Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual
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MIDI realtime parameters and effects The Inspector sections 651 Setting up ranges PROCEDURE 1. Open the Range pop-up menu and select one of the following four modes: 2. Use the two fields to the right to set the minimum and maximum values. These values will be shown as numbers (0 to 127) for the velocity modes and as note numbers (C-2 to G8) for the pitch modes. NOTE Note that you can make independent settings for the two Range functions. To deactivate the Range function, open the Range pop-up menu(s) and select “OFF”. MIDI Fader section This contains a single channel, allowing you to set volume, pan, mute/solo and other parameters for the track, and a panel view of the active sends/inserts. This is a “mirror” of the track’s channel in the MixConsole. Notepad section This is a standard notepad, allowing you to enter notes and comments about the track. Each track has its own notepad in the Inspector. Mode Description Vel. Limit This function affects all velocity values outside the specified range. Velocity values below the Min setting (the lower limit of the range) are set to the Min value, and velocity values above the Max setting are set to the Max value. Notes with velocity values within the set range are not affected. Use this if you want to force all velocity values to fit within a certain range. Vel. Filter Velocity Filter works by excluding all notes with velocity values outside the specified range. Notes with velocity values below the Min setting or above the Max setting will not be played back. Use this to “isolate” notes with certain velocity values. Note Limit This function allows you to specify a pitch range, and forces all notes to fit within this range. Notes outside the specified range are transposed up or down in octave steps until they fit within the range.Note: If the range is too “narrow”, so that some notes cannot be fit within the range by octave-transposing, these notes will get a pitch in the middle of the range. For example, if you have a note with a pitch of F3, and the range is C4-E4, that note will be transposed to D4. Note FilterNote Filter works by excluding all notes with pitches outside the specified range. Notes lower than the Min setting or higher than the Max setting will not be played back. Use this to “isolate” notes with certain pitches.
MIDI realtime parameters and effects MIDI effects 652 VST Instrument section If the MIDI track is routed to a VST instrument, a new section will appear at the bottom of the Inspector, labeled with the name of the VST instrument. Clicking this section shows a duplicate of the Inspector settings for the VST instrument channel. This makes it easy to adjust the channel settings for the VST instrument while you are editing the MIDI track. • If multiple outputs for a VST instrument are activated, there is a setting called “Output” at the top of the VST Instrument section. New sections will also be added in the following cases: • When a MIDI track is routed to an external instrument or effect that has an associated MIDI Device. In this case, the new section will get the name of the device. • When a MIDI track is routed to an effect plug-in that also receives audio data, i. e . t h a t i s u s e d a s a n i n s e r t e f f e c t f o r a n a u d i o t r a c k ( e . g. MIDI Gate), a section for this audio track appears in the MIDI track inspector. • If a MIDI track is routed to a plug-in assigned to an FX channel track, an FX section is added to the Inspector. NOTE For an easy way to combine MIDI and VST instruments, check out instrument tracks. RELATED LINKS VST Instruments on page 599 Device Panel section (Cubase Pro only) This allows you to display MIDI device panels, which are control panels for external hardware. This is described in the separate PDF document “MIDI Devices”. Quick Controls section This allows you to configure quick controls, e. g. to use remote devices. RELATED LINKS Track Quick Controls on page 618 MIDI effects Cubase comes with a number of MIDI effect plug-ins, capable of transforming the MIDI output from a track in various ways.
MIDI realtime parameters and effects MIDI effects 653 Just like the MIDI modifiers, MIDI effects are applied in realtime to the MIDI data played back from the track (or to MIDI you play live “thru” the track). What are MIDI effects? Although a MIDI effect can be similar to an audio effect, it is important to remember that you are not processing the sound resulting from MIDI playback, but the MIDI data (the “instructions” for how the music is played back). A MIDI effect will change properties of the MIDI events (e. g. change the pitch of notes) and/or generate new MIDI events (for example, a MIDI delay may add new MIDI notes, “echoing” the original notes). NOTE The included MIDI effect plug-ins are described in the separate PDF document “Plug-in Reference”. Insert and send effects As with audio effects, there are two ways to route the MIDI events on a track to an effect: NOTE • If you add an insert effect, the MIDI events will be sent to the effect, which will process the data and pass it on to the track’s MIDI output (or to another insert effect). In other words, the MIDI events will be routed “through” the insert effect. • If you use a send effect, the MIDI events will be sent both to the track’s MIDI output and to the effect. That is, you will get both the unprocessed MIDI events and the output of the MIDI effect. Note that the effect can send its processed MIDI data to any MIDI output – not necessarily to the one used by the track. There are separate sections in the Inspector for MIDI inserts and MIDI sends. MIDI Inserts section This allows you to add up to four MIDI insert effects. The section contains the following items:
MIDI realtime parameters and effects MIDI effects 654 Preset Management button Click this to open the Preset Management pop-up menu that allows you to save your settings as preset or to rename or remove the current preset. Inserts State indicator and Bypass button The symbol on the right of the title bar is blue when an insert effect is activated. You can click the symbol to bypass all insert effects for the track. Effect selection pop-up menu (x4) Selecting an effect from this pop-up menu automatically activates it and brings up its control panel (which can be a separate window or a number of settings below the insert slot in the Inspector).To remove an insert effect completely, select “No Effect”. On button (x4) Allows you to turn the selected effect on or off. Edit button (x4) Click this to bring up the control panel for the selected effect. Depending on the effect, this may appear in a separate window or below the insert slot in the Inspector. Clicking the button again hides the control panel. NOTE Effects that display their controls in the Inspector can be opened in a separate control panel window by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and clicking the Edit button. MIDI Sends section This allows you to add up to four MIDI send effects. Unlike audio send effects, you can select and activate send effects individually for each track. The section contains the following items: Sends State indicator and Bypass button The symbol on the right of the title bar is blue when a send effect is activated. You can click the symbol to bypass all send effects for the track.
MIDI realtime parameters and effects MIDI effects 655 Effect selection pop-up menu (x4) Selecting an effect from this pop-up menu automatically activates it and brings up its control panel (which can be a separate window or a number of settings below the send slot in the Inspector).To remove a send effect completely, select “No Effect”. On button (x4) Allows you to turn the selected effect on or off. Pre/Post button (x4) If this is activated, the MIDI signals will be sent to the send effects before the MIDI modifiers and insert effects. Edit button (x4) Click this to bring up the control panel for the selected effect. Depending on the effect, this may appear in a separate window or below the sends slot in the Inspector. Clicking the button again hides the control panel. Output pop-up menu (x4) This determines to which MIDI output the effect will send the processed MIDI events. Channel setting (x4) This determines on which MIDI channel the effect will send the processed MIDI events. NOTE Effects that display their controls in the Inspector can be opened in a separate control panel window by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and clicking the Edit button. About presets Several of the MIDI plug-ins come with a number of presets for instant use.
MIDI realtime parameters and effects MIDI effects 656 1) MIDI In and Out activity indicators 2) Save and Remove Preset buttons • To load a preset, select it from the Presets pop-up menu of the plug-in. • To save your current settings as a preset, click on the “+” button (“Save Preset”) to the right of the Presets menu. You will be asked to specify a name for the preset. The saved preset will then be available for selection from the pop-up menu for all instances of that MIDI plug-in, in all projects. • To remove a preset, select it and click on the “-” button (“Remove Preset”). At the left and right borders of the Presets pop-up menu you will also find MIDI In and Out activity indicators. Whenever the plug-in receives or transmits MIDI data, the left or the right indicator will light up, respectively. Applying a MIDI insert effect – an example Here is a step-by-step example of how to add a MIDI insert effect to a MIDI track: PROCEDURE 1. Select the MIDI track and open the Inspector. 2. Open the MIDI Inserts tab in the Inspector. Alternatively you can use the MixConsole: activate the Channel Racks and select “Inserts”. 3. Click in one of the insert slots to open the MIDI effect pop-up menu. 4. Select the desired MIDI effect from the pop-up menu. The effect is automatically activated (the power button for the insert slot lights up) and its control panel appears, either in a separate window or in the MIDI Inserts section below the slot (depending on the effect). Now all MIDI from the track will be routed through the effect.
MIDI realtime parameters and effects MIDI effects 657 5. Use the control panel to make settings for the effect. All included MIDI effects are described in the separate PDF document “Plug-in Reference”. • You can bypass the insert effect by clicking its power button (above the insert slot). • To bypass all insert effects for the MIDI track, use the bypass button in the MIDI Inserts section in the Inspector, in the MixConsole toolbar or in the track list. • To remove an insert effect, click in its slot and select “No Effect”. Recording a MIDI Insert Effect You can record the output of a MIDI insert effect, that is, the events are created directly on a MIDI or instrument track. PROCEDURE 1. Select Project > Add Track > Instrument. 2. In the Add Instrument Track dialog, select a VST instrument. 3. On the Instrument track, activate Record Enable. 4. In the Inspector, select MIDI Inserts. 5. Click the first insert effect slot and select a MIDI insert effect. 6. Activate the Record Output to Track button above the insert effect slot. 7. Activate Record and use your MIDI keyboard or the virtual keyboard to play some notes. The notes are modified by the MIDI insert effect and recorded directly on the track. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can edit the recorded MIDI events, in the Key Editor, for example.
658 Using MIDI devices The MIDI Device Manager allows you to specify and set up your MIDI devices, making global control and patch selection easy. But the MIDI Device Manager also features powerful editing functions that can be used to create MIDI device panels (Cubase Pro only). MIDI device panels are internal representations of external MIDI hardware, complete with graphics. The MIDI device panel editor provides all the tools you need to create device maps where every parameter of an external device (and even an internal device like a VST instrument) can be controlled and automated from inside Cubase. For additional information on how to create panels for VST instruments, see the separate PDF document “MIDI Devices”. RELATED LINKS About Device panels (Cubase Pro only) on page 668 MIDI devices – general settings and patch handling On the following pages, we will describe how to install and set up preset MIDI devices, and how to select patches by name from within Cubase. For a description on how to create a MIDI device from scratch, please refer to the separate PDF document “MIDI Devices”. About Program Change and Bank Select To instruct a MIDI instrument to select a certain patch (sound), you send a MIDI Program Change message to the instrument. Program Change messages can be recorded or entered in a MIDI part like other events, but you can also enter a value in the Program Selector field in the Inspector for a MIDI track. This way, you can quickly set each MIDI track to play a different sound. With Program Change messages, you are able to select between 128 different patches in your MIDI device. However, many MIDI instruments contain a larger number of patch locations. To make these available from within Cubase, you need to use Bank Select messages, a system in which the programs in a MIDI instrument are divided into banks, each bank containing 128 programs. If your instruments support MIDI Bank Select, you can use the Bank Selector field in the Inspector to select a bank, and then the Program Selector field to select a program in this bank.
Using MIDI devices MIDI devices – general settings and patch handling 659 Unfortunately, different instrument manufacturers use different schemes for how Bank Select messages are constructed, which can lead to some confusion and make it hard to select the correct sound. Also, selecting patches by numbers this way seems unnecessarily cumbersome, when most instruments use names for their patches nowadays. To help with this, you can use the MIDI Device Manager to specify which MIDI instruments you have connected by selecting from a vast list of existing devices or by specifying the details yourself. Once you have specified which MIDI devices you are using, you can select to which particular device each MIDI track is routed. It is then possible to select patches by name in the track list or Inspector. Opening the MIDI Device Manager Select MIDI Device Manager from the Devices menu to bring up the following window: MIDI Device Manager dialog in Cubase Pro.
Using MIDI devices MIDI devices – general settings and patch handling 660 MIDI Device Manager dialog in Cubase Artist. Installed Devices List of connected MIDI devices. The first time you open the MIDI Device Manager, this list will be empty. Install Device/Remove Device Use these buttons to install/remove devices. Export Setup/Import Setup Use these buttons to import/export XML Device setups. Open Device (Cubase Pro only) This button opens the selected device. Output Here you specify to which MIDI output the selected device is connected. Commands (Cubase Artist only) This pop-up menu lets you edit the selected device (provided that “Enable Edit” is ticked). The patch structure for the selected device is shown on the left side of the dialog. MIDI Messages (Cubase Artist only) This area on the right side of the dialog shows exactly which MIDI messages are sent out to select the patch highlighted in the list to the left. When you open the MIDI Device Manager for the first time, it will be empty (because you have not installed any devices yet). On the following pages we describe how to add a pre-configured MIDI device to the list, how to edit the settings and how to define a device from scratch.