Steinberg Cubase Ai 5 Manual

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Video
Playing back video file using video hardware
Under Windows, multi-head graphics cards that support 
overlay functionality can be used to display the video pic-
ture on an external TV or computer monitor in full screen 
mode. The manufacturers nVIDIA and Matrox have work-
ing (and tested) solutions available. Check the card’s do-
cumentation for information on how it handles video 
output and how to set it up for multi-monitor display.
For Apple computers equipped with a FireWire port, you 
can easily connect external video hardware via this, as 
OS X has built-in video support for the most common for-
mats (NTSC/PAL/DVCPRO). FireWire is capable of high 
data-transfer speed and is the most common standard for 
communicating with video-related peripheral equipment. 
To play back a video file via hardware connected to the 
FireWire port, select “FireWire” in the Outputs pop-up of 
the Device Setup–Video Player dialog. When FireWire is 
selected as output, a number of format options appear on 
the Format pop-up, allowing you to select between vari-
ous video formats and resolutions.
Operations
Importing a video file
Video files are imported in the same manner as audio files.
By using the File menu (Import–Video File).
By using drag and drop from the Windows Explorer/
Mac OS Finder or the Pool.
This requires that a video track has been added to the Project and that 
you drop the video file onto this track.
By importing the file to the Pool first and then dragging 
it into the Project window (see the chapter “The Pool” on 
page 143 for details).
Please note the following:
 You can only have one video track in each project. The Video 
track is added like other tracks in the Project window by using 
the Add Track submenu on the Project menu. If a project does 
not contain a video track when you import a video file via File–
Import–Video file, this is added automatically.
 All video files on the track must be of the same size and com-
pression format.
Video import preferences
In the Preferences dialog (Editing–Video page), you will 
find one option that affects the import of video files:
Generate Thumbnail Cache on Import Video File
When this is activated, a thumbnail cache file will be created automati-
cally when you import a video file. This is handy, as a cache file will also 
be created when you import a video file using drag and drop.
Advantage of thumbnail cache files
ÖTo display video thumbnails in the Project window, the 
option “Show Video Thumbnails” has to be activated in 
the Preferences dialog (Event Display–Video page).
When working with video in Cubase AI, video files are dis-
played as events/clips on the video track with thumbnails 
representing the frames in the film. These are calculated in 
realtime, i. e. they have to be redrawn during scrolling or 
moving. As this consumes quite a lot of processor power, 
reaction sometimes may be sluggish. To remedy this, you 
can generate a thumbnail cache file.
The cache file is used in situations where the processor 
load is very high and the correct redrawing or realtime cal-
culation might use system resources necessary for editing 
or processing. When the cache file is used and you zoom 
in on the thumbnails, you will see that they are in a lower 
resolution, i. e. the pictures are not as clean as when they 
are calculated. When the processes that rely heavily on the 
computer CPU are finished, the frames will be automati-
cally recalculated, i.e. the program automatically switches 
between realtime calculation of the pictures and using the 
cache file.
The generated thumbnail cache file will be stored in the 
same folder as the video file and will get the name of the 
file with the suffix “.videocache”. 
						

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Video
Generating thumbnail cache files during video import
A thumbnail cache file will be created automatically before 
the file is inserted in the Project window, if you activated 
“Generate Thumbnail Cache on Import Video File” in the 
Preferences (Editing–Video page).
A window will be displayed, showing you the progress 
and the estimated time for the process.
The thumbnail cache file is being created.
After the cache file is created, the window will be closed 
and the video clip is inserted as usual. When you now 
start video playback and perform processor consuming 
operations, the thumbnail file is used to display the video 
frames in the Project window. When enough processor 
power is available, the “real” calculated thumbnail frames 
are displayed again.
Generating thumbnail cache files from within the Pool
When you have video files without thumbnail cache files 
(e.g. if you did not create a thumbnail cache file during im-
port), you always have the possibility to generate the 
thumbnail cache file at a later stage. This is done from 
within the Pool.
Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Pool window and locate the video file you 
want to create a thumbnail cache file for.
2.Right-click the file to open the context menu and se-
lect “Generate Thumbnail Cache”, or select “Generate 
Thumbnail Cache” from the Media menu.
Just as when creating the file during import, the status window opens 
(see above).
After the file is created, the window will be closed and the 
thumbnail cache file is used when necessary, i.e. under 
high load.
Editing a video file
Video clips are played back by events just as audio clips 
are. You can use all the basic editing operations on video 
events, just as with audio events. The following operations 
are not possible on the video track:
Drawing, Gluing, and Scrubbing.
Note that when you activate the Mute button for a video track, the video 
playback will be stopped, but playback of any other Project events will 
continue, see below.
The video track has no editor and does not make use of 
parts.
Cubase AI allows you to cut, copy, paste and trim video 
events, i. e. your video track may contain more than one 
video event. However, when using the DirectShow video 
player (Windows only), you may find that only the first event 
on the video track is played back correctly. In such a case 
make sure that the video track contains no more than one 
video event.
Under Windows, you may find that you are unable to 
edit a video file copied from a CD. This is because files 
copied from CD are write protected by default. Right-click 
the file, and deactivate the “Read-Only” option in the File 
Properties dialog.
When you have a video file in a format not supported by 
Cubase AI, use an external application to convert the file 
to a format that Cubase AI can import.
!Please note that the cache file will not be automati-
cally updated if a video file is edited. Whenever you 
change a video file (e.g. in a video editing applica-
tion), you need to create a new thumbnail cache file 
manually, as described above. (To refresh the “real” 
thumbnails of an edited video file, resize the video 
track so that they are calculated again.) 
						

							24
File handling 
						

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File handling
Working with Projects
New Project
With the “New Project…” command on the File menu you 
open the Project Assistant dialog which allows you to ac-
cess recently opened projects and create new projects, 
which can either be empty or based on a template.
This dialog will also open in the following cases:
If you launch Cubase AI with the option “Show Project 
Assistant” selected on the “On Startup” pop-up menu in 
the Preferences (General page).
If you hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] while launching Cu-
base AI.
Opening recent projects
The Recent category in the category bar of the Project As-
sistant dialog contains a list of recently opened projects. 
When you select an item in this category, the Create but-
ton changes to “Open”, allowing you to open the corre-
sponding project. This list is similar to the list in the Recent 
Projects submenu on the File menu.
Choosing a template
In the category bar of the Project Assistant dialog, the avail-
able factory templates are sorted into the predefined cate-
gories Recording, Production, Scoring, and Mastering. 
Furthermore, there is a More category which contains the 
default project template (see “Setting up a default temp-
late” on page 256) and all templates that are not assigned 
to any of the other categories.
When you click on one of the category items, the list below 
the category bar shows the available factory templates for 
this category that were installed with Cubase AI. Any new 
templates that you create (see “Save as Template” on page 
256) are added at the top of the corresponding list for con-
venient access.
To create an empty project that is not based on a tem-
plate, select the “Emtpy” entry in the More category and 
click the Create button.
An empty project is also created if no template is selected in the cur-
rently shown category.
You can rename or delete a template by right-clicking it 
in the list and selecting the corresponding option on the 
context menu.
Choosing a project location
The options in the lower part of the dialog allow you to 
specify where the project should be stored. 
Select “Use default location” to create the project in the 
default project location (as shown in the path field), and 
click Create. 
In the “Project folder” field you can also specify a name for the project 
folder.
If you do not specify a project folder here, the project will reside in a folder 
named “Untitled”. 
ÖTo change the default project location, simply click in 
the path field. A file dialog opens, allowing you to specify a 
new default location.
Select “Prompt for project location” and click Continue 
to create the project in a different location.
In the dialog that appears, specify a location and a project folder.
ÖFor a description of how to create a new project, see 
also “Creating a new project” on page 21.
Category 
bar
Template 
list
Location 
options
Open Other button 
						

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File handling
Open Other
The “Open Other” button allows you to open any project 
file on your system. This is identical to using the Open 
command from the File menu, see below. 
Open
The “Open…” command on the File menu is used for 
opening saved project files. 
1.Select “Open…” from the File menu.
A file dialog opens, allowing you to select a project.
2.Click Open to open the selected project.
Several projects can be open at the same time.
This is useful if you want to copy parts or entire sections from one project 
to another.
3.If there is already an open project, you will be asked if 
you want to activate the new project.
Click No to open the project inactive.
This significantly reduces load times, especially for large projects. 
Click Activate to open and activate the new project.
The active project is indicated by the blue Activate Project button in the 
upper left corner of the Project window. To activate a different project, 
simply click its Activate Project button.
You can also open project files by selecting an entry 
from the “Recent Projects” submenu on the File menu.
This submenu lists the projects you have recently worked with, with the 
most recent at the top of the list. This list can also be found in the Project 
Assistant dialog, see “New Project” on page 254.
You can also set Cubase AI to automatically open a 
project when you launch the program (see “Startup Opti-
ons” on page 257).
About the “Missing Ports” dialog
If you open a Cubase AI project created on a different sys-
tem (other audio hardware), the program tries to find 
matching audio inputs and outputs for the i/o busses (this is 
one of the reasons why you should use descriptive, generic 
names for your input and output ports – see “Preparations” 
on page 10).
If the program cannot resolve all audio/MIDI inputs and 
outputs used in the project, a Missing Ports dialog will 
open. This allows you to manually re-route any ports spec-
ified in the project to ports available in your system.
Close
The Close command on the File menu closes the active 
window. If a Project window is active, selecting this closes 
the corresponding project.
If the project contains unsaved changes, you are asked 
whether you want to save it before closing.
If you select “Don’t Save” and have recorded or created new audio files 
since saving, you will be asked if you want to delete or keep these.
Save and Save As
The commands Save and Save As allow you to save the 
active project as a project file (file extension “.cpr”). The 
Save command stores the project under its current name 
and location, while Save As allows you to rename and/or 
relocate the file. If a project has not been saved yet or if it 
has not been changed since it was last saved, only Save 
As is available.
A word about file extensions
Under Windows, file types are indicated by three letter file 
name extensions (such as *.cpr for Cubase AI project files). 
Under Mac OS X, it is not necessary to use file name ex-
tensions, since the file types are stored internally in the 
files. However, if you want your Cubase AI projects to be 
compatible with both platforms, you should make sure the 
option “Use File Extension in File Dialog” is activated in 
the Preferences (General page). When this is activated, 
the proper file name extension is automatically added 
when you save a file.
!Generally, we recommend that you save project files 
in their project folders, to keep the projects as 
manageable as possible. 
						

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File handling
Save New Version
This function is only available as a key command, by de-
fault [Ctrl]/[Command]-[Alt]/[Option]-[S]. When you use 
this function, an identical, new project file is being created 
and activated. 
The new file will get the same name as the original project, 
but with an incremental number attached. For example, if 
your project is called “My Project”, you will get new versions 
called “My Project-01”, “My Project-02”, and so on.
Save New Version is useful if you are experimenting with 
edits and arrangements and want to be able to go back to 
a previous version at any time. The newest versions are al-
ways listed on the Recent Projects submenu on the File 
menu for instant access (see also “Opening recent pro-
jects” on page 254).
Save as Template
This function allows you to save the current project as a 
template. When you create a new project, the available 
templates are listed, allowing you to base the new project 
on a template.
Proceed as follows:
1.Set up a project.
2.Select “Save As Template…” from the File menu and 
enter a name for the new project template.
In the Tag Editor section you can assign the template to 
one of the four template categories shown in the Project 
Assistant dialog (see “New Project” on page 254) and/or 
enter a description for the template.
Simply select a category value from the Template Type pop-up menu 
and/or enter a description in the Content Summary field. 
ÖIf you do not choose a Template Type attribute, the 
new template will be shown in the More category in the 
Project Assistant dialog.
3.Click OK to save the template.
Templates can contain clips and events just like regular 
projects.
If this is not what you want, make sure to remove all clips from the Pool 
before you save the project as a template.
Templates are always stored in the Templates folder, see 
“Where are the settings stored?” on page 267. 
Setting up a default template
If you always want the same default project to open when 
you launch Cubase AI, you can save a default template. 
Proceed as follows:
1.Set up a project.
2.Select “Save As Template…” from the File menu and 
save the project template with the name “default”.
3.Open the Preferences dialog and select the General 
page.
4.Open the “On Startup” pop-up and select “Open ‘De-
fault’ Template”.
The next time you launch Cubase AI, the default template 
will automatically be opened. For details on the other Star-
tup options, see “Startup Options” on page 257.
ÖIn the Project Assistant dialog, the default project tem-
plate is found in the More category.
Back up Project
This function is very useful if you want to move or backup 
your project. 
1.Select “Back up Project…” from the File menu. 
A file dialog opens in which you can choose an existing empty folder or 
create a new folder to save the project.
2.Click OK.
The “Back up Project Options” dialog opens. 
						

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File handling
This dialog contains the following options:
3.Make the desired settings.
4.Click OK. 
A copy of the project is saved in the new folder. The original project is 
not affected.
Auto Save
If you activate the Auto Save option in the Preferences 
(General page), Cubase AI will automatically save backup 
copies of all open projects with unsaved changes.
These backup copies are named “-
xx.bak”, where xx is an incremental number. Unsaved 
projects are backed up in a similar way as “UntitledX-
xx.bak”, with X being the incremental number for unsaved 
projects. All backup files are saved in the project folder. 
Use the “Auto Save Interval” setting to specify the time 
intervals in which a backup copy will be created.Use the “Maximum Backup Files” option to specify how 
many backup files will be created with the Auto Save 
function.
When the maximum number of backup files is reached, the existing files 
will be overwritten (starting with the oldest file). 
ÖWith this option only the project files themselves will 
be backed up. If you want to include the files from the Pool 
and save your project in a different location, you need to 
use the “Back up Project” function.
Startup Options
The “On Startup” pop-up menu in the Preferences (Gen-
eral page) allows you to specify what should happen each 
time you launch Cubase AI. 
The following options are available:
Revert
If you select “Revert” from the File menu, you will be asked 
whether you really want to revert to the last saved version 
of the project. If you click “Revert”, all changes you have 
made since saving will be discarded.
If you have recorded or created new audio files since sav-
ing, you will be asked whether you want to delete or keep 
these.
Option Description
Project Name Enter a project name if you want to change it from the de-
fault (the current name of the project).
Keep Current 
Project ActiveWhen this option is activated, the current project will still 
be the active project after clicking OK. If you wish to 
switch to the new backup project instead, you need to 
deactivate this option.
Minimize Audio 
FilesIf this is activated, only the audio file portions that are ac-
tually used in the project will be included. This can signi-
ficantly reduce the size of the project folder (if you are 
using small sections of large files), but it also means you 
cannot use other portions of the audio files if you con-
tinue working with the project in its new folder.
Freeze Edits This will perform a Freeze Edits operation, making all pro-
cessing and applied effects permanent to each clip in the 
Pool, see “Freeze Edits” on page 123.
Remove 
Unused FilesWhen this is activated, only files in the Pool that are actu-
ally used in the project will be stored in the new folder.
Do Not Back 
up VideoWhen this is activated, any video clips on the video track 
or in the Pool of the current project will not be included in 
the backup project.
Option Description
Do Nothing Cubase AI launches without opening a project.
Open Last 
ProjectThe last saved project is opened on launch.
Open ‘Default’ 
TemplateThe default template is opened, see “Setting up a de-
fault template” on page 256.
Show Open 
DialogThe Open dialog opens on launch, allowing you to man-
ually locate and open the desired project.
Show Project 
AssistantThe Project Assistant dialog opens on launch, allowing 
you to open a recently opened project or to create a 
new project from one of the templates (see “New Pro-
ject” on page 254). 
						

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File handling
Importing audio
In Cubase AI audio can be imported in a variety of differ-
ent formats. For example, you can import audio files saved 
in different formats (compressed and uncompressed).
For information on audio file import preferences, see “Audio 
file import options” on page 27. For information on how to 
import audio files into the Pool and import options, see 
“About the Import Medium dialog” on page 151.
Importing ReCycle files
ReCycle by Propellerhead Software is a program designed 
especially for working with sampled loops. By “slicing” a 
loop and making separate samples of each beat, ReCycle 
makes it possible to match the tempo of a loop and edit the 
loop as if it was built of individual sounds. Cubase AI can 
import two file types created by ReCycle:
 REX files (export file format of the first versions of ReCycle, 
extension “.rex”).
 REX 2 files (file format of ReCycle 2.0 and later, extension 
“.rx2”).
Proceed as follows:
1.Select an audio track and move the project cursor to 
where you want the imported file to start.
You probably want to import REX files to tempo based audio tracks, since 
this will allow you to change the tempo later on (having the imported REX 
file automatically adjust).
2.Select “Audio File…” from the Import submenu on the 
File menu.
3.On the file type pop-up menu in the file dialog, select 
REX File or REX 2 File.
4.Locate and select the file you want to import, and click 
Open.
The file is imported and automatically adjusted to the current Cubase AI 
tempo. 
Unlike a regular audio file, the imported REX file will con-
sist of several events, one for each “slice” in the loop. The 
events will automatically be placed in an audio part on the 
selected track and positioned so that the original internal 
timing of the loop is preserved.
5.If you now open the part in the Audio Part Editor, you 
can edit each slice separately by muting, moving and re-
sizing events, adding effects and processing, etc.
You can also adjust the tempo and have the REX file automatically follow 
(provided that its track is tempo based).
ÖYou can achieve similar results by using Cubase AI’s 
own loop slicing features, see “Working with hitpoints and 
slices” on page 134.
Importing compressed audio files
Cubase AI can import (and export, see “Mixing down to 
audio files” on page 227) several common audio com-
pression formats. The procedure is the same as when im-
porting any non-compressed audio file, with one important 
thing to note:
When you import a compressed audio file, Cubase AI 
creates a copy of the file and converts this to Wave format 
(Windows) or AIFF format (Mac OS X) before importing it. 
The original compressed file will not be used in the project.
The imported file is placed in the designated project Audio folder.
The following file types are supported:
MPEG audio files
MPEG, which stands for Moving Picture Experts Group, is 
the name of a family of standards used for encoding audio-
visual information (e. g. movies, video, music) in a digital 
compressed format. 
Cubase AI can read MPEG Layer 3 (*.mp3) files.
Windows Media Audio files (Windows only)
Windows Media Audio is an audio format developed by 
Microsoft, Inc. Due to advanced audio compression algo-
rithms, Windows Media Audio files can be made very 
small, maintaining good audio quality. The files have the 
extension “.wma”.
ÖFor exporting Audio, see the chapter “Export Audio 
Mixdown” on page 226.
!For this to work, the REX Shared Library needs to be 
installed on your system. If this is not the case, you will 
find the corresponding installer on the installation DVD 
(in the “Additional Content\Installer Data” folder).
!The resulting Wave/AIFF file will be several times 
larger than the original compressed file. 
						

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File handling
Exporting and importing standard 
MIDI files
Cubase AI can import and export Standard MIDI Files, 
which makes it possible to transfer MIDI material to and 
from virtually any MIDI application on any platform. When 
you import and export MIDI files, you can also specify 
whether certain settings associated with the tracks should 
be included in the files (automation tracks, volume and 
pan settings, etc.). 
Exporting MIDI files
To export your MIDI tracks as a standard MIDI file, pull 
down the File menu and select “MIDI File…” from the Ex-
port submenu. A regular file dialog opens, allowing you to 
specify a location and name for the file.
When you have specified a location and a name for the file, 
click “Save”. The Export Options dialog opens, allowing you 
to specify a number of options for the file – what should be 
included in the file, its type and its resolution (see below for 
a description of the options).
The Export Options dialog
You will also find these settings in the Preferences (MIDI–
MIDI File page). If you set these up in the Preferences, you 
only need to click OK in the Export Options dialog to 
proceed.
The dialog contains the following options:ÖThe MIDI file will include the tempo information of the 
project (i. e. it will include the tempo and time signature 
events of the Tempo Track Editor or, if the Tempo Track is 
deactivated on the Transport panel, the current tempo and 
time signature).
ÖInspector settings other than those specified in the Ex-
port options are not included in the MIDI file!
Option Description
Export Inspec-
tor PatchIf this is activated, the MIDI patch settings in the Inspec-
tor – Bank Select and Program Select (used for selecting 
sounds in the connected MIDI instrument) are included 
as MIDI Bank Select and Program Change events in the 
MIDI file.
Export Inspec-
tor Volume/
PanIf this is activated, Volume and Pan settings made in the 
Inspector are included as MIDI Volume and Pan events in 
the MIDI file.
Export 
AutomationIf this is activated, the automation data (as heard during 
playback) are converted to MIDI controller events and in-
cluded in the MIDI file, see the chapter “Automation” on 
page 108.
Note that if a continuous controller (e.g. CC7) has been 
recorded but the Read button is deactivated for the auto-
mation track (i.e. the automation is effectively switched 
off for this parameter), only the part data for this controller 
will be exported.
If this option is deactivated and the Automation Read 
button is activated, no Continuous Controllers are ex-
ported. If the Read button is deactivated, the Controller 
data of the MIDI part are exported (these will now be han-
dled like “regular” part data).
In most cases, you would probably activate this option.
Export as 
Type 0If this is activated, the MIDI file will be of type 0 (all data 
on a single track, but on different MIDI channels). If you 
do not activate this option, the MIDI file will be of Type 1 
(data on separate tracks). Which type to choose de-
pends on what you want to do with the MIDI file (in which 
application or sequencer it should be used, etc.).
Export 
ResolutionYou can specify a MIDI resolution between 24 and 960 
for the MIDI file. The resolution is the number of pulses, or 
ticks, per quarter note (PPQ) and determines the preci-
sion with which you will be able to view and edit the MIDI 
data. The higher the resolution, the higher the precision. 
The resolution should be chosen depending on the appli-
cation or sequencer with which the MIDI file will be used 
though, since certain applications and sequencers may 
not be able to handle certain resolutions.
Export Locator 
RangeIf this is activated, only the range between the locators 
will be exported. 
Export 
includes DelayIf this is activated, the delay of the MIDI track will be in-
cluded in the MIDI file. For more information about the 
Delay option, see “Basic track settings” on page 167. Option Description 
						

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File handling
Importing MIDI files
To import a MIDI file from disk, proceed as follows:
1.Select “MIDI File…” from the Import submenu on the 
File menu.
2.If there is already an open project, a dialog opens in 
which you can select whether a new project should be 
created for the file.
If you select “No”, the MIDI file will be imported into the current project.
3.Locate and select the MIDI file in the file dialog that 
opens and click Open.
If you choose to create a new project, select the project 
folder.
Select an existing project folder or create a new one.
The MIDI file is imported. The result depends on the con-
tents of the MIDI file and the Import Options settings in the 
Preferences dialog (MIDI–MIDI File page). The Import Op-
tions are as follows:
Option Description
Extract First 
PatchIf this is activated, the first Program Change and Bank 
Select events for each track are converted to Inspector 
settings for the track.
Extract First
Volume/PanIf this is activated, the first MIDI Volume and Pan events 
for each track are converted to Inspector settings for the 
track.
Import Con-
troller as Auto-
mation TracksIf this is activated, MIDI controller events in the MIDI file 
will be converted to automation data for the MIDI tracks. 
If this is deactivated, controller data for the MIDI Parts will 
be imported.
Import to Left 
LocatorIf this is activated, the imported MIDI file will be placed so 
that it starts at the position of the left locator – otherwise 
it will start at the beginning of the project. Note that if you 
choose to have a new project created automatically, the 
MIDI file will always start at the beginning of the project.
Import 
dropped File 
as single PartIf this is activated and you drag and drop a MIDI file into 
the project, the whole file will be placed on a single track.
Ignore Master 
Track Events 
on MergeIf this is activated and you import a MIDI file into the cur-
rent project, tempo track data in the MIDI file are ignored. 
The imported MIDI file will play according to the current 
tempo track in the project.
If this option is deactivated, the Tempo Track Editor will be 
adjusted according to the tempo information in the MIDI 
file.
Auto Dissolve 
Format 0If this is activated and you import a MIDI file of type 0 into 
the project, the file will automatically be “dissolved”: For 
each embedded MIDI channel in the file, a separate track 
will be inserted in the Project window.
If this is deactivated, only one MIDI track will be created. 
This track will be set to MIDI Channel “Any”, allowing all 
MIDI events to play back on their original channels. You 
can also use the “Dissolve Part” function on the MIDI 
menu to distribute the events onto different tracks with 
different MIDI Channels at a later stage.
Import to In-
strument 
tracksIf this is activated and you drag a MIDI file into the 
project, an Instrument track will be created instead of a 
MIDI track. Furthermore, the program will load the corre-
sponding track preset for the instrument track (based on 
the program change events included in the MIDI file). Option Description