Steinberg Cubase LE Operation Manual

							CUBASE LEThe Mixer 7 – 161
Unlinking channels
•To unlink channels, simply click the channel name field for any linked 
Channel to select it, and select “Unlink Channels” from the Mixer con-
text menu.
The channels are unlinked. Note that you do not need to select all the channels that are 
linked, only one of them.
❐It is not possible to remove individual channels from Link status. If you 
want to make individual settings to a linked channel, press [Alt]/[Option] 
when changing the setting.
Saving Mixer settings
❐Saving/Loading Mixer settings does not apply to MIDI channels in the 
Mixer – only audio related channels (group, disk, VSTi and ReWire) are 
saved with this function!
It is possible to save complete Mixer settings for selected or all audio 
channels in the Mixer. These can then later be loaded into any project. 
Channel settings are saved as Mixer settings files. These have the 
Windows file extension “.vmx”. 
Right-clicking (Win) or [Ctrl]-clicking (Mac) somewhere on the Mixer 
panel or in the Channel Settings window brings up the Mixer context 
menu where four Save/Load items can be found. The following op-
tions are available: 
						

							CUBASE LE7 – 162 The Mixer
•“Save Selected Channels” will save all channel settings and the out-
put bus routing for the selected channels.
Effects loaded in the VST Send Effects panel will not be saved. Thus, the send routing 
assigned for the selected channel(s) will not be saved, although the send levels, pre/
post and on/off settings are. Insert effects settings are saved.
•Save VST Master, Sends and VSTi will save the Master setup, VST 
output bus levels and active status, Master mix level, and all assign-
ments and settings in the VST send effects, VST Instruments and Mas-
ter effects panels.
You do not have to select channels for this operation.
•“Save VST Master Fx” will save the current Master effects configura-
tion and settings.
•“Save All Mixer Settings” saves everything.
This is the same as using “Save Selected Channels” with all channels selected, and 
using “Save VST Master, Sends and VSTi” and “Save VST Master Fx”, all in one go.
When you select any of the above options, a standard file dialog 
opens where you can select a name and storage location on your disk 
for the file.
Loading Mixer settings 
Load Selected Channels
To load Mixer settings saved for selected channels, proceed as follows:
1.Select the same number of channels in the new project to match the 
number of channels you saved settings for in the previous project.
For example, if you saved settings for six channels, then select six channels in the Mixer.
•Mixer settings will be applied in the same order as they appear in the 
Mixer, when saved. 
Thus, if you save settings from channels 4, 6 and 8 and apply these settings to chan-
nels 1, 2 and 3, the settings saved for channel 4 would be applied to channel 1, the 
settings saved for channel 6 to channel 2 and so on.
2.Right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) the mixer panel to open the con-
text menu, and select “Load Selected Channels”.
A standard file dialog appears, where you can locate the saved file. 
						

							CUBASE LEThe Mixer 7 – 163
3.Select the file and click “Open”.
The channel settings and their corresponding output bus routing is applied to the se-
lected channels.
❐If you select to apply Mixer settings to fewer channels than you saved, 
the order of the saved channels in the Mixer applies – i.e. the saved 
channels that are “left over” and not applied will be the channels with the 
highest channel numbers (or furthest to the right in the Mixer).
Load VST Master, Sends and VSTi
As these settings are global for the whole Mixer, no channels need to 
be selected.
1.Right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) the mixer panel to open the con-
text menu and select Load VST Master, Sends and VSTi.
A standard file dialog appears, where you can locate the saved file.
2.Select the file and click “Open”.
The Master setup, Master mix level, VST output levels, VST instruments and all send 
and Master effect assignments and settings are applied to the project.
Load VST Master Fx
This item allows you to load Master effect combinations and settings.
1.Right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) the mixer panel to pull down the 
context menu, and select “Load VST Master Fx”.
A standard file dialog appears, where you can locate the saved file.
2.Click “Open” to recall the saved Master Effects.
Load All Mixer Settings
Selecting “Load All Mixer Settings” from the context menu allows you 
to open a saved Mixer Settings file, and have the stored settings ap-
plied to all channels for which there is information included in the file. 
All channels, master settings, VST Instruments, sends and master ef-
fects will be affected.
• Please note that if the saved Mixer settings were 24 channels, and the 
Mixer you apply it to currently contains 16 channels, only the settings for 
channels 1 to 16 will be applied – this function will not automatically add 
channels. 
						

							CUBASE LE7 – 164 The Mixer
About the VST Performance Window
The VST Performance window is opened by selecting it from the De-
vices menu. It indicates the current load on the CPU and the hard disk 
transfer rate. It is recommended that you check this from time to time, 
or keep it open always. Even though you have been able to activate a 
number of audio channels in the project without getting any warning, 
you may possibly run into performance problems when adding EQ or 
effects.
•The upper bar graph shows the CPU (processor) load.
If the red Overload indicator lights up, you need to decrease the number of EQ mod-
ules, active effects and/or audio channels playing back simultaneously.
•The lower bar graph shows the hard disk transfer load.
If the red overload indicator lights up, the hard disk is not supplying data fast enough to 
the computer. You might then try going into the Device Setup and VST Multitrack dia-
log, and raise the number of disk buffers and the disk block buffer size. If this doesn’t 
help, you need a faster hard disk. The overload indicator may occasionally blink. This is 
normal and nothing to worry about. 
						

							8
Audio effects 
						

							CUBASE LE8 – 166 Audio effects
Background
Cubase LE comes with a number of audio effect plug-ins included. 
This chapter contains general details about how to assign, use and or-
ganize effect plug-ins. In addition, there are links to descriptions of all 
included effects.
About VST 2.0 and tempo sync
Version 2.0 of the VST plug-in standard (and later) allows plug-ins to re-
ceive MIDI from the host application (in this case, Cubase LE). A typical 
use for this feature is tempo-based effects (such as delays, auto-pan-
ning, etc.), but it is also used in other ways for certain plug-ins.
•MIDI Timing information is automatically provided to any VST 2.0 plug-
in that “requests it”.
You don’t need to make any special settings for this.
•In many cases you set up tempo sync by specifying a base note value 
and a multiplier. The resulting timing interval is the base note value 
multiplied with the multiplier value.
For example, if you set the base note value to 1/16 (a sixteenth note) and the multiplier 
to 3, the resulting timing is 3/16. In the case of a delay effect, this means the interval 
between each delay repeat will be three sixteenth notes. 
•When MIDI receive is available (or necessary) for other purposes than 
timing, the setting up and operation is described in the documentation 
for the corresponding effect. 
						

							CUBASE LEAudio effects 8 – 167
The three effect types
In addition to the EQ, Cubase LE provides three effect types:
•Send effects
Up to four send effects can be used. When you use send effects, audio is routed 
through the effect processors via independent effect sends for each channel, just like 
on a “real” physical mixer. The output from each effect processor is then routed to one 
of the buses or the master fader, where it is mixed with the “dry” signal, if any. Send ef-
fects are mono in - stereo out.
•Insert effects
An insert effect is inserted into the signal chain of an audio channel, which means that 
the whole channel signal passes through the effect. This makes inserts suitable for ef-
fects for which you don’t need to mix dry (direct) and wet (processed) sound, e.g. dis-
tortion, filters or other effects that change the tonal or dynamic characteristics of the 
sound. You can have two different insert effects per channel.
•Master effects
Two effect processors can be added to the signal on the Master bus, the final mix. 
Please note that there is no mixing of the dry/fx signals as there is with the send effects 
(except if included in the parameters of the individual effects). Typical uses for master 
effects would be compressor/limiter effects, noise suppression units, etc. The last 
Master effect slot is post-master gain. 
						

							CUBASE LE8 – 168 Audio effects
Using effects
Using send effects
This procedure is divided into three steps: Activating effects, setting 
up the send section and making effect settings.
❐Note that it’s also possible to route sends to groups, and use the insert 
effects for the groups as additional effect racks. See page 178.
Activating send effects
1.Pull down the Devices menu and select VST Send Effects.
The VST Send Effects panel opens. You can have up to four separate “processors” ar-
ranged on top of each other. If no effect is selected for a slot, it will be labeled “No Ef-
fect”.
2.Pull down the pop-up menu by clicking in the “No Effect” slot.
The pop-up menu will list all effects included with Cubase LE (see page 181) as well 
as effects installed separately. By default the included effects are sorted in hierarchical 
submenus according to effect type, but you can rearrange them as you see fit (see 
page 183). 
						

							CUBASE LEAudio effects 8 – 169
3.Select an effect from the list.
When you select an effect, an effect panel opens in the slot.
4.By default, the effect processor is activated when selected. This is in-
dicated by the On button. Make sure this is lit.
5.Make sure the effect output is routed to the desired output bus, by 
checking the Bus pop-up (below the File pop-up).
6.If you wish to activate more effects, repeat steps 2 to 5.
Remember that the effects rely heavily on the CPU power in your computer. The more 
activated effect units, the more computer power will be used for effects.
• To turn off an effect completely, pull down the effect type pop-up menu 
and select “No Effect”. 
You should do this for all effects that you don’t intend to use, to minimize unnecessary 
CPU load. 
						

							CUBASE LE8 – 170 Audio effects
Setting up the sends
This can be done in the Channel Settings window or in the Inspector 
for the audio track. The figures below show the Channel Settings win-
dow, but the procedures are similar for both sections:
1.Bring up the Channel Settings window or the Sends section in the In-
spector.
Each of the four sends has the following controls and options:
• A send on/off switch
• A send level slider
• A pre/post fader switch
• An Edit button
2.Click the on button for one of the effect sends and set the corre-
sponding send level slider (or dial) to a moderate value.
Setting the Send level.
3.Pull down the pop-up menu for the send.
This is the Send Routing pop-up menu, used for routing the send to the desired effect 
processor.
The first items on this menu correspond to the activated internal effects (up to four) 
while the following items route the send to buses and groups. A practical application 
of routing a send to a group is described on page 179.
4.Select an effect from the pop-up menu.