Steinberg Cubase Ai 5 Manual

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Remote controlling Cubase AI
Introduction
It is possible to control Cubase AI via MIDI. A large num-
ber of MIDI control devices is supported. This chapter de-
scribes how to set up Cubase AI for remote control. The 
supported devices are described in the separate PDF 
document “Remote Control Devices”.
There is also a Generic Remote Device option, allowing 
you to use any MIDI controller to remote control Cubase AI.
How to set this up is described in the section “The Generic Remote de-
vice” on page 163.
Setting Up
Connecting the remote device
Connect the MIDI Out on the remote unit to a MIDI In on 
your MIDI interface. Depending on the remote unit model, 
you may also need to connect a MIDI Out on the interface 
to a MIDI In on the remote unit (this is necessary if the re-
mote unit features “feedback devices” such as indicators, 
motorized faders, etc.).
If you will be recording MIDI tracks, you do not want any 
MIDI data from the remote unit to accidentally be recorded 
as well. To avoid this, you should also make the following 
setting:
1.Open the Device Setup dialog from the Devices menu.
2.Select “MIDI Port Setup” in the list to the left.
3.Check the table to the right and locate the MIDI input 
to which you have connected the MIDI remote unit.
4.Deactivate the checkbox in the “In ‘All MIDI Inputs’” 
column for that input, so that the State column reads “In-
active”.
5.Click OK to close the Device Setup dialog.
Now you have removed the remote unit input from the “All 
MIDI Inputs” group. This means that you can record MIDI 
tracks with the “All MIDI Inputs” port selected without risk-
ing to record the data from the remote unit at the same time.
Selecting a remote device
1.Pull down the Devices menu and select Device Setup.
A dialog window opens with a list of device categories and devices shown 
in the left part of the window. 
2.If you cannot find the remote device you are looking 
for, click on the plus sign in the top left corner and select 
the device from the pop-up menu.
The selected device is added to the Devices list.
Note that it is possible to select more than one remote 
device of the same type.
If you have more than one remote device of the same type, these will be 
numbered in the Devices list. For example, to be able to use a Mackie 
Control Extender, you must install a second Mackie control device.
3.Now select your MIDI control device model from the 
Devices list.
Depending on the selected device, either a list of programmable function 
commands or a blank panel is shown in the right half of the dialog window.
A Yamaha 01x selected as remote control device.
4.Select the correct MIDI input from the pop-up menu.
If necessary, select the correct MIDI output from the pop-up menu.
5.Click OK to close the dialog.
You can now use the MIDI control device to move faders and knobs, ac-
tivate Mute and Solo, etc. The exact parameter configuration depends on 
which external MIDI control device you are using. 
						

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In the Project window (Track list) and the mixer (bottom 
of channel strips) you will now see white stripes indicating 
which channels are currently linked to the remote control 
device.
Audio 01 can be remote controlled, while Audio 02 is not linked to the 
remote control device. 
Operations
Global options for remote controllers
In the Device Setup dialog, on the page for your remote 
device, some (or all) of the following global functions may 
be available (depending on your remote device):
Writing automation using remote controls
Automating the mixer using a remote control device is done 
in the same way as when you operate on-screen controls in 
Write mode. However, when it comes to replacing existing 
automation data, there is one important difference:
If you activate Write mode and move a control on the re-
mote control device, all data for the corresponding para-
meter is replaced from the position where you moved the 
control, up until the position where playback is stopped!
In other words, as soon as you move a control in Write mode, it remains 
“active” until you stop playback. The reason for this is explained below.
As a consequence, an additional precaution must be taken:
Make sure you move only the controller you want to re-
place!
In order to replace existing automation data for a control, 
the computer needs to know how long the user actually 
“grabbed” or used the control. When doing this “on 
screen”, the program simply detects when the mouse but-
ton is pressed and released. When you are using an exter-
nal remote control device, however, there is no mouse 
button involved, and Cubase AI cannot tell whether you 
“grab and hold” a fader, or simply move it and release it. 
Instead, you have to indicate that you have “released” the 
control by stopping playback.!Sometimes communication between Cubase AI and 
a remote device is interrupted or the handshaking 
protocol fails to create a connection. To re-establish 
communication with any device in the Devices list, 
select it and click the Reset button in the Device 
Setup dialog. Also, the “Send Reset Message to all 
Devices” button at the top of the dialog will reset ev-
ery device in the Devices list.
Option Description
Reset This allows you to revert to the factory default settings for 
the remote device.
Bank If your remote device contains several banks, you can se-
lect the bank you want to use on this pop-up menu. 
The bank you select here will be the one used by default 
when Cubase AI is launched.
Smart Switch 
DelaySome of the Cubase AI functions (e. g. Solo and Mute) 
support the so called “smart switch” behavior: In addition 
to regular activation/deactivation of a function by clicking 
a button, you can also activate the function for as long as 
the button is pressed. Upon releasing the mouse button, 
the function is deactivated. 
This pop-up menu allows you to specify how long a button 
must be pressed before it goes into “smart switch” mode. 
When “Off” is selected, the “smart switch” function is de-
activated in Cubase AI.
!The above does not apply to the Mackie Control or 
any other remote control device with touch sensitive 
controls. These devices will stop writing as they have 
touch sensitive faders, which means that they stop 
writing as soon as you release the fader.
!This is only relevant when you are using a remote con-
trol device and Write mode is activated in the mixer. 
						

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Remote controlling Cubase AI
Assigning remote key commands
For some of the supported remote devices, you can assign 
any Cubase AI function (to which a key command can be 
assigned) to generic buttons, wheels or other controls. As 
of this writing, these devices are:

 Yamaha 01x
 Yamaha DM 2000v2
 Yamaha DM 1000v2

Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Device Setup dialog and select one of the 
remote devices that support this feature.
On the right side of the window you will find a three column table. This is 
where you assign commands.
2.Use the “Button” column to locate a remote device con-
trol or button to which you wish to assign a Cubase AI func-
tion.
3.Click in the “Category” column for the control, and se-
lect one of the Cubase AI function categories from the 
pop-up menu.
4.Click in the “Command” column, and select the desired 
Cubase AI function from the pop-up menu.
The available items on the pop-up menu depend on the selected category.
5.Click “Apply” when you are done.
The selected function is now assigned to the button or 
control on the remote device.
A note about remote controlling MIDI tracks
While most remote control devices will be able to control 
both MIDI and audio channels in Cubase AI, the parame-
ter setup may be different. For example, audio-specific 
controls (such as EQ) will be disregarded when control-
ling MIDI channels.
The Generic Remote device
If you have a generic MIDI controller, you can use this for 
remote control of Cubase AI by setting up the Generic 
Remote device:
1.Open the Device Setup dialog on the Devices menu.
If the Generic Remote device is not on the Devices list, you need to add it.
2.Click the “+” sign in the top left corner and select the 
“Generic Remote” device from the pop-up menu.
When the Generic Remote device is added in the Device 
Setup dialog, you can open the corresponding window by 
selecting “Generic Remote” from the Devices menu.
The Generic Remote window
3.Select the Generic Remote device in the Devices list 
to the left.
The settings for the Generic Remote device are displayed, allowing you 
to specify which control on your device should control which parameter 
in Cubase AI.
4.Use the MIDI Input and Output pop-up menus to se-
lect the MIDI port(s) to which your remote device is con-
nected. 
						

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5.Use the pop-up menu to the right to select a bank.
Banks are combinations of a certain number of channels, and are used be-
cause most MIDI devices can control only a limited number of channels at 
a time (often 8 or 16). For example, if your MIDI control device has 16 vol-
ume faders, and you are using 32 mixer channels in Cubase AI, you would 
need two banks of 16 channels each. When the first bank is selected you 
control channel 1 to 16; when the second Bank is selected you control 
channel 17 to 32. Since you can control Transport functions as well, you 
may need several banks.
6.Set up the table at the top according to the controls 
on your MIDI control device.
The columns have the following functionality:
If you find that the table at the top holds too many or too 
few controls, you can add or remove controls with the Add 
and Delete buttons to the right of the table.If you are uncertain of which MIDI message a certain 
controller sends, you can use the Learn function.
Select the control in the upper table (by clicking in the Control Name co-
lumn), move the corresponding control on your MIDI device and click the 
Learn button to the right of the table. The MIDI Status, MIDI Channel and 
Address values are automatically set to those of the moved control.
7.Use the table at the bottom to specify which Cubase 
AI parameters you want to control.
Each row in the table is associated to the controller in the corresponding 
row in the first table (as indicated by the Control Name column). The 
other columns have the following functionality:
8.If necessary, make settings for another bank.
Note that you only need to make settings in the bottom table for this bank. 
The table at the top is already set up according to the MIDI remote device.
If necessary, you can add banks by clicking the Add 
button below the Bank pop-up.
Clicking the Rename button allows you to assign a new name to the cur-
rently selected bank, and you can remove an unneeded bank by selecting it 
and clicking the Delete button.
Column Description
Control  Name Double-clicking this field allows you to enter a descriptive 
name for the control (typically a name written on the con-
sole). This name is automatically reflected in the Control 
Name column in the lower table.
MIDI Status Clicking in this column pulls down a pop-up menu, allow-
ing you to specify the type of MIDI message sent by the 
control. The options are Controller, Program Change, Note 
On, Note Off, Aftertouch and Polyphonic Pressure. Also 
available are Continuous Control NRPN and RPN, a way 
to extend the available control messages. The “Ctrl JLCoo-
per” option is a special version of a Continuous Controller 
where the 3rd byte of a MIDI message is used as address 
instead of the 2nd byte (a method supported by various 
JL-Cooper remote devices).
MIDI Channel Clicking in this column opens a pop-up menu, allowing 
you to select the MIDI channel on which the controller is 
transmitted.
Address The Continuous Controller number, the pitch of a note or 
the address of a NRPN/RPN Continuous Controller.
Max. Value The maximum value the control will transmit. This value is 
used by the program to “scale” the value range of the MIDI 
controller to the value range of the program parameter.
Flags Clicking in this column pulls down a pop-up menu, allow-
ing you to activate or deactivate three flags:
Receive – activate this if the MIDI message should be 
processed on reception.
Transmit – activate this if a MIDI message should be trans-
mitted when the corresponding value in the program 
changes.
Relative – activate this if the control is an “endless” rotary 
encoder, which reports the number of turns instead of an 
absolute value.Column Description
Device Clicking in this column pulls down a pop-up menu, used 
for determining which device in Cubase AI should be 
controlled. The special option “Command” allows you to 
perform certain command actions by remote control. One 
example of this is the selection of remote banks.
Channel/
CategoryThis is where you select the channel to be controlled or, if 
the “Command” Device option is selected, the Command 
category.
Value/Action Clicking in this column pulls down a pop-up menu, allow-
ing you to select the parameter of the channel to be 
controlled (typically, if the “VST Mixer” Device option is 
selected you can choose between volume, pan, send 
levels, EQ, etc.).
If the “Command” Device option is selected, this is where 
you specify the “Action” of the category.
Flags Clicking in this column pulls down a pop-up menu, allow-
ing you to activate or deactivate three flags:
Push Button – When activated, the parameter is only 
changed if the received MIDI message shows a value 
unequal to 0.
Toggle – When activated, the parameter value is switched 
between minimum and maximum value each time a MIDI 
message is received. The combination of Push Button and 
Toggle is useful for remote controls which do not latch the 
state of a button. One example is controlling mute status 
with a device on which pressing the Mute button turns it 
on, and releasing the Mute button turns it off. If Push But-
ton and Toggle are activated, the Mute status will change 
between on and off whenever the button is pressed on the 
console.
Not Automated – When activated, the parameter will not 
be automated.  
						

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9.When you are finished, close the Device Setup window.
Now, you can control the specified Cubase AI parameters from the MIDI 
remote device. To select another bank, use the pop-up menu in the Re-
mote Status window (or use a control on the MIDI remote device, if you 
have assigned one for this).
Importing and exporting remote setups
The Export button in the top right corner of the Generic 
Remote Setup window allows you to export the current 
setup, including the Control configuration (the table at the 
top) and all banks. The setup is saved as a file (with the file 
extension “.xml”). Clicking the Import button allows you to 
import saved remote setup files.
The last imported or exported remote setup will auto-
matically be loaded when the program starts or the Ge-
neric Remote control is added in the Device Setup dialog.
Apple Remote (Macintosh only)
Many Apple computers come with an Apple Remote Con-
trol, a small hand-held device akin to TV remote controls. It 
allows you to remotely control certain features in Cubase 
AI.
1.Open the Device Setup dialog and select Apple Re-
mote Control from the Add Device pop-up.
2.In the list on the right, the Apple Remote’s buttons are 
listed. For each button you can open a pop-up menu from 
which you can select a Cubase AI parameter.
The parameter you select will be assigned to the corresponding button 
on the Apple Remote.
By default, the Apple Remote always controls the applica-
tion that currently has the focus on your Macintosh com-
puter (provided that this application supports the Apple 
Remote).
When the option “Disable when application is not in 
front” is not selected, the Apple Remote will control Cu-
base AI even if it does not have the focus. 
						

							17
MIDI realtime parameters 
						

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MIDI realtime parameters
Introduction
For each MIDI track, you can set up a number of track pa-
rameters, or modifiers. These affect how the MIDI data is 
played back, “transforming” MIDI events in realtime before 
they are sent to the MIDI outputs.
On the following pages, the available parameters are de-
scribed. Keep in mind:
 The actual MIDI events will not be affected – the changes 
happen “on the fly”.
 Since the modifier settings do not change the actual MIDI 
data on the track, they will not be reflected in the MIDI editors. 
To convert the track settings into “real” MIDI events, use the 
Freeze MIDI Modifiers function (see “Permanent settings with 
Freeze MIDI Modifiers” on page 176).
The Inspector – General handling
The MIDI modifiers are set up in the Inspector. Here’s a 
brief rundown on how to handle the Inspector:
To show or hide the Inspector, click the Inspector icon 
on the Project window toolbar.
The Inspector for a MIDI track
For a MIDI track, up to three sections are available. 
Which of these sections are displayed in the Inspector is 
determined in the setup context menu or the Setup dialog 
of the Inspector.
For information about setting up the Inspector, see “Using the Setup op-
tions” on page 262.
You can fold or unfold the sections individually by click-
ing on the section name.
Clicking the name for a hidden section brings it to view and hides the 
other sections. [Ctrl]/[Command]-clicking the tab allows you to hide or 
show a section without affecting other sections. [Alt]/[Option]-clicking a 
tab shows or hides all sections in the Inspector.
ÖFolding or hiding (via the Setup dialog) a section does 
not affect the functionality but merely hides the section 
from view. 
This means your settings will still be active even if you fold or hide the In-
spector settings.
The Inspector sections
Apart from the basic track settings in the topmost Inspector 
section (see below), the Inspector for a MIDI track also con-
tains the following sections: MIDI Modifiers, MIDI Fader and 
one for a connected VST Instrument. These are described 
below.
Basic track settings
These are settings that either affect the basic functionality 
for the track (mute, solo, enable record, etc.) or send out 
additional MIDI data to the connected devices (program 
change, volume, etc.). The section contains all settings in 
the Track list (see “The Track list” on page 17), with a few 
additional parameters: 
Parameter Description
Track name 
fieldClick once to show/hide the topmost Inspector section. 
Double-click to rename the track.
Edit button This opens the Channel Settings window for the track (a 
window showing a channel strip with volume fader and 
other controls, along with effect settings – see “Using 
Channel Settings” on page 76).
Mute/Solo 
buttonsMutes or solos the MIDI track.
Read/Write 
buttonsUsed for automating the track settings – see “Enabling 
and disabling the writing of automation data” on page 109.
Record enable 
buttonActivate this to make the track ready for recording.
Monitor button When this is activated (and the option “MIDI Thru Active” 
is activated in the Preferences–MIDI page), incoming 
MIDI will be routed to the selected MIDI output.
Volume Use this to adjust the level for the track. Changing this set-
ting will move the track’s fader in the mixer window, and 
vice versa. See “Setting volume in the mixer” on page 74 
for details about setting levels.
Pan Use this to adjust the panning of the track.  
						

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MIDI realtime parameters
ÖNote that the functionality of the Bank and Patch selec-
tor settings (used for selecting sounds in the connected 
MIDI instrument) depends on the instrument to which the 
MIDI output is routed, and how you have set it up in the 
MIDI Device Manager.
The MIDI Device Manager allows you to specify which MIDI instruments 
and other devices are connected to the various MIDI outputs, thus mak-
ing it possible to select patches by name.
ÖMany of the basic track settings are duplicated in 
“mixer channel strip form” in the MIDI Fader section of the 
Inspector (see below).
MIDI Modifiers 
The settings on this tab affect the MIDI events on the track 
in realtime during playback. They will also be in effect if you 
play “live” with the track selected and record enabled (pro-
vided that “MIDI Thru Active” is activated on the Prefer-
ences–MIDI page). This makes it possible, for example, to 
transpose or adjust the velocity of your live playing.ÖIf you want to compare the result of your modifier set-
tings with the “unprocessed” MIDI, you can use the Bypass 
button in the MIDI Modifiers section.
When this is activated, the MIDI Modifiers settings will be temporarily 
disabled. A bypassed section is indicated by a yellow Bypass button.
Transpose
This allows you to transpose all notes on the track in semi-
tones. The available range is -127 to +127 semitones, but 
remember that the total range of MIDI note numbers is 0 
to 127. Furthermore, not all instruments can play back 
notes over the whole range. Therefore, extreme transposi-
tions can give rather strange and unwanted results.
You can also transpose individual MIDI parts using the 
Transpose field in the info line.
The transposition in the info line (for the individual part) is added to the 
transpose value you have set up for the whole track in the Inspector.
Velocity Shift
This setting lets you change the dynamics of all notes on 
the track. The value in this field is added to the velocity of 
each note message that is sent out (use negative values to 
lower the velocities). The range is -127 to +127 with 0 
representing no change in velocity.
Note that the effect of changing the velocity depends on 
the sound and instrument.
ÖYou can also adjust the velocity of events in individual 
MIDI parts using the Velocity field in the info line.
The velocity shift in the info line (for the individual part) is added to the 
velocity shift you have set up for the whole track in the Inspector.
Velocity Compression
This function multiplies the velocity values with the factor 
you specify. This factor is set using a numerator (left value) 
and a denominator (right value), resulting in a fractional 
number (1/2, 3/4, 3/2 etc.). For example, if you set the fac-
tor to 3/4, the velocities will be three quarters of their origi-
nal values. This will also affect the difference in velocity 
between the notes, thus compressing or expanding the ve-
locity scale. Typically, you would combine this setting with 
the Velocity Shift parameter. 
Delay This adjusts the playback timing of the MIDI track. Positive 
values delay the playback while negative values cause the 
track to play earlier. The values are set in milliseconds.
In/Out/Chn 
pop-upsThis is where you select MIDI input, MIDI output and MIDI 
channel for the track.
Edit Instru-
ment buttonIf the MIDI track is routed to a VST instrument, clicking this 
button opens the control panel for the VST instrument.
Bank and 
Patch Selec-
tor pop-upAllows you to select a sound, see below. (If no bank is 
available, only the Patch selector is shown.)
Apply Track 
Preset buttonAllows you to apply a track preset, see “Applying track 
presets” on page 157. Parameter Description 
						

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MIDI realtime parameters
An example:
Let’s say you have three notes with the velocity values 60, 
90 and 120, and wish to “even out” the velocity differences 
somewhat. If you set the Velocity Compression value to 1/
2, the notes will play back with the velocities 30, 45 and 60. 
By adding 60 in the Velocity Shift field, the notes will play 
back with the velocities 90, 105 and 120, meaning you 
have compressed the velocity range. 
In a similar way, you can use Velocity Compression values 
greater than 1/1 together with negative values in the Ve-
locity Shift field, to expand the velocity range.
Length Compression
This value adjusts the lengths of all notes on the track. As 
with Velocity Compression, the value is set with a numer-
ator and denominator. For example, the value 2/1 means 
that all note lengths will be doubled, while 1/4 means all 
note lengths will be a quarter of the actual lengths.
Random
The Random settings let you introduce random variations 
to various properties of MIDI notes. Anything from very 
subtle variations to dramatic changes can be applied. 
There are two separate “random generators”, set up in the 
following way:
1.Pull down the Random pop-up menu and select which 
note property should be randomized.
The options are position, pitch, velocity and length. 
ÖKeep in mind that depending on the content of the 
track, certain parameter changes might not be immediately 
noticeable or have any effect at all (as would be the case if 
applying random length to a percussion track playing “one-
shot” samples for example). 
To best audition the random changes, choose a track with clearly defined 
rhythm and note content (as opposed to a string pad).
2.Set the desired range of random deviation by entering 
values in the two number fields.
The two values govern the limits of the randomization, so that the values 
will vary between the left value and the right value (you cannot set the left 
value higher than the right value). The maximum random range for each 
property is listed in the table below: 
ÖYou can make independent settings for the two random 
generators.
To deactivate the Random function, pull down the Ran-
dom pop-up menu(s) and select “OFF”.
Range
The Range function lets you specify a note (pitch) or ve-
locity range and either force all notes to fit within this 
range, or exclude all notes outside this range from play-
back. As with the Random function, there are two sepa-
rate Range settings. Set them up as follows:
1.Pull down the Range pop-up menu and select one of 
the following four modes:
!Remember that the maximum velocity is always 127 
no matter how much you try to expand.
Property Range
Position -500 to +500 ticks
Pitch -120 to +120 semitones
Velocity -120 to +120 
Length -500 to +500 ticks
Mode Description
Vel. Limit This function affects all velocity values outside the speci-
fied range. Velocity values below the Min setting (the lower 
limit of the range) are set to the Min value, and velocity val-
ues 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 cer-
tain velocity values. 
						

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MIDI realtime parameters
2.Use the two fields to the right to set the minimum and 
maximum values.
These values will be shown as numbers (0–127) for the velocity modes 
and as note numbers (C-2 to G8) for the pitch modes.
ÖNote that you can make independent settings for the 
two Range functions.
To deactivate the Range function, pull down the Range 
pop-up menu(s) and select “OFF”.
MIDI Fader section
This contains a single channel strip, 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 “mir-
ror” of the track’s channel strip in the Cubase AI mixer – 
see “The MIDI channel strips” on page 73.
VST Instrument section
If the MIDI track is routed to a VST Instrument, a new sub-
panel 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 In-
strument channel. This makes it easy to adjust the channel 
settings for the VST Instrument while you are editing the 
MIDI track.If the VST Instrument has multiple outputs (and thus 
several mixer channels), there will be a setting called 
“Output” at the top of the VST Instrument section.
New sub-panels will also be added in the following cases:
 When a MIDI track is routed to an effect plug-in that also re-
ceives audio data, i.e. that is used as an insert effect for an au-
dio track (e.g. MIDI Gate), a sub-panel for this audio track 
appears in the MIDI track inspector.
 If a MIDI track is routed to a plug-in assigned to a FX Channel 
track, a corresponding FX sub-panel is added to the Inspector.
ÖFor an easy way to combine MIDI and VST instruments, 
check out instrument tracks (see “VST Instruments and In-
strument tracks” on page 99).
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 Filter Note Filter works by excluding all notes with pitches out-
side the specified range. Notes lower than the Min set-
ting or higher than the Max setting will not be played 
back. Use this to “isolate” notes with certain pitches. Mode Description