Steinberg Cubase Studio 4 Operation Manual Studio Manual

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Audio effects
The other columns show the following information about 
each plug-in:
Update button
Clicking this button will make Cubase re-scan the desig-
nated VST folders for updated information about the plug-
ins.
VST 2.x Plug-in Paths button
This opens a dialog where you can see the current paths 
to where VST 2.x plug-ins are located. You can freely 
Add/Remove folder locations by using the corresponding 
buttons. If you click “Add”, a file dialog is opened, where 
you can select a folder location.
About the “shared” plug-ins folder (Windows and VST 
2.x only)
You can designate a “shared” VST 2.x plugins folder. This 
will allow VST 2.x plug-ins to be used by other programs 
that support this standard.
You designate a shared folder by selecting a folder in the 
list and clicking the “Set As Shared Folder” button in the 
VST 2.x Plug-in Paths dialog.
Exporting plug-in information files
You can also save plug-in information as an .xml file, e. g. 
for archiving purposes or troubleshooting. The Export func-
tion is available for VST, MIDI and Audio Codec plug-ins. 
Proceed as follows:
1.Right-click on the desired tab in the Plug-in Information 
window (for VST, MIDI or Audio Codec plug-ins), to open 
the context menu and select “Export”.
A file dialog opens.
2.In the dialog, specify a name and location for the Plug-
in Information export file and click OK to export the file.
The Plug-in Information file contains information on the 
currently installed/available plug-ins, their version, vendor, 
etc.
The .xml file can then be opened in any editor applica-
tion supporting the xml format.
Column Description
Name The name of the plug-in.
Vendor The manufacturer of the plug-in.
File This shows the complete name of the plug-in (with extension).
Category This indicates the category of each plug-in (such as VST In-
struments, Surround Effects, etc.).
Version Shows the version of the plug-in.
SDK Shows with which version of the VST protocol a plug-in is 
compatible.
Latency This shows the delay (in samples) that will be introduced if the 
effect is used as an Insert. This is automatically compensated 
for by Cubase.
Side Chain 
InputsShows the number of side-chain inputs for a plug-in.
I/O This column shows the number of inputs and outputs for each 
plug-in.
Path The path and name of the folder in which the plug-in file is 
located. 
						

							14
VST Instruments and Instrument tracks 
						

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VST Instruments and Instrument tracks
Introduction
VST Instruments are software synthesizers (or other sound 
sources) that are contained within Cubase. They are played 
internally via MIDI. You can add effects or EQ to VST Instru-
ments, just as with audio tracks.
Some VST Instruments are included with Cubase, others 
can be purchased separately from Steinberg and other 
manufacturers.
ÖThis chapter describes the general procedures for 
setting up and using VST Instruments.
ÖDepending on the VST version the instrument is com-
patible with, an icon may be displayed in front of the in-
strument name, see “About VST 3” on page 163.
The included VST Instruments and their parameters are described in the 
separate PDF document “Plug-in Reference”.
VST Instrument channels vs. instru-
ment tracks
Cubase allows you to make use of VST Instruments in two 
different ways:
By activating instruments in the VST Instruments win-
dow.
This creates a VST Instrument channel, which can be played by one (or 
several) MIDI track(s) routed to it.
By creating instrument tracks.
Instrument tracks are a combination of a VST Instrument, an instrument 
channel and a MIDI track. You play and record MIDI note data directly for 
this track.
Both methods have their advantages, and should be se-
lected according to what best suits your needs. The fol-
lowing sections describe the two approaches.
VST Instrument channels
You can access a VST Instrument from within Cubase by 
creating a VST Instrument channel and associating this 
channel with a MIDI track. Proceed as follows:
1.On the Devices menu, select “VST Instruments”.
The VST Instruments window opens.
2.Click in one of the empty slots to open the instrument 
pop-up menu and select the desired instrument.
3.You will be asked if you want to create an associated 
MIDI track connected to the VST Instrument. Do so.
The instrument is loaded and activated, and its control panel is opened. 
A MIDI track with the name of the instrument is added to the Track list. 
The output of this track is routed to the instrument.
In the Preferences dialog (VST–Plug-ins page), you can 
specify what should happen when loading a VST instru-
ment in an instrument slot. Open the pop-up menu “Cre-
ate MIDI track when loading VSTi” and select one of the 
available options:
 When you select “Always”, a corresponding MIDI track will al-
ways be created.
 When you select “Do not”, no track will be created and only 
the instrument will be loaded.
 Select “Always ask to” if you want to decide whether a MIDI 
track should be created whenever you load an instrument.
You can also use modifiers to specify what should happen 
when you load a VST instrument (overriding the Prefer-
ence setting):
 When you hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] while selecting a VST 
Instrument for an instrument slot, a corresponding MIDI track 
with the name of the instrument is automatically created.
 When you hold down [Alt]/[Option] while selecting a VST In-
strument for an instrument slot, no MIDI track will be created 
for the instrument. 
						

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VST Instruments and Instrument tracks
If you don’t want the plug-in control panels to open every 
time you load a plug-in, open the Preferences dialog 
(VST–Plug-ins page) and deactivate “Open Effect Editor 
After Loading it”.
You can open a plug-in panel at any time by clicking the “e” button of the 
corresponding plug-in slot.
4.If you now look in the Project window track list, you will 
find that a dedicated folder for the chosen instrument has 
been added, within a “VST Instruments” folder (where all 
your VST Instrument channels will be listed).
The separate folder for the added VST Instrument contains two or more 
automation tracks: one for automating the plug-in parameters and one for 
each mixer channel used by the VST Instrument. For example, if you add a 
VST Instrument with four separate outputs (four separate mixer channels), 
the folder will contain five automation tracks. To keep the screen less clut-
tered, you may want to close the folder for the VST Instrument until you 
need to view or edit any of the automation tracks. For more about automa-
tion, see the chapter “Automation” on page 203.
When you select the MIDI track routed to the VST in-
strument, you will see that the Inspector contains a sepa-
rate section for the instrument.
This section contains the audio channel settings for the VST Instrument 
(inserts, EQs, Sends and fader settings). The tab has two buttons for 
opening the Channel Settings window (for the VST Instrument channel) 
and the Edit Instrument button which opens the control panel for the VST 
Instrument.
5.Depending on the selected VST Instrument, you may 
also need to select a MIDI channel for the track.
For example, a multitimbral VST Instrument can play back different 
sounds on different MIDI channels – check the documentation for the 
VST Instrument for MIDI implementation details.
6.Make sure the option “MIDI Thru Active” is activated in 
the Preferences dialog (MIDI page).
7.Activate the Monitor button for the MIDI track (in the 
Track list, Inspector or mixer). 
When this is activated (or when the track is record enabled), incoming 
MIDI is passed on to the selected MIDI output (in this case the VST In-
strument), see the chapter “Recording” on page 65.
8.Open the mixer.
You will find one or more channel strips for the audio outputs of the VST 
Instrument. VST Instrument channel strips have the same features and 
functionality as group channel strips, with the addition of an Edit button at 
the bottom of the strip for opening the VST Instrument control panel. You 
will also find output routing pop-up menus at the top of the channel strips, 
for routing the VST Instrument channels e. g. to output channels or 
groups. Routing is described in detail in the chapter “VST Connections: 
Setting up input and output busses” on page 13.
9.Play the VST Instrument from your MIDI keyboard.
You can use the mixer settings to adjust the sound, add EQ or effects, etc., 
just as with regular audio channels. Of course, you can also record or man-
ually create MIDI parts that play back sounds from the VST Instrument.
VST Instrument channels give you full access to multi-
timbral instruments.
You can have several MIDI tracks routed to the VST Instrument, each 
playing a different part.
Similarly, you can route channels to any available output 
provided by the VST Instrument.
The VST Instruments window
When a VST Instrument is loaded, six controls are dis-
played for this slot in the VST Instruments window.
The button on the far left is used for the Freeze function, 
see “Instrument Freeze” on page 188.
Opens the Channel 
Settings window Opens the control panel 
for the VST Instrument
!You can have up to 64 (32 in Cubase Studio) VST In-
struments activated at the same time, either different 
instruments or several instances of the same instru-
ment. However, software instruments can consume a 
lot of CPU power – keep an eye on the VST Perfor-
mance window to avoid running out of processor 
power. See also “Instrument Freeze” on page 188.
Instrument 
on/off
Instrument 
Freeze
Activate outputs Bypass 
instrumentOpen instrument panel
Event received 
						

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VST Instruments and Instrument tracks
The second button is used to activate or deactivate the 
VST Instrument.
When an instrument is selected from the instrument pop-up menu, it is 
activated automatically, i. e. the on/off control lights up in blue.
For some instruments you may also bypass the instrument by clicking the 
Bypass button to the right of the on/off button.
Click the Edit (“e”) button to open the control panel for 
the VST Instrument. 
Below the Edit button is a small LED that will light up 
when MIDI data is received by the instrument.
The rightmost button allows you to activate the desired 
output for the instrument.
This is useful when you are using VST Instruments that have a large num-
ber of audio busses, which may be confusing. Click entries in the pop-up 
list to activate/deactivate output busses for this instrument.
Instrument tracks
An instrument track is a combination of a VST Instrument, a 
MIDI track, and a VST Instrument channel, in other words: 
it is a track coupled with a sound – it allows you to think in 
terms of sounds rather than in terms of track and instru-
ment settings.
Adding Instrument tracks
To open and use an Instrument track, proceed as follows:
1.Open the Project menu and select Instrument from the 
Add Track submenu.
You can also right-click in the track list and select “Add Instrument 
Track” on the context menu.
2.The Add Instrument Track dialog is opened.
You can select an instrument for the track from the pop-up (but you can 
also leave this until later if you wish). Specify the number of instrument 
tracks you wish to create in the “count” field. If you click the “Browse 
Presets” button, the dialog expands to show the preset browser, where 
you can browse for sounds.
3.Click OK to add the Instrument track.
When you selected an Instrument in the Add Track dialog, the new track 
will get the name of the instrument. When no instrument was selected, 
the track will be named “Instrument track”.
An instrument track in the Track list.
Properties
Each Instrument track has a corresponding channel 
strip in the mixer.
In the Inspector, you can select a VST Instrument from 
the Instrument pop-up menu.
When you select an instrument from this pop-up, its control panel will 
open automatically.
You can also exchange the “sound” of an instrument 
track (i. e. the VST Instrument and its settings) by extract-
ing these data from another instrument track or a VST pre-
set, see “Extracting sound from an instrument track or VST 
preset” on page 308.
On the Input Routing pop-up menu, you can select a 
MIDI input.
Instrument tracks have only one MIDI input.
To open the control panel for the VST Instrument, click 
the “Edit Instrument” button in the Inspector.
As with MIDI tracks, you can perform the usual MIDI ed-
iting procedures on the instrument track, like duplicate, 
split repeat or lock the track, use the In-Place Editor, drag 
and drop the MIDI parts of an instrument track etc. For 
more information, see the chapter “MIDI realtime parame-
ters and effects” on page 315.
As with MIDI track inspector and track controls, you can 
adjust track delay, choose MIDI input, work with VST Instru-
ment panels, choose drum maps etc. For more information, 
see the chapter “MIDI realtime parameters and effects” on 
page 315.
Instrument tracks have all options that VST Instrument 
channels have, i.e. Inserts, Sends, EQ, etc.
ÖVST Instruments used in Instrument tracks do not ap-
pear in the VST Instruments window.
For an overview over all used VST Instruments, open the Plug-in Informa-
tion window via the Devices menu. For further information, see the sepa-
rate manual “Plug-in Reference”. 
						

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VST Instruments and Instrument tracks
Restrictions
Instrument tracks have no MIDI Sends.
MIDI volume and pan cannot be controlled (there is no 
“MIDI fader” tab in the Inspector); instead, the VST Instru-
ment volume and pan are used (via the “Channel” tab in the 
Inspector). This applies also to the respective automation 
parameters.
ÖDue to there being only one volume and pan control for 
the instrument track, the Mute button will mute the com-
plete track including the VST Instrument. (As opposed to a 
MIDI track with an assigned VST Instrument, for which mut-
ing the MIDI track still allows you to monitor and record the 
VST Instrument.)
Instrument tracks always have one stereo output chan-
nel only. This means that VST Instruments that do not pro-
vide a stereo output as their first output channel cannot be 
used with instrument tracks, and must be loaded via the 
VST Instruments window.
Due to the limitation to one output channel, instrument 
tracks play only the first voice of a multi-timbral VST In-
strument. If you want to use all voices, you have to load the 
instrument via the VST Instruments window and set up a 
MIDI channel to play it.
Import and export options
Importing MIDI loops
You can import “MIDI loops” (file extension “*.midiloop”) in 
Cubase. These files contain MIDI Part information (MIDI 
notes, controllers, etc.) as well as all the settings that are 
saved in Instrument track presets (see “About track pre-
sets and VST presets” on page 190). This way, you can 
easily reuse instrument patterns you really like in other 
projects or applications for example.
Proceed as follows:
1.Open the MediaBay window via the Media menu.
2.In the Filter section, activate the “Show MIDI Loops” 
button.
This is not necessary, but will help you locate your MIDI loops more quickly.
3.In the Viewer section, select the desired MIDI loop and 
drag it in an empty section in the Project window.
An Instrument track is created and the Instrument part is inserted at the 
position where you dragged the file. The Inspector will reflect all settings 
saved in the MIDI loop, e. g. the VST instrument that was used, applied 
Insert effects, Track parameters, etc.
ÖYou can also drag MIDI loops onto existing Instrument 
or MIDI tracks. However, this will only import the part infor-
mation.
This means this part will only contain the MIDI data (notes, controllers) 
saved in the MIDI loop, but no inspector settings or instrument parameters.
Exporting MIDI loops
Exporting MIDI loops is a great way of saving a MIDI part 
together with its instrument and e. g. effect settings. This 
allows you to easily reproduce patterns you once created 
without having to search for the correct sound, style or ef-
fect.
Proceed as follows:
1.Select the desired Instrument part.
2.On the File menu–Export submenu, select “MIDI 
Loop…”.
A file dialog opens.
3.Enter the desired name for the MIDI loop in the Name 
field in the lower section of the dialog.
If you want to save attributes for the MIDI loop, click the 
Tag Editor button.
This lets you specify e. g. a category and a sub category for your MIDI 
loop.
4.Click OK to close the dialog and save the MIDI loop.
MIDI Loop files are saved in the following folder:
 Windows: /Documents and Settings//Applica-
tion Data/Steinberg/MIDI Loops.
 Mac: /Users//Library/Application Support/
Steinberg/MIDI Loops/
This default folder cannot be changed, you can however 
create subfolders within this folder to organize your MIDI 
loops. Simply click the “Create New Folder” button in the 
Save MIDI Loop dialog. 
						

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VST Instruments and Instrument tracks
Exporting instrument tracks as MIDI file
You can also export instrument tracks as standard MIDI 
files, see “Exporting MIDI files” on page 458.
Please note: 
As there is no MIDI patch information in an instrument 
track, this information is missing in the resulting MIDI file.
If you activate “Export Inspector Volume/Pan”, volume 
and pan information of the VST Instrument will be con-
verted and written into the MIDI file as controller data.
Comparison
Since instrument tracks are a combination of MIDI and 
VST features, the instrument track properties and their 
handling show aspects of both. 
On the left, the MIDI Inspector for a MIDI channel with its output routed 
to a VST Instrument – on the right, the instrument track Inspector for an 
instrument track using the same VST Instrument.
Automation considerations
Automation of the VST Instrument channel settings or 
the settings for an instrument track is done in the same 
way as automating regular channels.
Automation of the specific parameters for a VST Instru-
ment is done in the same way as automating VST effect 
parameters.
When you set up a VST Instrument in the VST Instruments 
window, you also need to create a MIDI channel in which 
to enter the notes that you want the instrument to play. Al-
though the VST Instrument channel and the MIDI track are 
connected via the VST Instrument, there is no direct con-
nection between, for example, the volume automation of 
the VST Instrument channel and the events on the MIDI 
track. If you move the MIDI part, the automated volume 
curve of the VST return channel will not move with it.  
						

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VST Instruments and Instrument tracks
In the instrument track, however, you have one track that 
includes the MIDI data, the VST Instrument and the chan-
nel you wish to automate. Therefore, the information on 
the automation track will move with the MIDI part.
For more information on track automation, see the chapter 
“Automation” on page 203.
What do I need? Instrument channel 
or Instrument track?
If you need a particular sound without knowing which 
VST Instrument to use, create an instrument track and use 
the preview features to find the sound you want.
Do likewise if the Instrument track restrictions described 
above do not matter.
If you are planning to create an instrument track preset, 
complete with inserts and EQ settings, you have to use an 
instrument track.
If you need to use multitimbral parts and/or multiple out-
puts, set up a VST Instrument channel. 
Instrument Freeze
Like all plug-ins, VST Instruments may require a lot of pro-
cessor power. If you are using a moderately powerful com-
puter or if you are using a large number of VST Instruments, 
you may come to a point where your computer cannot han-
dle all VST Instruments playing back in real time (the CPU 
overload indicator in the VST Performance window lights 
up, you get crackling sounds, etc.).
Enter the Instrument Freeze function! This is how it works:
When you freeze a VST Instrument, the program renders 
an audio file of the instrument output (taking into account 
all unmuted MIDI parts routed to that VST Instrument). This 
file is placed in the “Freeze” folder within the Project folder.
All MIDI tracks routed to the VST Instrument, or the in-
strument track associated with the VST Instrument, are 
muted and locked (the controls for these tracks will ap-
pear “grayed-out” in the track list and Inspector).
When you start playback, the rendered audio file is 
played back from an “invisible” audio track, routed to the 
VST Instrument’s mixer channel. Thus, any effects, EQ or 
mixing automation will still be applied.
You can also freeze the mixer channel of the VST Instru-
ment. This freezes any pre-fader insert effects for the chan-
nels, just as when freezing audio tracks (see “Freezing 
(rendering) insert effects for a track” on page 168).
The result of the Freeze is that you get exactly the same 
sound as before, but the computer processor doesn’t have 
to calculate the sound of the VST Instrument in real time.
Performing the freeze
The instrument freeze function is available in the VST In-
struments window, and in the track list and the Inspector 
for instrument tracks.
1.Set up the project so that the VST Instrument plays 
back the way you want it to.
This includes editing the MIDI tracks routed to the VST Instrument, or ed-
iting the instrument track, and making parameter settings for the VST In-
strument itself. If you have automated parameter changes for the VST 
Instrument, make sure the Read (R) button is activated.
2.Open the VST Instruments window from the Devices 
menu, or, if you are using an instrument track, select the 
track and open the top Inspector tab. 
						

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VST Instruments and Instrument tracks
3.Click the Freeze button for the VST Instrument (the 
button to the left of the VST Instrument slot), or the Freeze 
button in the Inspector for the instrument track.
The Freeze Instrument Options dialog appears with the 
following options for the Freeze operation:
Select “Freeze Instrument Only” if you don’t want to 
freeze any insert effects for the VST Instrument channels.
If you are using insert effects on the VST Instrument channel(s) and want 
to be able to edit, replace or remove these after freezing the VST Instru-
ment, you should select this option.
Select “Freeze Instrument and Channels” if you want to 
freeze all pre-fader insert effects for the VST Instrument 
channels.
If your VST Instrument channels are set up with the desired insert effects 
and you don’t need to edit these, select this option.
You can set a Tail Size time to let sounds complete their 
normal release cycle.
Otherwise, the sound might be cut off at the very end of the freeze file.
When you activate “Unload Instrument when Frozen”, 
the frozen VST Instrument will be removed.
This is useful if you are freezing an instrument that uses a lot of RAM, e.g. 
for pre-loading samples. By unloading the instrument, the RAM becomes 
available for other plug-ins, etc.
4.Click OK.
A progress dialog is shown while the program renders the VST Instru-
ment audio to a file on your hard disk.
The Freeze button lights up. If you check the Project win-
dow at this point, you will find that the relevant MIDI/in-
strument tracks have grayed out controls in the Track list 
and Inspector. Furthermore, the MIDI parts are locked and 
cannot be moved.
5.Play back the project.
You will hear exactly the same sound as before freezing the VST Instru-
ment – but the CPU load will be considerably less! 
If you selected “Freeze Instrument and Channels”, any 
insert effects used by the VST Instrument are also frozen 
(except for the post-fader inserts – Cubase only). How-
ever, you can always adjust level, pan, sends and EQ for 
frozen VST Instruments.
Unfreezing
If you need to make adjustments (either to the MIDI tracks, 
to the VST Instrument parameters or to the VST Instru-
ment channels if these were frozen) you need to unfreeze 
the VST Instrument:
1.Click the Freeze button for the VST Instrument again 
(either in the VST Instruments window or in the Inspector).
You will be asked to confirm this operation.
2.Click “Unfreeze”.
The tracks and VST Instrument are restored and the rendered “freeze 
file” is deleted.
VST instruments and processor load
If you are working with VST 3 instruments, another way to 
relieve processor load is the option “Deactivate Plug-in 
when silence is detected” in the Preferences dialog 
(VST–Plug-ins page). This is described in detail in the 
section “Smart plug-in processing” on page 163. 
The Freeze button in the 
VST Instruments window……and in the Inspector. 
						

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VST Instruments and Instrument tracks
Using presets for VSTi configuration
About track presets and VST presets
Track presets and VST presets allow you to quickly set up 
tracks or instruments with all the settings required for the 
sound you want. Cubase provides various types of pre-
sets for various purposes. Two of these are of relevance 
for VST Instruments:
Track presets for instrument tracks store the parameter 
settings of a VST Instrument together with all track/chan-
nel settings (applied audio and MIDI insert effects, etc.).
Instrument track presets can only be applied to instrument tracks, not to 
instrument channels activated in the VST Instruments window.
VST presets store all panel settings for a plug-in (VST In-
struments and VST effects), but no track/channel settings.
Note that you can create instrument tracks from VST 3 presets, i. e. se-
lecting a VST 3 preset will create an instrument track with all settings 
stored in the VST preset plus an “empty” track.
As described in the chapter “Audio effects” on page 162, 
there are two types of VST presets that can be used: the 
VST 2 standard “.fxb/.fxp” files and the VST 3 preset stan-
dard with the extension “.vstpreset”. Some of the included 
VST Instruments use the VST 2 preset standard, and oth-
ers use the VST 3 standard. 
All VST 2 instruments can import “.fxb/.fxp” files and also 
convert them to the VST 3 standard. Once converted, you 
can use all VST 3 features. See “About earlier VST Instru-
ment presets” on page 193.
ÖFor further information on Track presets and VST pre-
sets, see the chapter “Track Presets” on page 300.
Browsing for sounds
One important and often time-consuming aspect of music 
creation is the search for the right sounds. You might spend 
a huge amount of time trying out the presets for a particular 
instrument only to find out later that the preset for another 
instrument contains the sound you were looking for. 
This is why Cubase features extensive browsing possibili-
ties, allowing you to preview all available presets without 
having to load them first! 
In addition, you can filter your search by specifying cate-
gory, style etc.For example, if you are looking for a bass sound, simply 
select the Bass category and you can browse and preview 
all bass sounds for all instruments. If you know you want a 
synth bass sound, select Synth Bass as sub-category and 
all synth bass sounds will be shown etc.
You can also browse and preview track presets for instru-
ment tracks, i. e. instrument sounds plus all track settings 
and all channel insert effect settings for this track.
These features combined speed up the process of finding 
the right sound immensely. 
When creating your own presets, it is always a good 
idea to set up attributes for them, as it allows you to fully 
use the browsing features for your files, too.
This is described in detail in the chapter “The MediaBay” on page 287.
There are two ways of browsing for sounds:
Using the Presets browser.
This will apply preset settings to an existing track.
Using the Browse Sounds dialog.
Use this dialog if you haven’t set up a track yet.
Using the Presets browser
1.Create an instrument track and select it in the track list.
You do not have to assign an instrument to the track, but make sure to 
specify a MIDI input.
2.Make sure that the track settings are shown in the In-
spector.
3.Click in the Track Preset field in the Inspector (the text 
field currently reads “No Track Preset”).
Click here…
…to open the Presets browser.