Steinberg Cubase LE Operation Manual

							CUBASE LEMIDI realtime parameters 17 – 321
The Inspector – General handling
The track parameters are set up in the Inspector. Here’s a brief run-
down on how to handle the Inspector:
•To show or hide the Inspector, click the Inspector icon on the Project 
window’s toolbar.
•The Inspector for a MIDI track is divided into three sections. You can 
fold or unfold the sections individually by clicking the tabs in their up-
per right corners.
Clicking the tab for a hidden section brings it to view and hides the other sections. 
[Ctrl]/[Command]-clicking the tab allows you to hide or show a section without affect-
ing other sections. Finally, [Alt]/[Option]-clicking a tab shows or hides all sections in 
the Inspector.
• Folding a section does not affect the functionality but merely hides the 
section from view. 
In other words, if you have set up a track parameter, your settings will still be active 
even if you fold the Inspector settings. 
						

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Basic track settings
The topmost Inspector section contains the basic settings for the se-
lected MIDI track. These are settings that either affect the basic func-
tionality for the track (mute, solo, enable record, etc.) or send out addi-
tional MIDI data to the connected devices (program change, volume, 
etc.). The section contains all settings in the track list (see page 51), 
with the following additional parameters:
Parameter Description
Edit button This normally opens the channel settings window for the track. 
However, if the MIDI track is routed to a VST instrument, clicking 
the Edit button opens the control panel for the VST instrument 
instead. To bring up the channel settings window in that case, 
[Alt]/[Option]-click the Edit button.
Volume Use this to adjust the level for the track. Changing this setting 
will move the track’s fader in the Mixer window, and vice versa. 
See page 143 for more about setting levels.
Delay This adjusts the playback timing of the MIDI track. Positive values 
delay the playback while negative values cause the track to play 
earlier. The values are set in milliseconds.
Pan Use this to adjust the panning of the track. 
Input transformer 
buttonOpens the Input Transformer dialog, allowing you to transform in-
coming MIDI events in real time, see page 413. 
						

							CUBASE LEMIDI realtime parameters 17 – 323
• Note that the functionality of the “Programs” settings (used for selecting 
sounds in the connected MIDI instrument) depends on to which instru-
ment the MIDI output is routed, and how you have set up this in the MIDI 
Device Manager.
As described on page 309, the MIDI Device Manager allows you to specify which MIDI 
instruments and other devices are connected to the various MIDI outputs, thus making 
it possible to select patches by name.
• Many of the basic track settings are duplicated in “mixer channel strip 
form”, in the Channel section at the bottom of the Inspector.
See page 328. 
						

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Track parameters
The following settings will affect the MIDI events on the track in real 
time during playback. They will also be in effect if you play “live” with 
the track selected and record enabled (provided that “MIDI Thru Ac-
tive” is activated on the Preferences – MIDI page). This makes it pos-
sible to e.g. transpose or adjust the velocity of your live playing.
• If you want to compare the result of your track parameters with the “un-
processed” MIDI, you can use the Bypass button in the Track Parameters 
section.
When this is activated, the Track Parameter settings will be temporarily disabled. A by-
passed section is indicated by its Inspector tab turning yellow. 
						

							CUBASE LEMIDI realtime parameters 17 – 325
Transpose
This allows you to transpose all notes on the track in semitones. The 
available range is -127 to +127 semitones, but remember that the to-
tal range of MIDI note numbers is 0 to 127. Furthermore, not all instru-
ments can play back notes over the whole range. Therefore, extreme 
transpositions can give rather strange and unwanted results.
Velocity Shift
This settings lets you change the dynamics of all notes on the track. 
The value in this field is added to the velocity of each note message 
that is sent out (use negative values to lower the velocities). The range 
is -127 to +127 with 0 representing no change in velocity.
Note that the effects of changing the velocity depends on the sound 
and instrument.
Velocity Compression
This function multiplies the velocity values with the factor you specify. 
This factor is set using a numerator (left value) and a denominator (right 
value), resulting in a fractional number (1/2, 3/4, 3/2 etc.). For example, 
if you set the factor to 3/4, the velocities will be three quarters of their 
original values. The point is, that this will also affect the difference in ve-
locity between the notes, thereby compressing or expanding the veloc-
ity scale. Typically, you would combine this setting with the Velocity 
Shift parameter. An example:
Let’s say you have three notes with the velocity values 60, 90 and 
120, and wish to “even out” the velocity differences somewhat. If you 
set the Velocity Compression value to 1/2, the notes will play back 
with the velocities 30, 45 and 60. By adding 60 in the Velocity Shift 
field, you will have the notes playing back with the velocities 90, 105 
and 120, meaning you have in effect compressed the velocity range. 
In a similar way, you can use Velocity Compression values greater than 
1/1 together with negative values in the Velocity Shift field, to expand 
the velocity range.
❐Remember that the maximum velocity is always 127 no matter how 
much you try to expand. 
						

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Length Compression
This value adjusts the lengths of all notes on the track. As with Veloc-
ity Compression, the value is set with a numerator and denominator. 
For example, the value 2/1 means that all note lengths will be doubled, 
while 1/4 means all note lengths will be quarter of the actual lengths.
Random
The Random settings let you introduce random variations to various 
properties of MIDI notes. Anything from very subtle variations to dra-
matic changes can be applied. There are two separate “Random gen-
erators”, each of which are set up in the following way:
1.Pull down the Random pop-up menu and select which note property 
should be randomized.
The options are position, pitch, velocity and length. 
• Keep in mind that depending on the content of the track, certain param-
eter changes might not be immediately noticeable, or have any effect at 
all (as would be the case if applying random length to a percussion track 
playing “one-shot” samples for example). 
To best audition the random changes choose a track with clearly defined rhythm and 
note content, if possible (as opposed to a string pad).
2.Set the desired range of random deviation by entering values in the 
two number fields.
The two values govern the limits of the randomization, so that the values will vary be-
tween the left value and the right value (you cannot set the left value higher than the 
right value). The maximum random range for each property is listed in the table below: 
Note again that you can make independent settings for the two ran-
dom generators.
•To deactivate the Random function, pull down the Random pop-up 
menu(s) and select “OFF”.
Property Range
Position -500 to +500 ticks
Pitch -100 to +100 semitones
Velocity -100 to +100
Length -500 to +500 ticks 
						

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Range
The Range function lets you specify a note (pitch) or velocity range 
and either force all notes to fit within this range, or exclude all notes 
outside this range from playback. As with the Random function, there 
are two separate Range settings. Set them up as follows:
1.Pull down the Range pop-up menu and select one of the following 
four modes:
2.Use the two fields to the right to set the min and max values.
These values will be shown as numbers (0-127) for the velocity modes and as note 
numbers (C-2 to G8) for the pitch modes.
Note again that you can make independent settings for the two Range 
functions.
•To deactivate the Range function, pull down the Range pop-up 
menu(s) and select “OFF”.
Mode Description
Vel. Limit This function affects all velocity values outside the specified range. 
Velocity values below the Min setting (the lower limit of the range) are 
set to the Min value, and velocity values above the Max setting are set 
to the Max value. Notes with velocity values within the set range are 
not affected. Use this if you want to force all velocity values to fit 
within a certain range.
Vel. Filter Velocity Filter works by excluding all notes with velocity values out-
side the specified range. Notes with velocity values below the Min 
setting or above the Max setting will not be played back. Use this to 
“isolate” notes with certain velocity values.
Note Limit This function allows you to specify a pitch range, and forces all notes 
to fit within this range. Notes outside the specified range are trans-
posed up or down in octave steps until they fit within the range.
Note: If the range is too “narrow”, so that some notes cannot be fit 
within the range by octave-transposing, these notes will get a pitch in 
the middle of the range. For example, if you have a note with a pitch 
of F3, and the range is C4-E4, that note will be transposed to D4.
Note Filter Note Filter works by excluding all notes with pitches outside the 
specified range. Notes lower than the Min setting or higher than the 
Max setting will not be played back. Use this to “isolate” notes with 
certain pitches. 
						

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The Channel section
At the bottom of the Inspector, you will find a section labeled “Chan-
nel”. This contains a single channel strip, allowing you to set volume, 
pan, mute/solo and other parameters for the track.
• This is a “mirror” of the track’s channel strip in the Cubase LE mixer – for 
details see page 139. 
						

							CUBASE LEMIDI realtime parameters 17 – 329
Merge MIDI in Loop
As mentioned, the parameters described in this chapter do not change 
the MIDI events themselves, but work rather like “filters”, affecting the 
music on playback. However, sometimes you may want to make these 
settings permanent, i.e. convert them to “real” MIDI events on the 
track. You might for example want to transpose a track and then edit 
the transposed notes in a MIDI editor. For this, you need to use the 
Merge MIDI in Loop function on the MIDI menu. This combines all MIDI 
events on all unmuted tracks, applies track parameters and generates 
a new MIDI part, containing all the events as you would hear them play 
back.
1.Make sure only the desired MIDI track(s) are unmuted.
If you only want to include events from a single track in the Merge operation, you may 
want to solo the track.
2.Set up the left and right locator around the area you want to merge.
Only events starting within this cycle area will be included.
3.Select the track on which you want the new part to be created.
This could be a new track or an existing track. If there are data in the cycle area on the 
track, you can choose whether this should be kept or overwritten (see below).
4.Select Merge MIDI in Loop from the MIDI menu. 
						

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5.A dialog appears.
If you tick the Erase Destination checkbox, all MIDI data between the left and right 
locator in the destination track will be deleted.
6.Click OK.
A new part is created between the locators on the destination track, containing the 
processed MIDI events.
Editing a single part
Normally, the MIDI track parameters affect a whole MIDI track. This 
may not always be what you want – you may want to apply changes to 
a single part for example (without having to create a separate track for 
that part only). The Merge MIDI in Loop function can help:
1.Set up your track parameters the way you want them for the part.
This will of course affect the whole track, but focus on the part for now.
2.Set the locators to encompass the part.
This is easiest done by selecting the part and selecting Locators to Selection from the 
Transport menu (or using the corresponding key command, by default [P]).
3.Make sure the track holding the part is selected in the track list.
4.Select Merge MIDI in Loop.
5.In the dialog that appears, make sure that Erase Destination is activated 
and click OK.
Now a new part is created on the same track, containing the processed events. The 
original part is deleted.
6.Turn off or reset all track parameters so that the track plays back as 
usual.