Steinberg Cubase 7 User Manual

31
VST ConnectionsSetting up group and FX channels
Presets
On the Inputs and Outputs tabs you will find a Presets menu. Here you can find three 
different types of presets:
•A number of standard bus configurations.
•Automatically created presets tailored to your specific hardware configuration.
On startup, Cubase analyzes the physical inputs and outputs provided by your 
audio hardware and creates a number of hardware-dependent presets with the 
following possible configurations:
- One stereo bus.
-...

32
VST ConnectionsExternal instruments/effects (Cubase only)
External instruments/effects (Cubase only)
Cubase supports the integration of external effect devices and external instruments, 
e.
 g. hardware synthesizers, into the sequencer signal flow.
You can use the External Instruments tab and the External FX tab in the VST 
Connections window to define the necessary send and return ports and access the 
instruments/effects through the VST Instruments window.
Requirements
•To use external effects, you...

33
VST ConnectionsExternal instruments/effects (Cubase only)
Setting up external effects
To set up an external effect in the VST Connections window, proceed as follows:
1.Open the External FX tab and click the “Add External FX” button.
A dialog opens.
2.Enter a name for the external effect and specify the send and return configurations.
Depending on the type of effect, you can specify mono, stereo or surround 
configurations. 
•You also need a MIDI device that corresponds with the external effect. You...

34
VST ConnectionsExternal instruments/effects (Cubase only)
ÖNote that external device ports are exclusive, see “Connecting the external 
effect/instrument” on page 32.
How to use the external effect
If you now click an insert effect slot for any channel, you will find the new external FX 
bus listed on the “External Plug-ins” submenu.
When you select it, the following happens:
- The external FX bus is loaded into the effect slot just like a regular effect plug-in.
- The audio signal from the channel is...

35
VST ConnectionsExternal instruments/effects (Cubase only)
2.Enter a name for the external instrument and specify the number of required mono 
and/or stereo returns.
Depending on the type of instrument, a specific number of mono and/or stereo 
return channels is required.
•You also need a MIDI device that corresponds with the external instrument. You 
can then click the “Associate MIDI Device” button to connect the two.
You can use the MIDI Device Manager to create a new MIDI device. For 
information...

36
VST ConnectionsExternal instruments/effects (Cubase only)
When you select the external instrument in the VST Instruments window, the following 
happens:
- A parameter window for the external device opens automatically. This may either 
be the Device window, allowing you to create a generic device panel, an OPT 
editor window or a default editor. For information about the Device window, the 
MIDI Device Manager and User device panels, see the chapter 
“Using MIDI 
devices” on page 460.
The external...

37
VST ConnectionsEditing operations
Freezing external effects/instruments
Just as when working with regular VST instruments and effects, you can also choose 
to freeze external effects and instruments. The general procedure is described in 
detail in the chapters 
“Audio effects” on page 227 and “VST instruments and 
instrument tracks” on page 252.
When freezing external instruments or effects, you can adjust the corresponding tail 
value in the Freeze Channel Options dialog:
•Use the arrow buttons next...

38
VST ConnectionsEditing operations
Identifying exclusive port assignments
In some cases (i. e. for certain channel types such as cue channels), the port 
assignment is exclusive. Once a port has been assigned to such a bus or channel, it 
must not be assigned to another bus, otherwise the connection to the first bus will be 
broken.
To help you identify such exclusive port assignments and avoid accidental 
reassignment, the corresponding ports are marked in red on the Device Port pop-up 
menu....

39
VST ConnectionsEditing operations
ÖYou do not have to begin renaming with the topmost selected entry. The renaming will 
start from the bus where you edit the name, will go down the list to the bottom and 
then continue from the top until all selected busses have been renamed.
Changing the port assignment for a single bus
To change the port assignment for a single bus, you proceed as when you added it: 
Make sure that the channels are visible and click in the Device Port column to select 
ports....

40
The Project window
Window Overview
The Project window is the main window in Cubase. This provides you with an 
overview of the project, allowing you to navigate and perform large scale editing. Each 
project has one Project window. 
About tracks
The Project window is divided vertically into tracks, with a timeline running horizontally 
from left to right. The following track types are available:
Project 
overview
Event display InspectorRuler Status lineToolbar
Track list 
Info line
Track...