Steinberg Cubase 5 Operation Manual

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Scoring for drums
Initializing the display pitches
If you select “Init Display Notes” from the Functions pop-
up menu in the top left corner of the Drum Map Setup dia-
log, all display pitch values are reset, so that actual pitch 
and display pitch are the same for each sound/note.
Using note head pairs
Not only can you have different drum sounds displayed 
with different note heads, you can also display different 
note heads for different note values:
1.Activate the “Use Head pairs” checkbox.
The “Head Symbol” column now shows two head symbols for each drum 
sound. 
All head symbols are arranged in pairs – by default an “empty” head 
and a “filled” head. Just as with regular notes, the “empty” note heads 
are used with half notes and larger note values, and the “filled” heads 
are used with quarter notes and smaller note values.
2.To select a head pair for a drum sound/note, click in 
the Head symbol column to open the pop-up menu and 
choose the new head pair.
Customizing note head pairs
If you do not like the default pairs of note heads, you can 
edit these:
1.Select Edit Head pairs from the Functions pop-up 
menu.
2.To change a symbol in a pair, click on it and select a 
new symbol from the pop-up menu.
3.When you’re done, click Exit to close the dialog.
Editing the drum map in the score
If you activate the checkbox “Edit in Scores” in the Drum 
Map Setup dialog, you can change the settings for the 
score drum map directly in the score:
Transposing a note will change the display pitch of its 
drum sound – the actual note will not be transposed.
Double-clicking a note allows you to make note head 
settings for that drum sound.
Using the “Move to Voice” function will change the 
voice assignment of the drum sound.
ÖThis requires that you leave the Drum Map Setup dia-
log open – closing the dialog will automatically deactivate 
this option, allowing you to perform normal editing.
Head Symbol Clicking in this column opens a window in which you can 
select a note head symbol for the sound. If “Use Head 
Pairs” is activated in the dialog, you can select a note 
head pair instead.
Voice This allows you to make all notes with this pitch belong to 
a certain voice, so that they get e.g. a common rest han-
dling and stem direction.
!Please note that many different drum maps can be 
created for a project. Which one you get depends on 
which drum map is assigned to the edited track. 
These drum maps are totally independent of one an-
other, i.e. each pitch can have different settings in 
different drum maps.
Option Description 
						

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Scoring for drums
Setting up a staff for drum scoring
1.Open the Score Settings–Staff page and select the 
Options tab.
2.Make sure “Use Score Drum Map” is activated.
3.If you want a single line drum staff, activate the corres-
ponding option (see “Using “Single Line Drum Staff”” on 
page 612).
4.If you want flat beams, activate the corresponding op-
tion (see “Handling beaming” on page 545).
5.If you want all stems to end at the same position, acti-
vate Fixed Stems and set a length for up/down stems.
An example of drum staff settings
You may also want to use polyphonic voices to handle 
rest and stem separately. 
However, you can still activate the “Fixed Stems” option if you like. See 
the chapter “Polyphonic voicing” on page 531 for more information 
about polyphonic voices.
Entering and editing notes
This is like entering notes on a normal note system. How-
ever, please note:
Notes are edited using their display pitch when the 
drum map is used. This means that when you move a note 
vertically, you move it to another display pitch. What actual 
pitch it gets depends on which pitch uses the display 
pitch you now “dropped it on”.
ÖIf the drum map contains two notes with the same 
pitch (for example Open and Closed HiHat), you can get 
the second note by holding [Ctrl]/[Command].
Using “Single Line Drum Staff”
When this option is activated on the Options tab on the 
Score Settings–Staff page, there is only one line in the 
system. Furthermore, notes can only appear below the 
line, on the line and above the line.
To decide which notes go where, proceed as follows:
1.Open the Score Settings–Staff page and select the 
Options tab.
2.Activate “Use Score Drum Map” and “Single Line 
Drum Staff”.
3.Set up the two pitch values to decide which pitches 
go on the line.
Notes below this range automatically wind up below the line and notes 
above wind up above the line.
!When you enter and edit the pitch of notes on a sin-
gle line drum staff, the best way is to drag the note 
up or down while watching the mouse position box 
on the toolbar. 
						

							15
Creating tablature 
						

							614
Creating tablature
About this chapter
In this chapter you will learn:
 How to create tablature, automatically and manually.
 How to control the appearance of the tablature notes.
 How to edit tablature.
Cubase is able to produce score in tablature format. This 
can be done automatically, by “converting” recorded MIDI 
information. You can also create a tablature staff from 
scratch and enter the notes “by hand”.
Creating tablature automatically
This assumes you have a regular score on screen already. 
We also suggest you perform basic editing like quantizing 
to make the score as legible as possible as regular notes 
before converting into tablature.
1.Make sure the notes in the score are inside the range 
of the instrument.
Notes with a pitch lower than the open tuning of the lowest string cannot 
be converted.
2.Open the Score Settings–Staff page and select the 
Tablature tab.
3.Activate “Tablature Mode”.
4.Select one of the predefined instruments from the 
pop-up menu.If you are not using one of the predefined instruments, 
set the open tuning of each string using the value fields.
You can create tablature for up to 12 strings. To disable a string, set it to 
Off, the lowest value.
5.If you want to use a capodaster, e.g. on the forth fret, 
enter the corresponding value in the Capo field.
The tablature changes accordingly.
6.Make the desired settings for “No Stems/Rests” and 
“MIDI Channel 1–6”.
No Stems/Rests will give you a score where the notes have no stems 
and where all the rests are hidden. The “MIDI Channel 1–6” feature is 
described below.
7.Click Apply.
The tablature appears. You will get as many note lines as you have acti-
vated strings. All the notes will now have a fret number instead of their 
regular note heads. 
Before and after activating tablature mode.
8.Edit the score, if needed.
You can make Display Quantize settings, add symbols, etc. as usual. 
However, editing the actual notes is a bit different from regular note edit-
ing. See below.
Using “MIDI Channel 1–6”
This feature will make notes automatically appear on the 
correct string according to their MIDI channel value.
Normally, the program automatically decides on which 
string to display a note, by looking at the pitch and then 
putting the note at the lowest possible string. You can 
then either manually move a note to the correct string, or 
use the “MIDI Channel 1–6” option to let the program 
move the notes automatically.
1.Many guitar synthesizers are able to transmit each string 
on a different MIDI channel. If you have such an instrument, 
set it up so that the high E string transmits on MIDI channel 
1, the B string transmits on MIDI channel 2, etc.
This feature can be used for MIDI string instruments with up to six strings.
2.Record the project. Quantize and edit it as desired.
!Even though we use the term “converting” in this 
chapter, please note that tablature is a mode. You 
can switch between regular notation and tablature at 
any time. 
						

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Creating tablature
3.Make sure the option “MIDI Channel 1–6” is activated 
and convert the notes into tablature, as described above.
4.The notes will automatically be placed on the right 
strings. 
For example if you played a “B” on the low E-string, it will appear as a “7” 
on that string, not as a “2” on the A-string.
Creating tablature manually
To set up an empty system for inputting tablature, proceed 
as follows:
1.Change the clef to the tablature symbol.
The tablature clef
2.Open the Score Settings–Staff page and select the 
Options tab.
3.Set the “System Lines” to as many strings as the in-
strument you are scoring for has.
4.Raise the Add Space value to 1 or 2.
You will need a little extra space between note lines to make room for the 
numbered note heads.
Suggested system line settings for guitar tablature
5.On the Tablature tab, activate “Tablature Mode”.
Tablature Mode activated.
6.Set up whatever other parameters you need in the 
dialog, and click Apply.
7.Select the Insert Note tool and move the pointer over 
the score.8.Press the mouse button and drag up and down until 
the note appears on the desired string with the correct fret 
number (you can also verify the pitch on the toolbar, as 
usual).
When you drag up and down, the program automatically selects the low-
est possible string. If you want a fret number higher than 4 on a guitar ta-
blature, for example, you have to use “Move To String”, see below.
Setting the correct pitch. Use the mouse position box on the toolbar as 
an additional guide.
9.Release the mouse button.
The note is displayed.
Tablature number appearance
On the Score Settings–Project page (Text Settings sub-
page), you will find text settings for the tablature numbers. 
Select “Tablature” in the “Font For” pop-up menu and se-
lect the desired font, size and style for the number note 
heads.
Editing
Tablature can be edited like any other score. You can 
move notes, handle beaming, stem direction, etc.
Moving notes to another string
If you want for example a “C” to appear as a “8” on the low 
E-string rather than a “3” on the A-string on a guitar, pro-
ceed as follows:
1.Select one note or a number of notes that you want to 
move to a new string.
2.Right-click on one of the selected notes and, from the 
“Move to String” submenu, select the desired string.
The Fret number is automatically adjusted according to the tuning of the 
instrument (as set up on the Tablature tab on the Score Settings–Staff 
page).
Moving notes
Moving notes in pitch in a tablature score is working the 
same way as entering notes manually, see above. 
						

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Creating tablature
Editing on the info line
You can change the pitch of notes on the info line as 
usual. The string and fret number will be updated automat-
ically in the score.
Note head shape
If you only want to enter a fret number for your notes (Tab-
lature mode off), you can use the Set Note Info dialog on 
regular notes.
1.Double-click on the head of a note.
The Set Note Info dialog appears.
2.Activate the Tablature option and set a fret number in 
the value field to the right.
The tablature settings in the Set Note Info dialog
3.Click Apply. 
						

							16
The score and MIDI playback 
						

							618
The score and MIDI playback
About this chapter
In this chapter you will learn:
 How to use the Arranger mode to have the playback follow the 
structure of the score.
 How to use the MIDI Meaning function.
 How to use crescendo/diminuendo symbols with integrated 
dynamics.
ÖYou can also play back articulations in the Score using 
the VST Expression functionality. This is described in de-
tail in the chapter “VST Expression” on page 372.
Scores and the Arranger mode
Repeats (bar lines) will appear in all layouts, as will Project 
symbols like Segnos, Codas, Da Capo, endings, etc. To 
have the playback in Cubase follow these directions, pro-
ceed as follows:
1.Add the desired repeats and Project symbols to the 
score.
2.Right-click the toolbar in the Score Editor and make 
sure “Arranger” is ticked.
This adds the Arranger buttons to the toolbar.
3.Click the “Activate Arranger Mode” button on the tool-
bar and start playback.
Playback will follow the repeats and Project symbols in the score – sec-
tions within repeat symbols will be repeated, the playback position will 
jump to the beginning when encountering a Da Capo symbol, and so on.
The MIDI Meaning function
The MIDI Meaning function interprets some dynamic sym-
bols, affecting the velocity of notes during playback.
ÖThis is done in realtime during playback – the actual 
notes are not affected!
Proceed as follows:
1.On the Score Settings–Project page, open the MIDI 
Meaning subpage.
As you can see, the dialog lists the dynamic symbols to 
the left. To the right is a column, allowing you to specify in 
which way each symbol should affect the velocity of the 
notes as they are played back.
2.Set up the dynamic symbols.
If you set the fortissimo symbol (ff) to mean Velocity=150 % and insert a 
fortissimo symbol in the score, all notes will be played back with 1.5 
times their actual velocity, from that point in the score until the next dy-
namic symbol.
3.To activate MIDI Meaning, click the Active checkbox.
4.Click Apply and close the dialog.
Now, note symbols and dynamics will affect the notes on playback.
ÖFor dynamic changes to take effect, the MIDI sound 
source must respond to velocity.
Also, note that the maximum note velocity is always 127. If all notes were 
recorded or entered with maximum velocity, Velocity settings over 100 % 
will not have any effect. 
						

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The score and MIDI playback
Dynamic crescendo symbols
In the Symbols Inspector – Dynamics tab, you will find a 
special crescendo symbol:
This allows you to enter a crescendo or diminuendo in the 
score and have the note velocity adjusted accordingly dur-
ing playback. The same rules apply as for MIDI Meaning:
 The actual notes are not affected – the settings affect play-
back only.
 For the crescendo/diminuendo to be heard, the MIDI sound 
source must respond to velocity.
 The maximum note velocity is always 127. If the notes are re-
corded or entered with high velocity values, you may not hear 
any difference between e.g. forte and fortissimo.
Proceed as follows:
1.Select the dynamic crescendo symbol and make sure 
the Pencil tool is selected (see “Adding symbols to the 
score” on page 559).
2.Click where you want the crescendo or diminuendo to 
start, drag to its end position and release the mouse button.
By default this inserts a crescendo from piano (p) to forte (f).
3.To adjust the dynamics at either end of the crescendo, 
right-click to bring up a palette from which to select the 
desired dynamic symbol.
If you select a dynamic symbol at the start that is “louder” than the one at 
the end, the crescendo symbol is automatically changed to a diminuendo 
symbol.
In the palette for the start symbol you will find three ad-
ditional options: “cresc”, “dim” and “None” (no symbol is 
shown).
If any of these is selected, the crescendo or diminuendo will start from 
the “current dynamic”, i.e. with the level according to the previous dy-
namics symbol in the staff.
4.On the Score Settings–Project page, select the MIDI 
Meaning subpage and make sure the Active checkbox is 
ticked.
The dynamic crescendo/diminuendo makes use of the MIDI Meaning 
function and uses the velocity scaling you have set up for the dynamics 
symbols in this dialog.
5.Start playback.
You should now hear the crescendo or diminuendo affect the note veloc-
ities. 
						

							17
Tips and Tricks