Attributes Media file attributes are sets of metadata providing additional information on the file. The different types of media files have different attributes. For example, .wav audio files have attributes, such as name, length, size, sample rate, content set, etc., while .mp3 files have additional attributes, such as artist or genre. Attribute Filter Assigning attribute values to your files facilitates organizing your media files. The Attribute filter allows you to view and edit some of the standard file attributes that are found in your media files. The Filters section displays all values that have been specified for the displayed attribute categories. Selecting one of these values filters the results to display only the files to which this attribute value is assigned. 1 Attribute column titles Allow you to select different attribute categories. If the columns are wide enough, the number of files that match these criteria is displayed to the right of the value. 2 Attribute values Displays the attribute values and how often a certain attribute value is available among your media files. NOTE Some attributes are directly linked to each other. For example, for each category value, there are certain sub-category values available. Changing the value in one of these attribute columns displays different values in the other column. 440 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Each attribute column displays only the attribute values that are found. Applying an Attribute Filter With the Attribute filter, you can quickly find tagged media files with certain attributes. To apply an Attribute filter, select an attribute value. The Results list is filtered accordingly. Apply more attribute filters to narrow down the result even more. To find files that match either one or the other attribute, Ctrl/Cmd-click different attribute values in the same column. To change the displayed attribute values of a column, click the attribute column title and select another attribute. NOTE Character attributes always form an AND condition. Performing a Context Menu Search You can search for other files that have the same attribute as the selected file. This allows you to find all the files that have a value in common, for example, if you want to view all the files that were created on the same day. In the Results list or the Attribute Inspector, right-click a file and select the attribute value for which you want to search from the Search for submenu. To reset the filter, click Go Back. Resetting the Filter PROCEDURE To reset the filter, click Reset Filter at the top of the Filters section. This also resets the Results list. 441 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window Working with the MediaBay When you work with many music files, the MediaBay helps you to find and organize your content. After scanning your folders, all found media files of the supported formats are listed in the Results section. You can set up Favorites, that is, folders or directories on your system that contain media files. Usually, files are organized in a specific way on your computer. You might have folders reserved for audio content, folders for special effects, folders for combinations of sounds making up the ambience noise that you need for a certain film take, etc. These can all be set as different Favorites in the MediaBay, allowing you to limit the files available in the Results list according to context. By using the search and filter options, you can narrow down the results. You can insert the files into your project by using drag and drop, by double-clicking, or by using the context menu options. Using Media Files The MediaBay window and the Media rack in the right zone of the Project window offer you multiple possibilities to search for specific files, loops, samples, presets, and patterns that you can use in your project. Once you have found the media files that you were looking for, you can load them into your project. Loading Loops and Samples PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: In the MediaBay, open the media types selector, click MIDI Files, Audio Files, or MIDI Loops, and select a media file. In the Media rack in the right zone, click the Loops & Samples tile, and click the following tiles until you can select the media files in the Results list. 2. Do one of the following: Double-click a media file to create a new instrument or an audio track with the loaded file. Drag the media file to a track in the event display. RESULT The media file is inserted on the new track or at the insert position. RELATED LINKS Show Media Types Selector on page 434 Loading Track Presets PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: In the MediaBay, open the media types selector, click Track Presets, and select a preset. In the Media rack in the right zone, click Presets > Track Presets, and click the following tiles until you can select the preset in the Results list. 442 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window 2. Do one of the following: Double-click the track preset to create a new track with the loaded preset. Drag the track preset to a track to apply the preset to the track. RESULT The preset is applied to the track, and all settings of the preset are loaded. RELATED LINKS Show Media Types Selector on page 434 Loading Instrument Presets PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: In the MediaBay, open the media types selector, click Plug-in Presets, and select a preset for an instrument plug-in. In the Media rack in the right zone, click the VST Instruments tile, and click the following tiles until you can select the preset in the Results list. 2. Do one of the following: Double-click the instrument preset to create a new instrument track with the loaded instrument preset. Drag the instrument preset to the track list to create a new instrument track with the loaded instrument preset. Drag the instrument preset to the event display to create a new instrument track with the loaded instrument preset. Drag the instrument preset to an instrument track to apply the preset to the track. RESULT The instrument is loaded as a track instrument, and the preset is applied to the instrument track. RELATED LINKS Adding VST Instruments to Projects on page 423 Show Media Types Selector on page 434 Loading Effect Plug-In Presets PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: In the MediaBay, open the media types selector, click Plug-in Presets, and select a preset. In the Media rack in the right zone, click Presets > VST FX Presets, and click the following tiles until you can select the preset in the Results list. 2. Do one of the following: Drag the plug-in preset to an audio track or its Inserts section in the Inspector. Drag the plug-in preset to an empty area of the track list. 443 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Window RESULT If you dragged the plug-in preset to an audio track, the first free insert slots are filled with the corresponding plug-in. If there are no more free slots available, a warning is shown. If you dragged the plug-in preset to an empty area of the track list, a new FX channel track is created and the first insert slots of this new track are filled. RELATED LINKS Show Media Types Selector on page 434 Adding VST Effects to Projects on page 424 Loading FX Chain Presets PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: In the MediaBay, open the media types selector, click FX Chain Presets, and select a preset. In the Media rack in the right zone, click Presets > FX Chain Presets, and click the following tiles until you can select the preset in the Results list. 2. In the Project window, select an audio track. 3. Drag the preset from the MediaBay or Media rack and drop it on the open Inserts section of the Inspector. RESULT The FX Chain Preset is applied to the track, and all settings of the preset are loaded. Any inserts that have previously been loaded are overwritten. RELATED LINKS Show Media Types Selector on page 434 Loading Strip Presets PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: In the MediaBay, open the media types selector, click Strip Presets, and select a preset. In the Media rack in the right zone, click Presets > Strip Presets, and click the following tiles until you can select the preset in the Results list. 2. In the Project window, select an audio track. 3. Drag the preset from the MediaBay or Media rack and drop it on the open Strip section of the Inspector. RESULT The strip preset is applied to the track, and all settings of the preset are loaded. RELATED LINKS Show Media Types Selector on page 434 Saving/Loading Strip Presets on page 290 444 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Working with Volume Databases Working with Volume Databases Cubase saves all media file information that is used in the MediaBay, such as paths and attributes, in a local database file on your computer. However, in some cases, it might be necessary to browse and manage this kind of metadata on an external volume. For example, a sound editor might have to work both at home and in a studio, on two different computers. Therefore, the sound effects are stored on an external storage medium. To be able to connect the external device and directly browse its contents in the MediaBay without having to scan the device, you have to create a volume database for the external device. Volume databases can be created for your computer drives or for external storage media. They contain the same kind of information about the media files on these drives as the regular MediaBay database. NOTE When you launch Cubase, all available volume databases are automatically mounted. Databases that are made available while the program is running have to be mounted manually. Rescanning Volume Databases If you have modified the data on your external volume on a different system, you must rescan the MediaBay. RELATED LINKS Refresh Views on page 431 Creating Volume Databases PROCEDURE In the File Browser section, right-click the external storage medium, drive, or partition of your computer system for which you want to create a database, and select Create Volume Database. IMPORTANT You must select the topmost directory level for this. You cannot create a database file for a lower-level folder. 445 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack Working with Volume Databases NOTE If you create a volume database on a network drive, multiple users can access it. However, this can lead to write conflicts as only one user can write to the database at a time. RESULT The file information for this drive is written into a new database file. Volume databases are indicated by the symbol to the left of the drive name. NOTE If the drive contains a large amount of data, this process may take some time. Volume databases are automatically mounted when Cubase is launched. They are shown in the File Browser section and their data can be viewed and edited in the Results list. RELATED LINKS Locked Volume Databases on Network Drives on page 446 Locked Volume Databases on Network Drives You can unlock volume databases on network drives. This can be necessary, if the system of another user who also used the volume database on the network drive crashed or was not properly disconnected. In this case, Cubase creates a file in a hidden folder that indicates that the database is still in use. If this happens, you get a warning message when you launch the program. It shows the name of the user or system. Do one of the following: Ask the other user to restart Cubase so that the lock is automatically released. If you cannot get hold of the other user, and you do not need to access the database, click Ignore Database. If you cannot get hold of the other user, and you want to use the database, click Force unlock to remove the lock. Removing Volume Databases If you have worked on another computer using an external hard disk and return to your own computer and connect the external device again as part of your system setup, you no longer need a separate volume database for it. Any data on this drive can be included in the local database file again, by removing the extra database file. PROCEDURE In the File Browser section, right-click the volume database and select Remove Volume Database. RESULT The metadata is integrated in the local MediaBay database file, and the volume database file is deleted. NOTE If the drive contains a large amount of data, this process may take some time. 446 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MediaBay and Media Rack MediaBay Settings Mounting and Unmounting Volume Databases Volume databases that are made available while Cubase is running must be mounted manually. To mount a volume database manually, right-click the external storage medium, drive, or partition of your computer system that you want to mount and select Mount Volume Database. To unmount a volume database, right-click it and select Unmount Volume Database. MediaBay Settings To open a pane with settings for the MediaBay, click MediaBay Settings. The following options are available: Hide Folders That Are Not Scanned Hides all folders that are not scanned for files. This keeps the tree view in the File Browser less cluttered. Show Only Selected Folder Shows only the selected folder and its subfolders. Scan Folders Only When MediaBay Is Open Scans folders for media files when the MediaBay window is open. If this option is deactivated, the folders are scanned in the background even when the MediaBay window is closed. However, Cubase never scans folders while playing back or recording. Maximum Items in Results List Allows you to specify the maximum number of files that are displayed in the Results list. This avoids unmanageably long lists of files. NOTE The MediaBay does not warn you if the maximum number of files has been reached. There might be situations where a certain file cannot be found because the maximum number of files was reached. Show File Extensions in Results List Shows file name extensions in the Results list. Scan Unknown File Types When scanning for media files, the MediaBay ignores files with an unknown file extension. If this option is activated, the MediaBay tries to open and scan any file in the search location and ignores those files that cannot be recognized. 447 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation In essence, automation means recording the values for a particular MixConsole or effect parameter. When you create your final mix, Cubase can adjust this particular parameter control. Recording your Actions If the settings in your current project are crucial, you may not want to experiment with automation until you know more about how it all fits together. If so, you can create a new project for the following example. The project does not have to contain any audio events, just a few audio tracks. PROCEDURE 1. On the Project window toolbar, click W to activate write for all tracks. 2. Start playback and adjust some volume faders and/or other parameter settings in the MixConsole. Stop playback when you are done, and return to the position where you started playback. 3. Click W to deactivate the write mode and click R to activate read for all tracks. 4. Start playback, and watch the MixConsole. All your actions that were performed during the previous playback are reproduced exactly. 5. Select Project > Show All Used Automation to view all recorded automation events. 6. To redo anything that was recorded, click W again and start playback from the same position. NOTE You can have W and R activated simultaneously, if you want to watch and listen to your recorded MixConsole actions while you are recording fader movements for another channel, etc. Automation Curves Within a Cubase project, the changes in a parameter value over time are reflected as curves on automation tracks. There are different kinds of automation curves: 1 Ramp curves Ramp curves are created for any parameter that generates continuous multiple values, such as fader or encoder movements. 448 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Static Value Line 2 Jump curves Jump curves are created for on/off parameters, such as mute. Static Value Line When you open an automation track for the first time, it does not contain any automation events. This is reflected in the event display as a dotted horizontal line, the static value line. This line represents the current parameter setting. If you manually added any automation events or used write automation for the corresponding parameter and then disable the reading of automation data, the automation curve is grayed out in the event display and the static value line is used instead. As soon as Read is enabled, the automation curve is used. Write/Read Automation You can automation-enable tracks and MixConsole channels by activating their automation write W and read R buttons. If you activate W for a channel, virtually all MixConsole parameters that you adjust during playback for that specific channel are recorded as automation events. If R is activated for a channel, all your recorded MixConsole actions for that channel are performed during playback. The R and W buttons for a track in the track list are the same as the R and W buttons in the MixConsole. NOTE R is automatically enabled when you enable W. This allows Cubase to read existing automation data at any time. You can separately deactivate W if you only want to read existing data. There are also global read and write indicator buttons Activate/Deactivate Read/Write for All Tracks on the Project window toolbar and the MixConsole toolbar. These buttons light up as soon as there is an enabled R or W button on any channel/track within your project. Furthermore, they can be clicked to activate or deactivate R/W of all tracks simultaneously. MIDI Part Data vs. Track Automation You can enter or record MIDI controller data as automation data on an automation track or as part data in the MIDI part. If Read Automation for a track is enabled, controller data is written as automation data on an automation track in the Project window. If Read Automation is disabled, the controller data is written in the MIDI part and can be viewed and edited for example in the Key Editor. Nevertheless, you can end up with both kinds of controller data for a MIDI part if you recorded controller part data in one pass and automation data during another. In this case, these conflicting data types are combined during playback as follows: Part automation only begins when the first controller event within the part is reached. At the end of the part, the last controller value is kept until an automation breakpoint is reached on the automation track. 449 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Writing Automation Data Writing Automation Data You can create automation curves manually or automatically. Manual writing makes it easy to quickly change parameter values at specific points without having to activate playback. Automatic writing lets you work almost as if you were using a real mixer. With both methods, any applied automation data is reflected in both the MixConsole by a moved fader, for example, and in the corresponding automation track curve. RELATED LINKS Manual Writing of Automation Data on page 450 Automatic Writing of Automation Data Every action that you perform is automatically recorded on automation tracks which you can later open for viewing and editing. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, click Show/Hide Automation for a track to open its automation track. 2. Click W to enable the writing of automation data on this track. 3. Start playback. 4. Adjust the parameters in the MixConsole, in the Channel Settings window, or on the effect control panel. The value settings are recorded and displayed as a curve on the automation tracks. When automation data is being written, the color of the automation track changes and the delta indicator in the automation track shows the relative amount by which the new parameter setting deviates from any previously automated value. 5. Stop playback and return to the position where you started playback. 6. Click W to disable the writing of automation data. 7. Start playback. RESULT All actions that you recorded are reproduced exactly. When you drag a plug-in to a different insert slot on the same channel, any existing automation data moves with the plug-in. When you drag it to an insert slot on a different channel, any existing automation data is not transferred to the new channel. Manual Writing of Automation Data You can add automation events manually by drawing automation curves on an automation track. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, click Show/Hide Automation for a track to open its automation track. 2. Click the automation parameter name and select the parameter from the pop-up menu. 3. Select the Draw tool. 450 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Writing Automation Data 4. Click on the static value line. An automation event is added, read automation mode is automatically activated, and the static value line changes to a colored automation curve. 5. Click and hold to draw a curve by adding many automation events. When you release the mouse button, the number of automation events is reduced. NOTE To adjust the thinning out of events, open the Automation Panel, open the Settings page, and enter a value for Reduction Level. 6. Start playback. RESULT The automated parameter changes with the automation curve, and the corresponding fader in the MixConsole moves accordingly. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Repeat the procedure if you are not happy with the result. If you draw over existing events, a new curve is created. Tools for Drawing Automation Data Apart from the Draw tool, you can use the Object Selection tool and the Line tool to draw automation events. If you click with any of these tools on the automation track, R is activated automatically. Object Selection If you click on an automation track with the Object Selection tool, an automation event is added. If you hold down Alt, you can draw several automation events. NOTE Events that are introduced between existing events and do not deviate from the existing curve are removed as soon as you release the mouse button. To activate the Line tool in any other available mode, click the Line tool and click again to open a pop-up menu where you can select the Line tool mode. The following Line tool modes are available: Line If you click on the automation track and drag with the Line tool in Line mode, you can create automation events in a line. This is a quick way to create linear fades, etc. Parabola If you click and drag on the automation track with the Line tool in Parabola mode, you can create more natural curves and fades. NOTE The result depends on the direction from which you draw the parabolic curve. 451 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Editing Automation Events Sine/Triangle/Square If you click and drag on the automation track with the Line tool in Sine, Triangle, or Square mode and the Snap Type is set to Grid, the period of the curve, that is, the length of one curve cycle, is determined by the grid setting. If you press Shift and drag, you can set the period length manually, in multiples of the grid value. NOTE The Line tool can only be used for ramp type automation curves. Editing Automation Events Automation events can be edited much like other events. NOTE If you move an event or part on a track and you want the automation events to follow automatically, select Edit > Automation Follows Events. Any automation events at the new position are overwritten. You can use the tools on the Project window toolbar to edit automation events. You can use the automation event editor to edit selected automation events on ramp automation curves. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Automation Event Editor on page 453 Creating Smooth Transitions Between Automation Events (Bézier Automation Curves) Cubase supports bézier automation curves that allow you to create smooth transitions between automation events. This way, you can edit linear ramp curves with much more precision, flexibility, and intuition. PREREQUISITE The Object Selection tool is active. PROCEDURE 1. Move the mouse pointer on the linear ramp curve segment that you want to edit. A handle is shown on the curve segment. NOTE If the automation events are next to each other on an almost horizontal or vertical line, or if they are too close to each other, the handle is not available. 2. Click and drag with the mouse button pressed to modify the shape of the curve segment. 452 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Editing Automation Events 3. When you are satisfied with the result, release the mouse button. RESULT A smooth transition curve according to your edits is created. If you are not satisfied with the result and want to start over again from the original linear curve segment, double-click the handle. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK For even more precise editing, add new automation events to your bézier curve segment. This creates new segments that you can smoothen. Selecting Automation Events To select an automation event, click it with the Object Selection tool. To select multiple events, drag a selection rectangle with the Object Selection tool or Shift-click the events. To select multiple events, select a range with the Range Selection tool or Shift-click the events. To select all automation events on an automation track, right-click the automation track and select Select All Events from the context menu. Selected events are indicated by a dark color. NOTE If you select several events of a ramp automation curve, the automation event editor becomes available. RELATED LINKS Automation Event Editor on page 453 Automation Event Editor The automation event editor allows you to edit selected events on the automation track. The automation event editor is only available for automation ramp curves. NOTE All editing in the automation event editor only affects the automation events that are part of the selection. To open the automation event editor, do one of the following: Activate the Object Selection tool and drag a selection rectangle on a ramp type automation track. Activate the Range Selection tool and select a range on a ramp type automation track. 453 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Editing Automation Events NOTE If you work with the Range Selection tool, the smart control for Stretch is not available. The automation event editor features the following smart controls for specific editing modes: 1 Tilt Left If you click in the upper left corner of the editor, you can tilt the left part of the curve. This allows you to tilt the event values at the start of the curve upwards or downwards. 2 Compress Left If you Alt-click in the upper left corner of the editor, you can compress or expand the left part of the curve. This allows you to compress or expand the event values at the start of the curve. 3 Scale Vertically If you click in the middle of the upper border of the editor, you can scale the curve vertically. This allows you to raise or lower the event values of the curve in percent. 4 Move Vertically If you click on the upper border of the editor, you can move the entire curve vertically. This allows you to raise or lower the values of the event values of the curve. 5 Compress Right If you Alt-click in the upper right corner of the editor, you can compress or expand the right part of the curve. This allows you to compress or expand the event values at the end of the curve. 6 Tilt Right If you click in the upper right corner of the editor, you can tilt the right part of the curve. This allows you to tilt the event values at the end of the curve upwards or downwards. 7 Scale Around Relative Center If you Alt-click in the middle right border of the editor, you can scale the curve relative to its center. This allows you to raise or lower the event values horizontally around the center of the editor. 8 Scale Around Absolute Center If you click in the middle right corner of the editor, you can scale the curve absolute to its center. This allows you to raise or lower the event values horizontally around the center of the editor. 9 Stretch If you click on the lower border of the editor, you can stretch the curve horizontally. This allows you to move the event values of the curve to the left or to the right. NOTE To edit the automation curves on several tracks simultaneously, select the automation events using the Object Selection tool or the Range Selection tool on the corresponding automation tracks, and hold down Ctrl/Cmd while using the smart controls. 454 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Editing Automation Events NOTE If you select automation events using the Range Selection tool, additional automation events are automatically created at the start and the end of the selection. This ensures that the entire selection is edited. RELATED LINKS Automation Curves on page 448 Quick Vertical Scaling of Automation Events You can scale the curve segment between two automation events vertically without any need to select the events first. PROCEDURE 1. Move the mouse pointer to the upper border of the automation track above the linear ramp curve segment that you want to scale. A handle is shown. 2. Click and drag up or down with the mouse button pressed. 3. When you are satisfied with the result, release the mouse button. RESULT The curve segment between the two automation events is scaled. Moving Automation Events Moving Single Automation Events To move a selected automation event, click it and drag to the left or to the right. To restrict the direction of the movement, press Ctrl/Cmd and drag. NOTE Snap is taken into account when you move automation curves horizontally. To turn it off temporarily, hold down Ctrl/Cmd and any other modifier, and drag. Moving Multiple Automation Events To move a selection of automation events, click inside the selection rectangle and drag to the left or to the right. If you made a continuous selection of automation events, events at the destination range are overwritten. However, if you move the same selection range past already existing events, they appear again. If a selection range contains automation events that are deselected, dragging is restricted. You cannot move this selection past existing events. To copy a continuous selection of automation events, click inside the selection rectangle, hold down Alt, and drag to the left or to the right. NOTE If you press Esc while dragging the selection rectangle, the selection jumps back to its original position. 455 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Automation Tracks RELATED LINKS Selecting Automation Events on page 453 Removing Automation Events To remove an automation event, click on it with the Erase tool. To remove multiple automation events, select them and press Backspace or Delete or select Edit > Delete. To remove all automation events from the automation track and close the automation track, click the automation parameter name in the track list and select Remove Parameter from the pop-up menu. NOTE When removing automation events, the curve is redrawn to connect the remaining events. Automation Tracks Most of the tracks in your project have automation tracks, one for each automated parameter. To show automation tracks, you must open them. Showing/Hiding Automation Tracks Position the mouse pointer over the lower left corner of the track and click the arrow icon (Show/Hide Automation) that appears. Right-click the track in the track list and select Show/Hide Automation from the context menu. To open another automation track, position the mouse pointer over the lower left corner of an automation track and click + (Append Automation Track). To show all used automation tracks in the track list, right-click any track and select Show All Used Automation from the context menu. To open the corresponding automation track on writing automation parameters, activate Show Automation Track in Project on Writing Parameter in the Preferences dialog (Editing page). Removing Automation Tracks To remove an automation track together with all automation events, click the parameter name, and from the pop-up menu, select Remove Parameter. To remove all automation tracks from a track that do not contain automation events, select Remove Unused Parameters from any of its automation parameter name pop-up menus. Assigning a Parameter to an Automation Track Parameters are already assigned to automation tracks when you open them, according to their order in the parameter list. PROCEDURE 1. Open an automation track and click on the automation parameter name. A parameter list is shown. The content depends on the track type. 2. From the pop-up menu, select the parameter or select More to open the Add Parameter dialog that lists all parameters that can be automated, and select the parameter there. 456 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Automation Automation Tracks RESULT The parameter replaces the current parameter in the automation track. NOTE The replacement of the automation parameter is non-destructive. If the automation track contains any automation data for the parameter that you just replaced, this data is there, although it is not visible. By clicking on the automation parameter name in the track list, you can switch back to the replaced parameter. On the pop-up menu, an asterisk (*) is shown after the parameter name for hidden automation tracks. Muting Automation Tracks By muting an automation track, you turn off automation for a single parameter. To mute individual automation tracks, click Mute Automation in the track list. 457 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments VST instruments are software synthesizers or other sound sources that are contained within Cubase. They are played internally via MIDI. You can add effects or EQ to VST instruments. Cubase allows you to make use of VST instruments in the following ways: By adding a VST instrument and assigning one or several MIDI tracks to it. By creating an instrument track. This is a combination of a VST instrument, an instrument channel, and a MIDI track. You play and record MIDI note data directly for this track. NOTE Some VST instruments are included with Cubase. These are described in the separate document Plug-in Reference. RELATED LINKS Instrument Tracks on page 98 Adding VST Instruments PROCEDURE 1. On the Studio menu, select VST Instruments. 2. Right-click on an empty area of the VST Instruments window. 3. From the context menu, select Add Rack Instrument. 4. From the instrument selector, select an instrument. 5. Click Create. RESULT The instrument control panel opens, and the following tracks are added to the track list: A MIDI track with the name of the instrument. The output of the MIDI track is routed to the instrument. NOTE In the Preferences dialog (VST--Plug-ins page), you can specify what happens when you load a VST instrument. A folder with the name of the instrument that is added within a VST Instruments folder. The instrument folder contains two automation tracks: one for the plug-in parameters and one for the synth channel in the MixConsole. 458 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments VST Instrument Control Panel VST Instrument Control Panel The VST instrument control panel allows you to set up the parameters of the selected instrument. The contents, design, and layout of the control panel depend on the selected instrument. The following controls are available: 1 Activate Instrument Activates/Deactivates the instrument. 2 Read Automation/Write Automation Allows you to read/write automation for the instrument parameter settings. 3 Switch between A/B Settings Switches to setting B when setting A is active, and to setting A when setting B is active. 4 Copy A to B Copies the instrument parameters of instrument setting A to instrument setting B. 5 Event Received Indicator Lights up on receiving note-on and controller messages. 6 Preset browser Opens the preset browser where you can select another preset. 7 Preset Management Opens a pop-up menu that allows you to save, rename, or remove a preset. 8 Add VST Plug-in Picture to Media Rack 459 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments VST Instrument Selector Adds a picture of the VST plug-in to the Media rack. This is only available for plug-ins of other vendors. 9 VST Instrument context menu Opens a menu with specific functions and settings. RELATED LINKS Adding Pictures of VST Instruments to the Media Rack on page 425 VST Instrument Context Menu on page 464 Hiding/Showing VST Instrument Control Panels on page 460 Hiding/Showing VST Instrument Control Panels When you add a VST instrument, the respective plug-in control panel opens automatically. You can hide the control panels from view. This is useful to get a better overview if you added a number of plug-ins to your project whose control panels clutter up the screen. PROCEDURE Select Window > Hide Plug-in Windows. NOTE This also hides VST effect control panels. RESULT The plug-in windows are hidden and sent to the back of the application. To show them again, select Show Plug-in Windows. RELATED LINKS VST Instrument Control Panel on page 459 Closing All Control Panels When you add a VST instrument, the respective plug-in control panel opens automatically. You can close all control panels at once. PROCEDURE Select Window > Close All Plug-in Windows. NOTE This also closes VST effect control panels. RESULT The control panels are closed. RELATED LINKS VST Instrument Control Panel on page 459 VST Instrument Selector The VST instrument selector allows you to select VST instruments of the active collection. To open the VST instrument selector, do one of the following: 460 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments Creating Instrument Tracks Select Studio > VST Instruments, and click Add Rack Instrument. Select Studio > VST Instruments, click Add Track Instrument, and open the Instrument pop-up menu. The following controls are available: 1 Expand Tree/Collapse Tree Expands/Collapses the tree. 2 Search VST Instrument Allows you to search for VST instruments by typing in the name or parts of the name or the category. 3 Plug-in Collections and Options Allows you to select a collection. If you select the Default collection, the options Sort By Category and Sort by Vendor become available. These allow you to sort the default collection. Creating Instrument Tracks You can create instrument tracks that hold dedicated VST instruments. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Click Instrument. 3. Open the Instrument pop-up menu and select a VST instrument. 4. Click Add Track. RESULT The selected VST instrument is loaded for the instrument track. In the MixConsole, an instrument channel is added. VST Instruments in the Right Zone The VST Instruments in the right zone of the Project window allow you to add VST instruments for MIDI and instrument tracks. All instruments that are used in your project are shown. You can access up to 8 quick controls for each added instrument. To open the VST Instruments in the right zone, click Show/Hide Right Zone on the Project window toolbar, and at the top of the right zone, click the VSTi tab. 461 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments VST Instruments Window NOTE The VST Instruments in the right zone are just another representation of the VST Instruments window. All features are the same. RELATED LINKS Showing/Hiding Zones on page 31 Project Window Toolbar on page 32 VST Instruments Window The VST Instruments window allows you to add VST instruments for MIDI and instrument tracks. All instruments that are used in your project are shown. You can access up to 8 quick controls for each added instrument. To open the VST Instruments window, select Studio > VST Instruments. RELATED LINKS Instrument Tracks on page 98 VST Instruments Window Toolbar The VST Instruments window toolbar contains controls that allow you to add and set up VST instruments and VST Quick Controls. Add Track Instrument Opens the Add Track dialog that allows you to select an instrument and add an instrument track that is associated to this instrument. 462 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments VST Instrument Controls Find Instruments Opens a selector that allows you to find a loaded instrument. Set Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls to Previous Instrument Allows you to set the remote-control focus to the previous instrument. Set Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls to Next Instrument Allows you to set the remote-control focus to the next instrument. Show/Hide all VST Quick Controls Shows/Hides the default quick controls for all loaded instruments. Settings Opens the Settings menu where you can activate/deactivate the following modes: Show VST Quick Controls for One Slot Only shows the VST Quick Controls exclusively for the selected instrument. MIDI Channel follows track selection ensures that the Channel selector follows the MIDI track selection in the Project window. Use this mode if you work with multitimbral instruments. Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls follows track selection ensures that the VST Quick Controls remote-control focus follows the track selection. VST Instrument Controls The VST instrument controls allow you to make settings for a loaded VST instrument. The following controls are available on each instrument: 1 Activate Instrument Activates/Deactivates the instrument. 2 Edit Instrument Opens the instrument panel. 3 Freeze Instrument Freezes the instrument. This allows you to save CPU power. 4 Instrument selector Allows you to select another instrument. Double-click to rename the instrument. The name is shown in the window in the Output Routing pop-up menu for MIDI tracks. This is useful when you work with several instances of the same instrument. 5 Preset Browser Allows you to load or save an instrument preset. 6 Input Options 463 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments Presets for Instruments This lights up when MIDI data is received by the instrument. Click this button to open a pop-up menu that allows you to select, mute/unmute, and solo/unsolo for tracks that send MIDI to the instrument (inputs). NOTE If you resize the VST Instruments window, you can access this option by using an Input/ Output Options pop-up menu. 7 Activate Outputs This control is only available if the instrument provides more than one output. It allows you to activate one or more outputs for the instrument. NOTE If you resize the VST Instruments window, you can access this option by using an Input/ Output Options pop-up menu. 8 Read Automation/Write Automation Allows you to read/write automation for the instrument parameter settings. 9 Select Quick Control Layer Allows you to select a program. RELATED LINKS Freezing Instruments on page 467 VST Instrument Context Menu The following functions are available in the instruments context menu: Copy <VST instrument name> Setting/Paste <VST instrument name> Setting Allows you to copy the instrument settings and paste them to another instrument. Load Preset/Save Preset Allows you to load/save an instrument preset. Default Preset Allows you to define and save a default preset. Switch to A Setting/Switch to B Setting Activates the setting A or B. Copy A to B Copies the effect parameters of effect setting A to effect setting B. Activate Outputs Allows you to activate one or more outputs for the instrument. Remote Control Editor Opens the Remote Control Editor. Presets for Instruments You can load and save presets for instruments. These contain all the settings that are required for the sound that you want. The following presets for instruments are available: 464 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments Presets for Instruments VST Presets VST presets include the parameter settings of a VST instrument. These are available from the VST Instruments window, from the instrument control panels, and from the Programs field in the Inspector. Track Presets Track presets include the instrument track settings and the settings for the corresponding VST instrument. These are available from the Inspector or the track list context menu. Loading VST Presets You can load VST Presets from the VST Instruments window, from the control panel or from the Inspector. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Select the track that contains the VST instrument, and in the Inspector, click the Programs field. In the VST Instruments window, click Preset Browser for the instrument, and select Load Preset. In the control panel for the VST instrument, click Preset Browser, and select Load Preset. 2. In the preset browser, select a preset from the list and double-click it to load it. RESULT The preset is applied. To return to the previously loaded preset, open the preset browser again and click Revert to Last Setting. Saving VST Presets You can save your settings on VST instruments as VST presets for further use. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: In the VST Instruments window, click Preset Browser for the instrument, and select Save Preset. In the control panel for the VST instrument, click Preset Browser, and select Save Preset. 2. In the Save <VST instrument name> Preset dialog, enter a name for the preset. 3. Click OK to save the preset and close the dialog. Loading Track Presets You can load track presets for instrument tracks from the Inspector. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Select the instrument track, and in the Inspector, click the Load Track Preset field. Right-click the instrument track, and from the context menu, select Load Track Preset. 465 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments Presets for Instruments 2. In the preset browser, select a preset from the list and double-click it to load it. RESULT The track preset is applied. To return to the previously loaded preset, open the preset browser again and click Revert to Last Setting. Instrument Presets Results Browser The Results browser for instrument track presets allows you to preview VST presets and apply them to your instrument track. To open the Results browser, right-click an instrument track, and select Load Track Preset. VST presets for instruments can be divided into the following groups: Presets Presets contain the settings of the entire plug-in. For multitimbral instruments, this includes the settings for all sound slots as well as the global settings. Programs Programs contain only the settings for one program. For multitimbral instruments, this includes only the settings for one sound slot. Saving Track Presets You can save your settings on instrument tracks as track presets for further use. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click the instrument track, and from the context menu, select Save Track Preset. 2. In the Save Track Preset dialog, enter a name for the preset. 3. Click OK to save the preset and close the dialog. 466 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments Playing Back VST Instruments Playing Back VST Instruments After you have added a VST instrument and selected a sound, you can play back the VST instrument using the instrument or MIDI track in your project. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, activate Monitor for the track that has the VST instrument loaded. 2. Press one or more keys on your MIDI keyboard or use the On-Screen Keyboard. The corresponding sounds are triggered on your VST instrument. 3. Select Studio > MixConsole to open the MixConsole and adjust the sound, add EQ or effects, assign another output routing, etc. VST Instruments and Processor Load VST instruments can consume a lot of CPU power. The more instruments you add, the more likely you will run out of processor power during playback. If the CPU overload indicator in the Audio Performance window lights up or you get crackling sounds, you have the following options: Activate Freeze Instrument Channel. This renders the instrument into an audio file and unloads it. Activate Suspend VST 3 plug-in processing when no audio signals are received for VST 3 instruments. This ensures that your instruments do not consume CPU power on silent passages. RELATED LINKS Freezing Instruments on page 467 Suspend VST 3 plug-in processing when no audio signals are received on page 727 Freezing Instruments If you are using a moderately powerful computer or a large number of VST instruments, your computer may not be able to play back all instruments in real time. At this point, you can freeze instruments. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Select Studio > VST Instruments. Select the instrument track and open the top Inspector section. 2. Click Freeze. 3. In the Freeze Instrument Options dialog, make your changes. 4. Click OK. RESULT The instrument is rendered to an audio file, and on playback you hear the same sound as before freezing. Less CPU load is used. The Freeze button lights up. The MIDI/instrument track controls are grayed out. The MIDI parts are locked. 467 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments Latency NOTE To edit the tracks, parameters, or synth channels again, and to delete the rendered file, unfreeze the instrument by clicking Freeze again. Freeze Instrument Options Dialog The Freeze Instrument Options dialog opens when you click Freeze. It allows you to specify exactly what should happen if you freeze an instrument. The following controls can be found in the Freeze Instrument Options dialog: Freeze Instrument Only Activate this option if you still want to be able to edit insert effects on the synth channel after freezing the instrument. Freeze Instrument and Channels Activate this option if you do not need to edit the insert effects on your synth channels. NOTE You can still adjust level, pan, sends, and EQ. Tail Size Allows you to set a tail size time to let sounds complete their normal release cycle. Latency The term latency stands for the time it takes for the instrument to produce a sound when you press a key on your MIDI controller. It can be an issue when using VST instruments in real time. Latency depends on your audio hardware and its ASIO driver. In the Studio Setup dialog (VST Audio System page), the input and output latency values should ideally be a few milliseconds. If the latency is too high to allow comfortable real time VST instrument playback from a keyboard, you can use another MIDI sound source for live playback and recording, and switch to the VST instrument for playback. RELATED LINKS Selecting an Audio Driver on page 14 Delay Compensation During playback, Cubase automatically compensates any delay inherent in the VST plug-ins you use. You can specify a Delay Compensation Threshold in the Preferences dialog (VST page), so that only plug-ins with a delay higher than this threshold setting are affected. Constrain Delay Compensation To avoid that Cubase adds latency when you play a VST instrument in real time or record live audio, you can activate Constrain Delay Compensation. This minimizes the latency effects of the delay compensation, while maintaining the sound of the mix as far as possible. Constrain Delay Compensation is available on the Project window toolbar and in the Transport zone. You can also find it as a menu item in the MixConsole on the Functions Menu. 468 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments Import and Export Options Activating Constrain Delay Compensation turns off VST plug-ins that are activated for VST instrument channels, audio track channels that are record-enabled, group channels, and output channels. VST plug-ins that are activated for FX channels are disregarded. After recording or using a VST instrument, Constrain Delay Compensation should be deactivated again in order to restore full delay compensation. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Import and Export Options Importing MIDI Loops You can import MIDI loops (file extension .midiloop) in Cubase. These files contain MIDI part information (MIDI notes, controllers, etc.) and all the settings that are saved in instrument track presets. This way, you can reuse instrument patterns in other projects or applications, for example. PROCEDURE 1. Select Media > MediaBay. 2. Optional: On the toolbar, open the Select Media Types menu, and activate MIDI Loops and Plug-in Presets. 3. In the Results list, select a MIDI loop and drag it to an empty section in the Project window. RESULT An instrument track is created and the instrument part is inserted at the position where you dragged the file. The Inspector reflects all settings that are saved in the MIDI loop, for example, the VST instrument that was used, applied insert effects, track parameters, etc. NOTE You can also drag MIDI loops onto existing instrument or MIDI tracks. However, this only imports the part information. This means this part only contains the MIDI data (notes, controllers) that is saved in the MIDI loop, but no Inspector settings or instrument parameters. RELATED LINKS Presets for Instruments on page 464 Filtering According to Media Type on page 433 469 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments Import and Export Options Exporting MIDI Loops You can export MIDI loops to save a MIDI part together with its instrument and effect settings. This allows you to reproduce patterns that you created without having to search for the correct sound, style, or effect. MIDI loops have the file extension .midiloop. PROCEDURE 1. Select an instrument part. 2. Select File > Export > MIDI Loop. 3. In the Save MIDI Loop dialog, enter a name for the MIDI loop. 4. Optional: To save attributes for the MIDI loop, click the button below the New MIDI Loop section at the bottom left. The Attribute Inspector section opens, allowing you to define attributes for your MIDI loop. 5. Click OK. RESULT MIDI loop files are saved in the following folder: Windows: \Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\MIDI Loops macOS: /Users/<user name>/Library/Application Support/Steinberg/MIDI Loops/ The default folder cannot be changed. However, you can create subfolders within this folder to organize your MIDI loops. To create a subfolder, click New Folder in the Save MIDI Loop dialog. Exporting Instrument Tracks as MIDI Files You can export instrument tracks as standard MIDI files. PROCEDURE 1. Select an instrument track. 2. Select File > Export > MIDI File. 3. In the Export MIDI File dialog, select a location and enter a name for the MIDI file. 4. Click Save. 5. In the Export Options dialog, make your changes. If you activate Export Inspector Volume/Pan, volume and pan information of the VST instrument are converted and written into the MIDI file as controller data. 6. Click OK. RESULT The instrument track is exported as standard MIDI file. As there is no MIDI patch information in an instrument track, this information is missing in the resulting MIDI file. RELATED LINKS Exporting MIDI Tracks as Standard MIDI Files on page 126 470 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments VST Quick Controls VST Quick Controls VST Quick Controls allow you to remote-control a VST instrument from within the VST Instruments window. To show the VST Quick Controls on the VST Instruments window, activate Show/Hide all VST Quick Controls. The following controls are available on each rack: 1 Show/Hide VST Quick Controls Allows you to show/hide the VST Quick Controls for the instrument. 2 VST Quick Controls Allow you to remote-control the parameters of the instrument. NOTE The number of VST Quick Controls that are shown depends on the size of the VST Instruments window. 3 Set Remote-Control Focus for VST Quick Controls Allows you to activate the VST Quick Controls to remote-control the instrument. RELATED LINKS Remote Controlling Cubase on page 479 Connecting VST Quick Controls with Remote Controllers on page 471 Connecting VST Quick Controls with Remote Controllers VST Quick Controls become powerful if you use them together with a remote controller. PREREQUISITE The MIDI output on your remote unit is connected to a MIDI input on your MIDI interface. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select VST Quick Controls. 3. Open the MIDI Input pop-up menu, and select a MIDI input. 4. Optional: Open the MIDI Output pop-up menu, and select a MIDI output. 5. Click Apply. 6. Activate Learn. 7. In the Control Name column, select QuickControl 1. 8. On your MIDI device, move the control that you want to connect with the first quick control. 9. Select the next slot in the Control Name column and repeat the previous steps. 10. Click OK. 471 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST Instruments VST Quick Controls RESULT The VST Quick Controls are now connected with control elements on your MIDI device. If you move a control element, the value of the parameter that is assigned to the corresponding VST Quick Controls changes accordingly. NOTE The remote controller setup for VST Quick Controls is saved globally, that is, it is independent of any projects. RELATED LINKS Generic Remote Page on page 483 472 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Installing and Managing VST Plug-ins Cubase supports the VST 2 and VST 3 plug-in standards. You can install effects and instruments that comply with these formats. NOTE Cubase only supports 64-bit plug-ins. A plug-in is a piece of software that adds a specific functionality to Cubase. The audio effects and instruments that are used in Cubase are VST plug-ins. VST effect or VST instrument plug-ins normally have their own installation application. Read the documentation or readme files before installing new plug-ins. When you scan for newly installed plug-ins or relaunch Cubase, the new plug-ins are shown on the VST effect or VST instrument selectors, respectively. Cubase comes with a number of effect plug-ins included. These effects and their parameters are described in the separate document Plug-in Reference. Plug-ins and Collections The VST Plug-in Manager shows the VST effects and VST instruments that are installed on your computer. In Cubase, plug-ins are arranged in collections. Only one collection can be active at the same time. The plug-ins contained in the active collection are shown in the selectors all over the program. When you launch Cubase, all plug-ins that are found are automatically placed in the Default collection. This is the collection of plug-ins that is active by default. The Default collection is created each time you start Cubase or you initiate a rescan. You can, however, add your own VST effect or VST instrument collections. This is useful if you only want to see the specific plug-ins that are used in a specific project, for example. When you activate this collection, all VST effects and VST instruments of this collection are shown in the selectors for VST effects or VST instruments. NOTE If an installed VST effect or a VST instrument could not be loaded by Cubase, it is not shown on the VST Effects tab or the VST Instruments tab, and grayed out in any collection. In this case, verify if that plug-in is copy-protected. RELATED LINKS VST Plug-in Manager Window on page 474 Adding New Plug-in Collections on page 476 473 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Installing and Managing VST Plug-ins Plug-ins and Collections VST Plug-in Manager Window You can manage VST effects and VST instruments in the VST Plug-in Manager window. To open the VST Plug-in Manager window, select Studio > VST Plug-in Manager. The VST Plug-in Manager is divided into the following sections: VST Effects Lists all VST effects that are loaded in Cubase. To sort the list by a specific attribute, click the corresponding column header. VST Instruments Lists all VST instruments that are loaded in Cubase. To sort the list by a specific attribute, click the corresponding column header. Blocklist Lists all VST effects and VST instruments that are installed on your system but not loaded in Cubase, because they might lead to stability problems or even cause the program to crash. Toolbar Shows tools and shortcuts for functions in the VST Plug-in Manager. Active collection Shows the active collection. The plug-ins of the active collection are shown in the selectors for VST effects and VST instruments. Show VST Plug-in Information Shows information about the selected plug-in. VST 2 Plug-in Path Settings Shows the path of the selected VST 2 plug-in. Plug-in Report Opens the File Explorer/macOS Finder that allows you to save a text file that contains information about your system as well as plug-in information. This is useful for troubleshooting, for example. RELATED LINKS Plug-ins and Collections on page 473 VST Audio System Page on page 15 VST Plug-in Manager Toolbar on page 475 VST 2 Plug-in Path Settings on page 476 Hiding Plug-ins on page 477 Reactivating Plug-ins from the Blocklist on page 477 474 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Installing and Managing VST Plug-ins Plug-ins and Collections VST Plug-in Manager Toolbar Shows tools and shortcuts for functions in the VST Plug-in Manager. To open the VST Plug-in Manager window, select Studio > VST Plug-in Manager. Search field Allows you to search for specific plug-ins on the VST Effects tab or on the VST Instruments tab by typing in their name. Display Options Allows you to choose which plug-ins are shown: Show All Plug-ins shows all loaded plug-ins. Hide Plug-ins That Are in Active Collection hides all plug-ins that are part of the active collection. Show Plug-ins That Support 64-Bit Float Processing shows all VST 3 plug-ins that support 64-bit float processing. New Folder Creates a new folder in the current collection. Delete Deletes the selected item in the current collection. New Collection Creates a new collection. Empty creates a new, empty collection. Add All Plug-ins creates a new collection that contains all VST effects or VST instruments respectively. Copy Current Collection creates a new collection that contains the current collection. Plug-in Collections and Options Default activates the default collection. New Collection allows you to create a new collection. Remove Unavailable Plug-ins from All Collections removes all plug-ins that are not available from all user-created collections. Sort By Category sorts the collection by category. NOTE This option is only available for the Default collection. Sort By Vendor sorts the collection by vendor. NOTE This option is only available for the Default collection. 475 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Installing and Managing VST Plug-ins Adding New Plug-in Collections VST 2 Plug-in Path Settings Shows information about the selected VST 2 plug-in path. To open the VST 2 Plug-in Path Settings, select Studio > VST Plug-in Manager, and click VST 2 Plug-in Path Settings. VST 2 Plug-in path list Shows all VST 2 plug-in paths. Add Path Allows you to add a new VST 2 plug-in path. Delete Path Deletes the selected VST 2 plug-in path. Reset Resets the list to default. Rescan All Rescans the plug-in list. Adding New Plug-in Collections You can add new collections of VST effects or VST instruments. PREREQUISITE A number of effect plug-ins is installed on your computer, and these plug-ins are listed in the VST Plug-in Manager on the VST Effects tab and the VST Instruments tab. PROCEDURE 1. In the VST Plug-in Manager toolbar, click New Collection, and select an option. 2. In the New Collection dialog, enter a name for the new collection and click OK. 3. Optional: Click New Folder. You can then move your plug-ins into these folders to organize them by categories, for example. 4. Enter a name for the new folder and click OK. 5. On the VST Effects tab or the VST Instruments tab, select the plug-ins that you want to add to the collection, and drag them in the new collection. If you created folders, you can drag the plug-ins directly into folders. 476 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Installing and Managing VST Plug-ins Hiding Plug-ins RESULT The new collection is saved. If you select it, its plug-ins are shown in the plug-in selectors. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To remove a plug-in from a collection, select it and click Remove. RELATED LINKS Plug-ins and Collections on page 473 VST Plug-in Manager Window on page 474 Hiding Plug-ins You can hide plug-ins from all collections. This is useful if you have plug-ins installed on your computer that you do not want to use in Cubase. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > VST Plug-in Manager. 2. On the VST Effects tab or on the VST Instruments tab, select the plug-ins that you want to hide from view. 3. Click Show VST Plug-in Information to show information about the selected plug-in. 4. Activate Hide. RESULT The selected plug-in is hidden from view. RELATED LINKS ASIO-Guard on page 704 Reactivating Plug-ins from the Blocklist You can reactivate 64-bit plug-ins that are on the blocklist. PROCEDURE 1. On the Blocklist tab, select the plug-ins that you want to reactivate. NOTE You cannot reactivate 32-bit plug-ins, because they are not supported. 2. Click Reactivate. RESULT Cubase rescans the plug-in and removes it from the blocklist. 477 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Installing and Managing VST Plug-ins Reactivating Plug-ins from the Blocklist AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK If you want to move the plug-in back to the blocklist, click Rescan All in the VST 2 Plug-in Path Settings, and restart Cubase. RELATED LINKS VST Plug-in Manager Window on page 474 478 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase You can control Cubase via MIDI with a connected MIDI device. The supported devices are described in the separate document Remote Control Devices. You can also use a generic MIDI controller to remote-control Cubase. NOTE Most remote-control devices are able to control both MIDI and audio channels in Cubase, but the parameter setup may be different. Audio-specific controls such as EQ are disregarded when controlling MIDI channels. RELATED LINKS Generic Remote Page on page 483 Connecting Remote Devices You can connect your remote device via USB or via MIDI. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: If your remote device provides a USB MIDI port, use a USB cable to connect it to the USB port of your computer. If your remote device provides a MIDI output, use a MIDI cable to connect it to a MIDI input on your MIDI interface. NOTE If the remote unit features feedback devices such as indicators, motorized faders, etc., connect a MIDI Out on the interface to a MIDI In on the remote unit. RELATED LINKS MIDI Connections on page 20 Removing the Remote Input from All MIDI Inputs To avoid that you accidentally record data from the remote unit when you record MIDI, you must remove the remote input from All MIDI Inputs. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select MIDI Port Setup. 479 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Setting up Remote Devices 3. In the table on the right, deactivate In `All MIDI Inputs' for the MIDI input to which you have connected the MIDI remote unit. The State column reads Inactive. 4. Click OK. RESULT The remote unit input is removed from the All MIDI Inputs group. RELATED LINKS MIDI Port Setup Page on page 21 Setting up Remote Devices PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. Click + in the top left corner and select a remote device from the pop-up menu to add it to the Devices list. NOTE If your device is not available in the pop-up menu, select Generic Remote. 3. In the Devices list, select the device. Depending on the selected device, either a list of programmable function commands or a blank panel is shown in the right half of the dialog window. 4. Open the MIDI Input pop-up menu and select a MIDI input. 5. Optional: Open the MIDI Output pop-up menu and select a MIDI output. 6. Click OK. RESULT You can now use the MIDI device to control Cubase functions. 480 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Setting up Remote Devices A bright stripe in the Project window and in the MixConsole indicates which channels are linked to the remote-control device. You can open a panel for the added device by selecting Studio > More Options. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Depending on your external MIDI control device, you might need to configure the parameters. Resetting Remote Devices Sometimes you must reset remote devices, because the communication between Cubase and a remote device was interrupted or the handshaking protocol fails to create a connection. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select the remote device. 3. Click Reset in the lower part of the Studio Setup dialog to reset the selected remote device. NOTE To reset all devices in the Devices list, click Send Reset Message to All Devices in the top left of the dialog. Global Options for Remote Controllers On the page for your remote device, global functions may be available. 481 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Remote Devices and Automation MIDI Input Allows you to select a MIDI input. MIDI Output Allows you to select a MIDI output. User Commands Lists the controls or buttons of your remote device. Smart Switch Delay Allows you to specify a delay for the smart switch function. Functions that support the smart switch behavior are activated for as long as the button is pressed. Enable Auto Select On touch-sensitive remote control devices, this automatically selects a channel when you touch a fader. On devices without touch-sensitive faders, the channel gets selected as soon as you move the fader. Remote Devices and Automation You can write automation using remote devices. If your remote device does not have touch-sensitive controls and you want to replace existing automation data in Write mode, consider the following: Make sure that you move only the controller that you want to replace. Stop playback to deactivate Write mode. This way, all data for the corresponding parameter is replaced from the position where you moved the control, up to the position where you stop playback. Assigning Commands to Remote Devices You can assign any Cubase command to which a key command can be assigned to remote devices. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select your remote device. In the User Commands section, the controls or buttons of your remote device are listed in the Button column. 482 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Generic Remote Page 3. Click in the Category column for the control to which you want to assign a Cubase command, and select the category from the pop-up menu. The categories correspond to the categories in the Key Commands dialog. 4. Click in the Command column, and select the Cubase command from the pop-up menu. The available items on the pop-up menu depend on the selected category. 5. Click Apply. RESULT The selected function is assigned to the button or control on the remote device. RELATED LINKS Key Commands on page 680 Generic Remote Page You can use a generic MIDI controller to remote-control almost any function in Cubase. After setting up the Generic Remote device, you can control the specified parameters from the MIDI remote device. To open the Generic Remote page, select Studio > Studio Setup, and from the Devices list, select Generic Remote. 483 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Generic Remote Page The following options are available: MIDI Input Allows you to select the MIDI input port to which your remote device is connected. MIDI Output Allows you to select the MIDI output port to which your remote device is connected. MIDI Remote Control Configuration The upper table shows the MIDI remote-control configuration of your remote device. Cubase Control Assignment The lower table allows you to assign Cubase controls to your remote device. RELATED LINKS MIDI Remote Control Configuration Section on page 484 Cubase Control Assignment Section on page 486 MIDI Remote Control Configuration Section The MIDI remote-control configuration section is shown in the upper table of the Generic Remote setup page. To open the Generic Remote settings, select Studio > Studio Setup, and from the Devices list, select Generic Remote. 484 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Generic Remote Page The following options are available in the upper table: Control Name Double-click this field to change the name for the control, and enter the one written on the console, for example. This name is automatically reflected in the lower table. MIDI Status Allows you to specify the type of MIDI message sent by the control. MIDI Channel Allows you to select the MIDI channel on which the controller is transmitted. Address Allows you to specify the continuous controller number, the pitch of a note, or the address of an NRPN/RPN continuous controller. Max. Value Allows you to specify the maximum value that the control transmits. This value is used by the program to scale the value range of the MIDI controller to the value range of the program parameter. Flags Allows you to select one of the following flags: Receive Activate this if the MIDI message should be processed on reception. Transmit Activate this if a MIDI message should be transmitted when the corresponding value in the program changes. Relative Activate this if the control is an endless rotary encoder, which reports the number of turns instead of an absolute value. Pick-up Activate this if you want the control to pick up the parameter at the value to which it was last set. The buttons and options to the right of the table have the following function: Import Allows you to import saved remote setup files. Export Allows you to export the current setup with the file extension .xml. Add Adds controls to the bottom of the table. 485 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Generic Remote Page Delete Deletes the selected control from the table. Learn Allows you to assign MIDI messages by learning. Cubase Control Assignment Section You can specify the Cubase control assignment section in the lower table of the Generic Remote setup page. Each row in the table is assigned to the controller in the corresponding row in the MIDI remote-control configuration table. To open the Generic Remote settings, select Studio > Studio Setup, and from the Devices list, select Generic Remote. The following options are available: Control Name Reflects the control name selected in the upper table. Device Allows you to select the Cubase device that you want to control. Channel/Category Allows you to select the channel or the command category that you want to control. Value/Action Allows you to select the parameter of the channel that you want to control. If the Command device is selected, this is where you specify the Action of the category. Flags Allows you to select one of the following flags: Push Button Activate this if the parameter should only be changed if the received MIDI message shows a value unequal to 0. Toggle Activate this if the parameter value should be switched between minimum and maximum value each time a MIDI message is received. You can combine Push Button and Toggle for remote controls which do not latch the state of a button. This is useful if you want to control the mute status with a device on which pressing the mute button turns it on, and releasing the mute button turns it off. Not Automated Activate this if the parameter value should not be automated. The buttons to the right of the table have the following function: 486 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Generic Remote Page Bank pop-up menu Allows you to switch banks. This is necessary if your MIDI control device has 16 volume faders, and you are using 32 MixConsole channels in Cubase, for example. Rename Allows you to rename the selected bank. Add Adds banks to the pop-up menu. Delete Deletes the selected bank from the pop-up menu. RELATED LINKS Assignable Devices and Functions on page 487 Assignable Devices and Functions The Device column in the Cubase control assignment section lists the Cubase devices that you can control. Command Allows you to assign the Cubase commands to which a key command can be assigned. If you select Add Track in the Channel/Category column, and Audio in the Value/Action column, you can add audio tracks using your MIDI device, for example. VST Quick Controls Manager Allows you to assign VST Quick Controls. If you select Device in the Channel/ Category column, and one of the Quick Control options in the Value/Action column, you can control that VST quick control using your MIDI device. Mixer Allows you to control MixConsole functions. If you select one of the available channels or Selected in the Channel/Category column, and one of the options in the Value/Action column, you can control that function of that specific channel or of the selected channel using your MIDI device. Transport Allows you to control the transport functions. If you select Device in the Channel/ Category column, and one of the options in the Value/Action column, you can control that function using your MIDI device. Metronome Allows you to control metronome functions. If you select Device in the Channel/ Category column, and one of the options in the Value/Action column, you can control that function using your MIDI device. VST Mixer Allows you to control MixConsole functions. If you select one of the available channels or Selected in the Channel/Category column, and one of the options in the Value/Action column, you can control that function of that specific channel or of the selected channel using your MIDI device. NOTE You can also control all VST Instruments that you added in the Project window, and that are listed in the Device column. 487 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Remote Control Editor Assigning MIDI Messages in Learn Mode You can assign MIDI messages in Learn mode. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select Generic Remote. 3. Activate Learn. 4. Select the control in the upper table, and move the corresponding control on your MIDI device. RESULT The values for MIDI Status, MIDI Channel, and Address are automatically set to those of the moved control. NOTE If you use the Learn function for a control that sends a program change value, Prog. Change Trigger is automatically selected in the MIDI Status pop-up menu. This allows you to use the different values of a program change parameter to control different parameters in Cubase. If this does not give you the result you want, try using the Prog. Change value instead. Remote Control Editor The Remote Control Editor allows you to define your own mapping of VST plug-in parameters to the controls of the supported hardware controllers. This is useful if you think that the automatic mapping of plug-in parameters to remote control devices is not too intuitive. To open the Remote Control Editor, right-click the plug-in panel of the plug-in that you want to remote-control, and select Remote Control Editor. 488 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Remote Control Editor 1 Inspector Contains the settings and the parameter assignment for the selected cell. The upper section contains settings for the text label. The lower section contains settings for the knob and the switches. 2 Layout Selection Shows the name of the layout. Click to select a different layout. 3 Set up Cell Layout Opens the Cell Layout Configuration, where you can specify the number of cells per page, and select the switch layout that you want to use for the pages. To specify the number of switches for a cell, activate/deactivate them. 4 Add New Hardware Layout Adds a new layout for a particular hardware type. To remove a hardware layout, click its Close button. 5 Layout section Shows layouts that represent the hardware devices that are used to remote-control the plug-in parameters. Here you can change the parameter assignments, the name in the text label, the cell setup, and the order of cells and pages. 6 Toolbar Shows tools for setting up the layout. 7 Status Bar Shows information on an element when you position the mouse pointer over it in the editor window. RELATED LINKS Remote Control Editor Toolbar on page 490 489 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Remote Control Editor Remote Control Editor Toolbar Shows tools for setting up the layout. Remove All Assignments Removes all parameter assignments. Get Default Factory Layout/Copy Layout from Other Tab Reverts to the default settings for the current layout or copies the settings of one layout page to another. Activate/Deactivate Learn Mode Activates/Deactivates Learn mode for the Remote Control Editor. Activate/Deactivate Assignment Inspection View Shows the current assignment of all cells in a layout. Apply Current Layout Saves the settings. If the hardware supports this function, the changes are immediately reflected on the hardware controllers. Control Settings You can define the control style for switches or knobs to which you have assigned a function. This includes changing the LED ring or changing its behavior, from continuous value representation to on/off, for example. To open the Control Settings panel, right-click the control. NOTE Not all hardware devices support all control type settings. Control Type Settings for Knobs The following control types are available for knobs: Standard A standard knob with undefined LED style. Toggle Switch A knob with 2 states. 490 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Remote Control Editor LED Ring An LED ring around the knob. The setting increases clockwise. LED Ring (counter-clockwise) An LED ring around the knob. The setting increases counter-clockwise. Center Width An LED ring that starts at the top center position, and when the settings increase, an LED is shown growing in both directions. Center Neutral A dial that starts at the top center position and can be moved left or right, like a pan control, for example. Single Dot An LED ring around the knob. The setting increases clockwise with a dot indicating the current value. Control Type Settings for Switches The following options are available for switches: Momentary Activates the assigned function as long as you hold the switch. Increasing Stepwise Steps through the available settings until the maximum is reached. Decreasing Stepwise Steps through the available settings in reverse order until the minimum is reached. Increasing Stepwise (cycle) Steps through the available settings, starting over with the minimum value when the maximum is reached. Decreasing Stepwise (cycle) Steps through the available settings in reverse order, starting over with the maximum value when the minimum is reached. Smart Switch Switches between 2 states every time you press the switch. Enters Momentary mode if you hold the switch. Invert Control Value Inverts the control state/value. Hide When Inactive Hides plug-in parameters when they are inactive or disabled. 491 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase Remote Control Editor Assigning Parameters to Controls PROCEDURE 1. On the Remote Control Editor toolbar, click Activate/Deactivate Learn Mode. 2. Select the control that you want to assign to a plug-in parameter. 3. Do one of the following: Click a parameter on the plug-in panel. Double-click on a control in the Remote Control Editor, and select a parameter from the list of available plug-in parameters. 4. Press Esc to end Learn mode. RESULT The parameter is assigned to the control. NOTE To remove the parameter assignment for a cell, activate Learn mode, select the cell, and press Delete or Backspace. RELATED LINKS Remote Control Editor Toolbar on page 490 Editing the Layout In the layout section, you can perform a number of editing operations and arrange the pages to your liking. To navigate from cell to cell, use the cursor keys. To step through the controls within the cells in Learn mode, press Shift and use the cursor keys. To step through the different layouts, use Tab and Shift-Tab. To copy the settings of one cell to another, select a cell, press Alt and drag it to another cell. To move a cell, drag it to an empty cell. To swap the contents of 2 cells, press Ctrl/Cmd and drag one cell to the other. NOTE Drag and drop also works between different pages. To add a page to a layout, click Add New Page. To remove a page, click Remove Current Page. To specify the label for a cell, use the top 3 text fields in the Inspector. The first text field shows the long name, as it is shown in the cell. In the second field, you can enter a name that can contain up to 8 characters, and up to 4 characters in the third. 492 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Remote Controlling Cubase VST Quick Controls NOTE This is useful if your hardware devices have value fields that only display a limited number of characters, for example. VST Quick Controls If you have an external remote control device, you can control up to 8 parameters of a VST instrument, using the VST Quick Controls feature in Cubase. RELATED LINKS VST Quick Controls on page 471 493 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Realtime Parameters MIDI realtime means that you can change or transform MIDI events on MIDI or instrument tracks before they are sent to the MIDI outputs. This allows you to change the way MIDI data is played back. The actual MIDI events on the track are not affected. Therefore, MIDI realtime changes are not reflected in any MIDI editor. The following functions allow you to change MIDI events in real time: MIDI track parameters MIDI modifiers Transpose and Velocity on the info line NOTE If you want to convert the track settings to real MIDI events, select MIDI > Freeze MIDI Modifiers or MIDI > Merge MIDI in Loop. RELATED LINKS Merging MIDI Events into a New Part on page 507 MIDI Track Parameters The MIDI track parameters are located in the topmost Inspector section for MIDI and instrument tracks. These settings either affect the basic functionality for the track (mute, solo, enable record, etc.) or send out additional MIDI data to the connected devices (program change, volume, etc.). The following track parameters allow you to change MIDI events in real time: MIDI Volume MIDI Pan Track Delay RELATED LINKS MIDI Track Inspector on page 106 MIDI Modifiers MIDI modifiers allow you to modify MIDI events during playback. You can use them for the following purposes: To modify already existing MIDI events on MIDI or instrument tracks. To modify MIDI events that you play live. 494 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Realtime Parameters MIDI Modifiers NOTE For live playing, select and record-enable the track, and activate MIDI Thru Active in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). MIDI Modifiers Section To open the MIDI Modifiers section, select a MIDI track, and in the Inspector, click MIDI Modifiers. NOTE If you want to compare the result of your modifier settings with the unprocessed MIDI, you can use the bypass button in the MIDI modifiers section. If this button is activated, the MIDI modifiers settings are temporarily disabled. Transpose Allows you to transpose all notes on the track in semitones. Extreme transpositions can give rather strange and unwanted results. Velocity Shift Allows you to add a velocity value to all notes on the track. Positive values increase the velocity while negative values lower the velocity. Velocity Compression Allows you to add a multiplier to the velocity of all notes on the track. The value is set with a numerator and a denominator. This parameter also affects the velocity differences between the notes, thus compressing or expanding the velocity scale. Values smaller than 1/1 compress the velocity range. Values greater than 1/1 together with negative Velocity Shift values expand the velocity range. IMPORTANT The maximum velocity is always 127, no matter how much you try to expand. NOTE Combine this setting with the Velocity Shift parameter. 495 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Realtime Parameters MIDI Modifiers Length Compression Allows you to add a multiplier to the length of all notes on the track. The value is set with a numerator and a denominator. Random Allows you to introduce random variations to various properties of MIDI notes. Range Allows you to specify a pitch or velocity range and either force all notes to fit within this range, or exclude all notes outside this range from playback. HMT: Follow Activate this option to apply Hermode tuning to the notes played on this track. HMT: Use for Analysis Activate this option to use the notes you played on this track to calculate retuning. Setting up Random Variations You can set up random variations for position, pitch, velocity, and length of MIDI events using one or two random generators. PROCEDURE 1. Select a MIDI or instrument track. 2. In the Inspector, open the MIDI Modifiers section. 3. Open the Random pop-up menu and select the note property you want to randomize. 4. Specify the limits of the randomization in the two number fields. The values will vary between the minimum and maximum value. You cannot set the min value higher than the max value. 5. Optional: Repeat for other random values. 6. Play back the track to hear the randomized events. RESULT The corresponding properties are randomized. NOTE Depending on the track content, certain changes might not be immediately noticeable or might have no effect at all. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Deactivate the random function by opening the Random pop-up menu and selecting OFF. Setting up Ranges You can filter out pitches or velocities that do not match a specified range, or force them to fit a specified range. PROCEDURE 1. Select a MIDI or instrument track. 2. In the Inspector, open the MIDI Modifiers section. 3. Open the Range pop-up menu and select a mode. 4. Set the minimum and maximum values with the two fields to the right. 496 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Realtime Parameters MIDI Modifiers NOTE You can make independent settings for the two Range functions. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To deactivate the function, open the Range pop-up menu and select OFF. Range Modes On the Range pop-up menu, you can select different range modes. Values are shown as numbers, from 0 to 127, for the velocity modes and as note numbers, from C-2 to G8, for the pitch modes. Vel. Limit Allows you to force all velocity values to fit within the range that you specify with the min and max values. Values below the lower limit are set to the min value, velocity values above the higher setting are set to the max value. Vel. Filter Allows you to filter out notes with velocity values below the min value or above the max value. Note Limit Allows you to transpose all notes below the min value upwards and all notes above the max value downwards in octave steps. Note Filter Allows you to filter out notes that are lower than the min value or higher than the max value. Applying Hermode Tuning Hermode tuning changes the tuning of notes that you play. It creates clear frequencies for every fifth and third interval, for example. Retuning only affects individual notes and maintains the pitch relationship between keys and notes. The retuning is a continuous process and takes the musical context into account. PROCEDURE 1. Select a MIDI or instrument track. 2. In the Inspector, open the MIDI Modifiers section. 3. Activate HMT: Follow. 4. Activate HMT: Use for Analysis to use the notes you play to calculate retuning. NOTE If you use tracks with acoustic piano, activate HMT: Use for Analysis and deactivate HMT: Follow. This excludes the piano from being tuned which would sound unnatural. 5. Select Project > Project Setup to open the Project Setup dialog. 6. Open the HMT Type pop-up menu and select one of the options. 7. Play some notes. It may take a moment until all notes are recalculated and you hear the results of the retuning. 497 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Realtime Parameters MIDI Modifiers NOTE Notes that are produced by MIDI plug-ins are not taken into account. RESULT If you use a VST 3 instrument that supports Micro Tuning and Note Expression, notes are retuned dynamically while you play them. For VST instruments that support Note Expression, this also works in MIDI Thru mode. If you use a track that has a VST 2 instrument loaded, the notes you play are retuned on every keystroke. RELATED LINKS Hermode Tuning on page 498 Hermode Tuning You can select different Hermode tuning types. To select a Hermode tuning type, select Project > Project Setup and select an option from the HMT Type pop-up menu. The following options are available: None No tuning is applied. Reference (pure 3/5) Tunes pure thirds and fifths. Classic (pure 3/5 equalized) Tunes pure thirds and fifths. In conflict situations, a slight equalization is applied. This tuning type is suitable for all kinds of music. Pop Jazz (3/5/7) Tunes pure thirds and fifths, and natural sevenths. This tuning type should not be applied to polyphonic music. Try this with pop or jazz. Baroque (3/5 adaptive) Tunes pure thirds and fifths. The degree of purity changes according to the sequence of harmonies. This tuning type is suitable for church organ and polyphonic music. Freezing MIDI Modifiers You can apply all filter settings permanently to the selected track. The settings are applied to the events on the track, and all modifiers are set to zero. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI track. 498 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Realtime Parameters Transpose and Velocity on the Info Line 2. Select MIDI > Freeze MIDI Modifiers. RESULT The following settings are frozen: Several settings in the top section of the Inspector, such as Delay, Program Selector, and Bank Selector. The settings in the MIDI Modifiers section, such as Transpose, Vel. Shift, Vel. Comp., and Len. Comp.. The info line settings Transpose and Velocity. RELATED LINKS MIDI Track Inspector on page 106 Transpose and Velocity on the Info Line You can edit the transposition and the velocity for selected MIDI parts on the info line. This only affects the notes in playback. Use the Transpose field to transpose the selected parts in semitone steps. The value is added to the transposition set for the whole track. Use the Velocity field to offset the velocity for the selected parts. The value is added to the velocities of the notes in the parts. 499 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Using MIDI Devices The MIDI Device Manager allows you to work with MIDI devices, that is, representations of external MIDI hardware. You can install preset MIDI devices or define new ones. This is useful for global control and patch selection. Program Change Messages and Bank Select Messages To select a patch, that is, a sound in your MIDI device you must send a program change message to that device. Program Change Messages You can record program change messages, or enter them in a MIDI part. You can open the Inspector for the MIDI track and select a value in the Program Selector field. Program change messages allow you to select between 128 different patches in your MIDI device. Bank Select Messages Many MIDI instruments, however, contain a larger number of patch locations. To make these available from within Cubase, you must send bank select messages. Bank select messages allow you to select between 128 different programs in your MIDI device. If your device supports MIDI bank select, you can open the Inspector for the MIDI track and select a value in the Bank Selector field to select a bank, and then use the Program Selector field to select a program in this bank. Unfortunately, different instrument manufacturers use different schemes for how bank select messages are constructed, which can lead to some confusion and make it hard to select the correct sound. Also, selecting patches by numbers seems unnecessarily cumbersome, when most instruments use names for their patches nowadays. The MIDI Device Manager allows you to specify which MIDI devices you are using, and to select to which device each MIDI track is routed. This allows you to select patches by name in the track list or Inspector. RELATED LINKS MIDI Device Manager on page 501 500 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Using MIDI Devices Patch Banks Patch Banks The Patch Banks list can have two or more main banks, depending on the selected device. This is due to the fact that different types of patches are handled differently in the instruments. Patches, for example, typically are regular programs that you play one at a time. Performances, however, may be combinations of programs, which could be split across the keyboard, layered, or used for multitimbral playback, and so on. For devices with several banks you can select Bank Assignment to specify which bank a specific MIDI channel should use. The Bank Assignment affects which bank is displayed when you select programs by name for the device in the track list or Inspector. Many instruments use MIDI channel 10 as an exclusive drum channel, for example. If this is the case, select the Drums or Rhythm Set or Percussion bank for channel 10 in this list. This allows you to choose between different drum kits in the track list or Inspector. MIDI Device Manager The MIDI Device Manager allows you to install preset MIDI devices or define new ones. To open the MIDI Device Manager, select Studio > More Options > MIDI Device Manager. Installed Devices list Lists the connected MIDI devices and the imported device setups. Install Device Allows you to install a preset device. These presets are simple patch name scripts that do not include any device mapping of parameters and controls and no graphic panels. 501 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Using MIDI Devices MIDI Device Manager For more information about patch name scripts, see the separate document MIDI Devices. Remove Device Removes the selected device. Export Setup Exports the MIDI device setup as XML file. Import Setup Allows you to import an XML file of a MIDI device setup. Device setups can include device mapping, and/or patch information. Device setups are also added to the list of installed devices when imported. Output Allows you to select a MIDI output for the selected device. Enable Edit Activate this to enable the editing of the selected device. Commands Allows you to edit the selected device. The patch structure for the selected device is shown to the left. MIDI Messages Shows which MIDI messages are sent out to select the patch that is highlighted in the list to the left. Commands for Patches In the MIDI Device Manager, patches can be structured in banks, folders, and presets. NOTE Activate Enable Edit to use the Commands pop-up menu for the selected device. The Commands pop-up menu contains the following items: Create Bank Creates a new bank in the Patch Banks list. You can rename this by clicking on it and typing a new name. If you specify more than one bank, a Bank Assignment button is added next to the Patch Banks button. New Folder Creates a new subfolder in the selected bank or folder. This could correspond to a group of patches in the MIDI device, or just be a way for you to categorize sounds. 502 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Using MIDI Devices MIDI Device Manager New Preset Adds a new preset in the selected bank or folder. If you select it, the corresponding MIDI events are shown to the right. The default program change value for a new preset is 0, but you can adjust the number in the Value column. You can move presets between banks and folders via drag and drop. Add Multiple Presets Allows you to set up a range of presets and add them to the selected bank or folder. NOTE You can remove banks, folders, and presets by selecting them and pressing Backspace. IMPORTANT For details on which MIDI events are used for selecting patches in the MIDI device, consult its documentation. RELATED LINKS Add Preset Functions on page 503 Patch Banks on page 501 Add Preset Functions If you add or select a preset for the selected bank or folder, further functions become available to the right. If you add multiple presets, the Add Multiple Presets dialog opens with further functions. The following columns are available: MIDI Message Name The name of the MIDI message. To change an event, click it, and select another option from the pop-up menu. To add another event, click below the last event, and select an option from the pop-up menu. To remove an event, select it and press Delete or Backspace. IMPORTANT If you insert a Bank Select event, keep in mind that, depending on your device, you must choose CC: BankSelect MSB, Bank Select 14Bit, Bank Select 14Bit MSB-LSB Swapped or some other option. 503 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Using MIDI Devices MIDI Device Manager Value The value of the event. MIDI Message Bytes The message bytes of the event. Valid Range The valid range of the event. Default Name For multiple presets you can specify a default name. The added events will get this name, followed by a number. Installing Preset MIDI Devices You can install preset MIDI devices, that is, patch name scripts that do not include device mapping. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > More Options > MIDI Device Manager. 2. Click Install Device. 3. In the Add MIDI Device dialog, do one of the following: Select the script of the device in the list. Select GM Device or XG Device if your device is not listed, but compatible with these standards, and type in the name of your instrument in the next dialog. 4. Click OK. 5. Select the device in the Installed Devices list, and open the Output pop-up menu. 6. Select the MIDI output that the device is connected to. RESULT The structure of the patch name script is shown. It usually has one or several layers of banks or groups with patches. Selecting Patches for Installed Devices If you installed a device and you select it from the Output Routing pop-up menu for the MIDI track, you can select patches by name. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI track that you want to associate to the installed device, and open the top section of the Inspector. 2. Open the Output Routing pop-up menu, and select the installed device. This routes the MIDI track to the MIDI output specified for the device in the MIDI Device Manager. The Bank Selector and the Program Selector fields are replaced by a single Program Selector field that reads Off. 504 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Using MIDI Devices MIDI Device Manager 3. Open the Program Selector. A program list, similar to the one in the MIDI Device Manager, is shown. 4. Select an entry in the list. RESULT The corresponding MIDI message is sent to the device. Renaming Patches in Devices If you have replaced some of the factory presets with your own patches, you can modify the device so that the patch name list matches the actual device. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > More Options > MIDI Device Manager. 2. Select the device in the Installed Devices list. Make sure that the Patch Banks tab is selected. 3. Activate Enable Edit. 4. In the Patch Banks list, locate the patch you want to rename and click the name. 5. Type in the new name and press Return. RESULT The patch is renamed. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To avoid modifying the device by accident, deactivate Enable Edit. Defining New MIDI Devices You can define new MIDI devices. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > More Options > MIDI Device Manager. 2. Click Install Device. 3. In the Add MIDI Device dialog, select Define New. 4. Click OK. 5. In the Create New MIDI Device dialog, enter the name of the device and activate the MIDI channels that you would like to use. 6. Click OK. 7. Select the device in the Installed Devices list. 8. Activate Enable Edit and use the Commands pop-up menu to organize the patch structure of the new device. 505 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions MIDI functions allow you to permanently edit MIDI events or MIDI parts in the Project window or from within a MIDI editor. Which events are affected when you use a MIDI function depends on the function, the active window, and the current selection: In the Project window, the MIDI functions apply to all selected parts, affecting all events of the relevant types in them. In the MIDI editors, MIDI functions apply to all selected events. If no events are selected, all events in the edited parts are affected. NOTE Some MIDI functions only apply to MIDI events of a certain type. For example, Delete Controllers only applies to MIDI controller events. RELATED LINKS MIDI Realtime Parameters on page 494 Transpose Setup Dialog The Transpose Setup dialog contains settings for transposing the selected events. To open the Transpose Setup dialog, select the MIDI notes that you want to transpose, and select MIDI > Transpose Setup. The following settings are available: Transpose in Semitones Sets the amount of transposition. 506 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Merging MIDI Events into a New Part Scale Correction Transposes the selected notes to the closest note of a specific scale type. This allows you to change the key and the tonality. Select a root note and a scale type for the current scale in the Current Scale pop-up menus. Select a root note and a scale type for the new scale in the New Scale pop-up menus. NOTE If the new root note differs from the current root note, this leads to an entirely different key. Keep Notes in Range Limits the transposition of notes to the note values that you specify with the Highest Note and Lowest Note settings. NOTE Notes that would be outside the range after transposition are shifted to another octave, keeping the correct transposed pitch if possible. If the range between the upper and lower limit is very narrow, the note is transposed as far as possible, that is, to notes specified with the Highest Note and Lowest Note values. If you set Highest Note and Lowest Note to the same value, all notes are transposed to this pitch. Merging MIDI Events into a New Part You can merge all MIDI events into a new part, apply MIDI modifiers, and generate a new part. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Mute the tracks or parts that you do not want to include in the merge. Solo the track that contains the events that you want to include in the merge. 2. Set up the left and right locators to encompass the area that you want to merge. NOTE Only events starting within this area will be included. 3. Optional: Select a track for the new part. If you do not select a track, a new MIDI track is created. If several MIDI tracks are selected, the new part is inserted on the first selected track. 4. Select MIDI > Merge MIDI in Loop. 5. In the MIDI Merge Options dialog, make your changes. 6. Click OK. RESULT A new part is created between the locators on the destination track, containing the processed MIDI events. RELATED LINKS MIDI Merge Options Dialog on page 508 507 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Dissolve Part Dialog Freezing MIDI Modifiers on page 498 MIDI Merge Options Dialog To open the MIDI Merge Options dialog, select a MIDI part, and select MIDI > Merge MIDI in Loop. The following options are available: Include Inserts Applies MIDI modifiers. Erase Destination Deletes MIDI data between the left and right locators on the destination track. Include Chase Includes events placed outside the selected part but relating to it in the processing, for example, a program change right before the left locator. Convert VST3 Converts all VST3 data within the selected area to MIDI data. RELATED LINKS Chase on page 189 Applying Effects to a Single Part You can apply MIDI modifiers to a single part. PROCEDURE 1. Set up your MIDI modifiers the way you want them for the part. 2. Set the locators to encompass the part. 3. In the track list, select the track with the part. 4. Select MIDI > Merge MIDI in Loop. 5. In the MIDI Merge Options dialog, activate Erase Destination. 6. Click OK. RESULT A new part is created on the same track, containing the processed events. The original part is deleted. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Turn off or reset all MIDI modifiers, so that the track plays back as before. Dissolve Part Dialog You can separate MIDI events in a part according to channels or pitches and dissolve the part to different tracks or lanes. To open the Dissolve Part dialog, select the MIDI part you want to dissolve and select MIDI > Dissolve Part. The following settings are available: 508 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Dissolve Part Dialog Separate Channels Separates MIDI events according to their channel. This is useful for MIDI parts on MIDI channel Any that contain events on different MIDI channels. Separate Pitches Separates MIDI events according to their pitch. This is useful for drum and percussion tracks, where different pitches usually correspond to separate drum sounds. Optimized Display Automatically removes silent areas of the resulting parts. NOTE This option is not available when Dissolve to Lanes is activated. Dissolve to Lanes Dissolves the part to lanes. Dissolving Parts into Separate Channels You can dissolve MIDI parts that contain events on different MIDI channels, and distribute the events into new parts on new tracks, one for each MIDI channel found. PROCEDURE 1. Select the parts that contain MIDI events on different channels. 2. Select MIDI > Dissolve Part. 3. Activate Separate Channels. 4. Click OK. RESULT For each MIDI channel used in the selected parts, a new MIDI track is created and set to the corresponding MIDI channel. Each event is copied into the part on the track with the corresponding MIDI channel, and the original parts are muted. MIDI Channel Setting Setting a track to MIDI channel Any causes each MIDI event to play back on its original MIDI channel, rather than a channel set for the whole track. There are two main situations when Any channel tracks are useful: When you record several MIDI channels at the same time. You may for example have a MIDI keyboard with several keyboard zones, where each zone sends MIDI on a separate channel. Setting the channel to Any allows you to play back the recording with different sounds for each zone (since the different MIDI notes play back on separate MIDI channels). When you have imported a MIDI file of Type 0. MIDI files of Type 0 contain only one track, with notes on up to 16 different MIDI channels. If you were to set this track to a specific MIDI channel, all notes in the MIDI file would be played back with the same sound. Setting the track to Any causes the imported file to play back as intended. 509 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Repeating MIDI Events of Independent Track Loops Dissolving Parts into Separate Pitches You can dissolve MIDI parts that contain events of different pitches and distribute the events into new parts on new tracks, one for each MIDI pitch found. This is useful if the different pitches are used for separating different sounds such as MIDI drum tracks or sampler sound FX tracks. By dissolving such parts, you can work with each sound individually, on a separate track. PROCEDURE 1. Select the parts that contain MIDI events of different pitches. 2. Select MIDI > Dissolve Part. 3. Activate Separate Pitches. 4. Click OK. RESULT For each MIDI pitch used in the selected parts, a new MIDI track is created. Each event is copied into the part on the track for the corresponding pitch, and the original parts are muted. Repeating MIDI Events of Independent Track Loops You can repeat the MIDI events inside an independent track loop to fill up a MIDI part. This is useful if you want to convert the events of an independent track loop to actual MIDI events. PREREQUISITE You have set up an independent track loop and the Key Editor is open. The part ends after the end of the independent track loop. PROCEDURE Select MIDI > Repeat Loop. RESULT The events of the independent track loop are repeated to the end of the part. Events that are located to the right of the independent track loop in the part are replaced. RELATED LINKS Setting up the Independent Track Loop on page 381 Extending MIDI Notes You can extend MIDI notes so that they reach the next notes. PREREQUISITE A MIDI part with some note events is open in the Key Editor. PROCEDURE 1. Select the note events that you want to extend to the next notes. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Legato. RESULT The selected note events are extended to the start of the next notes. 510 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Fixing MIDI Note Lengths NOTE To specify a gap or overlap for this, adjust the Legato Overlap setting in the Preferences dialog (Editing--MIDI page). RELATED LINKS Key Editor Inspector on page 543 Fixing MIDI Note Lengths You can set the length of selected MIDI notes to the Length Quantize value. PREREQUISITE A MIDI part with some note events is open in the Key Editor. PROCEDURE 1. In the Key Editor toolbar, open the Length Quantize pop-up menu and select the desired note length. 2. Select the note events that you want to fix. 3. Select MIDI > Functions > Fixed Lengths. RESULT The selected note events are set to the specified Length Quantize value. RELATED LINKS Key Editor Toolbar on page 537 Fixing MIDI Note Velocities You can set the velocity of selected MIDI notes to the Note Insert Velocity value. PREREQUISITE A MIDI part with some note events is open in the Key Editor. PROCEDURE 1. In the Key Editor toolbar, open the Set up Insert Velocities pop-up menu and select a velocity value. 2. Select the note events that you want to fix. 3. Select MIDI > Functions > Fixed Velocity. RESULT The selected note events are set to the specified Note Insert Velocity value. RELATED LINKS Key Editor Toolbar on page 537 511 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Rendering Sustain Pedal Data to Note Lengths Rendering Sustain Pedal Data to Note Lengths You can render sustain pedal data to note lengths. This is useful if you recorded MIDI data with a MIDI keyboard and a sustain pedal, and you want to extend the actual MIDI notes for as long as you held the pedal, in order to edit the notes later. PREREQUISITE You recorded MIDI using a MIDI keyboard and a sustain pedal. The MIDI part is open in the Key Editor. PROCEDURE 1. Select the note events. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Pedals to Note Length. RESULT The selected notes are lengthened to match the sustain pedal off position, and the sustain controller on/off events are removed. Deleting Overlaps You can delete overlaps of notes that have the same or different pitches. This is useful if your MIDI instruments cannot handle overlapping events. PROCEDURE 1. Select the note events. 2. Do one of the following: Select MIDI > Functions > Delete Overlaps (mono). Select MIDI > Functions > Delete Overlaps (poly). RESULT The overlapping MIDI notes are shortened, so that no note begins before another ends. Editing Velocity You can manipulate the velocity of notes. PROCEDURE 1. Select the note events. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Velocity. 3. Open the Type pop-up menu and select an option. 4. Depending on the Type, enter a Ratio, an Amount or an Upper and Lower value. 5. Click OK. RESULT The note velocities are changed according to your settings. RELATED LINKS Velocity Dialog on page 513 512 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Deleting Double Notes Velocity Dialog To open the Velocity dialog, select a MIDI part, and select MIDI > Functions > Velocity. Add/Subtract Adds the Amount value to the velocity value. You can enter positive or negative values. Compress/Expand Uses the Ratio setting (0 to 300%) to compress or expand the dynamic range of MIDI notes. A factor higher than 1 (over 100%) expands the differences between velocity values, while using a factor lower than 1 (under 100%) compresses them. To compress the dynamic range, use ratio values below 100%. After compression, you can add a velocity amount to maintain the average velocity level. To expand the dynamic range, use ratio values above 100%. Before expansion, you can adjust the velocity to the middle of the range. Limit Limits the velocity values so that they stay between the Lower and the Upper values. Deleting Double Notes You can delete double notes of the same pitch on the exact same position from selected MIDI parts. Double notes can occur when recording in cycle mode, after quantizing, for example. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI part that contains the double notes. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Delete Doubles. RESULT The double notes are automatically deleted. Deleting Controller Data You can delete controller data from selected MIDI parts. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI parts that contain the controller data. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Delete Controllers. RESULT The controller data is automatically deleted. 513 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Deleting Continuous Controller Data Deleting Continuous Controller Data You can delete continuous controller data from selected MIDI parts. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI parts that contain the controller data. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Delete Continuous Controllers. RESULT The continuous controller data is automatically deleted. However, On/Off events, such as sustain pedal events, are kept. Restricting Polyphonic Voices You can restrict polyphonic voices in selected MIDI notes or parts. This is useful if you have an instrument with limited polyphony and want to make sure all notes are played. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI notes or parts that contain the voices. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Restrict Polyphony. 3. Specify how many voices you want to use. 4. Click OK. RESULT The notes are shortened as required, so that they end before the next note starts. Thinning Out Controller Data You can thin out controller data in selected MIDI parts. Use this to ease the load on your external MIDI devices if you have recorded very dense controller curves. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI parts that contain the controllers that you want to thin out. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Thin Out Data. RESULT The controller data is thinned out. Extracting MIDI Automation You can convert continuous controllers of your recorded MIDI parts into MIDI track automation data, so that you can edit them in the Project window. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI part that contains the continuous controller data. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Extract MIDI Automation. 514 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Functions Reversing the Playback Order of MIDI Events RESULT In the Project window, an automation track is created for each of the continuous controllers in the MIDI part. In the MIDI editors, the controller data is removed from the controller lane. NOTE This only works for continuous controllers. Data such as Aftertouch, Pitchbend, or SysEx cannot be converted to MIDI track automation data. MIDI controller automation is also affected by the Automation Merge Mode. Reversing the Playback Order of MIDI Events You can invert the order of the selected events or of all events in selected part rhythmically. This causes the MIDI to play backwards. However, this is different from reversing an audio recording. The individual MIDI notes still play as usual, but the playback order changes. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI events or the MIDI part. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Reverse. RESULT The playback order of the events is reversed while the individual notes still play as usual in the MIDI instrument. Technically, this function reverses the Note On message of a note within a part or selection. Inverting the Order of Selected MIDI Events This function inverts the order of the selected events, or of all events in the selected parts, graphically. Technically, this function turns a Note On message into a Note Off message and vice versa, which can lead to rhythmic inaccuracies if the Note Off position of a note has not been quantized. PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI events or the MIDI part. 2. Select MIDI > Functions > Mirror. RESULT The order of the events is inverted while the individual notes still play as usual in the MIDI instrument. Technically, this function turns a Note On message into a Note Off message and vice versa which can lead to rhythmic inaccuracies if the Note Off position of a note has not been quantized. 515 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors There are several ways to edit MIDI in Cubase. You can use the tools and functions in the Project window for large-scale editing or the functions on the MIDI menu to process MIDI parts in various ways. To manually edit your MIDI data on a graphical interface, you can use the MIDI editors. The Key Editor presents notes graphically in a piano roll-style grid. The Key Editor also allows for detailed editing of non-note events such as MIDI controllers. The Drum Editor is similar to the Key Editor, but each key corresponds to a separate drum sound. You can use the Drum Editor to edit drum or percussion parts. The Score Editor shows MIDI notes as a musical score and offers basic score editing and printing. RELATED LINKS Key Editor on page 535 Drum Editor on page 566 Score Editor on page 553 Common MIDI Editor Functions You can use the tools and functions within the MIDI editors to process MIDI parts in various ways. Changing the Ruler Display Format You can change the display format for the ruler. By default, the ruler shows the timeline in the display format that is selected on the Transport panel. PROCEDURE Click the arrow button to the right of the ruler and select an option from the pop-up menu. RELATED LINKS Ruler Display Format Menu on page 40 Zooming in MIDI Editors The MIDI editors provide several zooming options: The zoom sliders. 516 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Common MIDI Editor Functions The Zoom tool. The Zoom submenu in the Edit menu. When you use the Zoom tool for zooming, you can determine if you want to zoom horizontal only or horizontal and vertical at a time. To activate/deactivate the corresponding option, activate/deactivate Zoom Tool Standard Mode: Horizontal Zooming Only in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Tools page). Using Cut and Paste You can use the Cut, Copy, and Paste options from the Edit menu to move or copy material within a part or between different parts. To insert note events at the project cursor position without affecting existing notes, select Edit > Paste. To insert note events at the project cursor position, move, and if necessary split the existing note events to make room for the pasted notes, select Edit > Range > Paste Time. 1 Data on clipboard 2 Cursor position 3 Pasted data at cursor position Handling Note Events Event Colors Menu You can select different color schemes for the note events in the MIDI editor. To open the Event Colors pop-up menu, click Event Colors on the toolbar. The following options are available: Velocity The note events get different colors depending on their velocity values. Pitch The note events get different colors depending on their pitch. 517 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Common MIDI Editor Functions Channel The note events get different colors depending on their MIDI channel value. Part The note events get the same color as their corresponding part in the Project window. Use this option if you are working with 2 or more tracks in an editor, to see which note events belong to which track. Grid Match The note events get different colors depending on their time position. For example, this mode enables you to see if the notes of a chord start at the exact same beat. Voice The note events get different colors depending on their voice (soprano, alto, tenor, etc.). Chord Track The note events get different colors depending on whether they match the current chord, scale, or both. For all of the options except Part, the pop-up menu also contains a Setup option. This option opens a dialog in which you can specify the colors that are associated with velocities, pitches, or channels. Selecting Note Events The selected MIDI editor determines which of the following methods apply. Do one of the following: Use the Object Selection tool to drag a selection rectangle around the note events that you want to select. You can also click individual events. Select Edit > Select and select one of the options. To select the previous or next note event, use the Left Arrow/Right Arrow key. To select several notes, press Shift and use the Left Arrow/Right Arrow key. To select all notes of a certain pitch, press Ctrl/Cmd and click on a key in the keyboard display to the left. To select all the following note events of the same pitch/staff, press Shift and double-click a note event. RELATED LINKS Select Submenu for Note Events on page 518 Editing on page 707 Select Submenu for Note Events The Select submenu offers you several options to select note events. To open the Select submenu for a note event, select the note event, and select Edit > Select. All Selects all note events in the edited part. None Deselects all note events. 518 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Common MIDI Editor Functions Invert Inverts the selection. All selected note events are deselected and all notes that were not selected are selected instead. In Loop Selects all note events that are partially or completely inside the boundaries of the left and right locators (only visible if locators are set). From Start to Cursor Selects all note events that begin to the left of the project cursor. From Cursor to End Selects all note events that end to the right of the project cursor. Equal Pitch - all Octaves Selects all note events of the highlighted part that have the same pitch (in any octave) as the selected note event. NOTE This function requires that a single note event is selected. Equal Pitch - same Octave Selects all note events of the highlighted part that have the same pitch (same octave) as the selected note event. NOTE This function requires that a single note event is selected. Select Controllers in Note Range Selects the MIDI controller data within the range of the selected note events. RELATED LINKS Deleting Note Events on page 520 Muting Note Events You can mute individual note events in a MIDI editor. Muting individual notes allows you to exclude note events from playback. Do one of the following: Click on a note event with the Mute tool. Drag a rectangle with the Mute tool, enclosing all note events that you want to mute. Select the note events and select Edit > Mute. To unmute a note event, click it or enclose it with the Mute tool. You can also select a note event and select Edit > Unmute. Muted notes are dimmed in the note display. Toggle Selections To toggle selected elements within a selection rectangle, press Ctrl/Cmd and enclose the same elements within a new selection rectangle. Once you release the mouse button, the previous selection is deselected and vice versa. 519 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Common MIDI Editor Functions Deleting Note Events To delete note events, click on them with the Erase tool or select them and press Backspace. Delete Notes Dialog The Delete Notes dialog allows you delete note events that do not match a specific length or velocity. To open the Delete Notes dialog, select a MIDI part in the Project window, and select MIDI > Functions > Delete Notes. The following options are available: Minimum Length Allows you to set a minimum note length in ticks. Notes that are shorter than the set value are deleted. You can use the value field or the graphical length display. If you click the field to the right of the graphical length display the scale for the display changes. You can set it to 1/4 bar, one bar, two bars or four bars. Minimum Velocity Allows you to set a minimum note velocity. Notes with a lower velocity than the set value are deleted. Remove when under This option is only available if Minimum Velocity and Minimum Length are both activated. It allows you to select if both or just one of the criteria must be met for notes to be deleted. Trimming Note Events The Trim tool allows you to cut off the end or the beginning of note events. PROCEDURE 1. Select the Trim tool on the toolbar. 2. Do one of the following: To trim the end of a single note event, click on the note event. To trim the beginning of a single note event, press Alt and click the note event. To trim several note events, click and drag across the note events. To set the same start and end time for all edited note events, press Ctrl/Cmd and vertically drag along the note events. 520 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Common MIDI Editor Functions Editing Note Events on the Info Line You can move, resize, or change the velocity of note events on the info line using regular value editing. To apply a value change to all selected note events, press Ctrl/Cmd and change a value on the info line. To adjust the pitch or velocity of note events via your MIDI keyboard, click in the Pitch or Velocity fields on the info line, and play a note on your MIDI keyboard. If you have several note events selected and change a value, all selected events are changed by the set amount. Duplicating and Repeating Note Events You can duplicate and repeat note events in the same way as events in the Project window. To duplicate the selected note events, hold down Alt and drag the note events to a new position. If Snap is activated, it determines to which positions you can copy notes. To copy the selected note events and place them directly behind the original, select Edit > Functions > Duplicate. If several note events are selected, all of them are copied as one unit, maintaining the relative distance between the note events. To create a number of copies of the selected note events, select Edit > Functions > Repeat, specify the number, and click OK. You can also press Alt and drag the right edge of the note events to the right to create copies of the note events. Finding Exact Positions with Snap The Snap function restricts horizontal movement and positioning to certain positions. This helps you find exact positions in the note display when editing note events in a MIDI editor. Affected operations include moving, duplicating, drawing, sizing, etc. To activate/deactivate snap, click Snap. If you select the Bars+Beats display format, the snap grid is set by the quantize value on the toolbar. This makes it possible to snap to straight note values and to swing grids that have been set up in the Quantize Panel. If you select any of the other display formats, positioning is restricted to the displayed grid. Setting Velocity Values When you draw note events in the MIDI editor, the note events get the velocity value that is set in the Note Insert Velocity field on the toolbar. There are different methods to set the velocity. Use the Edit Velocity tool modifier. The cursor changes into a speaker, and next to the note, a field with the Note Velocity slider shows the value. Move the mouse pointer up or down to change the value. 521 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Common MIDI Editor Functions Value changes are applied to all selected notes. For this, a tool modifier must be assigned for the Edit Velocity action. You can edit the tool modifier in the Preferences dialog (Tool Modifiers page). Open the Note Insert Velocity pop-up menu and select a velocity value. On this menu, you can also select Setup and specify custom velocity values for the pop-up menu. Double-click the Note Insert Velocity field on the toolbar and enter a velocity value. Assign key commands to Insert Velocity 1-5 and use them. This allows you to quickly switch between different velocity values when you enter note events. Handling Several MIDI Parts To activate a part for editing, open the Currently Edited Part menu and select a part. When you select a part from the list, it is automatically active and centered in the note display. To zoom in on an active part, select Edit > Zoom > Zoom to Event. To display defined borders for the active part, activate Show Part Borders. If this option is activated, all parts, except the active part, are grayed out. To restrict editing operations to the active part, activate Edit Active Part Only. To change the size of the part, drag the part borders. The part borders display the name of the active part. NOTE If the part that you open for editing is a shared copy, any editing that you perform affects all shared copies of this part. In the Project window, shared copies are indicated by an equal sign in the top right corner of the part. Looping MIDI Parts The Independent Track Loop function allows you to loop a MIDI part independent of the project playback. When you activate the loop, the MIDI events within the loop are repeated continuously while other events on other tracks are played back as usual. Every time the cycle restarts, the independent track loop also restarts. PROCEDURE 1. Activate Independent Track Loop on the toolbar. If the button is not visible, right-click the toolbar and select Independent Track Loop from the menu. If you have set up a loop range in the Project window, it is hidden from the ruler in the MIDI editor. 2. Ctrl/Cmd-click in the ruler to specify the start of the independent track loop. 3. Alt-click in the ruler to specify the end of the independent track loop. RESULT The independent loop range is indicated in a different color. The start and end of the loop range are displayed on the status line. 522 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To repeat the events of the loop range and fill up the active MIDI part, select MIDI > Repeat Loop. Controller Display The area at the bottom of the Key Editor and the Drum Editor is the controller display. By default, the controller display has a single lane. You can add more controller lanes that display different controller event types. To show the controller display, do one of the following: Open the Controller Lane Setup pop-up menu in the Key Editor, or the Drum Editor, and select Show/Hide Controller Lanes. On the Key Editor or the Drum Editor toolbar, click Set up Window Layout and activate Controller Lanes. The following options are available: 1 Note display Contains a grid in which MIDI notes are displayed as boxes. 2 Controller display Shows one or multiple controller lanes. 3 Divider Drag the divider between the note display and the controller display to resize the display areas. 4 Controller Selection and Functions pop-up menu Allows you to select which controller type is displayed, and contains editing functions for controller lanes and events. 5 Controller event 523 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display The controller display shows the added controller events of the selected controller type and their current values. Controller events have no length. Their values are valid until the start of the next event. Velocity values are shown as vertical bars, with higher bars corresponding to higher velocity values. Each velocity bar corresponds to a note in the note display. All other controller events are shown as blocks, with heights corresponding to the values of the events. 6 Create Controller Lane Allows you to add controller lanes so that you can view and edit different controllers at the same time. Each controller lane can show one of the following properties or event types: Velocity Pitchbend Aftertouch Poly Pressure Program Change System Exclusive events Continuous Controllers 7 Controller Lane Setup Contains setup functions for controller lanes, and allows you to add and organize presets. Controller Lane Setup Menu The Controller Lane Setup menu allows you to add lanes and select which event type is displayed. To open the Controller Lane Setup dialog, click Controller Lane Setup at the bottom left of the controller display. The following options are available: Show/Hide Controller Lanes Shows/hides controller lanes. Velocity Only Resets the controller display to show only the velocity lane. Show Used Controllers Shows all controller lanes that have controller events. Add Preset Opens the Add Preset dialog that allows you to save a preset and enter a name for it. Organize Presets Opens the Organize Presets dialog that allows you to rename and delete presets. 524 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display NOTE The controller lane setup is also used when you create a new MIDI track. Controller Selection and Functions Menu The Controller Selection and Functions menu allows to select which controller type is displayed. It also contains editing functions for controller lanes and events. To open the Controller Selection and Functions dialog, click Controller Selection and Functions to the left of the controller display. The following options are available: Event types Lists the event types that you can display on the controller lanes. If automation data already exists for a controller, this is indicated by an asterisk that is displayed next to the controller name. 525 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display Setup Opens the MIDI Controller Setup dialog that allows you to specify which MIDI controllers are visible/hidden in the menu. Create Controller Lane Adds a controller lane to the controller display. Remove this Lane Removes the current controller lane. Select All Controller Events Selects all controller events from the current lane. RELATED LINKS MIDI Controller Setup Dialog on page 527 Adding Controller Lanes You can add controller lanes to the controller display. Controller lanes allow you to select a specific controller type for display, so that you can add and edit controller events of that type. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: Click Create Controller Lane . Open the Controller Selection and Functions menu and select Create Controller Lane. RESULT A new controller lane is created. NOTE To hide a controller lane from view, open the Controller Selection and Functions pop-up menu and select Remove this Lane. This does not affect the events in any way. If you hide all lanes, the controller display is hidden. You can bring it back by clicking Create Controller Lane. RELATED LINKS Controller Selection and Functions Menu on page 525 Selecting Controller Event Types for Display You can select which event type to display on a controller lane. Each controller lane shows one event type at a time. PROCEDURE Open the Controller Selection and Functions pop-up menu and select an event type. 526 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display RELATED LINKS Controller Selection and Functions Menu on page 525 Setting up Available Continuous Controllers In the MIDI Controller Setup dialog, you can specify which continuous controllers are available for selection. PROCEDURE 1. Select Controller Selection and Functions > Setup. 2. In the MIDI Controller Setup dialog, move all the controllers that you need to the list on the left and move the controllers that you do not need to the list on the right. 3. Click OK. RESULT The corresponding continuous controllers are now available for selection. NOTE The MIDI Controller Setup dialog can be opened from different areas in the program. The settings are global, that is, the setup you choose here affects all areas of the program where MIDI controllers can be selected. RELATED LINKS Setting up Available Continuous Controllers on page 527 MIDI Controller Setup Dialog The MIDI Controller Setup dialog allows you to specify which MIDI controllers are visible/ hidden. To open the MIDI Controller Setup dialog, click Controller Selection and Functions to the left of the controller display, and select Setup. 527 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display Visible Lists the MIDI controllers that are visible. Hidden Lists the MIDI controllers that are hidden. >>> Select an item in the Visible list, and click >>> to hide it. <<< Select an item in the Hidden list, and click <<< to make it visible. Saving Controller Lane Presets You can save a controller lane setup as a controller lane preset. This way, you can have a preset with one velocity lane and another preset with a combination of several controller lanes, such as velocity, pitchbend, or modulation. PREREQUISITE You have added at least one controller lane and selected a controller event type for display. PROCEDURE 1. Click Controller Lane Setup . 2. Select Add Preset. 3. In the Type In Preset Name dialog, enter a name for the preset. 4. Click OK. RESULT Your controller lane setup is now available as a controller lane preset. The number of lanes and the displayed event types are saved in the preset. To load, remove or rename presets, use the options in the Controller Lane Setup pop-up menu. RELATED LINKS Controller Lane Setup Menu on page 524 Adding Velocity Events You can add velocity events by adding note events. PREREQUISITE You have added a controller lane. 528 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display PROCEDURE 1. Open the Controller Selection and Functions pop-up menu and select Velocity. 2. Select the Draw tool or the Line tool. 3. Click in the note display to add a note event. This adds a note event and a velocity controller event that you can edit. RESULT The velocity values are shown as vertical bars in the controller display. Each velocity bar corresponds to a note event in the note display. Higher bars correspond to higher velocity values. The value is valid until the beginning of the next event. RELATED LINKS Adding Controller Lanes on page 526 Line Tool Modes on page 532 Controller Selection and Functions Menu on page 525 Editing Velocity Events PREREQUISITE You have added a controller lane and set it up to display velocity events. You have added velocity events for several notes. PROCEDURE 1. Optional: On the toolbar, activate Acoustic Feedback. This plays back the notes when you adjust the velocity so that you can audition your changes. 2. Do one of the following: On the toolbar, select the Object Selection or the Draw tool and drag a velocity bar in the controller display. On the toolbar, select the Object Selection tool, press Alt and click a velocity bar in the controller display to select it. Change its value in the Velocity field on the info line. On the toolbar, select the Line tool and paint a curve to change the velocity values of several notes. 529 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display The velocity value at the cursor position is displayed below the Controller Selection and Functions pop-up menu. NOTE If there is more than one note at the same position, their velocity bars overlap. To edit the velocity of only one of these notes, select the note in the note display. If no note is selected, all velocity events get the same velocity value. RESULT The velocity values change according to your edits. RELATED LINKS Adding Velocity Events on page 528 Controller Selection and Functions Menu on page 525 Adding Poly Pressure Events You can add poly pressure events to your note events. Poly pressure events are events that belong to a specific note number, that is key. For each poly pressure event you can edit the note number and the amount of pressure. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Controller Selection and Functions pop-up menu and select Poly Pressure. When Poly Pressure is selected on the Controller Selection and Functions pop-up menu a note number value field is shown to the left of the controller display. 2. Do one of the following: Click a key on the keyboard display to set the note number. If you have selected poly pressure for several controller lanes, enter the note number in the lower value field to the left of each lane. The selected note number is displayed in the upper value field to the left of the controller display. 3. On the toolbar, select the Draw tool, and add a new poly pressure event. You can determine the amount value by moving the mouse up or down in the controller display. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Select a different note number and add poly pressure events for this. RELATED LINKS Controller Selection and Functions Menu on page 525 530 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display Editing Poly Pressure Events PREREQUISITE You have added a controller lane and set it up to display poly pressure events. You have added poly pressure events for several note numbers. PROCEDURE 1. Click the arrow button next to the note number to the left of the controller lane. A pop-up menu with a list of all note numbers for which you inserted poly pressure events opens. 2. Select a note number from the pop-up menu. The poly pressure events for the selected note number are shown in the controller lane. 3. On the toolbar, select the Draw tool. 4. Hold down Ctrl/Cmd-Alt and edit the events in the controller display. RELATED LINKS Adding Poly Pressure Events on page 530 Adding Continuous Controllers You can add continuous controllers to your note events. PREREQUISITE You have added a controller lane. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Controller Selection and Functions pop-up menu and select a continuous controller. 2. Select the Draw tool or the Line tool. 3. Do one of the following: To add a single event, click in the controller display. To add a multiple events, click and drag in the controller display. To add a Modulation (CC1) event, copy note events from the Key Editor note display and paste them on a controller lane in the controller display. RESULT The added events are shown as blocks. The block corresponds to the event values. The beginning of an event is marked by a curve point. Controller events have no length. The value of a controller event in the display is valid until the beginning of the next controller event. RELATED LINKS Adding Controller Lanes on page 526 Line Tool Modes on page 532 Controller Selection and Functions Menu on page 525 Editing Continuous Controllers PREREQUISITE You have added a controller lane and set it up to display controller events. You have added controller events for several notes. 531 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display PROCEDURE 1. On the toolbar, select the Object Selection, the Draw, or the Line tool. 2. Do one of the following: If you selected the Draw, or the Line tool, drag in the controller display. If you selected the Object Selection tool, press Alt and drag in the controller display. RESULT The controller event is edited. RELATED LINKS Line Tool Modes on page 532 Continuous Controllers and MIDI Automation You can record or enter MIDI controller data either for an automation track in the Project window or for a MIDI part in the Key Editor. If you display a continuous controller on a controller lane, MIDI controller data from the automation track is displayed on the controller lane. However, you cannot edit this data on the controller lane. On the controller lane, you can also see the controller curve that is applied before the part starts. This tells you which controller value is being used at the starting point of the part so that you can choose the start value accordingly. Line Tool Modes You can use the different Line tool modes to edit controller events. To select a line mode, click the Line tool on the Key Editor or the Drum Editor toolbar, and click again to open a pop-up menu with the available modes. The following modes are available: Line In this mode you can draw events in a straight line by clicking in the controller display and dragging the cursor to where you want the ramp to end. NOTE If Snap is activated, the Length Quantize value determines the density of created controller curves. For very smooth curves, use a small Length Quantize value or deactivate Snap. Beware that very dense controller curves can cause MIDI playback to stutter. Parabola In this mode you can draw events on a parabola curve. This gives more natural curves and fades. 532 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display You can use modifier keys to determine the shape of the parabola curve. To reverse the parabola curve, press Ctrl/Cmd. To change the position of the whole curve, press Alt. To increase or decrease the exponent, press Shift. NOTE If Snap is activated, the Length Quantize value determines the density of created controller curves. For very smooth curves, use a small Length Quantize value or deactivate Snap. Beware that very dense controller curves can cause MIDI playback to stutter. Sine, Triangle, and Square These modes create different periodic waveform curves. The quantize value determines the period of the curve that is the length of one curve cycle. The Length Quantize value determines the density of the events. NOTE If you set Length Quantize to Quantize Link and you enter data in Sine, Triangle or Square mode, the density of the events depends on the zoom factor. You can use modifier keys to determine the shape of the curve. To change the phase of the beginning of the curve, press Ctrl/Cmd. To change the position of the whole curve, press Alt-Ctrl/Cmd. To change the maximum position of the triangle curve or the pulse of the square curve in Triangle and Square mode, press Shift-Ctrl/Cmd. This creates sawtooth curves. You can also set the curve period freely by holding down Shift when you insert events in Sine, Triangle, or Square mode. Activate Snap, Shift-click and drag to set the length of one period. The period length will be a multiple of the quantize value. Paint In this mode, you can draw in multiple notes. NOTE If Snap is activated, the Length Quantize value determines the density of created controller curves. For very smooth curves, use a small Length Quantize value or deactivate Snap. Beware that very dense controller curves can cause MIDI playback to stutter. Controller Event Editor The controller event editor allows you to perform additional scaling operations for selection ranges on existing controller curves. To open the controller event editor, activate the Object Selection tool and drag a selection rectangle on the controller lane. 533 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Controller Display To open the controller event editor for velocity lanes, select multiple MIDI notes in the note display or activate the Object Selection tool, press Alt and drag a selection rectangle on the controller lane or to get the Object Selection tool. The controller event editor features the following smart controls for specific editing modes: 1 Tilt Left If you click in the upper left corner of the editor, you can tilt the left part of the curve. This allows you to tilt the event values at the start of the curve upwards or downwards. 2 Compress Left If you Alt-click in the upper left corner of the editor, you can compress or expand the left part of the curve. This allows you to compress or expand the event values at the start of the curve. 3 Scale Vertically If you click in the middle of the upper border of the editor, you can scale the curve vertically. This allows you to raise or lower the event values of the curve in percent. 4 Move Vertically If you click on the upper border of the editor, you can move the entire curve vertically. This allows you to raise or lower the values of the event values of the curve. 5 Compress Right If you Alt-click in the upper right corner of the editor, you can compress or expand the right part of the curve. This allows you to compress or expand the event values at the end of the curve. 6 Tilt Right If you click in the upper right corner of the editor, you can tilt the right part of the curve. This allows you to tilt the event values at the end of the curve upwards or downwards. 7 Scale Around Relative Center If you Alt-click in the middle right border of the editor, you can scale the curve relative to its center. This allows you to raise or lower the event values horizontally around the center of the editor. 8 Scale Around Absolute Center If you click in the middle right corner of the editor, you can scale the curve absolute to its center. This allows you to raise or lower the event values horizontally around the center of the editor. 9 Stretch If you click on the lower border of the editor, you can stretch the curve horizontally. This allows you to move the event values of the curve to the left or to the right. 534 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Auto Select Controllers Auto Select Controllers automatically selects controller data of the selected MIDI notes. This is useful as selected controllers for notes will be moved when you move the corresponding notes. To show Auto Select Controllers, right-click the Key Editor or the Drum Editor toolbar, and select Auto Select Controllers. If you activate Auto Select Controllers, controllers that belong to a note event are automatically selected when you select the note event. RELATED LINKS Key Editor Toolbar on page 537 Moving Events in the Controller Display You can move events of a controller curve in the controller display. This only works for curve type controller events such as continuous controllers, pitchbend, aftertouch, poly pressure, and program change. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: With the Object Selection tool, drag to create a selection rectangle that encompasses the events that you want to move. On the toolbar, activate Auto Select Controllers. In the note display, select the notes whose controllers you want to move. In the note display, select the notes whose controllers you want to move, and select Edit > Select > Select Controllers in Note Range to select the controllers within the range of the selected notes. 2. Move the note/controller events. RESULT The controller events are moved to the new position. Snap is taken into account. RELATED LINKS Select Controllers in Note Range: Use Extended Note Context on page 710 Key Editor The Key Editor is the default MIDI editor. It displays notes graphically in a piano roll-style grid. The Key Editor allows for detailed editing of notes and non-note events, such as MIDI controllers. You can open the Key Editor in a separate window or in a tab in the lower zone of the Project window. Opening the Key Editor in the lower zone of the Project window is useful if you want to access the Key Editor functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. To open a MIDI part in the Key Editor, do one of the following: Double-click a MIDI part in the Project window. Select a MIDI part in the Project window and press Return or Ctrl/Cmd-E. Select a MIDI part in the Project window and select MIDI > Open Key Editor. 535 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor In the Key Commands dialog in the Editors category, assign a key command for Open Key Editor. Select a MIDI part in the Project window and use the key command. NOTE If you select MIDI > Set up Editor Preferences, the Preferences dialog opens on the Editors page. Make your changes to specify if you want the editors to open in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. The Key Editor window: The Key Editor is shown in the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window: The Key Editor is divided into several sections: 536 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor 1 Toolbar Contains tools and settings. 2 Status line Informs about the mouse time position, the mouse note position, and the current chord. 3 Info line Displays note event information about a selected MIDI note. 4 Ruler Displays the timeline. 5 Inspector Contains tools and functions for working with MIDI data. 6 Note display Contains a grid in which MIDI notes are displayed as boxes. 7 Controller display The area below the note display consists of one or multiple controller lanes. NOTE You can activate/deactivate the status line, the info line, and the controller lanes by clicking Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activating/deactivating the corresponding options. RELATED LINKS Key Editor Toolbar on page 537 Status Line on page 543 Key Editor Inspector on page 543 Note Display on page 544 Controller Display on page 523 Key Editor Toolbar The toolbar contains tools and settings for the Key Editor. To show or hide the toolbar elements, right-click the toolbar and activate or deactivate the elements. Default Items Solo Editor Solos the editor during playback if the editor has the focus. Record in Editor Enables the recording of MIDI data in the editor if the editor has the focus. NOTE This only works if MIDI Record Mode is set to Merge or Replace. Retrospective Record Insert MIDI Retrospective Recording in Editor Allows you to recover MIDI notes that you played in stop mode or during playback. 537 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Left Divider Left Divider Allows you to use the left divider. Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. Auto-Scroll Auto-Scroll Keeps the project cursor visible during playback. Select Auto-Scroll Settings Allows you to activate Page Scroll or Stationary Cursor and to activate Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing. Acoustic Feedback Acoustic Feedback Automatically plays back events when you move or transpose them, or when you create them by drawing. Tool Buttons Object Selection Selects events and parts. Draw Draws events. Erase Deletes events. Trim Trims events. Split Splits events. Glue Glues together events of the same pitch. Mute Mutes events. 538 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Zoom Zooms in. Hold Alt and click to zoom out. Line Creates a series of contiguous events. Auto Select Controllers Auto Select Controllers Automatically selects controller data of the selected MIDI notes. Independent Track Loop Independent Track Loop Activates/Deactivates the independent track loop. Insert Velocity Note Insert Velocity Allows you to specify a velocity value for new notes. Nudge Palette Trim Start Left Increases the length of the selected event by moving its start to the left. Trim Start Right Decreases the length of the selected event by moving its start to the right. Move Left Moves the selected event to the left. Move Right Moves the selected event to the right. Trim End Left Decreases the length of the selected event by moving its end to the left. Trim End Right Increases the length of the selected event by moving its end to the right. 539 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Transpose Palette Move Up Transposes the selected event up by a half note. Move Down Transposes the selected event down by a half note. Move Up More Transposes the selected event up by an octave. Move Down More Transposes the selected event down by an octave. Snap Snap On/Off Activates/Deactivates the Snap function. Snap Type Allows you to select one of the following snap types: Grid snaps events to the grid that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu. Grid Relative keeps the relative positions when snapping events to the grid. Events snaps events to the start or end of other events. Shuffle changes the order of events if you drag one event to the left or right of other events. Cursor snaps events to the cursor position. Grid + Cursor snaps events to the quantize grid that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu or to the cursor position. Events + Cursor snaps events to the start or end of other events, or to the cursor position. Grid + Events + Cursor snaps events to the quantize grid that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu, to the start or end of other events or to the cursor position. Grid Type Allows you to select one of the following grid types: Use Quantize activates a grid where events snap to the value that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu. Adapt to Zoom activates a grid where events snap to the zoom level. 540 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Quantize Apply Quantize Applies the quantize settings. Quantize Presets Allows you to select a quantize or a groove preset. Iterative Quantize On/Off Activates/Deactivates iterative quantize. Open Quantize Panel Opens the Quantize Panel. Length Quantize Length Quantize Allows you to set a value for quantizing event lengths. Multiple Part Controls Show Part Borders Shows/Hides part borders for the active MIDI part within the left and right locators. Edit Active Part Only Restricts editing operations to the active part. Currently Edited Part Lists all parts that were selected when you opened the editor, and allows you to activate a part. Step/MIDI Input Step Input Activates/Deactivates MIDI step input. MIDI Input/Note Expression MIDI Input Activates/Deactivates MIDI input and note expression MIDI input. Move Insert Mode Moves all note events to the right of the step input position to the right to make room for the inserted event when you insert notes. 541 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor NOTE This only works if Step Input is activated. Record Pitch Includes the pitch when you insert notes. Record NoteOn Velocity Includes the NoteOn velocity when you insert notes. Record NoteOff Velocity Includes the NoteOff velocity when you insert notes. Event Colors Event Colors Allows you to select event colors. Right Divider Right Divider Allows you to use the right divider. Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Window Zone Controls Open in Separate Window This button is available in the Editor tab in the lower zone. It opens the editor in a separate window. Open in Lower Zone This button is available in the editor window. It opens the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window. Set up Window Layout Allows you to set up the window layout. Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. RELATED LINKS Zooming in MIDI Editors on page 516 542 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Status Line The status line shows information about the mouse time position, the mouse note position, and the current chord. To show the status line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar, and activate Status Line. The on/off status of the status line in the Key Editor window and in the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window are independent of each other. Mouse Time Position Displays the exact time position of the mouse pointer, depending on the selected ruler display format. This lets you edit or insert notes at exact positions. Mouse Note Position Displays the exact pitch of the mouse pointer position. This facilitates finding the right pitch when entering or transposing notes. Current Chord Display When the project cursor is positioned over notes that form a chord, the chord is displayed here. RELATED LINKS Looping MIDI Parts on page 522 Info Line The info line shows values and properties of the selected events. If several notes are selected, the values for the first note are displayed in color. To show the info line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar, and activate Info Line. Length and position values are displayed in the selected ruler display format. The on/off status of the info line in the Key Editor window and in the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window are independent of each other. RELATED LINKS Editing Note Events on the Info Line on page 521 Changing the Ruler Display Format on page 516 Key Editor Inspector In a MIDI editor, the Inspector is located left of the note display. The Inspector contains tools and functions for working with MIDI data. 543 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Chord Editing Allows you to enter chords instead of single notes. Quantize Allows you to access the main quantize parameters. These are identical with the functions on the Quantize panel. Transpose Allows you to access the main parameters for transposing MIDI events. Length Contains length-related options, similar to the Functions submenu of the MIDI menu. To change the length of the selected MIDI events or all events of the active part if no events are selected, use the Scale Length/Scale Legato slider. At the maximum value, the notes reach the beginning of the next note. To make the new length settings permanent, click Freeze MIDI Lengths to the right of the Scale Length/Scale Legato slider. To fine-tune the distance between consecutive notes, use the Overlap slider. At 0 Ticks, the Scale Length/Scale Legato slider extends each note so that it reaches the next note exactly. Positive values cause the notes to overlap and negative values allow you to define a small gap between the notes. To use the Legato function or slider to extend a note until the next selected note, activate Between Selected. This is identical with activating the Legato Mode: Between Selected Notes Only option in the Preferences dialog. Setup Allows you to open a dialog to edit the Inspector settings for the editor. Click Setup Inspector, and from the pop-up menu, select Setup. NOTE If you open the Key Editor in the lower zone, these sections are shown in the Editor Inspector in the left zone. RELATED LINKS Quantize Panel on page 224 Opening the Editor Inspector on page 45 Note Display The note display is the main area in the Key Editor. It contains a grid in which note events are shown as boxes. 544 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Operations The width of a box corresponds to the note length. The vertical position of a box corresponds to the note number (pitch), with higher note events higher up in the grid. The piano keyboard helps you to find the right note number. Key Editor Operations This section describes the principal editing operations within the Key Editor. Inserting Note Events with the Object Selection Tool You can insert note events with the Object Selection tool. PREREQUISITE You have set up the length for the note events quantize value in the Length Quantize pop-up menu of the toolbar. PROCEDURE In the note display, double-click with the Object Selection tool at the position where you want to insert a note. RESULT A note is inserted at the position where you double-clicked with the length that you have set up in the Length Quantize pop-up menu. Drawing Note Events with the Draw Tool The Draw tool allows you to insert single note events in the note display. When you move the cursor inside the note display, its position is indicated on the status line. Its pitch is indicated both on the status line and on the piano keyboard to the left. To draw a note, click in the note display. The note event has the length that is set on the Length Quantize pop-up menu. To draw longer note events, click and drag in the note display. The length of the note event is a multiple of the Length Quantize value. If Length Quantize is set to Quantize Link, the note value is determined by the quantize grid. The Snap function is taken into account. 545 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Operations NOTE To temporarily switch from the Object Selection tool to the Draw tool, hold down Alt. Modifying Note Values while Inserting Notes When inserting note events, you can modify specific note values on the fly. To edit the note velocity, drag upwards or downwards. To edit the note pitch, hold down Alt and drag upwards or downwards. To edit the note length, drag to the left or to the right. To edit the time position, hold down Shift and drag to the left or to the right. NOTE You can activate/deactivate Snap temporarily by holding down Ctrl/Cmd. Drawing Note Events with the Line Tool In the note display, the Line tool allows you to draw a series of contiguous note events along different line shapes. To create contiguous note events, click and drag in the note display. To restrict movement to horizontal, press Ctrl/Cmd and drag. The notes have the same pitch. If Snap is activated, the note events and controller events are positioned and sized according to the Quantize and Length Quantize values. RELATED LINKS Line Tool Modes on page 546 Line Tool Modes The Line tool allows you to create a series of contiguous note events along different line shapes. You can also edit multiple controller events simultaneously. To open the Line tool modes, click Line. The following line modes are available: Line If this option is activated, you can click and drag to insert note events in the note display along a straight line in any angle. Use this option to edit controller data along a straight line in the controller display. Parabola, Sine, Triangle, Square These modes insert note events along different curve shapes. 546 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Operations Paint This mode allows you to insert note events by painting in the note display. Moving and Transposing Note Events There are several options to move and transpose note events. To move note events in the editor, select the Object Selection tool and drag them to a new position. All selected note events are moved, maintaining their relative positions. Snap is taken into account. To allow only horizontal or only vertical movement, hold down Ctrl/Cmd while dragging. To move note events via the Nudge Palette buttons on the toolbar, select the note events and click a Nudge Palette button. This moves the selected note events by the Snap value in the drum sound list. To move note events to the project cursor position, select the note events and select Edit > Move to > Cursor. To move a note event via the info line, select a note event and edit the Position or Pitch on the info line. To transpose note events, select the note events and use the Up Arrow/Down Arrow keys. To transpose note events via the Transpose Setup dialog, select the note events and select MIDI > Transpose Setup. To transpose note events in steps of one octave, press Shift and use the Up Arrow/ Down Arrow keys. NOTE When you move selected note events to a different position, any selected controllers for these note events move accordingly. You can also adjust the position of note events by quantizing. RELATED LINKS Transpose Setup Dialog on page 506 Resizing Note Events Do one of the following: To resize the note event, position the Object Selection tool at the start or the end of a note event and drag the mouse cursor to the left or right. To move the start or end positions of the selected notes in steps according to the Length Quantize value on the toolbar, use the Trim Start/End buttons on the Nudge Palette. Select the note and adjust its length on the info line. Select Draw and drag left or right within the note display to draw a note. The resulting note event length is a multiple of the Length Quantize value on the toolbar. Select Trim and cut off the end or the beginning of note events. RELATED LINKS Setup Options on page 696 Value Editing Rules on the Info Line on page 41 Using the Trim Tool on page 548 Resizing Events with the Object Selection Tool - Sizing Applies Time Stretch on page 151 547 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Operations Using the Trim Tool The Trim tool allows you to change the length of note events by cutting off the end or the beginning of notes. Using the Trim tool means moving the note-on or the note-off event for one or several notes to a position defined with the mouse. PROCEDURE 1. Select Trim on the toolbar. The mouse pointer changes to a knife symbol. 2. To edit a single note, click it. The range between the mouse pointer and the end of the note is removed. Use the mouse note info on the status line to find the exact position for the trim operation. 3. To edit several notes, click and drag with the mouse across the notes. By default, the Trim tool cuts off the end of notes. To trim the beginning of notes, press Alt while dragging. When dragged across several notes, a line is displayed. The notes are trimmed along this line. If you press Ctrl/Cmd while dragging, you get a vertical trim line, allowing you to set the same start or end time for all edited notes. You can change the Trim tool key commands in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Tool Modifiers page). Splitting Note Events To split the note at the position that you point, select Split, and click on a note. If several notes are selected, they are all split at the same position. The snap setting is taken into account. To split all notes that are intersected by the project cursor position, select Edit > Functions > Split at Cursor. To split all notes that are intersected by the left or right locator at the locator positions, select Edit > Functions > Split Loop. Gluing Note Events You can glue together note events of the same pitch. To glue note events, select Glue and click on a note event. The note event is glued together with the next note event of the same pitch. The result is a long note event that spans from the start of the first note to the end of the second note. The properties (velocity, pitch, etc.) of the first note event apply. Changing the Pitch of Chords You can use the chord type buttons to change the pitch of chords. PROCEDURE 1. In the Inspector, open the Chord Editing section. 2. In the note display, select the notes that you want to edit. If the chord is recognized, the root note, chord type, and tensions are indicated in the Chord Type field. This also works with arpeggiated notes. 548 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Operations 3. In the Chord Editing section, activate one of the Triads buttons or 4-Note Chords buttons. The selected notes are transposed so that they fit the selected chord type. 4. Use the Up Arrow/Down Arrow keys to change the pitch of the chord. Changing the Voicing of Chords PROCEDURE 1. In the Inspector, open the Chord Editing section. 2. In the note display, select the notes that you want to edit. 3. In the Chord Editing section, use the Inversions buttons and the Drop Notes buttons to change the voicing. RESULT The selected notes are transposed so that they fit the selected chord type. Chord Editing Section The Chord Editing section in the Inspector allows you to insert and edit chords, and change voicings. Chord Type Shows the chord type of the selected chords. Add to Chord Track Adds the chord indicated in the Chord Type field to the chord track. The chord event is inserted at the position on the chord track that corresponds to the position of the MIDI notes. Any existing chord events at this position are overwritten. Match with Chord Track Applies the chord events from the chord track to the selected notes in the MIDI editor. The chord event that is effective at the position of the first selected note is applied to the selected notes, which are then transposed. Only the basic chord type is applied. Tensions are not taken into account. Only the first effective chord event is applied. 549 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Operations Triads Allows you to insert triads to the note display. You can also click one of the Triads buttons to transpose the selected notes so that they fit to the selected chord type. 4-Note Chords Allows you to insert 4-note chords to the note display. You can also click one of the 4Note Chords buttons to transpose the selected notes so that they fit to the selected chord type. Inversions - Move highest note to bottom Inverts the highest note of a chord. The corresponding notes are transposed by as many octaves as needed. Inversions - Move lowest note to top Inverts the lowest note of a chord. The corresponding notes are transposed by as many octaves as needed. Drop Notes - Move the second highest note an octave lower Moves the second highest note of a chord down by one octave. Drop Notes - Move the third highest note an octave lower Moves the third highest note of a chord down by one octave. Drop Notes - Move the second and fourth highest notes an octave lower Moves the second and fourth highest notes of a chord down by one octave. Create Chord Symbols Performs a chord analysis of the selected notes. If nothing is selected, the whole MIDI part is analyzed. Inserting Chords You can use the tools in the Chord Editing section of the Inspector to insert and edit chords. PROCEDURE 1. In the Inspector, open the Chord Editing section. 2. Select the Insert tool to the right of the chord type that you want to insert. 3. Click in the note display and drag to the left or right to determine the length of the chord. Drag up or down to determine its pitch. To change the chord type while you insert chords, hold Alt and drag up or down. If Acoustic Feedback is activated, you hear the chord while dragging. A tooltip indicates the root note and chord type of the inserted chord. Snap and Length Quantize are taken into account. Applying Chord Events to Note Events You can apply chord events from the chord track to notes in the MIDI editor. PREREQUISITE Create a chord track and add chord events. 550 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Operations PROCEDURE 1. Open the MIDI editor. 2. In the Inspector, open the Chord Editing section. 3. Select Match with Chord Track. RESULT The first chord event of the chord track is applied to the selected notes. Only the basic chord type is applied. Tensions are not taken into account. Drum Map Handling When a drum map is assigned to a MIDI or instrument track, the Key Editor displays the drum sound names as defined by the drum map. This allows you to use the Key Editor for drum editing, for example, when editing drum note lengths or when editing several parts to identify drum events. The name of the drum sound is displayed in the following locations: On the info line in the Pitch field. On the status line in the Mouse Note Position field. In the note event if the zoom factor is high enough. When dragging a note event. Editing Note Events via MIDI Input You can directly hear your editing results. Editing the properties of note events via MIDI can be a quick way to, for example, set the velocity value of a note event. PROCEDURE 1. In the Key Editor, select the note event that you want to edit. 2. Click MIDI Input on the toolbar. Editing via MIDI is enabled. 3. Use the note buttons on the toolbar to decide which properties are changed by the MIDI input. You can enable editing of pitch, note-on and/or note-off velocity. For example, you can get the pitch and velocity values of the notes input via MIDI, but the note-off velocities remain as they are. 4. Play a note on your MIDI instrument. RESULT The selected note gets the pitch, note-on velocity and/or note-off velocity of the played note. The next note in the edited part is automatically selected to allow quick editing of a series of notes. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK To try another setting, select the note again and play a note on your MIDI instrument. 551 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Key Editor Operations Step Input Step input, or step recording, allows you to enter note events or chords one at a time without worrying about the exact timing. This is useful, for example, when you know the part that you want to record but are not able to play it exactly as you want it. PROCEDURE 1. On the toolbar, activate Step Input. 2. Use the note buttons to the right to determine which properties are included when you insert the note events. For example, you can include the note-on velocity and/or note-off velocity of the played notes. You can also deactivate the pitch property, in which case all notes get a pitch C3, no matter what you play. 3. Click anywhere in the note display to set the start position of the first note event or chord. The step input position is shown as a vertical line in the note display. 4. Specify the note event spacing and length with the Quantize and Length Quantize popup menus. The note events that you insert are positioned according to the Quantize value and have the length of the Length Quantize value. NOTE If Length Quantize is set to Quantize Link, the note length is also determined by the Quantize value. 5. Play the first note event or chord on your MIDI instrument. The note event or chord appears in the editor and the step input position advances by one quantize value step. NOTE If Move Insert Mode is activated, all note events to the right of the step input position are moved to make room for the inserted note event or chord. 6. Continue in the same way with the rest of the note events or chords. You can adjust the Quantize or Length Quantize values to change the timing or note event lengths. You can also move the step input position manually by clicking anywhere in the note display. To insert a rest, press the Right Arrow key. This advances the step input position by one step. 7. When you are done, click Step Input again to deactivate step input. 552 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Score Editor The basic Score Editor shows MIDI notes as a musical score. This offers basic score editing and printing options. You can open the Score Editor in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. Opening the Score Editor in the lower zone of the Project window is useful if you want to access the Score Editor functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. To open a MIDI part in the Score Editor, do one of the following: Select a MIDI part in the Project window and select MIDI > Scores > Open Score Editor. Select a MIDI part in the Project window and press Ctrl/Cmd-R. NOTE If you select MIDI > Set up Editor Preferences, the Preferences dialog opens on the Editors page. Make your changes to specify if you want editors to open in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. The Score Editor window: The Score Editor in the lower zone of the Project window: 553 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor The Score Editor is divided into several sections: 1 Toolbar Contains tools and settings. 2 Status line Informs about the mouse time position, the mouse note position, and the current chord. 3 Info line Displays note event information about a selected MIDI note. 4 Extended toolbar Contains note value buttons and enharmonic shift buttons. To open one or several parts in the Score Editor, select one or several tracks or any number of parts, and select MIDI > Open Score Editor. If you have selected parts on several tracks, you get one staff for each track. The staves are tied together by barlines and placed in the order of the tracks in the Project window. To rearrange the staves, close the editor and in the Project window, rearrange the tracks. Then reopen the Score Editor. NOTE You can activate/deactivate the status line, the info line, the tools, and the filters by clicking Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activating/deactivating the corresponding options. Score Editor Toolbar The toolbar contains tools and various settings for the Score Editor. To show or hide the toolbar elements, right-click the toolbar and activate or deactivate the elements. Edit Solo Solo Editor Solos the editor during playback if the editor has the focus. 554 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Record in Editor Enables the recording of MIDI data in the editor if the editor has the focus. NOTE This only works if MIDI Record Mode is set to Merge or Replace. Retrospective Record Insert MIDI Retrospective Recording in Editor Allows you to recover MIDI notes that you played in stop mode or during playback. Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. Auto-Scroll Auto-Scroll Keeps the project cursor visible during playback. Acoustic Feedback Acoustic Feedback Automatically plays back events when you move or transpose them, or when you create them by drawing. Tool Buttons Object Selection Selects events and parts. Insert Note Inserts notes. Erase Deletes events. Split Splits events. Glue Glues together events of the same pitch. 555 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Insert Text Inserts text. Insert Velocity Note Insert Velocity Allows you to specify a velocity value for new notes. Snap Snap Type Allows you to select one of the following snap types: Grid snaps events to the grid that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu. Grid Relative keeps the relative positions when snapping events to the grid. Quantize Apply Quantize Applies the quantize settings. Quantize Presets Allows you to select a quantize or a groove preset. Iterative Quantize On/Off Activates/Deactivates iterative quantize. Open Quantize Panel Opens the Quantize Panel. Length Quantize Length Quantize Allows you to set a value for quantizing event lengths. Step/MIDI Input Computer Keyboard Input Activates/Deactivates computer keyboard input. Step Input Activates/Deactivates MIDI step input. 556 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor MIDI Input Activates/Deactivates MIDI input and note expression MIDI input. Move Insert Mode Moves all note events to the right of the step input position to the right to make room for the inserted event when you insert notes. NOTE This only works if Step Input is activated. Record Pitch Includes the pitch when you insert notes. Record NoteOn Velocity Includes the NoteOn velocity when you insert notes. Record NoteOff Velocity Includes the NoteOff velocity when you insert notes. Right Divider Right Divider Allows you to use the right divider. Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Window Zone Controls Open in Separate Window This button is available in the Editor tab in the lower zone. It opens the editor in a separate window. Open in Lower Zone This button is available in the editor window. It opens the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window. Show/Hide Left Zone Shows/Hides the left zone. Set up Window Layout Allows you to set up the window layout. Set up Toolbar 557 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. Status Line The status line is displayed below the toolbar. It shows important information about the mouse position and the chord display. Select the notes that form (compose) the chord to make the status line appear in the Current Chord Display. To show or hide the status line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar, and activate or deactivate Status Line. The on/off status of the status line in the Score Editor window and in the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window are independent of each other. Mouse Time Position Displays the exact time position of the mouse pointer, depending on the selected ruler display format. This lets you edit or insert notes at exact positions. Mouse Note Position Displays the exact pitch of the mouse pointer position. This facilitates finding the right pitch when entering or transposing notes. Current Chord Display When the project cursor is positioned over notes that form a chord, this chord is displayed here. Info Line The info line shows values and properties of the selected MIDI notes. If several notes are selected, the values for the first note are displayed in color. To show or hide the info line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar, and activate or deactivate Info Line. The on/off status of the info line in the Score Editor window and in the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window are independent of each other. RELATED LINKS Changing the Ruler Display Format on page 516 Score Editor Extended Toolbar The extended toolbar contains note value buttons and enharmonic shift buttons. To show the extended toolbar, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar, and activate Tools. Note Value Buttons Allows you to select a note value for input. The and options are for triplet and dotted note values. The selected note value is displayed in the Length value field on the info line. To resize all selected notes to the same note value, press Ctrl/Cmd and click one of the note value buttons. 558 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Operations Enharmonic Shift Allows you to manually select whether a note is displayed with flat or sharp accidentals. The Off button resets the notes to original display. The other options are double flats, flats, No (no accidentals shown, regardless of pitch), sharps, and double sharps. RELATED LINKS Enharmonic Shift on page 564 Score Display The main area of the Score Editor window shows the notes in the edited parts on one or several staves. Parts on different tracks are shown on different staves. If you are editing one or several parts on the same track, as much of them as possible is shown on several staves, comparable with a score on paper. If you are editing parts on several tracks, they are put on a grand staff. A grand staff is composed of multiple staves that are tied together by barlines. The number of bars that are displayed on the screen depends on the size of the window and the number of notes in each bar. The end of the last part is indicated by a double barline. All MIDI input is directed to one of the tracks, which is called the active staff. The active staff is indicated by a rectangle to the left of the clef symbol. To change the active staff, click on the staff that you want to activate. Score Editor Operations This section describes the principal editing operations within the Score Editor. Improving the Score Display When you open the Score Editor for a part that was recorded in real time, the score may not look as legible as you expect. The Score Editor can ignore the minor time variances in performance 559 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Operations and make a neater score. To achieve this, the Staff Settings dialog provides settings that determine how the program displays the music. Staff Settings Dialog This dialog allows you to change how Cubase displays the music. IMPORTANT The settings that you make in this dialog are independent for each staff (track), but common for a piano staff that you have created with the Split option. To open the Staff Settings dialog, do one of the following: Select a staff and select MIDI > Scores > Staff Settings. Double-click in the area to the left of the staff. NOTE The time signature follows the time signatures that are set in the Tempo Track editor. These settings are common to all tracks/staves in the score. Staff Mode The Staff Mode determines how the staff is shown. In Single mode, all notes in the part are shown in the same staff. In Split mode, the part is split on the screen into a bass and treble clef, as in a piano score. The Split Point value determines where you want the split to occur. Notes above and including the split note appear on the upper staff, and notes below the split note appear on the lower staff. Display Quantize This section allows you to change the way Cubase displays scores. IMPORTANT These display values are only used for the graphical display in the Score Editor. They do not affect the playback. Notes Determines the smallest note value to be displayed and the smallest position to be recognized and properly displayed. Set this to the smallest significant note position used in your music. 560 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Operations For example, if you have notes on odd 16th note positions, set this value to 16. The T values are for triplet note values. This setting is partly overridden by Auto Quantize. Rests This value is used as a recommendation. Cubase does not display rests smaller than this value, except where necessary. In effect, this setting also determines how the length of notes is displayed. Set this value according to the smallest note value (length) that you want to be displayed for a single note, positioned on a beat. Auto Quantize Allows you to make your score look as legible as possible. Auto Quantize allows you to mix straight notes with tuplets (triplets) in a part. However, Auto Quantize also uses the (display) quantize value. If there is no appropriate note value for a certain note or group of notes, it uses the set quantize value is used to display it. Generally, only activate this option if your music contains mixed triplets and straight notes. If the part is imprecisely played and/or complex, Auto Quantize may have a problem figuring out exactly what you mean. Dev. If this option is activated, triplets/straight notes are detected even if they are not exactly on the beat. However, if you know that your triplets/straight notes are perfectly recorded, either through quantizing or entered by hand, deactivate this option. This option is only available if Auto Quantize is activated. Adapt If this option is activated, the program guesses that when one triplet is found, there are probably more triplets surrounding it. Activate this option if not all of your triplets are detected. This option is only available if Auto Quantize is activated. Clef/Key In this section, you can set the correct clef and key. Clef/Key display Allows you to select the clef or key via the scrollbar. Lower Staff Sets the clef and key to the lower staff. Auto Clef If this option is activated, Cubase attempts to guess the correct clef, judging from the pitch of the music. Display Transpose In this section, you can specify a separate display transpose setting for each staff (track). This transposes the notes in the score without affecting how the notes 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. Semitones Allows you to manually set a display transpose value. Instrument Allows you to select the instrument for which you are scoring. 561 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Operations Interpretation Options In this section, you can make additional settings on how the score is displayed. Clean Lengths If this option is activated, notes that are considered to be chords are shown with identical lengths. Longer notes are displayed shorter than they are. Notes with very short overlaps are also cut off. This is similar to the No Overlap option, but with a more subtle effect. No Overlap If this option is activated, one note is never shown as overlapping another, lengthwise. This allows long and short notes that start at the same point to be displayed without ties. The long notes are cut off in the display. This makes the music more legible. A sample measure with No Overlap deactivated: A sample measure with No Overlap activated: Syncopation If this option is activated, syncopated notes are shown in a more legible way. A dotted quarter note at the end of a bar when Syncopation is deactivated: A dotted quarter note at the end of a bar when Syncopation is activated: Shuffle If this option is activated and you have played a shuffle beat, the beat is displayed as straight notes, not as triplets. This is very common in jazz notation. Quantize Value When you move the mouse pointer over the score, the Mouse Time Position field on the status line tracks your movement and shows the current position in bars, beats, 16th notes, and ticks. The quantize value controls the positioning on screen. If you set the value to 1/8, you can only insert and move notes to 8th note positions, at quarter notes, at half bars, or at bar positions. It is recommended to set the quantize value to the smallest note value in the piece. This does not stop you from inputting notes at coarser positions. However, if you set the quantize value to a too small note value, it is easier to make mistakes. With the quantize value set to 1/8, you can only input notes at 8th note positions. You can also use the Quantize Panel to create other quantize values, irregular grids, etc. Creating Notes In the score display, the Insert Note tool allows you to create notes. PREREQUISITE You have set the note value (length) and spacing. 562 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Operations PROCEDURE 1. Set the note value in one of the following ways: Click the note symbols on the extended toolbar. Select an option from the Length Quantize pop-up menu on the toolbar. 2. Select the Insert Note tool. If you selected the note value via the extended toolbar buttons, the Insert Note tool is automatically selected. 3. Open the Quantize Presets pop-up menu on the toolbar and select a quantize value. 4. Move the mouse over the staff to find the correct position. The Mouse Note Position display on the status line shows the pitch at the pointer position. The position is displayed on the Mouse Time Position display on the status line. 5. Click in the staff. When you click and hold down the mouse button, the bars and beats positions are shown. This allows you to find the correct position. NOTE The position snaps to the grid that is defined by the quantize value. RESULT The note appears in the score. The notes get the insert velocity value that is set in the Note Insert Velocity field on the toolbar. NOTE If the notes that you enter appear to have the wrong note value, you may have to adjust the Display Quantize settings. For example, if you entered a 1/32 note that is displayed as a 1/16 note. RELATED LINKS Setting Velocity Values on page 521 Display Quantize on page 560 Moving and Transposing Notes PROCEDURE 1. Open the Quantize Presets pop-up menu on the toolbar and select a quantize value. 2. If you want to hear the pitch of the note while moving, activate Acoustic Feedback on the toolbar. 3. Select the notes that you want to move. 4. Click one of the selected notes and drag it to a new position and/or pitch. The horizontal movement of the note snaps to the current quantize value. The position boxes on the toolbar show the position and pitch for the dragged note. To restrict moving to one direction, press Ctrl/Cmd while dragging. 563 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Operations Duplicating Notes PROCEDURE 1. Open the Quantize Presets pop-up menu on the toolbar and select a quantize value. 2. Select the notes that you want to duplicate. 3. Press Alt and drag the notes to their new position. To restrict moving to one direction, press Ctrl/Cmd while dragging. Changing the Note Length The displayed note length is not necessarily the actual note length. It also depends on the note values and rest values for Display Quantize in the Staff Settings dialog. This is important to remember when you change the length of a note. You can change the length of a note in the following ways: Select the notes that you want to change and Ctrl/Cmd-click on one of the note icons on the extended toolbar. All the selected notes are assigned to the length of the clicked note. Select the notes that you want to change and edit the length values on the info line. RELATED LINKS Improving the Score Display on page 559 Editing Note Events on the Info Line on page 521 Splitting and Gluing Note Events To split 2 notes that are strung together by a tie, click on the tied note head with the Split tool. The note is split into 2, with the respective length of the main and the tied note. To glue a note to the next note with the same pitch, click on a note with the Glue tool. Enharmonic Shift You can perform an enharmonic shift on notes that are not displayed with the accidentals you wish. PROCEDURE 1. Select the notes that you want to shift. 2. Click one of the enharmonic shift buttons on the extended toolbar. RELATED LINKS Score Editor Extended Toolbar on page 558 Flipping Stems The direction of the note stems is automatically selected according to the note pitches. However, you can change this manually. PROCEDURE 1. Select the notes for which you want to flip the stem direction. 564 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Score Editor Operations 2. Select MIDI > Scores > Flip Stems. Working with Text You can use the Text tool to add comments, articulation, or instrumentation advice and other text strings anywhere in the score display. Adding Text PROCEDURE 1. On the toolbar, select the Text tool. 2. Click anywhere in the score. A blinking cursor indicates that you can enter text. 3. Enter the text and press Return. Editing Text To edit existing text, double-click it with the Object Selection tool. This opens the text for editing. Use the Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Left Arrow, and Right Arrow keys to move the cursor, delete characters with the Delete or Backspace keys, press Return when you are finished. To delete text blocks, select them with the Object Selection tool and press Backspace or Delete. To move text blocks, drag them to a new position. To duplicate text blocks, press Alt and drag them to a new position. Changing the Text Font, Size, and Style You can change the font, size, and style of the text that you have added to the score display. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: To change the settings for a specific text block, click on the text with the Object Selection tool. To set the default settings for all new text blocks, unselect any selected text block and change the settings. 2. Select MIDI > Scores > Set Font. 3. In the Font Settings dialog, make your changes. 4. Click Apply. 5. Optional: Select another text block, adjust the settings, and click Apply. Set Font Dialog In this dialog, you can change the font, size, and style of the text that you have added to the score display. To open the Set Font dialog, select MIDI > Scores > Set Font. 565 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Font Allows you to specify the font for the text. Which fonts are available on the pop-up menu depends on the fonts that you have installed on your computer. IMPORTANT Do not use the Steinberg fonts. These are special fonts used by the program, for example, for score symbols, and not suited for common text. Size Sets the size of the text. Frame Allows you to enclose the text in a rectangular (box) or oval frame. Font options Determine whether the text is formatted bold, italic, and/or underlined. Printing the Score PROCEDURE 1. Open the parts that you want to print in the Score Editor. 2. Select File > Page Setup and make sure that all your printer settings are correct. IMPORTANT If you change your setting for paper size, scale, and margins now, the score may change its look. 3. Click OK. 4. Select File > Print. 5. In the Print dialog, make your changes. 6. Click Print. Drum Editor The Drum Editor is the editor to use when you are editing drum or percussion parts. You can open the Drum Editor in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. Opening the Drum Editor in the lower zone of the Project window is useful if you want to access the Drum Editor functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. To open a MIDI part in the Drum Editor, do one of the following: Select a MIDI part in the Project window and select MIDI > Open Drum Editor. 566 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor If the MIDI track has a drum map assigned and Editor Content Follows Event Selection and Use Drum Editor when Drum Map is assigned are activated in the Preferences dialog (Editors page), you can do the following to open a MIDI part in the Drum Editor: Double-click a MIDI part in the Project window. Select a MIDI part in the Project window and press Return or Ctrl/Cmd-E. Select a MIDI part in the Project window and select MIDI > Open Drum Editor. In the Key Commands dialog in the Editors category, assign a key command for Open Drum Editor. Select a MIDI part in the Project window and use the key command. NOTE If you select MIDI > Set up Editor Preferences, the Preferences dialog opens on the Editors page. Make your changes to specify if you want the Drum Editor to open in a separate window or in the lower zone of the Project window. The Drum Editor window: The Drum Editor is shown in the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window: 567 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor The Drum Editor is divided into several sections: 1 Toolbar Contains tools and settings. 2 Status line Informs about the mouse time position and the mouse note position. 3 Info line Displays information about the selected event. 4 Inspector Contains tools and functions for working with MIDI data. 5 Drum sound list Lists all drum sounds. 6 Drum map Lets you select the drum map for the edited track or a list of drum sound names. 7 Ruler Displays the time line. 8 Note display Contains a grid in which notes are displayed. 9 Controller display The area below the note display consists of one or multiple controller lanes. NOTE You can activate/deactivate the status line, the info line, and the controller lanes by clicking Set up Window Layout on the toolbar and activating/deactivating the corresponding options. 568 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Drum Editor Toolbar The toolbar contains tools and various settings for the Drum Editor. To show or hide the toolbar elements, right-click the toolbar and activate or deactivate the elements. Retrospective Record Insert MIDI Retrospective Recording in Editor Allows you to recover MIDI notes that you played in stop mode or during playback. Left Divider Left Divider Allows you to use the left divider. Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. Drum Sound Visibility Drum Visibility Agents Allows you to determine which drum sounds are displayed in the drum sound list. Auto-Scroll Auto-Scroll Keeps the project cursor visible during playback. Select Auto-Scroll Settings Allows you to activate Page Scroll or Stationary Cursor and to activate Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing. Acoustic Feedback Acoustic Feedback Automatically plays back events when you move or transpose them, or when you create them by drawing. Tool Buttons Object Selection Selects events and parts. Drumstick Draws drum events. Erase 569 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Deletes events. Mute Mutes events. Zoom Zooms in. Hold Alt and click to zoom out. Line Creates a series of contiguous events. Auto Select Controllers Auto Select Controllers Automatically selects controller data of the selected MIDI notes. Independent Track Loop Independent Track Loop Activates/Deactivates the independent track loop. Nudge Palette Trim Start Left Increases the length of the selected event by moving its start to the left. Trim Start Right Decreases the length of the selected event by moving its start to the right. Move Left Moves the selected event to the left. Move Right Moves the selected event to the right. Trim End Left Decreases the length of the selected event by moving its end to the left. Trim End Right Increases the length of the selected event by moving its end to the right. 570 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Transpose Palette Move Up Transposes the selected event up by a half note. Move Down Transposes the selected event down by a half note. Move Up More Transposes the selected event up by an octave. Move Down More Transposes the selected event down by an octave. Insert Velocity Note Insert Velocity Allows you to specify a velocity value for new notes. Notes Length Insert Length Allows you to determine a length for newly created notes. Show Note Length On/Off Shows drum notes as boxes that display the note length. Snap Snap On/Off Activates/Deactivates the Snap function. Snap Type Allows you to select one of the following snap types: Grid snaps events to the grid that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu. Grid Relative keeps the relative positions when snapping events to the grid. Events snaps events to the start or end of other events. Shuffle changes the order of events if you drag one event to the left or right of other events. Cursor snaps events to the cursor position. Grid + Cursor snaps events to the quantize grid that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu or to the cursor position. 571 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Events + Cursor snaps events to the start or end of other events, or to the cursor position. Grid + Events + Cursor snaps events to the quantize grid that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu, to the start or end of other events or to the cursor position. Grid Type Allows you to select one of the following grid types: Use Quantize activates a grid where events snap to the value that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu. Adapt to Zoom activates a grid where events snap to the zoom level. Use Snap from Drum Map activates a grid where events snap to the Snap value that is selected in the drum map. Quantize Apply Quantize Applies the quantize settings. Quantize Presets Allows you to select a quantize or a groove preset. Iterative Quantize On/Off Activates/Deactivates iterative quantize. Open Quantize Panel Opens the Quantize Panel. Multiple Part Controls Show Part Borders Shows/Hides part borders for the active MIDI part within the left and right locators. Edit Active Part Only Restricts editing operations to the active part. Currently Edited Part Lists all parts that were selected when you opened the editor, and allows you to activate a part. Event Colors Event Colors Allows you to select event colors. 572 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Step/MIDI Input Step Input Activates/Deactivates MIDI step input. MIDI Input/Note Expression MIDI Input Activates/Deactivates MIDI input and note expression MIDI input. Move Insert Mode Moves all note events to the right of the step input position to the right to make room for the inserted event when you insert notes. NOTE This only works if Step Input is activated. Record Pitch Includes the pitch when you insert notes. Record NoteOn Velocity Includes the NoteOn velocity when you insert notes. Record NoteOff Velocity Includes the NoteOff velocity when you insert notes. Right Divider Right Divider Allows you to use the right divider. Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Window Zone Controls Open in Separate Window This button is available in the Editor tab in the lower zone. It opens the editor in a separate window. Open in Lower Zone This button is available in the editor window. It opens the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window. Show/Hide Left Zone Shows/Hides the left zone. 573 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Show/Hide Controller Lanes Shows/Hides the controller lanes. Set up Window Layout Allows you to set up the window layout. Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. RELATED LINKS Zooming in MIDI Editors on page 516 Status Line The status line is displayed below the toolbar. It displays important mouse information. To show the status line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar, and activate Status Line. The on/off status of the status line in the Drum Editor window and in the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window are independent of each other. Mouse Time Position Displays the exact time position of the mouse pointer, depending on the selected ruler display format. This lets you edit or insert notes at exact positions. Mouse Note Position Displays the exact pitch of the mouse pointer position. This facilitates finding the right pitch when entering or transposing notes. Track Loop Start/Track Loop End If Independent Track Loop is activated on the toolbar and you set up a loop, the start/end position is displayed. RELATED LINKS Drum Editor Toolbar on page 569 Info Line The info line shows values and properties of the selected events. If several notes are selected, the values for the first note are displayed in color. To show the info line, click Set up Window Layout on the toolbar, and activate Info Line. Length and position values are displayed in the selected ruler display format. The on/off status of the info line in the Drum Editor window and in the Editor tab in the lower zone of the Project window are independent of each other. 574 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor RELATED LINKS Editing Note Events on the Info Line on page 521 Drum Editor Inspector The Inspector is located to the left of the note display. The Inspector contains tools and functions for working with MIDI data. Quantize Allows you to access the main quantize parameters. These are identical with the functions on the Quantize Panel. Length Contains length-related options, similar to the Functions submenu of the MIDI menu. To change the length of the selected MIDI events or all events of the active part if no events are selected, use the Scale Length/Scale Legato slider. At the maximum value the notes reach the beginning of the next note. To make the new length settings permanent, click Freeze MIDI Lengths to the right of the Scale Length/Scale Legato slider. To fine-tune the distance between consecutive notes, use the Overlap slider. At 0 Ticks, the Scale Length/Scale Legato slider extends each note so that it reaches the next note exactly. Positive values cause the notes to overlap and negative values allow you to define a small gap between the notes. To use the Legato function or slider to extend a note until the next selected note, activate Between Selected. This is identical with activating the Legato Mode: Between Selected Notes Only option in the Preferences dialog. Setup Allows you to open a dialog to edit the Inspector settings for the editor. Click Setup Inspector, and from the pop-up menu, select Setup. NOTE If you open the Drum Editor in the lower zone, these sections are shown in the Editor Inspector in the left zone. RELATED LINKS Quantize Panel on page 224 Opening the Editor Inspector on page 45 575 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Note Display The note display of the Drum Editor contains a grid in which note events are shown. The notes are displayed as diamond symbols. If you activate Show Note Length On/Off on the toolbar, notes are displayed as boxes and show the note length. The vertical position of the notes corresponds to the drum sound list to the left, while the horizontal position corresponds to the note's position in time. RELATED LINKS Drum Editor Toolbar on page 569 Drum Sound List The drum sound list lists all drum sounds by name and allows you to adjust and manipulate the drum sound setup in various ways. NOTE The number of columns in the list depends on whether a drum map is selected for the track or not. Pitch Note number of the drum sound. Instrument Name of the drum sound. 576 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Snap This is used when entering and editing notes. Mute Allows you to mute drum sounds. I-Note Input note for the drum sound. When you play this note, it is mapped to the corresponding drum sound and automatically transposed according to the Pitch setting for the sound. O-Note The MIDI output note that is sent out every time the drum sound is played back. Channel The MIDI channel, on which the drum sound is played back. Output MIDI output on which the drum sound is played back. RELATED LINKS Muting Notes and Drum Sounds on page 580 Drum Maps on page 580 Drum Visibility Agents Menu The Drum Visibility Agents on the drum editor toolbar allow you to determine which drum sounds are shown in the drum sound list. To open the visibility agents, click Drum Visibility Agents on the toolbar. Show All Drum Sounds Shows all drum sounds as defined in the selected drum map. NOTE In this mode, you can edit the order of the drum sound list manually. Show Drum Sounds with Events Shows only the drum sounds for which events are available in the selected MIDI part. Show Drum Sounds in use by Instrument Shows all drum sounds for which a pad, etc. is in use for the instrument. This option is only available if the instrument can provide this information. Reverse Drum Sound List Reverses the order of the sounds displayed in the drum sound list. Drum Map and Names Menus Below the drum sound list are pop-up menus that are used for selecting a drum map for the edited track or, if no drum map is selected, a list of drum sound names. RELATED LINKS Drum Maps on page 580 577 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Operations Drum Editor Operations This section describes the general editing operations within the Drum Editor. Inserting Note Events You can insert note events with the Object Selection tool or the Drumstick tool. PREREQUISITE You have set up the Insert Length on the toolbar to determine the length of the inserted note. If Insert Length is set to Drum-Map Link, the note gets the length of the Snap value set for the sound in the drum sound list. You have activated Snap. NOTE If you want to snap positions according to the Quantize Presets setting on the toolbar, activate Use Quantize. PROCEDURE Perform one of the following actions: Select the Object Selection tool and double-click in the event display. Select the Drumstick tool and click in the event display. NOTE To temporarily switch from the Object Selection tool to the Drumstick tool, hold down Alt. RESULT A note event is inserted. Inserting Multiple Note Events You can insert multiple note events of the same pitch with the Object Selection tool or the Drumstick tool. PREREQUISITE You have set up the Insert Length on the toolbar to determine the length of the inserted note. If Insert Length is set to Drum-Map Link, the note gets the length of the Snap value set for the sound in the drum sound list. You have activated Snap. NOTE If you want to snap positions according to the Quantize Presets setting on the toolbar, activate Use Quantize. PROCEDURE Perform one of the following actions: On the toolbar, select the Object Selection tool, double-click in the event display and drag to the right. On the toolbar, select the Drumstick tool, click in the event display and drag to the right. 578 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Editor Operations RESULT The note events are inserted. RELATED LINKS Drum Editor Toolbar on page 569 Modifying Note Values While Inserting Notes When inserting note events, you can modify specific note values on the fly. To edit the note velocity, drag upwards or downwards. To edit the note pitch, hold down Alt and drag upwards or downwards. To edit the note length, drag to the left or to the right. NOTE If you want to edit the note length in the Drum Editor, you must deactivate Snap and activate Show Note Length On/Off. Otherwise, the note is repeated. To edit the time position, hold down Shift and drag to the left or to the right. NOTE You can activate/deactivate Snap temporarily by holding down Ctrl/Cmd. Changing the Note Length You can change the note length in the drum editor with the Object Selection tool or with the Drumstick tool. PREREQUISITE You have activated Show Note Length On/Off on the drum editor toolbar. PROCEDURE 1. Move the mouse pointer to the beginning or the end of the note that you want to edit. The mouse pointer turns into a double arrow. 2. Drag to the left or to the right to adjust the length. An info box with the current length value is displayed. 3. Release the mouse button. RESULT The note length is changed. Snap is taken into account. Deleting Note Events PROCEDURE Perform one of the following actions: Select the Erase tool and click the event. Select the Object Selection tool and double-click the event. Select the Drumstick tool and click the event. 579 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Maps RESULT The note event is deleted. Deleting Multiple Note Events You can delete multiple note events of the same pitch with the Object Selection tool or the Drumstick tool. PREREQUISITE To delete multiple note events with the Object Selection tool, Snap must be activated. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: On the toolbar, select the Object Selection tool, double-click the first event you want to delete, and drag to the right. On the toolbar, select the Drumstick tool, click the first event you want to delete, and drag to the right. RESULT The note events are deleted. Muting Notes and Drum Sounds IMPORTANT The mute state for drum sounds is part of the drum map. All other tracks using this map are affected. To mute individual notes, click or enclose them with the Mute tool, or select Edit > Mute. To mute a drum sound in a drum map, click in the Mute column for the drum sound. To mute all other drum sounds, click Solo Instrument (Requires Drum Map) on the toolbar. RELATED LINKS Selecting a Drum Map for a Track on page 583 Drum Maps A drum kit in a MIDI instrument is most often a set of different drum sounds with each sound placed on a separate key. For example, the different sounds are assigned to different MIDI note numbers. One key plays a bass drum sound, another a snare, and so on. Different MIDI instruments often use different key assignments. This can be troublesome if you have made a drum pattern using one MIDI device and then want to try it on another. When you switch devices, it is very likely that your snare drum becomes a ride cymbal or your hi-hat becomes a tom, etc., because the drum sounds are distributed differently in the instruments. 580 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Maps To solve this problem and to simplify several aspects of MIDI drum kits, such as using drum sounds from different instruments in the same drum kit, Cubase features drum maps. A drum map is a list of drum sounds with a number of settings for each sound. When you play back a MIDI track for which you have selected a drum map, the MIDI notes are filtered through the drum map before they are sent to the MIDI instrument. The map determines which MIDI note number is sent out for each drum sound and which sound is played on the receiving MIDI device. When you want to try your drum pattern on another instrument, you simply switch to the corresponding drum map, and your snare drum sound remains a snare drum sound. If you want to have the same drum maps included in your projects, you can load these into the template. NOTE Drum maps are saved with the project files. If you have created or modified a drum map, use the Save function to save it as a separate XML file to make it available for loading into other projects. RELATED LINKS Saving a Project Template File on page 78 Drum Map Setup Dialog This dialog allows you to load, create, modify, and save drum maps. To open the Drum Map Setup dialog, select Drum Map Setup from the Map pop-up menu or the MIDI menu. The list on the left shows the loaded drum maps. The sounds and settings of the selected drum map are displayed on the right. NOTE The settings for the drum sounds are the same as in the Drum Editor. Output Allows you to select the output for the drum map sounds. Drum Sound list Lists all drum sounds and their settings. To audition a drum sound, click the leftmost column. 581 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Maps NOTE If you audition a sound in the Drum Map Setup dialog and the sound is set to MIDI output Default, the output that is selected on the Output pop-up menu in the lower left corner is used. When auditioning a default output sound in the Drum Editor, the MIDI output selected for the track is used. The Functions pop-up menu contains the following options: New Map Adds a new drum map to the project. The drum sounds are named "Sound 1, Sound 2, etc." and have all parameters set to default values. The map is named "Empty Map". To rename the drum map, click the name in the list and type in a new name. New Copy Adds a copy of the selected drum map to create a new drum map. You can then change the drum sound settings of the copy and rename the drum map in the list. Remove Removes the selected drum map from the project. Load Allows you to load drum maps into your project. Save Allows you to save the drum map that is selected in the list on disk. Drum map files have the extension .drm. RELATED LINKS Drum Map Settings on page 582 Channel and Output Settings on page 583 Drum Map Settings A drum map consists of settings for 128 drum sounds, one for each MIDI note number. To get an overview of the drum map settings, open the Drum Editor and use the Map pop-up menu below the drum sound list to select the GM Map drum map. The GM map is set up according to the General MIDI standard. You can change all drum map settings except the pitch directly in the drum sound list or in the Drum Map Setup dialog. These changes affect all tracks that use the drum map. RELATED LINKS Drum Sound List on page 576 Drum Map Setup Dialog on page 581 582 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Maps Importing Drum Maps from Virtual Instruments You can import your drum map settings to an instrument track that is routed to Groove Agent SE. PREREQUISITE To import your drum map settings to an instrument track, the track has to be routed to Groove Agent SE or another drum instrument that supports drum maps. PROCEDURE 1. Load a drum kit in Groove Agent SE. 2. In the Inspector for the track, open the Drum Maps pop-up menu and select Create Drum Map from Instrument. The drum map is created for the kit that is assigned to the MIDI port and channel selected in the Inspector. 3. Open the Drum Maps pop-up menu again and select Drum Map Setup. 4. In the list on the left, select the kit that you have loaded in the instrument. RESULT The sounds and settings of the instrument are displayed in the Drum Map Setup. NOTE Instrument and pattern pads are both exported to the drum map. If they share keys, the pattern pads get priority, that is, their settings are included in the drum map. Channel and Output Settings You can set separate MIDI channels and/or MIDI outputs for each sound in a drum map. When a drum map is selected for a track, the MIDI channel settings in the drum map override the MIDI channel setting for the track. You can select different channels and/or outputs for different sounds. This allows you to construct drum kits with sounds from several different MIDI devices, etc. To make a drum sound use the channel of the track, set the channel in the drum map to Any. To make the sound use the MIDI output that is selected for the track, set the MIDI output for a sound in a drum map to Default. To send the sound to a specific MIDI output, select any other option. To select the same MIDI channel or MIDI device for all sounds in a drum map, click in the Channel column, press Ctrl/Cmd, and select a channel or output. If you make specific MIDI channel and output settings for all sounds in a drum map, you can switch between drum maps to send your drum tracks to another MIDI instrument. Selecting a Drum Map for a Track To select a drum map for a MIDI track, open the Map pop-up menu in the Inspector or in the Drum Editor and select a drum map. To deactivate the drum map functionality in the Drum Editor, open the Map pop-up menu in the Inspector or in the Drum Editor and select No Drum Map. Even if you do not use a drum map, you can still separate sounds by name using a name list. 583 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Maps NOTE Initially, the Map pop-up menu only contains GM Map. I-Notes, O-Notes, and Pitches Going through the following theory helps you make the most out of the drum map concept especially if you want to create your own drum maps. A drum map is a kind of filter that transforms notes according to the settings in the map. It does this transformation twice; once when it receives an incoming note, that is when you play a note on your MIDI controller, and once when a note is sent from the program to the MIDI sound device. The following example shows a modified drum map with a bass drum sound that has different pitch, I-note, and O-note values. I-Notes (Input Notes) When you play a note on your MIDI instrument, the program looks for this note number among the I-notes in the drum map. If you play the note A1, the program finds that this is the I-note of the bass drum sound. This is where the first transformation happens: the note gets a new note number according to the pitch setting for the drum sound. In our case, the note is transformed to a C1 note, because that is the pitch of the bass drum sound. If you record the note, it is recorded as a C1 note. For example, you can place drum sounds near each other on the keyboard so that they can be easily played together, move sounds so that the most important sounds can be played from a short keyboard, play a sound from a black key instead of a white. If you never play your drum parts from a MIDI controller but draw them in the editor, you do not need the I-note setting. O-Notes (Output Notes) The next step is the output. This is what happens when you play back the recorded note, or when the note you play is sent back out to a MIDI instrument in real time (MIDI Thru): The program checks the drum map and finds the drum sound with the pitch of the note. In our case, this is a C1 note and the drum sound is the bass drum. Before the note is sent to the MIDI output, the second transformation takes place: the note number is changed to that of the O-note for the sound. In our example, the note sent to the MIDI instrument is a B0 note. The O-note settings let you set things up so that the bass drum sound really plays a bass drum. If you are using a MIDI instrument in which the bass drum sound is on the C2 key, you set the Onote for the bass drum sound to C2. When you switch to another instrument (in which the bass drum is on C1) you want the bass drum O-note set to C1. Once you have set up drum maps for all your MIDI instruments, you can select another drum map when you want to use another MIDI instrument for drum sounds. 584 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 MIDI Editors Drum Maps Setting Pitches of Notes According to their O-Note Settings You can set the pitch of notes according to their O-note settings. This is useful if you want to convert a track to a regular MIDI track with no drum map and still have the notes play back the correct drum sound. It is a typical use case to export your MIDI recording as a standard MIDI file. If you first perform an O-note conversion, you make sure that your drum tracks play back as intended when they are exported. To perform an O-note conversion, select MIDI > O-Note Conversion. RELATED LINKS Exporting MIDI Tracks as Standard MIDI Files on page 126 585 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions The chord functions provide you with many possibilities for working with chords. The chord functions allow you to: Build chord progressions by adding chord events to the chord track. Convert chord events to MIDI. Use the chord track to control MIDI playback. Use the chord track voicing to change the pitches of your MIDI. Extract chord events from MIDI data to get an overview of the harmonic structure of a MIDI file. Record chord events with a MIDI keyboard. RELATED LINKS Chord Editing Section on page 549 Chord Track The chord track allows you to add chord events and scale events. RELATED LINKS Scale Events on page 591 Chord Events on page 587 Adding the Chord Track PROCEDURE Select Project > Add Track > Chord. RESULT The chord track is added to your project. 586 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Chord Events RELATED LINKS Chord Track on page 120 Chord Events Chord events are representations of chords that control or transpose playback on MIDI and instrument tracks. Chord events alter the pitches of MIDI notes if their track is set up to follow the chord track. Chord events have a specific start position. Their end, however, is determined by the start of the next chord event. They can have a root note, a type, a tension, and a bass note. 1 Root note 2 Type 3 Tension 4 Bass note RELATED LINKS Controlling MIDI Playback Using the Chord Track on page 595 Chord Editor The Chord Editor allows you to define or change chord events, and to add new chord events. To open the Chord Editor, double-click a chord event. Go to Previous Chord/Go to Next Chord Allow you to select the previous/next chord on the chord track for editing. Add Chord Adds a new undefined chord event on the chord track. NOTE This works only if the last chord event on the chord track is selected. 587 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Chord Events Chord definition buttons Activate these buttons to define a root note, a chord type, a tension, and a bass note for your chord event. NOTE If you do not select a separate bass note, the setting is linked to the root note, so that no extra bass note is heard. Keyboard display Shows the notes of the chord event, considering the current voicing settings. Activate MIDI Input Allows you to define a chord by playing a chord on your MIDI keyboard. If the chord is recognized, it is reflected by the chord buttons and the keyboard display. Define Chord by Text Input Allows you to define a chord using the computer keyboard. Adding Chord Events PREREQUISITE You have added a chord track. PROCEDURE 1. Select the Draw tool and click in the chord track. An undefined chord event named X is added. 2. Select the Object Selection tool and double-click the chord event. 3. In the Editor, select a root note. 4. Optional: Select a chord type, tension, and bass note. 5. Do one of the following: To close the Editor, click anywhere outside the Editor. To add a new undefined chord event, click Add Chord. RELATED LINKS Adding the Chord Track on page 586 Defining Chords by Text Input In the chord Editor, you can use the text input field to define a chord with the computer keyboard. PROCEDURE 1. Double-click a chord event to open the chord Editor. 2. Click in the text input field at the bottom of the Editor. 3. Enter a chord by performing the following actions: Define a root note, for example, C, D, E. Define accidentals, for example, # or b. Define the chord type, for example maj, min, dim, sus, or aug. Define a chord extension, for example, 7, 9, or 13. 588 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Chord Events NOTE If you have activated Solfège in the Note Name pop-up menu in the Preferences dialog (Event Display--Chords&Pitches page), you can also enter chords in this format. You must capitalize the first letter and write "Re" instead of "re", for example. Otherwise, the chord is not recognized. 4. Press Tab to add a new undefined chord and define it. Chord Assistant The Chord Assistant allows you to use a chord as a starting point to get suggestions for the next chord. To open the Chord Assistant, in the Chord Editor, click Circle of Fifths. RELATED LINKS Chord Assistant Circle of Fifths on page 589 Chord Assistant Circle of Fifths The Circle of Fifths mode of the Chord Assistant shows the chords in an interactive visualization of the circle of fifths. The origin chord that defines the current key is shown in the center of the Chord Assistant and is marked as tonic (I). The outer circle shows the twelve major chords ordered in intervals of fifths. The inner circle displays the corresponding parallel minor chords. The roman numerals mark the chords of the current key with their scale degree. You can use these chords to create typical chord progressions or you can use the other chords for more creative results. 589 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Chord Events To play a chord and assign it to the selected chord event, click it. The last 3 chords that you clicked are shown in bold. To define a new key, right-click the chord in the Chord Assistant and select Use as Origin, or use the Rotate Left/Rotate Right controls. To select the parallel minor chord and define it as key, click Major/Minor. Auditioning Chord Events To hear the chord events on the chord track, you must connect the chord track to the output of an instrument or a MIDI track. PREREQUISITE You have added a chord track and chord events. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Click Instrument. 3. Open the Instrument pop-up menu and select a VST instrument. 4. Click Add Track. The instrument track is added to the track list, and the control panel of the selected VST instrument is opened. 5. Select a sound. 6. In the chord track Inspector, activate Acoustic Feedback. 7. From the Select Track for Auditioning pop-up menu, select the track that you want to use for auditioning. RESULT The chord events on the chord track now trigger the sound of the assigned instrument on the MIDI or instrument track. RELATED LINKS Chord Track on page 120 590 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Scale Events Add Track Dialog Instrument on page 98 Changing How Chord Events Are Displayed You can change how chord events are displayed. This is useful if chord events overlap each other at low zoom levels or if you do not like the font type. PROCEDURE 1. On the chord track, activate Resolve Display Conflicts. 2. In the Preferences dialog, select Event Display > Chords&Pitches, and set up the chord font. Here you can also determine the note name and naming format. Scale Events Scale events inform you which chord events fit in a specific sequence of notes that belong to a specific root note. Cubase automatically creates scale events for your chord events. To show the scale events, activate Show Scales on the chord track. To audition the notes that belong to a scale event, click it. However, you can also add and edit scale events manually. Scale events have a specific start position. Their end is determined by the start of the next scale event. Editing Scale Events PREREQUISITE You have added a chord track and chord events. You have deactivated Automatic Scales in the chord track Inspector. PROCEDURE 1. On the chord track, activate Show Scales. The scale lane with scale events is displayed. 2. Select the chord event. A scale event is shown on the scale lane. 3. Do one of the following: Click the first scale event on the chord track, and on the info line, select a Root Key and Type. Double-click the scale event, and in the keyboard that appears, select a Root Key and Type of the scale. 591 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Voicings The keys that correspond to the scale are highlighted. Voicings Voicings determine how chord events are set up. They define the vertical spacing and order of the pitches in a chord, but also the instrumentation and genre of a musical piece. For example, a C chord can be spread over a wide range of pitches, and a pianist will choose different notes than a guitarist. The pianist may also play completely different pitches for different musical genres. You can set up voicing for the entire chord track in the chord track Inspector. You can set up voicings for individual chord events on the Voicing pop-up menu on the info line. NOTE If Adaptive Voicings is activated in the chord track Inspector, you can only change the voicings for the first chord event on the info line. Inspector Settings for Voicings To set up voicings for the entire chord track, you can use the chord track Inspector. Voicing library Allows you to select Guitar, Piano, or Basic as a voicing library. Voicing library subset NOTE This is only available if Guitar or Piano is set as voicing library. Allows you to select a preset voicing library subset. Configure voicing parameters Opens the Custom Voicing panel that allows you to configure your own voicing parameters for a specific voicing scheme. Adaptive Voicings Activate this to let Cubase set the voicings automatically. This prevents the individual voices from jumping too much. 592 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Voicings Automatic Scales Activate this to let Cubase set the scales automatically. Mapping Offset If you enter a negative number of ticks, the chord events will affect the MIDI notes that have been triggered too early. RELATED LINKS Custom Voicing Panel on page 593 Custom Voicing Panel If you click Configure voicing parameters in the Voicings section of the Inspector, you can configure your own voicing parameters for a specific voicing scheme. To open the Custom Voicing panel, click Configure voicing parameters in the Chords section of the Inspector. In the Style section for Piano voicings, you can set up the following parameters: Triads Sets a triad. Chords with more than 3 notes are not changed. Triads with maj9 Sets a triad with a major ninth, but without root note. Chords with more than 3 notes are not changed. Triads with maj9 and min9 Sets a triad with a major and a minor ninth, but without root note. Chords with more than 3 notes are not changed. 593 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Voicings 4-Note Chords Sets a 4-note chord without root note. Chords with fewer than 3 notes are not changed. 4-Note Chords (Open Jazz) Sets a 4-note chord without root note and without fifth. Chords with fewer than 3 notes are not changed. 5-Note Chords Sets a 5-note chord with a ninth. Chords with fewer than 4 notes are not changed. In the Options section for Piano voicings, you can set up the following parameters: Add Root Note Adds a root note. Duplicate Root Duplicates the root note. Fatten up Duplicates the tenor. In the Voicing Range section for Piano voicings, you can set up the following parameters: Lowest Root Note Sets the limit for the lowest root note. Lowest Note Sets the limit for the lowest note, except the root note. Highest Note Sets the limit for the highest note, except the root note. In the Style section for Guitar voicings, you can set up the following parameters: Triads Sets a triad with 4, 5 or 6 voices. 4-Note Chords Sets a 4-note chord with 4, 5 or 6 voices without tensions. 3-String Triads Sets a 3-string triad. Modern Jazz Sets 4-note, 5-note, and 6-note chords, partly without root note, but with tensions. For Basic voicings, only Octave Offset from C3 is available. This allows you to determine an offset value for the octave range. In the Start Voicing section for Piano, Guitar, and Basic voicings, you can select a start voicing. NOTE This is only available for MIDI and instrument tracks, but not for the chord track, and only if you select Voicings in the Follow Chord Track pop-up menu. 594 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Converting Chord Events to MIDI Converting Chord Events to MIDI You can convert chord events to MIDI for further editing or for printing a lead sheet in the Score Editor. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Do one of the following: Click Instrument to add an instrument track. Click MIDI to add a MIDI track. 3. Click Add Track. 4. Do one of the following: To convert all chord events to MIDI, select Project > Chord Track > Chords to MIDI. To convert only selected chords to MIDI, select the chord events and drag them to the MIDI or instrument track. RESULT A new MIDI part is created, containing the chords as MIDI events. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Instrument on page 98 Add Track Dialog MIDI on page 104 Assigning Chord Events to HALion Sonic SE Pads PREREQUISITE Create a chord progression on the chord track and add an instrument track with HALion Sonic SE as VST instrument to your project. PROCEDURE 1. On the chord track, select the chord events and drag them to the HALion Sonic SE pads. The first chord event is mapped to the pad where you dropped it and all subsequent chord events are mapped to the following pads. 2. Click the corresponding pads on the HALion Sonic SE keyboard to trigger the chords. Controlling MIDI Playback Using the Chord Track You can use the chord track to control MIDI playback. Chords Section for MIDI Tracks The Chords section in the audio track Inspector allows you to determine how the events on the MIDI track are mapped to the chord track. To open the Chords section for a MIDI track, select the track, and in the Inspector, click the Chords section. 595 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Controlling MIDI Playback Using the Chord Track Follow Chord Track Select an option to determine how the events on your track are mapped to the chord track. Voicings Allows you to select a voicing library or to use the voicings from the chord track. This is only available if you selected Voicings or Single Voice in the Follow Chord Track pop-up menu. Live Transform Allows you to transpose the MIDI input live to a chord progression on the chord track. Chord Pads Shows/Hides the Chord Pads Zone. Chord Pads' Player Allows you to select a player and a voicing setting that is typical for that kind of player, and determine how the notes of a chord are played. RELATED LINKS Using Follow Chord Track on page 597 Follow Chord Track Modes on page 597 Using Live Transform on page 596 Chord Pads Zone on page 602 Player Setup on page 613 Using Live Transform Live Transform allows you to transpose the MIDI input live to a chord progression on the chord track. This way, you do not have to worry about what key you hit on your MIDI keyboard as the MIDI input is transposed to match chords or scales on your chord track in real time. PROCEDURE 1. Create a MIDI or an instrument track and activate Record Enable. 2. In the Inspector, open the Chords section. 3. Open the Live Transform pop-up menu and do one of the following: To map the MIDI input to chord events, select Chords. To map the MIDI input to scale events, select Scales. 4. Hit some keys on your MIDI keyboard or on the On-Screen Keyboard. 596 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Controlling MIDI Playback Using the Chord Track RESULT Any key that you hit is mapped in real time to the chord or scale events on the chord track. Using Follow Chord Track This allows you to match an existing recording to a chord progression on the chord track. PROCEDURE 1. Select the track that you want to match to the chord track. 2. In the Inspector, click Chords. 3. Open the Follow Chord Track pop-up menu and select a mode. NOTE If this is the first time that you open this pop-up menu for the track, the Follow Chord Track dialog opens. 4. In the Follow Chord Track dialog, make your changes. 5. Click OK. RESULT The events on your track now match the chord progression on the chord track. NOTE If you matched your MIDI track to the chord track, some of the original MIDI notes may be muted. To hide these notes in the editors, activate Hide Muted Notes in Editors in the Preferences dialog (Editing--Chords page). RELATED LINKS Follow Chord Track Dialog on page 598 Follow Chord Track Modes on page 597 Follow Chord Track Modes This section of the Inspector allows you to determine how your track follows the chord track. The following options are available on the Follow Chord Track pop-up menu: Off Follow Chord Track is deactivated. Chords & Scales This maintains the intervals of the original chord or scale as far as possible. 597 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Controlling MIDI Playback Using the Chord Track Chords This transposes MIDI notes to match the key note and maps them to the current chord. Scales This transposes MIDI notes to match the current scale. This allows a bigger variety of notes and a more natural performance. Root Notes This transposes MIDI notes to match the root note of the chord event. The effect corresponds to using the transpose track. This option is suitable for bass tracks. Voicings This transposes MIDI notes to match the voices of the selected voicing library. Single Voice Maps MIDI notes to the notes of a single voice (soprano, tenor, bass, etc.) of the voicing. Use the pop-up menu below to select the desired voice. NOTE If you apply this mode to a selection of tracks that contain separate voices, you can set up one track as master and the others as voicing slaves. This way, you can change the voicing of the master, and the slaves will follow automatically. RELATED LINKS Assigning Voices to Notes on page 599 Follow Chord Track Dialog This dialog opens the first time that you select an option from the Follow Chord Track pop-up menu on the Chords section of the Inspector. Follow Directly Activate this if your MIDI notes are already in accordance with the chord track. This is the case if you extracted your chords from the MIDI events on the track by selecting Project > Chord Track > Create Chord Symbols, for example. Synchronize Track Data with Chord Track First Activate Analyze Chords if the track data has nothing in common with the chord events. This analyzes the MIDI events and matches the found chords to the chord track. This is only available for MIDI. Activate Apply a Known Chord if the track data has nothing in common with the chord events and if there are no chord changes. Specify Root Note and Chord Type of your events. 598 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Assigning Voices to Notes Using Map to Chord Track This allows you to match individual parts or events to a chord progression on the chord track. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select the events or parts that you want to map to the chord track. 2. Select Project > Chord Track > Map to Chord Track. 3. From the Mapping Mode pop-up menu, select a mapping mode. NOTE If you select Voicings and no voices are found, Auto mode is used instead. 4. Click OK. RESULT The chords and scales of each event or part are analyzed and used for mapping. If no chords are found, Cubase assumes that the performance is in "C". The available mapping modes and voicings correspond to the Follow Chord Track parameters in the Chords section of the Inspector. RELATED LINKS Follow Chord Track Modes on page 597 Assigning Voices to Notes You can transpose MIDI notes to match the voices of a selected voicing library. PROCEDURE Select Project > Chord Track > Assign Voices to Notes. RESULT The note pitches now match the voicing of the chord track and you can still edit the MIDI notes. If you now select a note in the Key Editor, you see that Voice on the info line is assigned. 599 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Extracting Chord Events from MIDI Extracting Chord Events from MIDI You can extract chords from MIDI notes, parts, or tracks. This is useful if you have a MIDI file and want to show its harmonic structure, and use this file as starting point for further experimenting. PREREQUISITE Add the chord track and create MIDI notes that can be interpreted as chords. Drums, monophonic bass, or lead tracks are not suitable. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window, select a part or one or several MIDI tracks. You can also select the MIDI tracks, parts, or notes that you want to extract in the Key Editor, Score Editor, or In-Place Editor. 2. Select Project > Chord Track > Create Chord Symbols. 3. Make your changes and click OK. RESULT The chord events are added on the chord track. RELATED LINKS Create Chord Symbols Dialog on page 600 Create Chord Symbols Dialog This dialog allows you to determine, which MIDI data should be taken into account when extracting chord events from MIDI. Include Bass Notes Activate this if you want your chord events to contain a bass note. Include Tensions Activate this if you want your chord events to contain tensions. Detect Arpeggios Activate this if you want your chord events to contain arpeggiated chords, that is, chords whose notes are played one after another instead of all at once. Interpret Sustain Pedal Activate this if you want your chord events to contain sustain pedal chords, that is, notes that are played while the sustain pedal is held. Ignore Notes Shorter Than Allows you to determine the minimum length of the MIDI events that are taken into account. 600 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Functions Recording Chord Events with a MIDI Keyboard Recording Chord Events with a MIDI Keyboard You can use a MIDI keyboard to record chord events on the chord track. PREREQUISITE Your project contains an instrument track with Record Enable or Monitor activated. PROCEDURE 1. On the chord track, activate Record Enable. 2. On the Transport panel, activate Record. 3. Play some chords on your MIDI keyboard. RESULT All recognized chords are recorded as chord events on the chord track. NOTE The chord track uses its own voicing settings. The recorded chord events may therefore sound different. RELATED LINKS Adding Chord Events on page 588 601 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord pads allow you to play with chords, and to change their voicings and tensions. In terms of harmonies and rhythms, they allow for a more playful and spontaneous approach to composition than the chord track functions. You can: Perform with chords in real time via a MIDI keyboard. Record your performance as MIDI events on a MIDI or instrument track or even on the chord track. NOTE We assume that you have a MIDI keyboard connected and set up. RELATED LINKS Voicings on page 592 Chord Pads Zone The chord pads in the lower zone of the Project window hold all functions that you need to work with chord pads. To open the Chord Pads, select Project > Chord Pads > Show/Hide Chord Pads. NOTE You can also select a MIDI or instrument track, and in the Inspector, open the Chords section and activate Show/Hide Chord Pads Zone. The chord pads hold the following controls: 602 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Pads Zone 1 Chord Pad Output Mode Activate this to send chord data to all tracks that are monitored or record-enabled. Deactivate this to send chord data exclusively to tracks that are monitored or recordenabled and where Input Routing is set to Chord Pads. NOTE If Record-Enable allows MIDI Thru is deactivated in the Preferences dialog (Record-- MIDI page), you must activate Monitor to use the chord pads. 2 Current Player Shows the selected player and opens a menu where you can select another player. 3 Current Mode Shows the selected player mode and opens a menu where you can select another player mode. 4 Chord Pad Each chord pad can contain a chord symbol. Right-click a chord pad to open a context menu for that chord pad. To change the chord that is assigned to the chord pad, click Open Editor on the left edge of the chord pad. 5 Keyboard Shows which keys are played when you trigger a chord pad. To zoom the keyboard, click a key and drag up or down. To scroll the keyboard, click and drag to the left or to the right. 6 Pads Remote Range The keys highlighted in blue on the keyboard correspond to the keys on your MIDI keyboard that trigger the chord pads. You can define the remote range on the Pad Remote Control page of the Chord Pads Setup dialog. 7 Remote Range for Voicings/Tensions/Transpose The keys highlighted in green on the keyboard display correspond to the keys on your MIDI keyboard that change the voicings, tensions, and transpose settings of the pads. You can activate and define these remote keys on the Pad Remote Control page of the Chord Pads Setup dialog. 8 Set up Chord Pads Opens the Chord Pads Setup dialog. 9 Functions Menu Opens a menu with specific functions and settings for the chord pads. 10 Chord Pads Presets 603 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Pads Zone Allows you to save and load presets for chord pads and players. 11 Show/Hide Chord Assistant Shows/Hides the Chord Assistant window that shows suggestions of chords that match the chord that you specified as the origin chord. 12 Show/Hide Player Setup Shows/Hides the player setup options. RELATED LINKS Chord Pads Setup Dialog on page 617 Playing Back and Recording Chords on page 610 Players and Voicings on page 614 Opening Chord Pads on page 48 Chord Pad Controls The chord pad controls allow you to edit the chord pads. To show the chord pad controls, move the mouse over a chord pad. 1 Open Editor Opens the Chord Editor that allows you to select a chord for the chord pad. 2 Voicing indicators Shows the voicing used for the chord. Voicing indicators can only be displayed if the horizontal zoom level for the chord pads is high enough. 3 Adaptive Voicing Reference/Use X as Origin for Chord Assistant When the active chord pad is set as adaptive voicing reference, its borders are shown in yellow. All other chord pads follow its voicing and are set in a way that they do not get too far away from the reference. If the chord pad is set as origin for the Chord Assistant window, its borders are shown in blue. This chord pad is used as a basis for the suggestions in the Chord Assistant window. 4 Assigned Chord Shows the chord symbol that is assigned to the chord pad. Each chord pad can contain one chord symbol. If the name of the assigned chord is too long to display it on the chord pad, it is underlined, and the full chord name is shown in a tooltip. 5 AV (Adaptive Voicing)/L (Lock) All chord pads follow the adaptive voicing. This is indicated by AV. If you change the voicing for a pad manually, however, adaptive voicing is deactivated. An L indicates that the chord pad is locked for editing. 6 Voicing Allows you to set another voicing for the chord pad. 7 Tensions Allows you to add/remove tensions for the chord. Chord Pad Context Menu To open the chord pad context menu, right-click a chord pad. 604 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Functions Menu Use X as Origin for Chord Assistant Sets the chord of the current pad as an origin chord for the chord assistant. Assign Pad from MIDI Input Allows you to assign a chord by pressing keys on your MIDI keyboard. Lock Allows you to lock a chord pad for editing. Adaptive Voicing All chord pads follow the adaptive voicing. This is indicated by a check mark. If you change the voicing for a pad manually, adaptive voicing is deactivated. Adaptive Voicings Reference Sets the current pad as adaptive voicing reference. If set, the automatic voicings for the following pads are set in a way that they do not get too far away from the reference voicing. Only one pad can be set as adaptive voicing reference. Unassign Pad Removes the chord assignment from the current pad. Functions Menu To open the functions menu, click Functions Menu. Show Voicing Indicators Allows you to activate/deactivate the voicing indicators that can be displayed at the bottom of each chord pad. Assign Pads from Chord Track Assigns the chord events from the chord track to the chord pads in the same order as they appear on the chord track. Chord events that have more than one occurrence are only assigned once. Snap Playback to Musical Grid Allows you to delay the playback of a triggered chord pad to the next defined musical position. This is useful if you work with an arpeggiator or if you set the Player Modes to Pattern. Transpose All Pads Transposes all chord pads by a defined transpose value. Lock All Pads Locks all chord pads for editing. 605 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Assistant Unlock All Pads Unlocks all chord pads. Unassign All Pads Removes the chord assignment from all pads. Chord Assistant The Chord Assistant allows you to use a chord as a starting point for suggestions for the next chord. It assists you in finding the right chords for creating a chord progression for your song. Click Show/Hide Chord Assistant on the left side of the chord pads area to open the Chord Assistant. You must define an origin chord as follows: Right-click the chord pad with the chord you want to use as origin and select Use X as Origin for Chord Assistant. The Chord Assistant window shows suggestions for follow-on chords that you can assign to the chord pads. Chord Assistant Circle of Fifths Mode The Chord Assistant window shows the chords in an interactive visualization of the circle of fifths. The origin chord that defines the current key is shown in the center of the Chord Assistant window. The tonic (I) of that key is displayed above the center. The outer circle shows the twelve major chords ordered in intervals of fifths. The inner circle displays the corresponding parallel minor chords. The roman numerals mark the chords of the current key with their scale degree. You can use these chords to create typical chord progressions. However, you can also use the other chords for more creative results. 606 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Assignment To play a chord, click it. The last 3 chords that you clicked are shown in bold. To assign a chord to the next unassigned chord pad, right-click the suggested chord and select Assign to Pad. You can also drag the suggested chord and drop it on a chord pad. To assign a suggestion to the next unassigned chord pad and use this chord as origin, right-click the chord and select Assign to Pad and Use as Origin. NOTE The Circle of Fifths is also available in the Chord Assistant window for the chord track. Chord Assignment Some chords are preassigned to the chord pads. But you can also assign your own chords. To assign chords to chord pads, you can use: The chord Editor window The Chord Assistant Circle of Fifths window Your MIDI keyboard The chord events from the chord track Unassigning Chord Pads You can clear all chord assignments from the chord pads to start from scratch. PROCEDURE To the left of the chord pads, open the Functions Menu and select Unassign All Pads. Assigning Chords with the Chord Editor If you know exactly which chord you want to assign to a specific chord pad, you can use the Chord Editor. PROCEDURE 1. Move the mouse pointer to the left edge of the chord pad, and click Open Editor. 607 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Assignment 2. In the Chord Editor window, use the chord definition buttons to define a root note, a chord type, a tension, and a bass note. The new chord is triggered automatically to give an acoustic feedback. Assigning Chords with the Chord Assistant Circle of Fifths Mode If you have a chord that you want to use as a starting point for a chord progression, but you do not know how to create such a progression, you can use the Chord Assistant Circle of Fifths window. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click the chord pad that you want to use as a starting point and activate Use X as Origin for Chord Assistant. The Chord Assistant window opens, and the borders of the chord pad change their color to indicate that the assigned chord is now used as origin. The origin chord is displayed in the center, and the chords that belong to the scale are shown above it. The numerals indicate the scale degree of the chords. These help you to create chord progressions. 2. In the Chord Assistant window, click the chord symbols to trigger the corresponding chords. 3. To assign a chord, drag it from the Chord Assistant window and drop it on the chord pad. NOTE If one of the next chord pads is free, you can also right-click the chord in the Chord Assistant window and select Assign to Pad. This assigns the chord to the next free pad. Assigning Chords with the MIDI Keyboard If you know which chord you want to assign to a specific chord pad, you can use a MIDI keyboard or the On-Screen Keyboard. PREREQUISITE You have selected a MIDI track or an instrument track. PROCEDURE 1. Right-click the chord pad that you want to use for the new chord, and select Assign Pad from MIDI Input. 608 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Swapping Chord Assignments The borders of the chord pad change their color to indicate that it is now ready for recording. 2. On your MIDI keyboard or on the On-Screen Keyboard, press the keys for the chord that you want to assign. The chord and its voicing are assigned to the chord pad, and you hear an acoustic feedback of the chord. NOTE The assigned voicing can be changed by the Adaptive Voicing setting. Therefore, if you want to keep the voicing for that specific pad, right-click the chord pad and select Lock from the context menu. RELATED LINKS Adaptive Voicing on page 614 Assigning Chords from the Chord Track You can assign the chord events from the chord track to the chord pads. PREREQUISITE You have added a chord track with chord events to your project. PROCEDURE To the left of the chord pads, click the Functions Menu button, and select Assign Pads from Chord Track. If chords are already assigned to the chord pads, a warning message informs you that all previous assignments will be overwritten. RESULT The chord events are assigned to the chord pads in the same order as they appear on the chord track. NOTE Chord events that have more than one occurrence on the chord track are only assigned once. RELATED LINKS Adding the Chord Track on page 586 Adding Chord Events on page 588 Swapping Chord Assignments You can swap the chord assignments of 2 pads. PROCEDURE Click a chord pad and drag it to another chord pad. While you drag, the border of the destination chord pad changes its color. RESULT When you drop the pad on another, the chord assignments are swapped together with their settings, except for the Adaptive Voicing Reference. 609 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Copying Chord Assignments Copying Chord Assignments You can copy the chord assignment of one pad and paste it on another pad. PROCEDURE Alt-click a chord pad and drag it to another chord pad. While you drag, the border of the destination chord pad changes its color. RESULT When you drop the pad on another, the first pad's assignment is copied to the destination chord pad together with its settings, except for the Adaptive Voicing Reference. Playing Back and Recording Chords You can play back and record chords that are assigned to chord pads using MIDI or instrument tracks. There are two different Chord Pad Output Modes that determine if chords that are assigned to chord pads can be played back and recorded using any or using exclusive MIDI or instrument tracks: Chord Pad Output Mode: On Allows you to play back and record chord pads using any MIDI or instrument track where Record Enable or Monitor is activated. Chord Pad Output Mode: Off Allows you to play back and record chord pads using exclusive MIDI or instrument tracks where Record Enable or Monitor is activated, and where Chord Pads is selected as a MIDI input in the Input Routing pop-up menu. NOTE If Record-Enable allows MIDI Thru is deactivated in the Preferences dialog (Record--MIDI page), you must activate Monitor to use the chord pads. RELATED LINKS Chord Pads Zone on page 602 Recording Chords on the Chord Track on page 612 Recording Chords on Instrument Tracks on page 612 Playing Back Chord Pads Using Any Instrument Track on page 610 Playing Back Chord Pads Using Exclusive Instrument Tracks on page 611 Playing Back Chord Pads Using Any Instrument Track You can play back chord pads using any MIDI or instrument track where Record Enable or Monitor is activated. PREREQUISITE You have connected and set up a MIDI keyboard. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Click Instrument. 3. Open the Instrument pop-up menu and select a VST instrument. 610 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Playing Back and Recording Chords 4. Click Add Track. The instrument track is added to the track list, and the control panel of the selected VST instrument is opened. 5. On the instrument track, click Record Enable or Monitor. NOTE If Record-Enable allows MIDI Thru is deactivated in the Preferences dialog (Record-- MIDI page), you must activate Monitor to use the chord pads. 6. Select Project > Chord Pads > Show/Hide Chord Pads to open the Chord Pads. 7. Activate Chord Pad Output Mode. 8. Press some keys on your MIDI keyboard to trigger the chords that are assigned to the chord pads. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Instrument on page 98 Chord Pads Setup Dialog on page 617 Changing the Pads Remote Range on page 620 Playing Back Chord Pads Using Exclusive Instrument Tracks You can play back chord pads using exclusive MIDI or instrument tracks where Record Enable or Monitor is activated, and where Chord Pads is selected as a MIDI input in the Input Routing pop-up menu. PREREQUISITE You have set up a MIDI keyboard. PROCEDURE 1. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Click Instrument. 3. Open the Instrument pop-up menu and select a VST instrument. 4. Click Add Track. The instrument track is added to the track list, and the control panel of the selected VST instrument is opened. 5. On the instrument track, click Record Enable or Monitor. NOTE If Record-Enable allows MIDI Thru is deactivated in the Preferences dialog (Record-- MIDI page), you must activate Monitor to use the chord pads. 6. In the Inspector for the instrument track, open the Input Routing pop-up menu, and select Chord Pads. 7. Select Project > Chord Pads > Show/Hide Chord Pads to open the Chord Pads. 8. Deactivate Chord Pad Output Mode. 9. Press some keys on your MIDI keyboard to trigger the chords that are assigned to the chord pads. 611 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Playing Back and Recording Chords RESULT The instrument track now receives MIDI data exclusively from the chord pad device. You can use a connected MIDI keyboard to trigger the chord pads. This still works if you hide the Chord Pads from view. NOTE On the Chord Pads page of the Studio Setup dialog, you can select your connected MIDI keyboard from the MIDI Input pop-up menu. This is useful if you want to use a specific MIDI keyboard exclusively for triggering the chord pads. Recording Chords on Instrument Tracks You can record chords that are triggered by chord pads on MIDI or instrument tracks. PREREQUISITE You have connected and set up a MIDI keyboard, you have opened and set up the chord pads, and you have added an instrument or a MIDI track for which a VST instrument is loaded. PROCEDURE 1. On the instrument track, click Record Enable or Monitor. NOTE If Record-Enable allows MIDI Thru is deactivated in the Preferences dialog (Record-- MIDI page), you must activate Monitor to use the chord pads. 2. On the Transport panel, activate Record. 3. On your MIDI keyboard, press the keys that trigger the chord pads. 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 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 chords that are triggered by chord pads 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, and you have added an instrument or a MIDI track for which a VST instrument is loaded. PROCEDURE 1. On the instrument track, click Record Enable or Monitor. NOTE If Record-Enable allows MIDI Thru is deactivated in the Preferences dialog (Record-- MIDI page), you must activate Monitor to use the chord pads. 612 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Player Setup 2. Select Project > Add Track > Chord. The chord track is added to the track list. 3. In the Inspector for the chord track, click Record Enable. 4. On the Transport panel, activate Record. 5. On your MIDI keyboard, press the keys that trigger the chord pads. 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 Track on page 120 Chord Functions on page 586 Voicings on page 592 Player Setup The Player Setup allows you to select a player and a voicing setting that is typical for that kind of player, and determine if the notes of a chord are played as plain chords or as a pattern. To open the Player Setup, click Show/Hide Player Setup. In the Select Player section, the following options are available: List of Added Players Shows the added players, and allows you to activate a player and use its voicing style and play mode for the chord pads. Player Options Allows you to add a player and to rename or remove the current player. In the Selected Player Settings section, the following options are available: Chord Voicing Style Allows you to select a chord voicing style for the selected player. This determines how chords are played back, and what pitches are used. Player Modes Plain Chords triggers all notes of a chord simultaneously. 613 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Player Setup Pattern plays an arpeggio that is based on the notes of the pattern. RELATED LINKS Players and Voicings on page 614 Voicings on page 592 Player Setup on page 613 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. These voicings are referred to as players. RELATED LINKS Voicings on page 592 Adaptive Voicing In Cubase, the adaptive voicing setting ensures that pitches in chord progressions do not change abruptly. 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 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 follows the voice leading rules of the voicing reference. To activate adaptive voicing again, rightclick 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. Player Modes--Plain Chords You can control the playback of plain chords. Click Show/Hide Player Setup to open the Player Setup, and in the Player Modes pop-up menu, select Plain Chords. The following options are available: Overlaps Allows you to select what happens with the notes of the first chord when you play a chord without releasing the previous chord. 614 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Player Setup Hold First holds the notes of the first chord. No note-off message is sent. If the chords have common notes, these are not triggered again. Legato releases the notes of the first chord, except for the common notes. These are held and not triggered again. Stop First releases the notes of the first chord including the common notes. Filter Notes Allows you to select which keys are filtered. Off filters nothing. From MIDI Thru filters unassigned keys, and keys that are assigned as remote keys for voicings, tensions, and transpose. RELATED LINKS Chord Pads Setup Dialog on page 617 Player Modes--Pattern If you select Pattern in the Player Modes pop-up menu, this allows you to play the notes that make up the chord one after another as an arpeggio based on the notes of the pattern. Click Show/Hide Player Setup to open the Player Setup, and in the Player Modes pop-up menu, select Pattern. The following options are available: In the Selected Player Settings section, the following options are available: Import MIDI Loop Allows you to select a MIDI loop that is used as a pattern. Pattern Allows you to drop a MIDI part from the event display that is used as a pattern. The name of the selected loop or part is shown. Velocity from Pattern uses the velocity values from the MIDI loop or the MIDI part that is selected as a pattern. MIDI Keyboard allows you to determine the velocity values by pressing the keys on your MIDI keyboard harder or softer. Pattern Presets Allows you to save pattern presets. Using the Pattern Player You can play back the pattern of a MIDI loop or a MIDI part with chord pads. This plays back the pattern with the notes that make up the chord. PROCEDURE 1. To the left of the chord pads, activate Show/Hide Player Setup. 615 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Player Setup 2. In the Selected Player Settings section, open the Player Modes pop-up menu, and select Pattern. 3. 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 and drop it on the Pattern 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. 4. In the Velocity from field, select a velocity source for the notes. RELATED LINKS Assigning Voices to Notes on page 599 Setting up the Results List Columns on page 432 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. In the global track controls area of the track list, click Add Track . 2. Click Instrument. 3. In the Count value field, select the number of tracks that you want to add. 4. Open the Instrument pop-up menu and select a VST instrument. 5. Click Add Track. The instrument tracks are added to the track list, and the control panels of the selected VST instrument are opened. 6. Select Project > Chord Pads > Show/Hide Chord Pads to open the Chord Pads. 7. Activate Chord Pad Output Mode. 8. Click Show/Hide Player Setup. 9. Select the first instrument track, select a sound for the VST instrument, and set up a player. For example, select a piano sound and activate 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. 10. Select the second instrument track, select a sound for the VST instrument, and set up another player. For example, select a guitar sound and activate Guitar Player. 11. Select the next instrument track, and proceed as for the other 2 tracks. 616 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Pads Setup Dialog For example, select a string sound, click Player Options, and select Add Basic Player. 12. 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. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog Instrument on page 98 Chord Pads Setup Dialog The Chord Pads Setup dialog allows you to change the remote key assignments and the layout of the chord pads. To open the Chord Pads Setup dialog, click Set up Chord Pads. Pad Remote Control Allows you to specify a range of remote keys that trigger the chords that are assigned to the chord pads. Here, you can also set up chord modifiers that allow you to specify how the chords are played back. Pad Layout Allows you to change the layout that is used for the chord pads. 617 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Pads Setup Dialog RELATED LINKS Pad Remote Control Tab on page 618 Pad Layout Tab on page 620 Pad Remote Control Tab The Pad Remote Control tab in the Chord Pads Setup dialog allows you to specify a range of remote keys that trigger the chords that are assigned to the chord pads. To open the Pad Remote Control tab, click Set up Chord Pads, and in the Chord Pads Setup dialog, click Pad Remote Control. In the Chord Pad Triggers section, the following options are available: Latch Chords Activate this if you want the chord pad to play back until it is triggered again. Pads Remote Range Start Allows you to set the start note for the remote range. By default, this is set to C1. Pads Remote Range End Allows you to set the end note for the remote range. By default, this is set to B1. MIDI Learn Activates/Deactivates the MIDI Learn function to assign MIDI input to the pads remote range. In the Chord Modifiers section, the following options are available: 618 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Pads Setup Dialog Activate Activates/Deactivates the remote key assignment for the parameters voicings, tensions, and transpose. If this option is deactivated, only the remote key assignment for the pads remote range is active. NOTE If you use the remote keys for voicings, tensions, or transposition after releasing the remote key for the chord pad, the chord pad that you last played is affected. In the Voicing Modifiers section, the following options are available: Next Voicing Plays back the next voicing of the last played chord. Previous Voicing Plays back the previous voicing of the last played chord. Modify All Pad Voicings Allows you to set the voicings for all chord pads using one of the following modifiers: No Modifier Aftertouch Pitchbend Controller If you select Controller, you can set the controller number in the Controller Number field. MIDI Learn Activates/Deactivates the MIDI Learn function to assign MIDI input to the parameters for changing voicings. In the Tension Modifiers section, the following options are available: More Tensions Plays back the last played chord with more tensions. Fewer Tensions Plays back the last played chord with fewer tensions. Modify All Pad Tensions Allows you to set the tensions for all chord pads using one of the following modifiers: No Modifier Aftertouch Pitchbend Controller If you select Controller, you can set the controller number in the Controller Number field. MIDI Learn Activates/Deactivates the MIDI Learn function to assign MIDI input to the parameters for changing tensions. In the Transpose Modifiers section, the following options are available: Transpose Up Plays back the last played chord and transposes it upwards. 619 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Pads Setup Dialog Transpose Down Plays back the last played chord and transposes it downwards. Transpose All Pads Allows you to transpose all chord pads using one of the following modifiers: No Modifier Aftertouch Pitchbend Controller If you select Controller, you can set the controller number in the Controller Number field. MIDI Learn Activates/Deactivates the MIDI Learn function to assign MIDI input to the parameters for changing transpose. 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. Click Set up Chord Pads. 2. Open the Pad Remote Control tab to open the remote control assignments. 3. Do one of the following: Click MIDI Learn so that the button lights up, and on your MIDI keyboard, press the 2 keys that you want to assign as range start and range end. Enter a new value in the Pads Remote Range Start and Pads Remote Range End fields. RESULT On the keyboard, the indication for pads remote range is changed. Pad Layout Tab The Pad Layout tab in the Chord Pads Setup dialog allows you to change the layout that is used for the chord pads. NOTE By default, the keyboard layout is active, but you can change to a grid layout if you prefer. After changing the pad layout, you may need to adjust the remote setup. To open the Pad Layout tab, click Set up Chord Pads, and in the Chord Pads Setup dialog, click Pad Layout. 620 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Chord Pads Presets Pad Layout Type Activate Keyboard to show the chord pads in a keyboard layout. Activate Grid to show the chord pads in a grid layout. Number of Octaves/Number of Rows In Keyboard mode, you can select the number of octaves that you want to display. In Grid mode, you can select the number of rows that you want to display. Start Note In Keyboard mode, you can select the start note for the first chord pad. Number of Columns In Grid mode, you can select the number of columns that you want to display. 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 and drop. 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. Chord Pads Presets are organized in the MediaBay, and you can categorize them with attributes. To save/load a chord pads preset, click Chord Pads Presets and select Save Chord Pads Preset/Load Chord Pads Preset. You can also load only the assigned chords from a 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 Chord Pads Presets, click Chord Pads Presets and select Load Chords from Preset. In the same way, you can also load only the player configurations of Chord Pads Presets. This is useful if you have saved very complex player settings and want to reuse them on other chord pads without changing the assigned chords. To load only the player settings of Chord Pads Presets, click Chord Pads Presets and select Load Players from Preset. Saving Chord Pads Presets If you have set up the chord pads, you can save them as Chord Pads Presets. PROCEDURE 1. To the left of the chord pads, click Chord Pads Presets and select Save Chord Pads Preset. 2. In the New Preset section, enter a name for the new preset. 621 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Chord Pads Creating Chord Events from Chord Pads NOTE You can also define attributes for the preset. 3. Click OK to save the preset and exit the dialog. Creating Chord Events from Chord Pads You can use the chords assigned to the chord pads to create chord events in the Project window. PROCEDURE Click a chord pad, and drag it on the chord track. RESULT A chord event is created. RELATED LINKS Recording Chord Events with a MIDI Keyboard on page 601 Creating MIDI Parts from Chord Pads You can use the chords assigned to the chord pads to create MIDI parts in the Project window. PROCEDURE Click a chord pad, and drag it on a MIDI or instrument track. RESULT A MIDI part is created. It contains the MIDI events that build up the chord and has a length of one bar. 622 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Project Tempo Modes For every project you can set a tempo mode, depending on whether your music has a fixed tempo or if it changes throughout the project. On the Transport panel, you can set the following tempo modes: Fixed Tempo Mode If you want to work with one fixed tempo that does not change throughout the project, deactivate Activate Tempo Track on the Transport panel. You can change the tempo value to set a fixed rehearsal tempo. Tempo Track Mode If the tempo of your music contains tempo changes, activate Activate Tempo Track on the Transport panel. You can change the tempo value to change the tempo at the cursor. If your project does not contain any tempo changes, the tempo is changed at the project start. RELATED LINKS Setting up Projects for Tempo Changes on page 626 Tempo Track Editor The Tempo Track Editor provides an overview of the project tempo settings. It allows you to add and edit tempo events. To open the Tempo Track Editor, do one of the following: Select Project > Tempo Track. Press Ctrl/Cmd-T. 623 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Tempo Track Editor The Tempo Track Editor is divided into several sections: 1 Tempo scale Shows the tempo scale in BPM. 2 Toolbar Contains tools for selecting, adding, and changing tempo and time signature events. 3 Info line Shows information about the selected tempo or time signature event. 4 Ruler Shows the timeline and the display format of the project. 5 Time signature display Shows the time signature events in the project. 6 Tempo curve display If your project is set to a fixed tempo, only one tempo event and a fixed tempo is shown. If your project is set to tempo track mode, the curve display shows the tempo curve with the tempo events in the project. Tempo Track Editor Toolbar The toolbar contains tools for selecting, adding, and changing tempo and time signature events. The following tools are available: Activate Tempo Track Activate Tempo Track Switches the project tempo between fixed tempo mode and tempo track mode. Left Divider Left Divider Tools that are placed to the left of the divider are always shown. 624 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Tempo Track Editor Auto-Scroll Auto-Scroll Keeps the project cursor visible during playback. Select Auto-Scroll Settings Allows you to activate Page Scroll or Stationary Cursor and to activate Suspend Auto-Scroll When Editing. Tool Buttons Object Selection Selects events. Draw Draws events. Erase Deletes events. Zoom Zoom in. Hold Alt and click to zoom out. New Tempo Type Type of New Tempo Points Allows you to select the type of new tempo points. Select Ramp if you want new tempo points to change gradually from the previous curve point to the new one. Select Jump if you want new tempo points to change instantly. Select Automatic if new tempo points should have the same type as the previous curve point. Current Tempo Current Tempo In fixed tempo mode, this allows you to change the current tempo. Snap Snap On/Off Restricts horizontal movement and positioning to the positions specified by the Snap Type. Time signature events always snap to the beginning of bars. Snap Type Allows you to specify to what positions you want events to snap. 625 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Tempo Changes for Projects Right Divider Right Divider Tools that are placed to the right of the divider are always shown. Show Info Line Show/Hide Info Opens/Closes the info line. Set up Toolbar Set up Toolbar Opens a pop-up menu where you can set up which toolbar elements are visible. Tempo Changes for Projects If the tempo track is activated, you can set up tempo changes for your project. NOTE If you work in tempo track mode, make sure that the display format in the Project window ruler is set to Bars+Beats. Otherwise, you may get confusing results. If you activate Activate Tempo Track on the Transport panel, the tempo track curve is displayed in the tempo curve display. You can adjust the tempo value as follows: By adding tempo events in the Tempo Track Editor. RELATED LINKS Setting up Projects for Tempo Changes on page 626 Setting up Projects for Tempo Changes When you create a new project, the project tempo is automatically set to fixed tempo mode. If your music contains tempo changes, you must set your project to tempo track mode. PROCEDURE To set your project to tempo track mode, do one of the following: On the Transport panel, activate Activate Tempo Track. Select Project > Tempo Track and activate Activate Tempo Track. RESULT The project tempo is now set up to follow the tempo track. RELATED LINKS Tempo Track Editor on page 623 626 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Setting up a Fixed Project Tempo Setting up a Tempo Track by Adding Tempo Changes PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Add Track > Tempo. The tempo track is added to the track list. 2. On the tempo track, open the Type of New Tempo Points pop-up menu and select an option. 3. Do one of the following: On the toolbar, select the Object Selection tool and click the tempo curve. On the toolbar, select the Draw tool, and click and draw in the tempo curve display. NOTE If Snap is activated, this determines at which time positions you can insert tempo curve points. RESULT The tempo event is added to the tempo curve. Editing Tempo Events In the Tempo Track Editor, you can edit selected tempo events. Use the following methods: With the Object Selection tool, click and drag horizontally and/or vertically. On the Info Line, adjust the tempo value in the Value field. NOTE When editing tempo events on tempo curves, make sure that the display format in the Project window ruler is set to Bars+Beats. Otherwise, you may get confusing results. Use the following methods to remove tempo events: With the Erase tool, click the tempo event. Select the tempo event and press Backspace. NOTE You cannot remove the first tempo event. Use the following method to change the tempo curve type: On the Info Line, adjust the tempo curve type in the Type field. Setting up a Fixed Project Tempo If your music does not contain tempo changes, and the tempo track is deactivated, you can set up a fixed tempo for your project. When the tempo track is deactivated, the tempo track curve is grayed out. The fixed tempo is displayed as a horizontal line in the tempo curve display. If you know the tempo of your music, you can adjust the tempo value in the following areas: Tempo field on the Transport panel 627 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Setting up a Fixed Project Tempo Current Tempo field on the Tempo Track Editor toolbar If you do not know the tempo of your music, use one of the following tools to calculate and set it: Beat Calculator Set Project Tempo from Loop RELATED LINKS Setting the Project Tempo from a Recording on page 628 Setting the Project Tempo from an Audio Loop on page 629 Setting the Project Tempo from a Recording You can calculate the tempo of freely recorded audio or MIDI material with the Beat Calculator and set it as the project tempo. PREREQUISITE The Tempo Track is deactivated, that is, the tempo mode is set to Fixed. PROCEDURE 1. On the Project window toolbar, select the Range Selection tool. 2. In the event display, make a selection that covers an exact number of beats of the recording. 3. Select Project > Beat Calculator. 4. In the Beats value field, enter the number of beats that the selection encompasses. The calculated tempo is shown in the BPM field. 5. In the Insert Tempo into Tempo Track section, click At Tempo Track Start. RESULT The project tempo is set to the tempo calculated from your recording. RELATED LINKS Beat Calculator on page 629 Setting the Project Tempo by Tapping You can set the tempo of freely recorded audio or MIDI material by tapping. PREREQUISITE The tempo track is deactivated, that is, tempo mode is set to Fixed. PROCEDURE 1. Activate playback. 2. Select Project > Beat Calculator. 3. Click Tap Tempo. The Tap Tempo window opens. 4. Use Space to tap the tempo of the recording that is played back. 628 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Beat Calculator In the BPM field, the calculated tempo is updated each time you tap. 5. Click OK to close the window. The tapped tempo is shown in the BPM field of the Beat Calculator. 6. Click one of the buttons in the Insert Tempo into Tempo Track section to insert the calculated tempo into the tempo track. RESULT The project tempo is set to the tapped tempo. RELATED LINKS Setting up a Fixed Project Tempo on page 627 Setting the Project Tempo from an Audio Loop You can set the project tempo from the tempo of an audio loop. PREREQUISITE Your project contains an audio loop that is not in Musical Mode. PROCEDURE 1. In the Project window ruler, set the left locator to the beginning of the audio loop. 2. Set the right locator to the end of the last bar. This does not need to match the end of the audio loop, but its number of bars. 3. Select the audio loop. 4. Select Audio > Advanced > Set Tempo from Event. You are asked if you want to set the global project tempo. 5. Perform one of the following actions: Click Yes to adjust the project tempo globally. Click No to adjust the project tempo only in the section of the audio event. RESULT The project tempo is set to the tempo calculated for the audio loop. Beat Calculator The Beat Calculator is a tool for calculating the tempo of freely recorded audio or MIDI material. It also allows you to set the tempo by tapping. To open the Beat Calculator for an audio or MIDI recording, select Project > Beat Calculator. Beats Allows you to enter the number of beats for the selected section of your recording. 629 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Set Definition from Tempo Dialog BPM Shows the tempo calculated for the selection. Tap Tempo Opens a window where you can specify a tempo by tapping. At Tempo Track Start If your project is in tempo track mode, the calculated tempo is set as the first tempo curve point. If your project is in fixed tempo mode, the calculated tempo is set for the entire project. At Selection Start If your project is in tempo track mode, the calculated tempo is set as a new tempo event at the start of the selection. Refresh Allows you to recalculate the tempo. This is useful if you adjust the selection, for example. Set Definition from Tempo Dialog The Set Definition from Tempo dialog allows you to set up freely recorded audio material to follow a specific tempo. To open the Set Definition from Tempo dialog for an audio recording, select Audio > Advanced > Set Definition from Tempo. Save Definition in Project Only Saves the tempo information in the project file only. Write Definition to Audio Files Writes the tempo information to the selected audio files. This is useful if you want to use them in other projects together with the tempo information. Adjusting the Audio Tempo to the Project Tempo You can adjust the tempo of freely recorded audio material to the project tempo. PROCEDURE 1. Select the audio events that you want to adjust to the project tempo. 2. Select Audio > Advanced > Set Definition from Tempo. 3. Optional: Adjust the settings. 4. Click OK. 630 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Editing Tempo and Time Signature Time Signature Events RESULT The tempo information is copied to the audio and the tracks are set to musical time base. This is achieved by applying warping to the events. Musical Mode is activated for the audio events. The audio tracks now follow any tempo changes in the project. Time Signature Events You can set up one or more time signatures for a project. You can set up the first time signature event of your project on the Transport panel. You can add further time signature events in the Tempo Track Editor. RELATED LINKS Project Window Toolbar on page 32 Transport Bar on page 42 Adding Time Signature Events in the Tempo Track Editor on page 631 Adding Time Signature Events in the Tempo Track Editor PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Tempo Track to open the Tempo Track Editor. 2. Select Draw on the toolbar, and in the time signature display, click at the time position where you want to insert the time signature event. 3. Edit the numerator and the denominator to change the value of the time signature event. NOTE You can also select the time signature event and edit the time signature value on the info line. RESULT The time signature event is added at the specified time position. The timeline and the event displays for the Project window and the editors reflect the changes. 631 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown The Export Audio Mixdown function allows you to mix down and export all audio that is contained between the left and right locators of a project. To open the Export Audio Mixdown dialog, select File > Export > Audio Mixdown. Export Audio Mixdown Dialog The Export Audio Mixdown dialog allows you to set up how audio is mixed down and exported. To open the Export Audio Mixdown dialog, select File > Export > Audio Mixdown. The Export Audio Mixdown dialog is divided into several sections. 632 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown Export Audio Mixdown Dialog Export Channel In the Export Channel pop-up menu, you can select an output channel for export. File Location In the File Location section, the following options are available: File Name Allows you to specify the name of the mixdown file. Click File Name Options to open a pop-up menu with naming options: Set to Project Name inserts the project name into the File Name field. Auto Update Name adds a number to the file name and increments the number every time you export a file. Click Set up Naming Scheme to open a dialog where you can specify a naming scheme. File Path Allows you to specify the file path of the mixdown file. Click Path Options to open a pop-up menu with file path options: Choose opens a dialog that allows you to browse for a file location. Use Project Audio Folder sets the path to the Audio folder of your project. Recent Paths allows you to select recently selected file locations. Clear Recent Paths allows you to delete all recently selected file locations. Preview Shows the file name with the naming scheme applied. File Conflicts Exporting audio can cause name conflicts with existing files that have the same name. You can define how file name conflicts are resolved: Always Ask opens a warning that allows you to choose if an existing file should be overwritten or if a new unique file name should be created by adding an incremental number. 633 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown Export Audio Mixdown Dialog Create Unique File Name creates a unique file name by adding an incremental number. Always Overwrite always overwrites the existing file. File Format In the File Format section, the following options are available: File Type Allows you to select a file type for the mixdown file. Sample Rate Allows you to select a sample rate for the mixdown file. NOTE This parameter is only available for uncompressed audio file formats and FLAC files. If you set the value lower than the project sample rate, the audio quality degrades and the high-frequency content is reduced. If you set the value higher than the project sample rate, the file size increases without increasing the audio quality. For CD burning, select 44.100kHz, because this is the sample rate used on audio CDs. Bit Depth Allows you to select a bit depth for the mixdown file. NOTE This parameter is only available for uncompressed audio file formats and FLAC files. Allows you to select 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit (float), or 64-bit (float) files. If you plan to re-import the mixdown file into Cubase, select 32-bit (float). This is the resolution used for audio processing in Cubase. 32-bit (float) files are twice the size of 16-bit files. For CD burning, use the 16-bit option, as CD audio is always 16bit. In this case, we recommend dithering. Activating the UV-22HR dithering plug-in reduces the effects of quantization noise and artifacts when converting the audio to 16bit. 8-bit resolution results in limited audio quality and should only be used if required. Mono Downmix Allows you to downmix the 2 channels of a stereo bus to a single mono file. Split Channels Allows you to export the 2 channels of a stereo bus as separate mono files. Name Allows you to specify the naming scheme for the split channel files. File Type Settings In the File Type Settings section, the settings for the selected file type are available. Export Options In the Export Options section, the following options are available: Realtime Export Allows you to export the audio mixdown in real time. Realtime export takes at least the same time as regular playback. Activate this if you use external effects or 634 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown Export Audio Mixdown Dialog instruments, or if you use VST plug-ins that require time to update correctly during the mixdown. For further information, refer to the documentation of the respective plug-ins. NOTE If you export external effects or instruments in real time, you must also activate Monitor for the respective audio channels. If the CPU and disk speed of your computer do not allow to export all channels simultaneously in real time, the program stops the process, reduces the number of channels, and starts again. Afterwards, the next batch of files is exported. This is repeated as often as needed to export all selected channels. Update Display Updates the meters during the export process. This allows you to check for clipping, for example. Deactivate External MIDI Inputs Deactivates MIDI inputs that are performed on external devices during the export process. After Export In the After Export section, the following options are available: Create Audio Track Creates an audio event that plays the clip on a new audio track, starting at the left locator. Activating this option also activates the Pool option. Insert to Pool Imports the resulting audio file automatically back into the Pool as a clip. Deactivating this option also deactivates the Create Audio Track option. Post Process Do Nothing does nothing after export. Open in WaveLab opens your mixdown file in WaveLab after export. This requires that WaveLab is installed on your computer. Pool Folder Allows you to specify a Pool folder for the clip. General Options In the bottom section, the following options are available: Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Export Audio. Export Audio Allows you to export your audio as specified. RELATED LINKS File Formats on page 638 635 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown Export Audio Mixdown Dialog Naming Scheme Dialog The Naming Scheme dialog allows you to define naming schemes for the audio material that you want to export. The naming attributes that are available in this dialog depend on the channel that you selected for export. To open the Naming Scheme dialog, open the Export Audio Mixdown dialog, and click Set up Naming Scheme. Scheme Allows you to save and delete naming schemes. Attributes Holds the following naming scheme attributes: Name Adds the name to the resulting file name. Channel Number Adds the channel number to the resulting file name. Channel Type Adds the channel type to the resulting file name. Channel Name Adds the channel name to the resulting file name. Project Name Adds the project name to the resulting file name. Result Allows you to drop attributes and rearrange them by dragging. Settings Allows you to select separator and counter settings. Separator Divides attributes from each other. Counter The value from which the counter starts counting. Digits 636 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown Mixing Down to Audio Files The number of number of digits prior to the counter value. Preview Displays a preview of your current settings. Defining Naming Schemes You can define a naming scheme by combining attributes that determine the structure of the file names for the exported audio files. PROCEDURE 1. In the Naming Scheme dialog, drag up to 5 attributes into the Result section. You can also double-click an attribute to add it to the Result section. 2. In the Settings section, double-click the Separator text field and enter a separator. The Preview section displays the file name scheme according to your settings. 3. Optional: Click the Name value field in the Scheme section and enter a preset name. Press Return to save your settings as a preset. NOTE The preset is only available for the channels that are selected in the Channel Selection section. Mixing Down to Audio Files PROCEDURE 1. Set up the left and right locators to encompass the section that you want to mix down. 2. Set up your tracks so that they play back the way you want. This includes muting unwanted tracks or parts, making manual MixConsole settings, and/or activating the R (Read) automation buttons for MixConsole channels. IMPORTANT The setting of the Output Routing in the corresponding track Inspector determines the channel width of the Export Audio Mixdown export. This means if no main output bus is selected, the exported audio file only contains silence. 3. Select File > Export > Audio Mixdown. 4. In the Export Audio Mixdown dialog, make your changes. 5. Click Export Audio. RESULT The audio file is exported. IMPORTANT If you set the export range in such a way that the effects that are applied to a preceding event, for example reverb, reach into the next, these are heard in the mixdown even though the event itself is not included. To avoid this, mute the first event. 637 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown File Formats File Formats The File Type pop-up menu in the Export section allows you to select a format and make additional settings for the mixdown file. Wave File This is the most common file format on the PC platform. Wave files have the extension .wav. AIFC File This is an audio file format standard defined by Apple Inc. AIFC files are used on most computer platforms. They support compression ratios as high as 6:1 and contain tags in the header. AIFC files have the extension .aifc. AIFF File This is an audio file format standard defined by Apple Inc. AIFF files are used on most computer platforms. The files can contain embedded text strings. AIFF files have the extension .aif. MPEG 1 Layer 3 File This is a family of standards used for encoding audio-visual information such as movies, video, and music in a digital compressed format. Cubase can read MPEG Layer 2 and MPEG Layer 3. MP3 files are highly compressed files that still provide good audio quality. The files have the extension .mp3. Windows Media Audio File (Windows only) This is an audio file format defined by Microsoft Inc. WMA files can be decreased in size with no loss of audio quality. The files have the extension .wma. FLAC File This is an open source format that reduces the size of audio files by 50% to 60% compared to regular Wave files. The files have the extension .flac. Ogg Vorbis File This is an open source, patent-free audio encoding and streaming technology. The Ogg Vorbis encoder uses variable bit rate encoding. It offers compressed audio files of small size, but with comparatively high audio quality. The files have the extension .ogg. Wave 64 File This is a proprietary format developed by Sonic Foundry Inc. Wave 64 files offer the same quality as Wave files, but they can be considerably larger than standard Wave files. They are especially suited for long recordings with file sizes over 2GB. The files have the extension .w64. RELATED LINKS File Format on page 634 File Type Settings on page 634 Wave Files Wave files have the extension .wav and are the most common file format on the PC platform. 638 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown File Formats If you select the Wave File format for the exported file, you can make the following settings in the Select Attributes section: Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk Activates the embedding of additional file information in Broadcast Wave format. NOTE By activating this option, you create a Broadcast Wave file. Some applications may not be able to handle these files. If you get problems using the file in another application, deactivate Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk and export the file again. Insert iXML Chunk Includes additional project-related metadata, such as project name, author, and project frame rate. Insert Tempo Definition This option is only available if Insert iXML Chunk is activated. It allows you to include tempo information from the tempo track in the iXML chunk of the exported files. Set up Broadcast Wave Chunk Opens the Broadcast Wave Chunk dialog where you can enter information. Don't Use Wave Extensible Format Deactivates the Wave Extensible format that contains additional metadata, such as the speaker configuration. AIFC Files AIFC files support compression ratios as high as 6:1 and contain tags in the header. AIFC files have the extension .aifc and are used on most computer platforms. If you select the AIFC File format for the exported file, you can make the following settings in the Select Attributes section: Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk Activates the embedding of additional file information in Broadcast Wave format. NOTE By activating this option, you create a Broadcast Wave file. Some applications may not be able to handle these files. If you get problems using the file in another application, deactivate Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk and export the file again. Insert iXML Chunk Includes additional project-related metadata, such as project name, author, and project frame rate. Insert Tempo Definition This option is only available if Insert iXML Chunk is activated. It allows you to include tempo information from the tempo track in the iXML chunk of the exported files. 639 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown File Formats Set up Broadcast Wave Chunk Opens the Broadcast Wave Chunk dialog where you can enter information. AIFF Files AIFF stands for Audio Interchange File Format, a standard defined by Apple Inc. AIFF files have the extension .aif and are used on most computer platforms. If you select the AIFF File format for the exported file, you can make the following settings in the Select Attributes section: Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk Activates the embedding of additional file information in Broadcast Wave format. NOTE By activating this option, you create a Broadcast Wave file. Some applications may not be able to handle these files. If you get problems using the file in another application, deactivate Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk and export the file again. Insert iXML Chunk Includes additional project-related metadata, such as project name, author, and project frame rate. Insert Tempo Definition This option is only available if Insert iXML Chunk is activated. It allows you to include tempo information from the tempo track in the iXML chunk of the exported files. Set up Broadcast Wave Chunk Opens the Broadcast Wave Chunk dialog where you can enter information. MP3 (MPEG 1 Layer 3) files MP3 files are highly compressed files that still provide good audio quality. They have the extension .mp3. To open the MPEG 1 Layer 3 File Settings, click Codec Settings in the Select Attributes section. Bit Rate Sets the bit rate for the MP3 file. The higher the bit rate, the better the audio quality and the larger the file. For stereo audio, 128kBit/s is considered to be providing good audio quality results. Sample Rate Sets the sample rate for the MP3 file. 640 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown File Formats High Quality Mode Sets the encoder to a different resampling mode. This may give better results depending on your settings. However, it does not allow you to select the Sample Rate. Insert ID3 Tag Includes ID3 Tag information in the exported file. Edit ID3 Tag Opens the ID3 Tag dialog that allows you to enter information about the file. This information is embedded in the file and can be displayed by most MP3 playback applications. Windows Media Audio Files (Windows only) The Windows Media Audio format by Microsoft Inc. uses advanced audio codecs and lossless compression. WMA files can be decreased in size with no loss of audio quality. The files have the extension .wma. To open the Windows Media Audio File Settings, click Codec Settings in the Select Attributes section. Codec Settings Opens the Windows Media Audio File Settings dialog. Windows Media Audio File Settings Dialog - General Tab The General tab in the Windows Media Audio File Settings dialog allows you to specify sample rate, bit depth, and channels for the encoded file. Sample Rate Allows you to set the sample rate to 44.100, 48.000, or 96.000kHz. Set this to match the sample rate of the source material or use the closest available value that is higher than the actual value. Bit Depth Allows you to set the bit depth to 16bit or 24bit. Set this parameter to match the bit depth of the source material or use the closest available value that is higher than the actual value. 641 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown File Formats NOTE Always keep in mind the intended use of the file. For publication on the Internet, you might not want too high bit rates, for example. Channels This setting depends on the chosen output. You cannot change it manually. Mode Select Constant Bit Rate if you want to limit the file size. To calculate the size of a file that is encoded with a constant bit rate, multiply the bit rate by the duration of the file. Select Variable Bit Rate if you want the bit rate to fluctuate depending on the character and intricacy of the material being encoded. The more complex passages in the source material, the higher the bit rate and the larger the final file. Select Lossless to encode the file with lossless compression. Bit Rate/Quality Allows you to set the bit rate settings depending on the selected mode and/or output channels. The higher the bit rate or quality you select, the larger the final file. Windows Media Audio File Settings Dialog - Advanced Tab The Advanced tab in the Windows Media Audio File Settings dialog allows you to specify the dynamic range control, that is, the difference in dB between the average loudness and the peak audio level (the loudest sounds) of the audio for the encoded file. Dynamic Range Control The dynamic range is automatically calculated during the encoding process. If you activate this option, you can specify the dynamic range manually. If Dynamic Range Control is activated and the Quiet Mode of the Windows Media Player is set to Medium Difference, the peak level is limited to the peak value that you specified. If Dynamic Range Control is deactivated, the peak level is limited to 12dB above the average level during playback. If Dynamic Range Control is activated and the Quiet Mode of the Windows Media Player is set to Little Difference, the peak level is limited to the average value between the peak and average values that you specified. If Dynamic Range Control is deactivated, the peak level is limited to 6dB above the average level during playback. Peak Allows you to set a peak value between 0 and -90dB. Average Allows you to set a peak value between 0 and -90dB. However, this affects the overall volume level and can have a negative effect on the audio quality. 642 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown File Formats Windows Media Audio File Settings Dialog - Media Tab The Media tab in the Windows Media Audio File Settings dialog allows you to enter information about the file. Use the Title, Author, Copyright, and Description fields to enter a file description of its content that is embedded in the file header. This can be displayed by some Windows Media Audio playback applications. FLAC Files Free Lossless Audio Codec files are audio files that are typically 50% to 60% smaller than regular Wave files. To open the FLAC File Settings, click Codec Settings in the Select Attributes section. Compression Level Sets the compression level for the FLAC file. Since FLAC is a lossless format, the level has more influence on the encoding speed than on the file size. Ogg Vorbis Files Ogg Vorbis is an open source, patent-free audio encoding and streaming technology, offering compressed audio files of small size, but with comparatively high audio quality. Ogg Vorbis files have the extension .ogg. To open the OggVorbis File Settings, click Codec Settings in the Select Attributes section. Quality Sets the quality for the variable bit rate encoding. This setting determines between which limits the bit rate will vary. The higher the value, the higher the sound quality but also the larger the files. 643 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Export Audio Mixdown File Formats Wave 64 Files Wave 64 is a proprietary format developed by Sonic Foundry Inc. Wave 64 files have the extension .w64. NOTE Wave 64 files are a good choice for long recordings where the file sizes exceeds 2 GB. The quality of Wave 64 files is identical to standard Wave files. Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk Activates the embedding of additional file information in Broadcast Wave format. NOTE By activating this option, you create a Broadcast Wave file. Some applications may not be able to handle these files. If you get problems using the file in another application, deactivate Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk and export the file again. Insert iXML Chunk Includes additional project-related metadata, such as project name, author, and project frame rate. Insert Tempo Definition This option is only available if Insert iXML Chunk is activated. It allows you to include tempo information from the tempo track in the iXML chunk of the exported files. Set up Broadcast Wave Chunk Opens the Broadcast Wave Chunk dialog where you can enter information. 644 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization Synchronization is the process of getting 2 or more devices to play back together at the same speed, position, and phase. These devices can range from audio and video tape machines to digital audio workstations, MIDI sequencers, synchronization controllers, and digital video devices. If you know the position and speed for the master device, you can resolve the speed and position of the slave device to it, so that the 2 devices play in perfect sync with one another. Position (Time) The following clock signals are used to specify time positions: Audio word clock Specifies time positions in samples. Timecode Specifies time positions in video frames. MIDI clock Specifies time positions in musical bars and beats. Speed (Clock) The following clock signals measure the speed of a device: Audio word clock Measures the sample rate. Timecode Measures the frame rate. MIDI clock Measures the tempo. Phase Phase is the alignment of the position and speed components to each other. Each pulse of the speed component should be aligned with each measurement of the position for the most accuracy. Each frame of timecode should be perfectly lined up with the correct sample of audio. Put simply, phase is the very precise position of a synchronized device relative to the master (sample accuracy). Master and Slave Calling one device the master and another one the slave can lead to confusion. Therefore, the timecode relationship and the machine control relationship must be differentiated in this regard. Timecode Master The device generating position information or timecode. 645 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization Timecode Formats Timecode Slave Any device receiving the timecode and synchronizing or locking to it. Timecode Formats The position of any device is most often described using timecode. Timecode represents time using hours, minutes, seconds, and frames to provide a location for each device. Each frame represents a visual film or video frame. The following timecode formats are supported: LTC Longitudinal timecode or LTC is an analog signal that can be recorded on tape. It should be used for positional information primarily. It can also be used for speed and phase information as a last resort if no other clock source is available. VITC Vertical interval timecode or VITC is contained within a composite video signal. It is recorded onto video tape and is physically tied to each video frame. MTC MIDI timecode or MTC is identical to LTC except that it is a digital signal transmitted via MIDI. Timecode Standards Timecode has several standards. The subject of the various timecode formats can be very confusing due to the use and misuse of the shorthand names for specific timecode standards and frame rates. The timecode format can be divided into 2 variables: frame count and frame rate. Frame count (frames per second) The frame count of timecode defines the standard with which it is labeled. There are 4 timecode standards: 24fps Film (F) This frame count is the traditional count for film. It is also used for HD video formats and commonly referred to as 24p. However, with HD video, the actual frame rate or speed of the video sync reference is slower, 23.976 frames per second, so timecode does not reflect the actual real time on the clock for 24p HD video. 25fps PAL (P) This is the broadcast video standard frame count for European (and other PAL countries) television broadcast. 30fps non-drop SMPTE (N) This is the frame count of NTSC broadcast video. However, the actual frame rate or speed of the video format runs at 29.97fps. This timecode clock does not run in real time. It is slightly slower by 0.1%. 30fps drop-frame SMPTE (D) The 30fps drop-frame count is an adaptation that allows a timecode display running at 29.97fps to actually show the clock-on-the-wall-time of the timeline by dropping or skipping specific frame numbers in order to catch the clock up to real time. NOTE Remember to keep the timecode standard (or frame count) and frame rate (or speed) separate. 646 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization Clock Sources Frame rate (speed) Regardless of the frame counting system, the actual speed at which frames of video go by in real time is the true frame rate. Cubase supports the following frame rates: 24fps This is the true speed of standard film cameras. 25fps This is the frame rate of PAL video. 29.97fps/29.97dfps This is the frame rate of NTSC video. The count can be either non-drop or dropframe. 30fps/30dfps This frame rate is not a video standard anymore but has been commonly used in music recording. Many years ago, it was the black and white NTSC broadcast standard. It is equal to NTSC video being pulled up to film speed after a 2-3 telecine transfer. The count can be either non-drop or drop-frame. IMPORTANT Video formats with a variable frame rate (VFR) are not supported. Frame count vs. frame rate Part of the confusion in timecode stems from the use of frames per second in both the timecode standard and the actual frame rate. When used to describe a timecode standard, frames per second defines how many frames of timecode are counted before one second on the counter increments. When describing frame rates, frames per second define how many frames are played back during the span of one second of real time. In other words: Regardless of how many frames of video there are per second of timecode (frame count), those frames can be moving at different rates depending on the speed (frame rate) of the video format. For example, NTSC timecode (SMPTE) has a frame count of 30fps. However, NTSC video runs at a rate of 29.97fps. So the NTSC timecode standard known as SMPTE is a 30fps standard that runs at 29.97fps real time. Clock Sources Once the position is established, the next essential factor for synchronization is the playback speed. Once 2 devices start playing from the same position, they must run at exactly the same speed in order to remain in sync. Therefore, a single speed reference must be used and all devices in the system must follow that reference. With digital audio, the speed is determined by the audio clock rate. With video, the speed is determined by the video sync signal. Audio clock Audio clock signals run at the speed of the sample rate used by a digital audio device and are transmitted in several ways: Word clock Word clock is a dedicated signal running at the current sample rate that is fed over BNC coaxial cables between devices. It is the most reliable form of audio clock and is relatively easy to connect and use. 647 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization Project Synchronization Setup Dialog AES/SPDIF Digital Audio An audio clock source is embedded within AES and SPDIF digital audio signals. This clock source can be used as a speed reference. Preferably, the signal itself does not contain any actual audio (digital black), but any digital audio source can be used if necessary. ADAT Lightpipe ADAT Lightpipe, the 8-channel digital audio protocol developed by Alesis, also contains audio clock and can be used as a speed reference. It is transmitted via optical cables between devices. NOTE Do not confuse the audio clock embedded in the Lightpipe protocol with ADAT Sync, which has timecode and machine control running over a proprietary DIN plug connection. MIDI clock MIDI clock is a signal that uses position and timing data based on musical bars and beats to determine location and speed (tempo). It can perform the same function as a positional reference and a speed reference for other MIDI devices. Cubase supports sending MIDI clock to external devices but cannot slave to incoming MIDI clock. IMPORTANT MIDI clock cannot be used to synchronize digital audio. It is only used for MIDI devices to play in musical sync with one another. Cubase does not support being a MIDI clock slave. Project Synchronization Setup Dialog The Project Synchronization Setup dialog provides a central place to configure a complex synchronized system. In addition to settings for timecode sources, basic transport controls are available for testing the system. To open the Project Synchronization Setup dialog, do one of the following: Select Transport > Project Synchronization Setup. In the Transport Bar, Ctrl/Cmd-click Sync. NOTE If you activate Steinberg SyncStation as the input source, there are several options for how these commands are routed within the SyncStation itself. For details refer to the documentation that comes with the SyncStation. 648 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization Project Synchronization Setup Dialog RELATED LINKS Sources Page on page 649 Destinations Page on page 652 Sources Page The Sources page allows you to set up the synchronization inputs, and to determine which external signals enter the application. 649 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization Project Synchronization Setup Dialog In the topmost section, the following options are available: Activate External Sync Activates/Deactivates the external synchronization. Timecode Source The Timecode Source section allows you to determine whether Cubase is acting as timecode master or slave. The following options are available: Internal Timecode Sets Cubase as timecode master that generates all position references for any other device in the system based on the project timeline and the Project Setup settings. MIDI Timecode If Activate External Sync is activated, this sets Cubase as timecode slave to any incoming MIDI timecode. You can select the MTC Input ports in the MIDI Timecode Settings section. ASIO Audio Device (Windows only) Only available for audio cards that support the ASIO positioning protocol. These cards have an integrated LTC reader or ADAT sync port and can perform a phase alignment of timecode and audio clock. VST System Link Sets VST System Link as timecode source. This allows for all aspects of sampleaccurate synchronization between different computers that are connected via VST System Link. 650 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization Project Synchronization Setup Dialog NOTE Discrepancies between the Project Frame Rate and the incoming timecode can cause problems during postproduction, even if Cubase is able to lock to that timecode. MIDI Timecode Settings The MIDI Timecode Settings become available if you activate MIDI Timecode as a Timecode Source. MTC Input Allows you to select the MIDI input ports. To allow Cubase to synchronize to MIDI timecode from any MIDI connection, select All MIDI Inputs. Timecode Source Preferences If you activate MIDI Timecode as a Timecode Source, you can set up Timecode Source Preferences for working with external timecode. The following options are available: Lock Frames Determines how many full frames of timecode it takes for Cubase to lock, that is, establish synchronization. NOTE If you have an external tape transport with a very short start-up time, set Lock Frames to a low value to make lock-up even faster. Drop Out Frames Sets the number of timecode frames that must be missed until Cubase stops. Using LTC on an analog tape machine can increase the number of drop outs. Inhibit Restart ms Some synchronizers still transmit MTC for a short period after an external tapemachine has been stopped. These extra frames of timecode sometimes cause Cubase to restart suddenly. Inhibit Restart ms allows you to control the amount of time in milliseconds that Cubase waits before restart (ignoring incoming MTC) once it has stopped. Auto-Detect Frame Rate Changes Notifies you about frame rate or timecode changes and interrupts playback or recording. Activate this if you want to diagnose problems with timecode and external devices. Transport Start/Stop Starts/Stops playback in Cubase. RELATED LINKS Activating VST System Link on page 658 Project Setup Dialog on page 79 651 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization Project Synchronization Setup Dialog Destinations Page The Destinations page allows you to set up the synchronization outputs, and to determine which external signals leave the application. MIDI Clock Destinations In the MIDI Clock Destinations section, you can select any MIDI ports that you want to output MIDI clock. Some MIDI devices, such as drum machines, can match their tempo and location to incoming MIDI clock. MIDI Clock Preferences In the MIDI Clock Preferences section, the following options are available: MIDI Clock Follows Project Position Ensures that the MIDI clock follows Cubase. Always Send Start Message MIDI clock transport commands include start, stop, and continue. Activate this if a MIDI device does not recognize the continue command. Send MIDI Clock in Stop Mode Activate this if a MIDI device needs MIDI clock to run continuously in order to operate arpeggiators and loop generators. MIDI Timecode Destinations In the MIDI Timecode Destinations section, you can specify the MIDI ports to which MTC is routed. NOTE Some MIDI interfaces send MTC over all ports by default. If this is the case, only select one port of the interface for the MTC. 652 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Synchronization External Synchronization MIDI Timecode Preferences In the MIDI Timecode Preferences section, the following options are available: MIDI Timecode Follows Project Time Ensures that the MTC output always follows the time position of Cubase. External Synchronization To activate external synchronization, do one of the following: Select Transport > Activate External Sync. Select Transport > Project Synchronization Setup, and on the Sources page, activate Activate External Sync. Cubase awaits incoming timecode from the chosen timecode source defined in the Project Synchronization Setup dialog in order to play. Cubase will detect incoming timecode, locate to its current position, and start playback in sync with the incoming timecode. 653 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link VST System Link is a digital audio network system that allows you to link several computers using digital audio hardware and cables. Linking up 2 or more computers allows you to split different tasks and different tracks between different computers. You can run CPU-intensive processes, such as send effect plug-ins or VST instruments on one computer, and record audio tracks on another one. VST System Link supplies transport and sync control, as well as up to 16 MIDI ports, with 16 channels each. With VST System Link the signal is passed from one machine to the next, and eventually returns to the first machine. For this to work, you need 2 or more computers that use the same or different operating systems, and for each computer in the network, the following: Audio hardware with digital inputs and outputs and a specific ASIO driver. The same digital formats and connection types. At least one digital audio cable, such as S/PDIF, ADAT, TDIF, or AES. A VST System Link host application. NOTE You might want to invest in a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switchbox. This allows you to use the same keyboard, monitor, and mouse to control each computer in the system, and to switch between computers very rapidly. Setting up VST System Link To be able to work with VST System Link, you must first set up the network, configure the audio hardware, and set up the digital audio connections. VST System Link Section The VST System Link section allows you to set up VST System Link. To open the VST System Link section, select Studio > Studio Setup and select VST System Link in the Devices list. 654 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Setting up VST System Link Active Activates VST System Link. Online Puts the computer online. ASIO Input Allows you to define the networking input channel. ASIO Output Allows you to define the networking output channel. Use Selected ASIO Ports for Data only Activate this if you want to devote more bandwidth to MIDI, and send VST System Link information on the entire channel. This channel is then no longer available for audio transfer. Offset Samples Allows you to set an offset for the computer, so that it plays slightly ahead or behind the rest. Transfer Bits Allows you to specify whether you want to transfer 24 or 16 bits. This allows you to use older audio cards which do not support transfer of 24 bits. MIDI Inputs Allows you to set the number of MIDI input ports. MIDI Outputs Allows you to set the number of MIDI output ports. Self test Allows you to test the network. Receiving Lights up if the computer is active. Sending Lights up if the computer is active. 655 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Setting up VST System Link List Shows the name of each computer. Setting up a Network You can set up a network by connecting computers. PROCEDURE 1. Use a digital audio cable to connect the digital output of computer 1 to the digital input of computer 2. If you have more than 2 computers, add the others one by one. 2. Use a cable to connect the digital output of computer 2 to the digital input of computer 1. VST System Link is a daisy chain system, that means, that the output of computer 1 goes to the input of computer 2, the output of computer 2 goes to the input of computer 3, and so on around the chain. The output of the last computer in the chain must always go back into the input of computer 1, to complete the ring. NOTE If a card has more than one set of inputs and outputs, choose whichever one that suits you for simplicity usually the first set is best. Configuring the Audio Clock To be able to use VST System Link, the clock signals on your ASIO cards must be synchronized correctly. PREREQUISITE For each computer in the network, the following must apply: The correct audio driver is selected in the Studio Setup dialog. The clock mode or sync mode is set up in the ASIO control panel of the audio hardware. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select the your audio hardware. 3. Click Control Panel. 4. Set one audio hardware to be the clock master and all other cards to be clock slaves. Consult the documentation if required. IMPORTANT If you set up more than one card as clock master, the network cannot function correctly. However, if you use an external clock from a digital mixing desk or a special word clock synchronizer, for example, you must leave all your ASIO cards in clock slave or AutoSync mode and make sure that each of them is listening for the signal coming from the synchronizer. This signal is usually passed through your ADAT cables or word clock connectors in a daisy chain fashion. RESULT Typically, the ASIO control panel for an audio card contains some indication of whether or not the card receives a proper sync signal, including the sample rate of that signal. This is a good 656 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Setting up VST System Link indication that you have connected the cards and set up clock sync properly. Check the documentation of your audio hardware for details. RELATED LINKS Selecting an Audio Driver on page 14 ASIO Driver Setup Page on page 17 Adjusting the Buffer Size In a VST System Link network, adjusting the buffer size to minimize latency is extra important. This is due to the fact that the latency of a VST System Link network is the total latency of all the ASIO cards in the system added together. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware. 3. Click Control Panel. 4. Lower the size of the buffers. The lower the buffer size, the lower the latency. It is best to keep to fairly low buffer sizes if your system can handle it. About 12ms or less is usually a good idea. IMPORTANT Latency does not affect the synchronization, but it can affect the time it takes to send and receive MIDI and audio signals, or make the system seem sluggish. Audio Hardware Settings that Affect VST System Link Specific audio hardware settings might change the digital information in a way that the correct functioning of VST System Link is affected. You can find these settings in the control panel or additional application for your audio hardware. Make sure that the following conditions are met: Any additional format settings for digital ports that you use for VST System Link data must be turned off. If you use an S/PDIF connection for VST System Link, for example, turn off Professional format, Emphasis, and Dithering. Any mixer application of your audio hardware that allows for level adjustments of digital inputs and outputs must be disabled. Alternatively, you can set the levels for the VST System Link channels to ±0dB. Digital signal processing, such as pan or effects, must be turned off for the VST System Link signal. For RME Audio Hammerfall DSP audio hardware, select the default or plain preset for the Totalmix function. Otherwise signal loops might occur and VST System Link cannot work. Setting up Sample Rates All projects on all computer must be set up to the same sample rate. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Project Setup. 657 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Activating VST System Link 2. In the Project Time Displays section, open the Sample Rate pop-up menu and select a sample rate. Setting up Digital Audio Connections PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Audio Connections. 2. Click the Inputs tab, and click Add Bus. 3. In the Add Input Bus dialog, configure the bus. 4. Click Add Bus. 5. Click the Outputs tab, and click Add Bus. 6. In the Add Output Bus dialog, configure the bus. 7. Click Add Bus. 8. Repeat these steps for all applications. Set up the same configuration in all applications. If you have 4 stereo output busses on computer 1, you want 4 stereo input busses on computer 2, etc. 9. Route the applications to the digital inputs and outputs. RELATED LINKS Audio Bus Setup on page 19 Audio Connections Window on page 24 Verifying the Digital Connection PROCEDURE 1. Connect an audio source to your audio interface. 2. Start recording, playing back, and mixing. 3. On computer 1, play back some audio. 4. Select Studio > MixConsole, and route the channel that contains the audio material to one of the digital output busses. 5. On computer 2, select Studio > MixConsole, and locate the corresponding digital input bus. The audio that is played back should now appear in the application running on computer 2, and the input bus level meters should move. RESULT You have now verified that the digital connection works as it should. You can reverse this procedure so that computer 2 plays back and computer 1 listens. Activating VST System Link You must activate VST System Link on all network computers to be able to work with VST System Link. PROCEDURE 1. Select Transport > Project Synchronization Setup, and on the Sources tab, activate VST System Link as the timecode source. 2. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 658 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Activating VST System Link 3. In the Devices list, select VST System Link. 4. Use the ASIO Input and ASIO Output pop-up menus to define which channel is the networking channel that carries the VST System Link information. NOTE The networking signal is carried on only one bit of one channel. For an ADAT-based system 7 channels of 24-bit audio and 1 channel of 23-bit audio will be used for networking. You will still have around 138dB headroom on this channel. 5. Activate Active at the top left of the VST System Link setup. 6. Repeat the steps for each computer in the network. RESULT The sending and receiving indicators on each active computer flash, and the name of each computer appears in the list in the Self test section of the dialog. Each computer is assigned a random number. The name will be shown in the VST System Link window of every computer on the network. You can double-click the name of the computer and enter another name. NOTE If you do not see the name of each computer, go through the procedure above again and make sure that all ASIO cards are listening to the digital clock signals correctly, and that each computer has the correct inputs and outputs assigned to the VST System Link network. RELATED LINKS Sources Page on page 649 Putting Network Computers Online You must put the network computers online so that they can send and receive transport and timecode signals, and that their sequencer applications can be started and stopped. PREREQUISITE All computers have their tempos set to the same value. 659 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Activating VST System Link PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select VST System Link. 3. Activate Online. 4. Repeat this for each computer in the network. RESULT The computers are online now. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Start playback on one computer to check if the system is working, and if all computers start and play perfectly in time. VST System Link sends and understands all transport commands. This allows you to control the entire network from one computer. However, any computer can control any and all of the others. This is due to the fact that VST System Link is a peer-to-peer network, and that there is no absolute master computer. Activating MIDI Ports for VST System Link You can activate MIDI input and output ports for VST System Link. This allows you to route MIDI tracks to VST instruments running on another computer. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select VST System Link. 3. Specify the number of MIDI ports you need using the MIDI Inputs and MIDI Outputs value fields. 4. Create a MIDI track. RESULT In the top section of the MIDI track Inspector, the Input Routing and Output Routing pop-up menu now show the specified VST System Link ports. This allows you to route MIDI tracks to VST instruments running on another computer. 660 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Application Examples Application Examples VST System Link allows you to split different tasks between 2 or more computers. The following application examples should give you an idea of what is possible. Configuring a Main Mix Computer Configuring one computer as a main mix computer that receives the audio from your other computers allows you to mix internally in the computer. In the following example, we assume you are using 2 computers: computer 1 as your main mix computer and computer 2 for 2 additional stereo audio tracks, an FX channel track with a reverb plug-in and a VST instrument plug-in with stereo outputs. PROCEDURE 1. On computer 1, use an unused set of outputs, such as an analog stereo output, connected to your monitoring equipment to listen to the audio playback. 2. On computer 2, route each of the 2 audio tracks to a separate output bus connected to the digital outputs, bus 1 and 2, for example. 3. Route the FX channel track to another VST System Link bus, bus 3, for example. 4. Route the VST instrument channel to yet another bus, bus 4, for example. 5. On computer 1, check the corresponding 4 VST System Link input busses. If you start playback on computer 2, the audio should appear on the input busses on computer 1. However, to mix these audio sources you need actual mixer channels. 6. Add 4 new stereo audio tracks on computer 1 and route these to the output bus you use for listening, such as the analog stereo outputs. 7. For each of the audio tracks, select one of the 4 input busses. Now, each computer 2 bus is routed to a separate audio channel on computer 1. 8. Activate monitoring for the 4 tracks. RESULT If you now start playback, the audio from computer 2 will be sent live to the new tracks on computer 1, allowing you to hear them together with any tracks you play back on computer 1. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK If you notice a processing delay while you listen to signals coming from your other computers while monitoring, try the following to compensate for latency issues: If your audio hardware supports this, activate ASIO Direct Monitoring on the VST Audio System device panel for your hardware. Alternatively, open the Studio Setup dialog, and on the VST System Link page, change the Offset Samples value. Configuring a Computer as Submixer If you have more audio tracks than you have VST System Link busses, you can use a computer mixer as a submixer. PROCEDURE Route several audio channels to the same output bus and adjust the output bus level if needed. 661 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Application Examples NOTE If your audio cards have multiple sets of input and output connections, you can link up multiple ADAT cables and send audio via any of the busses on any of the cables. Routing MIDI Tracks to VSTis on Other Computers You can route MIDI tracks from one computer to VST instruments on another computer. This allows you to use one computer for playback and recording and the other one as a VSTi rack. PROCEDURE 1. Record a MIDI track into computer 1. 2. Once you have finished recording, route the MIDI output of that track to VST System Link MIDI port 1. 3. On computer 2, open the VST Instruments window and assign an instrument to the first slot in the rack. 4. Route the VST instrument channel to the desired output bus. If you are using computer 1 as your main mixing computer, this would be one of the VST System Link output busses, connected to computer 1. 5. Create a new MIDI track in the Project window of computer 2 and assign the MIDI output of the track to the VST instrument you created. 6. Assign the MIDI input of the track to be VST System Link port 1. Now, the MIDI track on computer 1 is routed to the MIDI track on computer 2, which in turn is routed to the VST instrument. 7. Now activate monitoring for the MIDI track on computer 2, so that it will listen and respond to any MIDI commands coming in. In Cubase, click the Monitor button in the track list or Inspector. 8. Start playback on computer 1. It will now send the MIDI information on the track to the VST instrument loaded on computer 2. RESULT Even with a slow computer you should be able to stack a whole bunch of extra VST instruments this way, expanding your sound palette considerably. Do not forget that VST System Link MIDI is also sample-accurate, and thus has much tighter timing than any hardware MIDI interface ever invented! Routing Audio Sends to Other Computers The effect sends for an audio channel in Cubase can either be routed to an FX channel track or to any activated group or output bus. This allows you to use a separate computer as a virtual effect rack. PROCEDURE 1. On computer 2, the machine you will use as effect rack, add a new stereo audio track. 2. Add the desired effect as an insert effect for the track. 3. In the Inspector, select one of the VST System Link busses as input for the audio track. 4. Route the channel to one of the VST System Link output busses connected to computer 1. 5. Activate monitoring for the track. 6. Go back to computer 1 and select a track to which you want to add some reverb. 662 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 VST System Link Application Examples 7. Open the Sends rack for the track in the Inspector or the MixConsole. 8. Open the Send Routing pop-up menu for one of the sends and select the VST System Link bus assigned to the effect. 9. Use the Send slider to adjust the amount of effect as usual. RESULT The signal will be sent to the track on computer 2 and processed through its insert effect, without using any processor power on computer 1. You can repeat the steps above to add more effects to the virtual effect rack. The number of effects available this way is only limited by the number of ports used in the VST System Link connection, and by the performance of computer 2. Recording Tracks on Other Computers You can record tracks on another computer. This is useful if the hard drive on one computer is not fast enough to run as many audio tracks as you need. PROCEDURE Add tracks on another computer and record on them. RESULT This creates a virtual RAID system, with several disks all operating together. All tracks will remain locked together just as tightly as if they were all running on the same machine. Playing Back Video on Other Computers You can play back video on another computer to free up resources for audio and MIDI processing on your main CPU. This is useful as playback of high-resolution video can be quite demanding on the CPU. PROCEDURE Move video tracks to another computer. RESULT Since all transport commands respond on the VST System Link computers, scrubbing video is possible even when it is coming from another computer. When scrubbing, the playback on the linked systems may not be perfectly in sync. Also, there are some further restrictions when scrubbing via VST System Link: Always use the system where you started scrubbing to control the scrubbing. Changing the scrub speed on a remote system will only change the speed on the local system. You can start playback on all systems. This stops scrubbing and enters playback on all systems in sync. 663 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Cubase allows you to work with video content. You can play back video files in various formats and via different output devices from within Cubase, extract the audio material from a video file, and edit your music to the video. The video export function allows you to share your videos with clients or other users. IMPORTANT Videos are exported with a resolution of 1920x1080px (Full HD). Video files with a lower or higher resolution than Full HD are upscaled or downscaled on export. RELATED LINKS Video File Compatibility on page 664 Importing Video Files on page 666 Preparations for Video Playback on page 668 Export Video on page 671 Extracting Audio from Video on page 674 Video File Compatibility When working on a project involving a video file, you must make sure that the video file type works on your Cubase system. NOTE If you are not able to play back a specific video file, use an external application to convert the file into a compatible format. To find out which video files are supported, refer to the support area at steinberg.net. RELATED LINKS Codecs on page 665 Video Container Formats Video and other multimedia files come in a container format. This container holds various streams of information including video and audio, but also metadata such as synchronization information required to play back audio and video together. Data regarding creation dates, authors, chapter markings, and more can also be held within the container format. The following container formats are supported by Cubase: MOV This is a QuickTime movie. 664 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Frame Rates Codecs MPEG-4 This format can contain various metadata for streaming, editing, local playback, and interchange of content. Its file extension is .mp4. AVI This is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft. Codecs are methods of data compression used to make video and audio files smaller and more manageable for computers. For further details, refer to the support area at steinberg.net. Frame Rates Cubase supports different video and film frame rates. Frame rate (speed) Regardless of the frame counting system, the actual speed at which frames of video go by in real time is the true frame rate. Cubase supports the following frame rates: 24fps This is the true speed of standard film cameras. 25fps This is the frame rate of PAL video. 29.97fps/29.97dfps This is the frame rate of NTSC video. The count can be either non-drop or dropframe. 30fps/30dfps This frame rate is not a video standard anymore but has been commonly used in music recording. Many years ago, it was the black and white NTSC broadcast standard. It is equal to NTSC video being pulled up to film speed after a 2-3 telecine transfer. The count can be either non-drop or drop-frame. IMPORTANT Video formats with a variable frame rate (VFR) are not supported. Video Output Devices Cubase supports several video output devices. Viewing video files onscreen in the Video Player window may work just fine for many applications, but often it is necessary to display video in a large format for viewing small details and so others involved in the session can also see the video. Cubase provides the ability to use several types of video output devices to accomplish this. Dedicated Video Cards You can use a dedicated video card. Video is sent directly to the output of this video device. The following video cards are supported: 665 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Preparations for Creating Video Projects Blackmagic Design video output devices IMPORTANT You must install the appropriate driver for the video device and set the video card output to the video file resolution used in your project. Video output via FireWire is not supported. RELATED LINKS Video Player Page on page 668 Preparations for Creating Video Projects Before you can start working with video in Cubase, some basic preparations must be made. In Cubase, you may work with multiple video files of different formats on the same video track. NOTE For proper synchronization of audio and video events, make sure that the project frame rate matches the frame rate of the video file. RELATED LINKS Project Setup Dialog on page 79 Importing Video Files If you have a compatible video file, you can import it into your project. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Import > Video File. 2. In the Import Video dialog, select the video file that you want to import. 3. Optional: Activate Extract Audio from Video to import any embedded audio streams. 4. Click Open. RESULT Cubase creates a video track with a video event. If Extract Audio from Video was activated, an audio track with an audio event is positioned below the video track. The corresponding audio clip is saved in the Pool Record folder. NOTE You can also import video files by dragging them from the MediaBay, the File Explorer/macOS Finder and dropping them in your project. If you want Cubase to automatically extract the audio, activate Extract Audio on Import Video File in the Preferences dialog (Video page). RELATED LINKS Pool on page 398 Extracting Audio from Video on page 674 666 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Preparations for Creating Video Projects Adopting the Project Frame Rate To ensure that the time display of Cubase corresponds to the actual frames in the video, you must set the project frame rate to the frame rate of the imported video file. PREREQUISITE The frame rate of the imported video file differs from the project frame rate. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Project Setup. 2. In the Project Setup dialog, click Get Frame Rate from Video. 3. Click OK. RESULT If Cubase supports the frame rate of the video, the project frame rate is adopted to it. If needed, the project start time is automatically adjusted to reflect the change in frame rate. For example, if the project frame rate is switched from 30fps to 29.97fps, the project start time is adopted so that all the events in the project remain at the same positions in relation to real time. NOTE If you want the project start time to remain the same, you must manually change it back. In this case, you must snap the video event to the timeline to ensure proper positioning and synchronization within the project. Thumbnail Cache Files For every imported video file, Cubase automatically creates a thumbnail cache file. RELATED LINKS Manually Generating Thumbnail Cache Files on page 667 Manually Generating Thumbnail Cache Files You can manually generate thumbnail cache files. This is necessary if a thumbnail cache file could not be generated during import because the folder is write-protected, or because you have edited the file with an external video editing application. PROCEDURE Do one of the following: In the Pool, right-click the video file and select Generate Thumbnail Cache. In the Project window, select the video event and select Media > Generate Thumbnail Cache. NOTE You can only refresh already existing thumbnail cache files from within the Pool. 667 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Preparations for Video Playback RESULT The thumbnail cache file is generated in the background so that you can continue working with Cubase. Preparations for Video Playback You can play back imported video files from within Cubase by using the transport controls. For this to work, you must activate and set up a video output device. IMPORTANT Your graphics card must support OpenGL 2.0 or higher. Video Player Page The Video Player setup page in the Studio Setup dialog allows you to set up your video player, and to check if your video equipment allows for video playback from within Cubase. To open the Video Player page, select Studio > Studio Setup and activate Video Player in the Devices list. The following options are displayed: Device Lists the video output devices that are available on your system. Format Allows you to select an output format. NOTE The Onscreen Window device only supports a fixed format. Offset If the video image does not match the audio, you can enter an offset value in milliseconds to specify how much earlier the video should be delivered. This compensates for the display delay. The offset is only used during playback. It is saved globally for each output device and is independent of the project. Active Allows you to activate the device that you want to use for playing back video. 668 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Preparations for Video Playback Show Timecode Allows you to show the timecode. Position Allows you to determine the position for the timecode display. Activating a Video Output Device PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, activate Video Player. The available video output devices are listed in the Device column. 3. In the Active column, activate the checkbox for the device that you want to use for playing back video. NOTE If you have no external device connected, you can use the Onscreen Window device that allows you to play back the video file on your computer monitor. RELATED LINKS Video Output Devices on page 665 Video Player Window The Video Player window provides different size options for video playback on your computer screen. However, the larger the size of the window and the higher the resolution of your video, the more processor load is needed. To open the Video Player window, select Studio > Video Player. Fullscreen Mode Sets the window to full screen mode. To exit full screen mode, open the context menu and select Exit Fullscreen Mode or press Esc. 669 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Editing Video Quarter Size Reduces the window to a quarter of the actual size. Half Size Reduces the window to half the actual size. Actual Size Sets the window to the size of the video. Double Size Enlarges the window to twice the actual size. Aspect Ratio You can also drag the borders of the Video Player window to resize it. However, this might lead to a distorted image. To prevent this, you can set an option from the Aspect Ratio pop-up menu. If you select None, the aspect ratio of the video is not kept when you resize the window. The image is enlarged/reduced to occupy the whole Video Player window. Internal allows you to resize the window freely while keeping the aspect ratio of the video. Borders might be displayed around the video image to fill the window. External allows you to resize the window within some limits so that the video image always fills the full window and its aspect ratio is kept. NOTE In full screen mode, the aspect ratio of the video is always kept. Scrubbing Video You can scrub video events, that is, play them back forwards or backwards. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Video Player. 2. Do one of the following: Click in the Video Player window and move the mouse to the left or to the right. Use a jog wheel on a remote controller. Editing Video Video events are created automatically when you import a video file. When working with video events, the following applies: You can view and edit video events in the Project window. A video event triggers the playback of the corresponding video clip. You can copy and trim video events. You cannot draw, glue, and mute video events, or apply fades or crossfades. 670 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Export Video Export Video You can export a video file from your project. This allows you, for example, to share sections of intermediate results or finished videos with clients or other users. The Export Video function exports the video and a stereo audio signal that are enclosed between the left and right locators. This allows you to export a specific range or your whole project by setting the locators accordingly. Videos are exported in the following format: Container format: MP4 Video compression codec: H.264 without long group of pictures (Long GOP) sequences Resolution: 1920x1080px (Full HD) IMPORTANT Video with a lower or higher resolution than Full HD is upscaled or downscaled on export. Frame rate: Same as the project frame rate Audio compression codec: AAC Sample rate: Same as the project sample rate IMPORTANT Video export supports sample rates of 44.1kHz and 48kHz only. Bit depth: 16bit You can only add a stereo output channel to the exported video file. We recommend that you route all mono, stereo, or multi-channel channels that you want to export to a stereo output channel via send, and select this output channel in the Export Video dialog. RELATED LINKS Export Video Dialog on page 671 Exporting Video Files on page 673 Export Video Dialog The Export Video dialog provides settings for exporting a video file from your project. To open the Export Video dialog, select File > Export > Video. The Export Video dialog is divided into several sections. 671 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Export Video File Location File Name Allows you to specify the name of the exported video file. File Path Allows you to specify the file path of the exported video file. Click Path Options to open a pop-up menu with file path options: Choose opens the File Explorer/macOS Finder allowing you to browse for a file location. Recent Paths allows you to select a recently selected file locations. Clear Recent Paths allows you to delete all recently selected file locations. Video Settings Video Format Shows the format of the exported video file. Add Timecode Adds the project timecode to the exported video file. Audio Settings Channel Selection Allows you to select a stereo output channel for export. MixConsole settings and insert effects are taken into account. Realtime Export Allows you to export the audio mixdown in real time. Realtime export takes at least the same time as regular playback. Activate this if you use external effects or instruments, or if you use VST plug-ins that require time to update correctly during the mixdown. For further information, refer to the documentation of the respective plug-ins. 672 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Export Video NOTE If you export external effects or instruments in real time, you must also activate Monitor for the respective audio channels. Realtime Export affects only the audio export. Video is processed as usual. Export Range This section provides information about the exported locator range. File Information This section provides detailed information about the exported video file. General Options In the bottom section, the following options are available: Keep Dialog Open Activate this to keep the dialog open after clicking Export Video. Export Video Allows you to export your video as specified. RELATED LINKS Export Video on page 671 Exporting Video Files You can export a video including a stereo audio signal of your whole project or of a specific range as an MP4 video file. PREREQUISITE Your project sample rate is set to 44.1kHz or 48kHz. If you want to export external audio signals, you have activated Monitor for the corresponding channel. PROCEDURE 1. Set up the left and right locators to encompass the section that you want to export. 2. Set up the audio in your project so that it plays back the way you want. NOTE You can only add a stereo output channel to the exported video file. We recommend that you route all mono, stereo, or multi-channel channels that you want to export to a stereo output channel via send. 3. Select File > Export > Video. 4. In the Export Video dialog, select the stereo output channel that you want to export. NOTE Make sure that the selected output channel contains all audio that you want to use for the exported file. For example, solo the channels that you want to export, or mute the channels that you do not want to export. 5. Make any further export settings. 673 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Video Extracting Audio from Video 6. Click Export Video. RESULT The video file is exported. RELATED LINKS Export Video Dialog on page 671 Extracting Audio from Video You can extract the audio stream of a video file on import. PROCEDURE 1. Do one of the following: Select File > Import > Audio from Video File. This creates an audio clip in the Pool, but does not add any events to the Project window. Select Media > Extract Audio from Video File. 2. In the dialog, select the video file, and click Open. 3. In the Import Options dialog, select the desired import options. RESULT The extracted audio stream is added to the project on a new audio track and can be edited like all other audio material. RELATED LINKS Pool on page 398 On Import Audio Files Settings on page 214 Importing Video Files on page 666 674 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 ReWire Introduction ReWire is a special protocol for streaming audio between two computer applications. Developed by Propellerhead Software and Steinberg, ReWire provides the following possibilities and features: Realtime streaming of up to 48 separate audio channels, at full bandwidth, from the synthesizer application into the mixer application. In this case, the mixer application is of course Cubase. An example of a synthesizer application is Propellerhead Software's Reason. Automatic, sample-accurate synchronization between the audio in the two programs. The possibility to have the two programs share one audio card and take advantage of multiple outputs on that card. Linked transport controls that allow you to play, rewind, etc., either from Cubase or from the synthesizer application (provided it has some kind of transport functionality). Automatic audio mixing functions of separate channels as required. In the case of Reason, for example, this allows you to have separate channels for the different devices. Additionally, ReWire offers the possibility to route MIDI tracks in Cubase to the other application for full MIDI control. For each ReWire-compatible device, a number of extra MIDI outputs is made available in Cubase. In the case of Reason, this allows you to route different MIDI tracks in Cubase to different devices in Reason, with Cubase serving as the main MIDI sequencer. The overall load on your system is reduced significantly, compared to when using the programs together in the conventional way. Enabling ReWire Applications To use the available ReWire applications on your computer in your project, you must enable them in the ReWire Setup dialog. IMPORTANT Enabling ReWire applications may have an impact on performance and stability of Cubase, even if the ReWire connection is not used. We therefore recommend to enable only ReWire applications that you want to use in your project. Disabling a ReWire application removes the corresponding ReWire channels from your project. All associated automation or parameter settings are lost. 675 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 ReWire Launching and quitting PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > ReWire > ReWire Setup. 2. Activate the ReWire applications that you want to use. 3. Click Apply. RESULT The enabled ReWire applications become available in the ReWire submenu. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can activate ReWire channels in the ReWire panel of the application. RELATED LINKS Activating ReWire channels on page 677 Launching and quitting When using ReWire, the order in which you launch and quit the two programs is very important. Launching for normal use with ReWire When you use Cubase with ReWire, the order in which you launch the two programs is very important. PROCEDURE 1. First launch Cubase. 2. Enable one or several ReWire channels in the ReWire Device dialog for the other application. 3. Launch the other application. It may take slightly longer for the application to start when you are using ReWire. RELATED LINKS Activating ReWire channels on page 677 Quitting a ReWire session When you are finished using ReWire, you must quit the applications in a specific order. PROCEDURE 1. First quit the synthesizer application. 2. Then quit Cubase. Launching both programs without using ReWire It is possible to run Cubase and the synthesizer application simultaneously on the same computer, without using ReWire, even though use cases for this might be rare. PROCEDURE 1. First launch the synthesizer application. 2. Then launch Cubase. 676 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 ReWire Activating ReWire channels NOTE Please note that the two programs now compete for system resources such as audio cards, just as when running with other, non-ReWire audio applications. Activating ReWire channels ReWire supports streaming of up to 48 separate audio channels. The exact number of available ReWire channels depends on the synthesizer application. The ReWire device panels in Cubase, allow you to activate the channels that you want to use. PREREQUISITE You have enabled the ReWire application that you want to use in the ReWire Setup dialog. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > ReWire, and select the ReWire application that you want to use. The corresponding ReWire panel appears. This consists of a number of rows, one for each available ReWire channel. 2. Click the power buttons to the left to activate/deactivate channels. The buttons light up to indicate activated channels. 3. Optional: Double-click the labels in the right column, and type in another name. These labels are used in your project to identify the ReWire channels. RESULT The activated ReWire channels are added to the project. NOTE The more ReWire channels you activate, the more processing power is required. For information about exactly what signal is carried on each channel, refer to the documentation of the synthesizer application. IMPORTANT Deactivating ReWire channels in the ReWire panel removes the channels from your project. All associated automation or parameter settings are lost. RELATED LINKS Enabling ReWire Applications on page 675 Using the transport and tempo controls IMPORTANT This is only relevant if the synthesizer application has a built-in sequencer or similar application. 677 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 ReWire How the ReWire channels are handled Basic transport controls When you run ReWire, the transports in the two programs are completely linked. It does not matter in which program you play, stop, fast forward or rewind. However, recording (if applicable) is still completely separate in the two applications. Loop settings If there is a loop or cycle facility in the synthesizer application, that loop will be completely linked to the cycle in Cubase. This means that you can move the start and end point for the loop or turn the loop on or off in either program, and this will be reflected in the other. Tempo settings As far as tempo goes, Cubase is always the master. This means that both programs will run in the tempo set in Cubase. However, if you are not using the tempo track in Cubase, you can adjust the tempo in either program, and this will immediately be reflected in the other. IMPORTANT If you are using the tempo track in Cubase and the Activate Tempo Track button is activated on the Transport panel, you should not adjust the tempo in the synthesizer application, since a tempo request from ReWire automatically deactivates the tempo track in Cubase. How the ReWire channels are handled When you activate ReWire channels in the ReWire device panels, they will become available as channels in the MixConsole. The ReWire channels have the following properties: ReWire channels may be any combination of mono and stereo, depending on the synthesizer application. ReWire channels have the same functionality as regular audio channels. This means you can set volume and pan, add EQ, insert effects and sends, and route the channel outputs to groups or busses. However, ReWire channels have no monitor buttons. All channel settings can be automated using the Read/Write buttons. When you write automation, channel automation tracks will automatically appear in the Project window. This allows you to view and edit the automation graphically, just as with VST instrument channels, etc. You can mix down the audio from ReWire channels to a file on your hard disk with the Export Audio Mixdown function. RELATED LINKS Mixing Down to Audio Files on page 637 Routing MIDI via ReWire When using Cubase with a ReWire-compatible application, additional MIDI outputs will automatically appear on the Output Routing pop-up menus for MIDI tracks. This allows you to play the synthesizer application via MIDI from Cubase, using it as one or several separate MIDI sound sources. 678 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 ReWire Considerations and limitations The number and configuration of MIDI outputs depends on the synthesizer application. Considerations and limitations Sample rates Synthesizer applications may be limited to audio playback in certain sample rates. If Cubase is set to a sample rate other than those, the synthesizer application will play back at the wrong pitch. Consult the documentation of the synthesizer application for details. ASIO drivers ReWire works well with ASIO drivers. By using the Cubase bus system, you can route sounds from the synthesizer application to various outputs on an ASIO compatible audio card. 679 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Key commands are assigned to most main menus and functions in Cubase. They are stored as Preferences that are used for all your projects. You can view and add key commands in the Key Commands dialog. Key command assignments are also shown in the tooltips. Tooltips that show an exclamation mark at the end have no key command assigned yet. You can save key commands settings as a key commands file, which is stored separately and can be imported into any project. This way you can quickly and easily recall customized settings when moving projects between different computers, for example. The settings are saved in an XML file on the hard disk. RELATED LINKS Saving Key Commands Presets on page 683 Key Commands Dialog The Key Commands dialog allows you to view and edit key commands for the main menus and functions in Cubase. To open the Key Commands dialog, select Edit > Key Commands. The following options are available: 680 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Key Commands Dialog + All Expands all folders. - All Reduces all folders. Search Allows you to search for Cubase functions. This is useful if you want to know which key command is assigned to a specific function. Reset Current Key Command Allows you to reset the selected key command back to the default setting. Commands list Shows the Cubase functions for that you can assign key commands arranged in category folders. Keys This is where the assigned key command is shown for the function that is selected in the Commands list. Delete Selected Key Command Removes the key command assignment from the function that is selected in the Commands list. Assign Key Assigns the key from the Type in Key value field to the function that is selected in the Commands list. Type in Key This is where you can enter a key that is assigned to a function that is selected in the Commands list. Assigned to: Shows the function that the key in the Type in Key value field is assigned to. Click the Select button, to select this function in the Commands list. Select Preset Opens a menu with the stored key commands presets. Store Opens a dialog that allows you to store a key commands preset. Delete Deletes the selected key commands preset. Import Key Command File Allows you to import key commands settings that you saved with an earlier program version or on another computer. Reset All Resets all key commands to their default settings. RELATED LINKS Assigning Key Commands on page 682 Searching for Key Commands on page 682 Resetting Key Commands on page 684 Removing Key Commands on page 683 Importing Key Command Settings on page 683 681 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Assigning Key Commands Loading Key Command Presets on page 683 Saving Key Commands Presets on page 683 Assigning Key Commands You can add key commands in the Key Commands dialog. PROCEDURE 1. Select Edit > Key Commands. 2. Do one of the following: In the Commands list, click the plus sign to open a category folder, and select the function to which you want to assign a key command. In the search field, enter the name of the function to which you want to assign a key command. Assigned key commands are shown in the Keys column as well as in the Keys list to the right. 3. Click the Type in Key field and press the keys you want to use as a key command. You can press individual keys or a combination of one or several modifier keys (Alt, Ctrl/ Cmd, Shift) plus any key. 4. Click Assign. The key command is shown in the Keys section. 5. Click OK. NOTE You can set up several different key commands for the same function. Adding a key command to a function that already has another key command does not replace the key command previously defined for the function. Searching for Key Commands You can search for Cubase functions in the Key Commands dialog. This is useful if you want to know which key command is assigned to a specific function. PROCEDURE 1. Select Edit > Key Commands. 2. In the search field, enter the name of the function for which you want to know the key command. 3. Click Start/Continue Search. RESULT The first matching command is selected and displayed in the Commands list. The Keys column and the Keys list show the assigned key commands, if any. 682 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Removing Key Commands Removing Key Commands PROCEDURE 1. Select Edit > Key Commands. 2. In the Commands list, click the plus sign to open a category folder, and select the function for which you want to remove a key command. 3. Select the key command in the Keys list and click Delete selected key command. 4. Click Remove to remove the selected key command. 5. Click OK. Saving Key Commands Presets You can save key commands settings as presets. PREREQUISITE You have set up the key commands to your liking. PROCEDURE 1. In the Presets section, click Save. 2. Enter a name for the preset and click OK. RESULT Your key commands settings are now available as a preset on the Presets pop-up menu. Loading Key Command Presets You can load key commands presets. PROCEDURE In the Presets section, open the pop-up menu and select the preset. RESULT The key command preset replaces the current key command settings and macros. Importing Key Command Settings You can import key commands settings that you saved with an earlier program version. PROCEDURE 1. Select Edit > Key Commands. 2. In the Presets section, click Import Key Command File. 3. In the file dialog, select the file that you want to import. You can import key commands files with the file extension .key or macro commands files with the file extension .mac. 683 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Resetting Key Commands 4. Click Open. RESULT The file is imported. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can save the imported file as a preset. Resetting Key Commands PROCEDURE 1. Select Edit > Key Commands. 2. Do one of the following: In the Commands list, select the key command that you want to restore and click Reset. Click Reset All. RESULT The key commands are reset. IMPORTANT Any changes made to the default key commands are lost. If you want to be able to revert to these settings again, make sure to save them first. Default Key Commands The default key commands are arranged in categories. NOTE When the On-Screen Keyboard is displayed, the usual key commands are blocked because they are reserved for the On-Screen Keyboard. The only exceptions are: Ctrl/Cmd-S (Save), Num * (Start/Stop Record), Space (Start/Stop Playback), Num 1 (Jump to Left Locator), Delete or Backspace (Delete), Num / (Cycle on/off), F2 (Show/Hide Transport panel), and Alt-K (Show/Hide On-Screen Keyboard). Add Track Category Option Add Track Key command T 684 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Audio Category Option Adjust Fades to Range Crossfade Automation Category Option Read Automation for All Tracks On/Off Write Automation for All Tracks On/Off Chords Category Option Show/Hide Chord Pads Devices (Studio) Category Option Audio Connections Audio Performance MixConsole MixConsole in Project Window On-Screen Keyboard Video Player VST Instruments Direct Offline Processing Category Option Direct Offline Processing Key command A X Key command Alt-R Alt-W Key command Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-C Key command F4 F12 F3 Alt-F3 Alt-K F8 F11 Key command F7 685 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Edit Category Option Activate/Deactivate Focused Object Auto-Scroll On/Off Copy Cut Cut Time Delete Delete Time Duplicate Expand/Reduce Insert Silence Invert Invert Selection Left Selection Side to Cursor Move to Cursor Move to Front (Uncover) Mute Mute Events Mute/Unmute Objects Open Paste Paste at Origin Paste Relative to Cursor Paste Time Key command Alt-A F Ctrl/Cmd-C Ctrl/Cmd-X Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-X Delete or Backspace Shift-Backspace Ctrl/Cmd-D Alt-E Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-E Alt-F Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-I E Ctrl/Cmd-L U M Shift-M Alt-M Ctrl/Cmd-E Ctrl/Cmd-V Alt-V Shift-V Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-V 686 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Option Primary Parameter: Decrease Primary Parameter: Increase Record Enable Redo Repeat Right Selection Side to Cursor Secondary Parameter: Decrease Secondary Parameter: Increase Select All Select None Snap On/Off Solo Split At Cursor Split Range Stationary Cursor Undo Unmute Events Write Editors Category Option Open Score Editor Open/Close Editor Key command Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Down Arrow Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Up Arrow R Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Z Ctrl/Cmd-K D Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Left Arrow Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Right Arrow Ctrl/Cmd-A Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-A J S Alt-X Shift-X Alt-C Ctrl/Cmd-Z Shift-U W Key command Ctrl/Cmd-R Return 687 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands File Category Option Close New Open Quit Save Save As Save New Version Media Category Option Open MediaBay Open/Close Attribute Inspector Open/Close Favorites Open/Close File Browser Open/Close Filters Open/Close Previewer Preview Cycle On/Off Preview Start Preview Stop Search MediaBay MIDI Category Option Show/Hide Controller Lanes Key command Ctrl/Cmd-W Ctrl/Cmd-N Ctrl/Cmd-O Ctrl/Cmd-Q Ctrl/Cmd-S Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-S Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-S Key command F5 Ctrl-Alt-Num 6 Ctrl-Alt-Num 8 Ctrl-Alt-Num 4 Ctrl-Alt-Num 5 Ctrl-Alt-Num 2 Shift-Num / Shift-Enter Shift-Num 0 Shift-F5 Key command Alt-L 688 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Navigate Category Option Key command Add Down: Expand/Undo selection in the Project window to the bottom/Move selected event in the Key Editor down 1 octave Shift-Down Arrow Add Left: Expand/Undo selection in the Project window/Key Editor to the left Shift-Left Arrow Add Right: Expand/Undo selection in the Project window/Key Editor to the right Shift-Right Arrow Add Up: Expand/Undo selection in the Project window to the top/Move selected event in the Key Editor up one octave Shift-Up Arrow Bottom: End Select bottom track in the track list Down: Down Arrow Select next in the Project window/Move selected event in the Key Editor one semitone down Left: Select previous in the Project window/Key Editor Left Arrow Right: Select next in the Project window/Key Editor Right Arrow Toggle Selection Top: Select top track in the track list Ctrl/Cmd-Space Home Up: Up Arrow Select next in the Project window/ Move selected event in the Key Editor one semitone up 689 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Nudge Category Option End Left End Right Left Right Start Left Start Right Project Category Option Colors Open Markers Open Pool Open Tempo Track Remove Selected Tracks Set Track/Event Color Setup Quantize Category Option Quantize Set Insert Length Category Option 1/1 1/2 Key command Alt-Shift-Left Arrow Alt-Shift-Right Arrow Ctrl/Cmd-Left Arrow Ctrl/Cmd-Right Arrow Alt-Left Arrow Alt-Right Arrow Key command Alt-Shift-S Ctrl/Cmd-M Ctrl/Cmd-P Ctrl/Cmd-T Shift-Delete Alt-Shift-C Shift-S Key command Q Key command Alt-1 Alt-2 690 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Option 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128 Toggle Dotted Toggle Triplet Tool Category Option Combine Selection Tools On/Off Draw Tool Drumstick Tool Erase Tool Glue Tool Mute Tool Next Tool Object Selection Tool Play Tool Previous Tool Range Selection Tool Split Tool Zoom Tool Key command Alt-3 Alt-4 Alt-5 Alt-6 Alt-7 Alt-8 Alt-. Alt-, Key command Alt-Shift-1 8 0 5 4 7 F10 1 9 F9 2 3 6 691 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Transport Category Option Activate External Sync Activate Metronome Activate Punch In Activate Punch Out Cycle Enter Left Locator Enter Locator Range Duration Enter Project Cursor Position Enter Right Locator Enter Tempo Enter Time Signature Exchange Time Formats Fast Forward Fast Rewind Forward Go to Left Locator Go to Project Start Go to Right Locator Insert Marker (Windows only) Locate Next Event Locate Next Hitpoint Locate Next Marker Locate Previous Event Key command Alt-Shift-T C I O Num / Shift-L Shift-D Shift-P Shift-R Shift-T Shift-C . Shift-Num + Shift-Num Num + Num 1 Num . or Num , or Num ; Num 2 Insert N Alt-N Shift-N B 692 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Option Locate Previous Hitpoint Locate Previous Marker Locate Selection Start Locators to Selection Loop Selection MIDI Retrospective Record: Insert from All MIDI Inputs Nudge Cursor Left Nudge Cursor Right Panel (Transport panel) Play Selection Range Recall Cycle Marker 1 to 9 Record Rewind Set Left Locator to Project Cursor Position Set Marker 1 Set Marker 2 Set Marker 3 to 9 Set Right Locator to Project Cursor Position Start Start/Stop Stop To Marker 1 To Marker 2 To Marker 3 to 9 Key command Alt-B Shift-B L P Alt-P Shift- Num --* Ctrl/Cmd- Num Ctrl/Cmd- Num + F2 Alt-Space Shift-Num 1 to Num 9 Num * Num Ctrl/Cmd-Num 1 Ctrl/Cmd-1 Ctrl/Cmd-2 Ctrl/Cmd-Num 3 to Num 9 or Ctrl/Cmd-3 to 9 Ctrl/Cmd-Num 2 Enter Space Num 0 Shift-1 Shift-2 Num 3 to Num 9 or Shift-3 to 9 693 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Default Key Commands Window Zones Category Option Show/Hide Left Zone Show/Hide Right Zone Show/Hide Upper Zone Show/Hide Lower Zone Show/Hide Transport Bar Show Previous Tab Show Next Tab Show Previous Page Show Next Page Show/Hide Info Line Show/Hide Overview Windows Category Option Inline: Key Commands Inline: Settings Inline: View Layout Zoom Category Option Zoom Full Zoom In Zoom In On Waveform Vertically Zoom In Tracks Key command Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-L; Alt-I Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-R Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-U Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-E or Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-B Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-T Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Left Arrow Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Right Arrow Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Up Arrow or Page Up Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Down Arrow or Page Down Ctrl/Cmd-I Alt-O Key command Shift-F4 Shift-F3 Shift-F2 Key command Shift-F H Alt-H Ctrl/Cmd-Down Arrow 694 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Key Commands Setting up Tool Modifier Keys Option Zoom In Vertically Zoom Out Zoom Out Of Waveform Vertically Zoom Out Tracks Zoom Out Vertically Zoom to Event Zoom to Selection Zoom Tracks Exclusive Key command Shift-H G Alt-G Ctrl/Cmd-Up Arrow Shift-G Shift-E Alt-S Z Setting up Tool Modifier Keys You can set up tool modifier keys that allow you to get an alternative function when using a tool. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select Editing > Tool Modifiers. 2. Select an option in the Categories list, and locate the action for which you want to edit the modifier key. 3. In the Action list, select the action. 4. Hold down the desired modifier keys and click Assign. NOTE If the modifier keys you pressed are already assigned to another tool, you will be asked whether you want to overwrite them. If you do, this leaves the other tool without any modifier keys assigned. 5. Click OK. RESULT The modifier keys for the action are replaced. 695 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Customizing In Cubase you can set up the appearance of specific elements. RELATED LINKS Setup Options on page 696 Setup Options You can customize the appearance of the following elements: Transport panel Status line Info line Toolbars Inspector Setup Context Menus Setup context menus are available for the Transport panel, the toolbars, the info lines, or the Inspector. To open the setup context menus, right-click the corresponding element. NOTE You can also click the corresponding setup buttons to open the context menu. The following general options are available on the setup context menus: Show All makes all items visible. Reset All resets the interface to the default setting. Setup opens the setup dialog. If presets are available, they can be selected on the lower half of the menu. 696 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Customizing Setup Options The info line setup context menu Setup Dialog The setup dialog allows you to specify which elements are visible/hidden and in what order they are shown. You can save and recall setup presets. To open a setup dialog, right-click the element that you want to set up, and select Setup. Hidden Items Lists the elements that are hidden. Visible Items Lists the elements that are visible. Add Select an item in the list of Hidden Items, and click Add to make it visible. Remove Select an item in the list of Visible Items, and click Remove to hide it. 697 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Customizing Windows Dialog Move Up Select an item in the list of Visible Items, and click Move Up to reorder the items. Move Down Select an item in the list of Visible Items, and click Move Down to reorder the items. Store Allows you to name the current configuration and save it as a preset. Delete Remove a selected preset. Reset All Reverts to the default configuration. Windows Dialog The Windows dialog allows you to manage open windows in Cubase. To open the Windows dialog, select Window > Windows. The dialog lists all open dialogs, windows, and editors. The following options are available: OK Closes the dialog. Mode Allows you to select a mode that affects the function. Selected Affects the selected window only. Cascaded Affects also the associated windows, such as the editors of a project window, for example. All Affects all windows. Activate Activates the selected window. Minimize Minimizes the selected or all windows. 698 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Customizing Where are the Settings Stored? Restore Restores the selected or all windows. Close Windows Closes the selected or all windows. Reset Layout Resets the layout of the selected window. Where are the Settings Stored? There is a large number of ways in which you can customize Cubase. While some of the settings you make are stored with each project, others are stored in separate preference files. If you need to transfer your projects to another computer in another studio, for example, you can bring all your settings along by copying the desired preference files and installing them on the other computer. NOTE It is a good idea to make a backup copy of your preference files once you have set things up the way you want! This way, if another Cubase user wants to use his or her personal settings when working on your computer, you can restore your own preferences afterwards. On Windows, preference files are stored in the following location: "\Users\<user name> \AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\<program name>\". On macOS, preference files are stored in the following location: "/Library/Preferences/ <program name>/" under your home directory. On the Start menu, you will find a shortcut to this folder for easy access. The full path is: "/Users/<user name>/Library/Preferences/<program name>/". NOTE The RAMpresets.xml file, which contains various presets settings, is saved when exiting the program. NOTE Program functions, such as crossfade, or configurations, such as panels, not used in the project will not be stored. Updating from a Previous Version of Cubase When you are updating from Cubase 6 or higher, most of the customized settings of your previous installation are used for the new Cubase version. When your previous Cubase version is older than Cubase 6, its settings are discarded, and the default settings of the new version of Cubase are used. Safe Mode Dialog The Safe Mode dialog contains troubleshooting options. To open the Safe Mode dialog, launch Cubase, and hold down Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Alt. 699 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Customizing Safe Mode Dialog The following options are available in the Plug-Ins section: Deactivate all third party plug-ins Temporarily disables all third party plug-ins. After startup, only Steinberg plug-ins are available. The following options are available in the Preferences section: Use current program preferences Opens the program with the current preference settings. Disable program preferences Disables the current preferences and opens the program with the factory default settings instead. Delete program preferences Deletes the preferences and opens the program with the factory default settings instead. This process cannot be undone. This affects all versions of Cubase installed on your computer. RELATED LINKS Disabling Third Party Plug-ins on page 701 Disabling the Preferences on page 700 Disabling the Preferences Sometimes you might experience odd program behavior that can be due to inconsistent preferences settings. In such a case, you should save your project and relaunch Cubase. You can disable or delete the current preferences settings, and load the factory defaults instead. PROCEDURE 1. Quit Cubase. 2. Launch Cubase, and hold down Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Alt. 3. In the Preferences section of the Safe Start Mode dialog, activate one of the troubleshooting options. Use current program preferences Opens the program with the current preference settings. Disable program preferences Disables the current preferences, and opens the program with the factory default settings instead. 700 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Customizing Safe Mode Dialog Delete program preferences Deletes the preferences and opens the program with the factory default settings instead. This process cannot be undone. Note that this affects all versions of Cubase installed on your computer. 4. Click OK. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK If the program works fine with disabled preferences, consider deleting and re-initializing the preferences. RELATED LINKS Safe Mode Dialog on page 699 Preferences on page 706 Disabling Third Party Plug-ins If Cubase does not start or if a project does not load, chances are, that this is due to a third party plug-in. In such a case, you can disable third party plug-ins on startup to identify, if the plug-in is the reason. PROCEDURE 1. Quit Cubase. 2. Launch Cubase, and hold down Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Shift. 3. In the Plug-Ins section of the Safe Start Mode dialog, activate Deactivate all third party plug-ins. 4. Click OK. RESULT Only Steinberg plug-ins are available after startup, and third party plug-ins are temporarily disabled. RELATED LINKS Safe Mode Dialog on page 699 701 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Optimizing Optimizing Audio Performance This section gives you some hints and tips on how to get the most out of your Cubase system, performance-wise. NOTE For details and current information on system requirements and hardware properties, refer to steinberg.net. Performance Aspects Tracks and Effects The faster your computer, the more tracks, effects, and EQs you are able to play. Exactly what constitutes a fast computer is almost a science in itself, but some hints are given below. Short Response Times (Latency) One aspect of performance is response time. The term "latency" refers to the buffering, that is, the temporary storing of small chunks of audio data during various steps of the recording and playback process on a computer. The larger those chunks, and the more there are, the higher the latency. High latency is most irritating when playing VST instruments and when monitoring through the computer, that is, when listening to a live audio source via the Cubase MixConsole and effects. However, very long latency times (several hundred milliseconds) can also affect other processes like mixing, for example, when the effect of a fader movement is heard only after a noticeable delay. While Direct Monitoring and other techniques reduce the problems associated with very long latency times, a system that responds fast will always be more convenient to work with. Depending on your audio hardware, it may be possible to trim your latency times, usually by lowering the size and the number of buffers. For details, refer to the audio hardware documentation. Audio Hardware and Driver The hardware and its driver can have some effect on regular performance. A badly written driver can reduce the performance of your computer. But where the hardware driver design makes the most difference is with latency. NOTE We recommend that you use audio hardware for which there is a specific ASIO driver. 702 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Optimizing Optimizing Audio Performance This is especially true when using Cubase for Windows: Under Windows, ASIO drivers written specifically for the hardware are more efficient than the Generic Low Latency ASIO Driver and produce shorter latency times. Under macOS, audio hardware with properly written macOS (Core Audio) drivers can be very efficient and produce very low latency times. However, there are additional features only available with ASIO drivers, such as the ASIO Positioning Protocol. Settings That Affect Performance Audio Buffer Settings Audio buffers affect how audio is sent to and from the audio hardware. The size of the audio buffers affects both the latency and the audio performance. Generally, the smaller the buffer size, the lower the latency. On the other hand, working with small buffers can be demanding for the computer. If the audio buffers are too small, you may get clicks, pops or other audio playback problems. Adjusting the Buffer Size To lower the latency, you can reduce the buffer size. PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select your audio hardware driver. 3. Click Control Panel. 4. Do one of the following: Windows: Adjust the buffer size in the dialog that opens. macOS: Adjust the buffer size in the CoreAudio Device Settings dialog. Multi Processing Multi processing distributes the processing load evenly to all available CPUs, allowing Cubase to make full use of the combined power of the multiple processors. Multi processing is activated by default. You can find the setting in the Studio Setup dialog (VST Audio System page). Audio Performance Window This window shows the audio processing load and the hard disk transfer rate. This allows you to verify that you do not run into performance problems when adding effects or plug-ins, for example. To open the Audio Performance window, select Studio > Audio Performance. 703 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Optimizing Optimizing Audio Performance Average load Shows how much of the available CPU power is used for audio processing. Real-time peak Shows the processing load in the real time path of the audio engine. The higher this value, the higher the risk that dropouts occur. Overload indicator The overload indicator to the right of the real-time peak indicator and the average load indicator displays overloads of the average or real-time indicator. If it lights up, decrease the number of EQ modules, active effects, and audio channels that play back simultaneously. You can also activate the ASIO-Guard. Disk Shows the hard disk transfer load. Disk overload indicator The overload indicator to the right of the disk indicator lights up if the hard disk does not supply data fast enough. If it lights up, use Disable Track to reduce the number of tracks playing back. If this does not help, you need a faster hard disk. NOTE You can show a simple view of the performance meter on the Transport panel and on the Project window toolbar. These meters only feature the average and the disk indicator. ASIO-Guard The ASIO-Guard allows you to shift as much processing as possible from the ASIO real time path to the ASIO-Guard processing path. This results in a more stable system. The ASIO-Guard allows you to preprocess all channels as well as VST instruments that do not need to be calculated in real time. This leads to fewer dropouts, the ability to process more tracks or plug-ins, and the ability to use smaller buffer sizes. ASIO-Guard Latency High ASIO-Guard levels lead to an increased ASIO-Guard latency. When you adjust a volume fader, for example, you will hear the parameter changes with a slight delay. The ASIO-Guard latency, in contrast to the latency of the audio hardware, is independent from live input. Restrictions The ASIO-Guard cannot be used for: Real time-dependent signals External effects and instruments NOTE If you select Studio > VST Plug-in Manager and click Show VST Plug-in Information, you can deactivate the ASIO-Guard option for selected plug-ins. If you activate the monitoring for an input channel, a MIDI instrument, or a VST instrument channel, the audio channel and all dependent channels are automatically switched from ASIOGuard to real time processing and vice versa. This results in a gentle fade out and fade in of the audio channel. 704 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Optimizing Optimizing Audio Performance RELATED LINKS VST 2 Plug-in Path Settings on page 476 Activating the ASIO-Guard PROCEDURE 1. Select Studio > Studio Setup. 2. In the Devices list, select VST Audio System. 3. Activate the Activate ASIO-Guard option. NOTE This option is only available if you activate Activate Multi Processing. 4. Select an ASIO-Guard Level. The higher the level, the higher the processing stability and audio processing performance. However, higher levels also lead to an increased ASIO-Guard latency and memory usage. 705 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences The Preferences dialog provides options and settings that control the global behavior of the program. Preferences Dialog The Preferences dialog is divided into a navigation list and a settings page. Clicking one of the entries in the navigation list opens a settings page. To open the Preferences dialog, select Edit > Preferences. In addition to the settings, the dialog provides the following options: Preference Presets Allows you to select a saved preference preset. Store Allows you to save the current preferences as a preset. Rename Allows you to rename a preset. Delete Allows you to delete a preset. Store marked preferences only Allows you to select which pages are included in the preset. Defaults Resets the options on the active page to their default settings. 706 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Editing Apply Applies any changes that you have made without closing the dialog. OK Applies any changes that you have made and closes the dialog. Cancel Closes the dialog without saving any changes. Saving Preference Presets You can save complete or partial preference settings as presets. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, make your changes. 2. Click Store in the lower left section of the dialog. 3. Enter a preset name and click OK. RESULT Your settings are now available on the Preference Presets pop-up menu. Saving Partial Preference Settings You can save partial preference settings. This is useful when you have made settings that only relate to a certain project or situation, for example. When you apply a saved partial preference preset, you only change the saved settings. All other preferences are left unchanged. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, make your changes. 2. Activate Store marked preferences only. In the preferences list, the Store column is shown. 3. Click in the Store column of the preference pages that you want to save. 4. Click Store in the lower left section of the dialog. 5. Enter a preset name and click OK. RESULT Your settings are now available from the Preference Presets pop-up menu. Editing `Edit Solo'/'Record in MIDI Editors' Follow Focus Suspends Record in Editor and Solo Editor in the MIDI editor if the Project window gets the focus. Display Warning before Deleting Non-Empty Tracks Shows a warning if you delete tracks that are not empty. 707 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Editing Select Track on Background Click Allows you to select a track by clicking in the event display background. Auto Select Events under Cursor Automatically selects all events in the Project window or in an editor that are under the project cursor. Cycle Follows Range Selection Sets the left locator to the range start position and the right locator to the range end position of a range selection. Delete Overlaps Deletes overlapped, that is, hidden, sections of overlapping events. Hold Shift while moving events to override this setting. Parts Get Track Names Automatically changes event names to the name of the track they are moved to. Quick Zoom Only redraws the contents of parts and events once you have stopped changing the zoom. This is useful if screen redraws are slow on your system. Use Up/Down Navigation Commands for Selecting Tracks only Uses the Up Arrow/Down Arrow keys for track selection, not for event/part selection. Track Selection Follows Event Selection Automatically selects the corresponding track if you select an event in the Project window. Automation Reduction Level Allows you to remove all superfluous automation events. A reduction level value of 0% removes repeated automation points only. A reduction level value between 1 to 100 % smoothens the automation curve. The default value of 50 % should reduce the automation data amount significantly without touching the sound result of the existing automation. Show Automation Track in Project on Writing Parameter Reveals the automation track on writing automation parameters. This is useful if you want to have a visual control of all parameters changed on writing. Automation Follows Events Lets automation events automatically follow when you move, duplicate, copy, or paste an event or part on the track. This facilitates setting up automation that is related to a specific event or part, instead of a specific position in the project. Drag Delay Allows you to set up a delay in ms that is used when you move events. This is useful to avoid accidentally moving events when you click on them in the Project window. Editing - Audio Treat Muted Audio Events like Deleted Allows you to play the hidden event of 2 overlapping audio events when you mute the top event. Use Mouse Wheel for Event Volume and Fades Allows you to use the mouse wheel to move event volume and fades. Moving the mouse wheel moves the event volume curve up or down. 708 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Editing Holding down Shift while moving the mouse wheel moves the fade curves. Positioning the mouse in the left half of the event moves the end point of the fade in. Positioning the mouse in the right half of the event moves the start point of the fade out. On Import Audio Files Determines what happens when you import an audio file. Open Options Dialog Opens a dialog where you can select whether you want to copy the file to the audio folder and/or convert it to the project settings. Use Settings Uses the default settings for importing audio. Enable Automatic Hitpoint Detection Enables the automatic hitpoint detection for imported or newly recorded audio files. Remove Regions/Hitpoints on all Offline Processes Removes regions/hitpoints of audio ranges when you perform offline processing. On Processing Shared Clips Determines what happens when you apply processing to a shared clip that is used by more than one event in the project. Open Options Dialog Opens the Options dialog that allows you to select whether you want to create a new version of the clip or apply the processing to the existing clip. Create New Version Creates a new editing version of the clip, and applies the processing to that version leaving the original clip unaffected. Process Existing Clip Applies the processing to the existing clip. All events playing that clip are affected. Default Warping Algorithm Sets the warp algorithm for new audio clips in the project. Editing - Chords `X' Chords Mute Notes on Tracks That are in Follow Chord Track Mode Mutes playback when you play back a track that follows the chord track and the cursor reaches an undefined chord event (X chord). Disable `Acoustic Feedback' during Playback Disables Acoustic Feedback during playback. This ensures that chord events are not triggered twice. Hide Muted Notes in Editors Hides notes that get muted due to their MIDI track following the chord track. Editing - Controls Value Box/Time Control Mode Allows you to select your preferred way of controlling value fields. Text Input on Left-Click 709 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Editing Clicking opens a value box for editing. Increment/Decrement on Left/Right-Click Clicking decreases the value, right-clicking increases the value. Double-clicking allows you to enter values manually. Increment/Decrement on Left-Click and Drag Clicking and dragging up or down adjusts the value. Double-clicking allows you to enter values manually. Knob Mode Allows you to select your preferred way of controlling knobs. Circular Clicking and dragging in a circular motion changes the setting. Clicking anywhere along the encoder's edge immediately changes the setting. Relative Circular Clicking anywhere on an encoder and dragging changes the current setting. There is no need to click on the exact current position. Linear Clicking on an encoder and dragging up or down, or left or right changes the setting. Slider Mode Allows you to select your preferred way of controlling value sliders. Jump Clicking anywhere on a slider instantly moves the slider handle to that position. Touch Clicking and dragging the actual slider handle adjusts the setting. Ramp Clicking and dragging a slider causes the handle to move smoothly to the new position. Relative Clicking and dragging up or down changes the setting according to how far you drag, not according to where you click. Editing - MIDI Select Controllers in Note Range: Use Extended Note Context Takes into account the extended note context when you move notes together with their controllers. This means that controllers between the last selected note and the following note or the end of the part are also moved. Legato Overlap Allows you to set an overlap for the Legato function. Legato allows you to extend MIDI notes so that they reach the next notes. An overlap setting of 0ticks causes each selected note to extend so that it reaches the next note exactly. A positive value causes the notes to overlap by the specified number of ticks. A negative value causes a slight gap between the notes. Legato Mode: Between Selected Notes Only Adjusts the length of selected notes so that they reach the next selected note. 710 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Editing Split MIDI Events Splits MIDI events when you split a MIDI part in the Project window, and the split position intersects the MIDI events. This also creates new notes at the beginning of the second part. Split MIDI Controllers Splits MIDI controllers when you split a MIDI part in the Project window, and the part contains a controller. If the controller value at the split position is not zero, a new controller event of the same type and value is inserted at the split position at the start of the second part. NOTE If you just split a part and play back the result, it will sound the same regardless of this setting. However, if you split a part and delete the first half or move the second half to a different position in the project, you may want to activate Split MIDI Controllers to make sure all controllers have the correct value at the beginning of the second part. Editing - Project & MixConsole Select Channel/Track on Solo Selects channels/tracks when you click their Solo button. Select Channel/Track on Edit Settings Selects channels/tracks when you click their Edit Channel Settings button. Scroll to Selected Track Scrolls the track list when you select a MixConsole channel and the respective track is out of view. Enable Record on Selected MIDI Track Record-enables MIDI tracks when you select them. Enable Record on Selected Audio Track Record-enables audio tracks when you select them. Enable Solo on Selected Track Solos tracks when you select them. Enlarge Selected Track Enlarges a track when you select it. If you select a different track, this track is enlarged, and the previously selected track is displayed in its original size. Editing - Tool Modifiers On this page, you can specify which modifier keys are used for additional functionality when using tools. PROCEDURE 1. Select an option in the Categories list. 2. Select the action for which you want to edit the modifier keys in the Action list. 3. On your computer keyboard, hold down the modifier keys and click Assign. 711 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Editors RESULT The current modifier keys for the action are replaced. If this tool already has assigned modifier keys, you are prompted to replace them. Editing - Tools Show Toolbox on Right Click Opens a toolbox when you right-click in the event display and editors. To open the context menu instead of the toolbox, press any modifier key when right-clicking. Cross-Hair Cursor Allows you to set up the colors for the line and the mask of the cross-hair cursor, as well as its width. Zoom Tool Standard Mode: Horizontal Zooming Only Zooms the window horizontally without changing the track height when you zoom with the Zoom tool. Select Tool: Show Extra Info Displays the current pointer position and the name of the track and event at which you are pointing when you use the Object Selection tool in the Project window event display. Show Notification when Switching Tool Mode with Key Command Shows a notification when you switch the tool mode by using a key command. Editors Use Drum Editor when Drum Map is assigned Shows drum note symbols in parts on MIDI tracks to which drum maps are assigned. The parts automatically open in the Drum Editor on double-click. This overwrites the Default MIDI Editor setting. Default MIDI Editor Determines which editor is opened when you double-click a MIDI part or when you select it and press Ctrl/Cmd-E. This setting is overwritten for tracks with drum maps if Use Drum Editor when Drum Map is assigned is activated. Editor Content Follows Event Selection Open editors show the events that are selected in the Project window. Double-click opens Editor in a Window/in Lower Zone Determines where an editor is opened when you double-click an audio event or a MIDI part, or when you use the key command assigned to Open/Close Editor. Open Editor Commands open Editors in a Window/in Lower Zone Determines where an editor is opened when you use an open command from the Audio or MIDI menu or the corresponding key commands. Event Display The Event Display section contains several settings for customizing the display in the Project window. Show Event Names Shows the names on parts and events. 712 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Event Display Hide Truncated Event Names Hides event names if they are too long. Show Overlaps Determines how overlapping events are displayed. Grid Overlay Intensity Sets the overlay intensity of the displayed grid lines. Event Handling Opacity Sets the opacity of overlying events when you move them. Event Opacity Sets the opacity of the event background. NOTE If you reduce the event opacity, it might be helpful to increase the Waveform Brightness for audio events or the Note Brightness for MIDI events. Reducing the opacity may result in a less responsive user interface. Smallest Track Height to Show Data Determines from which track height the track contents are displayed. Smallest Track Height to Show Name Determines from which track height the track names are displayed. RELATED LINKS Waveform Brightness on page 713 Note Brightness on page 715 Event Display - Audio Interpolate Audio Waveforms Interpolates sample values to form curves when you zoom in to one sample per pixel or less. Show Event Volume Curves Always Shows event volume curves, regardless of whether the event is selected. Show Waveforms Shows waveforms for audio events. Show Hitpoints on Selected Events Shows hitpoints for selected audio events. Waveform Brightness Sets the brightness of the waveform. Waveform Outline Intensity Sets the intensity of the waveform outline. Fade Handle Brightness Sets the brightness of the fade lines for audio events. Background Color Modulation Reflects the waveform dynamics in the background of audio waveforms. 713 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Event Display Event Display - Chords & Pitches Pitch Notation Note Name Allows you to select how chord symbols are displayed. You can choose English, German, or Solfège. Naming Format Allows you to determine how MIDI note names are displayed in editors, etc. Display `Bb' as `B' Displays `B' as a pitch name. This is only available if you selected English in the Note Name pop-up menu. Display `B' as `H' Displays `H' as a pitch name. This is only available if you selected English in the Note Name pop-up menu. Enharmonics from Chord Track Uses the chord events on the chord track to determine if enharmonically equivalent notes in the Key Editor and in the List Editor are displayed as sharp or flat. Chord Font Allows you to specify a font for all chord symbols. Chord Symbols Allows you to select your preferred display method for major 7th chords, minor chords, half-diminished chords, diminished chords, and augmented chords. Custom Chord Symbols Allows you to modify the default chord symbols that are used on the chord track, for the chord pads, and in the Score Editor. New Custom Chord allows you to add a new custom chord symbol. The options to the left allow you to specify the chord for which you want to change the chord symbol. Click the Type and Tension column and enter your custom symbol. NOTE You must define custom symbols for each set of tensions. The Result column shows how the chord will be displayed. The Remove Custom Chord button allows you to remove the custom chord symbol that is selected in the list. 714 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences General EXAMPLE To change the appearance of all minor chords from Xmin to X-, click New Custom Chord, activate 5 and min3/#9 to define the chord type, and change the symbol in the Type column from min to -. Event Display - Folders Show Event Details Displays event details instead of data blocks. This setting depends on the Show Data on Folder Tracks setting. Show Data on Folder Tracks Determines in which case data blocks or event details are displayed on folder tracks. Always Show Data Displays data blocks or event details always. Never Show Data Displays nothing. Hide Data When Expanded Hides the display of events when you open folder tracks. Event Display - MIDI Part Data Mode Determines if and how events in MIDI parts are shown. This setting is overwritten for tracks with drum maps if Use Drum Editor when Drum Map is assigned is activated. Show Controllers Shows non-note events such as controllers, etc. in MIDI parts. Note Brightness Sets the brightness of note events. Controller Brightness Sets the brightness of controller events. RELATED LINKS Use Drum Editor when Drum Map is assigned on page 712 Event Display - Tracks Default Track Name Width Sets the default name width for all track types. General The General page contains general settings that affect the program user interface. Set these according to your preferred work methods. Enable HiDPI (Windows only) Enables the appropriate resolution to render Cubase GUI elements sharp and precise on high resolution displays, and support scaling factors of 100% and 200%. 715 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences MIDI NOTE On macOS, you can disable HiDPI support in the Cubase application folder by invoking Get Info and checking Open in Low Resolution. Language Allows you to select which language is used in the program. After switching the language, you must restart the program for the change to take effect. Auto Save Automatically saves backup copies of all open projects with unsaved changes. These are named Name.bak, where name is the name of the project, and are saved in the project folder. Backup copies of unsaved projects are named #UntitledX.bak, where X is an incremental number, to allow multiple backup copies in the same project folder. Auto Save Interval Allows you to specify how often a backup copy is created. Maximum Backup Files Allows you to specify how many backup files are created. When the maximum number of backup files is reached, the existing files is overwritten starting with the oldest file. Show Tips Displays an explanatory tooltip when you position the mouse pointer over an icon or button in Cubase. Maximum Undo Steps Allows you to specify the number of undo steps. Run Setup on Create New Project Opens the Project Setup dialog every time you create a new project. Use Hub Opens the Hub when you start Cubase or create a new project using the File menu. General - Personalization Default Author Name Allows you to specify an author name that is used by default for new projects. This is included as metadata when exporting audio files with an iXML chunk. Default Company Name Allows you to specify a company name that is used by default for new projects. This is included as metadata when exporting audio files with an iXML chunk. MIDI This page contains settings that affect MIDI recording and playback. MIDI Thru Active Sets all MIDI tracks that are record-enabled or have monitoring activated to echo incoming MIDI data, sending it back out on their respective MIDI outputs and channels. This allows you to hear the correct sound from your MIDI instrument during recording. 716 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences MIDI NOTE If you use MIDI Thru, select Local Off mode on your MIDI instrument to prevent each note from sounding twice. Reset on Stop Sets Cubase to send out MIDI reset messages, including note-off and controller resets, on stop. Never Reset Chased Controllers Never resets controllers to 0 when you stop playback or move to a new position in the project. Length Adjustment Allows you to enter a length adjustment value in ticks by which the notes that have the same pitch and MIDI channel are adjusted. This ensures that there is always a short time between the end of one note and the start of another. By default, there are 120 ticks per 1/16 note, but you can adjust this with the MIDI Display Resolution setting. Chase Events Chases event types for which one of the chase options is activated when you locate to a new position and start playback. This makes your MIDI instruments sound as they should when you locate to a new position and start playback. If Chase not limited to Part Boundaries is activated, MIDI controllers are also chased outside the part boundaries, and the chase is performed on the part under the cursor as well as on all the parts to the left of it. Deactivate this for very large projects, as it slows down processes such as positioning and soloing. MIDI Display Resolution Allows you to set the display resolution for viewing and editing MIDI data. Extend Playback Range of Notes that start before the Part Extends the playback range of MIDI notes that start before the part in ticks. This is useful if MIDI events start shortly before the start of the MIDI part. If you do not extend the playback range, these events are not played. This setting is also taken into account during cycle playback. Insert Reset Events after Record Inserts a reset event at the end of each recorded part. This resets controller data, such as Sustain, Aftertouch, Pitchbend, Modulation, or Breath Control. This is useful if you stop recording before the note off command is sent, for example. MIDI Latency Mode Allows you to specify the latency of the MIDI playback engine. Low lowers the latency and increases the responsiveness of the MIDI playback engine. However, this setting might also decrease your computer performance if your project contains lots of MIDI data. Normal is the default mode and the recommended setting for most workflows. High increases the latency and the playback buffer. Use this if you work with complex VST instrument libraries or with projects that have a very high performance level. MIDI Max. Feedback in ms Allows you to set the maximum length of the notes when using Acoustic Feedback in MIDI editors. 717 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences MIDI MIDI - MIDI File Export Options These options allow you to specify what data is included in exported MIDI files. Export Inspector Patch Includes MIDI patch settings in the Inspector as MIDI bank select and program change events in the MIDI file. Export Inspector Volume/Pan Includes volume and pan settings in the Inspector as MIDI volume and pan events in the MIDI file. Export Automation Includes automation as MIDI controller events in the MIDI file. Export Inserts Includes MIDI modifiers and MIDI inserts in the MIDI file. Includes MIDI modifiers in the MIDI file. Export Markers Includes markers as standard MIDI file marker events in the MIDI file. Export as Type 0 Exports a type 0 MIDI file with all data on a single track, but on different MIDI channels. If you deactivate this option, a type 1 MIDI file with data on separate tracks is exported. Export Resolution Allows you to set a MIDI resolution between 24 and 960 for the MIDI file. The resolution is the number of pulses, or ticks, per quarter note (PPQ) and determines the precision with which you will be able to view and edit the MIDI data. The higher the resolution, the higher the precision. The resolution should be chosen depending on the application or sequencer with which the MIDI file will be used, because certain applications and sequencers may not be able to handle certain resolutions. Export Locator Range Exports only the range between the left and right locator. Export includes Delay Includes delay settings you have made in the Inspector in the MIDI file. Import Options The Import Options for MIDI files allow you to specify what data is included in imported MIDI files. 718 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences MIDI Extract First Patch Converts the first Program Change and Bank Select events for each track to Inspector settings for the track. Extract First Volume/Pan Converts the first MIDI Volume and Pan events for each track to Inspector settings for the track. Import Controller as Automation Tracks Converts MIDI Controller events in the MIDI file to automation data for the MIDI tracks. Import to Left Locator Aligns the imported MIDI file at the position of the left locator. Import Markers Imports any markers that have been added. Import Dropped File as Single Part Places the file on one track if you drag a MIDI file into the project. Ignore Master Track Events on Merge Ignores tempo track data if you import a MIDI file into the current project. The imported MIDI file will play according to the current tempo track in the project. Auto Dissolve Format 0 Automatically dissolves imported MIDI files of type 0. Each embedded MIDI channel in the file is placed on a separate track in the Project window. Destination Allows you to specify what happens when you drag a MIDI file into the project. MIDI Tracks creates MIDI tracks for the imported file. Instrument Tracks creates instrument tracks for each MIDI channel in the MIDI file and lets the program automatically load appropriate presets. HALion Sonic SE multi-timbral creates several MIDI tracks, each routed to a separate instance of HALion Sonic SE in the VST Instruments window, and loads the appropriate presets. Import Karaoke Lyrics as Text Converts karaoke lyrics in the MIDI file to text that can be displayed in the Score Editor. If this option is deactivated, lyrics are only shown in the List Editor. MIDI - MIDI Filter This page allows you to prevent certain MIDI messages from being recorded and/or echoed by the MIDI thru function (thruput). The page is divided into 4 sections: Record Prevents the corresponding type of MIDI message from being recorded. It will, however, be thruput, and if already recorded, play back normally. Thru Prevents the corresponding type of MIDI message from being thruput. It will, however, be recorded and played back normally. 719 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences MediaBay Channels Prevents MIDI messages on that MIDI channel from being recorded or thruput. Already recorded messages are, however, played back normally. Controller Prevents certain MIDI controller types from being recorded or thruput. To filter out a controller type, select it from the list at the top of the section and click Add. It is shown in the list below. To remove a controller type from the list (allow it to be recorded and thruput), select it in the lower list and click Remove. MediaBay Maximum Items in Results List Sets the maximum number of files that are displayed in the Results list. Show File Extensions in Results List Displays file name extensions in the Results list. Scan Folders Only When MediaBay Is Open Scans for media files when the MediaBay window is open. NOTE During playback or recording no folder scans are performed. Scan Unknown File Types Scans all file types. Metering Map Input Bus Metering to Audio Track (in Direct Monitoring) Maps the input bus metering to monitor-enabled audio tracks, giving you the opportunity to watch the input levels of your audio tracks when working in the Project window. For this to work, activate Direct Monitoring in the Studio Setup dialog. Note that the tracks are mirroring the input bus signal, that is, you will see the same signal in both places. When using mapped metering, any functions, such as trimming, that you apply to the audio track are not reflected in its meters. Meters' Peak Hold Time Allows you to specify for how long the peak levels are held in the meters. For this to work, deactivate Meters - Hold Forever in the MixConsole. Meters' Fallback Allows you to specify how quickly the meters in the MixConsole return to lower values after signal peaks. Metering - Appearance This page allows you to assign colors to level meter values to quickly identify what levels are reached. Add Adds a color handle to the top of the meter. 720 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Record Remove Removes the selected color handle. RELATED LINKS Setting up Meter Colors on page 273 Record This page contains settings related to audio and MIDI recording. Deactivate Punch In on Stop Deactivates Punch In on the Transport panel whenever you enter stop mode. Stop after Automatic Punch Out Stops playback after automatic Punch Out. If the post-roll value on the Transport panel is set to a value other than zero, playback will continue for the set time before stopping. Record - Audio Audio Pre-Record Seconds Sets for how many seconds any incoming audio you play is captured in buffer memory during playback or in stop mode. When Recording Wave Files Larger than 4GB Determines what happens if you record wave files that are larger than 4GB. To split the wave file, select Split Files. Use this if you work on a FAT32 file system that supports only file sizes up to 4GB. To save the wave file as an RF64 file, select Use RF64 Format. RF64 files use the .wav extension. However, they can only be opened with an application that supports the RF64 standard. Create Audio Images during Record Creates and displays a waveform image during the recording process. NOTE This real-time calculation uses some extra processing power. Record - Audio - Broadcast Wave This page allows you to specify the Description, Author, and Reference Value text strings that are embedded in recorded Broadcast Wave files. The settings you make here also appear as default strings in the Broadcast Wave Chunk dialog when you export files to certain formats. Not only Broadcast Wave files can contain embedded information, but also Wave, Wave 64, and AIFF files. Record - MIDI Record-Enable allows MIDI Thru Prevents record-enabled MIDI or instrument tracks from echoing incoming MIDI data. This way record-enabled tracks to which a VST instrument is assigned do not play doubled notes. 721 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Transport Snap MIDI Parts to Bars Lengthens recorded MIDI parts so that they start and end at whole bar positions. If you are working in a context that is based on bars and beats, this can make editing, such as moving, duplicating, and repeating, easier. MIDI Record Catch Range in ms Ensures that the very start of a recording that starts at the left locator is included. Retrospective Record Buffer Size You can capture MIDI data that you played in Stop mode or during playback and turn them into a MIDI part. Retrospective Record Buffer Size determines how much MIDI data can be captured in the buffer. ASIO Latency Compensation Active by Default Determines the initial state of the ASIO Latency Compensation button in the track list for MIDI or instrument tracks. If you record live on a VST instrument, you usually compensate the latency of your audio card by playing too early. In consequence, the timestamps are recorded too early. By activating this option, all recorded events are moved by the current latency, and playback sounds like during the recording situation. Add Latency to MIDI-Thru Processing If you set the audio buffer size to a high value, and you play an arpeggiator in real time, for example, the MIDI notes are output with an increased latency. If you consequently adapt your playing to the output latency, the notes are recorded even later. To minimize this effect, you can activate Add Latency to MIDI-Thru Processing. This adds a regular latency to each note that is played in real time. Replace Recording in Editors Affects the result of recording in a MIDI editor when Replace mode is selected as a record mode: None Nothing is replaced. Controller Only controller data is replaced, not notes. All Replace mode works as usual. Notes and controllers are replaced when recording. Transport This page contains options related to playback, recording, and positioning. Playback Toggle Triggers Local Preview Allows you to use Space on your keyboard to start/stop local playback of the selected file in the Sample Editor or the Pool. When the Sample Editor is not open or when there is no audio file selected in the Pool, Space still toggles the global project playback. Show Timecode Subframes Shows subframes for all frame-based display formats. Return to Start Position on Stop Automatically sets the project cursor to the position where recording or playback last started when you stop playback. 722 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Transport Stop Playback while Winding Stops playback when you click Rewind or Fast Forward on the Transport panel. Wind Speed Options These options affect the fast forward/rewind speed. Adjust to Zoom adapts the wind speed to the horizontal zoom factor. If you zoom in very close for detailed editing, you probably do not want to have a high fast forward/rewind speed. Because of this, the Speed Factor does not have any effect in this mode. The Fast Wind Factor still applies. Fixed keeps a fixed wind speed regardless of the horizontal zoom factor. Speed Factor allows you to set the wind speed. You can set a value between 2 and 50. The higher the value, the faster the wind speed will be. If Adjust to Zoom is activated, this has no effect. Fast Wind Factor allows you to set the winding speed to a multiple for fast winding. If you press Shift while fast forwarding or rewinding, the wind speed will increase. The increase in speed is a multiple of the Speed Factor. Meaning that if you set the Fast Wind Factor to 2, the wind speed will be twice as fast. If you set it to 4, the wind speed will be 4 times as fast, etc. You can set a value between 2 and 50. Cursor Width Adjusts the width of the project cursor line. Zoom while Locating in Time Scale Allows you to zoom in or out by clicking in the ruler and dragging down or up. Clicking Locator Range in Upper Part of the Ruler Activates Cycle Allows you to activate/deactivate cycle mode when you click the locator range in the upper part of the ruler. Locate when Clicked in Empty Space Allows you to move the project cursor by clicking in an empty area of the Project window. Transport - Scrub Scrub Volume Sets the playback volume for the Scrub tool in the Project window and audio editors. NOTE This does not affect the scrub volume controlled by any connected hardware. Use High Quality Scrub Mode Enables effects for scrubbing and uses a higher resampling quality. However, scrubbing will be more demanding on the processor. Use Inserts While Scrubbing Allows you to activate insert effects for scrubbing with the shuttle speed control. By default, insert effects are bypassed. 723 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences User Interface User Interface This page contains options that allow you to adjust the default user interface colors. Color Schemes Allows you to adjust the color scheme for the application and the desktop cover. Click one of the colors in the Choose Color Scheme section to apply a pre- defined color. Click the field in the Choose Custom Color section to open the Color Picker and select a custom color. Custom Colors Allows you to set the colors for the Project window and the editors, and their specific elements. Track & MixConsole Channel Colors Allows you to set the Auto Track/Channel Color Mode, to colorize track controls and MixConsole channel controls, and to determine the brightness of selected channels. Track Type Default Colors Allows you to set the colors for the different track types. Customizing the User Interface Colors You can change the color of the Cubase desktop, the track types, the Project window, and the editor elements. PROCEDURE 1. In the Preferences dialog, select User Interface > Color Schemes. 2. Do one of the following: Activate a default color scheme by clicking on it. Click Choose Custom Color and in the Color Picker, select a new color. RESULT The color scheme is instantly applied. User Interface - Track & MixConsole Channel Colors Allows you to set the Auto Track/Channel Color Mode to colorize track controls and channel faders, and to determine the brightness of selected channels. Auto Track/Channel Color Mode Allows you to set an automatic color assignment mode for new tracks or new channels. Use Track's Default Color New tracks get the default event color. Use Previous Track Color New tracks get the same color as the track above them in the track list. Use Previous Track Color +1 This is similar to Use Previous Track Color, except that new tracks get the next color in the color palette. 724 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences VST Use Last Applied Color New tracks get the color that you last applied to an event/part. Use Random Track Color New tracks get random track colors. Colorize Tracks and MixConsole Channels Applies the track/channel color to track/channel controls. Tracks Enables the application of the track color to the track controls. Folder Tracks Enables the application of the folder track color to the track controls. MixConsole Channels Enables the application of the MixConsole channel color to the channel controls. Color Strength Allows you to adjust the intensity of the color. Selected Channel Brightness Allows you to adjust the brightness of the selected MixConsole channel. Show Color for Selected Channel Colorizes the selected channel and gives it more color strength instead of displaying it in gray. VST This page contains settings for the VST audio engine. Connect Sends Automatically for Each Newly Created Channel Automatically connects the send routing for existing FX channels when you create a new audio or group channel. Instruments use Automation Read All and Write All If you activate this, the Read and Write automation status in control panels for VST instruments is affected by Activate/Deactivate Read for All Tracks and Activate/ Deactivate Write for All Tracks. Mute Pre-Send when Mute Mutes pre-fader sends when you mute their channels. Default Send Level Allows you to specify a default level for your send effects. Group Channels: Mute Sources as well Mutes channels that are directly routed to a group channel when you mute the group channel. Channels that were muted prior to the group channel being muted will not remember their mute status and will be unmuted when the group channel is unmuted. NOTE This does not affect how mute automation is written. 725 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences VST Delay Compensation Threshold (for Recording) Minimizes the latency effects of the delay compensation while maintaining the sound of the mix as far as possible. Only plug-ins with a delay higher than this threshold setting are affected by the Constrain Delay Compensation function. By default, this is set to 0.0ms, which means that all plug-ins will be affected. If you feel that a little latency is acceptable, you can raise this threshold value. NOTE Cubase features full delay compensationany delay inherent in the VST plug-ins you use will automatically be compensated for during playback. However, when you play a VST instrument in real time or record live audio (with monitoring through Cubase activated), this delay compensation may result in added latency. Do Not Connect Input/Output Busses When Loading External Projects Prevents connecting input and output busses to the ASIO ports of your system when loading external projects. Auto Monitoring Determines how Cubase handles monitoring. The following options are available: Manual Turns input monitoring on or off when you click Monitor. While Record-Enabled Connects the audio source to the channel input when you click Record Enable. While Record Running Switches to input monitoring only during recording. Tapemachine Style Activates input monitoring in stop mode and during recording, but not during playback. NOTE The automatic monitoring options apply when you monitor through Cubase, or when you use ASIO Direct Monitoring. If you monitor externally (listen to the input signal from an external mixer, for example), select Manual mode and keep all audio Monitor buttons turned off in Cubase. Warn on Processing Overloads Shows a warning if the CPU overload indicator on the Transport panel lights up during recording. VST - Plug-ins Warn before Removing Modified Effects Shows a warning if you remove an effect plug-in for which you have made parameter changes. Open Effect Editor after Loading It Opens the effect control panel when you load VST effects or VST instruments. Create MIDI Track when Loading VSTi Allows you to determine if a MIDI track is created when you add a rack instrument. Always A MIDI track is always created. 726 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Preferences Video Do not No MIDI track is created. Always ask to You are asked whether a corresponding MIDI track should be created. Synchronize Plug-in Program Selection to Track Selection Synchronizes track and plug-in program selection if you route multiple MIDI tracks to multitimbral instruments. Suspend VST 3 plug-in processing when no audio signals are received Suspends VST plug-in processing in passages where no audio is passing through the plug-in. This can improve system performance noticeably. NOTE We recommend to leave this option deactivated. Plug-in Editors "Always on Top" Always shows the control panels for effect plug-ins and VST instruments on top of other windows. Video Extract Audio on Import Video File Extracts and saves the audio data of imported video files as a separate audio clip. Thumbnail Memory Cache Size Allows you to set the size of the thumbnail cache. 727 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index A ACID® loops 373 Activate Project 82 Activate tempo track 624 Adapt to Zoom 58 Grid type 63 ADAT Lightpipe Synchronization 647 Add Cycle Marker Track Control 91 Add Latency to MIDI-Thru Processing 721 Add Marker Track Control 91 Add Track dialog 94 Audio tracks 95 Folder tracks 116 FX channel tracks 111 Group channel tracks 108 Instrument tracks 98 MIDI tracks 104 Ruler tracks 114 Sampler tracks 102 Adding chords 588 Adding group channel tracks to Selected Channels 308 AES/SPDIF Digital Audio Synchronization 647 AIFC files Exporting 639 AIFF files Exporting 640 Algorithms Limitations 338 Time-stretching 337 All MIDI Inputs 21 Appearance Colors 724 Metering 720 Archive Prepare 85 Arranger track Flattening 244, 247 Inspector 118 Track controls 120 ASIO Direct Monitoring 20, 197 ASIO Latency Compensation Track Control 91 ASIO Latency Compensation Active by Default 721 ASIO-Guard 704 Aspect ratio Video Player window 669 Assigning chords to Chord Pads 607 Assigning chords with the Chord Editor 607 Attribute Filter Applying in the MediaBay 441 Context menu search 441 MediaBay 440 Attributes MediaBay 440 Audio Handling 141 Overlapping 134 Zooming 58 Audio clock Synchronization 647 Audio Connections 24 Editing 28 Presets 27 Audio events 140 Auditioning 145 Audio Events Inverting phase 156 Audio files Previewing in MediaBay 436 Audio Files Inverting phase 156 Audio Functions 339 Detect Silence 339 Spectrum Analyzer 342 Statistics 344 Audio hardware Connections 13 Externally clocked 18 Audio Part Editor Lower zone 50 Audio parts Auditioning 145 Creating 144 Audio performance Optimizing 702 Audio Pre-Record Seconds 721 Audio processing Pool 413 Audio Processing Direct Offline Processing 325 Audio Recording 200 Pre-Record Time 201 Preparations 199 RAM Requirements 199 Record File Format 198 Record Folder 198 Record Modes 200 728 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Audio Recording (continued) Recovering 202 Recovering recordings 201 Undo 201 With Effects 200 Audio regions 142 Audio tracks 95 Add Track dialog 95 Inspector 97 Audition chords 590 Auditioning Audio events 145 Audio parts 145 Using key commands 409 Auto fades Global settings 240 Track settings 240 Auto Monitoring Manual 725 Tapemachine Style 725 Auto Save 84, 715 Auto Save Internal 715 Auto Select Controllers 535 Auto Select Events under Cursor 707 Auto Track/Channel Color Mode 724 Auto-Scroll 181, 182 Crossfades 236 Suspend 182 Automatic Hitpoint Detection Enabling 708 Automatic scales 591 Automatic voicings 592 Automatically generating new audio clips Pool 415 Automation 448 Bézier curves 452 Data 449 Jump curves 448 Quick scaling 455 Ramp curves 448 Read 449 Recording actions 448 Smooth transitions 452 Static value line 449 Write 448, 449 Automation data Editing 452 Removing 456 Selecting 453 Automation Event Editor Compress Left 453 Compress Right 453 Move Vertically 453 Scale Around Absolute Center 453 Scale Around Relative Center 453 Scale Vertically 453 Stretch 453 Tilt Left 453 Tilt Right 453 Automation Follows Events 707 Automation parameter Track Control 91 Automation Reduction Level 707 Automation tracks 456 Assigning parameters 456 Hiding 456 Muting 457 Removing 456 Showing 456 B Back up Project 85 Background Color Modulation 713 Bank assignments 501 Basic chord types Applying to selected notes 550 Beat Calculator 628, 629 Bézier curves Automation 452 Bounce Selection 141 Broadcast Wave files Exporting 638 Broadcast Wave Files Embedded information 721 Buffer Settings 703 Busses Adding 26 Removing 28 Bypass EQs Track Control 91 Bypass Inserts Track Control 91 Bypass Sends Track Control 91 C Channel Track Control 91 Channel Configuration Track Control 91 Channel latencies MixConsole 292 Channel racks 267, 276 EQ 281 Filters 279 Gain 279 Inserts 280 Phase 280 Pre 278 Routing 277 Sends 290 Strips 284 Channel settings 292 Channel Faders 302 Channel Inserts 296 Channel Sends 301 Channel Strip 296299 Copying 276 Equalizer 300 Channel Settings Toolbar 294 729 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Channel strip rack 284 Compressor 284 EQ position 284 Gate 284 Limiter 284 Presets 290 Saturation 284 Transformer 284 Channel types MixConsole 266 Channels Linking 268 Chase Events 189, 716 Chord Assistant 589, 606 Assigning chords 608 Circle of Fifths 606 Chord Editor 587 Assigning chords 607 MIDI Input 589 Chord events 587 Adding 588 Adding chords 588 Auditioning 590 Chord type 587 Converting to MIDI 595 Editing 588 Extracting from MIDI 600 Mapping offset 592 Resolving Display Conflicts 591 Tension 587 Voicings 592 Chord Font 714 Chord Pad Controls 604 Chord Pads 602, 604606 Adaptive voicing 614 Assigning chords 607609 Context menu 604 Controls 606 Copying Assignments 610 Creating chord events 622 Creating MIDI parts 622 Functions menu 605 Multiple tracks 616 Pad Remote Control 618 Pads remote range 620 Pattern player 615 Player Modes 613615 Player Setup 613 Players 614 Playing back 610 Presets 621 Recording chords 612 Saving presets 621 Setting up 606 Swapping Assignments 609 Voicings 614 Zone 606 Chord Pads Setup Pad layout 620 Remote Control 617 Chord Pads Zone 602 Chord symbols 714 Chord track 120, 586 Assign Pads 609 Controlling MIDI or audio playback 597 Inspector 120 Live transform 596 Track controls 122 Chord voicing Changing 549 Chords Changing pitch 548 Changing voicing 549 Editing 549 Inserting 550 Click Sounds Custom Sounds 188 Clip editing Pool 409 Clips Renaming 403 Color Auto Track/Channel Color Mode 129 Color Picker 71 Color Set 69 Colorize Track Controls 724 Colorizing Events 67 Note events 517 Select Color for Selected Tracks or Events 66, 67 Single Tracks 66 Tracks 66 Colors MixConsole Channels 291 Preferences 724 Tracks 67, 68 User Interface 724 Compress Left Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Compress Right Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Compressor Strip module 284 Connect Sends automatically for each newly created Channel 725 Connecting Audio 13 MIDI 20 Constrain Delay Compensation 468 Continuous controllers Adding in controller display 531 Controller display 527 Controller lane 531 Control link 268 Controller Brightness 715 Controller curves Smart controls for scaling 533 Controller Data Thinning Out 514 Controller display 523 Adding events 528, 531 Continuous controllers 527 730 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Controller display (continued) Editing events with Line tool 532 Moving events 535 Controller Event Editor Compress Left 533 Compress Right 533 Move Vertically 533 Scale Around Absolute Center 533 Scale Around Relative Center 533 Scale Vertically 533 Stretch 533 Tilt Left 533 Tilt Right 533 Controller lane Continuous controllers 531 Presets 528 Selecting event types 526 Setting up as preset 528 Controller lane setup 524 Controller lanes Adding 526 Removing 526 Controller selection and functions 525 Controllers Selecting 535 Showing 715 Convert to Real Copy 155 Converting chord events to MIDI 595 Create Audio Images during Record 721 Create Chord Symbols 600 Create MIDI track when loading VSTi 726 Cross-hair cursor 64, 712 Crossfades Auto Zoom 236 Auto-Scroll 236 Creating 235 Editing in dialog 236 Equal Gain 236 Equal Power 236 Presets 236 Simple Crossfade Editor 236 Symmetric Fades 236 Cursor Width 722 Custom Chord Symbols 714 Customizing Colors 71 Info line 696 Inspector 696 Meter Colors 273 Toolbars 696 Transport panel 696 User Interface Colors 724 Cycle Track Control 91 Cycle Follows Range Selection 707 Cycle markers 250 Editing with tools 251 Using 250 Zooming 60, 251 Cycle recording 194 D Data on Folder Tracks Showing 715 DC Offset Removing 332 Default MIDI Editor 712 Delay compensation Constraining 468 Threshold for Recording 725 Delete Notes Dialog 520 Delete Overlaps 707 Deleting Continuous Controllers 514 Controllers 513 Doubles 513 MIDI controllers 513 Deleting Overlaps Poly (MIDI) 512 Poly (Mono) 512 Deselect Tracks 133 Designating a new pool record folder Pool 412 Detect Silence Audio Functions 339 Device ports Selecting for busses 26 Direct Offline Processing 325 Applying 328 Applying to multiple events 329 Deleting 329 Envelope 330 Extend Process Range 329 Fade In 331 Fade Out 331 Gain 331 Invert Phase 332 Key Commands 335 Modifying 329 Normalize 332 Pool 413 Remove DC Offset 332 Resample 333 Resetting 329 Reverse 333 Silence 333 Stereo Flip 333 Time Stretch 334 Toolbar 327 Window 326 Workflow 326 Disable Acoustic Feedback during Playback 709 Disable Track 133 Display format Ruler 40 Dithering Applying 316 Effects 316 Divider Project window toolbar 38 Drag Delay 707 731 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Draw tool Drawing note events 545 Drum Editor 566 Info line 574 Lower zone 50 Note display 576 Status line 574 Toolbar 569 Drum Map Track Control 91 Drum maps 580, 583 Key Editor 551 Selecting 577 Setting up 581, 582 Drum sounds 576 Changing the Note Length 579 Setup 576 Visibility 577 Drum Sounds Settings 582 Drum Visibility Agents 569, 577 Duplicating Events 154 Tracks 133 E Edit Channel Settings Track Control 91 Edit History dialog 64 Edit Instrument Track Control 91 Editing Project window info line 41 Editor Content Follows Event Selection 712 Effect Plug-in Presets Loading in MediaBay 443 Effects 304 Comparing settings 317 Control panel 316 Copying presets 321 Direct Offline Processing 325 Dithering 316 Exporting system component information files 324 Extracting insert effect settings from track presets 323 Insert effects 304, 306 Managing system components 324 Pasting presets 321 Plug-in delay compensation 305 Pre/Post fader sends 314 Presets 318 Presets browser 319 Routing 314 Saving insert presets 321 Saving presets 320 Selecting presets 319 Send effects 304, 311 System Component Information window 323 Tempo sync 306 VST3 305 Enable Record on Selected Audio Track 711 Enable Record on Selected MIDI Track 711 Enable Solo on Selected Track 711 Enable Track 133 Enharmonic shift 564 Enlarge Selected Track 131, 711 Envelope Direct Offline Processing 330 Envelope editor Sampler Control 392 EQ Channel racks 281 Presets 283 EQ position Strip module 284 Equal Gain Crossfades 236 Equal Power Crossfades 236 Equalizer settings 300 Event Details Showing 715 Event display 39 Folder tracks 134 Modifying on folder tracks 134 Event Handling Opacity 712 Event lengths Changing with Trim tool 548 Event name Showing 712 Event Opacity 712 Event Volume Curves Showing 713 Events 140 Copying and Pasting 153 Creating new files from events 141 Displaying on folder tracks 134 Duplicating 154 Editing 145 Gluing 153 Move to 149 Moving 148 Moving via Info Line 149 Moving with Nudge 148 Moving with Object Selection 148 Muting 156 Normal resizing 150 Pasting 153 Removing 147 Renaming 149 Repeating 154 Resizing 150 Resizing with Object Selection 150, 151 Resizing with Scrub 152 Resizing with Trim 151 Sizing Applies Time Stretch 151 Sizing Moves Contents 150 Sliding the contents 156 Splitting 152 Splitting repeatedly 153 Export Audio Mixdown 632, 637 AIFC files 639 AIFF files 640 Broadcast Wave files 638 732 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Export Audio Mixdown (continued) Defining Naming Schemes 637 File Formats 638 Flac files 643 MP3 files 640 Naming Scheme dialog 636 Ogg Vorbis files 643 Wave 64 files 644 Wave files 638 Windows Media Audio files 641 Export Video 671 Export Video dialog 671 Exporting MIDI files 126 Video files 673 External monitoring 196 Extract Audio on Import Video File 727 Extracting Audio from video 217, 674 MIDI Automation 514 Extracting chord events from MIDI 600 F Fade Handle Brightness 713 Fade In Direct Offline Processing 331 Fade In dialog 233 Fade Out Direct Offline Processing 331 Fade Out dialog 233 Fader section (MixConsole) 270 Fades Auto fades 238 Editing in dialog 233 Presets 233 With Range Selection tool 232 Favorites Adding 424, 425, 430 Media rack 423 File Browser Media rack 423 File Extensions Showing in Results list 720 Fill Loop 156 Fixed lengths 511 Fixed tempo Mode 623 Fixed Tempo Mode 627 Setting up 627 Fixed velocity 511 Flac files Exporting 643 FLAC files Importing 215 Flattening Arranger track 244, 247 Folder parts 144 Folder tracks 115 Add Track dialog 116 Displaying events 134 Inspector 117 Folder tracks (continued) Modifying event display 134 Track controls 117 Follow Chord Track 597 Auto 597 Chords 597 Directly 598 Scale events 598 Single Voice 597 Synchronizing Track Data 598 Using 597 Frame count 646 Frame rates Mismatch 667 Synchronization 646 Video 667 Freeze VST instruments 467 Freeze Channel Track Control 91 Freeze MIDI Modifiers 498 FX chain presets 280 FX Chain Presets Loading in MediaBay 444 FX channel tracks 111 Add Track dialog 111 Adding 312, 313 Inspector 112 FX Plug-in Presets Loading in MediaBay 443 G Gain Direct Offline Processing 331 Gate Strip module 284 Generic Remote 483 Gluing Events 153 Grid Overlay Intensity 712 Grid type Project window 63 Groove quantizing 225 Group channel tracks 108 Add Track dialog 108 Inspector 109 Group channels Adding insert effects 307 Routing 278 Group Channels - Mute Sources as well 725 H Hardware setup Control panel 14 Hermode tuning 497 Hide muted Notes in Editors 709 Hide Truncated Event Names 712 High Quality Scrub Mode 723 History Edit History 64 Project window 32 733 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Hitpoints 363 Showing 713 HMT Type Hermode tuning 498 Horizontal zoom Sample Editor 355 Hub 73 Deactivating 75 Using 715 I I-notes (Input notes) 584 Importing Audio files 214 Audio from video files 217 Compressed audio files 214 FLAC files 215 MIDI files 126, 219 MP3 files 215 MPEG files 215 Ogg Vorbis files 215 REX files 218 Video files 666 WMA files 215 Independent track loop Audio Part Editor 381 Independent Track Loop MIDI 522 Info line Project window 41 Score Editor 558 Input busses Adding 26 Removing 28 Renaming 25 Routing 277 Input gain MixConsole 279 Input levels 13 Input ports 19 Inputs Meter position options 273 Insert effects 304, 306 Adding to busses 307 Adding to Group channels 307 Routing 307 Insert MIDI Retrospective Recording in Editor 209 Insert Reset Events after Record 716 Inserts FX chain presets 280 MixConsole 280 Using while scrubbing 723 Inspector 43 Editor 45 Sections 88 Track Inspector 44 Inspector Sections Showing/Hiding 46 Instrument Track Control 91 Instrument Freeze 467 Instrument Presets Applying 136 Loading in MediaBay 443 Results 466 Instrument tracks 98 Add Track dialog 98 Inspector 100 Instruments use Automation Read All and Write All 725 Interpolate Audio Waveforms 713 Invert Phase Direct Offline Processing 332 Info Line 156 MixConsole 280 K Key commands 680 Default 684 Dialog 680 Importing 683 Loading 683 Modifying 682 Removing 683 Resetting 684 Saving 683 Searching for 682 Key Editor 535 Info line 543 Inspector 543 Lower zone 50 Note display 544 Status line 543 Toolbar 537 Keyboard focus Activating for a zone 57 Zones 57 Keyboard navigation MixConsole 302 Knob Mode 709 L Lanes Audio Part Editor 380 Language (Preferences) 715 Latency MixConsole 292 Optimizing 702 VST System Link 657 Left locator Setting 180 Left Locator 179 Left zone 42 Inspector 43 MixConsole 261 Legato 510 Legato Mode - Between Selected Notes Only 710 Legato Overlap 710 Length Adjustment 716 Level meters (MixConsole) 274 Limiter Strip module 284 734 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Line tool 546 Drawing note events 546 Editing controller display events 532 Link groups 268 Q-Link 269 Live transform Chord track 596 Loading Multi-Track Presets 138 Locate Track Control 91 Locate When Clicked in Empty Space 722 Locator Range Duration 180 Locators 179 Setting ranges 180 Lock Record 210 Looping Audio Part Editor 381 Loops and Samples Loading in MediaBay 442 Loudness Statistics 344 Lower zone 47 Chord Pads 48 Editor 50 MixConsole 49 Sampler Control 49 Selecting a MIDI editor 51 Setting up 47 M macOS Port activation 26 Port selection 26 Main mix Setting up 26 Managing media files Pool 398 Map Input Bus Metering to Audio Track 720 Mapping offset 592 Marker track 122, 254 Inspector 122 Track controls 123 Marker window 251 Functions 252 Marker list 252 Markers 250 Attributes 253 Cycle markers 250 Exporting 256 Exporting via MIDI 256 IDs 254 Importing 256 Importing via MIDI 256 Position markers 250 Settings 252 Max. Record Time Display 210 Maximum Backup Files 715 Maximum Items in Results List 720 Maximum Undo Steps 715 Media rack Adding Favorites 424, 425 Adding VST plug-in pictures 425, 426 Media rack (continued) Favorites 418, 423 File Browser 419, 423 Home 416 Results 418 Right zone 55, 56 Right Zone 416, 418 Track Presets 424 VST Effects 421, 424 VST Instruments 420, 423 MediaBay 416 Adding Favorites 430 Attribute Filter 440, 441 Attributes 440 File Browser 429 Filters 440 Finding file locations 433 Hiding sections 429 Instrument Presets 466 Media Type Filter 433 Media Types 434 Previewer 436 Rating filter 435 Refresh Views 431 Reset Filter 441 Results 431, 432, 436 Scanning 430 Select Media Type 433 Settings 447 Show in Explorer/Reveal in Finder 433 Showing sections 429 Shuffle Results 432 Text search 435 Toolbar 427 Using Media Files 442 Volume databases 445447 Window 426 MediaBay results Managing media files 432 Resetting 436 Setting up 432 Shuffling 432 Merge MIDI in Loop 507, 508 Metadata Author Name 716 Company Name 716 Meter Colors 273 Meter peak options 273 Hold forever 273 Hold peaks 273 Meter position options 273 Input 273 Post-Fader 273 Post-Panner 273 Meters Settings 273 Meters' Fallback 720 Meters' Peak Hold Time 720 Metronome 184, 186, 187 Setup window 184 Metronome Setup 184 Click Sounds 187 General 186 735 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index MIDI Delete notes 520 MIDI channels Separating for drum map sounds 583 MIDI clock Synchronization 647 MIDI devices Defining new for patch selection 505 Device Manager 501 Editing patches 505 Installing 504 Selecting patches 504 MIDI Display Resolution 716 MIDI editors Cutting and pasting 517 MIDI events 143 MIDI Export Options 718 MIDI files 126, 219 Previewing in MediaBay 437 MIDI Filter 719 MIDI Import Options 718 MIDI Input Chord Editor 589 MIDI Inputs Setting up 203 MIDI interface Connecting 20 MIDI Latency Mode 716 MIDI Loops Previewing in MediaBay 438 MIDI Max. Feedback in ms 716 MIDI Merge Options 508 MIDI modifiers 494 Hermode tuning 497, 498 Random variations 496 Range 496 MIDI note numbers 582 MIDI notes Transpose (function) 506 MIDI pan MIDI track parameters 494 MIDI part data Automation 449 MIDI parts Creating 144 Handling several 522 Independent Track Loop 522 Processing 516 MIDI Port Setup 203 MIDI ports Setting up 20 MIDI Record Catch Range in ms 721 MIDI Record Mode 206 MIDI Recording Channel and Output 203 Continuous messages 205 Different types of messages 205 Instruments and channels 202 MIDI Input setting 203 Naming MIDI ports 203 Notes 205 Preparations 202 Program Change Messages 206 MIDI Recording (continued) Record mode 206 Recovering 208, 209 Recovering in Editor 209 Recovering recordings 207 Reset 206 Sound selection 204 System Exclusive Messages 206 MIDI recordings Exporting to MIDI file 585 MIDI Retrospective Recording 207 MIDI Thru Active 716 Monitoring 197 MIDI track delay MIDI track parameters 494 MIDI track parameters 494 MIDI tracks 104 Add Track dialog 104 Freezing MIDI Modifiers 498 Inspector 106 MIDI Velocity Editing 512 MIDI volume MIDI track parameters 494 Mirror MIDI 515 Missing ports Re-routing 83 MixConsole 257 Channel linking 268 Channel racks 267 Channel types 266 EQ presets 283 Fader section 270 FX chain presets 280 Left zone 261 Left Zone 261 Level meters 274 Lower zone 49 Mute 272 Notepads 291 Opening 257 Panning 271 Pre rack 278 Racks 276 Setting volume 272 Solo 272 Solo Defeat 272 Strip presets 290 Toolbar 262 Visibility 261 MixConsole in Project Window 49 Mixing down to audio files 637 Modifier keys 695 Monitor Track Control 91 Monitoring 20, 196 ASIO Direct Monitoring 197 External 196 MIDI 197 Via Cubase 196 Mouse Wheel for Event Volume and Fades 708 736 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Move Vertically Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Moving Events 148 Moving tracks 128 MP3 files Exporting 640 Importing 215 MPEG files Importing 215 Multi processing 703 Musical Mode 373 Mute MixConsole 272 Track Control 91 Mute Automation Track Control 91 Mute Pre-Send when Mute 725 Muting events 156 N Name Track Control 91 Navigating MixConsole 302 Never Reset Chased Controllers 716 Normalize Direct Offline Processing 332 Maximum peak level 332 Note Brightness 715 Note display Drum Editor 576 Enharmonic Shift 564 Key Editor 544 Note events Colorizing 517 Creating in Score Editor 562 Deleting 520 Drawing with Draw tool 545 Drawing with Line tool 546 Duplicating 521, 564 Editing 521 Editing via MIDI 551 Excluding from playback 519 Gluing 548, 564 Moving 547 Muting 519 Repeating 521 Resizing 547 Selecting 518 Setting values 562 Setting velocity values 521 Setting with Snap 521 Splitting 548, 564 Transposing 547 Trimming 520 Note lengths Changing 564 Note stems Flipping the direction 564 Note values Setting 562 Notepads MixConsole 291 O O-notes (Output notes) 584 Ogg Vorbis files Exporting 643 Importing 215 On Import Audio Files 708 On Processing Shared Clips 708 On-Screen Keyboard 190 Computer keyboard 191 Modulation 191 Note velocity level 191 Octave offset 191 Options 191 Piano keyboard 191 Pitchbend 191 Recording MIDI 190 Open Effect Editor after Loading it 726 Open/Close Sampler Track Control 91 Organizing files in subfolders Pool 413 Output Track Control 91 Output busses Adding 26 Default 26 Removing 28 Renaming 25 Routing 278 Output ports 19 Overlapping Audio 134 Overlaps Showing 712 Overview line Project window 42 P Panning Bypass 272 MixConsole 271 Part Data Mode 715 Parts 140, 144 Editing 145 Folder 144 Sliding the contents 156 Parts Get Track Names 707 Paste at Origin 153 Paste Relative to Cursor 153 Patch Banks 501 Pattern Chord Pads 613 Pedals To note length 512 737 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Performance Aspects 702 Audio performance 703 Optimizing 702 Phase MixConsole 280 Piano voicings 592 Pitch Changing for chords 548 Pitch Notation 714 Plain Chords Chord Pads 613 Playback Disable Acoustic Feedback 709 Excluding note events 519 Playback Toggle triggers Local Preview 335, 722 Player Modes Pattern 615 Plain Chords 614 Plug-in delay compensation 305 Plug-in Editors Always on Top 726 Plug-in latency MixConsole 292 Plug-in processing Suspending 305 Poly Pressure events Adding 530 Editing 531 Polyphony Restricting 514 Pool Applying different processing methods 403 Audio processing 413 Automatically generating new audio clips 415 Clip editing 409 Designating a new pool record folder 412 Key commands 409 Managing large sound databases 407 Managing media files 398 Organizing files in subfolders 413 Reducing the project size 413 Reference file 398 Renaming clips and regions 403 Resolve missing files dialog 408 Sampler tracks 398 Toolbar 401 Position markers 250 Post fader sends 314 Post-roll Transport panel 183 Pre fader sends 314 Pre-Record time Audio recording 201 Pre-roll Transport panel 183 Preferences Colors 724 Dialog 706 Disabling 700, 701 Saving presets 707 Store marked preferences only 707 Presets Previewing in MediaBay 439, 440 Previewing using a MIDI file 439 Previewing using the Memo Recorder 439 Previewing via MIDI Input 439 Previewing via the Computer Keyboard 440 Presets browser Effects 319 Primary Time Format Selecting 182 Programs Track Control 91 Project Assistant 75 Project Colors Setup Color Set 69 Options 71 Presets 70 Project Colors Setup Dialog 6871 Project Setup Dialog 79 Project Synchronization Setup 648 Destinations 652 Sources 649 Project window Event display 39 History 32 Info line 41 Inspector 43 Keyboard focus 57 Left zone 42 Lower zone 4750 Overview 30 Overview line 42 Project zone 31 Right zone 52 Ruler 39 Showing/Hiding Zones 31 Snap 61 Snap to zero crossing 62 Status line 40 Toolbar 32 Toolbox 38 Track list 38 Transport Bar 42, 172 Transport pop-up window 177 Zoom presets 59 Zoom submenu 59 Zooming 58 Project zone 31 Event display 39 Ruler 39 Toolbar 32 Track list 38 Projects Activating 82 Back up 85 Creating new 73, 75 Hub 73 Location 84 Missing ports 83 Opening 82 Opening recent 83 Prepare archive 85 Project Assistant 75 738 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Projects (continued) Project files 76 Revert 84 Saving 83 Saving templates 78 Setting up 79 Template files 76 Templates 76 Punch In 184 On Stop 721 Punch In/Out Common Record Modes 195 Punch Out 184, 194 Stop after automatic 721 Punch Points 184 Q Q-Link 269 Quantize Panel 224 Quantizing to a grid 226 Quantizing to a groove 228 Quantize value 562 Quantizing 221 Catch Range 226 MIDI event starts 305 Original position 228 Pre-Quantize 228 Swing 226 Tuplets 226 Using groove presets 225 Quick Zoom 707 R Rack settings 268 Copying 276 Racks MixConsole 276 RAM Recording 199 Range Editing 158 Range Selection tool 158 Creating fades 232 Re-Record Activating 195 Common Record Modes 195 Read automation 449 Read Automation Track Control 91 Recent projects 83 Record Enable Track Control 91 Record File Format Audio 198 Record Folder Audio 198 Record-Enable allows MIDI Thru 721 Recording 192 Common Record Modes 195 Cycle 194 Levels 13 Lock Record 210 Recording (continued) Remaining Record Time 210 Stopping 194 Stopping automatically 194 With Effects 200 Recovering recordings Audio 201 MIDI 207 ReCycle files 218 Reducing the project size Pool 413 Reference file Pool 398 Refresh Views MediaBay 431 Regions Creating with Detect Silence 342 Event or Range as Region 142 Events from Regions 143 Renaming 403 Remote control 479 Assigning commands 482 Automation 482 Connections 479 Control Assignment 486 Generic Remote 483 Global Options 481 MIDI Port Setup 479 MIDI remote control configuration 484 Remote Control Editor 488 Resetting 481 Setting up 480 Remote Control Editor 488 Control settings 490 Layout 492 Parameter assignment 492 Toolbar 490 Remote Controllers Connecting VST Quick Controls 471 Remove DC Offset Direct Offline Processing 332 Remove Empty Tracks 128 Remove Regions/Hitpoints on all Offline Processes 708 Remove Selected Tracks 128 Removing Events 147 Silence 342 Renaming Clips 403 Events 149 Regions 403 Tracks 128 Repeat Events 154 Repeat Loop 510 Replace Recording in Editors 721 Resample Direct Offline Processing 333 Reset on Stop 716 Resizing events 150 Resolve Display Conflicts Track Control 91 739 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Retrospective MIDI Recording 209 Empty Buffer 210 Insert from All MIDI Inputs 208 Retrospective Record 721 Retrospective Record Buffer 207 Retrospective Recording Buffer 207 MIDI 207 Return to Start Position on Stop 722 Reverse Audio 333 Direct Offline Processing 333 MIDI 515 ReWire 675 Activating channels 677 Channels 678 Enabling applications 675 Routing MIDI 678 Setup 675 REX files 218 Right locator Setting 180 Right Locator 179 Right zone 52 Media rack 55, 56, 416, 419421 VSTi rack 53 Root Key Sampler Control 395 Routing Group channels 278 Input busses 277 MixConsole 277 Output busses 278 Through insert effects 307 Ruler Display format 40 Project window 39 Timeline 516 Ruler track 114 Track controls 115 Ruler tracks Add Track dialog 114 Run Setup on Create New Project 715 S Safe Mode Dialog 699 Sample editing Sampler Control 395 Sample Editor 346, 354, 355 Info Line 352 Inspector 353 Lower zone 50 Overview Line 352 Regions 358 Ruler 354 Showing multiple waveforms 354 Snap 360 Toolbar 348 Undo zoom operations 355 Sample rate Externally clocked 18 Sampler Control 386 Amp section 392 AudioWarp section 390 Envelope editor 392 Filter section 391 Keyboard section 394 Lower zone 49 Pitch section 391 Playing back samples 396 Root Key 395 Sample editing 395 Sound parameter section 390 Toolbar 386 Transferring samples to VST instruments 397 Waveform display 389 Sampler tracks 101 Add Track dialog 102 Creating 385 Inspector 103 Loading Audio Samples 384 Loading MIDI Parts 385 Pool 398 Sampler Control 384 Transferring Samples to Instruments 397 Saturation Strip module 284 Save as Template 78 Save partial preferences settings 707 Save Track Preset 136, 138 Scale Around Absolute Center Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Scale Around Relative Center Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Scale events 591 Adding 591 Auditioning 591 Automatic scales 591 Changing 591 Follow Chord Track 598 Showing 591 Scale Vertically Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Scan Folders only when MediaBay is open 720 Scan unknown File Types 720 Scanning MediaBay 430 Score display 559 Score Editor 553 Display 559 Info line 558 Lower zone 50 Staff settings 560 Status line 558 Toolbar 554 Score font Setting 565 Score text Adding 565 Editing 565 740 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Scores Printing 566 Scroll to selected Track 711 Scrub Tool 146 Scrub Volume 723 Scrubbing Scrub tool 146 Secondary Time Format Selecting 183 Select Channel/Track on Edit Settings 711 Select Channel/Track on Solo 711 Select Controllers in Note Range 535 Select Controllers in Note Range - Use Extended Note Context 710 Select Media Type MediaBay 433 Select Tool - Show Extra Info 712 Select Track for Auditioning 590 Track Control 91 Select Track on Background Click 707 Selecting Tracks 132 Selection Ranges Creating 158 Editing 159 Send effects 304, 311 Adding FX channel tracks 312 Adding FX channel tracks to Selected Channels 313 Setting level 315 Send Level 725 Sends MixConsole 290 Setting Event Colors to Track Colors 68 Shared Copies Convert to Real Copy 155 Creating 155 Show Scales 591 Track Control 91 Silence Detecting 339 Direct Offline Processing 333 Inserting 162 Removing 342 Simple Crossfade Editor 236 Single Voice Follow Chord Track 597 Slices 363 Close gaps 368 Delete overlaps 368 Slider Mode 709 Smallest Track Height To Show Data 712 Smallest Track Height To Show Name 712 Snap 61 Sample Editor 360 Snap MIDI Parts to Bars 721 Snap point Setting 61 Snap Point To Cursor 61 Snap to zero crossing 62 Snap type Project window 62 Solo MixConsole 272 Track Control 91 Solo Defeat MixConsole 272 Solo Record in MIDI Editors 721 Spectrum Analyzer 343 Audio Functions 342 Comparing level values 344 Split MIDI Controllers 710 Split MIDI Events 710 Splitting By ranges 162 Events 152 Into equal events 153 Standard algorithm 337 Standard Compressor Details view 297 Edit Module 297 Start Recording at Cursor Common Record Modes 195 Start Recording at Left Locator Common Record Modes 195 Static value line Automation 449 Stationary Cursors 722 Statistics Audio Functions 344 Status line Project window 40 Score Editor 558 Step recording 552 Stereo Flip Direct Offline Processing 333 Stop playback while winding 722 Stretch Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Strip presets 290 Strip Presets Loading in MediaBay 444 Studio Setup Dialog 12 Suspend Auto-Scroll when Editing 182 Suspend VST 3 plug-in processing when no audio signals are received 726 Swing Quantizing 226 Synchronization 645 Audio clock 647 External Sync 653 MIDI clock 647 Setup dialog 648 Speed references 647 Timecode 646 Synchronize Plug-in Program Selection to Track Selection 726 Synchronizing Track Data Follow Chord Track 598 System component information Exporting 324 Managing system components 324 System Component Information 323 741 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index T Tap Tempo 628 Tapemachine Style Monitoring 725 Template projects 76 Templates 76 Renaming 78 Tempo Set Definition from Tempo 630 Tempo Editor Toolbar 624 Tempo Events Editing 627 Tempo modes Fixed Tempo 623 Tempo track 623 Tempo track 623 Activate 624 Editor 623 Mode 623 Tempo changes 626 Thumbnail Memory Cache Size 727 Thumbnails 667 Thumbnail cache files 667 Tilt Left Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Tilt Right Automation Event Editor 453 Controller Event Editor 533 Time display 182 Time Display Window 178 Time Format 182 Time Signature Events Adding 631 Setting up 631 Time Stretch Algorithms 337 Direct Offline Processing 334 Limitations 338 Timecode Standards 646 Synchronization 646 Timecode Subframes Showing 722 Timeline Ruler 516 Tips Showing 715 Tool modifier keys 695, 711 Toolbar Pool 401 Project window 32 Score Editor 554 Toolbar Divider Project window 38 Toolbox Project window 38 Toolbox on Right-Click 712 Track automation data Automation 449 Track Color Resetting 67 Track Controls 91 Track Controls Settings 89 Track Height 131 Track Inspector Opening 44 Track list 38 Dividing 38 Track Pictures 129 Browser 130 Showing 129 Track Presets 135 Applying 135, 136 Audio 135 creating 138 Creating 136 Extracting Sounds 137 Instrument 137 Loading 139 Loading in MediaBay 442 MIDI 135 Multi-Track 138 Previewing in MediaBay 438 VST Presets 137 Track Quick Controls 493 Track Selection follows Event Selection 707 Track Versions Inspector Section 88 Track Zoom 131 Tracks 87 Add Track dialog 125 Adding 125, 126 Audio 95 Chord 120 Colorizing 66, 129 Customizing track controls 89 Deselecting 133 Disabling audio tracks 133 Duplicating 133 Folder 115 FX channel 111 Group Channel 108 Inspector 88 Instrument 98 Marker 122 MIDI 104 Moving 128 Removing 128 Renaming 128 Ruler 114 Sampler 101 Selecting 132 Using Track Presets 125 Video 123 Transformer Strip module 284 Transport Overview 172 Sections 172 Transport Bar 172 Transport menu Functions 167 742 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index Transport panel 163 Display format 182 Overview 163 Post-roll 183 Pre-roll 183 Sections 163 Transport pop-up window 177 Transport Zone Project window 42 Transpose MIDI function 506 Treat Muted Audio Events like Deleted 708 Trim tool Changing event lengths 548 Tube Compressor Details view 298 Edit Module 298 Tuplets Quantizing 226 Type of New Tempo Points 624 U Undoing Edit History 64 Maximum undo steps 65 Maximum Undo Steps 715 Offline processing 329 Project window 32 Recording audio 201 Zoom operations 355 Use Drum Editor when Drum Map is assigned 712 Use Up/Down Navigation Commands for Selecting Tracks only 707 V Value Box/Time Control Mode 709 Velocity MIDI function 513 Velocity events Adding in controller display 528 Editing 529 Vertical zoom Sample Editor 355 Video Codecs 665 Editing 670 Exporting 673 Extracting audio from 674 Formats 664 Importing 666 Output devices 665 Playback 668 Scrubbing 670 Studio Setup 668 Thumbnails 667 Video Player window 669 Aspect ratio 669 Setting window size 669 Video track 123 Inspector 124 Track controls 124 Vintage Compressor Details view 299 Edit Module 299 Visibility MixConsole 261 Voicings 592 Automatic voicings 592 Configuring parameters 592 Library 592 Library subset 592 Octave offset 592 Piano 592 Range 592 Volume MixConsole 272 Volume databases Creating in the MediaBay 445 Mounting in the MediaBay 447 Removing from the MediaBay 446 Unmounting in the MediaBay 447 VST Input ports 19 Output ports 19 VST2 305 VST3 305 VST 3 Suspend plug-in processing 467 VST Audio System 14 VST effect selector 311 VST instrument selector 460 VST instruments Freezing 467 Presets 464 Saving presets 465 Setting up 458 VST Plug-in collection Adding 476 VST Plug-in control panels Closing 318, 460 Hiding 318, 460 Showing 318, 460 VST Plug-in Manager 473 Collections 474 Window 474 VST plug-in pictures Adding 425, 426 VST Plug-ins Adding collections 476 Blocklist 477 Hiding 477 Installing 473 Managing 473 Reactivating 477 Showing 477 VST Presets Loading 139 Previewing in MediaBay 438 VST Quick Controls Connecting with Remote Controllers 471 VST System Link 654 Activating 658 Connections 656 Latency 657 743 Cubase Elements 10.5.20 Index VST System Link (continued) Putting computers online 659 Setting up sync 656 VSTi rack Right zone 53 W Warn before removing modified effects 726 Warn on Processing Overloads 725 Warping Algorithm 708 Wave 64 files Exporting 644 Wave files Exporting 638 Waveform Brightness 713 Waveform display 354 Sample Editor 354 Waveform Outline Intensity 713 Waveforms Showing 713 When Recording Wave Files larger than 4 GB 721 Wind Speed Options 722 Windows Dialog 698 Windows Media Audio files Exporting 641 Importing 215 Word clock Synchronization 647 Working with MIDI data Tools and functions for 575 Write Automation Track Control 91 Writing automation 449 Automatically 450 Manually 450 Tools 451 Z Zones Keyboard focus 57 Lower zone 47 Project zone 31 Right zone 52 Zoom Adapt Grid to Zoom 58 Audio Contents 58 Cycle Markers 60 Project window 58 Track Control 91 Zoom history Project window 61 Zoom presets Project window 59 Zoom Tool Standard Mode - Horizontal Zooming Only 712 Zoom while Locating in Time Scale 722 Zooming To cycle markers 251 Zooming horizontally 355 Zooming tracks 131 Zooming vertically 355 744 Cubase Elements 10.5.20Antenna House PDF Output Library 6.6.1455 (Windows (x64))