Steinberg Cubase SE 3 Operation Manual

CUBASE SE
Recording 4 – 51
Naming MIDI ports in Cubase SE
MIDI inputs and outputs can often be shown with unnecessarily long 
and complicated names. If you wish, you can rename your MIDI ports 
to more descriptive names:
1.Open the Device Setup dialog from the Devices menu.
2.Select the Windows MIDI or DirectMusic (Win) or MIDI System (Mac) 
device in the Device list.
The available MIDI inputs and outputs are listed. Under Windows, which device to 
choose depends on your system.
3.To change the name of a...

CUBASE SE
4 – 52 Recording
3.Click the track headline in the Inspector to make sure the topmost 
section is shown.
4.Pull down the “in” pop-up menu and select an input.
The available MIDI inputs are shown. The items on the menu depend on the type of 
MIDI interface you are using etc. 
•If you select the “All MIDI Inputs” option, the track will receive MIDI 
data from all available MIDI inputs.
•If you hold down [Alt]/[Option] and select a MIDI input, this is selected 
for all MIDI tracks.
•If you hold...

CUBASE SE
Recording 4 – 53
Setting the MIDI channel and output
The MIDI channel and output settings determine where the recorded 
MIDI is routed during playback, but are also relevant for MIDI Thru in 
Cubase SE. Channel and output can be selected in the Track list or in 
the Inspector. The procedure below describes how to make the set-
tings in the Inspector, but it can be done in largely the same manner in 
the Track list as well.
1.To select the track(s) and show the settings in the Inspector, proceed...

CUBASE SE
4 – 54 Recording
Selecting a sound
You can select sounds from within Cubase SE, by instructing the pro-
gram to send Program Change and Bank Select messages to your 
MIDI device. This is done using the “prg” and “bnk” value fields in the 
Inspector or Track list.
Program Change messages give access to 128 different program lo-
cations. If your MIDI instruments have more than 128 programs, Bank 
Select messages (set in the “bnk” value field) allow you to select dif-
ferent banks, each containing...

CUBASE SE
Recording 4 – 55
When recording overlapping parts, the result depends on the Rec 
Mode setting on the Transport panel:
• If Rec Mode is set to “Normal”, overdub recording works as with audio tracks, 
i.e. if you record again where something has already been recorded, you get a 
new part that overlaps the previous one(s).
• If Rec Mode is set to “Merge”, the overdubbed events are added to the exist-
ing part.
• If Rec Mode is set to “Replace”, the new recording replaces any existing 
events in...

CUBASE SE
4 – 56 Recording
Recording MIDI in cycle mode
When you record MIDI in cycle mode, the result depends on which 
Cycle Record mode is selected on the Transport panel:
Cycle Rec mode: Mix (MIDI)
For each completed lap, everything you record is added to what was 
previously recorded, in the same part. This is useful for building up 
rhythm patterns, for example. Record a hi-hat part on the first lap, the 
bass drum part on the second lap etc. 
Cycle Rec mode: Overwrite (MIDI)
As soon as you play a...

CUBASE SE
Recording 4 – 57
Recording different types of MIDI messages
You can decide exactly which event types should be recorded by using 
the MIDI filters – see page 61.
Notes
With MIDI, when you press and release a key on your synth or other 
MIDI keyboard, a Note On (key down) and a Note Off (key up) message 
are sent out. The MIDI note message also contains the information 
which MIDI channel was used. Normally, this information is overridden 
by the MIDI channel setting for the track, but if you...

CUBASE SE
4 – 58 Recording
Program Change messages
Normally, when you switch from one program to another on your key-
board (or whatever you use to record), a number corresponding to 
that program is sent out via MIDI as a Program Change message. 
These can be recorded on the fly with the music, recorded afterwards 
on a separate track, or manually entered in the Key or List Editors. 
System Exclusive messages
System Exclusive (SysEx) is a special type of MIDI message used to 
send data that only makes...

CUBASE SE
Recording 4 – 59
Retrospective Record
This feature allows you to capture any MIDI notes you play in Stop 
mode or during playback and turn them into a MIDI part “after the 
fact”. This is possible due to the fact that Cubase SE can capture 
MIDI input in buffer memory, even when not recording.
Proceed as follows:
1.Enable the Retrospective Record function in the Preferences dialog 
(Record page).
This activates the buffering of MIDI input, making Retrospective Record possible.
2.Make sure a...

CUBASE SE
4 – 60 Recording
MIDI Preferences
The following options and settings in the Preferences dialog affect 
MIDI recording and playback:
MIDI page
•Length Adjustment
Adjusts the length of notes so that there always is a short time between the end of one 
note and the start of another (of the same pitch and on the same MIDI channel). You 
set the time in ticks. By default there are 120 ticks per 1/16 note, but you can adjust 
this with the MIDI Display Resolution setting on the same page.
Record...