Steinberg Cubase 6 Manual

491
Export Audio Mixdown
Windows Media Audio Pro files 
(Windows
 only) 
This is a continuation of the Windows Media Audio format 
developed by Microsoft Inc. Due to the advanced audio co
-
decs and lossless compression used, WMA Pro files can 
be decreased in size with no loss of audio quality. Further
-
more, WMA Pro features the possibility of mixing down to 
5.1 surround sound. The files have the extension “.wma”.
When you select “Windows Media Audio File” as the file 
format, you can click the...

492
Export Audio Mixdown
To manually specify the dynamic range, first put a check-
mark in the box to the left by clicking in it, and then enter 
the desired dB values in the Peak and Average fields. You 
can enter any value between 0 and -90
 dB. Note, how-
ever, that it is usually not recommended to change the Av-
erage value, since this affects the overall volume level of 
the audio and therefore can have a negative effect on the 
audio quality.
The Quiet Mode in a Windows Media player can be set to...

39
Synchronization 

494
Synchronization
Background
What is synchronization?
Synchronization is the process of getting two or more de-
vices to play back together at the same exact speed and 
position. These devices can range from audio and video 
tape machines to digital audio workstations, MIDI sequenc
-
ers, synchronization controllers, and digital video devices.
Synchronization basics
There are three basic components of audio/visual synchro-
nization: position, speed, and phase. If these parameters 
are known for a...

495
Synchronization
• VITC (Vertical Interval Timecode) is contained within a compos-
ite video signal. It is recorded onto video tape and is physically 
tied to each video frame.
• MTC (MIDI Timecode) is identical to LTC except that it is a 
digital signal transmitted via MIDI.
Timecode standards
Timecode has several standards. The subject of the various 
timecode formats can be very confusing due to the use and 
misuse of the shorthand names for specific timecode stan
-
dards and frame rates. The...

496
Synchronization
Clock sources (speed references)
Once the position is established, the next essential factor 
for synchronization is the playback speed. Once two de
-
vices start playing from the same position, they must run at 
exactly the same speed in order to remain in sync. There
-
fore, a single speed reference must be used and all devices 
in the system must follow that reference. With digital audio, 
the speed is determined by the audio clock rate. With 
video, the speed is determined by the...

497
Synchronization
Timecode Source
The Timecode Source setting determines whether Cubase 
is acting as timecode master or slave.
When set to “Internal Timecode”, Cubase is the timecode 
master, generating all position references for any other 
device in the system. The other options are for external 
timecode sources. Selecting any of these, makes Cubase 
a timecode slave when the Sync button is activated.
Internal Timecode
Cubase generates timecode based on the project timeline 
and project setup...

498
Synchronization
Auto-Detect Frame-Rate Changes
Cubase can notify the user when the frame rate of time-
code changes at any point. This is helpful in diagnosing 
problems with timecode and external devices. This notifi
-
cation will interrupt playback or recording. Deactivating 
this option will avoid any interruption in playback or re
-
cording.
Machine Control Output Destination
When the Sync button on the Transport panel is activated, 
all transport commands (including movements of the cur
-
sor in...

499
Synchronization
Machine Control Input (Cubase only)
Cubase can respond to machine control commands from 
external MIDI devices. Cubase can follow incoming trans
-
port commands (locate, play, record) and respond to re-
cord-enabling commands for audio tracks. This allows 
Cubase to easily integrate into larger studio systems with 
centralized machine control and synchronization such as 
theatrical mixing stages.
MMC Slave Active
When this option is activated, several settings become 
available in the...

500
Synchronization
Always Send Start Message
MIDI clock transport commands include Start, Stop, and 
Continue. However, some MIDI devices do not recognize 
the Continue command. By activating the “Always Send 
Start Message” option, you can avoid this problem with 
specific MIDI devices.
Send MIDI Clock in Stop Mode
Activate this option if you are working with a device that 
needs MIDI clock to run continuously in order to operate 
arpeggiators and loop generators.
Synchronized operation
Once you have...