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Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual

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    of 1346
    							VST Instruments
    Import and Export Options
    611
    Filtering According to Media Type on page 530
    Exporting MIDI Loops
    You can export MIDI loops to save a MIDI part together with its instrument and 
    effect settings. This allows you to reproduce patterns that you created without 
    having to search for the correct sound, style, or effect.
    PROCEDURE
    1. Select an instrument part.
    2. Select File > Export > MIDI Loop.
    A file dialog opens.
    3. In the New MIDI Loop section, enter a name for the MIDI loop.
    4. Optional: To save attributes for the MIDI loop, click the button below the New 
    MIDI Loop section at the bottom left.
    The Attribute Inspector section opens, allowing you to define attributes for your MIDI 
    loop.
    5. Click OK to close the dialog and save the MIDI loop.
    RESULT 
    MIDI Loop files are saved in the following folder:
    Windows: \Users\\AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\MIDI 
    Loops
    Mac: /Users//Library/Application 
    Support/Steinberg/MIDI Loops/
    The default folder cannot be changed. However, you can create subfolders within 
    this folder to organize your MIDI loops. To create a subfolder, click the New Folder 
    button in the Save MIDI Loop dialog.
    Exporting Instrument Tracks as MIDI File
    You can export instrument tracks as standard MIDI files.
    NOTE
    As there is no MIDI patch information in an instrument track, this information is 
    missing in the resulting MIDI file.
    NOTE
    If you activate Export Inspector Volume/Pan, volume and pan information of the 
    VST instrument are converted and written into the MIDI file as controller data.
    RELATED LINKS
    Exporting MIDI files on page 1021 
    						
    							VST Instruments
    External Instruments (Cubase Pro only)
    612
    External Instruments (Cubase Pro only)
    An external instrument bus is an input (return) to your audio hardware, along with a 
    MIDI connection via Cubase and few additional settings. External instrument 
    busses are created in the VST Connections window. All external instrument busses 
    that you have created will appear on the VST Instrument pop-up menus and can 
    be selected in the same way as any VST instrument plug-in.
    If you select an external instrument, you play it via MIDI as usual (you have to create 
    a MIDI device to play it) and the sound (synth audio output) will come in to the VST 
    environment where you can apply processing, etc.
    RELATED LINKS
    Setting Up External Instruments on page 37 
    						
    							613
    Installing and Managing 
    Plug-ins
    Installing VST plug-ins
    Cubase supports the VST 2 and VST 3 plug-in standards. You can install effects 
    and instruments that comply with these formats.
    A plug-in is a piece of software that adds a specific functionality to Cubase. The 
    audio effects and instruments that are used in Cubase are VST plug-ins.
    NOTE
    If an effect or instrument plug-in has its own installation application, you should use 
    this. Dragging an already installed plug-in to a different location may lead to 
    problems. As a general rule, always read the documentation or readme files before 
    installing new plug-ins.
    Cubase comes with a number of effect plug-ins included. These effects and their 
    parameters are described in the separate PDF document Plug-in Reference.
    Installing VST 3 Plug-ins on Mac OS X Systems
    To install a VST 3.x plug-in on a Mac OS X system, quit Cubase and drag the 
    plug-in file into one of the following folders:
    • /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
    This is only possible if you are the system administrator. Plug-ins that are 
    installed in this folder are available to all users, for all programs that support 
    VST 3.
    • /Users//Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
     is the name you use to log on to the computer. The easiest way 
    to open this folder is to open your Home folder and use the path 
    /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/ from there. Plug-ins that are 
    installed in this folder are only available to you.
    When you scan for newly installed plug-ins, or relaunch Cubase, the new effects 
    appear on the effect selectors. In the VST 3 protocol, the effect category, subfolder 
    structure, etc. are built-in and cannot be changed. Therefore, you find the effects in 
    the corresponding category folders. 
    						
    							Installing and Managing Plug-ins
    Plug-in Manager
    614
    Installing VST 2 Plug-ins on Mac OS X Systems
    To install a VST 2.x plug-in on Mac OS X systems, quit Cubase and drag the plug-in 
    file to one of the following folders:
    • Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/
    This is only possible if you are the system administrator. Plug-ins that are 
    installed in this folder are available to all users, for all programs that support 
    VST 2.x.
    • user name>/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/
     is the name you use to log on to the computer. The easiest way 
    to open this folder is to go to your Home folder and use the path 
    /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/ from there. Plug-ins that are installed 
    in this folder are only available to you.
    When you scan for newly installed plug-ins, or relaunch Cubase, the new effects 
    appear on the effect selectors.
    Installing VST 3 Plug-ins on Windows Systems
    On Windows systems, VST 3 plug-ins are installed by dragging the files with the 
    extension .vst3 into the VST3 folder in the Cubase application folder. When you 
    scan for newly installed plug-ins, or relaunch Cubase, the new effects appear on 
    the effect selectors. In the VST 3 protocol, the effect category, subfolder structure, 
    etc. are built-in and cannot be changed. Therefore, you find the new effects in the 
    corresponding category folders.
    Installing VST 2 Plug-ins on Windows Systems
    On Windows systems, VST 2.x plug-ins are installed by dragging the files with the 
    extension .dll into the Vstplugins folder in the Cubase application folder, or into 
    the Shared VST Plug-ins folder (Windows 32
     bit only). When you scan for 
    newly installed plug-ins, or relaunch Cubase, the new effects appear on the effect 
    selectors.
    Plug-in Manager
    The Plug-in Manager provides lists of the effects and VST instruments that are 
    installed on your computer. These lists are used in the selectors for VST instruments 
    and effects.
    The Plug-in Manager allows you to do the following:
    • You can view lists of all effects and VST instruments that are loaded by 
    Cubase when you launch the program. 
    						
    							Installing and Managing Plug-ins
    Plug-in Manager
    615
    The lists of all effects or VST instruments are created automatically every time 
    you start Cubase. You can also initiate a rescan at any time. This ensures that 
    these lists are always up-to-date.
    • You can create your own lists of effects or instruments for use in the selectors 
    for effects or instruments. User-defined lists are called collections.
    Collections allow you to create sub-sets of the available effects or 
    instruments, for example, to give you a better overview of the effects used in 
    a project.
    NOTE
    If an installed effect or instrument cannot be loaded by Cubase, it does not 
    appear in the list of all effects or instruments. Also, the effect or instrument is 
    grayed out in any collections in which it is included. For example, this can 
    happen if a copy-protection dongle required to run the effect or instrument is 
    missing, or after deinstallation of a plug-in.
    Plug-in Manager Window
    You can manage your effects and VST instruments in the Plug-in Manager window.
    • To open the Plug-in Manager window, select Devices > Plug-in Manager.
    The Plug-in Manager window shows the following:
    VST Effects/VST Instruments
    Open these tabs to see lists of all VST effects and VST instruments that were 
    loaded by Cubase when you launched the program. 
    						
    							Installing and Managing Plug-ins
    Plug-in Manager616
    Collection listBy default, the window section to the right shows the  Defa
     ult collection, 
    which contains all effects or VST instru ments currently loaded by the program. 
    The  Default  collection cannot be changed.
    You can compile your own collections of effects or VST instruments by 
    clic
     king  New Collection  and dragging and dropping  items from the list of all 
    effects or VST instruments to the collection list.
    Collections are shown in the selectors for effects/VST instruments, and all 
    c
     hanges made to collections in the  Plug-in Manager are immediately 
    reflected in the selectors.
    Enter the name of a plug-in in the search  field. The list of all effects or VST 
    instruments is filtered to show only  those plug-ins whose names contain the 
    text that you entered.
    The  Toggle list to show all/show only FX/VSTi not in current collection  
    button allows you to filter the lists of  all effects or VST instruments to show 
    either all loaded plug-ins, or only those that are not part of the current 
    collection.
    The  New Folder  button allows you to create a new folder in the current 
    collection.
    The  Delete  button allows you to delete the selected item in the current 
    collection.
    The  New Collection  button allows you to create a new collection.
    To create a new, empty list, select  Em
     pty. To create a new collection based 
    on the list of all effect, select  Add All Plug-ins. To create a new collection 
    based on the current collection, select  Add Current Collection.
    The User Collections  drop-down menu allows you to select a different 
    collection, and to rename or delete the current collection.
    To remove unavailable plug-ins from all collections, select  Remove 
    U
     navailable Plug-ins from All Collections .
    The Show Plug-in Information  button opens a section at the bottom of the 
    window in which more information about the selected item is shown. If you 
    select several plug-ins, the information  for the plug-in that you have selected 
    first is shown. In this section, you  can also deactivate selected plug-ins. 
    Deactivated plug-ins are no longer available in collections. This is useful if you 
    have plug-ins installed that you do not want to use in Cubase. 
    						
    							Installing and Managing Plug-ins
    Compiling a New Effects Collection617
    The Plug-in Manager Settings  button opens a section at the bottom of the 
    window in which all current paths to VST  2 plug-ins are listed. You can add 
    or
    
     remove folder locations by usin g the corresponding buttons. Click  Rescan 
    All  to rescan your computer for plug-ins.
    R
    ELATED LINKS
    Plug-in Manager on  page 614
    Compiling a New Effects Collection
    You can create a new collection of effects or VST instruments for use in the plug-in 
    selectors.
    P
    REREQUISITE 
    A number of effect plug-ins is correctl y installed on your computer, and these 
    plug-ins are listed on the  VST Effects tab of the Plug-in Manager  window.
    PROCEDURE
    1. In the Plug-in Manager  window, click the New Collection  button and do one 
    of the following:
    • To create a new collection based on the list of all effects, select  Add All 
    Plug-ins .
    • To create a new collection based on the current collection, select Copy  Curren
     t Collection.
    2. Enter a name for the new collection and click  OK.
    3. Drag items from the list of all effects and drop them to the new collection. A  blue line 
     indicates the drop position.
    • Click the  New Folder button to create folders and  place items directly in them.
    • You can drag items to new positions within the collection.
    • Drag items from the collection list to the list of all plug-ins to delete them, or 
    select items and click  Delete.
    RESULT 
    The new collection is saved automatically.
    The procedure is the same for compiling collections of VST instruments.
    In the plug-in selectors, found, for example, in the  Pr
     oject window > track 
    inspector > Inserts tab, collections are available as tabs at the top of the selector. 
    						
    							618
    Track Quick Controls
    Cubase can give you instant access to up to 8 different parameters, for example, 
    track, effect, or instrument controls. This is done with the aid of the Quick Controls, 
    set up on the Quick Controls tab in the Inspector for the corresponding track.
    The Quick Controls tab can be used as a kind of track control center, an area in 
    which your most important parameters are assembled in one place. This saves you 
    from having to click your way through the various windows and sections pertaining 
    to your track.
    Cubase also allows you to assign these Quick Controls very quickly to an external 
    remote control device. This does not only give you manual control of your most 
    important track parameters, but also allows you to conveniently use an external MIDI 
    device such as a foot controller to control effect parameters.
    • Quick Control assignments are saved with the current project.
    • Since Quick Control settings are part of the track setup, you can save them 
    as track presets, allowing you to re-use your settings across different 
    projects.
    • You can automate the parameter settings on the Quick Controls tab using 
    the Read/Write buttons (R and W).
    • You can also assign parameters to Quick Controls in the MixConsole.
    RELATED LINKS
    Track Presets on page 160
    Automation on page 576
    Channel Racks on page 300 
    						
    							Track Quick Controls
    Assigning Parameters to Quick Controls
    619
    Assigning Parameters to Quick Controls
    The Quick Controls tab shows eight slots, one for each quick control. To start with, 
    these slots are empty. Parameters can be assigned manually or retrieved automatically.
    1) QC Learn Mode
    2) Get default QCs from Plug-in
    3) Remove all QC Assignments
    Assignment via the Learn Function
    Using the QC Learn Mode button on the Quick Controls tab in the Inspector, you 
    can assign a parameter by moving the corresponding control.
    This procedure applies to all automatable controls.
    PROCEDURE
    1. In the Inspector for your track, open the Quick Controls tab.
    2. Activate QC Learn Mode.
    3. Select the slot to which you want to assign a parameter.
    4. Use the desired control.
    Assignment via Plug-in Panels
    You can assign effect parameters to Quick Control slots directly from within plug-in 
    panels.
    You can assign an effect parameter either to the next empty slot or to a specific 
    Quick Control slot.
    NOTE
    These options are only available for VST 3 plug-ins that support this function. 
    						
    							Track Quick Controls
    Assigning Parameters to Quick Controls
    620
    PROCEDURE
    • Right-click the parameter.
    • To assign the parameter to the next empty slot, select Add “x” to Quick 
    Controls (where x is the name of the parameter).
    • To assign the parameter to a specific slot, select Add “x” to Quick Controls 
    Slot (where x is the name of the parameter). Then select the slot from the 
    submenu.
    Assigning Parameters from Racks or Channel Settings
    You can assign several parameters to Quick Control slots directly from within racks 
    or channel settings in the MixConsole.
    Some specific racks and channel settings allow you to add several parameters 
    directly to the Quick Controls tab in the Inspector.
    • Pre (Filters/Gain/Phase)
    •Equalizers
    • Channel Strip
    You can assign an effect parameter either to the next empty slot or to a specific 
    Quick Control slot.
    NOTE
    These options are only available for VST 3 plug-ins that support this function.
    PROCEDURE
    • Right-click the parameter.
    • To assign the parameter to the next empty slot, select Add “x” to Quick 
    Controls (where x is the name of the parameter).
    • To assign the parameter to a specific slot, select Add “x” to Quick Controls 
    Slot (where x is the name of the parameter). Then select the slot from the 
    submenu.
    RELATED LINKS
    Track Quick Controls on page 618 
    						
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