Steinberg Cubase SE 3 Getting Started Manual

12
Tutorial 5: Using VST
Instruments 

CUBASE SE12 – 142 Tutorial 5: Using VST Instruments
About this tutorial
This tutorial shows you how to set up and use VST Instruments – soft-
ware synthesizers (or other sound sources) that are contained within 
Cubase SE. For detailed descriptions of procedures and the parame-
ters of the included VST Instruments, see the Operation Manual and 
the separate “Audio Effects and VST instruments” document.
Preparations
Just like the previous chapter, this tutorial is based on an existing file, 
included on...

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The “Tutorial 5” project opens. If you followed the previous tutorial, 
this will look oddly familiar… It’s the same eight-bar “song” that you 
created in tutorial 4, but with three extra tracks.
Activating a VST Instrument
The three tracks at the bottom of the Track list are MIDI tracks, as indi-
cated by the MIDI symbol to the left in the Track list. As you can see, one 
of the tracks is called “MIDI Bass” – our first goal in this tutorial is to re-...

CUBASE SE12 – 144 Tutorial 5: Using VST Instruments
3.Select “vb-1” from the Synths submenu.
The VB-1 virtual bass unit is loaded, and its control panel appears.
4.In the control panel, make sure the “power button” in the left corner is 
activated (lit).
There is a mirror of this power button in the VST Instrument slot.
5.You can keep the control panel open or close it – it doesn’t matter, as 
long as the VST Instrument is activated (power button is lit).
Since we cannot hear the instrument yet, there’s...

CUBASE SETutorial 5: Using VST Instruments 12 – 145
Routing
1.Go back to the Project window and select the “MIDI Bass” track by 
clicking in the Track list.
You will notice that a set of tracks has been added for the vb-1 at the bottom of the 
Track list, within a “VST Instruments” folder. These tracks are for viewing and editing 
the automation of the vb-1 and its mixer channel – see the Operation Manual.
2.Make sure the Inspector is open.
The Inspector is the area to the left of the Track list. If it’s...

CUBASE SE12 – 146 Tutorial 5: Using VST Instruments
Playing back
Now it’s time to replace the audio bass with the VB-1:
1.Click the Mute (“M”) button in the Track list for the “Bass” track.
This mutes (silences) the track.
2.Click the lit Mute button in the Track list for the “MIDI Bass” track so 
that it goes dark.
You have now unmuted the MIDI Bass track.
3.Start playback from the beginning of the song.
You should now hear the VB-1 play the bass line. You may have to ad-
just the volume so that the VST...

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Adding another instrument
The next MIDI track is called “MIDI Perc” and contains a MIDI percus-
sion pattern. This is an excellent opportunity to check out another of 
the included VST Instruments – the LM-7 drum machine:
1.Open the VST Instruments window from the Devices menu.
2.Pull down the pop-up menu for the next slot and select “lm-7” from 
the Drums submenu.
Make sure its power button is activated.
3.In the Project window, click the Mute (“M”)...

CUBASE SE12 – 148 Tutorial 5: Using VST Instruments
Hmmm, nothing can be heard – but the indicator in the Track list shows 
that MIDI notes are being played! The problem here is that the wrong 
program (drum set) is selected for the LM-7. For this track to play back 
properly, we should choose a percussion set. This can be done directly 
in the Inspector or the VST Instruments window, but let’s check out the 
control panel for the LM-7 instead:
8.Click the Instruments Settings button for the track in the...

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11.Go back to the Project window and click the lit Solo button for the 
track to turn off the Solo function.
All tracks are unmuted again – except the tracks that were muted from the beginning 
(Bass and MIDI Strings).
Again, you may want to adjust the volume of the LM-7. If you open the 
mixer, you will find that a new channel strip has appeared – use the 
fader as before.
Playing a VST Instrument in real time
The next part of this tutorial requires...

CUBASE SE12 – 150 Tutorial 5: Using VST Instruments
This routes the track to the Universal Sound Module. However, now 
we also need a MIDI input, since you’re going to play the VST instru-
ment “live”:
6.Pull down the “in:” pop-up menu and make sure the correct MIDI input 
is selected.
This should be the MIDI input to which your keyboard (or other controller) is connected. 
If in doubt, you can select the “All MIDI Inputs” option, in which case the track will ac-
cept MIDI from all available inputs....