Steinberg Cubase LE Operation Manual

							CUBASE LEAutomation 9 – 201
Editing automation events
Drawing automation events
By using Write automation in the Mixer, you generate automation events 
by moving parameter dials and fader settings in the Mixer. You can also 
add them manually, by drawing automation curves on an automation 
subtrack. Proceed as follows:
1.Open a Channel Volume automation subtrack for an audio track by 
clicking the plus sign.
The static value line is shown in the event display.
2.Select the Pencil tool.
You could also use the Pencil tool in other modes for drawing curves, see below.
3.If you click on the static value Line, an automation event is added, Read 
automation mode is automatically activated, and the static value line 
changes to a blue automation curve.
4.If you click and hold, you can draw a curve, by adding a multitude of 
single automation events. 
						

							CUBASE LE9 – 202 Automation
5.When you release the mouse button, the number of automation 
events are reduced to a few events, but the basic shape of the curve 
still remains.
This “thinning” of events is governed by the Automation Reduction setting in the Pref-
erences, see page 207.
6.If you now activate playback, the Volume will change with the automa-
tion curve.
In the Mixer the corresponding fader moves accordingly.
7.Simply redo the operation if you are not happy with the result.
If you draw over existing events, a new curve is created.
•If the automation subtrack is in Read mode already, you can also add 
automation events by clicking with the Arrow tool.
If you are trying to add a point between two existing points and the new point doesn’t 
deviate from the existing curve, it will be removed by Reduction (see page 207) as 
soon as you release the mouse button.
Using the Pencil tool in other modes to draw automation curves
Other Pencil tool modes can be very useful for drawing automation 
events. The various modes are accessed by clicking on the Pencil tool 
on the toolbar and selecting from the pop-up that appears.
• Clicking and dragging with the Pencil tool in Line mode shows a line in the au-
tomation subtrack, and creates automation events aligned with this line.
This is a quick way to create linear fades, etc.
• The Parabola mode works in the same way, but aligns the automation events 
with a parable curve instead, giving more “natural” curves and fades.
Note that the result depends on from which direction you draw the parable. 
						

							CUBASE LEAutomation 9 – 203
• The Sine, Triangle and Square modes create automation events aligned with 
continuous curves.
If snap is activated and set to Grid, the period of the curve (the length of one curve “cy-
cle”) is determined by the grid setting. If you press [Shift] and drag, you can set the pe-
riod length manually, in multiples of the grid value.
Selecting automation event points
•To select a single automation event point, click on it with the Arrow tool.
The point turns red, and you can drag it in any horizontal or vertical direction between 
two points.
•To select multiple curve points, you can either [Shift]-click or drag a 
selection rectangle with the Arrow tool.
All events inside the selection rectangle will become selected.
Draw a selection rectangle around some points to select them.
When selected, several points can be moved in all directions as “one”, 
i.e. the curve shape formed by the selected event points remains intact.
•To select all automation events on a subtrack, right-click (Win) or 
[Ctrl]-click (Mac) the automation subtrack in the Track list and choose 
“Select All Events” from the context menu. 
						

							CUBASE LE9 – 204 Automation
Removing automation events
There are several ways to remove event points:
•By selecting points and pressing [Backspace] or [Delete].
•By clicking on a point with the Eraser tool.
•By clicking in the parameter display on a subtrack and selecting “Re-
move Parameter” from the pop-up.
This will remove all automation events from the subtrack, and the subtrack will be closed.
Editing automation events
You can cut/copy automation events and paste them in at the current 
project cursor position. However, most items on the Edit menu are not 
applicable to automation events.
Using Plug-in automation
Each parameter for every assigned effect or VST Instrument can be 
automated. Proceed as follows:
❐Channel Insert Effects are automated using the respective Channel au-
tomation track.
Using Write/Read automation
All effects have Write/Read buttons on their control panels. These 
work exactly like the corresponding buttons in the Mixer or in the In-
spector, but the recorded data ends up on separate Plug-in automa-
tion tracks, one for each automated effect.
Opening Plug-in automation subtracks
Plug-in automation tracks are created automatically when a Write but-
ton is activated for a Send or Master effect or a VST Instrument. Each 
automated effect or VST Instrument will have its own Plug-in automa-
tion track, containing a subtrack for all parameters for that effect or 
VST Instrument. The track will get the same name as the effect or VST 
Instrument. 
						

							CUBASE LEAutomation 9 – 205
Assigning a parameter to a Plug-in automation subtrack
To select which parameter is currently shown in the Plug-in automa-
tion track, proceed as follows:
1.Click in the parameter display for the Plug-in automation subtrack.
The parameter display pop-up list is shown containing the automation parameters for 
the plug-in. The automated parameter(s) are indicated by an asterisk after the parameter 
name in the list. If there are more parameters than can fit on the pop-up menu, the item 
“More...” is shown at the bottom of the list. Selecting “More” opens the Add Parameter 
dialog window for the Plug-in automation track, showing all the parameters for the se-
lected effect or VST Instrument. 
The Phaser parameters.
2.Select the parameter you wish to view directly from the parameter dis-
play pop-up or from the Add Parameter dialog.
❐All procedures for editing Plug-In automation events are identical to 
Channel automation tracks.
Using Master automation
The procedure for using Master automation is as follows: 
•To open a subtrack for the Master automation track, select “Master 
Automation” from the Project menu’s “Add Track” submenu.
A subtrack named “Mixer” is added to the Track list, with the first parameter by default 
being the Master Gain Parameter. 
						

							CUBASE LE9 – 206 Automation
Tips and common methods
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to describing which au-
tomation method you should use. You could for example never even 
open an automation subtrack, and stick with Write automation through-
out a project. On the other hand, you could stick to drawing automation 
curves to automate settings in a project. Both methods have their ad-
vantages, but it is of course up to you to decide what to use and when.
•Editing curves on automation subtracks offers a graphical overview in 
relation to the track contents and the time position.
This makes it easy to quickly change parameter values at specific points, without hav-
ing to activate playback. For example, this method gives you a good overview if you 
have a voice-over or a dialog on one track and a music bed on another track, the level 
of which needs to be lowered with a specific amount every time the dialog occurs.
•By using Write automation in the Mixer you don’t have to manually se-
lect parameter subtracks from the Add Parameter list.
You can work much like you would using a “real” physical mixer. Every action you per-
form is automatically recorded on subtracks for the parameters you change which you 
can later open for viewing and editing.
These are just two examples of advantages for each method. Generally, 
editing curves and using Write automation are two methods that com-
plement each other, and depending on the nature of your projects you 
will probably work out what method works best for a given situation. 
						

							CUBASE LEAutomation 9 – 207
Options and Settings
About the “Reduction” Preference
This item can be found on the Editing page in the Preferences dialog. 
Reduction reduces the number of automation events after you have 
used Write automation or added automation events manually. When 
you Write (or draw with the Pencil tool) automation events, these are 
added as a continuous stream of densely packed events. This is neces-
sary because the program cannot “guess” what you will be doing next! 
However, when you are done, the Reduction function will remove all su-
perfluous event points and the automation curve now contains only the 
event points necessary to reproduce your actions.
For example, all event points that might exist between two other 
points, but do not deviate from the curve, will be automatically re-
moved by reduction. 
If you try to add an event that doesn’t deviate from the existing curve between two 
existing points...
...it will be removed when the mouse is released. If you had moved the selected 
event by any amount so that the resulting curve wouldn’t be a straight line, the event 
would of course be added.
•If you feel you need a lower (or higher) reduction level of events than 
the default setting of roughly 75% reduction, you can change it, but 
normally the default setting works well. 
•A minimum reduction level setting is not recommended as this will 
simply retain a lot of unnecessary events. 
						

							CUBASE LE9 – 208 Automation 
						

							10
Remote Controlling the Mixer 
						

							CUBASE LE10 – 210 Remote Controlling the Mixer
Background
It is possible to control the Cubase LE Mixer via MIDI. Currently, the 
following MIDI control devices are supported:
• Steinberg Houston
• Yamaha 01v
• Tascam US-428/424
• Mackie Universal/Mackie HUI
There is also a Generic Remote Device, allowing you to use any MIDI 
controller to remote control Cubase LE.
Operations
Selecting a remote device
1.Make sure the MIDI control device is connected to your MIDI interface.
You need to connect the MIDI Out on the remote unit to a MIDI In on your MIDI interface. 
Depending on the remote unit model, you may also need to connect a MIDI Out on the 
interface to a MIDI In on the remote unit (this is necessary if the remote unit features 
“feedback devices” such as indicators, motorized faders, etc.). See the MIDI control de-
vice specifications on the following pages for details.
2.Pull down the Devices menu and select Device Setup.
A dialog window opens with a list of devices shown in the left part of the window. 
3.If you can’t find the remote device you are looking for, click on the 
Add/Remove tab and select it from the Device Classes menu.
Click “Add” to add it to the Devices list.
•Note that it is possible to select more than one remote device of the 
same type.
If you have more than one remote device of the same type, these will be numbered in 
the Device list.