Steinberg Cubase SE 3 MIDI Devices And Features Manual

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Autopan
This plug-in works a bit like an LFO in a synthesizer, allowing you to 
send out continuously changing MIDI controller messages. One typi-
cal use for this is automatic MIDI panning (hence the name), but you 
can select any MIDI Continuous Controller event type. The Autopan 
effect has the following parameters:
Waveform selectors
These determine the shape of the controller curves sent out. The results 
of most of these waveforms are obvious from looking at the buttons, but 
a few of them require some extra explanations:
This generates a “random” controller curve.
These generate curves with a “periodical envelope”. The amplitude will gradually 
increase or decrease over a time, set with the Period parameter (see below).
Period
This is where you set the speed of the Autopan, or rather the length of 
a single controller curve cycle. The value can be set in ticks (1/480ths 
of quarter notes), or as rhythmically exact note values (by clicking the 
arrow buttons next to the value). The lower the note value, the slower 
the speed. For example, if you set this to 240 (“8th”) the waveform will 
be repeated every eighth note. 
						

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Density
This determines the density of the controller curves sent out. The 
value can be set in ticks (1/480ths of quarter notes), or as rhythmically 
exact note values (by clicking the arrow buttons next to the value). The 
higher the note value, the smoother the controller curve. For example, 
if you set this to 60 (shown as “32th”) a new controller event will be 
sent out every 60th tick (at every 1/32 note position).
You should probably avoid extremely low Density values, as these will 
generate a very large number of events (which may cause the MIDI in-
strument to “choke”, delaying notes etc.).
AmpMod
This is only used for the two waveforms with “periodical envelopes” 
(see above). The period value (set in beats) determines the length of 
the envelope. In the following figure, Period is set to 4th and the Amp-
Mod is 4 beats. This results in a quarter note-based curve in which the 
top amplitude decreases gradually, repeated each bar:
Controller
Determines which Continuous Controller type is sent out. Typical 
choices would include pan, volume and brightness but your MIDI in-
strument may have controllers mapped to various settings, allowing 
you to modulate the synth parameter of your choice – check the MIDI 
implementation chart for your instrument for details!
Min and Max
These determine the minimum and maximum controller values sent 
out, i.e. the “bottom” and “top” of the controller curves. 
						

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Chorder
The Chorder is a MIDI chord processor, allowing you to assign com-
plete chords to single keys in a multitude of variations. There are three 
main modes of operation: Normal, Octave and Global. You switch be-
tween these modes by clicking the respective button to the left below 
the keyboard.
Normal mode
In this mode, you can assign a different chord to each single key on 
the keyboard. Proceed as follows:
1.Select the key to which you want to assign a chord, by clicking in the 
lower “Trigger Note” keyboard display.
2.Set up the desired chord for that key by clicking in the upper “Chord 
Setup” keyboard display.
Clicking a key adds it to the chord; clicking it again removes it.
3.Repeat the above with any other keys you wish to use.
If you now play the keys you have set up, you will instead hear the 
assigned chords. 
						

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Octave mode
The Octave mode is similar to the Normal mode, but you can only set 
up one chord for each key in an octave (that is, twelve different chords). 
When you play a C note (regardless of whether it’s a C3, C4 or any 
other octave) you will hear the chord set up for the C key.
Global mode
In the Global mode, you only set up a single chord, using the Chord 
Setup keyboard display (the lower keyboard display is hidden). This 
chord is then played by all keys on the keyboard, but transposed ac-
cording to the note you play. 
						

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Using switches
The Switch Setup section at the bottom of the panel allows you to set 
up variations to the defined chords. This works with all three modes 
and provides a total of eight variations for each assignable key (that is, 
a maximum of 8 different chords in Global mode, 12x8 chords in Oc-
tave mode and 128x8 chords in Normal mode).
The variations can be controlled by velocity or note range. Here’s how 
you set it up:
1.Select one of the two switch modes: velocity or note.
How to use these is explained below.
The velocity switch mode selected.
2.Specify how many variations you want to use with the Use value box.
3.Click the first Switch Select button and set up the chord(s) you want 
for the first variation.
4.Click the next Switch Select button and set up the chord(s) you want 
for that variation.
5.Repeat this for the number of variations you specified with the Use 
setting.
Each Switch Select button corresponds to a variation.
6.Now you can play the keyboard and control the variations according 
to the selected switch modes.
These work as follows:
Switch mode Description
Velocity The full velocity range (1-127) is divided into “zones”, according to the 
number of variations you specified. For example, if you’re using two vari-
ations (Max is set to 2) there will be two velocity “zones”: 1-63 and 64-
127. Playing a note with velocity at 64 or higher will trigger the second 
variation, while playing a softer note will trigger the first variation. 
						

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•To turn the variation switch feature off, select the “No Switch” mode.
Compress
This MIDI compressor is used for evening out or expanding differences 
in velocity. Though the result is similar to what you get with the Velocity 
Compression track parameter, the Compress plug-in presents the con-
trols in a manner more like regular audio compressors. The parameters 
are:
Note In this mode, the chorder will play one chord at a time – you cannot 
play several different chords simultaneously. When the Note switch 
mode is selected, you play a key to determine the base note for the 
chord, then press a higher key to select a variation. The variation num-
ber will be the difference between the two keys. To select variation 1, 
press a key one semitone higher than the base note, for variation 2, 
press a key two semitones higher, and so on.
Parameter Description
Threshold Only notes with velocities over this value will be affected by the com-
pression/expansion.
Ratio This determines the rate of compression applied to the velocity values 
above the threshold level. Ratios greater than 1:1 result in compres-
sion (i.e. less difference in velocity) while ratios lower than 1:1 result in 
expansion (i.e. greater difference in velocity).
What actually happens is that the part of the velocity value that is 
above the threshold value is divided by the ratio value.
Gain This adds or subtracts a fixed value from the velocities. Since the maxi-
mum range for velocity values is 0-127, you may need to use the Gain 
setting to compensate, keeping the resulting velocities within the range. 
Typically, you would use negative Gain settings when expanding and 
positive Gain settings when compressing. Switch mode Description 
						

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Density
This generic control panel affects the “density” of the notes being 
played from (or thru) the track. When this is set to 100%, the notes are 
not affected. Lowering the Density setting below 100% will randomly 
filter out or “mute” notes. Raising the setting above 100% will instead 
randomly add new notes.
Micro Tuner
The Micro Tuner lets you set up a different microtuning scheme for the 
instrument, by detuning each key. 
• Each Detune field corresponds to a key in an octave (as indicated by the key-
board display). Adjust a Detune field to raise or lower the tuning of that key, in 
cents (hundreds of a semitone).
• Set the Convert setting according to whether the track is routed to a VST in-
strument or a “real” standard MIDI instrument (capable of receiving microtun-
ing information).
The Micro Tuner comes with a number of presets, including both clas-
sical and experimental microtuning scales. 
						

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MIDIControl
This generic control panel allows you to select up to eight different 
MIDI controller types, and use the value fields/sliders to set values for 
these. A typical use for this would be if you’re using a MIDI instrument 
with parameters that can be controlled by MIDI controller data (e.g. fil-
ter cutoff, resonance, levels, etc.). By selecting the correct MIDI con-
troller types, you can use the plug-in as a control panel for adjusting 
the sound of the instrument from within Cubase SE, at any time.
• To select a controller type, use the pop-up menus to the right.
• To deactivate a controller slider, set it to “Off” (drag the slider all the way to 
the left).  
						

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MIDIEcho
This is an advanced MIDI Echo, which will generate additional echo-
ing notes based on the MIDI notes it receives. It creates effects similar 
to a digital delay, but also features MIDI pitch shifting and much more. 
As always it is important to remember that the effect doesn’t “echo” 
the actual audio, but the MIDI notes which will eventually produce the 
sound in the synthesizer.
The following parameters are available:
Quantize
The echoed notes will be moved in position to a quantizing grid, as set 
up with this parameter. You can either use the slider or type to set the 
value in ticks (1/480 ticks of quarter notes) or click the arrow buttons 
to step between the “rhythmically exact” values (displayed as note val-
ues – see the table below). This makes it easy to find rhythmically rele-
vant quantize values, but still allows experimental settings in between.
An example: setting this to “16th” will force all echo notes to be played 
on exact 16th note positions, regardless of the timing of the original 
notes and the Echo-Quant. setting.
• To disable quantizing, set this parameter to its lowest value (1).
Length
This sets the length of the echoed notes. This can either be the same 
as their original notes (parameter set to its lowest value, “Source”) or 
the length you specify manually. You can either set the length in ticks 
or click the arrow buttons to step between the “rhythmically exact” 
lengths (displayed as note values – see the table below).
• The length can also be affected by the Length Decay parameter. 
						

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Repeat
This is the number of echoes (1 to 12) from each incoming note.
Echo-Quant.
The Echo-Quant. parameter sets the delay time, i.e. the time between 
a played note and its first echo note. You can either use the slider or 
type to set the value in ticks (1/480 ticks of quarter notes) or click the 
arrow buttons to step between the “rhythmically exact” delay times 
(displayed as note values – see the table below). 
For example, setting this to “8th” will cause the echo notes to sound 
an eighth note after their original notes.
• The echo time can also be affected by the Echo Decay parameter.
Velocity Decay
This parameter allows you to add or subtract to the velocity values for 
each repeat so that the echo fades away or increases in volume (pro-
vided that the sound you use is velocity sensitive). For no change of 
velocity, set this to 0 (middle position).
Echo Decay
This parameter lets you adjust how the echo time should be changed 
with each successive repeat. The value is set as a percentage.
• When set to 100% (middle position) the echo time will be the same for all 
repeats (as set with the Echo-Quant. parameter).
• If you raise the value above 100, the echoing notes will play with gradually 
longer intervals (i.e. the echo will become slower).
• If you lower the value below 100, the echoing notes will become gradually 
faster, like the sound of a bouncing ball.
Pitch Decay
If you set this to a value other than 0, the repeating (echoing) notes 
will be raised or lowered in pitch, so that each successive note has a 
higher or lower pitch than the previous. The value is set in semitones.
For example, setting this to -2 will cause the first echo note to have a 
pitch two semitones lower than the original note, the second echo 
note two semitones lower than the first echo note, and so on.