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Steinberg Cubase SE 3 Operation Manual

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    							12
    Automation 
    						
    							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. 
    						
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