Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual
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Audio processing and functions About time stretch and pitch shift algorithms 431 NOTE In rare cases, editing warped audio events may cause discontinuities at the edit points. You can then try to move the edit point to a different position or bounce the audio event prior to editing. Reverse playback and scrubbing Most of the algorithms used for time stretching and pitch shifting only support forward playback. Reverse playback or scrubbing of warped audio events can lead to recurring artifacts in the playback. Pitch and stretch factor limitations Some algorithms may put limitations on the maximum degree of time stretching or pitch shifting supported.
432 Sample Editor Window overview The Sample Editor allows you to view and manipulate audio by cutting and pasting, removing, or drawing audio data, and by processing audio. This editing is “non-destructive”: The actual file will remain untouched so that you can undo modifications or revert to the original settings at any time. The Sample Editor also contains most of the realtime time stretching functions in Cubase. These can be used to match the tempo of audio to the project tempo. Another special feature of the Sample Editor is hitpoint detection. Hitpoints allow you to create audio slices, which can be useful in many situations, for example, if you want to change the tempo without introducing artifacts. The VariAudio features (Cubase Pro only) allow you to edit monophonic vocal recordings in pitch and time, as easily as editing MIDI in the Key Editor. In these realtime pitch modifications the transitions are kept so that the sound remains natural. The pitch detection and correction is “non-destructive”, i. e. you can always undo modifications or revert to the original versions.
Sample Editor Window overview 433 NOTE The term “loop” is used throughout this chapter and in this context usually means an audio file with a musical time base. That means that the length of the loop represents a certain number of bars and beats at a certain tempo. Playing the loop back at the right tempo in a cycle set to the correct length will produce a continuous loop without gaps. RELATED LINKS Audio processing and functions on page 401 Warping audio on page 452 Working with hitpoints and slices on page 459 VariAudio (Cubase Pro only) on page 468 Opening the Sample Editor To open the Sample Editor, double-click an audio event in the Project window or the Audio Part Editor, or double-click an audio clip in the Pool. You can have more than one Sample Editor window open at the same time. NOTE Double-clicking an audio part in the Project window opens the Audio Part Editor, even if the part contains a single audio event only. RELATED LINKS Audio Part Editor on page 492 The toolbar The toolbar contains various tools for selecting, manipulating and playing back audio, as well as options that affect the appearance and behavior of the Sample Editor. In the Musical Information section at the right of the toolbar, the estimated length of your audio file is displayed in bars and beats (PPQ) together with the estimated tempo and the time signature. These values are important for using Musical Mode. The Algorithm pop-up menu allows you to select an algorithm for the realtime time stretching. • You can customize the toolbar by right-clicking it and using the context menu to hide or show items.
Sample Editor Window overview 434 Show Audio Event When the “Show Audio Event” button is activated on the toolbar, the section corresponding to the edited event is highlighted in the waveform display and the Overview. The sections of the audio clip not belonging to the event are shown with a gray background. • You can adjust the start and end of the event in the clip by dragging the event handles in the waveform display. IMPORTANT This button is only available if you have opened the Sample Editor by double-clicking an audio event in the Project window or the Audio Part Editor. It is not available if you have opened the audio event from the Pool. Edit Active Audio Event Only (Cubase Pro only) The “Edit Active Audio Event Only” button on the toolbar lets you restrict editing operations to the active audio event. Snap The Snap function helps you to find exact positions when editing in the Sample Editor by restricting horizontal movement and positioning to certain grid positions. You turn Snap on or off by clicking the Snap button in the Sample Editor toolbar. NOTE The Sample Editor Snap function is independent of the Snap setting in the Project window toolbar or other editors. It has no effect outside the Sample Editor. Snap to Zero Crossing When this option is activated, editing is done at zero crossings (positions in the audio where the amplitude is zero). This helps you to avoid pops and clicks, which might otherwise be caused by sudden amplitude changes. NOTE The Sample Editor function “Snap to Zero Crossing” is independent of the same setting in the Project window toolbar or other editors. It has no effect outside the Sample Editor. Auto-Scroll When the Auto-Scroll option is activated on the Sample Editor toolbar, the waveform display will scroll during playback, keeping the project cursor visible in the editor. NOTE This setting is independent of the Auto-Scroll setting in the Project window toolbar or other editors.
Sample Editor Window overview 435 VariAudio Segment Colors (Cubase Pro only) You can select a color scheme for VariAudio segments on the “VariAudio Segment Colors” pop-up menu on the toolbar. When working with several audio events, this makes it easier to see which segments belong to which event. The following options are available: RELATED LINKS Musical Mode on page 451 Selecting an algorithm for realtime playback on page 451 Handling Several Audio Events (Cubase Pro only) on page 448 Chord Functions on page 814 Using the Setup options on page 1032 The info line The info line is displayed below the toolbar. It shows information about the audio clip, such as the audio format and the selection range. Option Description Auto This is the default mode. All segments belonging to the same audio event get the same color. Event The segments get the same color as the corresponding event in the Project window. Pitch The segments get different colors depending on their pitch. Chord Track Segments that match the corresponding chord or scale events on the chord track are highlighted in a special color.
Sample Editor Window overview 436 Initially, length and position values are displayed in the format specified in the Project Setup dialog. • To show or hide the info line, click the “Set up Window Layout” button on the toolbar and activate or deactivate the Info Line option. RELATED LINKS Using the Setup options on page 1032 The Sample Editor Inspector On the left in the Sample Editor, you will find the Sample Editor Inspector. It contains tools and functions for working in the Sample Editor. The Definition tab The Definition tab helps you to adjust the audio grid and define the musical context of your audio. This is useful if you have an audio loop or audio file that you want to match to the project tempo. If the Definition tab is open, a second ruler is displayed, showing the musical structure of your audio. The AudioWarp tab Disable Warp Changes The AudioWarp tab lets you perform timing settings for your audio. This includes applying swing and manually changing the rhythm of the audio by dragging beats to time positions in the grid. • If you click the “Disable Warp Changes” button, any warp modifications you have made are disabled, allowing you to compare the modified sound with the original sound of your audio. However, the display does not change. The time stretch applied by the Musical Mode is not disabled by this. “Disable Warp Changes” is deactivated when you reset your warp operations or when you close the Sample Editor. It will not be recalled when reopening the Sample Editor.
Sample Editor Window overview 437 The VariAudio tab (Cubase Pro only) Disable Pitch Changes On this tab you can edit single notes of your audio file and change their pitch and/or timing, in a way that is similar to the editing of MIDI notes. Furthermore, you can extract MIDI from your audio. • If you click the “Disable Pitch Changes” button, any pitch modifications you have made are disabled, allowing you to compare the modified sound with the original sound of your audio. However, the display does not change. “Disable Pitch Changes” is deactivated when you reset your pitch or warp operations or when you close the Sample Editor. It will not be recalled when reopening the Sample Editor. The Hitpoints tab On this tab, hitpoints can be marked and edited. Hitpoints allow you to slice your audio and to create groove quantize maps from your audio. You can also create markers, regions, events, and warp markers based on hitpoints. The Range tab On this tab you will find functions for working with ranges and selections.
Sample Editor Window overview 438 The Process tab This tab regroups the most important audio editing commands from the Audio and Edit menus. RELATED LINKS Inspector on page 50 Warping audio on page 452 Applying swing on page 456 Free Warp on page 457 Understanding the waveform display in VariAudio on page 469 Extracting MIDI on page 486 Working with hitpoints and slices on page 459 Making selections on page 444 Audio processing and functions on page 401 The overview line The overview line displays the whole clip. 1) Event Start 2) Selection 3) Event End 4) Viewing area 5) Snap Point The section currently shown in the main waveform display of the Sample Editor (the viewing area) is indicated by a rectangle in the overview line, and the current selection range is also shown. If the “Show Audio Event” button is activated on the toolbar, event start/end and snap point are shown in the overview line. • To view other sections of the clip, move the viewing area in the overview line. Click in the lower half of the viewing area and drag to the left or right to move it. • To zoom in or out, horizontally, resize the viewing area by dragging its left or right edge. • To define a new viewing area, click in the upper half of the Overview and drag a rectangle.
Sample Editor Window overview 439 The ruler The Sample Editor ruler is located between the overview line and the waveform display. When the Definition tab is open, an additional ruler displays the musical structure of the audio file. RELATED LINKS Ruler on page 48 The waveform display and the level scale The waveform display shows the waveform image of the edited audio clip according to the wave image style set in the Preferences dialog (Event Display–Audio page). To the left of the waveform display a level scale is shown, indicating the amplitude of the audio. • You can select whether the level is shown as a percentage or in dB. This is done by opening the level scale pop-up menu at the top of the level scale and selecting an option.
Sample Editor General Functions 440 • Select the “Show Half Level Axis” option on the context menu of the waveform display, if you want the half level axes to be shown. Half-level axis RELATED LINKS Event Display on page 1063 General Functions Zooming Zooming in the Sample Editor is done according to the standard zoom procedures, with the following special notes to keep in mind: • The vertical zoom slider changes the vertical scale relative to the height of the editor window, in a way similar to the waveform zooming in the Project window. • The vertical zoom will also be affected if the “Zoom Tool Standard Mode: Horizontal Zooming Only” preference (Editing–Tools page) is deactivated and you drag a rectangle with the Zoom tool. The following options relevant to the Sample Editor are available on the Zoom submenu of the Edit menu or the context menu: Zoom In Zooms in one step, centering on the position cursor. Zoom Out Zooms out one step, centering on the position cursor. Zoom Full Zooms out so that the whole clip is visible in the editor. Zoom to Selection Zooms in so that the current selection fills the editor display.