Steinberg Cubase SE 3 Operation Manual
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CUBASE SE 12 – 222 Automation Background Cubase SE provides very comprehensive automation features. Virtually every mixer and effect parameter can be automated. There are two main methods you can use to automate parameter settings: •By manually drawing curves on automation subtracks in the Project window. See page 236. •By using the Write/Read buttons and adjusting parameters in the mixer. See page 231. The methods are not different in terms of how the automation data is applied – they only differ in the way the automation events are created; manually drawing them or recording them. Any applied automation data will be reflected in both the mixer (a fader will move for example) and in a corresponding automation track curve (although this may be hidden).
CUBASE SE Automation 12 – 223 About automation subtracks Audio tracks, group tracks and FX channel tracks all have automation subtracks. These allow you to view and edit the automation of all mixer settings for the track, including settings for the track’s insert effects. There is one automation subtrack for each parameter, and subtracks can be shown or hidden in any combination. Similarly, MIDI tracks have automation subtracks for mixer settings, track parameters as well as send and insert effect settings (if used). VST Instruments have special automation tracks that appear in the Project window when you add a VST Instrument. There is one auto- mation track for the plug-in parameters and one track for each mixer channel used by the instrument. These tracks all have automation subtracks, giving you access to all parameters and mixer settings. Finally, for ReWire channels and input/output channels, automation tracks are automatically added as soon as you activate automation (with the Write button) in the corresponding mixer channel strip or Channel Settings window. These automation tracks have subtracks for all parameters as well. What can be automated? Mixing in Cubase SE can be completely automated. The following pa- rameter settings can be recorded automatically – or manually drawn in – on automation subtracks: For each audio or group track and ReWire channel: • Volume • Mute • Pan left/right • 5 x insert effect program selection and effect parameters (if inserts are used) • 8 x effect send on/off switches • 8 x effect send levels • EQ master bypass • Settings for 4 EQ modules (enable/freq/quality/gain)
CUBASE SE 12 – 224 Automation For each FX channel track and input/output bus: • Volume • Mute • Pan left/right • 5 x insert effect program selection and effect parameters (if inserts are used) • EQ master bypass • Settings for 4 EQ modules (enable/freq/quality/gain) For each VST Instrument • VST Instrument plug-in parameters and program selection plus (for each mixer channel/separate output used by the instrument): • Volume • Mute • Pan left/right • 5 x insert effect program selection and effect parameters (if inserts are used) • 8 x effect send on/off switches • 8 x effect send levels • EQ master bypass • Settings for 4 EQ modules (enable/freq/quality/gain) For each MIDI track • Volume •Pan • Mute • Track parameters on/off switch • Transpose • Vel. shift • Random 1-2 min/max/target • Range 1-2 min/max/target • 4 x insert effect on/off switches • 4 x send effect on/off switches • 4 x MIDI insert effect parameters (if used) • 4 x MIDI send effect parameters (if used)
CUBASE SE Automation 12 – 225 Automation track operations Opening automation subtracks Every track/channel has a number of automation subtracks, each showing one automation parameter. For audio, group, MIDI and FX channel tracks, there are two ways you can open an automation subtrack for the channel: •By right-clicking (Win) or [Ctrl]-clicking (Mac) the track in the Track list and selecting “Show Automation” from the pop-up that appears. •By clicking on the “Show/Hide Automation” button (the plus sign) in the Track list for the channel. An automation subtrack opens in the Track list, and a straight black horizontal line is shown as well as a greyed out mirror image of the audio events’ waveform (or MIDI events for MIDI tracks) in the event display. By default, the volume parameter is as- signed to the first subtrack. Click the “+” button to open an automation subtrack. For VST Instruments, automation tracks appear automatically when you add VST Instruments. For ReWire channels and output busses, automation tracks are auto- matically created when the Write automation button (see page 231) is activated in either: • The corresponding channel strip in the mixer. • The corresponding Channel Settings window. • The mixer common panel (“Write All”). • The area above the Track list (“Write All”)
CUBASE SE 12 – 226 Automation Opening additional automation subtracks •If you click on the “Append Automation Track” button (the “+” sign) for an automation subtrack, another subtrack opens, by default show- ing the next parameter in the Add Parameter list (see below). Assigning a parameter to an automation subtrack Default parameters are already assigned to automation subtracks when you open them, according to their order in the Add Parameter list (see below). To select what parameter an open subtrack should display, proceed as follows: 1.If none exists, open an automation subtrack using one of the methods described above. 2.Click in the parameter display for the automation subtrack. A pop-up list is shown containing some of the automation parameters plus the item “More...” at the bottom of the list.
CUBASE SE Automation 12 – 227 •If the parameter you wish to automate is on the pop-up you can select it directly. The parameter will then replace the current parameter in the automation subtrack. •If you wish to add a parameter not available on the pop-up and want to view all parameters that can be automated, go on to the next step. 3.Select “More...”. The Add Parameter dialog appears. This dialog shows a list with all parameters, sorted into different categories, that can be automated for the selected channel, including the parameters for any assigned insert effects. See page 223 for a list of the available pa- rameters according to channel type. The Add Parameter dialog for an audio track.
CUBASE SE 12 – 228 Automation 4.Select a parameter from the list and click OK. The parameter will then replace the current parameter in the automation subtrack. • To view the parameters in each category click the “+” sign for the cate- gory folder. • Note that the “replacing” of the parameter displayed in the subtrack is completely non-destructive. For example, if the subtrack contained any automation data for the parameter you just replaced, this data would still be there, although it would not be visible after you re- placed the parameter. If you click in the parameter display you can switch back to the replaced parameter. All automated parameters are indicated by an asterisk (*) after the parameter name on the pop-up menu. The Volume parameter is automated. You can click the “Show/Hide Automation” button (the plus sign) for the automation subtrack to open additional subtracks and repeat the above procedure to assign a parameter to each subtrack. Removing automation subtracks To remove automation subtracks from the Track list, proceed as follows: •To remove a single subtrack, click the parameter name and select “Remove Parameter” from the pop-up menu. Note that this will also delete any automation events on the subtrack, and the subtrack will be closed. •To remove all currently unused subtracks from a track in the Track list, select “Remove Unused Parameters” from any of its subtrack para- meter name pop-ups. All subtracks that do not contain automation events will be closed for the selected track.
CUBASE SE Automation 12 – 229 Hiding automation subtracks •To hide a single automation subtrack, click the “Hide Automation” button (the minus sign) in the Track list. •To hide all automation subtracks for a track, right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]- click (Mac) the track for which you wish to hide the automation sub- tracks, and select “Hide Automation” from the pop-up menu that ap- pears. •To hide all automation subtracks for all tracks in the Track list, right- click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) any track and select “Hide All Automa- tion” from the pop-up menu that appears. This option is also available on the Project menu. Showing only used automation subtracks If a lot of automation subtracks are used, it may be impractical to have them all open in the Track list. If you want to view only the subtracks that are used (i.e. those that actually contain automation events) and hide all empty automation subtracks, do one of the following: •Right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) any track in the Track list and select the option “Show Used Automation for All Tracks” from the pop-up menu. This will close all automation subtracks not containing any automation events, while leav- ing used subtracks open for all tracks. This option is also available on the Project menu. •Right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) a specific track and select the option “Show Used Automation” from the pop-up menu. This will close all automation subtracks not containing any automation events, while leaving used subtracks open for the selected track.
CUBASE SE 12 – 230 Automation Muting automation subtracks You can mute individual automation subtracks by clicking their Mute buttons in the Track list. While clicking the Read (R) button (see page 231) for an automation subtrack will activate or deactivate Read mode for all automated parameters of the track, using the Mute button allows you to turn off automation for a single parameter. The “Automation follows Events” setting If you activate “Automation follows Events” on the Edit menu (or in the Preferences–Editing dialog), automation events will automatically fol- low when you move an event or part on the track. This makes it easy to set up automation related to a specific event or part, rather than to a specific position in the project. For example, you can automate the panning of a sound effect event (having the sound pan from left to right, etc.) – if you need to move the event, the auto- mation will automatically follow! The rules are: •All automation events for the track between the start and end of the event or part will be moved. If there are automation events in the new position (to which you move the part or event), these will be overwritten. •If you duplicate an event or part (by [Alt]/[Option]-dragging or by us- ing the Duplicate or Repeat functions) the automation events will be duplicated as well. •This function affects copying and pasting as well.