Steinberg Cubase 7 User Manual
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561 Expression maps (Cubase only)Creating and editing expression maps Creating expression maps based on the key switches used in an instrument You can automatically extract mapping information from your connected VST instruments and convert it into a new expression map. This makes it very easy to set up expression maps for the instruments you often work with. Proceed as follows: 1.Load the VST instrument you want to use and assign it to a MIDI or instrument track. 2.Select the track, open the Expression Map section in the Inspector, and select “Import Key Switches” on the pop-up menu. Note that this menu option will only be available when the loaded program contains key switches. The Expression Map Setup window opens. 3.Make the desired settings for the created map and click the Save button, see “Creating an expression map from scratch” on page 560. The expression map is saved and can now be loaded via the pop-up menu on the Expression Map section of the Inspector. Adding sound slots Now, you create one sound slot for each articulation that you want to add. Proceed as follows: 1.In the Sound Slots section to the right of the Maps list, a sound slot is added automatically when a new map is created. This is the default slot that is used. You can specify an articulation for it or leave it empty, depending on your preferred default setting. 2.Click in the first Articulation column (Art. 1) for the sound slot and select an articulation from the menu. A new entry is added in the Articulations section in the lower right corner of the window. 3.When adding articulations, the name of the sound slot is automatically set to the articulation. To change the name, click in the name field and enter a new name. The names of the sound slots are displayed in the Inspector for the track, see “Expression maps in the Project window” on page 557. 4.To create a complex articulation, made of several different single articulations, click in the other Articulation columns (Art. 2-4) for the sound slot and add the corresponding articulations. For each new articulation, an additional entry is added in the Articulations section.
562 Expression maps (Cubase only)Creating and editing expression maps •Apart from creating combined articulations, the Articulation columns also allow you to prioritize articulations, by sorting them into different groups. When the program is looking for sounds and no exact match is found, the group setting defines the “closest match”, i. e. the sound which matches most criteria when searching from left to right is used. For example, if two sounds are found which have the same articulation in group 1, the sound that also matches group 2 is preferred and so on. For more information on groups, see below. •If you cannot find the articulation that you want to add on the pop-up menu, you can define your own articulations by selecting “Add Custom Articulation”. This adds a default articulation which you can define in the Articulations section, see below. •Click in the “Col” column to assign a color to the current sound slot. When working in the MIDI editors, you can color your events according to the color of the sound slots. 5.When you have made the desired settings, click the “+” button again to add another sound slot. Add as many sound slots as you need. •In the Remote column, you can specify the key on your external device that triggers this sound slot. For more information, see “Remote Key Settings” on page 563. Output Mapping When you have added sound slots, you can map them to certain sound characters or expressions of an instrument, e. g. a bowed violin or a pizzicato violin. The available sounds depend on the instrument that is selected for the MIDI or instrument track. Some of the more complex virtual instruments require multiple key switches or combinations of key switches and controllers to select a particular articulation. This can be accomplished by stacking multiple output events to a single sound slot. You can add a new slot by clicking the “+” button above the list. You can make the following settings for the slots: In the Status column, you can specify a note-on, program change, or controller message. Additionally, you can make settings in the Data 1 and 2 columns (if applicable). If you have an instrument that uses key switches (for example Steinberg’s HALion Symphonic Orchestra), you can specify these key switches here. This allows you to switch between a bowed and a pizzicato violin, or to switch to another program containing a different articulation. You can also create expressions by editing the incoming MIDI data, for example by changing the note length or velocity. For this, you can make the following settings in the lower part of the Output Mapping section: ParameterDescription ChannelHere you can specify the MIDI channel. When using HALion Symphonic Orchestra for example, this allows you to switch to a different program. LengthHere you can specify the note length. This way, you can create staccato or tenuto sounds. VelocityHere you can specify the desired velocity. This allows you to create accents, for example. Min. VelocityIf you are using an instrument that has different velocity ranges on the same key, you can specify a minimum velocity here, to make sure that the sample mapped to a particular range is used.
563 Expression maps (Cubase only)Creating and editing expression maps Editing Articulations In the Articulations section, the articulations you added for the sound slots are displayed. The following settings can be made here: Groups You can sort the different articulations you define for an expression map into one to four groups. Groups can be used to combine directions and attributes in more complex musical expressions by choosing articulations from the different groups, for example to play a note arco AND staccato AND with an accent. The groups themselves are exclusive. This means articulations residing within the same group cannot be used together. Since some of the articulations cannot be combined – for example, a violin cannot be played arco (bowed) and pizzicato (plucked) at the same time – these articulations should be placed in the same group. Furthermore, the groups represent the musical importance, with group 1 having the highest priority (expressions in group 1 are more important than those in group 2, 3, and 4). This setting is required when the expression map does not find an exact match for your data and tries to identify the closest possible sound. Let’s say you have added a staccato symbol and an accent to a note in an editor. In the expression map, you have specified that staccato is in group 2 and the accent is in group 3. The connected instrument, however, does not have a sample that corresponds to these settings. In this case, the program looks for a staccato sound, disregarding the accent. Remote Key Settings The remote keys specify which key on an external device is used to play a certain sound slot, i. e. these keys are then used to insert articulations instead of notes. The active remote keys (if any) are indicated in the Inspector for the track, see “Expression maps in the Project window” on page 557. ÖIf you do not plan to record or trigger articulations via a MIDI input device, you do not need to specify remote keys. TransposeThis allows you to specify a transpose value. This can be used to select different articulations in some sample libraries, in which different articulations are located on different octaves, for example. Controller 1/2These allow you to set MIDI Control Change messages and their values for each sound slot. Parameter Description OptionDescription Art.Clicking in this column opens a context menu, where you can choose whether you want to insert a symbol or a text string. If you select Symbol, the dialog with the available symbols opens. If you select Text, you can directly enter the desired text. TypeIn this column you specify whether you want to add an “Attribute” (which only influences a single note, e. g. an accent) or a “Direction” (which is valid from the insertion position until it is replaced by another articulation, e. g. arco and pizzicato). DescriptionHere, you can enter a descriptive text. For example, this can be the name of the symbol (e. g. Accent) or the long name of a direction (e. g. pizz and pizzicato). GroupThis column allows you to specify the group, or importance of the symbol, see below.
564 Expression maps (Cubase only)Creating and editing expression maps Latch Mode This setting determines whether the remote key function reacts to note-off messages. •When Latch Mode is deactivated, the key you press on your MIDI input device is valid for as long as the key is held, i. e. the sound slot plays until the key is released. On release, the default (first) sound slot is played again. •When Latch Mode is activated, the key you press is valid until the next key is pressed. Root Note Here, you can specify the first key on your external device that you want to use as a remote key. This is useful, since it allows you to automatically adjust existing remote key assignments to suit your needs, for example when you are using a MIDI keyboard with a very wide or very narrow key range. Set Remote Keys Remote keys can be specified manually for each slot in the Sound Slots section of the window. However, you can also automatically assign a range of keys on your external device to the sound slots in the expression map. Proceed as follows: 1.Click the Set Remote Keys button. A dialog opens. 2.Use the Start Key field to specify the first key on the MIDI input device that you want to trigger a sound slot. 3.On the Key Mapping pop-up menu, you can specify with which keys on your device you want to trigger the sound slots. You can choose whether you want to use all keys on the keyboard as remote keys, or whether only the white or black keys are used. 4.Click OK to close the dialog. Saving your settings When you have made the desired settings, you need to save the expression map. To do so, click the Save button in the Expression Maps section of the window, specify a file name and a location for the expression map, and click Save. !Note that Latch Mode can only be generally activated/deactivated in Cubase, not for single expression maps.
565 Note Expression Introduction Note Expression offers a very intuitive way of controller editing in Cubase. As an alternative to working with controller lanes in the Key Editor, controller data can be viewed and edited Directly on the associated MIDI note events in the event display. With Note Expression, a note and its associated controller data are treated as a unit. When you quantize, move, copy, duplicate, or delete notes, all their associated controller information will follow. This allows for a very intuitive and accurate editing of note-related data. The Note Expression values can be edited in various ways, see “Editing Note Expression data” on page 572. Furthermore, by superimposing the corresponding data curves in the event display, you can view all the Note Expression data for a note simultaneously, which gives you a good overview. Note Expres- sion curves in the Key Editor When working with Note Expression, it is important to distinguish between VST 3 controllers and MIDI controllers: VST 3 controllers VST 3 controllers are provided by the VST instrument. Therefore, different controllers can be available, depending on the instrument. VST 3 controllers provide articulation information for each individual note. Unlike MIDI controllers (which are channel-specific), VST 3 controllers are note-specific and are suitable for polyphonic contexts. Articulating each note in a chord individually creates a much more natural feel. Furthermore, VST 3 controllers allow for a value range that exceeds the MIDI range of 0 to 127, which offers a more comfortable value editing and fine-tuning. To be able to work with VST controllers, you need a VST instrument that offers this kind of controller parameters and is capable of playing back these controller messages. Included with Cubase is HALion Sonic SE, which is compatible with Note Expression, see “HALion Sonic SE” on page 579.
566 Note ExpressionIntroduction MIDI controllers A major limitation of MIDI is the nature of controller information. With the exception of poly pressure, controller messages are channel-specific messages, i. e., they affect the entire instrument, regardless of whether they are inserted for a part or a note. Therefore, when using Note Expression with MIDI instruments (hardware or VSTi), it is important to understand that articulation data on one note usually also affects all other notes of the same voice, i. e. any other note playing on the same channel at the same time. This limits the potential of Note Expression for MIDI controller events to monophonic (solo) performances. When using MIDI controllers in polyphonic performances, we recommend using controller lanes in the Key Editor, see “Using the controller display” on page 502. However, Note Expression can be useful in the context of standard VST instruments and MIDI hardware instruments, see “Recording MIDI controllers as Note Expression data” on page 577 and “Converting MIDI Controllers into Note Expression data” on page 577. Working with Note Expression When working with Note Expression, start by activating the “Show Note Expression Data” button on the Key Editor toolbar. This will give you a visual feedback of your actions. Use the slider to the right of the button to modify the display size of the Note Expression data in the event display. •If you want to listen to your editing, activate the Acoustic Feedback button on the Key Editor toolbar. Playback is triggered when you enter or change Note Expression data. All controllers that are present at the mouse position will be used during playback. Note Expression can be used in the following ways: •You can record notes live into Cubase while attaching some or all of the used controllers as Note Expression events to the notes, see “Recording” on page 570. •You can replace the existing Note Expression data of a MIDI part by recording Note Expression events for the MIDI notes during playback, see “Overdubbing” on page 570. •You can add Note Expression data to one MIDI note after another using the “Note Expression MIDI Input” button, see “Recording Note Expression data via MIDI input” on page 571. •You can draw in Note Expression events for MIDI notes in the Note Expression editor, see “Editing Note Expression data” on page 572.
567 Note ExpressionSetting up the Note Expression Inspector tab Setting up the Note Expression Inspector tab To be able to work with Note Expression, you have to set up the parameters first. This is done on the Note Expression tab in the Inspector of the Project window or the Key Editor. The top area of the Note Expression tab shows a list of parameters. The VST 3 controllers are shown first, followed by the MIDI controllers. Which VST 3 controllers are available depends on the instrument that is used. The MIDI controllers can be set up in the MIDI Controller Setup dialog, see “Selecting the event type” on page 503. ÖIf many controllers are available, you may have to navigate through the list using the scrollbar. If an asterisk (*) is displayed in front of a parameter name, data for this controller exists. The number to the right of a parameter determines the MIDI controller mapped to the parameter for recording, see “Mapping controllers” on page 569. In the middle section of the tab, you can make settings for the parameter that is selected in the list. The following options are available: OptionDescription Parameter name and color selectorBy clicking on the colored square to the right of the parameter name, you can specify which color is used for the parameter in the Inspector and in the note display. You can also define a Note Expression color set. For further information on setting up colors, see “The Project Colors dialog” on page 708. MIDI assignment field and pop-up menuHere, you can specify the MIDI controller assignment for recording for the selected parameter by either selecting it from the pop-up menu or using the MIDI Learn button, see “Mapping controllers” on page 569. MIDI Learn buttonYou can assign any control of your external MIDI controller to the selected parameter. Click the MIDI Learn button and move the fader or knob on the external device, see “Mapping controllers” on page 569. Parameter range controls (Min/Max)If you want to use only a certain value range of the parameter, you can specify it here. Set the range by changing the minimum and maximum values or use the slider below the fields. Using a parameter range allows you to make finer settings for certain parameters. This is especially useful for the VST 3 parameter “Tuning”. Specify the range you want to use and enter or record the corresponding data. Settings for the selected controller VST 3 controllers MIDI controllers Global settings In the CC column, the controller assignment is shown, if any.
568 Note ExpressionSetting up the Note Expression Inspector tab In the lower part of the Note Expression tab, the following global settings and parameters are available: Showing/hiding controllers You can specify which parameters are displayed in the Note Expression editor and in the event display by activating/deactivating them in the leftmost column in the list. When you want to edit a single parameter, it might be best to hide the data for the other parameters. Activating several parameters allows you to view them in context, giving you a better overview. In the Inspector, visible controllers are shown with a filled rectangle in front of their name. Hidden controllers are shown with an empty rectangle. To show or hide a parameter, click on its rectangle. Filtering the list If you click on the Parameter column header, a pop-up menu opens, containing the following filter commands: Bypassing Note Expression Like for most other Inspector tabs, you can bypass the Note Expression settings by clicking on the button at the top right of the Inspector tab, so that it lights up yellow. If Bypass is activated, all Note Expression data will be bypassed for the track. Bypass is active for the Note Expression Inspector tab. OptionDescription MIDI as Note Express ion If this button is activated, incoming MIDI controllers will be recorded as Note Expression data, see “Recording MIDI controllers as Note Expression data” on page 577. OverdubWhen this is activated, you can overdub existing Note Expression data. See “Overdubbing” on page 570. Latch BufferWith this button, you can activate/deactivate the latch buffer used for overdub recording, see “Latch mode” on page 570. This controller is visible. This controller is hidden. OptionDescription Show only used ParametersSelect this command to only display the parameters in the list for which data exists. Make all Parameters visibleSelect this command to display all available parameters in the event display. Make only edited Parameter visibleSelect this command to display only the currently edited parameter in the event display.
569 Note ExpressionMapping controllers Mapping controllers External keyboards have no controls or faders for VST 3 parameters, which can therefore not be recorded directly. To remedy this, you have the possibility to assign a certain MIDI controller (or Pitchbend and Aftertouch) to any of the Note Expression parameters in the list. The MIDI assignment is shown in the CC column in the Inspector. The same MIDI controller can be used for several parameters, but only one of these controllers can be active at a time. If the mapping is active, the number for the assigned MIDI controller is displayed (or PB and AT for Pitchbend and Aftertouch, respectively). If a MIDI controller is assigned but inactive, e. g., because the selected parameter uses the same assignment as another parameter, a dot is shown in the CC column. The VST 3 parameter Tuning is automatically assigned to the pitchbend wheel of your MIDI controller. All other parameters are assigned by default to the first MIDI controller (CC1: Modulation). You can manually specify the record mapping for the parameters, use the MIDI Learn function, or load a mapping preset, see below. Manual mapping To manually map a MIDI controller to the selected Note Expression parameter, you can select the MIDI controller from the MIDI assignment pop-up menu. If the MIDI controller you are looking for is not on the list, select “MIDI Controller Setup…” and activate it in the dialog. This is the same as selecting which controllers are available for the controller lanes in the Key Editor, see “Selecting the event type” on page 503. MIDI Learn Another way to assign the knobs and faders of your MIDI instrument to Note Expression parameters is using the MIDI Learn function. Proceed as follows: 1.Select the parameter to which you want to assign a MIDI controller. 2.Below the list, click the MIDI Learn button to the right of the MIDI assignment pop- up menu. 3.Use the knob or fader on your MIDI device that you want to assign to the selected Note Expression parameter. This control is now automatically assigned. 4.Repeat this step for all the parameters you want to control with your MIDI device. Now, you can record Note Expression data using the controls on your MIDI device. Using mapping presets When you have set up the mapping for a connected MIDI device, you can save these settings as mapping presets for future use, e. g. when working again with this device. Proceed as follows: 1.Open the Parameter pop-up menu and select “Save MIDI Input Assignment”. 2.In the file dialog that appears, specify a name and a location for the file. A file with the extension “*.neinput” is created. You can recall the mapping presets you created by using the “Load MIDI Input Assignment” command on the Parameter pop-up menu.
570 Note ExpressionRecording Recording Recording notes and Note Expression data To record MIDI notes together with Note Expression data using an external MIDI device, proceed as follows: 1.Create an instrument track, e. g. using HALion Sonic SE as VST instrument. The Note Expression Inspector tab shows which parameters are available for recording. •You can also load one of the available presets. Some presets were created especially for the use with Note Expression. These have the suffix “.NoteExp”. 2.Select a parameter from the list. 3.Set up the record mapping for the parameters, see “Mapping controllers” on page 569. You can use the data range controls to use only a subrange of the full parameter range. This allows for finer recording and editing. 4.Record some MIDI notes and use the mapped controls on your MIDI device to record the corresponding Note Expression data. 5.Open the Key Editor and activate the “Show Note Expression Data” button on the toolbar. The Note Expression data is shown on the notes for which it was recorded. Overdubbing You can also record or replace Note Expression data for existing notes. This is achieved by overdubbing. To activate this mode, click the Overdub button on the Note Expression Inspector tab. When this is activated, no notes are recorded when you click the Record button. Instead, you can use the controls on your MIDI device to record Note Expression data for the note that is playing. Latch mode When Cubase receives controller data from an external MIDI device, this information, i . e. the setting of the faders and knobs on the device, is automatically written to the Latch buffer. By activating Latch mode when overdubbing Note Expression data, you can add the data in the Latch buffer to the notes while these are played back. This can be useful when you want to overdub Note Expression data starting at specific controller values (i. e. at predefined initial knob or fader settings), for example. To use Latch mode, start by mapping each control to one of the available VST 3 parameters (see “Mapping controllers” on page 569). Then activate the Latch buffer button and set the knobs and faders on the MIDI controller to the desired values. !To be able to record MIDI notes again, you have to deactivate the Overdub button when you have finished recording the Note Expression data. !If notes are selected when you start overdubbing, controllers will be recorded for these notes only. To record controllers for all notes touched by the position cursor, make sure to deselect all notes in the event display before you start overdubbing.