Steinberg Cubase Le 8 Manual

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Sample Editor
Window overview
The Sample Editor allows you to view and manipulate audio by cutting and pasting, 
removing, or drawing audio data, and by processing audio. This editing is 
“non-destructive”: The actual file will remain untouched so that you can undo 
modifications or revert to the original settings at any time.
The Sample Editor also contains most of the realtime time stretching functions in 
Cubase. These can be used to match the tempo of audio to the project tempo.
Another special feature of the Sample Editor is hitpoint detection. Hitpoints allow 
you to create audio slices, which can be useful in many situations, for example, if 
you want to change the tempo without introducing artifacts.
NOTE
The term “loop” is used throughout this chapter and in this context usually means 
an audio file with a musical time base. That means that the length of the loop 
represents a certain number of bars and beats at a certain tempo. Playing the loop 
back at the right tempo in a cycle set to the correct length will produce a continuous 
loop without gaps.
RELATED LINKS
Audio processing and functions on page 262 
						

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Warping audio on page 297
Working with hitpoints and slices on page 297
Opening the Sample Editor
To open the Sample Editor, double-click an audio event in the Project window or 
the Audio Part Editor, or double-click an audio clip in the Pool. You can have more 
than one Sample Editor window open at the same time.
NOTE
Double-clicking an audio part in the Project window opens the Audio Part Editor, 
even if the part contains a single audio event only.
RELATED LINKS
Audio Part Editor on page 306
The toolbar
The toolbar contains various tools for selecting, manipulating and playing back 
audio, as well as options that affect the appearance and behavior of the Sample 
Editor.
In the Musical Information section at the right of the toolbar, the estimated length of 
your audio file is displayed in bars and beats (PPQ) together with the estimated 
tempo and the time signature. These values are important for using Musical Mode.
The Algorithm pop-up menu allows you to select an algorithm for the realtime time 
stretching.
• You can customize the toolbar by right-clicking it and using the context menu 
to hide or show items.
Show Audio Event
When the “Show Audio Event” button is activated on the toolbar, the section 
corresponding to the edited event is highlighted in the waveform display and 
the Overview. The sections of the audio clip not belonging to the event are 
shown with a gray background.
• You can adjust the start and end of the event in the clip by dragging the 
event handles in the waveform display.
IMPORTANT
This button is only available if you have opened the Sample Editor by 
double-clicking an audio event in the Project window or the Audio Part Editor. 
It is not available if you have opened the audio event from the Pool. 
						

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Snap
The Snap function helps you to find exact positions when editing in the 
Sample Editor by restricting horizontal movement and positioning to certain 
grid positions. You turn Snap on or off by clicking the Snap button in the 
Sample Editor toolbar.
NOTE
The Sample Editor Snap function is independent of the Snap setting in the 
Project window toolbar or other editors. It has no effect outside the Sample 
Editor.
Snap to Zero Crossing
When this option is activated, editing is done at zero crossings (positions in 
the audio where the amplitude is zero). This helps you to avoid pops and 
clicks, which might otherwise be caused by sudden amplitude changes.
NOTE
The Sample Editor function “Snap to Zero Crossing” is independent of the 
same setting in the Project window toolbar or other editors. It has no effect 
outside the Sample Editor.
Auto-Scroll
When the Auto-Scroll option is activated on the Sample Editor toolbar, the 
waveform display will scroll during playback, keeping the project cursor visible 
in the editor.
NOTE
This setting is independent of the Auto-Scroll setting in the Project window 
toolbar or other editors.
RELATED LINKS
Musical Mode on page 296
Selecting an algorithm for realtime playback on page 296
Chord Functions on page 505
Using the Setup options on page 627
The info line
The info line is displayed below the toolbar. It shows information about the audio 
clip, such as the audio format and the selection range.
Initially, length and position values are displayed in the format specified in the 
Project Setup dialog.
• To show or hide the info line, click the “Set up Window Layout” button on the 
toolbar and activate or deactivate the Info Line option. 
						

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RELATED LINKS
Using the Setup options on page 627
The Sample Editor Inspector
On the left in the Sample Editor, you will find the Sample Editor Inspector. It 
contains tools and functions for working in the Sample Editor.
The Hitpoints tab
On this tab, hitpoints can be marked and edited. Hitpoints allow you to slice 
your audio and to create groove quantize maps from your audio. You can also 
create markers, regions, and events based on hitpoints.
RELATED LINKS
Working with hitpoints and slices on page 297
The overview line
The overview line displays the whole clip.
1) Event Start
2) Selection
3) Event End
4) Viewing area
5) Snap Point
The section currently shown in the main waveform display of the Sample Editor (the 
viewing area) is indicated by a rectangle in the overview line, and the current 
selection range is also shown. If the “Show Audio Event” button is activated on the 
toolbar, event start/end and snap point are shown in the overview line. 
						

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• To view other sections of the clip, move the viewing area in the overview line.
Click in the lower half of the viewing area and drag to the left or right to move 
it.
• To zoom in or out, horizontally, resize the viewing area by dragging its left or 
right edge.
• To define a new viewing area, click in the upper half of the Overview and drag 
a rectangle.
The ruler
The Sample Editor ruler is located between the overview line and the waveform 
display.
RELATED LINKS
Ruler on page 29
The waveform display and the level scale
The waveform display shows the waveform image of the edited audio clip according 
to the wave image style set in the Preferences dialog (Event Display–Audio page).
To the left of the waveform display a level scale is shown, indicating the amplitude 
of the audio. 
						

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• You can select whether the level is shown as a percentage or in dB.
This is done by opening the level scale pop-up menu at the top of the level 
scale and selecting an option.
• Cubase Elements only: Select the “Show Half Level Axis” option on the 
context menu of the waveform display, if you want the half level axes to be 
shown.
Half-level axis
RELATED LINKS
Event Display on page 656
General Functions
Zooming
Zooming in the Sample Editor is done according to the standard zoom procedures, 
with the following special notes to keep in mind:
• The vertical zoom slider changes the vertical scale relative to the height of the 
editor window, in a way similar to the waveform zooming in the Project 
window.
• The vertical zoom will also be affected if the “Zoom Tool Standard Mode: 
Horizontal Zooming Only” preference (Editing–Tools page) is deactivated 
and you drag a rectangle with the Zoom tool.
The following options relevant to the Sample Editor are available on the Zoom 
submenu of the Edit menu or the context menu:
Zoom In
Zooms in one step, centering on the position cursor. 
						

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Zoom Out
Zooms out one step, centering on the position cursor.
Zoom Full
Zooms out so that the whole clip is visible in the editor.
Zoom to Selection
Zooms in so that the current selection fills the editor display.
Zoom to Selection (Horiz.)
Zooms in horizontally so that the current selection fills the editor display.
Zoom to Event
Zooms in so that the editor shows the section of the clip corresponding to the 
edited audio event. This is not available if you have opened the Sample Editor 
from the Pool (in which case the whole clip is opened for editing, not an 
event).
Zoom In/Out Vertically
This is the same as using the vertical zoom slider (see above).
Undo/Redo Zoom
These options allow you to undo/redo the last zoom operation.
• The current zoom setting is shown in the info line, as a “samples per screen 
pixel” value.
NOTE
You can zoom in horizontally to a scale of less than one sample per pixel! This 
is required for drawing with the Draw tool.
• If you have zoomed in to one sample per pixel or less, the appearance of the 
samples depends on the “Interpolate Audio Images” option in the Preferences 
dialog (Event Display–Audio page).
If the option is deactivated, single sample values are drawn as “steps”. If the 
option is activated, they are interpolated to a “curve” form.
RELATED LINKS
Drawing in the Sample Editor on page 290
Zooming in the Project Window on page 35
Auditioning
While you can use the regular play commands to play back audio when the Sample 
Editor is open, it is often useful to listen to the edited material only.
Clicking the Audition icon on the toolbar plays back the edited audio, according to 
the following rules:
• If you have made a selection, this selection will be played back. 
						

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• If there is no selection and “Show Event” is deactivated, playback will start at 
the cursor position.
• If the Audition Loop icon is activated, playback will continue repeatedly until 
you deactivate the Audition Loop icon. Otherwise, the section will be played 
back once.
NOTE
There is a separate Play button for auditioning regions.
Using the Speaker tool
If you click somewhere in the waveform display with the Speaker (“Play”) tool 
and keep the mouse button pressed, the clip is played back from the position 
where you click. Playback will continue until you release the mouse button.
Using key commands
If you activate the “Playback Toggle triggers Local Preview” option in the 
Preferences dialog (Transport page), you can start/stop auditioning by 
pressing [Space]. This is the same as clicking the Audition icon on the toolbar.
The Sample Editor also supports the “Preview start” and “Preview stop” key 
commands in the Media category of the Key Commands dialog. These key 
commands stop the current playback, whether you are in normal playback or 
in audition mode.
RELATED LINKS
Auditioning regions on page 294
Scrubbing
The Scrub tool allows you to locate positions in the audio by playing back, forwards, 
or backwards, at any speed:
PROCEDURE
1. Select the Scrub tool.
2. Click in the waveform display and keep the mouse button pressed.
The project cursor is moved to the position where you clicked.
3. Drag to the left or right.
The audio is played back. The speed and pitch of the playback depend on how fast 
you drag. 
						

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Adjusting the snap point
The snap point is a marker within an audio event. It is used as a reference position 
when you move events with snap activated, so that the snap point is “magnetic” to 
whatever snap positions you have selected.
By default, the snap point is set at the beginning of the audio event, but often it is 
useful to move the snap point to a “relevant” position in the event, such as a 
downbeat.
NOTE
• If you adjust the snap point with the Scrub tool, the audio is played back.
• Cubase Elements only: You can also adjust the snap point by setting the 
project cursor at the desired position and selecting “Snap Point To Cursor” 
on the Audio menu.
The snap point will be set to the position of the cursor. This method can also 
be used in the Project window and the Audio Part Editor.
• It is also possible to define a snap point for a clip (for which there is no event 
yet).
To open a clip in the Sample Editor, double-click it in the Pool. After having set the 
snap point, you can insert the clip into the project from the Pool or the Sample Editor 
with the set snap point position.
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
Events and clips can have different snap points. If you open a clip from the Pool, you 
can edit the clip snap point. If you open a clip from within the project window, you 
can edit the event snap point. The clip snap point serves as a template for the event 
snap point. However, it is the event snap point that is taken into account when 
snapping.
To adjust the snap point, proceed as follows:
PROCEDURE
1. Activate the 
						

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Drawing in the Sample Editor
It is possible to edit the audio clip at sample level by drawing with the Draw tool. 
This can be useful if you need to manually edit out a spike or click, etc.
PROCEDURE
1. Zoom in to a zoom value lower than 1.
This means that there is more than one screen pixel per sample.
2. Select the Draw tool.
3. Click at the beginning of the section that you want to correct and draw in the 
new curve.
A range selection covering the edited section is automatically applied.
Making selections
To select an audio section in the Sample Editor, click and drag with the Range 
Selection tool.
A selected range
• If “Snap to Zero Crossing” is activated on the toolbar, the selection’s start and 
end are always at zero crossings.
• You can resize the selection by dragging its left and right edge or by 
[Shift]-clicking.
Using the Select menu
On the Select submenu of the Edit menu you find the following options:
All
Selects the whole clip.
None
Selects no audio (the selection length is set to “0”).
In Loop
Selects all audio between the left and right locator.