Steinberg Cubase LE 4 Plug In Reference Manual

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The included effect plug-ins
The Limiter section
Limiter is designed to ensure that the output level never 
exceeds a certain set output level, to avoid clipping in fol-
lowing devices. Conventional limiters usually require very 
accurate setting up of the attack and release parameters, 
to prevent the output level from going beyond the set 
threshold level. Limiter adjusts and optimizes these pa-
rameters automatically, according to the audio material. 
You can also adjust the Release parameter manually.
The available parameters are the following:
The Module Configuration button
In the bottom right corner of the plug-in panel you will find 
a button with which you can set the signal flow order for 
the three processors. Changing the order of the proces-
sors can produce different results, and the available op-
tions allow you to quickly compare what works best for a 
given situation. Simply click the Module Configuration but-
ton to change to a different configuration. There are three 
routing options:
 C-G-L (Compressor-Gate-Limit)
 G-C-L (Gate-Compressor-Limit)
 C-L-G (Compressor-Limit-Gate)
Filter plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the 
“Filter” category.
DualFilter
This effect filters out “Resonance” adds a ringing effect to 
the filtered sound.
The available parameters are the following:
Graphic 
displayUse the graphic display to graphically set the Threshold or 
the Ratio value.
Parameter Description
Output 
(-24 – +6 dB)This setting determines the maximum output level. Signal 
levels above the set threshold are affected, but signal levels 
below are left unaffected.
Soft Clip 
(On/Off)Soft Clip acts differently compared to the limiter. When the 
signal level exceeds -6dB, SoftClip starts limiting (or clip-
ping) the signal “softly”, at the same time generating har-
monics which add a warm, tubelike characteristic to the 
audio material.
Release 
(10 – 1000ms 
or “Auto”)This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the gain 
to return to its original level when the signal drops below 
the threshold level. If the “Auto” button is activated, Limiter 
will automatically find an optimal release setting that varies 
depending on the audio material. Parameter Description
Parameter Description
Freq With this setting you can change the focus frequency of 
the filter. If the position is higher, only high frequencies are 
heard. If the position is lower, only low frequencies are 
heard.
Q-Factor This adds a ringing effect to the filtered sound. 
						

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The included effect plug-ins
Modulation plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the 
“Modulation” category.
AutoPan
AutoPan automatically moves the track’s signal from left to 
right and back again. 
The parameters are as follows:
Chorus
Chorus works by doubling whatever is sent into it with a 
slightly detuned version. 
The parameters are as follows:
Parameter Description
Tempo sync 
on/offThe button below the Rate knob is used to switch tempo 
sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is on.
Rate This determines how quickly the signal moves back and 
forth. If tempo sync is on, this is where you specify the 
base note value for tempo syncing the flanger sweep (1/
1 to 1/32, straight, triplet or dotted).
If tempo sync is off, the sweep rate can be set freely with 
the Rate knob, without sync to tempo.
Width With this parameter you can adjust how far to the left and 
right the signal will go.
Parameter Description
Tempo sync
on/offThe button below the Rate knob is used to switch tempo 
sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is on.
Rate With this parameter you can change the speed of the 
chorus effect. This determines how quickly the signal 
moves back and forth. If tempo sync is on, this is where 
you specify the base note value for tempo syncing the 
flanger sweep (1/1 to 1/32, straight, triplet or dotted).
If tempo sync is off, the sweep rate can be set freely with 
the Rate knob, without sync to tempo.
Width With this parameter you can adjust how much the signal 
is detuned.
Mix With this parameter you can set how much original signal 
you hear versus the affected signal. 
						

							23
The included effect plug-ins
Flanger
Flanger is a classic flanger effect with added stereo en-
hancement.
The parameters are as follows:
Phaser
Phaser produces the well-known “swooshing” phasing ef-
fect with additional stereo enhancement.
The parameters are as follows:
Parameter Description
Tempo sync 
on/offThe button below the Rate knob is used to switch tempo 
sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is on.
Rate If tempo sync is on, this is where you specify the base 
note value for tempo syncing the flanger sweep (1/1 to 
1/32, straight, triplet or dotted).
If tempo sync is off, the sweep rate can be set freely with 
the Rate knob, without sync to tempo.
Feedback This determines the character of the flanger effect. 
Higher settings produce a more “metallic” sounding 
sweep.
Mix Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the ef-
fect. If the Flanger is used as a send effect, this should be 
set to maximum as you can control the dry/effect balance 
with the send. Parameter Description
Tempo sync
on/offThe button below the Rate knob is used to switch tempo 
sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is on.
Rate If tempo sync is on, this is where you specify the base 
note value for tempo syncing the phaser sweep (1/1 to 
1/32, straight, triplet or dotted).
If tempo sync is off, the sweep rate can be set freely with 
the Rate knob, without sync to tempo.
Feedback This determines the character of the phaser effect. 
Higher settings produce a more pronounced effect.
Mix Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the ef-
fect. If the Phaser is used as a send effect, this should be 
set to maximum as you can control the dry/effect balance 
with the send.  
						

							24
The included effect plug-ins
Rotary
The Rotary plug-in simulates the classic effect of a rotary 
speaker. A rotary speaker cabinet features variable speed 
rotating speakers to produce a swirling chorus effect, 
commonly used with organs. Rotary features all the pa-
rameters associated with the real thing.
The parameters are as follows:
Directing MIDI to the Rotary
For real-time MIDI control of the Speed parameter, MIDI 
must be directed to the Rotary.
Whenever the Rotary has been added as an insert ef-
fect (for an audio track or an FX channel), it will be avail-
able on the Output Routing pop-up menu for MIDI tracks.
If Rotary is selected on the “out:” menu, MIDI will be directed to the plug-
in from the selected track.
Tremolo
Tremolo produces amplitude (volume) modulation.
Parameters are as follows:
Parameter Description
Speed
(Stop/Slow/
Fast)This controls the speed of the Rotary in three steps.
Mix Adjusts the mix between dry and processed signals.
Parameter Description
Tempo sync 
on/offThe button below the Rate knob is used to switch tempo 
sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is on.
Rate If tempo sync is on, this is where you specify the base 
note value for tempo-syncing the effect (1/1 to 1/32, 
straight, triplet or dotted). 
If tempo sync is off, the modulation speed can be set 
freely with the Rate knob, without sync to tempo.
Depth This governs the depth of the amplitude modulation. 
						

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The included effect plug-ins
Vibrato
The Vibrato plug-in produces pitch modulation.
Spatial plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the 
“Spatial” category.
MonoToStereo
This effect will turn a mono signal into a “pseudo-stereo” 
signal. The plug-in must be inserted on a stereo track 
playing a mono file to work.
The parameters are as follows:
Parameter Description
Tempo sync 
on/offThe button below the Rate knob is used to switch tempo 
sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is on.
Rate If tempo sync is on, this is where you specify the base 
note value for tempo-syncing the effect (1/1 to 1/32, 
straight, triplet or dotted).
If tempo sync is off, the modulation speed can be set 
freely with the Rate knob, without sync to tempo.
Depth This governs the depth of the pitch modulation.
Parameter Description
Width This controls the width or depth of the stereo enhance-
ment. Turn clockwise to increase the enhancement.
Color This parameter also generates differences between the 
channels to increase the stereo effect. 
						

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The included effect plug-ins
Reverb plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the 
“Reverb” category.
RoomWorks SE
RoomWorks SE is a high quality reverberation effect.
RoomWorks SE has the following parameters:
Earlier VST plug-ins
This contains a selection of earlier VST plug-ins, divided 
into various sub-categories.
Distortion plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the 
“Distortion” category.
DaTube
This effect emulates the characteristic warm, lush sound 
of a tube amplifier.
The parameters are as follows:
Parameter Description
Reverb Time Reverb Time in seconds.
Mix Determines the blend of dry (unprocessed) signal to wet 
(processed) signal. When using RoomWorks SE in-
serted in an FX channel, you will most likely want to set 
this to 100%.
Parameter Description
Drive Regulates the pre-gain of the “amplifier”. Use high values 
if you want an overdriven sound just on the verge of dis-
tortion.
Balance This controls the balance between the signal processed 
by the Drive parameter and the dry input signal. For max-
imum drive effect, set this to its highest value.
Output Adjusts the post-gain, or output level, of the “amplifier”. 
						

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The included effect plug-ins
Dynamics plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the 
“Dynamics” category.
MIDI Gate
Gating, in its fundamental form, silences audio signals be-
low a certain set threshold level. That means, when a sig-
nal rises above the set level, the Gate opens to let the 
signal through while signals below the set level are cut off. 
MIDI Gate however, is a Gate effect that is not triggered 
by threshold levels, but instead by MIDI notes. Hence it 
needs both audio and MIDI data to function.
Setting up
MIDI Gate requires both an audio signal and a MIDI input 
to function.
To set it up, proceed as follows:
1.Select the audio to be affected by the MIDI Gate.
This can be audio material from any audio track, or even a live audio input 
(provided you have a low latency audio card).
2.Select the MIDI Gate as an insert effect for the audio 
track.
The MIDI Gate control panel opens.
3.Select a MIDI track to control the MIDI Gate.
This can be an empty MIDI track, or a MIDI track containing data, it 
doesn’t matter. However, if you wish to play the MIDI Gate in real-time – 
as opposed to having a recorded part playing it – the track has to be 
selected for the effect to receive the MIDI output.
4.Open the Output Routing pop-up menu for the MIDI 
track and select the MIDI Gate option.
The MIDI Output from the track is now routed to the MIDI Gate.
What to do next depends on whether you are using live or 
recorded audio and whether you are using real-time or re-
corded MIDI. We will assume for the purposes of this 
manual that you are using recorded audio, and play the 
MIDI in real-time.
Make sure the MIDI track is selected and start playback.
5.Now play a few notes on your MIDI keyboard.
As you can hear, the audio track material is affected by what you play on 
your MIDI keyboard.
The following MIDI Gate parameters are available:
Parameter Description
Attack This is used for determining how long it should take for 
the Gate to open after receiving a signal that triggers it.
Hold Regulates how long the Gate remains open after a Note 
On or Note Off message (see Hold Mode below).
Release This determines how long it takes for the Gate to close 
(in addition to the value set with the Hold parameter).
Note To Attack The value you specify here determines to which extent 
the velocity values of the MIDI notes should affect the At-
tack. The higher the value, the more the Attack time will 
increase with high note velocities. Negative values will 
give shorter Attack times with high velocities. If you do 
not wish to use this parameter, set it to the 0 position.
Note To Release The value you specify here determines to which extent 
the velocity values of the MIDI notes should affect the Re-
lease. The higher the value, the more the Release time 
will increase. If you do not wish to use this parameter, set 
it to the 0 position.
Velocity To VCA This controls to which extent the velocity values of the 
MIDI notes determine the output volume. A value of 127 
means that the volume is controlled entirely by the veloc-
ity values, while a value of 0 means that velocities will 
have no effect on the volume.
Hold Mode Use this switch to set the Hold Mode. In Note-On mode, 
the Gate will only remain open for the time set with the 
Hold and Release parameters, regardless of the length of 
the MIDI note that triggered the Gate. In Note-Off mode 
on the other hand, the Gate will remain open for as long 
as the MIDI note plays, and then apply the Hold and Re-
lease parameters. 
						

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The included effect plug-ins
Filter plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the 
“Filter” category.
StepFilter
StepFilter is a pattern-controlled multimode filter that can 
create rhythmic, pulsating filter effects.
General operation
StepFilter can produce two simultaneous 16-step pat-
terns for the filter cutoff and resonance parameters, syn-
chronized to the sequencer tempo.
Setting step values
Setting step values is done by clicking in the pattern 
grid windows.
Individual step entries can be freely dragged up or 
down the vertical axis, or directly set by clicking in an 
empty grid box. By click-dragging left or right, consecutive 
step entries will be set to the pointer position.
Setting filter cutoff values in the grid window.
The horizontal axis shows the pattern steps 1–16 from 
left to right, and the vertical axis determines the (relative) 
filter cutoff frequency and resonance setting.
The higher up on the vertical axis a step value is entered, the higher the 
relative filter cutoff frequency or filter resonance setting.
By starting playback and editing the patterns for the 
cutoff and resonance parameters, you can hear how your 
filter patterns affect the sound source connected to Step-
Filter directly.
Selecting new patterns 
Created patterns are saved with the project, and up to 8 
different cutoff and resonance patterns can be saved in-
ternally. 
Both the cutoff and resonance patterns are saved together in the 8 Pat-
tern memories. 
To select new patterns you use the pattern selector.
New patterns are all set to the same step value by default.
Pattern Selector
Using pattern copy and paste to create 
variations
You can use the Copy and Paste buttons below the pat-
tern selector to copy a pattern to another pattern memory 
location, which is useful for creating variations on a pat-
tern.
Select the pattern you wish to copy, click the Copy but-
ton, select another pattern memory location and click 
Paste.
The pattern is copied to the new location, and can now be edited to cre-
ate variations using the original pattern as a starting point. 
						

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The included effect plug-ins
StepFilter parametersModulation plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the 
“Modulation” category.
Metalizer
The Metalizer feeds the audio signal through a variable 
frequency filter, with tempo sync or time modulation and 
feedback control.
Parameter/
ValueDescription
Base Cutoff This sets the base filter cutoff frequency. Cutoff values 
set in the Cutoff grid window are values relative to the 
Base Cutoff value.
Base 
ResonanceThis sets the base filter resonance. Resonance values set 
in the Resonance grid window are values relative to the 
Base Resonance value. Note that very high Base Reso-
nance settings can produce loud ringing effects at cer-
tain frequencies.
Glide This will apply glide between the pattern step values, 
causing values to change more smoothly.
Filter Mode  This slider selects between lowpass (LP), bandpass (BP) 
or highpass (HP) filter modes (from left to right respec-
tively).
Sync 1/1 to 
1/32 (Straight, 
Triplet or Dotted)This sets the pattern beat resolution, i.e. what note values 
the pattern will play in relation to the tempo. 
Output Sets the overall volume.
Mix Adjusts the mix between dry and processed signal.
Parameter Description
Feedback The higher the value, the more “metallic” the sound.
Sharpness Governs the character of the filter effect. The higher the 
value, the narrower the affected frequency area, produc-
ing sharper sound and a more pronounced effect.
Tone Governs the feedback frequency. The effect of this will 
be more noticeable with high Feedback settings.
On button Turns filter modulation on and off. When turned off, the 
Metalizer will work as a static filter.
Mono button When this is on, the output of the Metalizer will be in 
mono. 
Speed If tempo sync is on, this is where you specify the base 
note value for tempo-syncing the effect (1/1 to 1/32, 
straight, triplet or dotted). Note that there is no note value 
modifier for this effect.
If tempo sync is off, the modulation speed can be set 
freely with the Speed knob, without sync to tempo.
Tempo sync
on/offThe button above the Speed knob is used to switch 
tempo sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is 
on.
Output Sets the overall volume.
Mix Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the ef-
fect. If Metalizer is used as a send effect, this should be 
set to maximum as you can control the dry/effect balance 
with the send.  
						

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The included effect plug-ins
Ringmodulator
The Ringmodulator can produce complex, bell-like enhar-
monic sounds. Ring modulators work by multiplying two 
audio signals. The ring modulated output contains added 
frequencies generated by the sum of, and the difference 
between, the frequencies of the two signals. 
The Ringmodulator has a built-in oscillator that is multi-
plied with the input signal to produce the effect. 
Parameter Description
Oscillator LFO 
AmountControls how much the oscillator frequency is affected 
by the LFO.
Oscillator Env. 
AmountControls how much the oscillator frequency is affected 
by the envelope (which is triggered by the input signal). 
Positive and negative values can be set, with center posi-
tion representing no modulation. Left of center, a loud in-
put signal will decrease the oscillator pitch, whereas right 
of center the oscillator pitch will increase when fed a loud 
input.
Oscillator Wave Selects the oscillator waveform; square, sine, saw or tri-
angle.
Oscillator Range Determines the frequency range of the oscillator in Hz.
Oscillator 
FrequencySets the oscillator frequency +/- 2 octaves within the se-
lected range.
Oscillator Roll-
OffCuts high frequencies in the oscillator waveform, to 
soften the overall sound. This is best used when harmon-
ically rich waveforms are selected (e.g. square or saw).
LFO Speed Sets the LFO Speed.
LFO Env. 
AmountControls how much the input signal level – via the enve-
lope generator – affects the LFO speed. Positive and 
negative values can be set, with center position repre-
senting no modulation. Left of center, a loud input signal 
will slow down the LFO, whereas right of center a loud in-
put signal will speed it up.
LFO Waveform Selects the LFO waveform; square, sine, saw or triangle.
Invert Stereo This inverts the LFO waveform for the right channel of the 
oscillator, which produces a wider stereo perspective for 
the modulation.
Envelope Gener-
ator (Attack and 
Decay dials)The Envelope Generator section controls how the input 
signal is converted to envelope data, which can then be 
used to control oscillator pitch and LFO speed. It has two 
main controls:
Attack sets how fast the envelope output level rises in re-
sponse to a rising input signal.
Decay controls how fast the envelope output level falls in 
response to a falling input signal.
Lock L