Steinberg Cubase Le 8 Manual

							MixConsole
Configuring the MixConsole
211
Filtering Channel Types
The channel types filter on the MixConsole toolbar allows you to determine which 
channel types are shown.
PROCEDURE
1. Click Filter Channel Types.
This opens the channel types filter.
2. Click a dot to the left of a channel type to hide it.
RESULT 
Channels of the filtered type are removed from the fader section and the color of the 
Filter Channel Types button changes to indicate that a channel type is hidden.
Rack Selector
The rack selector allows you to activate specific MixConsole functions, such as 
routing, insert, or send handling, that are organized in racks.
• To activate the rack selector, activate Show Channel Racks.
Channel Racks
You can activate and deactivate the different channel racks in the MixConsole.
• To open the Select Racks pop-up menu, click Select Racks.
Depending on the channel type, you can activate/deactivate the following racks:
Routing
Allows you to set up the input and output routing. For MIDI, you can also 
select the MIDI channel. 
						

							MixConsole
Configuring the MixConsole
212
Pre (Filters/Gain) (Cubase Elements only)
Contains input filter and gain controls along with Phase and Gain controls for 
audio-related channels or an Input Transformer control for MIDI channels.
Inserts
Allows you to select insert effects for your channel.
Equalizers (audio-related channels only)
Allows you to set the channel EQ.
Channel Strip (audio-related channels only)
Allows you to integrate channel strip modules, such as Gate, Compressor, 
EQ, Transformer, Saturator, and Limiter that allow you to enhance your sound.
Sends
Allows you to select send effects for your channel.
Rack Settings
The Rack Settings pop-up menu allows you to make settings for the racks.
• To open the Rack Settings pop-up menu, click *.
Exclusive Expanded Rack
Shows the selected rack exclusively and collapses the other racks.
Fixed Number of Slots
Shows all available slots for the Inserts, Sends, Cues, and Quick Controls 
racks.
Link Racks to Configurations
If activated, the rack status is taken into account when you save and load a 
configuration.
Show Pre/Filters as  (Cubase Elements only)
Select Combined Label & Setting, if you want to show the label and the 
setting in one line.
Select Separate Label & Setting, if you want to show the label and the 
setting in separate lines.
Show Inserts as 
Select Plug-in Names, if you want to show the plug-in names only.
Select Plug-in & Preset Names, if you want to show the plug-in and the 
preset names.
Show All Channel Strip Controls
Shows all available controls on the Channel Strip rack. 
						

							MixConsole
Configuring the MixConsole
213
Show One Channel Strip Type
Shows only one channel strip type at a time.
Show Sends as 
Select Combined Destination & Gain, if you want to show the destination 
and the gain in one line.
Select Separate Destination & Gain, if you want to show the destination and 
the gain in separate lines.
Channel Visibility Configurations
The Channel Visibility Configurations button on the MixConsole toolbar allows 
you to create configurations that are useful for switching quickly between different 
visibility setups.
The button displays the name of the active configuration. A list of configurations is 
shown as soon as you create at least one configuration. To load a configuration, 
select it from this list. Channel visibility configurations are saved with the project.
Add Configuration
Opens the Add Configuration dialog that allows you to save the 
configuration and enter a name for it.
Update Configuration
If you change the active configuration, this is indicated by an asterisk after the 
configuration name. Use this function to save changes to the active 
configuration.
Rename Configuration
Opens the Rename Configuration dialog that allows you to rename the 
active configuration.
Delete Configuration
Allows you to delete the active configuration.
Move Configuration to Position
This function becomes available if 2 or more configurations exist. It allows you 
to change the position of the active configuration on the menu. This is useful 
as you can assign key commands to the first 8 configurations in the Channel 
& Track Visibility category of the Key Commands dialog. 
						

							MixConsole
Linking Channels
214
Saving Configurations
To quickly switch between different channel setups, you can save configurations. 
The configurations contain visibility settings as well as the show/hide status of 
channel types and racks.
PROCEDURE
1. Set up the configuration that you want to save.
2. On the toolbar, click Configurations.
3. From the pop-up menu, select Add Configuration.
4. In the Add Configuration dialog, enter a name for the configuration.
5. Click OK.
RESULT 
The configuration is saved and you can return to it at any time.
Linking Channels
You can link selected channels temporarily. Any change that is applied to one 
channel is mirrored by all linked channels.
Using Quick Link
You can activate the Temporary Link Mode to synchronize all touched parameters 
of selected channels.
PROCEDURE
1. Select the channels that you want to link.
2. On the MixConsole toolbar, activate Q-Link.
NOTE
You can also press [Shift]-[Alt]/[Option] to temporarily link channels. In that case, the 
link is only active as long as you press the keys.
3. Change the parameters for one of the selected channels.
RESULT 
The changes are applied to all selected channels until you deactivate Q-Link. 
						

							MixConsole
Input Levels
215
Input Levels
When recording digital sound, it is important to set the input levels high enough to 
ensure low noise and high audio quality. At the same time, you must avoid clipping 
(digital distortion).
Setting Input Levels
PROCEDURE
1. Click Filter Channel Types and activate Input Channels.
In this mode, the input channel level meters show the level of the signal at the input 
of the bus, before any adjustments, such as input gain, EQ, effects, level, or pan are 
made. This allows you to check the level of the unprocessed signal coming into the 
audio hardware.
2. Select Functions > Global Meter Settings > Meter Position and activate 
Input.
3. Play back the audio and check the level meter for the input channel.
The signal should be as loud as possible without exceeding 0 dB that is the clipping 
indicator for the input bus should not light up.
4. If necessary, adjust the input level in one of the following ways:
• Adjust the output level of the sound source or the external mixer.
• If possible, use the audio hardware’s own application program to set the input 
levels. See the documentation for the audio hardware.
• If your audio hardware supports the ASIO control panel function, it may be 
possible to make input level settings. To open the ASIO control panel, select 
Devices > Device Setup and in the list to the left (below VST Audio System), 
select your audio card. When this is selected, you can open the control panel 
by clicking the Control Panel button in the settings section to the right.
5. Optional: Select Functions > Global Meter Settings > Meter Position and 
activate Post-Fader.
NOTE
This allows you to check the level of the audio being written to a file on your hard disk 
which is only necessary if you make any adjustments to the input channel.
6. In the Channel Racks section, in the Inserts rack, click a slot and select an 
effect, or in the Equalizers rack, make your EQ settings.
For some effects you may want to adjust the level of the signal going into the effect. 
Use the input gain function for this. Press [Shift] or [Alt]/[Option] to adjust the input 
gain.
7. Play back the audio and check the level meter of the input channel.
The signal should be reasonably loud without exceeding 0 dB that is the clipping 
indicator for the input bus should not light up.
8. If necessary, use the input channel fader to adjust the signal level. 
						

							MixConsole
Copying and Moving Rack and Channel Settings
216
Clipping
Clipping typically occurs in the audio hardware when an analog signal is too loud 
and therefore converted to digital in the hardware’s A/D converters.
Copying and Moving Rack and Channel Settings
You can use drag and drop to copy or move rack and channel settings.
Drag and drop works between different channels or different rack slots on the same 
channel. When you drag, a blue frame indicates the sections where you can drop 
your settings.
The following applies:
• To copy the rack settings from one rack to another, drag the rack and drop it 
on the rack to which you want to copy the settings.
• To move the rack settings from one rack to another, press [Alt]/[Option], drag 
the rack, and drop it on the rack to which you want to move the settings.
• To copy the channel settings from one channel to another, drag the channel 
and drop it on the channel to which you want to copy the settings.
You can copy rack and channel settings between different types of channels, 
provided that the target channels have corresponding settings.
• For example, copying from input/output channels leaves the sends settings in 
the target channel unaffected. 
						

							MixConsole
Fader Section
217
Fader Section
The fader section is the heart of the MixConsole. It shows input and output 
channels together with audio, instrument, MIDI, group, FX, and ReWire (not in 
Cubase LE) channels that appear in the same order as in the track list.
NOTE
If a channel is deactivated in the channel selector or if its channel type is 
deactivated, it is not shown in the fader section.
The fader section allows you to do the following:
• Set the panorama
• Activate mute and solo
• Open the channel settings
•Set the volume
• Enable automation
RELATED LINKS
Using Channel Settings on page 236
Write/Read Automation on page 360 
						

							MixConsole
Fader Section
218
Setting Pan
For each audio-related channel with at least a stereo output configuration, you can 
find a pan control at the top of the fader section. For MIDI channels, the pan control 
sends out MIDI pan messages. The result depends on how your MIDI instrument is 
set to respond to pan.
The pan control allows you to position a channel in the stereo spectrum. 
• To make fine adjustments, hold down [Shift] when you move the pan control.
• To select the default center pan position, hold down [Ctrl]/[Command], and 
click the pan control.
• To edit the value numerically, double-click the pan control.
RELATED LINKS
Creating New Projects on page 44
Stereo Balance Panner
The stereo balance panner allows you to control the balance between the left and 
right channels. It is activated by default.
Panning Bypass
You can bypass the panning for all audio-related channels.
• To activate panning bypass, click the button to the left or press 
[Ctrl]/[Command]-[Alt]/[Option]-[Shift] and click the pan control.
• To deactivate panning bypass, press [Ctrl]/[Command]-[Alt]/[Option]-[Shift] 
and click again.
When panning is bypassed for a channel, the following happens:
• Mono channels are panned center.
• Stereo channels are panned hard left and right.
Using Solo and Mute
You can silence one or several channels using the Solo and Mute buttons.
• To silence a channel, click Mute.
Click again to deactivate the mute state for the channel. 
						

							MixConsole
Fader Section
219
• To mute all other channels, click Solo for a channel.
Click again to deactivate the solo state.
• To deactivate the mute or solo states for all channels simultaneously, click 
Deactivate All Mute States or Deactivate All Solo States.
• To activate exclusive solo mode, hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and click Solo 
for the channel.
The Solo buttons of all other channels are deactivated.
• To activate solo defeat for a channel, [Alt]/[Option]-click Solo.
You can also click and hold Solo to activate solo defeat. In this mode the 
channel is not muted when you solo another channel. [Alt]/[Option]-click 
again to deactivate solo defeat.
Setting Volume
Each channel in the fader section of the MixConsole has a volume fader. The fader 
levels are displayed below the fader, in dB for audio-related channels and as MIDI 
volume (0 to 127) for MIDI channels.
• To change the volume, move the fader up or down.
• To make fine volume adjustments, press [Shift] while moving the faders.
• To reset the volume on its default value, press [Ctrl]/[Command] and click a 
fader.
For audio channels, the volume fader controls the volume of the channel before it is 
routed to an output bus, directly or via a group channel. For output channels the 
volume fader controls the master output level of all audio channels that are routed 
to an output bus. For MIDI channels the volume fader controls the volume changes 
in the MixConsole by sending out MIDI volume messages to the connected 
instruments that are set to respond to MIDI messages.
Level Meters
The channel meters show the level when you play back audio or MIDI. The Meter 
Peak Level indicator shows the highest registered level.
• To reset the peak level, click the Meter Peak Level value.
NOTE
Input and output channels have clipping indicators. When they light up, lower the 
gain or the levels until the indicator is no longer lit. 
						

							MixConsole
Working with Channel Racks
220
Channel Meter Options
You can change the meter characteristics for audio channels using the context 
menu of the channel meter.
Meter Peak Options - Hold Peaks
The highest registered levels are held and shown as static horizontal lines in 
the meter.
Meter Peak Options - Hold Forever
If this option is activated, the peak levels are shown until you reset the meters. 
If this option is deactivated, you can use the Meters’ Peak Hold Time 
parameter (File > Preferences > Metering) to specify for how long the peak 
levels are held. The peak hold time can be between 500 and 30000
 ms.
Meter Position - Input
If this option is activated, the meters show input levels for all audio channels 
and input/output channels. The input meters are post input gain.
Meter Position - Post-Fader
If this option is activated, the meters show post-fader levels.
Meter Position - Post-Panner
If this option is activated, the meters show post-fader levels and also reflect 
pan settings.
Reset Meters
Resets the meters.
Working with Channel Racks
The Channel Racks section holds specific MixConsole functions, such as routing, 
insert, or send handling. These are organized in racks.