Steinberg Cubase Le 8 Manual

							Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
11
Audio Channels
Lists the available audio channels.
Bits Per Sample
Shows the number of bits per sample.
Sync Reference
Shows if the driver is used as sync reference.
NOTE
To take advantage of DirectX Full Duplex driver, the audio hardware must support 
Windows Driver Model (WDM).
Using Hardware that is Based on an External Clock Source
For proper audio playback and recording, you must set the sample rate of the 
project to the sample rate of the incoming clock signals. If you are using an external 
clock source, Cubase must be notified that it receives external clock signals and 
derives its speed from that source.
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Devices Setup.
2. In the devices list, select the page of your audio hardware driver.
3. Activate Externally clocked.
RESULT 
Cubase accepts the sample rate mismatch, and playback is therefore faster or 
slower.
When a sample rate mismatch occurs, the Record Format field on the status line 
is highlighted in a different color.
Using Several Audio Applications Simultaneously
If you want to use several audio applications simultaneously, you must allow other 
applications to play back via your audio hardware even though Cubase is running.
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Devices Setup.
2. In the devices list, select the VST Audio System page.
3. Activate Release Driver when Application is in Background.
RESULT 
The application that is currently active gets access to the audio hardware. 
						

							Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
12
NOTE
Make sure that any other audio application accessing the audio hardware is also set 
to release the ASIO or Mac OS X driver.
Setting Up Busses
Cubase uses a system of input and output busses to transfer audio between the 
program and the audio hardware.
• Input busses let you route audio from the inputs of your audio hardware into 
Cubase. This means that audio is always recorded through one or several 
input busses.
• Output busses let you route audio from Cubase to the outputs of your audio 
hardware. This means that audio is always played back through one or several 
output busses.
Once you understand the bus system and know how to set up the busses properly, 
you can continue with recording, playing back, and mixing.
RELATED LINKS
VST Connections on page 17
Configuring the Audio Hardware
Most audio cards provide one or more small applications that allow you to 
customize your hardware.
This includes:
• Selecting which inputs/outputs are active.
• Setting up word clock synchronization (if available).
• Turning on/off monitoring via the hardware.
• Setting levels for each input.
• Setting levels for the outputs so that they match the equipment that you use 
for monitoring.
• Selecting digital input and output formats.
• Making settings for the audio buffers.
In most cases, the settings for the audio hardware are gathered on a control panel 
that can be opened from within Cubase or separately, when Cubase is not running. 
For details, refer to the audio hardware documentation. 
						

							Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Audio
13
Plug and Play Support for ASIO Devices
The Steinberg UR824 hardware series supports plug and play in Cubase. These 
devices can be plugged in and switched on while the application is running. Cubase 
automatically uses the driver of the UR824 series and re-maps the VST 
connections accordingly.
Steinberg cannot guarantee that this works with other hardware. If you are unsure 
of whether your device supports plug and play, refer to the documentation of your 
device.
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
If a device that does not support plug and play is connected or disconnected while 
the computer is running, it can get damaged.
Setting Up the Input and Output Ports
Once you have selected the driver for your audio hardware and have set it up, you 
must specify which inputs and outputs to use.
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Device Setup.
2. In the Device Setup dialog, select your driver from the Devices list on the left.
3. Make your settings.
4. Optional: To hide a port, click its Visible column.
IMPORTANT
Hiding a port disconnects it.
Ports that are not visible cannot be selected in the VST Connections window where 
you set up your input and output busses.
5. Optional: To rename a port, click its name in the Show as column and type in 
a new name.
6. Click OK.
About Monitoring
In Cubase, monitoring means listening to the input signal while preparing to record 
or while recording.
The following ways of monitoring are available.
• Externally by listening to the signal before it reaches Cubase.
•Via Cubase. 
						

							Setting Up Your System
Setting Up MIDI
14
• By using ASIO Direct Monitoring.
This is a combination of the other methods.
RELATED LINKS
External Monitoring on page 150
Monitoring via Cubase on page 149
ASIO Direct Monitoring on page 150
Setting Up MIDI
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
Turn off all equipment before making any connections.
PROCEDURE
1. Connect your MIDI equipment (keyboard, MIDI interface, etc.) to your 
computer.
2. Install the drivers for your MIDI equipment.
RESULT 
You can use your MIDI equipment in Cubase.
About MIDI Ports
To play back and record MIDI data from your MIDI device, for example, a MIDI 
keyboard, you need to set up the MIDI ports in Cubase.
Connect the MIDI output port of your MIDI device to the MIDI input port of your 
computer. This way, the MIDI device sends MIDI data to be played back or recorded 
inside your computer.
Connect the MIDI input port of your MIDI device to the MIDI output port of your 
computer. This way, you can send MIDI data from Cubase to the MIDI device. For 
example, you can record your own playing, edit the MIDI data in Cubase, and then 
play it back on the keyboard and record the audio that is coming out of the keyboard 
for a better edited performance.
Showing or Hiding MIDI Ports
You can specify if a MIDI port is listed on the MIDI pop-up menus in the program.
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Device Setup.
2. In the Device Setup dialog, select MIDI Port Setup from the Devices list on 
the left. 
						

							Setting Up Your System
Connecting a Synchronizer
15
3. To hide a MIDI port, deactivate its Visible column.
4. Click OK.
Setting Up All MIDI Inputs
When you record MIDI, you can specify which MIDI input each recording MIDI track 
should use. However, you can also record any MIDI data from any MIDI input. You 
can specify which inputs are included when you select All MIDI Inputs for a MIDI 
track.
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Device Setup.
2. In the Device Setup dialog, select MIDI Port Setup from the Devices list on 
the left.
3. Activate In ‘All MIDI Inputs’ for a port.
NOTE
If you have a MIDI remote control unit connected, make sure to deactivate the In ‘All 
MIDI Inputs’ option for that MIDI input. This avoids accidental recording of data from 
the remote control when All MIDI Inputs is selected as input for a MIDI track.
4. Click OK.
RESULT 
When you select All MIDI Inputs on the Input Routing menu of a MIDI track in the 
Inspector, the MIDI track uses all MIDI inputs that you specified in the Device Setup 
dialog.
Connecting a Synchronizer
When using Cubase with external tape transports, you most likely must add a 
synchronizer to your system.
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
Make sure that all equipment is turned off before making any connections.
For information on how to connect and set up your synchronizer, refer to the 
documentation of your synchronizer.
RELATED LINKS
Synchronization on page 564 
						

							Setting Up Your System
Setting Up Video
16
Setting Up Video
Cubase plays back video files in a number of formats, such as AVI, QuickTime, or 
MPEG. QuickTime is used as the playback engine. Which formats can be played 
back depends on the video codecs that are installed on your system.
There are several ways to play back video, for example, without any special 
hardware, using a FireWire port, or using dedicated video cards.
If you plan to use special video hardware, install it and set it up as recommended by 
the manufacturer.
NOTE
Before you use the video hardware with Cubase, we recommend that you test the 
hardware installation with the utility applications that were provided with the 
hardware and/or the QuickTime Player application.
RELATED LINKS
Video on page 585
Video Output Devices on page 587 
						

							17
VST Connections
To play back and record in Cubase, you must set up input and output busses in the 
VST Connections  window.
The bus types that you need depend on your  au
 dio hardware, on your general audio 
setup, and on the projects that you use.
VST Connections Window
The  VST Connections  window allows you to set  up input and output busses.
• To open the  VST Con
 nections window, select Devices > VST Connections .
Inputs/Outputs Tab
The Input  and Output  tabs allow you to set up an d configure input and output 
busses.
The following options are available above the bus list:
+- All
Expands/Collapses all busses in the bus list.
Add Bus Opens the  Add Inpu
 t Bus dialog, where you can create a new bus 
configuration.
Presets Opens the  Pres
 ets menu, where you can select bus configuration presets. 
The  Store button 
 allows you to save a bus configuration as preset. The 
Delete  button 
 deletes the selected preset. 
						

							VST Connections
Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs
18
The following columns are available for the bus list:
Bus Name
Lists the busses. Click the name of a bus to select or rename it.
Speakers
Indicates the speaker configuration (mono, stereo) of each bus.
Audio Device
Shows the currently selected ASIO driver.
Device Port
Shows which physical inputs/outputs on your audio hardware are used by the 
bus. Expand the bus entry to show all speaker channels. If the bus entry is 
collapsed, only the first port that is used by this bus is visible.
The Device Port pop-up menu displays how many busses are connected to 
a given port. The busses are shown in square brackets next to the port name.
Up to three bus assignments can be displayed in this way. If more 
connections have been made, this is indicated by a number at the end of the 
port name.
For example, “Adat 1 [Stereo1] [Stereo2] [Stereo3] (+2)” means that the 
Adat
 1 port is already assigned to three stereo busses plus two additional 
busses.
Click (Outputs tab only)
You can route the metronome click to a specific output bus.
Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs
Before you set up busses, you should rename the default inputs and outputs of your 
audio hardware. This allows transferring projects between different computers and 
setups.
For example, if you move your project to another studio, the audio hardware may be 
of a different model. But if you and the other studio owner have agreed on identical 
names for your inputs and outputs, Cubase corrects inputs and outputs for your 
busses.
NOTE
If you open a project that was created on another computer and the port names do 
not match or the port configuration is not the same, the Missing Ports dialog 
appears. This allows you to manually re-route ports that are used in the project to 
ports that are available on your computer. 
						

							VST Connections
Renaming the Hardware Inputs and Outputs
19
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Device Setup.
2. On the VST Audio System page, make sure that the correct driver for your 
audio hardware is selected.
If this is the case, your audio card is listed in the Devices list on the left of the Device 
Setup window.
3. In the devices list, select your audio card.
The available input and output ports on your audio hardware are listed on the right.
4. In the Show As column, click on a port name and enter a new name.
5. Repeat the previous step until you have renamed all required ports.
6. Click OK.
RELATED LINKS
Re-Routing Missing Ports on page 53
Hiding Ports
You can hide ports that you are not using. Hidden ports are not displayed in the VST 
Connections window.
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Device Setup.
2. In the devices list, select your audio card.
3. In the Visible column, deactivate the ports that you want to hide.
4. Click OK.
Activating and Deactivating Ports (Mac only)
On Mac operating systems, you can specify which input and output ports are active. 
This allows you to use the microphone input instead of the line input or to deactivate 
the audio card input or output.
NOTE
This function is only available for built-in audio, standard USB audio devices, and a 
certain number of other audio cards.
PROCEDURE
1. Select Devices > Device Setup.
2. In the devices list, select your audio card.
3. Click the Control Panel button. 
						

							VST Connections
Adding Input and Output Busses
20
4. Activate/Deactivate ports.
5. Click OK.
Adding Input and Output Busses
PROCEDURE
1. In the VST Connections dialog, click the Inputs or Outputs tab.
2. Click Add Bus.
The Add Input Bus dialog opens.
3. Configure the bus.
4. Optional: Enter a name for the bus.
If you do not specify a name, the bus is named according to the channel configuration.
5. Click Add Bus.
The new bus is added to the bus list.
6. For each of the speaker channels in the bus, click in the Device Port column 
and select a port of your audio hardware.
Setting the Default Output Bus (Main Mix)
The Main Mix is the default output bus to which each new audio, group, or FX 
channel is automatically routed. If only one bus is available, this bus is automatically 
used as the default output bus.
PREREQUISITE 
Add an output bus.
PROCEDURE
1. In the VST Connections dialog, right-click the output bus that you want to 
use as default output bus.
2. Select Set as Main Mix.
RESULT 
The selected bus is used as default bus. The Main Mix is indicated by a speaker 
icon next to its name.