Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual
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![Page 210
210
Virtual Keyboard
The Virtual Keyboard allows you to play and record MIDI notes by using your
computer keyboard or mouse. This is useful if you have no external MIDI instrument
at hand and you do not want to draw in notes with the Draw tool.
When the Virtual Keyboard is displayed, the usual key commands are blocked
because they are reserved for the Virtual Keyboard. The only exceptions are:
• Save: [Ctrl]/[Command]-[S]
• Start/Stop Record: Num [*]
• Start/Stop Playback: [Space]
• Jump to left...](http://img.usermanuals.tech/thumb/86/98229/w64_d_1507296127-steinberg-cubase-8-manual_d-209.png "Page 210
210
Virtual Keyboard
The Virtual Keyboard allows you to play and record MIDI notes by using your
computer keyboard or mouse. This is useful if you have no external MIDI instrument
at hand and you do not want to draw in notes with the Draw tool.
When the Virtual Keyboard is displayed, the usual key commands are blocked
because they are reserved for the Virtual Keyboard. The only exceptions are:
• Save: [Ctrl]/[Command]-[S]
• Start/Stop Record: Num [*]
• Start/Stop Playback: [Space]
• Jump to left...")
![Page 214
Recording
Basic Recording Methods
214
Stopping Recording
• To stop recording and playback, click the Stop button on the Transport panel
or use the corresponding key command, by default [0] on the numeric keypad.
• To stop recording and continue playback, click the Record button or use the
corresponding key command, by default [*] on the numeric keypad.
• To stop recording automatically when the project cursor reaches the right
locator and continue playback, activate the Punch Out button on the...](http://img.usermanuals.tech/thumb/86/98229/w64_d_1507296127-steinberg-cubase-8-manual_d-213.png "Page 214
Recording
Basic Recording Methods
214
Stopping Recording
• To stop recording and playback, click the Stop button on the Transport panel
or use the corresponding key command, by default [0] on the numeric keypad.
• To stop recording and continue playback, click the Record button or use the
corresponding key command, by default [*] on the numeric keypad.
• To stop recording automatically when the project cursor reaches the right
locator and continue playback, activate the Punch Out button on the...")
Virtual Keyboard Virtual Keyboard Options 211 AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK Close the virtual keyboard to make all key commands available again. Virtual Keyboard Options 1)Note Velocity Level This slider allows you to adjust the volume of the virtual keyboard. You can also use the up and down arrow keys for this. 2)Change Virtual Keyboard Display Type This button allows you to switch between computer keyboard and piano keyboard display mode. The computer keyboard mode, you can use the two rows of keys that are displayed on the Virtual Keyboard to enter notes. The piano keyboard has a wider range of keys. It allows you to enter more than one voice simultaneously. You can also use the [Tab] key for this. 3)Octave Offset These buttons allow you to switch the keyboard range to a lower or higher octave. You have seven full octaves at your disposal. You can also use the left and right arrow keys for this. 4)Pitchbend/Modulation Sliders These sliders are only available in piano keyboard mode. They allow you to introduce pitchbend and modulation. You can also click on a key, hold the mouse button pressed until the mouse pointer becomes a cross-hair cursor and drag upwards/downward to introduce modulation or drag left/right to create pitchbend.
212 Recording In Cubase, you can record audio and MIDI. This chapter assumes that you are familiar with certain basic recording concepts and that some initial preparations have been made. • Set up, connect, and calibrate your audio hardware. • Open a project and set up the project setup parameters according to your specifications. Project setup parameters determine the record format, sample rate, project length, etc. that affect the audio recordings that you make during the course of the project. • If you plan to record MIDI, set up and connect your MIDI equipment. RELATED LINKS Setting Up Audio on page 13 Setting Up MIDI on page 19 Basic Recording Methods This section describes the general recording methods. Record Enabling Tracks To be able to record, you must record-enable the tracks on which you want to record. • To record-enable a track, activate the Record Enable button in the track list, in the Inspector, or in the MixConsole. • To record-enable all audio tracks simultaneously, set up a key command for Activate Record Enable for all Audio Tracks in the Mixer category of the Key Commands dialog and use it. • To record-enable audio or MIDI tracks on selection, activate the Enable Record on Selected Audio Track or the Enable Record on Selected MIDI Track option (File > Preferences > Editing > Project & MixConsole).
Recording Basic Recording Methods 213 NOTE The exact number of audio tracks that you can record simultaneously depends on your computer CPU and hard disk performance. Activate the Warn on Processing Overloads option (File > Preferences > VST) to show a warning message as soon as the CPU overload indicator lights up during recording. RELATED LINKS Editing - Project & MixConsole on page 1061 VST on page 1082 Activating Recording You can activate recording manually or automatically. Activating Recording Manually • To activate recording, click the Record button on the Transport panel or on the toolbar. You can also use the corresponding key command, by default [*] on the numeric keypad. Recording starts from the current cursor position. NOTE When you start recording in Stop mode, you can start recording from the left locator by activating Start Record at Left Locator on the Transport menu. The pre-roll setting or the metronome count-in will be applied. Activating Recording Automatically Cubase can automatically switch from playback to recording at a given position. This is useful if you must replace a section of a recording and want to listen to what is already recorded up to the recording start position. PROCEDURE 1. Set the left locator to the position where you want to start recording. 2. Activate the Punch In button on the Transport panel. 3. Activate playback from any position before the left locator. When the project cursor reaches the left locator, recording is automatically activated.
Recording Basic Recording Methods 214 Stopping Recording • To stop recording and playback, click the Stop button on the Transport panel or use the corresponding key command, by default [0] on the numeric keypad. • To stop recording and continue playback, click the Record button or use the corresponding key command, by default [*] on the numeric keypad. • To stop recording automatically when the project cursor reaches the right locator and continue playback, activate the Punch Out button on the Transport panel. Cycle Recording You can record in a cycle, that is you can record a selected section repeatedly and seamlessly. PREREQUISITE A cycle is set up with the left and right locators. PROCEDURE 1. Click the cycle button on the Transport panel to activate cycle mode. 2. Activate recording from the left locator, before or within the cycle. As soon as the project cursor reaches the right locator, it jumps back to the left locator and continues recording a new lap. RESULT The results of cycle recording depend on the selected record mode. They also differ for audio and MIDI. RELATED LINKS Recording MIDI on page 227 Recording Audio on page 221
Recording Basic Recording Methods 215 Using Pre-Roll and Post-Roll You can set up a pre-roll and a post-roll for recording. PREREQUISITE Select File > Preferences > Transport and activate the Stop after Automatic Punch Out option. PROCEDURE 1. Set the locators to where you want to start and end recording. 2. On the Transport panel, activate Auto Punch In and Auto Punch Out. 3. Activate Use Pre-roll and Use Post-roll. 4. Specify a Pre-roll Amount and a Post-roll Amount. 5. Click Record. RESULT The project cursor rolls back and starts playback at the time that has been set as pre-roll amount. When the cursor reaches the left locator, recording is automatically activated. When the cursor reaches the right locator, recording is deactivated, and the playback continues as long as the time that has been set as post-roll amount. Common Record Modes The Common Record Modes determine what happens if you click the Record button during an audio or MIDI recording. • In the Transport panel, click the upper part of the Record Modes section to open the Common Record Modes pop-up menu. Punch In/Out In this mode, the recording is stopped. Re-Record In this mode, the recording is reinitiated, the events are removed and recording is restarted from the exact same position. Start Recording at Cursor In this mode, recording starts from the cursor position. Start Recording at Left Locator In this mode, recording starts from the left locator.
Recording Monitoring 216 Re-Recording PROCEDURE 1. Activate Transport > Re-Record. 2. Activate recording. 3. Hit the Record button again to restart recording. RESULT The project cursor jumps back to the record start position and recording is reinitiated. Pre-roll and pre-count settings are taken into account. NOTE The previous recordings are removed from the project and cannot be retrieved using Undo. However, they remain in the Pool. Monitoring In Cubase, monitoring means listening to the input signal while preparing to record or while recording. The following ways of monitoring are available. •Via Cubase. • Externally by listening to the signal before it reaches Cubase. • By using ASIO Direct Monitoring. This is a combination of both other methods. Monitoring via Cubase If you use monitoring via Cubase, the input signal is mixed with the audio playback. This requires an audio hardware configuration with a low latency value. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, activate the Monitor button. 2. In the MixConsole, adjust the monitoring level and the panning. You can add effects and EQ to the monitor signal using the track’s channel. If you are using plug-in effects with large inherent delays, the automatic delay compensation function in Cubase will increase the latency. If this is a problem, you can use the Constrain Delay Compensation function while recording.
Recording Monitoring 217 3. Select File > Preferences > VST. 4. Open the Auto Monitoring pop-up menu and select a monitoring mode. RESULT The monitored signal will be delayed according to the latency value which depends on your audio hardware and drivers. You can check the latency of your hardware in the Device Setup dialog (Device > Device Setup > VST Audio System). RELATED LINKS VST on page 1082 External Monitoring External monitoring means listening to the inp u t si gn al b e f o r e i t i s s e n t i n to Cu b as e . It requires an external mixer for mixing the audio playback with the input signal. The latency value of the audio hardware configuration does not affect the monitor signal. When using external monitoring, you cannot control the level of the monitor signal from within Cubase or add VST effects or EQ to the monitor signal. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Preferences > VST. 2. Open the Auto Monitoring pop-up menu and select Manual. 3. Deactivate the Monitor buttons in Cubase. 4. On your mixing desk or mixer application for your audio hardware, activate the Thru or Direct Thru mode to send the input audio back out again. ASIO Direct Monitoring If your audio hardware is ASIO 2.0 compatible, it may support ASIO Direct Monitoring. This feature may also be available for audio hardware with Mac OS X drivers. In ASIO Direct Monitoring mode, the monitoring is done in the audio hardware, and monitoring is controlled from Cubase. The latency value of the audio hardware configuration does not affect the monitor signal when using ASIO Direct Monitoring. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, activate the Monitor button. 2. Select Devices > Device Setup.
Recording Monitoring 218 3. In the Device Setup dialog, select your driver in the Devices list on the left to display the driver settings for your audio hardware, and activate the Direct Monitoring checkbox. If the checkbox is grayed out, your audio hardware (or its driver) does not support ASIO Direct Monitoring. Consult the audio hardware manufacturer for details. 4. Select File > Preferences > VST. 5. Open the Auto Monitoring pop-up menu and select a monitoring mode. 6. In the MixConsole, adjust the monitoring level and panning. Depending on the audio hardware, this might not be possible. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can monitor the input levels of audio tracks, that is, you can map the input bus metering to monitor-enabled audio tracks and watch the input levels of your audio tracks when working in the Project window. •Select File > Preferences > Metering and activate Map Input Bus Metering to Audio Track (in Direct Monitoring). As the tracks are mirroring the input bus signal you will see the same signal in both places. When using mapped metering, any functions that you apply to the audio track are not reflected in its meters. NOTE When using Steinberg hardware (MR816 series) in combination with ASIO Direct Monitoring, monitoring will be virtually latency-free. If you are using RME Audio Hammerfall DSP audio hardware, make sure that the pan law is set to -3 dB in the card’s preferences. NOTE With Direct Monitoring activated, Direct Routing can not be used for routing destinations 2-8. Only the Main bus can be used for Direct Monitoring. RELATED LINKS VST on page 1082 Monitoring MIDI Tracks You can monitor everything you play and record though the MIDI output and channel that are selected for the MIDI track. PREREQUISITE Local Off is activated on your MIDI instrument. PROCEDURE 1. Select File > Preferences > MIDI. 2. Make sure MIDI Thru Active is activated.
Recording Audio Recording Specifics 219 3. In the track list, activate the Monitor button. RESULT Incoming MIDI is echoed back out again. RELATED LINKS MIDI on page 1068 Audio Recording Specifics Preparations Selecting a Record File Format You can set up the record file format, that is the sample rate, bit resolution, and record file type for new audio files. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Project Setup. 2. Set up the settings for Sample Rate, Bit Resolution, and Record File Type. IMPORTANT The bit resolution and file type can be changed at any time while the sample rate of a project cannot be changed at a later stage. RELATED LINKS Creating New Projects on page 67 Setting the Audio Record Folder Each Cubase project has a project folder containing an Audio folder. By default, this is where recorded audio files are stored. However, you can select record folders independently for each audio track if needed. PROCEDURE 1. In the track list, select all tracks that you want to assign the same record folder. 2. Right-click one of the tracks to open the context menu. 3. Select Set Record Folder. A file dialog opens.
Recording Audio Recording Specifics 220 4. Navigate to the folder that you want to use as record folder or create a new folder with the New Folder button. If you want to have separate folders for different types of material (speech, ambient sounds, music, etc.), you can create subfolders within the project Audio folder and assign different tracks to different subfolders. This way, all audio files will still reside within the project folder, which will make managing the project easier. Getting the Track Ready for Recording Creating a Track and Setting the Channel Configuration PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Add Track > Audio. 2. In the Count field, enter the number of tracks that you want to add. 3. Open the Configuration pop-up menu and select a channel configuration. 4. Optional: Enter a track name. 5. Click Add Track. RELATED LINKS Add Track Dialog on page 134 RAM Requirements for Recording Each track on which you record requires a certain amount of RAM, and the memory usage increases the longer the recording lasts. For each audio channel, 2.4 MB of RAM are required for MixConsole settings, etc. The memory usage increases with the length of the recording, the sample rate, and the number of tracks you record. Consider the RAM limitation of your operating system when setting up your project for recording.