Steinberg Cubase 7 User Manual
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61 Working with projectsThe Archive and Backup functions This dialog contains the following options: 3.Make the desired settings. 4.Click OK. A copy of the project is saved in the new folder. The original project is not affected. Cleanup The Cleanup function on the File menu helps you to save hard disk space by locating and – if you like – deleting unused audio files in the project folders on your disk. 1.Select “Cleanup…” from the File menu. If there are any open projects, an alert shows. Clicking “Close” closes all open projects and brings up the dialog “Cleanup Cubase Project Folders”. 2.To restrict the Cleanup function to a certain folder, click the “Search Folder” button and select the folder. The default setting is that the Cleanup function is applied to all folders on all hard disks. Only select a specific folder if you are certain it does not contain audio files used in other projects (outside the folder), see below. You can reset the function to search all folders by opening the “Search Folder” dialog again and clicking “Cancel”. 3.Click the Start button. Cubase will now scan the selected folder (or all hard disks) for Cubase project folders and check for audio and image files (in the Audio, Edits and Images subfolders) that are not used by any project. The found files are listed in the dialog. 4.When the scan is complete, you can select files by clicking in the list. Use [Ctrl]/[Command]-click to select several files, and [Shift]-click to select a range of files. You can also click the Select All button to select all files in the list. OptionDescription Project NameEnter a project name if you want to change it from the default (the current name of the project). Keep Current Project ActiveWhen this option is activated, the current project will still be the active project after clicking OK. If you wish to switch to the new backup project instead, deactivate this option. Minimize Audio FilesIf this is activated, only the audio file portions that are actually used in the project will be included. This can significantly reduce the size of the project folder (if you are using small sections of large files), but it also means you cannot use other portions of the audio files if you continue working with the project in its new folder. Freeze EditsThis will perform a Freeze Edits operation, making all processing and applied effects permanent to each clip in the Pool, see “Freeze Edits” on page 316. Remove Unused FilesWhen this is activated, only files in the Pool that are actually used in the project will be stored in the new folder. Do Not Back up VideoWhen this is activated, any video clips on the video track or in the Pool of the current project will not be included in the backup project.
62 Working with projectsThe Project Setup dialog In the following situations, the Cleanup function will list files that are not unused: - If you have moved or renamed files or folders (without updating the project files to use the new paths), there is no way for Cubase to know that these files are used in a project. - If you perform the Cleanup function on a folder in which there are audio files belonging to other projects (outside the folder), these files will be considered “unused”. •Also, make sure that you do not delete any files used in other applications, or files that you generally want to keep! However, you can always safely delete image files since these can be reconstructed by the program, if necessary. 5.Delete any files you do not want to keep by selecting them and clicking Delete. 6.Close the dialog by clicking the Close button. The Project Setup dialog General settings for the project are made in the Project Setup dialog. This is opened by selecting “Project Setup…” from the Project menu. ÖIf the “Run Setup on Create New Project” option is activated in the Preferences dialog (General page), the Project Setup dialog will open automatically when you create a new project. The following settings are available in the Project Setup dialog: SettingDescription AuthorHere you can add a name that will be written as the project author into the iXML chunk when exporting audio files with the corresponding option activated (see “AIFF files” on page 645). The default setting for this can be set in the Preferences dialog (General– Personalization page).
63 Working with projectsThe Project Setup dialog CompanyHere you can add a name that will be written as the company name into the iXML chunk when exporting audio files with the corresponding option activated (see “AIFF files” on page 645). The default setting for this can be set in the Preferences dialog (General– Personalization page). StartThe start time of the project. Allows you to have the project start at another time than zero. Also used for setting the sync start position when synchronizing Cubase to external devices (see the chapter “Synchronization” on page 650). The format of this value is always in timecode. When you change this setting you will be asked whether you want to keep the project content at its timecode positions. “Yes” means that all events will stay at their original timecode positions – i. e. they will be moved in relation to the start of the project. “No” means that all events keep their position relative to the project start. LengthThe length of the project. Frame Rate This setting determines both the timecode standard and frame rate for the project, see the section “Timecode standards” on page 651. The frame rate of a video file used in a project should match the frame rate set for a project. The “Get From Video” button allows you to set the project frame rate to the frame rate of an imported video file, see the section “Adopting the video frame rate” on page 673. When synchronizing Cubase to an external device, make sure that this setting corresponds to the frame rate of any incoming timecode. However, there might be situations where perfect synchronization does not matter to you and you do not want to change the project frame rate. In this case, the frame rate mismatch will be indicated on the Transport panel in the Sync section. Display FormatThis is the global display format used for all rulers and position displays in the program, except ruler tracks (see “Ruler tracks” on page 46). However, you can make independent display format selections for the individual rulers and displays if you like. For descriptions of the different display format options, see “The ruler” on page 50. Display OffsetOffsets the time positions displayed in the ruler, etc., allowing you to compensate for the Start position setting. Typically, if you synchronize Cubase to an external source starting at a frame other than zero, you set the Start position to this value. However, if you still want the display in Cubase to start at zero, set the Display Offset to the same value. Bar OffsetThis works just like “Display Offset” described above, in that it offsets the time positions in the ruler by a number of bars, allowing you to compensate for the Start position setting. The difference is that Bar Offset is only used when the “Bars+Beats” display format is selected (see “The ruler” on page 50). Setting Description
64 Working with projectsZoom and view options Zoom and view options Zooming in the Project window is done according to the standard zoom techniques, with the following special notes: •When you are using the Zoom tool (magnifying glass), the result depends on the “Zoom Tool Standard Mode: Horizontal Zooming Only” option in the Preferences dialog (Editing–Tools page). If this is activated and you drag a selection rectangle with the Zoom tool, the window will only be zoomed horizontally (track height will not change). If the option is off, the window will be zoomed both horizontally and vertically. •When using the vertical zoom sliders, the tracks are scaled relatively. In other words, if you have made any individual track height adjustments (see below), the relative height differences are maintained. Sample RateThe sample rate at which Cubase records and plays audio. The order of the menu items depends on the sample rates available for your audio hardware. Supported settings are displayed in the upper part of the menu, non-supported settings are displayed in the lower part. Regarding the sample rate, there are two possible scenarios: Either your audio hardware generates the audio clock signals itself or it is clocked externally, i. e. receives signals from an external sample clock source (see “If your hardware setup is based on an external clock source” on page 17). If the sample rate is generated internally, the following applies: When you select a sample rate non-supported by your audio hardware (from the lower part of the menu), it is highlighted in a different color and the corresponding tooltip shows a warning. In this case you must set a different sample rate to make your audio files play back properly. When you specify a project sample rate that your audio hardware supports but which is different from the current audio hardware sample rate, and you confirm your settings by clicking OK, the sample rate setting of the audio hardware is automatically changed to the project sample rate. Bit Resolution/ Record File Type When you record audio in Cubase, the files that are created will be of this resolution and file type, see “Selecting a recording file format” on page 113. Stereo Pan LawDecides whether panning uses power compensation or not, see “Stereo Pan Law” on page 187. Volume MaxThe maximum fader level. By default this value is set to +12 dB. If you load projects created with Cubase versions before 5.5, this value is set to the old default value of +6 dB. Note that this will have a direct impact on the sound of your project. HMT Type (MIDI only) When working with MIDI, you can select a Hermode Tuning type for your project. For further information on the different tuning modes, see “HMT: Follow” on page 454. HMT Depth (MIDI only) Determines the overall degree of retuning. With a setting of 100 %, fifths and thirds get maximum purity. For an equal tempered scale, deactivate hermode tuning or set the depth to 0 %. Setting Description !While most Project Setup settings can be changed at any time, you should set the sample rate directly after creating a new project! If you change the sample rate at a later stage, you must convert all audio files in the project to the new sample rate to make them play back properly.
65 Working with projectsZoom and view options You find the following options are available on the Zoom submenu on the Edit menu: •If the “Zoom while Locating in Time Scale” option is activated in the Preferences dialog (Transport page), you can also zoom by clicking in the ruler and dragging up or down with the mouse button pressed. Drag up to zoom out; drag down to zoom in. •You can zoom the contents of parts and events vertically, using the waveform zoom slider in the top right corner of the event display. This is useful when viewing quiet audio passages. •If you activate the option Quick Zoom in the Preferences dialog (Editing page), the contents of parts and events will not be continuously redrawn when you zoom manually. Instead, the contents are redrawn once you have stopped changing the zoom – activate this if screen redraws are slow on your system. OptionDescription Zoom InZooms in one step, centering on the project cursor. Zoom OutZooms out one step, centering on the project cursor. Zoom FullZooms out so that the whole project is visible. “The whole project” means the timeline from the project start to the length set in the Project Setup dialog (see above). Zoom to Selection Zooms in horizontally and vertically so that the current selection fills the screen. Zoom to Selection (Horiz.)Zooms in horizontally so that the current selection fills the screen. Zoom to EventThis option is available only in the Sample Editor (see “Zooming” on page 332). Zoom In VerticallyZooms in one step vertically. Zoom Out VerticallyZooms out one step vertically. Zoom In TracksZooms in on the selected track(s) one step vertically. Zoom Out TracksZooms out the selected track(s) one step vertically. Zoom Selected Tracks This zooms in vertically on the selected track(s) and minimizes the height of all other tracks. Undo/Redo ZoomThese options allow you to undo/redo the last zoom operation. !To get an approximate reading on the level of the audio events by viewing the waveforms, make sure this slider is all the way down. Otherwise, zoomed waveforms may be mistaken for clipped audio.
66 Working with projectsZoom and view options Zoom presets and cycle markers The pop-up menu to the left of the horizontal zoom control allows you to select, create and organize zoom presets. These are useful if you want to set up different zoom settings (e. g. one where the whole project is displayed in the project window and another with a high zoom factor for detailed editing). With this pop-up menu, you can also zoom in on the area between cycle markers in the project. The upper part of the menu lists the zoom presets: •To save the current zoom setting as a preset, select Add from the pop-up menu. A dialog opens, allowing you to type in a name for the preset. •To select and apply a preset, select it from the pop-up menu. •The “Zoom Full” preset is always available. Selecting this option zooms out so that the whole project is visible. “The whole project” means the timeline from the project start to the length set in the Project Setup dialog (see “The Project Setup dialog” on page 62). •If you want to delete a preset, select “Organize…” from the pop-up menu. In the dialog that opens, select the preset in the list and click the Delete button. The preset is removed from the list. •If you want to rename a preset, select “Organize…” from the pop-up menu. In the dialog that opens, select the desired preset in the list and click the Rename button. A second dialog opens, allowing you to type in a new name for the preset. Click OK to close the dialogs. The middle part of the pop-up menu lists any cycle markers you have added to the project: •If you select a cycle marker from this menu, the event display is zoomed in to encompass the marker area. •You cannot edit the cycle markers in this pop-up menu. For information on editing markers, see “The Marker window” on page 170. Click here… …to open the pop-up menu. !Zoom presets are global for all projects, i. e. they are available in all projects you open or create. !Only the cycle markers you create in the current project are available on the menu.
67 Working with projectsZoom and view options The Zoom history Cubase maintains a history of recent zoom stages, allowing you to undo and redo zoom operations. This way you can zoom in several steps and then easily go back to the zoom stage at which you started. There are two ways to invoke Undo Zoom and Redo Zoom: •Use the items on the Zoom submenu on the Edit menu. You can also assign key commands for these. •Double-click with the Zoom tool (magnifying glass) to Undo Zoom. Press [Alt]/[Option] and double-click to Redo Zoom. Adjusting how parts and events are shown The Preferences dialog on the File menu (the Cubase menu, under Mac OS X) contains several settings for customizing the display in the Project window. The Event Display page contains common settings for all track types: The Event Display–Audio page contains settings for audio events: OptionDescription Show Event NamesDetermines whether the names of parts and events are shown in the Project window. Hide Truncated Event NamesWhen zooming or resizing elements in the Project window, the events can become very small so that the name is no longer completely visible (the name gets truncated). When this option is activated, event names are hidden from the Project window if they do not fit into the event. Show OverlapsWhen events overlap in the Project window, this setting allows you to specify when the overlapping areas are displayed. Grid Overlay IntensityIncreases or decreases the overlay intensity of the displayed grid lines in the Project window. Event Handling OpacityIncreases or decreases the opacity of an overlying event background when you move it in the Project window. Smallest Track Height To Show DataSpecifies from which track height the track contents are displayed. Smallest Track Height To Show NameSpecifies from which track height the track names are displayed. OptionDescription Interpolate Audio ImagesIf the option is deactivated, single sample values are drawn as “steps”. If the option is activated they are interpolated to form “curves”. Show Event Volume Curves AlwaysIf this is activated the “volume curves” created with the volume and fade handles are always shown – if not, the curves are only shown for selected events. Show WaveformsDetermines whether audio waveforms are shown at all. Waveform BrightnessIncreases or decreases the brightness of the displayed waveforms. Waveform Outline IntensityIncreases or decreases the intensity of the waveform outline.
68 Working with projectsZoom and view options The Event Display–MIDI page contains settings for MIDI parts: The Event Display–Chords page contains settings for chords: Fade Handle BrightnessIncreases or decreases the brightness of the set fade lines within audio events. Background Color ModulationWhen this is activated, the backgrounds of audio waveforms are displayed in a different way, reflecting the waveform dynamics. This is especially useful to get an overview when working with small track heights. OptionDescription Default Edit ActionDetermines which editor is opened when you double-click a MIDI part, or select it and press [Ctrl]/[Command]-[E]. Note that this setting is overridden for tracks with drum maps if the “Edit as Drums when Drum Map is assigned” option (see below) is activated. Part Data ModeDetermines if and how events in MIDI parts are shown in the Project window: as lines, as score notes, as drum notes, or as blocks. If “No Data” is selected, events will not be shown at all. Note that this setting is overridden for tracks with drum maps if the “Edit as Drums when Drum Map is assigned” option (see below) is activated. Show ControllersGoverns whether non-note events (controllers, etc.) are shown in MIDI parts in the Project window. Note BrightnessIncreases or decreases the brightness of note events. Controller BrightnessIncreases or decreases the brightness of controller events. Edit as Drums when Drum Map is assignedIf this is activated, parts on MIDI tracks with drum maps assigned will be shown with drum note symbols in the Project window. Also, the parts will automatically open in the Drum Editor when double-clicked (overriding the Default Edit Action setting above). OptionDescription Pitch NotationThe Note Name pop-up menu lets you determine how chords are be displayed. The Naming Format pop-up menu lets you determine how MIDI note names (pitches) are displayed in editors, etc. The options “Display ‘Bb’ as ‘B’” and “Display ‘B’ as ‘H’” allow you to change the corresponding pitch names. Chord FontAllows you to specify a font for all chord symbols. Chord SymbolsThese options allow you to determine how chord types are displayed. Option Description
69 Working with projectsAudio handling Audio handling When you work with audio files, it is crucial to understand how audio is handled in Cubase: When you edit or process audio in the Project window, you always work with an audio clip that is automatically created on import or during recording. This audio clip refers to an audio file on the hard disk that itself remains untouched. This means, that audio editing and processing is “non-destructive”, in the sense that you can always undo changes or revert to the original versions. An audio clip does not necessarily refer to just one original audio file! If you apply some processing to a specific section of an audio clip, for example, this will create a new audio file containing only this section. The processing will then be applied to the new audio file only, leaving the original audio file unchanged. Finally, the audio clip is automatically adjusted, so that it refers both to the original file and to the new, processed file. During playback, the program will switch between the original file and the processed file at the correct positions. You will hear this as a single recording, with processing applied to one section only. This feature makes it possible to undo processing at a later stage, and to apply different processing to different audio clips that refer to the same original file. An audio event is the object that you place on a time position in Cubase. If you make copies of an audio event and move them to different positions in the project, they will still all refer to the same audio clip. Furthermore, each audio event has an Offset value and a Length value. These determine at which positions in the clip the event will start and end, i. e. which section of the audio clip will be played back by the audio event. For example, if you resize the audio event, you will just change its start and/or end position in the audio clip – the clip itself will not be affected. An audio region is a section within a clip with a length value, a start time, and a snap point. Audio regions are shown in the Pool and are best created and edited in the Sample Editor. ÖIf you want to use one audio file in different contexts, or if you want to create several loops from one audio file, convert the corresponding regions of the audio clip to events and bounce them into separate audio files. This is necessary since different events that refer to the same clip access the same clip information. Auditioning audio parts and events Audio parts and events can be auditioned in the Project window with the Play tool: 1.Select the Play tool. 2.Click where you want playback to start, and keep the mouse button pressed. Only the track on which you click is played back, starting at the click position. 3.Release the mouse button to stop playback. !When auditioning, audio will be routed directly to the Control Room (Cubase only), if the Control Room is activated. When the Control Room is deactivated, the audio will be routed to the default output bus, bypassing the audio channel’s settings, effects and EQs. In Cubase Artist, the Main Mix bus is always used for monitoring.
70 Working with projectsScrubbing audio Scrubbing audio The Scrub tool allows you to locate positions in the audio part or event by playing back, forwards or backwards, at any speed: 1.Select the Play tool and click a second time on the icon. A pop-up menu opens. 2.Select “Scrub”. 3.Click at the desired position of your audio event or part and keep the mouse button pressed. The project cursor moves to the position where you click. The mouse pointer is not visible anymore. 4.Drag to the left or right. The project cursor moves correspondingly and the audio is played back. The speed and thus the pitch of the playback depend on how fast you move the mouse. You can adjust the volume of the Scrub function in the Preferences dialog (Transport– Scrub page). ÖWhen scrubbing with the mouse, insert effects are always bypassed. ÖIt is also possible to “scrub” all audio and video tracks of your project with the Jog wheel and Shuttle Speed control on the Transport panel see “Playing back with the shuttle speed control” on page 105. Scrubbing can be quite a burden on your system. If playback problems occur, try deactivating the “Use High Quality Scrub Mode” option in the Preferences dialog (Transport–Scrub page). The resampling quality will then be lower, but scrubbing will be less demanding on the processor. This can be useful when scrubbing in large projects. Editing parts and events This section describes techniques for editing in the Project window. If not explicitly stated, all descriptions apply to both events and parts, even though we use the term “event” for convenience. ÖWhen you are using the tools for editing, you can in many cases get additional functions by pressing modifier keys (e. g. pressing [Alt]/[Option] and dragging with the Object selection tool creates a copy of the dragged event). On the following pages, the default modifier keys are described – you can customize these in the Preferences dialog (Editing–Tool Modifiers page), see “Setting up tool modifier keys” on page 716. Selecting events Selecting events is done using any of the following methods: •Use the Object Selection tool. The standard selection techniques apply.