Steinberg Cubase 4 Plug In Reference Manual
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42 The included VST Instruments Introduction This chapter contains descriptions of the included VST in- struments and their parameters. ÖMost of the included instruments are compatible with VST3, this is indicated by an icon in front of the name (for further information, see the section “About VST 3” in the chapter “Audio Effects” in the Operation Manual). Prologue Prologue is modelled on subtractive synthesis, the method used in classic analog synthesizers. It has the following ba- sic features: Multimode filter Variable slope lowpass and hipass, plus bandpass and notch filter modes – see “About the filter types” on page 46. Three oscillators, each with 4 standard waveforms plus an assortment of specialized waveforms. See “Selecting Waveforms” on page 42. Frequency modulation. See “About frequency modulation” on page 45. Ring Modulation. See “Ring modulation” on page 45. Built-in effects. See “Effects (EFX) page” on page 51. Prologue receives MIDI in Omni mode (on all MIDI channels). You don’t need to select a MIDI channel to direct MIDI to the Prologue. ÖThe signal flow of the Prologue synth is illustrated in the section “Diagrams” on page 73. Sound parameters Oscillator section This section contains parameters affecting the 3 oscillators. These are located in upper half of the instrument panel. Selecting Waveforms Each oscillator has a number of waveforms which are se- lectable by clicking on the waveform name in the box lo- cated in each oscillator section. Selecting waveforms. The following waveforms are available: Waveform Description Sawtooth This waveform contains all harmonics and produces a bright and rich sound. Parabolic This could be described as a “rounded” sawtooth wave- form, producing a softer timbre. Square Square waveforms only contain odd number harmonics, which produces a distinct, hollow sound.
43 The included VST Instruments To hear the signal generated by the oscillator(s), the corresponding Osc dial in the oscillator sections must be turned clockwise to a suitable value. OSC 1 parameters Oscillator 1 acts as a master oscillator. It determines the base pitch for all three oscillators. Oscillator 1 features the following parameters:Triangle The Triangle waveform generates only a few harmonics, spaced at odd harmonic numbers, which produces a slightly hollow sound. Sine The sine wave is the simplest possible waveform, with no harmonics (overtones). The sine wave produces a neu- tral, soft timbre. Formant 1–12 Formant waveforms emphasizes certain frequency bands. Like the human voice, musical instruments have a fixed set of formants, which give it a unique, recognizable tonal color or timbre, regardless of pitch. Vocal 1–7 These are also formant waveforms, but specifically vocal- oriented. Vowel sounds (A/E/I/O/U) are among the waveforms found in this category. Partial 1–7 Partials, also called harmonics or overtones, are a series of tones which accompany the prime tone (fundamental). These waveforms could be described as producing inter- vals with two or more frequencies heard simultaneously with equal strength. Reso Pulse 1–12This waveform category begins with a complex waveform (Reso Pulse 1), that emphasizes the fundamental fre- quency (prime). For each consecutive waveform in this category, the next harmonic in the harmonic series is em- phasized. Slope 1–12 This waveform category begins with a complex waveform (Slope 1), with gradually decreasing harmonic complexity the higher the number selected. Slope 12 produces a sine wave (no harmonics). Neg Slope 1–9 This category also begins with a complex waveform (NegSlope 1), but with gradually decreasing low fre- quency content the higher the number selected. Waveform Description Parameter Value Description Osc 1 0–100 This controls the output level of the oscil- lator. Coarse +/- 48 semitonesThis determines the base pitch used by all oscillators. Fine +/- 50 cent Fine tunes the oscillator pitch in cent in- crements (100th of a semitone). This also affects all oscillators. Wave Mod +/- 50 This parameter dial is only active if the Wave Mod button is activated beside the waveform selection box. Wave modula- tion works by adding a phase-shifted copy of the oscillator output to itself, which produces waveform variations. For example if a sawtooth waveform is used, activating WM will produce a pulse wave- form. By modulating the WM parameter with for example a LFO, classic PWM (pulse width modulation) is produced. Wave modulation can, however, be ap- plied to any waveform. Phase button On/Off When Phase synchronization is activated, all oscillators will restart their waveform cycles with every note played. With Phase deactivated, the oscillators gener- ate a waveform cycle continuously, which produces slight variations when playing as each note will start from a random phase in the cycle, adding warmth to the sound. But when synthesizing bass sounds or drum sounds, it is usually de- sired that the attack of every note played sounds the same, so for these purposes you should activate Phase sync. Phase sync also affects the noise generator. Tracking buttonOn/Off When Tracking is activated, the oscillator pitch will track the notes played on the keyboard. If Tracking is deactivated the oscillator pitch remains constant, regard- less of what note is played. Wave Mod buttonOn/Off This switches wave modulation on or off. Waveform pop-upSee “Selecting Waveforms” on page 42.Sets the basic waveform for the oscillator.
44 The included VST Instruments OSC 2 parameters Oscillator 2 has the following parameters: OSC 3 parameters Oscillator 3 has the following parameters: Parameter Value Description Osc 2 0–100 This controls the output level of the oscil- lator. Coarse +/- 48 semitonesThis determines the coarse pitch for Osc 2. If FM is enabled, this determines fre- quency ratio of the oscillator regarding Osc 1. Fine +/- 50 cent Fine tunes the oscillator pitch in cent in- crements (100th of a semitone). If FM is enabled, this determines the frequency ratio of the oscillator regarding Osc 1. Wave Mod +/- 50 This parameter dial is only active if the Wave Mod button is activated beside the waveform selection box. Wave modula- tion works by adding a phase-shifted copy of the oscillator output to itself, which produces waveform variations. For example if a sawtooth waveform is used, activating WM will produce a pulse wave- form. By modulating the WM parameter with for example a LFO, classic PWM (pulse width modulation) is produced. Wave modulation can, however, be ap- plied to any waveform. Ratio 1–16 This parameter dial (which is only active if the Freq Mod button is activated) adjusts the amount of frequency modulation ap- plied to oscillator 2. See “About fre- quency modulation” on page 45. Is normally referred to as FM index. Sync button On/Off When Sync is activated, Osc 2 is slaved to Osc 1. This means that every time Osc 1 completes its cycle Osc 2 is forced to reset (start its cycle from the beginning). This produces a characteristic sound, suitable for lead playing. Osc 1 deter- mines the pitch, and varying the pitch of Osc 2 produces changes in timbre. For classic sync sounds, try modulating the pitch of Osc 2 with an envelope or a LFO. The Osc 2 pitch should also be set higher than the pitch of Osc 1. Tracking buttonOn/Off When Tracking is activated, the oscillator pitch will track the notes played on the keyboard. If Tracking is deactivated the oscillator pitch remains constant, regard- less of what note is played. Freq Mod buttonOn/Off This switches frequency modulation on or off. Wave Mod buttonOn/Off This switches wave modulation on or off. Waveform selector pop-upSee “Selecting Waveforms” on page 42.Sets the basic waveform for the oscillator.Parameter Value Description Osc 3 0–100 This controls the output level of the oscil- lator. Coarse +/- 48 semitonesThis determines the coarse pitch for Osc 3. If FM is enabled, this determines the frequency ratio of the oscillator regarding Osc 1/2. Fine +/- 50 cent Fine tunes the oscillator pitch in cent in- crements (100th of a semitone). If FM is enabled, this determines the frequency ratio of the oscillator regarding Osc 1/2. Ratio 1–16 This parameter dial (which is only active if the Freq Mod button is activated) adjusts the amount of frequency modulation ap- plied to oscillator 3. See “About fre- quency modulation” on page 45. Is normally referred to as FM index. Sync button On/Off When Sync is activated, Osc 3 is slaved to Osc 1. This means that every time Osc 1 completes its cycle, Osc 3 is forced to reset (start its cycle from the beginning). This produces a characteristic sound, suitable for lead playing. Osc 1 deter- mines the pitch, and varying the pitch of Osc 3 produces changes in timbre. For classic sync sounds, try modulating the pitch of Osc 3 with an envelope or a LFO. The Osc 3 pitch should also be set higher than the pitch of Osc 1. Tracking buttonOn/Off When Tracking is activated, the oscillator pitch will track the notes played on the keyboard. If Tracking is deactivated the oscillator pitch remains constant, regard- less of what note is played. Freq Mod buttonOn/Off This switches frequency modulation on or off. Wave Mod buttonOn/Off This switches wave modulation on or off. Waveform selector pop-upSee “Selecting Waveforms” on page 42.Sets the basic waveform for the oscillator.
45 The included VST Instruments About frequency modulation Frequency modulation or FM means that the frequency of one oscillator (called the carrier) is modulated by the fre- quency of another oscillator (called the modulator). In Prologue, Osc 1 is the modulator, and Osc 2 and 3 are carriers. Osc 2 could be said to be both carrier and modulator as if Freq Mod is applied to Osc 2 it is modulated by Osc 3. If Osc 2 also uses frequency modulation, Osc 3 will be modulated by both Osc 1 and Osc 2. The “pure” sound of frequency modulation is output through the modulator oscillator(s). This means that you should turn off the Osc 1 output when using fre- quency modulation. The Freq Mod button switches frequency modulation on or off. The Ratio parameter determines the amount of frequency modulation. Portamento This parameter makes the pitch glide between the notes you play. The parameter setting determines the time it takes for the pitch to glide from one note to the next. Turn the knob clockwise for longer glide time. The “Mode” switch allows you to apply glide only when you play a legato note (when switch is set to Legato). Le- gato is when you play a note without releasing the previ- ously played note. Note that Legato mode only works with monophonic Parts. Ring modulation Ring modulators multiply two audio signals. The ring-mod- ulated output contains added frequencies generated by the sum of, and the difference between, the frequencies of the two signals. In Prologue, Osc 1 is multiplied with Osc 2 to produce sum and difference frequencies. Ring modu- lation is often used to create bell-like sounds. To hear the ring modulation, you should turn down the output level for Osc 1 and 2, and turn up the “R.Mod” level all the way. If Osc 1 and 2 are tuned to the same frequency, and no modulation is applied to the Osc 2 pitch, nothing much will happen. If you change the pitch of Osc 2, however, drastic changes in timbre can be heard. If the oscillators are tuned to a harmonic interval such as a fifth or octave, the ring modulated output will sound harmonic, other intervals will produce inharmonious, complex timbres. Oscillator Sync should be deactivated when using ring modulation. Noise Generator A noise generator generates noise (all frequencies at equal levels). Applications include simulating drum sounds and breath sounds for wind instruments. To hear only the sound of the noise generator, you should turn down the output level for the oscillators, and turn up the Noise parameter. The Noise generator level is routed to Envelope 1 by default. See “Envelope page” on page 48 for a description of the Envelope generators.
46 The included VST Instruments Filter section The circle in the middle contains the filter parameters. The central dial sets the filter cut off parameter and the outer ring the filter type: About the filter types You select which filter type to use using the buttons around the filter cut off knob. The following filter types are available (listed clockwise from 9 o’clock): Master Volume and Pan The master Volume controls the master volume (ampli- tude) of the instrument. By default this parameter is con- trolled by Envelope 1, to generate an amplitude envelope for the oscillators. The Pan dial controls the position in the stereo spectrum for the instrument. You can use Pan as a modulation destination. Parameter Description Filter type Sets the filter type to either lowpass, highpass, bandpass or notch. The filter types are described on “About the fil- ter types” on page 46. Cut off This dial controls the filter frequency or “cut off”. If a low- pass filter is used, it could be said to control the opening and closing of the filter, producing the classic “sweep- ing” synthesizer sound. How this parameter operates is governed by the filter type mode (see “About the filter types” on page 46). Emphasis This is the resonance control for the filter. For lowpass and highpass filters, raising the Emphasis value will em- phasize the frequencies around the set cutoff frequency. This produces a generally thinner sound, but with a sharper, more pronounced cutoff sweep. The higher the filter Emphasis value, the more resonant the sound be- comes until it starts to ring (self-oscillate), generating a distinct pitch. For Bandpass or Notch filters, the Empha- sis setting adjusts the width of the band. When you raise the value, the band where frequencies are let through (Bandpass), or cut (Notch) will become narrower. Drive This can be used to adjust the filter input level. Levels above 0 dB will gradually introduce a soft distortion of the input signal, and a decrease of the filter resonance. Shift Internally, each filter consists of two or more “subfilters” connected in series. This parameter shifts the cutoff fre- quency of the subfilters. The result depends on the se- lected filter type: For Lowpass and Highpass filter types it changes the filter slope. For Bandpass and Notch filter types it changes the bandwidth. The Shift parameter has no effect if either the 12 dB LP or 12 dB HP filter type is selected. Tracking If this parameter is set to values over the 12 o’clock posi- tion, the filter cutoff frequency will increase the further up on the keyboard you play. Negative values invert this rela- tionship. If the Track parameter is set fully clockwise, the cutoff fre- quency will track the keyboard by a semitone per key. Type Description 12 db LP This lowpass filter has a gentler slope (12 dB/Octave above the cutoff frequency), leaving more of the harmon- ics in the filtered sound. 18 dB LP This lowpass filter also has a cascade design, attenuating frequencies below the cutoff frequency with a 18 dB/Oc- tave slope, as used in the classic TB 303 synth. 24 dB LP Lowpass filters lets low frequencies pass and cuts out the high frequencies. This filter type attenuates frequen- cies above the cutoff frequency with a 24 dB/Octave slope, which produces a warm and fat sound. 24 dB LP II This lowpass filter has a cascade design which attenu- ates frequencies below the cutoff frequency with a 24 dB/Octave slope, which produces a warm and dark sound. 12 dB Band A bandpass filter cuts both high and low frequencies above and below the cutoff frequency with a 12 dB/Oc- tave slope, producing a nasal and thin sound. 12 dB Notch A notch filter cuts off frequencies near the cutoff fre- quency by 12 dB/Octave, letting the frequencies below and above through. This produces a phaser-like sound. 12 dB HP This highpass filter has a 12 dB/Octave slope, giving a bright and thin sound. 24 dB HP A highpass filter is the opposite of a lowpass filter, cut- ting out the lower frequencies and letting the high fre- quencies pass. This filter has a 24 dB/Octave slope, giving a bright and sharp sound.
47 The included VST Instruments Modulation and controllers The lower half of the control panel displays the various modulation and controller assignment pages available as well as the effect page. You switch between these pages using the buttons below the Filter section. The following pages are available: The LFO page has two low frequency oscillators (LFOs) for modulating parameters – see below. The Envelope page contains the four Envelope genera- tors which can be assigned to control parameters – see “The Envelope page.” on page 48. The Event page contains the common MIDI controllers (Mod wheel, Aftertouch etc. and their assignments – see “Event page” on page 50. The Effect page has three separate effect types avail- able; Distortion, Delay and Modulation – see “Effects (EFX) page” on page 51. LFO page This is opened by clicking the LFO button at the top of the lower half of the control panel. The page contains all pa- rameters and the modulation and velocity destinations for two independent LFOs. Depending on the currently se- lected Preset, there may already be modulation destina- tions assigned, in which case these are listed in the “Mod Dest” box for each LFO – see “Assigning LFO modulation destinations” on page 48. A low frequency oscillator (LFO) is used for modulating parameters, for example the pitch of an oscillator (to produce vibrato), or for any pa- rameter where cyclic modulation is desired.The two LFOs have identical parameters: About the sync modes The Sync modes determine how the LFO cycle affects the notes you play: About the waveforms Most standard LFO waveforms are available for LFO modu- lation. You use Sine and Triangle waveforms for smooth modulation cycles, Square and Ramp up/down for different types of stepped modulation cycles and Random or Sam- ple for random modulation. The Sample waveform is differ- ent. In this mode, one LFO actually samples and holds the values of the other LFO at the chosen frequency. Parameter Description Speed This governs the rate of the LFO. If MIDI Sync is activated (see below), the available rate values are selectable as note values, e.g. beat increments of the sequencer tempo in Cubase. Depth This controls the amount of modulation applied by the LFO. If set to zero, no modulation is applied. Waveform This sets the LFO waveform. Sync mode (Part/MIDI/ Voice/Key)This sets the sync mode for the LFO. See below for a de- scription. Parameter Description Part In this mode, the LFO cycle is free running and will affect all the voices in sync. “Free running” means that the LFO cycles continuously, and doesn’t reset when a note is played. MIDI In this mode the LFO rate is synced in various beat incre- ments to MIDI clock. Voice In this mode each voice in the Part has its own indepen- dent LFO cycle (the LFO is polyphonic). These cycles are also free running – each key down starts anywhere in the LFO cycle phase. Key Same as Voice except that it is not free running – for each key down the LFO cycle starts over.
48 The included VST Instruments Assigning LFO modulation destinations To assign a modulation destination for a LFO, proceed as follows: 1.Click in the “Mod Dest” box for one of the LFOs. A pop-up appears with all possible modulation destinations are shown. All Sound parameters as well as most LFO and Envelope parameters are available as destinations. The modulation destination pop-up. 2.Select a destination, e.g. Filter Cut Off. The selected modulation destination is now shown in the list. Beside the destination, a default value (50) has been set. The value represents the modulation amount. You can set positive and negative modulation values by clicking on the value in the list, typing in a new value and pressing the Enter key. To enter negative values type a minus sign followed by the value. 3.Select a suitable LFO Waveform, Speed, Depth and Sync mode. You should now hear the filter cut off being modulated by the LFO. 4.Using the same basic method, you can add any num- ber of modulation destinations for the LFO. They will all be listed in the “Mod Dest” box. To remove a modulation destination click on its name in the list and select “Off” from the pop-up. Assigning LFO velocity destinations You can also assign LFO modulation that is velocity con- trolled (i.e. governed by how hard or soft you strike a key). This is done as follows: 1.Click in the “Vel Dest” box for one of the LFOs. A pop-up appears with all possible velocity destinations are shown. 2.Select a destination. The selected velocity destination is now shown in the list. Beside the destination, a default value (50) has been set. The value represents the modulation amount. See below for an example of how velocity modula- tion works. You can set positive and negative values by clicking on the value in the list, typing in a new value and pressing the Enter key. To enter negative values type a minus sign followed by the value. 3.Using the same basic method, you can add any num- ber of velocity destinations for the LFO. They will all be listed in the “Vel Dest” box. To remove a modulation destination click on its name in the list and select “Off” from the pop-up. LFO modulation velocity control – an example: If you follow the steps above and select the filter cut off parameter as a Velocity destination, the following hap- pens: The harder you strike the key, the more the filter cut off parameter will be modulated by the LFO. If you should enter a negative value for the velocity mod- ulation amount, the opposite happens; the harder you play, the less the filter cut off is modulated by the LFO. Envelope page The Envelope page is opened by clicking the ENV button at the top of the lower half of the control panel. The page con- tains all parameters and the modulation and velocity desti- nations for the four independent envelope generators. Envelope generators govern how a parameter value will change when a key is pressed, when a key is held and fi- nally when a key is released. The Envelope page. On the Envelope page, the parameters for one of the four envelope generators is shown at a time. Click here… …to open the modulation destination pop-up.
49 The included VST Instruments You switch between the four envelopes in the section to the left. Clicking on either of the four mini curve displays 1 to 4 will select it and display the corresponding envelope parameters to the right. The mini curve displays also reflect the envelope settings for each corresponding envelope. Envelope generators have four parameters; Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release (ADSR). See below for a description of these. You can set envelope parameters in two ways; either by using the sliders or by click-dragging the curve in the En- velope curve display. You can also do this in the mini curve displays. By default Envelope 1 is assigned to the master volume, and therefore acts as an amplitude envelope. The ampli- tude envelope is used to adjust how the volume of the sound should change from the time you press a key until the key is released. If no amplitude envelope were assigned, there would be no output. The Envelope parameters are as follows: Attack The attack phase is the time it takes from zero to the max- imum value. How long this should take, depends on the Attack setting. If the Attack is set to “0”, the maximum value is reached instantly. If this value is raised, it will take time before the maximum value is reached. Range is from 0.0 milliseconds to 91.1 seconds. Decay After the maximum value has been reached, the value starts to drop. How long this should take is governed by the Decay time parameter. The Decay time has no effect if the Sustain parameter is set to maximum. Range is from 0.0 milliseconds to 91.1 seconds. Sustain The Sustain parameter determines the level the envelope should rest at, after the Decay phase. Note that Sustain represents a level, whereas the other envelope parame- ters represent times. Range is from 0 to 100. Release Release determines the time it takes for the value to fall back to zero after releasing the key. Range is from 0.0 mil- liseconds to 91.1 seconds. Punch When Punch is activated, the start of the decay phase is delayed by a few milliseconds (i.e. the envelope remains at the top level for a moment before moving on to the decay phase). The result is a punchier attack similar to a com- pressor effect. This effect is more pronounced with short attack and decay times. Retrigger When Retrigger is activated, the envelope will re-trigger each time you play a new note. However, with certain tex- tures/pad sounds and a limited number of voices it is rec- ommended to leave the button deactivated, due to click noises that might occur, when the envelope is ended up abruptly. This is caused by the incoming re-trigger that forces the envelope to start over again. Assigning Envelope modulation destinations To assign a modulation destination for an Envelope, pro- ceed as follows: 1.Click in the “Mod Dest” box for one of the Envelopes. A pop-up appears with all possible modulation destinations are shown. All Sound parameters as well as most LFO and Envelope parameters are available as destinations. 2.Select a destination, e.g. Filter Cut Off. The selected modulation destination is now shown in the list. Beside the destination, a default value (50) has been set. The value represents the modulation amount. You can set positive and negative modulation values by clicking on the value in the list, typing in a new value and pressing the Enter key. To enter negative values type a minus sign followed by the value. 3.Select a suitable envelope curve for the modulation. You should now hear the filter cut off being modulated by the envelope as you play. 4.Using the same basic method, you can add any num- ber of modulation destinations for the envelope. They will all be listed in the “Mod Dest” box. To remove a modulation destination click on its name in the list and select “Off” from the pop-up.
50 The included VST Instruments Assigning Envelope velocity destinations You can also assign Envelope modulation that is velocity controlled (i.e. governed by how hard or soft you strike a key). This is done as follows: 1.Click in the “Vel Dest” box for one of the envelopes. A pop-up appears with all possible velocity destinations are shown. 2.Select a destination. The selected velocity destination is now shown in the list. Beside the destination, a default value (50) has been set. The value represents the modulation amount. See below for an example of how velocity modula- tion works. You can set positive and negative values by clicking on the value in the list, typing in a new value and pressing the Enter key. To enter negative values type a minus sign followed by the value. 3.Using the same basic method, you can add any num- ber of velocity destinations for the Envelope. They will all be listed in the “Vel Dest” box. To remove a modulation destination click on its name in the list and select “Off” from the pop-up. Envelope modulation velocity control – an example: If you follow the steps above and select the filter cut off pa- rameter as a Velocity destination, the following happens: The harder you strike the key, the more the filter cut-off parameter will be modulated by the Envelope. If you should enter a negative value for the velocity mod- ulation amount, the opposite happens; the harder you play the less the filter cut off is modulated by the Envelope. Event page The Event page is opened by clicking the EVENT button at the top of the lower half of the control panel. This page contains the most common MIDI controllers and their re- spective assignments. The Event page. The following controllers are available: To assign any of these controllers to one or several pa- rameters, proceed as follows: 1.Click in the “Mod Dest” box for one of the controllers. A pop-up appears with all possible modulation destinations are shown. All Sound parameters as well as most LFO and Envelope parameters are available as destinations. 2.Select a destination. The selected modulation destination is now shown in the list. Beside the destination, a default value (50) has been set. The value represents the modulation amount when the controller is at its full range. You can set positive and negative modulation values by clicking on the value in the list, typing in a new value and pressing the Enter key. To enter negative values type a minus sign followed by the value. 3.Using the same basic method, you can add any num- ber of modulation destinations for the controllers. They will all be listed in the “Mod Dest” box for the respective controller. To remove a modulation destination click on its name in the list and select “Off” from the pop-up. Controller Description Modulation WheelThe modulation wheel on your keyboard can be used to modulate parameters. Velocity Velocity is used to control parameters according to how hard or soft you play notes on your keyboard. A common application of velocity is to make sounds brighter and louder if you strike the key harder. Aftertouch Aftertouch, or channel pressure, is MIDI data sent when pressure is applied to a keyboard after the key has been struck, and while it is being held down or sustained. Af- tertouch is often routed to control filter cutoff, volume, and other parameters to add expression. Most (but not all) MIDI keyboards send Aftertouch. Key Pitch TrackingThis can change parameter values linearly according to where on the keyboard you play.