Steinberg Cubase 5 Operation Manual
Have a look at the manual Steinberg Cubase 5 Operation Manual online for free. It’s possible to download the document as PDF or print. UserManuals.tech offer 523 Steinberg manuals and user’s guides for free. Share the user manual or guide on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
201 Automation The Line tool in Parabola mode works in the same way, but aligns the automation events with a parabolic curve in- stead, resulting in more “natural” curves and fades. Note that the result depends on the direction from which you draw the parabolic curve. The Sine, Triangle and Square Line tool modes create automation events aligned with continuous curves. If snap is activated and set to Grid, the period of the curve (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. Selecting automation events To select a single automation break-point, click on it with the Arrow tool. The break-point turns red, and you can drag it in any horizontal or vertical direction between two points. To select multiple break-points, you can either [Shift]- click or drag a selection rectangle with the Arrow tool. All break-points inside the selection rectangle will be selected. Drawing a selection rectangle around break-points to select them. To select all automation events on an automation track, right-click the automation track in the Track list and choose “Select All Events” from the context menu. Removing automation events There are several ways to remove break-points: By selecting points and pressing [Backspace] or [De- lete] or selecting Delete from the Edit menu, or by clicking on a break-point with the Eraser tool. This will remove the break-points. The curve is redrawn to connect the break-points immediately to the left and right of the removed points. By selecting a range (with the Range Selection tool), and pressing [Backspace] or [Delete] or selecting Delete from the Edit menu. By clicking in the parameter display on an automation track and selecting “Remove Parameter” from the pop-up. This will remove all automation events from the automation track, and the automation track will be closed. Editing automation events Automation events can be edited much like other events. You can use cut, copy and paste, you can group and nudge events, etc. Editing automation events in the Project Browser You can also edit automation events in the Project Brow- ser. Proceed as follows: 1.Open the Project Browser by selecting it from the Pro- ject menu. The Browser window opens. The window is divided into two sections, the Structure list to the left and the event display to the right. 2.Click on the “+” sign for a track in the structure list. Automated tracks have two subitems: Track Data and Automation. The Automation item corresponds to the automation track in the Project win- dow, and contains the track’s automation events. 3.Click on the “+” sign for the Automation item. All automated parameters for the track are shown in the structure list. 4.Clicking on a parameter in the structure list brings up the automation events in the event display. The following parameters are available for all automation tracks: Parameter Description Position The position of the automation event. Value The value of the automation event.
202 Automation MIDI Controller automation Merging automation data When working with Cubase, it is possible to record auto- mation data for MIDI controller data in two places: as MIDI part data and as data on an automation track. If you have such “conflicting” automation data, you can specify separately for every parameter how these will be combined during playback. This is done by selecting an Automation Merge mode in the Track list for the automa- tion track. The following options are available: ÖThis pop-up menu is only available for controllers that can be recorded both for a part and a track. When the pop-up menu is not available in the Track list, the current parameter will not cause any playback conflicts. ÖFor a full list of all the parameters with potential auto- mation data conflicts, open the MIDI Controller Automa- tion Setup dialog, see below.ÖThe settings you make for a controller are applied to all MIDI tracks that use this controller.MIDI Controller Automation Setup settings In the MIDI Controller Automation Setup dialog, you can specify how existing MIDI automation should be handled on playback and where new automation data should be recorded, in a MIDI part or as track automation. Proceed as follows: 1.On the MIDI menu, select “MIDI Controller Automation Setup”. A dialog opens. 2.On the “Record Destination on conflict (global)” pop- up menu, specify the record destination for MIDI controller data. This determines which destination will be used if there is a “conflict”, i. e if MIDI controller data is received by Cubase and both the Record and the Automation Write buttons are enabled. Option Description Use Global SettingsWhen this is selected, the automation track uses the “global” Automation Merge mode specified in the MIDI Controller Automation Setup dialog, see below. Replace 1 - Part RangeWhen this is selected, the part data has playback prior- ity over the automation track data, i. e. at the left and right part borders, the automation mode switches abruptly from part to track automation, and vice versa. Replace 2 - Last Value ContinuesSimilar to the above, but part automation only begins when the first controller event within the part is reached. At the end of the part, the last controller value will be kept until an automation breakpoint is reached on the automation track. Average When this is selected, the average values between part and track automation will be used. Modulation In this mode, the automation track curve modulates the existing part automation, with higher curve points em- phasizing the automation values and lower curve points reducing the automation values even further. The options on the Automation Merge Mode pop-up menu
203 Automation The following options are available: 3.On the “Automation Merge mode (global)” pop-up menu, specify the global Automation Merge Mode, i. e. the mode that will be used for all automation tracks with the setting “Use Global Settings”, see above. By default, this is set to “Average”. In the table in the lower section of the dialog, you can specify the Record destination and the Automation Merge mode separately for all the available MIDI controllers. This gives you full control over the MIDI automation (destina- tion as well as Merge mode) in your project. 4.Click in the Record Destination column for a MIDI controller to open the pop-up menu where you can choose where you want recorded data of this particular MIDI Controller to end up. 5.Click in the Automation Merge Mode column for a MIDI controller to specify what will happen with data for this specific controller on playback. All settings you make in this dialog are saved with the project. When you create a new project, the default settings will be used. To save the current settings as default settings, click the “Save as Default” button. To return to the default settings, click the “Load Default” button. Option Description MIDI Part Select this when you want to record MIDI part automation. Automation TrackSelect this to record the controller data on an automation track in the Project window.
205 Audio processing and functions Background Audio processing in Cubase can be called “non-destruc- tive”, in the sense that you can always undo changes or revert to the original versions. This is possible because processing affects audio clips rather than the actual audio files, and because audio clips can refer to more than one audio file. This is how it works: 1.If you process an event or a selection range, a new au- dio file is created in the Edits folder, within your project folder. This new file contains the processed audio, while the original file is unaf- fected. 2.The processed section of the audio clip (the section corresponding to the event or selection range) then refers to the new, processed audio file. The other sections of the clip will still refer to the original file. Since all edits are available as separate files, it is possi- ble to undo any processing, at any point and in any order! This is done in the Offline Process History dialog, see “The Offline Pro- cess History dialog” on page 214. Furthermore, the original, unprocessed audio file can still be used by other clips in the project, by other projects or by other applications. Audio processing Basically, you apply processing by making a selection and selecting a function from the Process submenu on the Au- dio menu. Processing is applied according to the follow- ing rules: When events are selected in the Project window or the Audio Part Editor, the processing will be applied to these events only. Processing will only affect the clip sections that are referenced by the events. When an audio clip is selected in the Pool, the process- ing will be applied to the whole clip. When you have made a selection range, the processing will be applied to this range only. Other sections of the clip are not affected. If you attempt to process an event that is a shared copy (i.e. the event refers to a clip that is used by other events in the project), you are asked whether you want to create a new version of the clip or not. Select “New Version” if you want the processing to affect the selected event only. Select “Continue” if you want the processing to affect all shared copies. ÖIf you activate “Do not show this message again”, any further processing you do will conform to the selected method (“Continue” or “New Version”). You can change this setting at any time by using the “On Processing Shared Clips” pop-up in the Preferences (Editing–Audio page). Also, “Create New Version” will now be displayed as an option in the dialog for the processing function.After processing the event, the clip will refer both to the original file and a new file, containing the processed section only. This event plays a section of this clip… …which refers to this audio file.
206 Audio processing and functions Common settings and features If there are any settings for the selected Audio processing function, these will appear when you select the function from the Process submenu. While most settings are spe- cific for the function, some features and settings work in the same way for several functions: The “More…” button If the dialog has a lot of settings, some options may be hidden when the dialog appears. To reveal these, click the “More…” button. To hide the settings, click the button again (now labeled “Less…”). The Preview, Process and Cancel buttons These buttons have the following functionality: Pre/Post-Crossfade Some processing functions allow you to gradually mix the effect in or out. This is done with the Pre/Post-Crossfade parameters. If you activate Pre-Crossfade and specify a value of e.g. 1000 ms, the processing will be applied grad- ually from the start of selection, reaching full effect 1000 ms after the start. Similarly, if you activate Post-Crossfade, the processing will gradually be removed, starting at the speci- fied interval before the end of the selection. Envelope The Envelope function allows you to apply a volume enve- lope to the selected audio. The dialog contains the follow- ing settings: Curve Kind buttons These determine whether the envelope curve should con- sist of spline curve segments (left button), damped spline segments (middle button) or linear segments (right button). Envelope display Shows the shape of the envelope curve. The resulting waveform shape is shown in dark gray, with the current waveform shape in light gray. You can click on the curve to add points, and click and drag existing points to change the shape. To remove a point from the curve, drag it out- side the display. Presets If you have set up an envelope curve that you may want to apply to other events or clips, you can store it as a preset by clicking the Store button. To apply a stored preset, select it from the pop-up menu. To rename the selected preset, double-click on the name and enter a new one in the dialog that appears. To remove a stored preset, select it from the pop-up menu and click Remove. Fade In and Fade Out For a description of these functions, see the chapter “Fa- des, crossfades and envelopes” on page 88. Button Description Preview Allows you to listen to the result of the processing with the current settings. Playback will continue repeatedly until you click the button again (the button is labeled “Stop” during Preview playback). You can make adjust- ments during Preview playback, but the changes are not applied until the start of the next “lap”. Some changes may automatically restart the Preview playback from the beginning. Process Performs the processing and closes the dialog. Cancel Closes the dialog without processing. !The sum of the Pre- and Post-Crossfade times can- not be larger than the length of the selection.
207 Audio processing and functions Gain Allows you to change the gain (level) of the selected audio. The dialog contains the following settings: Gain This is where you set the desired gain, between -50 and +20 dB. The setting is also indicated below the Gain dis- play as a percentage. Clipping detection text If you use the Preview function before applying the pro- cessing, the text below the slider indicates whether the current settings result in clipping (audio levels above 0 dB). If that is the case, lower the Gain value and use the Preview function again. If you want to increase the level of the audio as much as possible without causing clipping, you should use the Nor- malize function instead (see “Normalize” on page 208). Pre- and Post-Crossfade See “Pre/Post-Crossfade” on page 206. Merge Clipboard This function mixes the audio from the clipboard into the audio selected for processing, starting at the beginning of the selection.The dialog contains the following settings: Sources mix Allows you to specify a mix ratio between the original (the audio selected for processing) and the copy (the audio on the clipboard). Pre- and Post-Crossfade See “Pre/Post-Crossfade” on page 206. Noise Gate Scans the audio for sections weaker than a specified threshold level and replaces them with silence. The dialog contains the following settings: Threshold The level below which you want audio to be silenced. Levels below this value will close the gate. Attack Time The time it takes for the gate to open fully after the audio level has exceeded the threshold level. Min. Opening Time This is the shortest time the gate will remain open. If you find that the gate opens and closes too often when pro- cessing material that varies rapidly in level, you should try raising this value. Release Time The time it takes for the gate to close fully after the audio level has dropped below the threshold level. !For this function to be available, you need to have cut or copied a range of audio in the Sample Editor first.
208 Audio processing and functions Linked Channels This is available for stereo audio only. When it is activated, the Noise Gate is opened for both channels as soon as one or both channels exceed the Threshold level. When Linked Channels is deactivated, the Noise Gate works in- dependently for the left and right channel. Dry/Wet mix Allows you to specify a mix ratio between “dry” and pro- cessed sound. Pre- and Post-Crossfade See “Pre/Post-Crossfade” on page 206. Normalize The Normalize function allows you to specify the desired maximum level of the audio. It then analyzes the selected audio and finds the current maximum level. Finally it sub- tracts the current maximum level from the specified level and raises the gain of the audio by the resulting amount (if the specified maximum level is lower than the current max- imum, the gain will be lowered instead). A common use for Normalizing is to raise the level of audio that was recorded at too low an input level. The dialog contains the following settings: Maximum The desired maximum level for the audio, between -50 and 0 dB. The setting is also indicated below the Gain display as a percentage. Pre- and Post-Crossfade See “Pre/Post-Crossfade” on page 206. Phase Reverse Reverses the phase of the selected audio, turning the waveform “upside down”. The dialog contains the following settings: Phase Reverse on When processing stereo audio, this pop-up menu allows you to specify which channel(s) should be phase-reversed. Pre- and Post-Crossfade See “Pre/Post-Crossfade” on page 206. Pitch Shift This function allows you to change the pitch of the audio with or without affecting its length. You can also create “harmonies” by specifying several pitches or apply pitch shift based on a user specified envelope curve. When the Transpose tab is selected, the dialog contains the following parameters: Keyboard display This is a graphic overview of the transposition setting. Here, you can specify the transpose interval in semitones. The root note is indicated in red. This has nothing to do with the actual key or pitch of the original audio, it just provides a way to display transpose intervals. You can change the root note by using the settings in the Pitch Shift Base section, or by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and clicking in the keyboard display.
209 Audio processing and functions To specify a transpose interval, click on one of the keys. The key is indicated in blue, and the program plays test tones in the base pitch and transpose pitch to give you an audible confirmation. If “Multi Shift” is activated (see below), you can click on several keys to create “chords”. Clicking on a blue (activated) key removes it. Pitch Shift settings The “Semitones” and “Fine tune” settings allow you to specify the amount of pitch shift. You can transpose the audio ±16 semitones, and fine tune it by ±200 cents (hundredths of semitones). Volume/Amplitude Allows you to lower the volume of the pitch-shifted sound. Multi Shift When this is activated, you can add several transpose val- ues, creating multi-part harmonies. This is done by adding intervals in the keyboard display (see above). Note that you cannot use the Preview function in Multi Shift mode. If the intervals you add make up a standard chord, this chord is displayed to the right. Note, however, that to include the base pitch (the original, untransposed sound) in the processed result, you need to click the base key in the key- board display as well, so that it is displayed in blue. Listen Key/Chord button Clicking this button plays a test tone pitched according to the activated interval key on the keyboard display. If “Multi Shift” is activated, this button is called “Listen Chord” and plays all activated intervals as a chord. Pitch Shift Base This allows you to set the root note (the red key in the key- board display). It has nothing to do with the actual pitch, but is an aid for setting up intervals and chords. Pitch Shift Mode This is where you can make settings for the MPEX 4 algorithm. You can choose between 7 quality settings: Formant Mode If you are processing vocal material, you should activate this option in order to preserve the vocal characteristics of the pitch-shifted audio and to avoid a a “chipmunk voice” effect. Time Correction When this is activated, the pitch shift process will not af- fect the length of the audio. When this is deactivated, rais- ing the pitch will shorten the audio section and vice versa, much like changing the playback speed on a tape recorder. Using envelope based Pitch Shift When the “Envelope” tab is selected, you can specify an envelope curve on which the pitch shift should be based. This allows you to create pitchbend effects, pitch-shift dif- ferent sections of the audio by different amounts, etc.Option Description Preview This mode should only be used for preview. M i x F a s t Th is m o d e is a ve r y f a s t mode for preview. This works best with composite music signals mono or stereo material. Solo Fast Use this mode for single instruments (monophonic mate- rial) and voice. Solo Musical Same as above but higher quality. Poly Fast Use this for processing monophonic and polyphonic ma- terial. This is the fastest setting that gives still very good results. You can use this for drum loops, mixes, chords. Poly Musical Use this for processing monophonic and polyphonic ma- terial. This is the recommended MPEX default quality set- ting. You can use this for drum loops, mixes, chords. Poly Complex This high quality setting is quite processor intense and should be used only when processing difficult material or for stretch factors above 1.3. Option Description
210 Audio processing and functions Envelope display Shows the shape of the envelope curve over the wave- form image of the audio selected for processing. Envelope curve points above the center line indicate positive pitch shift, while curve points below the center line indicate negative pitch shift. Initially, the envelope curve will be a horizontal, centered line, indicating zero pitch shift. You can click on the curve to add points, and click and drag existing points to change the shape. To remove a point from the curve, drag it outside the display. Curve Kind These buttons determine whether the envelope curve should consist of spline curve segments (left button), damped spline segments (middle button) or linear seg- ments (right button). Spline curve segment envelope The same envelope with damped spline segments selected. The same envelope with linear segments selected. Range This parameter determines the vertical pitch range of the envelope. If set to “4”, moving a curve point to the top of the display corresponds to pitch shifting by +4 semitones. The maximum range is +/-16 semitones. Transpose and Fine Tune These parameters allow you to adjust the value of a curve point numerically: 1.Click on a curve point to select it. The selected point is shown in red. 2.Adjust the Transpose and Fine Tune parameters to change the pitch of the curve point in semitones and cents, respectively. Pitch Shift Mode These are the same parameters as on the Transpose tab, see “Pitch Shift Mode” on page 209. Example Let’s say that you wish to create a pitchbend effect, so that the pitch is raised linearly by exactly 2 semitones in a specific part of the selected audio. 1.Remove all curve points by clicking the Reset button. 2.Select a linear curve by clicking the Curve Kind button to the right. 3.Make sure the Range parameter is set to 2 semitones or higher. 4.Create a point where you want the pitchbend to start by clicking on the envelope line. Since this is the starting point for the pitchbend, you want its pitch to be zero (the envelope line should still be straight). If necessary, use the Fine Tune parameter to set the curve point to 0 cents, because this point gov- erns the start point, where you want the pitch transition to begin. 5.Create a new curve point at the horizontal position where you want the pitchbend to reach the full value. This curve point determines the rise time of the pitchbend effect, i.e. the further away from the starting point the new point is positioned, the longer it will take for the pitchbend to reach the full value, and vice versa. 6.With the second point still selected, use the Trans- pose and Fine Tune parameters to set the pitch to exactly 2 semitones.