Steinberg Cubase SE 3 MIDI Devices And Features Manual
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CUBASE SEMIDI effects 2 – 31 Length Decay This parameter lets you adjust how the length of the echoed notes should change with each successive repeat. The higher the setting (25 – 100), the longer the echoed notes will be compared to their original notes. About ticks and note values The timing- and position-related parameters (Echo-Quant., Length and Quantize) can all be set in ticks. There are 480 ticks to each quarter note. While the parameters allow you to step between the rhythmically relevant values (displayed as note values), the following table can also be of help, showing you the most common note values and their corre- sponding number of ticks: Note Value Ticks 1/32 note 60 1/16 note triplet 90 1/16 note 120 1/8 note triplet 160 1/8 note 240 Quarter note triplet 320 Quarter note 480 Half note 960
CUBASE SE2 – 32 MIDI effects Note to CC This effect will generate a MIDI continuous controller event for each incoming MIDI note. The value of the controller event corresponds to the note number (pitch) and the single parameter allows you to select which MIDI controller should be sent out (by default controller 7, MIDI volume). The incoming MIDI notes pass through the effect unaffected. For example, if MIDI volume (controller 7) is selected, notes with low note numbers (pitches) will lower the volume in the MIDI instrument, while higher note numbers will raise the volume. This way you can cre- ate “keyboard tracking” of volume or other parameters. Note that a controller event is sent out each time a new note is played. If high and low notes are played simultaneously, this could lead to some- what confusing results. Therefore, the Note to CC effect is probably best applied to monophonic tracks (playing one note at a time).
CUBASE SEMIDI effects 2 – 33 Quantizer Quantizing is a function that changes the timing of notes by moving them towards a “quantize grid”. This grid may consist of e.g. straight sixteenth notes (in which case the notes would all get perfect sixteenth note timing), but could also be more loosely related to straight note value positions (applying a “swing feel” to the timing, etc.). • The main Quantize function in Cubase SE is described in the Operation manual. While the Quantize function on the MIDI menu applies the timing change to the actual notes on a track, the Quantizer effect allows you to apply quantizing “on the fly”, changing the timing of the notes in real time. This makes it easier to try out different settings when creating grooves and rhythms. Note however, that the main Quantize function contains settings and features that are not available in the Quantizer. The Quantizer has the following parameters: Parameter Description Quantize Note This sets the note value on which the quantize grid is based. Straight notes, triplets and dotted notes are available. For example, “16” means straight sixteenth notes and “8T” means eighth note triplets. Swing This allows you to offset every second position in the grid, creating a swing or shuffle feel. The value is a percentage – the higher you set this, the farther to the right every even grid position is moved. Strength This determines how close the notes should be moved to the quantize grid. When set to 100%, all notes will be forced to the closest grid position; lowering the setting will gradually loosen the timing. Delay This delays (positive values) or advances (negative values) the notes in milliseconds. Unlike the Delay setting in the Track Parameters, this delay can be automated.
CUBASE SE2 – 34 MIDI effects Step Designer The Step Designer is a MIDI pattern sequencer that sends out MIDI notes and additional controller data according to the pattern you set up. It does not make use of the incoming MIDI, other than automation data (such as recorded pattern changes). Creating a basic pattern 1.Use the Pattern selector to choose which pattern to create. Each Step Designer can hold up to 200 different patterns. 2.Use the Quantize setting to specify the “resolution” of the pattern. In other words, this setting determines how long each step is. For example, if Quantize is set to “16th” each step will be a sixteenth note. 3.Specify the number of steps in the pattern with the Length setting. As you can see in the note display, the maximum number of steps is 32. For example, setting Quantize to 16 and Length to 32 would create a two bar pattern with sixteenth note steps. 4.Click in the note display to insert notes. You can insert notes on any of the 32 steps, but the Step Designer will only play back the number of steps set with the Length parameter.
CUBASE SEMIDI effects 2 – 35 •The display spans one octave (as indicated by the pitch list to the left). You can scroll the displayed octave up or down by clicking in the pitch list and dragging up or down. This way you can insert notes at any pitch. Note that each step can contain one note only – the Step Designer is monophonic. Click and drag to view other octaves. •To remove a note from the pattern, click on it again. 5.Select “Velocity” on the Controllers pop-up menu. This pop-up menu determines what is shown in the lower controller display. 6.Adjust the velocity of the notes by dragging the velocity bars in the controller display. 7.To make notes shorter, select “Gate” on the Controllers pop-up menu and lower the bars in the controller display. When a bar is set to its maximum value (fully up), the corresponding note will be the full length of the step (as set with the Quantize parameter). 8.To make notes longer, you can tie two notes together. This is done by inserting two notes and clicking the Tie button below the second note. When the Tie button is lit for a note, it won’t retrigger – instead the previous note will be lengthened. Also, the tied (second) note will automatically get the same pitch as the first note. You can add more notes and tie them in the same way, creating longer notes. 9.If you now start playback in Cubase SE, the pattern will play as well, sending out MIDI notes on the track’s MIDI output and channel (or, if you have activated the Step Designer as a send effect, on the MIDI output and channel selected for the send in the Inspector).
CUBASE SE2 – 36 MIDI effects Adding controller curves The Controllers pop-up menu holds two more items: two controller types. •You can select which two controller types (filter cutoff, resonance, volume, etc.) should be available on the pop-up menu by clicking the Setup button and selecting controllers from the lists that appears. This selection is global to all patterns. •To insert controller information in a pattern, select the desired control- ler from the pop-up menu and click in the controller display to draw events. The MIDI controller events will be sent out during playback along with the notes. • If you drag a controller event bar all the way down, no controller value will be sent out on that step. Other pattern functions The following functions make it easier to edit, manipulate and manage patterns: Function Description Shift Oct These buttons allow you to shift the entire pattern up or down in octave steps. Shift Time Moves the pattern one step to the left or right. Reverse Reverses the pattern, so that it plays backwards. Copy/Paste Allows you to copy the current pattern and paste it in another pattern location (in the same Step Designer or another). Reset Clears the pattern, removing all notes and setting controller values to default. Random Generates a completely random pattern – useful for experimenting.
CUBASE SEMIDI effects 2 – 37 Automating pattern changes You can create up to 200 different patterns in each Step Designer – just select a new pattern and add notes and controllers as described above. Typically, you want the pattern selection to change during the project. You can accomplish this by automating the Pattern selector, either in real time by activating the Write automation and switching patterns during playback or by drawing in the automation subtrack for the Step Designer’s MIDI track. Note that you can also press a key on your MIDI keyboard to change patterns. For this, you have to set up the Step De- signer as an insert effect for a record enabled MIDI track. Press C1 to select pattern 1, C#1 to select pattern 2, D1 to select pattern 3, D#1 to select pattern 4 and so on. If you want, you can record these pat- tern changes as note events on a MIDI track. Proceed as follows: 1.Select the desired MIDI track or create a new one and activate the Step Designer as an insert effect. 2.Set up several patterns as described above. 3.Press the Record button and press the desired keys on your keyboard to select the corresponding patterns. The pattern changes will be recorded on the MIDI track. 4.Stop recording and play back the MIDI track. You will now hear the recorded pattern changes. • This will only work for the first 92 patterns. Swing The Swing parameter allows you to offset every second step, creating a swing or shuffle feel. The value is a percentage – the higher you set this, the farther to the right every even step is moved. Presets Handling of Presets is described in the chapter “MIDI realtime set- tings” in the Operation manual. Note that a stored Preset contains all 200 patterns in the Step Designer. Function Description
CUBASE SE2 – 38 MIDI effects Track Control The Track Control effect contains three ready-made control panels for adjusting parameters on a GS or XG compatible MIDI device. The Roland GS and Yamaha XG protocols are extensions of the General MIDI standard, allowing for more sounds and better control of various instrument settings. If your instrument is compatible with GS or XG, the Track Controls effect allows you to adjust sounds and effects in your instrument from within Cubase SE. Selecting a control panel At the top of the Track Controls effect window you will find a pop-up menu. This is where you select which of the available control panels to use: Control panel Description GS Basic Controls Effect sends and various sound control parameters for use with instruments compatible with the Roland GS standard. XG Effect + Sends Effect Sends and various sound control parameters for use with instruments compatible with the Yamaha XG standard. XG Global Global settings (affecting all channels) for instruments compati- ble with the Yamaha XG standard.
CUBASE SEMIDI effects 2 – 39 About the Reset and Off buttons Regardless of the selected mode, you will find two buttons labelled “Off” and “Reset” at the top of the control panel: • Clicking the Off button will set all controls to their lowest value, without send- ing out any MIDI messages. • Clicking the Reset button will set all parameters to their default values, and send out the corresponding MIDI messages. For most parameters, the default values will be zero or “no adjustment”, but there are exceptions to this. For example, the default Reverb Send settings are 64. GS Basic Controls The following controls are available when the GS Basic Controls mode is selected: Control Description Send 1 Send level for the reverb effect. Send 2 Send level for the chorus effect. Send 3 Send level for the “variation” effect. Attack Adjusts the attack time of the sound. Lowering the value shortens the at- tack, while raising it gives a slower attack. Middle position (64) means no adjustment is made. Decay Adjusts the decay time of the sound. Lowering the value shortens the decay, while raising it makes the decay longer. Release Adjusts the release time of the sound. Lowering the value shortens the release, while raising it makes the release time longer. Cutoff Adjusts the filter cutoff frequency. Resonance Adjusts the filter resonance. Express Allows you to send out expression pedal messages on the track’s MIDI channel. Press. Allows you to send out aftertouch (channel pressure) messages on the track’s MIDI channel. This is useful if your keyboard cannot send after- touch, but you have sound modules that respond to aftertouch. The de- fault value for this parameter is zero. Breath Allows you to send breath control messages on the track’s MIDI channel. Modul. Allows you to send modulation messages on the track’s MIDI channel (just as you normally do with a modulation wheel on a MIDI keyboard).
CUBASE SE2 – 40 MIDI effects XG Effects + Sends The following controls are available when the XG Effects + Sends mode is selected: Control Description Send 1 Send level for the reverb effect. Send 2 Send level for the chorus effect. Send 3 Send level for the “variation” effect. Attack Adjusts the attack time of the sound. Lowering this value shortens the attack, while raising it gives a slower attack. Middle position means no adjustment is made. Release Adjusts the release time of the sound. Lowering this value shortens the release, while raising it makes the release time longer. Middle position means no adjustment is made. Harm.Cont Adjusts the harmonic content of the sound. Bright Adjusts the brightness of the sound. CutOff Adjusts the filter cutoff frequency. Resonance Adjusts the filter resonance.