Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Using expression maps
781
Expression maps that were saved separately
You can also define your own expression maps. To load these, proceed as follows:
PROCEDURE
1. In the Inspector for the selected track, select the Expression Map section, 
open the pop-up menu and select “Expression Map Setup…”.
The Expression Map Setup window opens.
NOTE
If the Expression Map section is not shown in the Inspector, right-click on another 
Inspector section and select “Expression Map”...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Using expression maps
782
The possibility to monitor the active slots is especially useful when recording 
articulations with an external device, such as a MIDI keyboard. This way, you can 
see whether the correct sound slot, i.
 e. the right articulation, is used.
Expression maps in the Score Editor
In the Score Editor, the articulations that are part of an expression map can be 
inserted like other symbols. There is a special tab in the Symbols Inspector, 
containing...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Using expression maps
783
You can insert and edit articulations in the Key, Drum, and In-Place Editors using 
the controller lane. This is much like regular controller lane editing.
• To display the articulations set up in the selected expression map, open the 
pop-up menu to the left of the lane and select “Articulations/Dynamics”.
• When “Articulations/Dynamics” is selected for a controller lane, the note 
beginnings are displayed as thin vertical lines in the...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Using expression maps
784
• To remove a direction, click on it with the Erase tool or select it and press 
[Delete] or [Backspace].
• To remove an attribute, click on it with the Draw tool.
Note that you cannot select attributes in the controller lane without 
automatically selecting the corresponding note, too. Therefore, you cannot 
delete an attribute by selecting it and pressing [Delete] or [Backspace] 
without deleting the note as well.
NOTE
If several notes are...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Creating and editing expression maps
785
Directions can be shown either as Text or as Graphic Symbols (like in the Score 
Editor). Either way, they are followed by the text “VST Expression” in brackets, so 
as to be easily recognizable and distinguishable from ordinary Score symbols.
Creating and editing expression maps
Creating an expression map from scratch
PROCEDURE
1. In the Inspector for a MIDI or instrument track, open the Expression Map 
section, open the pop-up...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Creating and editing expression maps
786
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 expressio n  m ap .  T h i s m ak e s  i t  v e r y  e as y  t o  s e t 
up expression maps for the instruments you often work with.
PROCEDURE
1. Load the VST instrument you want to use and assign it to a MIDI or instrument 
track.
2. Select the...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Creating and editing expression maps
787
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...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Creating and editing expression maps
788
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,...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Creating and editing expression maps
789
Type
In 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).
Description
Here, 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...

Expression maps (Cubase Pro only)
Creating and editing expression maps
790
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....