Steinberg Cubase Le 4 Manual

							11
VST Connections: Setting up input and output busses
5.Click OK to close the Device Setup dialog.
ÖIf you open a project created on another computer and 
the port names don’t match (or the port configuration isn’t 
the same – e.g. the project is created on a system with 
multi-channel i/o and you open it on a stereo in/out sys-
tem), a Pending Connections dialog will appear.
This allows you to manually re-route ports used in the project to ports 
available in your system.
The VST Connections window
You add and set up busses in the VST Connections win-
dow, opened from the Devices menu.
This window contains the Inputs and Output tabs for view-
ing input busses or output busses, respectively. 
Depending on which tab you have selected, the window 
lists the current input or output busses, with the following 
columns:
Adding a bus
1.Open the Inputs or Outputs tab depending on which 
you want to add.
2.Click the Add Bus button.
A dialog appears.
3.Select the desired (channel) configuration.
You can add stereo and mono busses.
Alternatively you can right-click in the VST Connections 
window and add a bus in the desired format directly from 
the context menu that appears.
The new bus appears with the ports visible.
4.Click in the Device Port column to select an input/out-
put port for a channel in the bus.
The pop-up menu that appears lists the ports with the names you have 
assigned in the Device Setup dialog. Repeat this for all channels in the 
bus.
Setting the Main Mix bus (the default output bus)
The Main Mix is the output bus that each new channel in 
the mixer will be assigned to when it is created.
Any one of the output busses in the VST Connections 
window can be the default output bus. By right-clicking on 
the name of an output bus, you can set this bus as the 
Main Mix bus.
Setting the default output bus in the VST Connections window. Column Description
Bus Name Lists the busses. You can select busses and rename 
them by clicking on them in this column.
Speakers Indicates the speaker configuration (mono, stereo) of 
each bus.
Audio Device This shows the currently selected ASIO driver.
Device Port When you have “opened” a bus (by clicking its + button 
in the Bus Name column) this column shows which phys-
ical input/output on your audio hardware is used by the 
bus.
Click You can route the click to a specific VST output bus. 
						

							12
VST Connections: Setting up input and output busses
When creating new audio, group or FX channels in the 
mixer, they will automatically be routed to the default bus.
Other bus operations
To change the port assignment for a bus, you proceed 
as when you added it – make sure the channels are visible 
(by clicking the “+” button next to the bus, or by clicking 
the “+ All” button at the top of the window) and click in the 
Device Port column to select ports.
To remove a bus you don’t need, select it in the list, 
right-click and select “Remove Bus” from the pop-up 
menu, or press [Backspace].
You can store and recall bus presets with the pop-up 
menu at the top of the window.
To store the current configuration as a preset, click the Store “+” button 
and enter a name for the preset. You can then select the stored configu-
ration directly from the Presets pop-up menu at any time. To remove a 
stored preset, select it and click the “-” button.
Using the busses
This section describes briefly how to use the input and out-
put busses you have created. For details refer to the chap-
ters “Recording” on page 44 and “The mixer” on page 75.
Routing
When you play back an audio track (or any other audio 
based channel in the mixer), you route it to an output bus. 
In the same way, when you record on an audio track you 
select from which input bus the audio should be sent.
You can select input and output busses in the Inspec-
tor, using the Input and Output Routing pop-up menus.For audio-related channel types other than audio track 
channels (i.e. Group channels and FX channels), only the 
Output Routing pop-up menu is available. Select one of 
its subtracks in the Track list to open it.
When selecting an input bus for a track you can only se-
lect busses that correspond to the track’s channel config-
uration. Here are the details for input busses:
 Mono tracks can be routed to mono input busses or individual 
channels within a stereo input bus.
 Stereo tracks can be routed to stereo or mono input busses. 
For output busses any assignment is possible.
Viewing the busses in the mixer
ÖNote that only the output busses are available in the 
mixer – not the input busses.
The available output busses are represented as output 
channel strips in the mixer (shown in a separate pane to the 
right). You can show or hide output channels by clicking the 
corresponding button in the mixer common panel:
The output channel strips
!The default bus is indicated by an orange speaker 
icon next to its name in the VST Connections window. 
						

							13
VST Connections: Setting up input and output busses
The output channels are shown to the right in the mixer. 
Here you can do the following:
Adjust the output level for the busses with the faders.
Open the Channel Settings window to add effects or EQ.
These will affect the whole bus. Examples of effects you may want to add 
here include compressors or limiters. See the chapter “Audio effects” in 
the separate Plug-in Reference manual.
About monitoring
The Main Mix bus (the default output bus) is used for moni-
toring (see “Setting the Main Mix bus (the default output 
bus)” on page 11).
Setting the monitoring level
You can adjust the monitoring level in the Mixer.
When auditioning or scrubbing in the Sample Editor, 
you can also set the monitoring level using the small fader 
on the Sample editor toolbar. 
						

							3
The Project window 
						

							15
The Project window
Background
The Project window is the main window in Cubase LE. 
This provides you with an overview of the project, allowing 
you to navigate and perform large scale editing. Each 
project has one Project window.
About tracks
The Project window is divided vertically into tracks, with a 
timeline running horizontally from left to right. The follow-
ing track types are available:
About parts and events
Events are the basic building blocks in Cubase LE. Differ-
ent event types are handled differently in the Project win-
dow:
 Video events and automation events (curve points) are always 
viewed and rearranged directly in the Project window.
 MIDI events are always gathered in MIDI parts, containers for 
one or more MIDI events. MIDI parts are rearranged and ma-
nipulated in the Project window. To edit the individual MIDI 
events in a part, you have to open the part in a MIDI editor (see 
“About editing MIDI” on page 166). 
 Audio events can be displayed and edited directly in the 
Project window, but you can also work with audio parts con-
taining several events. This is useful if you have a number of 
events which you want to treat as one unit in the project.
An audio event and an audio part. Track type Description
Audio For recording and playing back audio events and audio 
parts. Each audio track has a corresponding audio chan-
nel in the mixer.
An audio track has an automation track for automating 
mixer channel parameters, insert effect settings etc.
FX  Channel FX channel tracks are used for adding send effects. Each 
FX channel can contain up to eight effect processors – 
by routing effect sends from an audio channel to an FX 
channel, you send audio from the audio channel to the ef-
fect(s) on the FX channel. Each FX channel has a corre-
sponding channel strip in the mixer – in essence an effect 
return channel. See the chapter “Audio Effects” in the 
separate Plug-in Reference manual.
An FX channel also has an automation track for automat-
ing mixer channel parameters, effect settings etc. All FX 
channel tracks are automatically placed in a special FX 
channel folder in the Track list, for easy management.
Folder Folder tracks function as containers for other tracks, 
making it easier to organize and manage the track struc-
ture. They also allow you to edit several tracks at the 
same time. See “Folder tracks” on page 66.
Group Channel By routing several audio channels to a Group channel, 
you can submix them, apply the same effects to them, 
etc. (see “Using group channels” on page 86).
A Group channel track contains no events as such, but 
displays settings and automation curves for the corre-
sponding Group channel. Each Group channel track has 
a corresponding channel strip in the mixer. In the Project 
window, Group channels are organized as subtracks in a 
special Group Tracks folder. 
Instrument This allows you to create a track for a dedicated instru-
ment. Instrument tracks have a corresponding channel 
strip in the mixer. Each instrument track also has an auto-
mation track in the Project window. However, Volume 
and Pan are automated from within the mixer. For more 
information on instrument tracks, see “VST Instruments 
and Instrument tracks” on page 141.
MIDI For recording and playing back MIDI parts. Each MIDI 
track has a corresponding MIDI channel strip in the mixer. 
A MIDI track has an automation track for automating mixer 
channel parameters, insert and send effect settings etc. 
Marker The Marker track displays markers which can be moved 
and renamed directly in the Project window (see “Using 
the Marker track” on page 72). A project can have only 
one marker track.
Video For playing back video events. A project can only have 
one video track. Track type Description 
						

							16
The Project window
Window Overview
The Track list
The Track list displays all the tracks used in a project. It 
contains name fields and settings for the tracks. Different 
track types have different controls in the Track list. To see 
all the controls you may have to resize the track in the Track 
list (see “Resizing tracks in the Track list” on page 22).
The Track list area for an audio track:The Track list area for an automation track (opened by 
clicking the Show/Hide Automation button on a track):
The Track list area for a MIDI track:
The event display, showing audio parts and events, 
MIDI parts, automation, markers, etc. The Inspector
The ruler The info lineThe toolbar
 The Track list with 
various track types
Mute & SoloRecord Enable & 
Monitor buttons Track 
name
Lane Display Type Show/hide automation
Indicates whether effect sends, EQ or insert effects 
are activated for the track. Click to bypass.Automation Read/
Write buttons
Edit channel settings
Track activity 
indicator
Automation Read/
Write buttonsAutomation parameter 
(click to select parameter)Mute 
Automation
Record Enable & 
Monitor buttons Track name
MIDI Output Bank Patch
MIDI channel
Read/Write buttons
Edit channel settingsMute & Solo
Track activity 
indicator Lane display 
type
Drum 
Map 
						

							17
The Project window
The Inspector
The area to the left of the Track list is called the Inspector. 
This shows additional controls and parameters for the track 
you have selected in the Track list. If several tracks are se-
lected (see “Handling tracks” on page 25), the Inspector 
shows the setting for the first (topmost) selected track.
To hide or show the Inspector, click the Inspector icon in 
the toolbar.
The Inspector icon.
For most track classes, the Inspector is divided into a 
number of sections, each containing different controls for 
the track. You can hide or show sections by clicking on 
their respective names.
Clicking the name for a hidden section brings it into view and hides the 
other sections. [Ctrl]/[Command]-clicking the section name allows you 
to hide or show a section without affecting the other sections. Finally, 
[Alt]/[Option]-clicking a section name shows or hides all sections in the 
Inspector.
You can also use key commands to show different In-
spector settings.
These are set up in the Key Commands dialog, see “Setting up key com-
mands” on page 250.
ÖHiding a section does not affect its functionality.
In other words, if you have set up a track parameter or activated an effect 
for example, your settings will still be active even if you hide the respec-
tive Inspector section.
Which sections are available in the Inspector depends on 
the selected track.ÖPlease note that not all Inspector tabs are shown by 
default. You can show/hide Inspector sections by right-
clicking on an Inspector tab and activating/deactivating 
the desired option(s).
Make sure you right-click on an inspector tab and not on the empty area 
below the Inspector, as this will open the Quick context menu instead.
The Inspector Setup context menu.
Sections
The Inspector contains the controls that can be found on 
the Track list, plus some additional buttons and parame-
ters. In the table below, these additional settings and the 
available sections are listed. Which sections are available 
for which track type is described in the following sections.
Parameter Description
Edit Channel 
settingsOpens the Channel Settings window for the track, allow-
ing you to view and adjust effect and EQ settings, etc. 
See “Using Channel Settings” on page 83.
Auto Fades 
Settings buttonOpens a dialog in which you can make separate Auto 
Fade settings for the track. See “Making Auto Fade set-
tings for a separate track” on page 65.
Volume Use this to adjust the level for the track. Changing this 
setting will move the track’s fader in the mixer window, 
and vice versa. See “Setting volume in the mixer” on page 
80 to learn more about setting levels. 
						

							18
The Project window
Audio tracks
For audio tracks, all settings and sections listed above are 
available.
MIDI tracks
When a MIDI track is selected, the Inspector contains a 
number of different sections and parameters, affecting the 
MIDI events in real time (e.g. on playback).
Marker tracks
When the marker track is selected, the Inspector shows 
the marker list. See “The Marker window” on page 71.
Video tracks
When a video track is selected, the Inspector contains a 
Mute button for interrupting video playback.
Folder tracks
When a folder track is selected, the Inspector shows the 
folder and its underlying tracks, much like a folder struc-
ture in the Windows Explorer or Mac OS X Finder.
ÖYou can click one of the tracks shown under the folder 
in the Inspector to have the Inspector show the settings 
for that track.
This way, you don’t have to “open” a folder track to make settings for 
tracks within it.
Here, an audio track within the folder is selected.
FX channel tracks
When an FX channel track is selected, the following con-
trols and sections are available:
 Edit button.
 Volume control.

 Output routing pop-up menu.
 Inserts section.
 Equalizers section.
 Channel section.
Pan Use this to adjust the panning of the track. As with the 
Volume setting, this corresponds to the Pan setting in the 
mixer.
Delay This adjusts the playback timing of the audio track. Posi-
tive values delay the playback while negative values 
cause the track to play earlier. The values are set in milli-
seconds.
Input Routing This lets you specify which Input bus or MIDI input the 
track should use (see “Setting up busses” on page 10 for 
information about Input busses).
Output Routing Here you decide to which output the track should be 
routed. For audio tracks you select an output bus (see 
“Setting up busses” on page 10) or Group channel, for 
MIDI tracks you select a MIDI output.
Inserts section Allows you to add insert effects to the track, see the 
chapter “Audio effects” in the separate Plug-in Refer-
ence manual. The Edit button at the top of the section 
opens the control panels for the added insert effects.
Equalizers 
sectionLets you adjust the EQs for the track. You can have up to 
four bands of EQ for each track, see “Making EQ set-
tings” on page 84. The Edit button at the top of the sec-
tion opens the Channel Settings window for the track. 
Sends section Allows you to route an audio track to one or several FX 
channels (up to eight), see the chapter “Audio effects” in 
the separate Plug-in Reference manual. The Edit button 
at the top of the section opens the control panel for the 
first effect in each FX channel.
Channel section Shows a duplicate of the corresponding mixer channel 
strip. The channel overview strip to the left lets you acti-
vate and deactivate insert effects, EQs and sends. Parameter Description 
						

							19
The Project window
FX channel folder tracks
FX channel tracks are automatically placed in a special 
folder, for easier management. When this folder track is 
selected, the Inspector shows the folder and the FX chan-
nels it contains. You can click one of the FX channels 
shown in the folder to have the Inspector show the set-
tings for that FX channel – this way you don’t have to 
“open” a folder track to access the settings for the FX 
channels in it.
Group channel tracks
When a Group channel track is selected, the following 
controls and sections are available:
 Edit button.
 Volume control.
 Pan control.
 Output routing pop-up menu.
 Inserts section.
 Equalizers section.
 Sends section.
 Channel section.
Group channel folder tracks
Just like FX channel tracks, all Group channel tracks are 
placed in a separate folder – when this is selected, the In-
spector shows the folder and the Group channels it con-
tains. You can click one of the Group channels shown in 
the folder to have the Inspector show the settings for that 
Group channel – this way, you don’t have to “open” a folder 
track to access the settings for the Group channels in it.
The toolbar
The toolbar contains tools and shortcuts for opening other 
windows and various project settings and functions:ÖHow to set up the toolbar and specify which tools 
should be displayed or hidden is described in the section 
“The Setup dialogs” on page 244.
The info line
The info line shows information about the currently se-
lected event or part in the Project window. You can edit al-
most all values on the info line using regular value editing. 
Length and position values are displayed in the format cur-
rently selected for the ruler (see “The ruler” on page 20).
To hide or show the info line, click the Show Event Info-
line button on the toolbar.
The following elements can be selected for display and 
editing on the info line:
 Audio events.

 MIDI parts.
 Video events.

 Automation curve points.
When several elements are selected
If you have several elements selected, the info line will 
show information about the first item in the selection. The 
values will be shown in yellow to indicate that several ele-
ments are selected.
Active project 
indicatorShow/hide 
Inspector Show/hide 
info lineOpen Mixer
Open Pool
Constrain delay compensation (see “Constrain Delay 
Compensation” on page 145).
Transport controls (Previous/Next Marker, 
Cycle, Stop, Play, and Record)
Project window tools
Nudge palette
Snap on/off
Snap mode Grid pop-up menu
Quantize value
Color pop-up menu
Autoscroll on/off
Snap to Zero 
Crossings 
						

							20
The Project window
If you edit a value on the info line, the value change is 
applied to all selected elements, relatively to the current 
values. 
If you have two audio events selected and the first is one bar long and 
the other two bars long, the info line shows the length of the first event 
(one bar). If you now edit this value to 3 bars in the info line, the other 
event will be resized by the same amount – and will thus be 4 bars long.
If you press [Ctrl]/[Command] and edit on the info line, 
the values will be absolute instead. In our example above, 
both events would be resized to 3 bars. Note that [Ctrl]/
[Command] is the default modifier key for this – you can 
change this in the Preferences (Editing–Tool Modifiers 
page, under the Info Line category).
Editing Transpose and Velocity for MIDI parts
When one or several MIDI parts are selected, the info line 
contains Transpose and Velocity fields.
Adjusting the Transpose field transposes the selected 
parts in semitone steps.
Note that this transposition doesn’t change the actual notes in the part – 
it’s just a “play parameter”, affecting the notes on playback. The transpo-
sition you specify for a part on the info line is added to the transposition 
set for the whole track with the Transpose track parameter in the Inspec-
tor.
Adjusting the Velocity field shifts the velocity for the se-
lected parts – the value you specify is added to the veloci-
ties of the notes in the parts.
Again, this velocity shift only affects the notes on playback, and again, 
the value you specify is added to the Vel.Shift. value set for the whole 
MIDI track in the Inspector.
Getting on-the-fly info with the Arrow tool
If the option “Select Tool: Show Extra Info” is activated in 
the Preferences dialog (Editing–Tools page), a tool tip will 
be shown for the Arrow tool, displaying information de-
pending on where you point it. For example, in the Project 
window Event display, the tool will show the current 
pointer position and the name of the track and event 
you’re pointing at.
The ruler
The ruler at the top of the event display shows the time-
line. Initially, the Project window ruler uses the display for-
mat specified in the Project Setup dialog (see “The 
Project Setup dialog” on page 21), as do all other rulers 
and position displays in the project. However, you can se-
lect an independent display format for the ruler by clicking 
the arrow button to the right of it and selecting an option 
from the pop-up menu that appears (you can also bring up 
this pop-up menu by right-clicking anywhere in the ruler).
The selection you make here affects the ruler, the info 
line and tool tip position values (which appear when you 
drag an event in the Project window).
You can also select independent formats for other rulers and position 
displays. 
To set the display format globally (for all windows), use 
the time display format pop-up on the Transport panel, or 
hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and select a display format 
in any ruler.
If you use the “Timecode” option and the option “Show 
Timecode Subframes” is activated in the Preferences 
(Transport page), the frames will also display subframes.
There are 80 subframes per frame.
!Audio events can also be transposed – see “Real-
time pitch shifting of audio events” on page 121.
Option Positions and lengths displayed as
Bars+Beats Bars, beats, sixteenth notes and ticks. There are 120 
ticks per sixteenth note.
Seconds Hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds.
Timecode This format displays hours, minutes, seconds and frames. 
The number of frames per second (fps) is set in the 
Project Setup dialog (see “The Project Setup dialog” on 
page 21). You can choose between 24, 25, 29.97 and 
30 fps or 29.97 and 30 dfps (“drop frame”).
Samples Samples.
Time Linear When this is selected, the ruler will be linear relative to 
time. This means that if there are tempo changes on the 
Tempo track, the distance between the bars will vary in 
Bars+Beats mode.
Bars+Beats 
LinearWhen this is selected, the ruler will be linear relative to 
the meter position – bars and beats. This means that if 
there are tempo changes on the Tempo track, there still 
will be the same distance between bars in Bars+Beats 
mode. If the ruler is set to a time-based mode, the dis-
tance between seconds will vary depending on the 
tempo changes.