Steinberg Cubase Ai 5 Manual

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Editing tempo and signature 
						

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Editing tempo and signature
Background
Whenever you create a new project, Cubase AI will auto-
matically set the tempo and time signature for this project. 
The tempo and signature settings can be displayed in the 
Tempo Track Editor.
Tempo modes
Before we go into detail about tempo and signature set-
tings, you should understand the different tempo modes.
For tempo-based tracks, the tempo can either be fixed 
throughout the entire project (this is called “fixed tempo 
mode”) or follow the tempo track (this is called “tempo 
track mode”), which may contain tempo changes.
To switch between fixed tempo mode and tempo track 
mode, use the Tempo button on the Transport panel:
When the Tempo button is lit (and the text “Track” is 
shown), the tempo follows the tempo track; when it is de-
activated (and the text “Fixed” is shown), a fixed tempo is 
used (see “Setting the fixed tempo” on page 224). You 
can also switch the tempo mode with the Activate Tempo 
Track button on the Tempo Track Editor toolbar.
In tempo track mode, the tempo cannot be changed on 
the Transport panel, i. e. the tempo information here is for 
display purposes only.
Signature events are always active, regardless of whether 
fixed tempo mode or tempo track mode is selected.
A note about tempo-based audio tracks
For tempo-based tracks, the start position of audio events 
on the timeline depends on the current tempo setting. How-
ever, it is important to realize that the actual audio (“within” 
the events) will play back as recorded, regardless of any 
tempo changes you make. Therefore, it is good practice to 
make the proper tempo and time signature settings before 
you start recording tempo-based audio.ÖTo make an already recorded audio track follow the 
tempo changes, you can use the Sample Editor, see the 
chapter “The Sample Editor” on page 124.
How well this works depends on the character of the audio recordings, 
since the hitpoint detection feature works best with fairly rhythmical 
material.
Tempo and signature display
You can view the current tempo and signature settings of 
your project in a number of ways:
On the Transport panel.
See above, and the section “The Transport panel” on page 43.
In the Tempo Track Editor.
Open the Project menu and select Tempo Track Editor, or [Ctrl]/[Com-
mand]-click the Tempo button on the Transport panel.
About the Tempo Track Editor
The Tempo Track Editor has a toolbar, info line and ruler 
just like other editors in Cubase AI, plus an area for the dis-
play of time signature events and a tempo curve display.
Toolbar Info line Ruler
Time Signature area Tempo curve display 
						

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Editing tempo and signature
The toolbar
The toolbar contains various tools and settings:
The tools for Object Selection, Erase, Zoom and Draw 
are used in the same way as in other editors. The Snap 
and Autoscroll functions also work exactly like in the 
Project window.
Note that in the Tempo Track Editor, the Snap function affects tempo 
events only. Time signature events always snap to the beginning of bars.
The info line in the Tempo Track Editor allows you to 
change settings for selected time signature events, and 
the type and tempo of selected tempo curve points.
The ruler in the Tempo Track Editor shows the timeline, 
and is similar to the ruler in the Project window. See “The 
ruler” on page 21 for details.
The area below the ruler shows time signature events. 
The main display shows the tempo curve (or, if fixed 
tempo mode is selected, the fixed tempo – see “Setting 
the fixed tempo” on page 224). To the left of the display 
you will find a tempo scale to help you quickly locate the 
desired tempo.
Note that the vertical “grid lines” in the tempo curve display correspond 
to the display format selected for the ruler.
Editing tempo and signature
Editing the tempo curve
Adding tempo curve points
1.Use the “Insert curve” pop-up menu in the toolbar of the 
Tempo Track Editor to select whether you want the tempo 
to change gradually from the previous curve point to the new 
one (“Ramp”) or change instantly to the new value (“Jump”).
You can also set this to Automatic. In this case, the types of existing tempo 
curve points will be used when inserting new points at the same position.
2.Select the Pencil tool.
3.Click and drag in the tempo curve display to draw a 
tempo curve.
When you click, the tempo display in the toolbar shows the tempo value. If 
Snap is activated on the toolbar, this determines at which time positions 
you can insert tempo curve points, see “The Snap function” on page 40.
You can also click on the tempo curve with the Arrow 
tool.
This adds a single point with each click.
Tools Activate 
Tempo 
Track
AutoscrollSnap on/off
Show Info
Curve type for new 
tempo events
The selected tempoSnap pop-up
!This section assumes that you are working in tempo 
track mode, i.e. the Tempo button must be activated 
on the Transport panel.
Insert curve set to “Ramp”  Insert curve set to “Jump” 
						

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Editing tempo and signature
Selecting tempo curve points
Curve points can be selected as follows:
Using the Arrow tool.
The standard selection techniques apply.
Using the Select submenu on the Edit menu.
The options are:
You can also use the left and right arrow keys on the 
computer keyboard to go from one curve point to the next.
If you press [Shift] and use the arrow keys, you can select several points 
at the same time.
Editing tempo curve points
Curve points can be edited in the following ways:
By clicking and dragging horizontally and/or vertically 
with the Arrow tool.
If several points are selected, all of them are moved. If Snap is activated 
on the toolbar, this determines to which time positions you can move 
curve points, see “The Snap function” on page 40.
By adjusting the tempo value. You can do this in the 
tempo display on the Tempo Track Editor toolbar.
Adjusting the curve type
You can change the curve type of a tempo curve segment 
at any time, using the following method:
1.With the Arrow tool, select all curve points within the 
segment you want to edit.
2.In the info line, click below the word “Type” to switch 
the curve type between “Jump” and “Ramp”.
The curve sections between the selected points are adjusted.
Removing tempo curve points
To remove a curve point, either click on it with the Erase 
tool or select it and press [Backspace]. The first tempo 
curve point cannot be removed.
Setting the fixed tempo
When the tempo track is deactivated, the tempo track 
curve is grayed out (but still visible). Since the tempo is 
fixed throughout the whole project, there are no tempo 
curve points. Instead, the fixed tempo is displayed as a 
horizontal black line in the tempo curve display.
To set the tempo in fixed mode:
Adjust the value numerically in the tempo display on the 
Tempo Track Editor toolbar.
On the Transport panel, click on the tempo value to se-
lect it, enter a new value and press [Enter].
Option Description
All Selects all curve points on the tempo track.
None Deselects all curve points.
In Loop Selects all curve points between the left and right locator.
From Start
to CursorSelects all points to the left of the project cursor.
From Cursor
to EndSelects all points to the right of the project cursor.
!Dragging tempo curve points with a time-based dis-
play format (any other format than “Bars+Beats”) may 
lead to confusing results. This is because moving a 
point will change the relationship between tempo and 
time. Let’s say you move a tempo point to the right and 
drop it at a certain time position. When you release 
the mouse button, the mapping between tempo and 
time will be adjusted (since you have changed the 
tempo curve). As a result, the moved point will appear 
at another position. For this reason, we recommend 
using the Bars+Beats display format when editing 
tempo curves. 
						

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Editing tempo and signature
Adding and editing time signature events
To add a time signature event, click in the time signature 
area with the Pencil tool. 
This adds a default 4/4 time signature event at the closest bar position.
To edit the value of a time signature event, select it and 
adjust the value on the info line, or double-click the event 
and enter a new value.
Note that there are two controls for the signature display; the left one ad-
justs the numerator and the right one adjusts the denominator.
You can move a time signature event by clicking and 
dragging it with the Arrow tool.
Note that you can [Shift]-click to select multiple events. Also note that 
time signature events can only be positioned at the start of bars. This is 
also true if Snap is deactivated.
To remove a time signature, either click on it with the 
Erase tool or select it and press [Backspace] or [Delete].
The first time signature event cannot be removed. 
						

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Export Audio Mixdown 
						

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Export Audio Mixdown
Introduction
The Export Audio Mixdown function in Cubase AI allows 
you to mix down audio from the program to a file on your 
hard disk.
You always mix down an output channel. For example, if 
you have set up a stereo mix with tracks routed to a stereo 
output bus, mixing down that output bus would give you a 
mixdown file containing the whole mix.
Please note the following:
The Export Audio Mixdown function mixes down the 
area between the left and right locators.
When you mix down, you get what you hear – mutes, 
mixer settings and insert effects are taken into account.
Note though that you will only include the sound of the channel you se-
lect for mixdown.
MIDI tracks are not included in the mixdown!
To make a complete mixdown containing both MIDI and audio, you first 
need to record all your MIDI music onto audio tracks (by connecting the 
outputs of your MIDI instruments to your audio inputs and recording, as 
with any other sound source).
Mixing down to audio files
1.Set up the left and right locators to encompass the 
section you want to mix down.
2.Set up your tracks so that they play back the way you 
want.
This includes muting unwanted tracks or parts, making manual mixer set-
tings and/or activating the R (Read) automation buttons for some or all 
mixer channels.
3.Pull down the File menu and select “Audio Mixdown…” 
from the Export submenu.
The Export Audio Mixdown dialog appears.
The available settings and options differ depending on the 
selected file format (see “The available file formats” on 
page 228).
4.In the Channel Selection section to the left, select the 
channel you want to mix down. The list contains all output 
channels available in the project (see “About the Channel 
Selection section” on page 228).
5.In the File Location section at the top you can specify 
a name and path for the mixdown file.
To the right of the File Name and the Path fields you will 
find two pop-up menus with a number of options:
Naming Options pop-up menu:
Select “Set to Project Name” to use the project name 
for the export file.
Activate the “Auto Update Name” option (so that a 
checkmark is displayed before it) to add a number to the 
specified file name every time you click the Export button.
Path Options pop-up menu:
Select “Choose…” to open a dialog in which you can 
browse for a path and enter a file name. 
The file name will automatically be shown in the File Name/Prefix field.
Select an entry from the Recent Paths section to reuse 
a path specified for a previous export.
This section is only shown after an export has been completed. With the 
“Clear Recent Paths” option you can delete all entries from the Recent 
Paths section.
Activate the option “Use Project Audio Folder” to save 
the mixdown file in the project’s Audio folder.
6.Choose an entry from the File Format pop-up menu.
7.Activate the Split Channels option if you want to export 
the two channels of a stereo bus as separate mono files.
8.Make additional settings for the file to be created.
This includes selecting sample rate, bit depth, etc. The available options 
depend on the selected file format – see “The available file formats” on 
page 228.
9.If you want to automatically import the resulting audio 
file back into Cubase AI, activate any of the checkboxes in 
the “Import into project” section.
If you activate the Pool checkbox, a clip referring to the file will appear in 
the Pool. Activating the Audio Track checkbox as well will create an au-
dio event that plays the clip, and place it on a new audio track, starting at 
the left locator. 
						

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Export Audio Mixdown
10.If you activate Update Display, the meters will be up-
dated during the export process.
This allows you to check for clipping, for example.
11.Click Export.
A dialog with a progress bar is displayed while the audio file 
is created. If you change your mind during the file creation, 
you can click the Abort button to cancel the operation.
If the option “Close dialog after export” is activated, the 
dialog will be closed.
If you have activated any of the “Import into project” op-
tions, the file will be imported back into the same project.
When playing back the re-imported file, remember to mute the original 
tracks so that you really hear the correct file.
About the Channel Selection section
The Channel Selection section shows all output and au-
dio-related channels available in the project. These chan-
nels are organized in a hierarchical structure that allows 
you to easily identify and select the channels you want to 
export. The different channel types are listed below each 
other, with channels of the same type being grouped in a 
node (e. g. Instrument Tracks).
You can activate/deactivate channels by clicking on the 
checkboxes in front of the channel names.
About the Import Options dialog
If you activate any of the options in the Import into project 
section, the Import Options dialog will open when the ex-
port is complete. For a detailed description of the options 
in this dialog see “About the Import Medium dialog” on 
page 151. 
The available file formats
The following pages describe the different export file for-
mats, as well as their options and settings. 
 AIFF files (see “AIFF files” on page 228).
 AIFC files (see “AIFC files” on page 229).
 Wave files (see “Wave files” on page 229).
 Broadcast Wave files (see “Broadcast Wave files” on page 
230).
 MP3 files (see “MPEG 1 Layer 3 files” on page 230).
 Windows Media Audio files (Windows only, see “Windows 
Media Audio files (Windows only)” on page 230).
ÖMost of the settings described below for AIFF files are 
available for all file types. Where this is not the case, you will 
find additional information in the corresponding section.
MP3 Export
This version of Cubase AI provides a function for exporting 
your audio mixdown as mp3 files. This function is limited to 
20 trial encodings or a trial period of 30 days from the in-
stallation date (whichever ends first). After this period, the 
function will be disabled until you purchase the mp3 en-
coder for Cubase AI.
When the mp3 format is selected, and you click the Ex-
port button, a window opens showing you how many trial 
encodings you have left. You can upgrade to an unlimited 
mp3 export function by clicking the “Go to Online Shop” 
button in the dialog.
This will take you to Steinberg’s online shop where you can purchase the 
upgrade. Note that a working internet connection is required.
AIFF files
AIFF stands for Audio Interchange File Format, a standard 
defined by Apple Inc. AIFF files have the extension “.aif” 
and are used on most computer platforms.
For AIFF files the following options are available:
Option Description
File Name In this field you can enter a name for the mixdown file.
Naming options 
pop-up menuThis allows you to define how your project should be 
named. If you select “Set to Project Name” the project 
name will be used for the export file. If you activate the 
“Auto Update Name” option a number will be added to 
the specified file name every time you click the Export 
button.
Path Here you can specify a path where you want the mix-
down to be saved.
Path options 
pop-up menuThis allows you to specify where the file should be 
saved. If you select “Choose…” a file dialog will open 
and the file name will automatically be shown in the File 
Name field. If you already have exported a file, the Re-
cent Paths section will be shown where you can choose 
to reuse a previous path. If you activate “Use Project 
Audio Folder”, the mixdown file will be saved in the 
project’s Audio folder.
Insert Broadcast 
Wave ChunkThis allows you to include information about the date 
and time of creation, a timecode position (allowing you 
to insert exported audio at the correct position in other 
projects, etc.) along with author, description and refer-
ence text strings in the exported file.
Some applications may not be able to handle files with 
embedded info – if you get problems using the file in an-
other application, deactivate the option and re-export. 
						

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Export Audio Mixdown
AIFC files
AIFC stands for Audio Interchange File Format Com-
pressed, a standard defined by Apple Inc. These files sup-
port compression ratios as high as 6:1 and contain tags in 
the header. AIFC files have the extension “.aifc” and are 
used on most computer platforms. 
AIFC files support the same options as AIFF files.
Wave files
Wave files have the extension “.wav” and are the most 
common file format on the PC platform. 
Wave files support the same options as AIFF files and 
have one additional option:
Don’t Use Wave Extensible Format
The Wave Extensible format contains additional metadata, such as the 
speaker configuration. It is an extension to the normal Wave format that 
some applications may not be able to handle. 
If you get problems using the Wave file in another application, activate 
this option and re-export.
Broadcast Wave files
Concerning audio, Broadcast Wave files are the same as 
regular Wave files, but without compression. To create a 
Broadcast Wave file, select Wave as the file format and ac-
tivate the Insert Broadcast Wave Chunk option. Click Edit if 
you wish to edit the chunk information, otherwise the de-
faults as specified in the Preferences (Record–Audio–
Broadcast Wave page) will be used. Broadcast Wave files 
have the extension “.wav”.
Broadcast Wave files support the same options as regular 
Wave files.
Edit button By clicking this button the “Broadcast Wave Chunk” dia-
log opens where you can enter additional information that 
will be embedded in the exported files. Note that in the 
Preferences (Record–Audio–Broadcast Wave page) 
you can enter default text strings for author, description 
and reference that will automatically be displayed in the 
“Broadcast Wave Chunk” dialog.
Insert iXML 
chunkThis allows you to include additional project-based or 
sound metadata (e. g. scene and take information) in the 
exported file.
Some applications may not be able to handle files with 
embedded info – if you get problems using the file in 
another application, deactivate the option and re-export.
Sample Rate This setting determines the frequency range of the ex-
ported audio – the lower the sample rate, the lower the 
highest audible frequency in the audio. In most cases, 
you should select the sample rate set for the project, 
since a lower sample rate will degrade the audio quality 
(mainly reducing the high frequency content) and a 
higher sample rate will only increase the file size, without 
adding to audio quality. Also consider the future usage of 
the file – if you e.g. plan to import the file into another ap-
plication, you should select a sample rate supported by 
that application.
If you are making a mixdown for CD burning, you should 
select 44.100 kHz, since this is the sample rate used on 
audio CDs.
Bit Depth Allows you to select 8, 16, 24 bit or 32 bit (float) files. If 
the file is an “intermediate mixdown” that you plan to re-
import and continue working on in Cubase AI, we re-
commend that you select the 32 bit (float) option.
32 bit (float) is a very high resolution (the same resolution 
as used internally for audio processing in Cubase AI), 
and the audio files will be twice the size of 16 bit files.
If you are making a mixdown for CD burning, you should 
use the 16 bit option, as CD audio is always 16 bit.
In this case, we recommend dithering, see “Dithering” on 
page 89.
8 bit resolution should only be used if required, since it 
will result in limited audio quality. 8 bit audio may be 
suitable in some multimedia applications, etc.
Mono Export  If you activate this option, the exported audio is mixed 
down to mono.
Split Channels Activate this option if you want to export the two chan-
nels of a stereo bus as separate mono files.
Update Display If you activate this option, the meters will be updated 
during the export process. This allows you to check for 
clipping, for example. 
Pool Activate this option if you want to import the resulting 
audio file automatically back into the Pool. A clip refer-
ring to the file will appear in the Pool.
If this option is activated, the Import Options dialog ap-
pears on export. For a description of the available set-
tings, see “About the Import Medium dialog” on page 
151. Option DescriptionAudio Track If you activate this option, an audio event that plays the 
clip will be created and placed on a new audio track, 
starting at the left locator.
Furthermore, the Import Options dialog appears on ex-
port. For a description of the available settings, see 
“About the Import Medium dialog” on page 151.
Close Dialog 
after ExportIf this option is activated, the dialog will be closed after 
the export, otherwise it will be left open. Option Description 
						

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Export Audio Mixdown
MPEG 1 Layer 3 files
MPEG 1 Layer 3 files have the extension “.mp3”. By use of 
advanced audio compression algorithms, mp3 files can be 
made very small, yet maintaining good audio quality.
Apart from the Sample Rate and Bit Depth options, MPEG 
1 Layer 3 files support the same settings as AIFF files in the 
sections File Location, Audio Engine Output and Import into 
project. The File Format settings are different, though.
For MPEG 1 Layer 3 files the following options are avail-
able in the File Format section:
Windows Media Audio files (Windows only)
This is a format developed by Microsoft Inc. Due to the ad-
vanced audio codecs and lossless compression used, 
WMA files can be decreased in size with no loss of audio 
quality. The files have the extension “.wma”.
When you select “Windows Media Audio File” as the file 
format, you can click the “Codec Settings…” button to 
open the “Windows Media Audio File Settings” window.
Windows Media Audio File Settings
Note that the configuration options may vary, depending 
on the chosen output.
General tab
In the Input Stream section, you set the sample rate (44.1, 
48 or 96 kHz) and the bit resolution (16 bit or 24 bit) of the 
encoded file. These should be set to match the sample rate 
and bit resolution of the source material. If no value matches 
that of your source material, use the closest available value 
that is higher than the actual value. For example, if you’re 
using 20 bit source material, set the bit resolution to 24 bit 
rather than 16 bit.
ÖThe setting in the Channels field depends on the cho-
sen output and cannot be changed manually. 
The settings in the Encoding Scheme section are used for 
defining the desired output from the encoder. Make set-
tings appropriate for the intended use of the file. If the file 
will be downloaded or streamed on the Internet, you might 
not want too high bit rates, for example. See below for de-
scriptions of the options.
Option Description
Bit Rate fader By moving this fader, you can select a bit rate for the 
mp3 file. As a rule, the higher the bit rate, the better the 
audio quality and the larger the file. For stereo audio, 
128 kBit/s is often considered to result in “good” audio 
quality.
Sample Rate 
pop-upOn this pop-up menu you can select a Sample Rate for 
the mp3 file.
High Quality 
Mode optionWhen this is activated, the encoder will use a different 
resampling mode, which can give better results depend-
ing on your settings. In this mode, you cannot specify the 
Sample Rate, but only the Bit Rate for the mp3 file.
Insert ID3 Tag 
optionThis allows you to include ID3 Tag information in the 
exported file. 
Edit ID3 Tag 
buttonWhen you click this, the ID3 Tag dialog opens, in which 
you can enter information about the file. This additional 
information will be embedded as text strings in the file, 
and can be displayed by most mp3 playback applica-
tions.