Steinberg Cubase 4 Plug In Reference Manual

							11
The included effect plug-ins
SPL DeEsser (Cubase only)
A de-esser is used to reduce excessive sibilance, primarily 
for vocal recordings. Basically, it is a special type of com-
pressor that is tuned to be sensitive to the frequencies 
produced by the “s” sound, hence the name de-esser. 
Close proximity microphone placement and equalizing can 
lead to situations where the overall sound is just right, but 
there is a problem with sibilants. Conventional compres-
sion and/or equalizing will not easily solve this problem, 
but a de-esser can.The SPL DeEsser has the following parameters:
About the Auto Threshold function
Conventional de-essing devices all have a threshold pa-
rameter. This is used to set a threshold for the incoming 
signal level, above which the device starts to process the 
signal. The SPL DeEsser however has been designed for 
utmost ease-of-use. With Auto Threshold on (the button 
lights up) it automatically and constantly readjusts the 
threshold to achieve an optimum result. If you still wish to 
determine for yourself at which signal level the SPL 
DeEsser should start to process the signal, deactivate the 
Auto Threshold button. The SPL DeEsser will then use a 
fixed threshold.
When recording a voice, usually the de-essers position in 
the signal chain is located after the microphone pre-amp 
and before a compressor/limiter. This is useful, as it keeps 
the compressor/limiter from unnecessarily limiting the 
overall signal dynamics by reacting to excessive sibilants 
and s-frequencies.
The Auto Threshold function keeps the processing on a 
constant level. The input threshold value is automatically 
and constantly adjusted to the audio input level. Even level 
differences of say 20 dB do not have a negative impact on 
the result of the processing. The input levels may vary, but 
processing remains constant.
Attack 
(0.1–100 ms)This determines how fast Compressor will respond to sig-
nals above the set threshold. If the attack time is long, more 
of the early part of the signal (attack) will pass through un-
processed.
Hold (0–
2000 ms)Sets the time the applied compression will affect the signal 
after exceeding the Threshold.
Release (10–
1000 ms or 
“Auto mode”)Sets the amount of time it takes for the gain to return to its 
original level when the signal drops below the Threshold 
level. If the “Auto” button is activated, Compressor will au-
tomatically find an optimal release setting that varies de-
pending on the audio material.
Analysis 
(0–100)
(Pure Peak to 
Pure RMS)This parameter determines whether the input signal is anal-
ysed according to peak or RMS values (or a mixture of 
both). A value of 0 is pure peak and 100 pure RMS. RMS 
mode operates using the average power of the audio signal 
as a basis, whereas Peak mode operates more on peak lev-
els. As a general guideline, RMS mode works better on ma-
terial with few transients such as vocals, and Peak mode 
better for percussive material, with a lot of transient peaks.
Live mode 
(On/Off)When activated, Live mode disengages the “look ahead” 
feature of the Compressor. Look ahead does produce 
more accurate processing but will add a certain amount of 
latency as a trade-off. When Live mode is activated, there 
is no latency, which might be better for “live” processing.
Side-Chain 
(On/Off)When this is activated, the compression can be controlled 
by a signal routed to the Side-Chain input. When the side-
chain signal exceeds the threshhold, the compression is 
triggered. For a description of how to set up Side-Chain 
routing, see the chapter “Audio effects” in the Operation 
Manual. Parameter DescriptionParameter Description
S-Reduction Controls the intensity of the de-essing effect. We recom-
mend that you start with a value between 4 and 7.
Level display Indicates the dB value by which the level of the sibilant or 
s-frequency is reduced. The display shows values be-
tween 0 dB (no reduction) and minus 20 dB (the s-fre-
quency level is lowered by 20 dB). Each segment in the 
display represents a level reduction of 2 dB.
Auto Threshold See separate description below.
Male/Female This sets the s-frequency and sibilant recognition to the 
characteristic frequency ranges of the female or male 
voice. The center frequency of the bandwidth at which the 
SPL DeEsser operates is located in the 7 kHz range for the 
female voice and in the 6 kHz range for the male voice. 
						

							12
The included effect plug-ins
EnvelopeShaper (Cubase only)
EnvelopeShaper can be used to cut or boost the gain of 
the Attack and Release phase of the audio material. You 
can either use the knobs or drag the breakpoints in the 
graphic display to change parameter values. Be careful 
with levels when boosting the gain and if needed reduce 
the Output level to avoid clipping.
The following parameters are available:
Expander (Cubase only)
Expander reduces the output level in relation to the input 
level for signals below the set threshold. This is useful, 
when you want to enhance the dynamic range or reduce 
the noise in quiet passages. You can either use the knobs 
or drag the breakpoints in the graphic display to change 
the Threshold and the Ratio parameter values.
The following parameters are available:
Parameter Description
Attack (-20–20 dB) Changes the gain of the Attack phase of the signal.
Length (5–200 ms) This determines the length of the Attack phase.
Release  (-20–20 dB) Changes the gain of the Release phase of the signal.
Output (-24–12 dB) Sets the output level.
Parameter Description
Threshold 
(-60–0 dB)This setting determines the level where expansion “kicks 
in”. Signal levels below the set threshold are affected, but 
signal levels above are not processed.
Ratio 
(1:1–8:1)Ratio determines the amount of gain boost applied to sig-
nals below the set threshold. 
Soft Knee 
(On/Off)If this is off, signals below the threshold will be expanded 
instantly according to the set ratio (hard knee). When Soft 
Knee is activated, the onset of expansion will be more grad-
ual, producing a less drastic result.
Attack 
(0.1–100 ms)This determines how fast Expander will respond to signals 
below the set threshold. If the attack time is long, more of 
the early part of the signal (attack) will pass through un-
processed.
Hold 
(0–2000 ms)Sets the time the applied expansion will affect the signal 
below the Threshold.
Release 
(10–1000 ms 
or Auto mode)Sets the amount of time it takes for the gain to return to its 
original level when the signal exceeds the Threshold level. If 
the “Auto” button is activated, Expander will automatically 
find an optimal release setting that varies depending on the 
audio material.
Analysis 
(0–100)
(Pure Peak to 
Pure RMS)This parameter determines whether the input signal is anal-
ysed according to peak or RMS values (or a mixture of 
both). A value of 0 is pure peak and 100 pure RMS. RMS 
mode operates using the average power of the audio signal 
as a basis, whereas Peak mode operates more on peak lev-
els. As a general guideline, RMS mode works better on ma-
terial with few transients such as vocals, and Peak mode 
better for percussive material, with a lot of transient peaks. 
						

							13
The included effect plug-ins
Gate
Gating, or noise gating, silences audio signals below a 
certain set threshold level. As soon as the signal level ex-
ceeds the set threshold, the gate opens to let the signal 
through. 
The available parameters are as follows:
Live mode 
(On/Off)When activated, Live mode disengages the look ahead fea-
ture of Expander. Look ahead does produce more accurate 
processing but will add a certain amount of latency as a 
trade-off. When Live mode is activated, there is no latency.
Side-Chain 
(On/Off)When this is activated, the expansion can be controlled by a 
signal routed to the Side-Chain input. When the side-chain 
signal exceeds the threshhold, the expansion is triggered. 
For a description of how to set up Side-Chain routing, see 
the chapter “Audio effects” in the Operation Manual.
Parameter Description
Threshold 
(-60–0 dB)This setting determines the level where Gate is activated. 
Signal levels above the set threshold trigger the gate to 
open, and signal levels below the set threshold will close 
the gate.
state LED This indicates whether the gate is open (LED lights up in 
green), closed (LED lights up in red) or something in be-
tween (LED lights up in yellow).
Filter buttons When the Side-chain button (see below) is activated, you 
can use these buttons to set the filter type to either Low 
Pass, Band Pass or High Pass.
Side-chain 
(Off/On)This button (below the Center knob) activates the filter. The 
input signal can then be shaped according to set Center 
and Q-Factor parameters which may be useful in tailoring 
how the Gate operates.
Center 
(50 Hz–
20000 Hz)Sets the center frequency of the filter.
Q-Factor 
(0.01–10000)Sets the Resonance of the filter. Parameter DescriptionMonitor 
(Off/On)Allows you to monitor the filtered signal.
Attack 
(0.1–1000 
ms)This parameter sets the time it takes for the gate to open af-
ter being triggered. If the Live button (see below) is deacti-
vated, it will ensure that the gate will already be open when a 
signal above the threshold level is played back. Gate man-
ages this by “looking ahead” in the audio material, checking 
for signals loud enough to pass the gate.
Hold 
(0–2000 ms)This determines how long the gate stays open after the sig-
nal drops below the threshold level.
Release
(10–1000 ms 
or “Auto”)This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the gate 
to close (after the set hold time). If the “Auto” button is ac-
tivated, Gate will find an optimal release setting, depending 
on the audio program material.
Analysis 
(0–100) 
(Pure Peak to 
Pure RMSThis parameter determines whether the input signal is anal-
ysed according to Peak or RMS values (or a mixture of 
both). A value of 0 is pure Peak and 100 pure RMS. RMS 
mode operates using the average power of the audio signal 
as a basis, whereas Peak mode operates more on peak lev-
els. As a general guideline, RMS mode works better on ma-
terial with few transients such as vocals, and Peak mode 
better for percussive material, with a lot of transient peaks.
Live mode 
(On/Off)When activated, Live mode disengages the “look ahead” 
feature of the Gate. Look ahead does produce more accu-
rate processing but will add a certain amount of latency as 
a trade-off. When Live mode is activated, there is no la-
tency, which might be better for “live” processing. Parameter Description 
						

							14
The included effect plug-ins
Limiter
Limiter is designed to ensure that the output level never 
exceeds a certain set output level, to avoid clipping in fol-
lowing devices. Limiter can adjust and optimize the Re-
lease parameter automatically according to the audio 
material, or it can be set manually. Limiter also features 
separate meters for the input, output and the amount of 
limiting (middle meters).
The available parameters are the following:
Maximizer
Maximizer can be used to raise the loudness of audio ma-
terial without the risk of clipping. Optionally, there is a soft 
clip function that removes short peaks in the input signal 
and introduces a warm tubelike distortion to the signal.
The available parameters are the following:
Parameter Description
Input 
(-24–+24 dB)Allows you to adjust the input gain.
Output 
(-24–+6 dB)This setting determines the maximum output level. 
Release 
(0.1–1000 ms 
or 
Auto mode)This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the gain 
to return to its original level. If the “Auto” button is activated, 
Limiter will automatically find an optimal release setting that 
varies depending on the audio material.
Parameter Description
Output
(-24–+6 dB)This setting determines the maximum output level. Should 
normally be set to 0 (to avoid clipping).
Optimize 
(0–100)This setting determines the loudness of the signal. 
Soft Clip 
(On/Off)Soft Clipper starts limiting (or clipping) the signal “softly”, 
at the same time generating harmonics which add a warm, 
tubelike characteristic to the audio material. 
						

							15
The included effect plug-ins
MIDI Gate
Gating, in its fundamental form, silences audio signals be-
low a certain set threshold level. That means, when a sig-
nal rises above the set level, the Gate opens to let the 
signal through while signals below the set level are cut off. 
MIDI Gate, however, is a Gate effect that is not triggered 
by threshold levels, but instead by MIDI notes. Hence it 
needs both audio and MIDI data to function.
Setting up
MIDI Gate requires both an audio signal and a MIDI input 
to function.
To set it up, proceed as follows:
1.Select the audio to be affected by the MIDI Gate.
This can be audio material from any audio track, or even a live audio input 
(provided you have a low latency audio card).
2.Select the MIDI Gate as an insert effect for the audio 
track.
The MIDI Gate control panel opens.
3.Select a MIDI track to control the MIDI Gate.
This can be an empty MIDI track, or a MIDI track containing data, it 
doesn’t matter. However, if you wish to play the MIDI Gate in real-time – 
as opposed to having a recorded part playing it – the track has to be 
selected for the effect to receive the MIDI output.
4.Open the Output Routing pop-up menu for the MIDI 
track and select the MIDI Gate option.
The MIDI Output from the track is now routed to the MIDI Gate.
What to do next depends on whether you are using live or 
recorded audio and whether you are using real-time or re-
corded MIDI. We will assume for the purposes of this 
manual that you are using recorded audio, and play the 
MIDI in real-time.Make sure the MIDI track is selected and start playback.
5.Now play a few notes on your MIDI keyboard.
As you can hear, the audio track material is affected by what you play on 
your MIDI keyboard.
The following MIDI Gate parameters are available:
Parameter Description
Attack This is used for determining how long it should take for 
the Gate to open after receiving a signal that triggers it.
Hold Regulates how long the Gate remains open after a Note 
On or Note Off message (see Hold Mode below).
Release This determines how long it takes for the Gate to close 
(in addition to the value set with the Hold parameter).
Note To 
AttackThe value you specify here determines to which extent 
the velocity values of the MIDI notes should affect the At-
tack. The higher the value, the more the Attack time will 
increase with high note velocities. Negative values will 
give shorter Attack times with high velocities. If you do 
not wish to use this parameter, set it to the 0 position.
Note To
ReleaseThe value you specify here determines to which extent 
the velocity values of the MIDI notes should affect the Re-
lease. The higher the value, the more the Release time 
will increase. If you do not wish to use this parameter, set 
it to the 0 position.
Velocity To 
VCAThis controls to which extent the velocity values of the 
MIDI notes determine the output volume. A value of 127 
means that the volume is controlled entirely by the veloc-
ity values, while a value of 0 means that velocities will 
have no effect on the volume.
Hold Mode Use this switch to set the Hold Mode. In Note-On mode, 
the Gate will only remain open for the time set with the 
Hold and Release parameters, regardless of the length of 
the MIDI note that triggered the Gate. In Note-Off mode 
on the other hand, the Gate will remain open for as long 
as the MIDI note plays, and then apply the Hold and Re-
lease parameters. 
						

							16
The included effect plug-ins
MultibandCompressor (Cubase only)
The MultibandCompressor allows a signal to be split in up 
to four frequency bands, each with its own freely adjust-
able compressor characteristic. The signal is processed 
on the basis of the settings that you have made in the Fre-
quency Band and Compressor sections. You can specify 
the level, bandwidth and compressor characteristics for 
each band by using the various controls.
The Frequency Band editor
The Frequency Band editor in the upper half of the panel is 
where you set the width of the frequency bands as well as 
their level after compression. Two value scales and a num-
ber of handles are available. The vertical value scale to the 
left shows the input gain level of each frequency band. 
The horizontal scale shows the available frequency range.
The handles provided in the Frequency Band editor can 
be dragged with the mouse. You use them to set the cor-
ner frequency range and the input gain levels for each fre-
quency bands. 
 The handles at the sides are used to define the frequency 
range of the different frequency bands.
 By using the handles on top of each frequency band, you can 
cut or boost the input gain by +/- 15 dB after compression.
Bypassing frequency bands
Each frequency band can be bypassed using the “B” but-
ton in each compressor section.
Soloing frequency bands
A frequency band can be soloed using the “S” button in 
each compressor section. Only one band can be soloed 
at a time.
Using the Compressor section
By moving breakpoints or using the corresponding knobs, 
you can specify the Threshold and Ratio. The first break-
point from which the line deviates from the straight diagonal 
will be the threshold point. The compressor parameters for 
each of the four bands are as follows:
The Output dial
The Output dial controls the total output level that the 
MultibandCompressor passes on to Cubase. The range 
available is +/- 24 dB.
Parameter Description
Threshold 
(-60–0 dB)This setting determines the level where Compressor “kicks 
in”. Signal levels above the set threshold are affected, but 
signal levels below are not processed.
Ratio 
(1000–8000) 
(1:1 to 8:1)Ratio determines the amount of gain reduction applied to 
signals over the set threshold. A ratio of 3000 (3:1) means 
that for every 3 dB the input level increases, the output level 
will increase by only 1 dB.
Attack
(0.1–
100 ms)This determines how fast the compressor will respond to 
signals above the set threshold. If the attack time is long, 
more of the early part of the signal (attack) will pass 
through unprocessed.
Release 
(10–
1000 ms or 
“Auto”)Sets the amount of time it takes for the gain to return to its 
original level when the signal drops below the Threshold 
level. If the “Auto” button is activated, the compressor will 
automatically find an optimal release setting that varies de-
pending on the audio material. 
						

							17
The included effect plug-ins
VintageCompressor (Cubase only)
This is modelled after vintage type compressors. Com-
pressor features separate controls for input gain, attack, 
release and output gain parameters. In addition, there is a 
Punch mode which preserves the attack phase of the sig-
nal and a program dependent Auto feature for the Release 
parameter.
The available parameters work as follows:
VSTDynamics
VSTDynamics is an advanced dynamics processor. It com-
bines three separate processors: Gate, Compressor and 
Limiter, covering a variety of dynamic processing functions. 
The window is divided into three sections, containing con-
trols and meters for each processor.
Activating the individual processors
You activate the individual processors using the buttons 
at the bottom of the plug-in panel.
The Gate section
Gating, or noise gating, is a method of dynamic processing 
that silences audio signals below a certain set threshold 
level. As soon as the signal level exceeds the set threshold, 
the gate opens to let the signal through. The Gate trigger 
input can also be filtered using an internal side-chain.
The available parameters are as follows:Parameter Description
Input gain
(-24–48 dB)This setting, together with the Output gain parameter de-
termines the compression amount. The higher the Input 
gain setting, and the lower the Output gain setting, the 
more compression is applied.
Output gain
(-48–24 dB)Sets the output gain.
Attack 
(0.1–100 ms)This determines how fast Compressor will respond. If the 
attack time is long, more of the early part of the signal (at-
tack) will pass through unprocessed.
Punch 
(Off/On)When this is activated, the early attack phase of the signal 
is preserved, retaining the original “punch” in the audio ma-
terial, even with short Attack settings.
Release 
(10–1000 ms 
or “Auto 
mode”)Sets the amount of time it takes for the gain to return to its 
original level. If the “Auto” button is activated, Vintage 
Compressor will automatically find an optimal release set-
ting that varies depending on the audio material.
Side-Chain 
(On/Off)When this is activated, the compression can be controlled 
by a signal routed to the Side-Chain input. When the side-
chain signal exceeds the threshhold the compression is trig-
gered. For a description of how to set up Side-Chain rout-
ing, see the chapter “Audio effects” in the Operation Manual.
Parameter Description
Threshold
(-60–0 dB)This setting determines the level where Gate is activated. 
Signal levels above the set threshold trigger the gate to 
open, and signal levels below the set threshold will close 
the gate.
state This indicates whether the gate is open (LED lights up in 
green), closed (LED lights up in red) or something in be-
tween (LED lights up in yellow).
Side-chain 
(On/Off)This button activates the internal side-chain filter. This 
lets you filter out parts of the signal that might otherwise 
trigger the gate in places you don’t want it to, or to boost 
frequencies you wish to accentuate, allowing for more 
control over the gate function. 
LP (Lowpass), 
BP (Bandpass), 
HP (Highpass)These buttons set the basic filter mode.
Center 
(50–22000 Hz)This sets the center frequency of the filter.
Q-Factor
(0.001–10000)This sets the resonance or width of the filter.
Limiter
Routing selectorGateCompressor 
						

							18
The included effect plug-ins
The Compressor section
Compressor reduces the dynamic range of the audio, 
making softer sounds louder or louder sounds softer, or 
both. Compressor functions like a standard compressor 
with separate controls for threshold, ratio, attack, release 
and make-up gain parameters. Compressor features a 
separate display that graphically illustrates the compres-
sor curve shaped according to the Threshold, Ratio and 
MakeUp Gain parameter settings. Compressor also fea-
tures a Gain Reduction meter that shows the amount of 
gain reduction in dB, and a program dependent Auto fea-
ture for the Release parameter.
The available parameters work as follows:
The Limiter section
Limiter is designed to ensure that the output level never 
exceeds a certain set output level, to avoid clipping in fol-
lowing devices. Conventional limiters usually require very 
accurate setting up of the attack and release parameters, 
to prevent the output level from going beyond the set 
threshold level. Limiter adjusts and optimizes these pa-
rameters automatically, according to the audio material. 
You can also adjust the Release parameter manually.
The available parameters are the following:
The Module Configuration button
In the bottom right corner of the plug-in panel you will find 
a button with which you can set the signal flow order for 
the three processors. Changing the order of the proces-
sors can produce different results, and the available op-
tions allow you to quickly compare what works best for a 
given situation. Simply click the Module Configuration but-
ton to change to a different configuration. There are three 
routing options:
 C-G-L (Compressor-Gate-Limit)
 G-C-L (Gate-Compressor-Limit)
 C-L-G (Compressor-Limit-Gate)
Monitor 
(Off/On)Allows you to monitor the filtered signal.
Attack
(0.1–100 ms)This parameter sets the time it takes for the gate to open 
after being triggered.
Hold
(0–2000 ms)This determines how long the gate stays open after the 
signal drops below the threshold level.
Release
(10–1000 ms or 
“Auto”)This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the 
gate to close (after the set hold time). If the “Auto” button 
is activated, Gate will find an optimal release setting, de-
pending on the audio program material.
Parameter Description
Threshold
(-60–0 dB)This setting determines the level where Compressor “kicks 
in”. Signal levels above the set threshold are affected, but 
signal levels below are not processed.
Ratio 
(1:1–8:1)Ratio determines the amount of gain reduction applied to 
signals over the set threshold. A ratio of 3:1 means that for 
every 3 dB the input level increases, the output level will in-
crease by only 1 dB.
Make-Up
(0–24 dB)This parameter is used to compensate for output gain loss, 
caused by compression. When Auto is on, gain loss will be 
compensated automatically.
Attack
(0.1–100 ms)This determines how fast Compressor will respond to sig-
nals above the set threshold. If the attack time is long, more 
of the early part of the signal (attack) will pass through un-
processed.
Release 
(10–1000 ms 
or “Auto”)Sets the amount of time it takes for the gain to return to its 
original level when the signal drops below the Threshold 
level. If the “Auto” button is activated, Compressor will au-
tomatically find an optimal release setting that varies de-
pending on the audio material.
Graphic 
displayUse the graphic display to graphically set the Threshold or 
the Ratio value. Parameter Description
Parameter Description
Output 
(-24–+6 dB)This setting determines the maximum output level. Signal 
levels above the set threshold are affected, but signal levels 
below are left unaffected.
Soft Clip 
(On/Off)Soft Clipper acts differently compared to the limiter. When 
the signal level exceeds -6 dB, SoftClip starts limiting (or 
clipping) the signal “softly”, at the same time generating 
harmonics which add a warm, tubelike characteristic to the 
audio material.
Release 
(10–1000 ms 
or “Auto”)This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the gain 
to return to its original level when the signal drops below 
the threshold level. If the “Auto” button is activated, Limiter 
will automatically find an optimal release setting that varies 
depending on the audio material. 
						

							19
The included effect plug-ins
EQ plug-ins
This section describes the plug-ins in the “EQ” category.
GEQ-10/GEQ-30 (Cubase only)
These graphic equalizers are identical in every respect ex-
cept for the number of available frequency bands (10 and 
30 respectively). Each band can be cut or boosted by up to 
12 dB allowing for fine control of the frequency response. In 
addition there are several preset modes available which can 
add “color” to the sound of the GEQ-10/GEQ-30.
•You can draw response curves in the main display by 
click-dragging with the mouse.
Note that you have to click on one of the sliders first before dragging 
across the display. You can also point and click to change individual fre-
quency bands or enter values numerically by clicking on a gain value at 
the top of the display.
At the bottom of the window the respective frequency 
bands are shown in Hz.
At the top of the display, the amount of cut/boost is 
shown in dB.Apart from the frequency bands, the following parameters 
are available:
About the filter modes
On the pop-up in the lower right corner there are several 
different EQ modes available. These modes can add color 
or character to the equalized output in various ways, which 
is sometimes desirable. As always, let your ears be the 
judge! Here follow brief descriptions of the filter modes:
 True Response – serial filters with accurate frequency 
response.
 Digi Standard – resonance of last band depends on sample 
rate.
 Variable Q – parallell filters where the resonance depends on 
the amount of gain. Musical sounding.
 Constant Q u – parallell filters where the resonance of the first 
and last bands depends on the sample rate (u=unsymmetric).
 Constant Q s – parallell filters where the resonance is raised 
when boosting the gain and vice versa (s=symmetric).
 Resonant – serial filters where a gain increase of one band will 
lower the gain in adjacent bands.
Parameter Description
Output This controls the overall gain of the equalizer.
Range This allows you to relatively adjust how much a set curve 
cuts or boosts the signal. If the Range parameter is 
turned fully clockwise, +/- 12 dB is the available range.
Flatten button Resets all the frequency bands to 0 dB.
Invert range This will invert the current response curve.
Mode The filter mode set here determines how the various fre-
quency band contrrols interact to create the response 
curve. See also below. 
						

							20
The included effect plug-ins
StudioEQ (Cubase only)
This is a high-quality 4-band parametric stereo equalizer 
with two fully parametric midrange bands. The low and 
high bands can act as either shelving filters (three types) 
or as a Peak (bandpass) or Cut (lowpass/highpass) filter.
Making settings
1.Click the corresponding On button to the left of the EQ 
curve display to activate any or all of the Low, Mid 1, Mid 2 
or High equalizer bands.
When a band is activated, a corresponding eq point appears in the EQ 
curve display.
2.Set the parameters for an activated EQ band.
This can be done in several ways:
 By using the knobs.
 By clicking a value field and entering values numerically.
 By using the mouse to drag points in the EQ curve display 
window.
By using this method, you control both the Gain and Fre-
quency parameters simultaneously. The knobs turn accord-
ingly when you drag points. The following parameters are available:
Parameter Description
Low Freq 
(20 to 2000 Hz)This sets the frequency of the Low band.
Low Gain
(-20 to +24 dB)This sets the amount of cut/boost for the Low band.
Low Q-Factor This controls the width or resonance of the Low band. 
Low Filter 
modeFor the Low band, you can select between three types of 
shelving filters or Peak (bandpass) or Cut (lowpass/high-
pass) filters. The Gain parameter will be fixed if Cut mode 
is selected. 
-Shelf I adds resonance in the opposite gain direction 
slightly over the set frequency.
-Shelf II adds resonance in the gain direction at the set 
frequency.
-Shelf III is a combination of Shelf I and II.
Mid 1 Freq (20 
to 20000 Hz)This sets the center frequency of the Mid 1 band. 
Mid 1 Gain 
(+/- 24 dB)This sets the amount of cut/boost for the Mid 1 band.
Mid 1 Q-Factor
(0.5 to 10)This sets the width of the Mid 1 band. The higher this 
value, the “narrower” the bandwidth.
Mid 2 Freq
(20 to 
20000 Hz)This sets the center frequency of the Mid 2 band. 
Mid 2 Gain 
(-20 to +24 dB)This sets the amount of cut/boost for the Mid 2 band.
Mid 2 Q-Factor 
(0.5 to 10)This sets the width of the Mid 2 band. The higher this 
value, the “narrower” the bandwidth.
High Freq 
(200 to 
20000 Hz)This sets the frequency of the High band.
High Gain
(-20 to +24 dB)This sets the amount of cut/boost for the High band.
High Q-Factor This parameter controls the width or resonance of the 
High band. 
High Filter 
modeFor the High band, you can select between three types of 
shelving filters, and Peak or Cut filters. The Gain parame-
ter will be fixed if Cut mode is selected.
-Shelf I adds resonance in the opposite gain direction 
slightly below the set frequency.
-Shelf II adds resonance in the gain direction at the set 
frequency.
-Shelf III is a combination of Shelf I and II.
Output
(-24 to +24 dB)This parameter allows you to adjust the overall output 
level.
Auto  Gain When this is activated, the gain is automatically adjusted, 
keeping the output level constant regardless of the EQ 
settings.