Steinberg Cubase Studio 4 Operation Manual Studio Manual

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Automation
4.Deactivate Write mode and click the global Read but-
ton (“All Automation to Read Status”) in the mixer com-
mon panel.
Cubase is now in global Read mode.
5.Start playback, and watch the Mixer window.
All your actions performed during the previous playback will be repro-
duced exactly.
6.If you wish to redo anything that was recorded, acti-
vate Write mode again and start playback from the same 
position.
You can have Write and Read activated simultaneously, 
if you want to watch and listen to your recorded mixer ac-
tions while you’re recording fader movements for another 
mixer channel, etc.
Recording plug-in automation
Every parameter for every assigned effect or VST Instru-
ment can be automated in much the same manner as de-
scribed above.
The following example assumes that you have assigned an 
insert effect to an FX channel track (see the chapter “Au-
dio effects” in the separate Plug-in Reference manual), 
and describes how to record automation for the effect:
1.Select the FX channel track in the Track list and open 
its Inserts section in the Inspector.
If the Inspector is hidden, click the “Show Inspector” button in the 
Project window toolbar.
ÖPlease note that not all Inspector tabs are shown by 
default. You can show/hide Inspector sections by right-
clicking on an Inspector tab and activating/deactivating 
the desired option(s).
Make sure to click on an Inspector tab and not on the empty area below 
the Inspector, as this will open the Quick context menu instead.
2.Open the control panel for the effect by clicking the Edit 
button (“e”) above the insert effect slot in the Inspector.
3.Click the Write button in the control panel to activate 
Write mode.
All effects and VST Instruments have Write/Read buttons on their control 
panels. These work exactly like the corresponding buttons in the mixer or 
in the Track list. In the previous example, we used global Write mode, in 
which mixer and parameter changes are recorded on all tracks, but in this 
example we’ll use Write mode for one track only.
4.Start playback and adjust some effect parameters in 
the control panel.
When you are finished, stop playback and return to the position where 
you started playback.
5.Deactivate Write and instead click the Read button on 
the control panel.
6.Start playback and watch the control panel.
All actions you performed during the previous playback will be repro-
duced exactly.
Assigning an automated parameter to an automation 
subtrack
To select which parameter is currently shown in the auto-
mation track for the FX channel, proceed as follows:
1.Click on the parameter name for the FX channel auto-
mation subtrack.
The parameter name pop-up list is shown containing the automation pa-
rameters for the plug-in. The parameter(s) you previously automated are 
indicated by an asterisk after the parameter name in the list.
Automated parameters for the PingPongDelay effect.
2.Select the parameter you wish to view from the para-
meter display pop-up.
The automation curve for the parameter you selected is displayed on the 
automation subtrack.
To view VST Instrument parameters, you use the same 
method.
As described earlier, each VST Instrument has two or more automation 
tracks – one for the plug-in settings and one for each VST Instrument 
mixer channel. 
						

							212
Automation
Where did the automation data I recorded end 
up?
When using global Write automation, you can write auto-
mation data on the automation tracks of all channels. In 
the previous write operations, you probably added auto-
mation events for many different channels and parameters.
To view all the automation events you recorded during 
the operations, select “Show All Used Automation” from 
the Track Folding submenu of the Project menu.
Now the automation data for every channel parameter that you adjusted 
in the mixer during Write mode is shown on corresponding subtracks in 
the Project window. The automation events recorded are shown as 
points in the automation curves. 
Working with automation curves
About automation curves 
There are two kinds of automation curves, “ramp” and 
“jump”:
Jump curves are created for any parameter that only has 
on/off values, like a Mute button, for example.
Ramp curves are created for any parameter that gener-
ates continuous multiple values, such as fader or dial 
movements etc. 
Examples of jump and ramp automation curves shown in the event dis-
play.
About the static value line
When you first open an automation subtrack for a para-
meter, it doesn’t contain any automation events (unless 
you have previously adjusted that parameter with write au-
tomation activated), and this is reflected in the event dis-
play as a straight horizontal black line, the “static value” 
line. This line represents the current parameter setting.If you have manually added any automation events or 
used write automation for the corresponding parameter, 
and then deactivate Read mode, the automation curve will 
be greyed-out in the automation subtrack event display 
and the static value will be used instead.
As soon as Read mode is activated, the automation curve will become 
available.
Editing automation events
Drawing automation events
By using write automation in the mixer, you generate auto-
mation events by moving parameter dials and faders in the 
mixer. You can also add them manually by drawing automa-
tion curves on an automation subtrack. Proceed as follows:
1.Show the automation subtrack by clicking on the left 
edge of the track in the Track list.
The static value line is shown in the event display for the automation sub-
track.
2.Select the Pencil tool.
You can also use the various modes of the Line tool for drawing curves, 
see below.
3.If you click on the static value line, an automation event 
is added, read automation mode is automatically activated, 
and the static value line changes to a blue automation 
curve.
4.If you click and hold, you can draw a curve by adding a 
multitude of single automation events. 
						

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Automation
5.When you release the mouse button, the number of 
automation events is reduced to a few events, but the ba-
sic shape of the curve still remains the same.
This “thinning out” of events is governed by the Automation Reduction 
Level setting in the Preferences, see “About the Automation Reduction 
Level preference” on page 215.
6.If you now activate playback, the volume will change 
with the automation curve.
In the mixer, the corresponding fader moves accordingly.
7.Simply redo the operation if you are not happy with the 
result.
If you draw over existing events, a new curve is created.
If the automation subtrack is in Read mode already, you 
can also add automation events by clicking with the Arrow 
tool.
If you are trying to add a point between two existing points and the new 
point doesn’t deviate from the existing curve, it will be removed by reduc-
tion as soon as you release the mouse button (see “About the Automa-
tion Reduction Level preference” on page 215).
Using the various modes of the Line tool to draw 
automation curves
The Line tool can be very useful for drawing automation 
events. The various modes are accessed by selecting the 
Line tool on the toolbar, clicking on it a second time and 
selecting from the pop-up menu that appears.
Clicking and dragging with the Line tool in Line mode 
shows a line in the automation subtrack and creates auto-
mation events aligned with this line.
This is a quick way to create linear fades, etc.
The Line tool in Parabola mode works in the same way, 
but aligns the automation events with a parabolic curve in-
stead, resulting in more “natural” curves and fades.
Note that the result depends on the direction from which you draw the 
parabolic curve.
The Sine, Triangle and Square Line tool modes create 
automation events aligned with continuous curves.
If snap is activated and set to Grid, the period of the curve (the length of 
one curve “cycle”) is determined by the grid setting. If you press [Shift] 
and drag, you can set the period length manually, in multiples of the grid 
value.
Selecting automation events
To select a single automation curve point, click on it 
with the Arrow tool.
The point turns red, and you can drag it in any horizontal or vertical direc-
tion between two points.
To select multiple curve points, you can either [Shift]-
click or drag a selection rectangle with the Arrow tool.
All events inside the selection rectangle will become selected.
Drawing a selection rectangle around some points to select them.
When selected, the points can be moved in all directions 
as “one”, i.e. the curve shape formed by the selected 
points remains intact.
To select all automation events on a subtrack, right-click 
the automation subtrack in the Track list and choose “Se-
lect All Events” from the context menu. 
						

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Automation
Removing automation events
There are several ways to remove event points:
By selecting points and pressing [Backspace] or [De-
lete] or selecting Delete from the Edit menu.
By clicking on a point with the Eraser tool.
By selecting a range (with the Range Selection tool), 
and pressing [Backspace] or [Delete] or selecting Delete 
from the Edit menu.
By clicking in the parameter display on a subtrack and 
selecting “Remove Parameter” from the pop-up.
This will remove all automation events from the subtrack, and the sub-
track will be closed.
Editing automation events
Automation events can be edited much like other events. 
You can use cut, copy and paste, you can group and 
nudge events etc. There are, however, four items on the 
Edit menu that are not applicable to automation events. 
These are:
 Split at Cursor
 Split Loop
 Move to Front

Editing automation events in the Project 
Browser
You can also edit automation events in the Project 
Browser. Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Project Browser by selecting it from the 
Project menu.
The Browser window opens. The window is divided into two sections, 
the Structure list to the left and the event display to the right.
2.Click on the “+” sign for a track in the structure list.
Automated tracks have two subitems: Track Data and Automation. The 
Automation item corresponds to the automation subtrack in the Project 
window, and contains the track’s automation events.
3.Click on the “+” sign for the Automation item.
All automated parameters for the track are shown in the structure list. 
4.Clicking on a parameter in the structure list brings up 
the automation events in the event display.
The following parameters are available for all automation 
subtracks:
Parameter Description
Position The position of the automation event.
Value The value of the automation event.  
						

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Automation
Tips and common methods
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to describ-
ing which automation method you should use. You can for 
example never even open an automation subtrack, and 
stick with write automation throughout a project. Or you 
can stick to drawing automation curves to automate set-
tings in a project. Both methods have their advantages, 
but it is of course up to you to decide what to use and 
when.
Editing curves on automation subtracks offers a graphi-
cal overview in relation to the track contents and the time 
position.
This makes it easy to quickly change parameter values at specific points, 
without having to activate playback. For example, this method gives you a 
good overview if you have a voice-over or a dialog on one track and a 
music bed on another track, the level of which needs to be lowered with 
a specific amount every time the dialog occurs.
By using write automation in the mixer you don’t have to 
manually select parameter subtracks from the Add Param-
eter list.
You can work much like you would using a “real” physical mixer. Every 
action you perform is automatically recorded on subtracks which you can 
later open for viewing and editing of the parameters you changed.
These are just two examples of advantages for each 
method. Generally, editing curves and using write automa-
tion are two methods that complement each other, and de-
pending on the nature of your projects you will probably 
work out what method works best for a given situation.
Options and Settings
About the Automation Reduction Level 
preference
This item can be found on the Editing page in the Prefer-
ences. Automation reduction reduces the number of auto-
mation events after you have used write automation or 
added automation events manually. When you write (or 
draw with the Pencil tool) automation events, these are 
added as a continuous stream of densely packed events. 
This is necessary because the program cannot “guess” 
what you will be doing next. However, when you are done, 
the reduction function will remove all superfluous event 
points and the automation curve now contains only the 
event points necessary to reproduce your actions.
For example, all event points that lie between two other 
points, but do not deviate from the curve, will be automat-
ically removed by reduction.
If you try to add an event that doesn’t deviate from the existing curve 
between two existing points...
...it will be removed when the mouse is released. If you move the se-
lected event by any amount so that the resulting curve isn’t a straight 
line, the event will of course be added.
If you feel you need a lower (or higher) reduction level of 
events than the default setting of roughly 75% reduction, 
you can change it, but normally the default setting works 
well. 
A minimum reduction level setting is not recommended 
as this will simply retain a lot of unnecessary events. 
						

							17
Audio processing and functions 
						

							217
Audio processing and functions
Background
Audio processing in Cubase can be called “non-destruc-
tive”, in the sense that you can always undo changes or 
revert to the original versions. This is possible because 
processing affects audio clips rather than the actual audio 
files, and because audio clips can refer to more than one 
audio file. This is how it works:
1.If you process an event or a selection range, a new au-
dio file is created in the Edits folder, within your project 
folder. 
This new file contains the processed audio, while the original file is unaf-
fected. 
2.The processed section of the audio clip (the section 
corresponding to the event or selection range) then refers 
to the new, processed audio file.
The other sections of the clip will still refer to the original file.
Since all edits are available as separate files, it is possi-
ble to undo any processing, at any point and in any order!
This is done in the Offline Process History dialog, see “The Offline Pro-
cess History dialog” on page 227.
Furthermore, the original, unprocessed audio file can still 
be used by other clips in the project, by other projects or by 
other applications.
Audio processing
Basically, you apply processing by making a selection and 
selecting a function from the Process submenu on the Au-
dio menu. Processing is applied according to the follow-
ing rules:
Selecting events in the Project window or the Audio Part 
Editor will apply processing to the selected events only.
Processing will only affect the clip sections that are referenced by the 
events.
Selecting an audio clip in the Pool will apply processing 
to the whole clip.
Making a selection range will apply processing to the 
selected range only.
Other sections of the clip are not affected.
If you attempt to process an event that is a shared copy 
(i.e. the event refers to a clip that is used by other events in 
the project), you are asked whether you want to create a 
new version of the clip or not.
Select “New Version” if you want the processing to affect the selected 
event only. Select “Continue” if you want the processing to affect all 
shared copies. 
ÖIf you activate “Do not show this message again”, any 
further processing you do will conform to the selected 
method (“Continue” or ”New Version”). 
You can change this setting at any time by using the “On Processing 
Shared Clips” pop-up in the Preferences (Editing–Audio page).After processing the event the clip will refer both to the original file and 
a new file, containing the processed section only.
This event plays a section of this clip…
…which refers to this audio file. 
						

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Audio processing and functions
Common settings and features
If there are any settings for the selected Audio processing 
function, these will appear when you select the function 
from the Process submenu. While most settings are spe-
cific for the function, some features and settings work in 
the same way for several functions:
The “More…” button
If the dialog has a lot of settings, some options may be 
hidden when the dialog appears. To reveal these, click the 
“More…” button.
To hide the settings, click the button again (now labeled 
“Less…”).
The Preview, Process and Cancel buttons
These buttons have the following functionality:
Pre/Post-CrossFade
Some processing functions allow you to gradually mix the 
effect in or out. This is done with the Pre/Post-CrossFade 
parameters. If you activate Pre-CrossFade and specify a 
value of e.g. 1000 ms, the processing will be applied grad-
ually from the start of selection, reaching full effect 1000 ms 
after the start. Similarly, if you activate Post-CrossFade, the 
processing will gradually be removed, starting at the speci-
fied interval before the end of the selection.
Envelope
The Envelope function allows you to apply a volume enve-
lope to the selected audio. The dialog contains the follow-
ing settings:
Curve Kind buttons
These determine whether the envelope curve should con-
sist of spline curve segments (left button), damped spline 
segments (middle button) or linear segments (right button).
Fade display
Shows the shape of the envelope curve. The resulting 
waveform shape is shown in dark gray, with the current 
waveform shape in light gray. You can click on the curve 
to add points, and click and drag existing points to change 
the shape. To remove a point from the curve, drag it out-
side the display.
Presets
If you have set up an envelope curve that you may want to 
apply to other events or clips, you can store it as a preset 
by clicking the Store button. 
To apply a stored preset, select it from the pop-up 
menu. 
To rename the selected preset, double-click on the 
name and enter a new one in the dialog that appears. 
To remove a stored preset, select it from the pop-up 
menu and click Remove.
Button Description
Preview Allows you to listen to the result of the processing with 
the current settings. Playback will continue repeatedly 
until you click the button again (the button is labeled 
“Stop” during Preview playback). You can make adjust-
ments during Preview playback, but the changes are not 
applied until the start of the next “lap”. Some changes 
may automatically restart the Preview playback from the 
beginning.
Process Performs the processing and closes the dialog.
Cancel Closes the dialog without processing.
!The sum of the Pre- and Post-CrossFade times can-
not be larger than the length of the selection. 
						

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Audio processing and functions
Fade In and Fade Out
For a description of these functions, see the chapter “Fa-
des, crossfades and envelopes” on page 87.
Gain
Allows you to change the gain (level) of the selected audio. 
The dialog contains the following settings:
Gain
This is where you set the desired gain, between -50 and 
+20 dB. The setting is also indicated below the Gain dis-
play as a percentage.
Clipping detection text
If you use the Preview function before applying the pro-
cessing, the text below the slider indicates whether the 
current settings result in clipping (audio levels above 
0 dB). If that is the case, lower the Gain value and use the 
Preview function again.
If you want to increase the level of the audio as much as 
possible without causing clipping, you should use the Nor-
malize function instead (see “Normalize” on page 220).
Pre- and Post-CrossFade
See “Pre/Post-CrossFade” on page 218.
Merge Clipboard
This functions mixes the audio from the clipboard into the 
audio selected for processing, starting at the beginning of 
the selection.
The dialog contains the following settings:
Sources mix
Allows you to specify a mix ratio between the original (the 
audio selected for processing) and the copy (the audio on 
the clipboard).
Pre- and Post-CrossFade
See “Pre/Post-CrossFade” on page 218.
!For this function to be available, you need to have cut 
or copied a range of audio in the Sample Editor first. 
						

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Audio processing and functions
Noise Gate
Scans the audio for sections weaker than a specified 
threshold level and replaces them with silence. The dialog 
contains the following settings:
Threshold
The level below which you want audio to be silenced. 
Levels below this value will close the gate.
Attack Time
The time it takes for the gate to open fully after the audio 
level has exceeded the threshold level.
Min. Opening Time
This is the shortest time the gate will remain open. If you 
find that the gate opens and closes too often when pro-
cessing material that varies rapidly in level, you should try 
raising this value.
Release Time
The time it takes for the gate to close fully after the audio 
level has dropped below the threshold level.
Linked Channels
This is available for stereo audio only. When it is activated, 
the Noise Gate is opened for both channels as soon as 
one or both channels exceed the Threshold level. When 
Linked Channels is deactivated, the Noise Gate works in-
dependently for the left and right channel.
Dry/Wet mix
Allows you to specify a mix ratio between “dry” and pro-
cessed sound.
Pre- and Post-CrossFade
See “Pre/Post-CrossFade” on page 218.
Normalize
The Normalize function allows you to specify the desired 
maximum level of the audio. It then analyzes the selected 
audio and finds the current maximum level. Finally it sub-
tracts the current maximum level from the specified level 
and raises the gain of the audio by the resulting amount (if 
the specified maximum level is lower than the current max-
imum, the gain will be lowered instead). A common use for 
Normalizing is to raise the level of audio that was recorded 
at too low an input level. The dialog contains the following 
settings:
Maximum
The desired maximum level for the audio, between -50 and 
0 dB. The setting is also indicated below the Gain display 
as a percentage.
Pre- and Post-CrossFade
See “Pre/Post-CrossFade” on page 218.
Phase Reverse
Reverses the phase of the selected audio, turning the 
waveform “upside down”. The dialog contains the follow-
ing settings:
Phase Reverse on
When processing stereo audio, this pop-up menu allows 
you to specify which channel(s) should be phase-reversed.
Pre- and Post-CrossFade
See “Pre/Post-CrossFade” on page 218.