Steinberg Cubase Studio 4 Operation Manual Studio Manual

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Customizing
2.To bring up the color palette, click the track color se-
lector.
Click the arrow in the track name title bar or…
…click the color strip in the Track list.
In the Mixer, click the track color selector below the channel name.
3.Select a color from the color bar.
The track color is now reflected in the Inspector title palette and the Track 
list as well as in the Mixer and any parts and events on the selected track.
Applying track colors automatically
In the Preferences (Editing–Project & Mixer page), you 
can find the option “Auto Track Color Mode”.
This offers you several options for automatically assigning 
colors to tracks that are added to the project.
Coloring parts and events
There are two ways to color parts and events in the 
Project window:
Using the color selector
1.Select the desired parts or events.
2.Choose a color from the color selector in the toolbar.
Using the color tool
1.On the toolbar, select the color tool.
2.Click the small strip below it to bring up the color pal-
ette.
3.Select the desired color. 
4.Click on a part/event to assign the color. 
The color is applied to all selected parts/events and over-
rides the track color (if used).
If you press [Ctrl]/[Command] and click on a part/event 
with the color tool, the color palette is displayed and you 
can choose the desired color for an event.
If you press [Alt]/[Option], the color tool cursor be-
comes a pipette, which can be used to select a color by 
clicking on a part/event.
Option Effect
Use Default 
Event ColorThe default color (gray) is assigned. 
Use Previous 
Track ColorUses the color of the track above the new one (i. e. the 
track that is selected when you add a new track).
Use Previous 
Track Color +1Uses the color next to the color of the track above the 
new one (+1 refers to the color number in the palette).
Use Last 
Applied ColorThe last manually assigned color is used. 
Use Random 
Track ColorTrack colors are assigned randomly. 
						

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Customizing
Customizing the event background
On the Event Display page in the Preferences, you can 
find the option “Colorize Event Background”.
This option affects the display of events in the project win-
dow.
When this is activated, the background of the events 
and parts in the event display will be shown in the se-
lected color.
When this is deactivated, the event “content”, i.e. MIDI 
events, audio waveforms, etc. will be displayed in the se-
lected color and the event background will be displayed in 
gray. 
The Event Colors dialog
You can open the Event Colors dialog in two ways: 
Double-click the small strip below the color tool. Open the Color pop-up menu on the toolbar and select 
“Select Colors…”.
In the Event Colors dialog, you can fully customize the 
color palette, apart from the default color (gray).
To add new colors to the color palette, proceed as follows:
1.Click the Insert New Color button in the Event Colors 
section to add a new color.
A new color icon and color name are added to the Event Colors section.
2.Click the color field next to the name field to activate 
the new color for editing.
3.In the Standard Colors section, select the standard 
color. You can modify the selected color in the following 
way:
 Drag the cursor to another point in the color circle.
 Move the handle in the color meter.
 Enter the values for red, green and blue and hue, saturation 
and luminosity manually.
4.Click the Apply button in the Standard Colors section. 
The color setting is applied to the selected color item. 
You can edit every existing event color in the same way.
To delete an event color item, select it and click the 
“Remove Selected Color” button in the Event Colors sec-
tion.
To increase or decrease the intensity and the brightness 
of all colors, use the corresponding buttons in the Event 
Colors section.
To save the current set as default, click the button “This 
set as default set” in the Event Colors section. You can 
then click the button “Use default set” to the right to apply 
the saved default set.
To return to the standard setting of the palette in Cu-
base, click Reset.
Remove 
new colorIncrease/decrease in-
tensity for all colors This Set as 
Default Set Increase/decrease 
brightness for all colorsInsert
new color
Use Default 
Set 
						

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Customizing
Where are the settings stored?
As you have seen, there are a large number of ways in 
which you can customize Cubase. While some of the set-
tings you make are stored in each project, others are 
stored in separate preference files.
If you need to transfer your projects to another computer 
(e. g. in another studio), you can bring all your settings 
along by copying the desired preference files and install-
ing them on the other computer.
ÖIt’s a good idea to make a backup copy of your prefer-
ence files once you have set things up the way you want!
This way, if another Cubase user wants to use his or her personal set-
tings when working on your computer, you can restore your own prefer-
ences afterwards.
Under Windows, preference files are stored in the 
folder “\Documents and Settings\\Applica-
tion Data\Steinberg\Cubase 4\”.
If you run the 64 bit version of Cubase, this folder is called “Cubase 
64 bit”. On the Start menu, you will find a shortcut to this folder for easy 
access.
Under Mac OS X, preference files are stored in the 
folder “Library/Preferences/Cubase 4/” under your home 
directory.
The full path would be: “/Users//Library/Preferences/
Cubase 4/”.
ÖThe RAMpresets.xml file, which contains various pre-
sets settings (see below), is saved when exiting the pro-
gram. 
ÖProgram functions (e. g. crossfade) or configurations 
(e. g. panels) not used in the project will not be stored.
Below, the available preferences files are listed. When 
files are not saved in the default preferences folder (see 
above), the complete path will be shown. When files are 
saved in a further subfolder of the default folder, the path 
will begin with the name of this folder:
Setting Stored in
Edit modifier keys Edit Modifiers.xml
Key commands Key Commands.xml
Preferences 
dialog settingsDefaults.xml
Color setup saved in the project
Default Color 
setupDefaults.xml
Crossfade 
presetsApplication folder\Presets\RAMPresets.xml
Control Room – 
Settings 
(Cubase only)\Presets\ControlRoomPresets.xml (pxml file)
Control Room – 
External Plug-ins 
(Cubase only)External Plugins.xml
Device setup 
filesApplication folder\Device Maps
as *.xml file
Drum maps Application folder\DrumMaps 
as *.drm file
EQ presets Application folder\Presets\VstEqPresets.pxml
Port Input/
Output settingsPort Setup.xml
Audio Inserts
presets\Presets\InsertsFolderPresets.pxml
MIDI Inserts 
presets\Presets\MidiInsertsPresets
as *.xml file
Installed MIDI 
devicesMidi Devices.bin
Key commands 
presets\Presets\KeyCommands\.xml
Logical Editor 
presets\Presets\Logical Edit\.xml
Project Logical 
Editor\Presets\Logical Edit Project\.xml
MediaBay
settingsMediaDefaults.xml
MediaBay default 
settingsMediaFactoryDefaults.xml (these are applied on reset)
MediaBay – 
Scanned foldersscannedfolders.bin
MediaBay – 
Scanned disksFileSysObserver.xml (When changing the file system 
these disks are automatically scanned by the MediaBay 
– Windows only.)
MediaBay 
databasemediabay.db
MediaBay Content ContentManager.xml
MIDI FX presets \Presets\\.xml
Mixer (or channel) 
settingssaved in the last active folder as *.vmx file (VST Mixer 
settings)
Mixer view 
presetsaved in project
Panel files 
(Cubase only)\Panels\.xml Setting Stored in 
						

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Customizing Patch name 
scripts\Scripts\Patchnames as *.txt file
Preferences
presets\Presets\Configurations\.xml
Quantize 
presets\Presets\RAMPresets.xml
Score – Settings Score Setting Window.xml
Score – 
Default fontScore Default Font.xml
Score – Custom 
PalettesScore Custom Palettes.xml
Score – Guitar 
symbolsGuitarLib.xml
Score – Chord 
symbols\Presets\ChordSymbols.xml
Staff Presets \Presets\Staff Presets as *.xml file
Snapshot file \Presets\MIDI snapshot as *.xml file
Toolbar presets \Presets\RAMPresets.xml
Track controls 
presets\Presets\RAMPresets.xml
Track presets 
(user-defined, 
for all programs)Win: \Documents and Settings\\Applica-
tion Data\Steinberg\Track Presets
Mac: Users//Library/Application Sup-
port/Steinberg/Track Presets
(with the subfolders \Audio, \Instrument, \Midi, \Multi) 
as *.trackpreset file
Transport panel 
presets\Presets\RAMPresets.xml
Usage profile
logUsage Profile.xml (only saved if the corresponding op-
tion in the Preferences is activated)
User templates templates\.cpr
VST connections 
presets\Presets\RAMPresets.xml
VST 3 plug-ins 
and instrumentsVstPlugInfo.xml
VST 2 plug-ins 
and instrumentsVst2xPlugins.xml
VST3 presets 
(user-defined, 
for all programs)Win: \Common files\VST3 Presets\\

Mac: Users//Library/Audio/Presets/
/
as *.vstpreset file
VST3 presets 
(public, for all pro-
grams)Win: \Documents and Settings\VST3 Presets\\
Mac: /Library/Audio/Presets//
as *.vstpreset file
Workspaces saved in project Setting Stored in
Workspace pre-
sets (global)Window Layouts.xml
Zoom presets \Presets\RAMPresets.xml
Quick Control 
SettingsQuick Controls MIDI.xml Setting Stored in 
						

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Key commands 
						

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Key commands
Introduction
Most of the main menus in Cubase have key command 
shortcuts for certain items on the menus. In addition, there 
are numerous other Cubase functions that can be per-
formed via key commands. These are all default settings. If 
you want, you can customize existing key commands to 
your liking, and also add commands for menu items and 
functions currently not assigned any.
How are key commands settings saved?
Every time you edit or add any key command assignment, 
this is stored as a global Cubase preference – not as part 
of a project. Hence, if you edit or add a key command as-
signment, any subsequent projects that you create or 
open will use these modified settings. However, the de-
fault settings can be restored at any time by clicking the 
button “Reset All” in the Key Commands dialog.
In addition, you can save key commands settings as a “key 
commands file”, which is stored separately and can be im-
ported into any project. This way you can quickly and easily 
recall customized settings, when moving projects between 
different computers, for example. The settings are saved in 
a file on disk with the windows extension “.xml”.
How to save key commands settings is described in the 
section “About key commands presets” on page 478.
Setting up key commands
The following is a description of how you set up key com-
mands and save them as presets for easy access.
Key commands settings are accessed and edited mainly 
in the Key Commands dialog. You can find some key com-
mand settings in the Preferences dialog as well, also ad-
dressed in this chapter.
Adding or modifying a key command
In the Key Commands dialog you will find all main menu 
items and a large number of other functions, arranged in a 
hierarchical way similar to the Windows Explorer and Mac 
OS Finder. The function categories are represented by a 
number of folders, each containing various menu items and 
functions. When you open a category folder by clicking the 
plus-sign beside it, the items and functions it contains are 
displayed with the currently assigned key commands.
!You can also assign tool modifier keys, i.e. keys that 
change the behavior of various tools when pressed. 
This is done in the Preferences dialog – see “Setting 
up tool modifier keys” on page 480. 
						

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Key commands
To add a key command, proceed as follows:
1.Pull down the File menu and select “Key Commands…”.
The Key Commands dialog appears.
2.Use the list in the Commands column to navigate to 
the desired category.
3.Click the plus-sign to open the category folder and 
display the items it contains.
Note that you can also click the “global” plus and minus-signs in the top 
left corner to open and close all category folders at once.
4.In the list, select the item to which you wish to assign a 
key command.
Already assigned key commands are shown in the Keys column as well 
as in the Keys section in the top right corner.
5.Alternatively, you can use the search function in the 
dialog to find the desired item.
For a description of how to use the search function, see “Searching for 
key commands” on page 477.
6.When you have found and selected the desired item, 
click in the “Type in Key” field and enter a new key com-
mand.
You can choose between any single key or a combination of one or sev-
eral keys ([Alt]/[Option], [Ctrl]/[Command], [Shift]) plus any key. Just 
press the keys you want to use.
7.If the key command you entered is already assigned to 
another item or function, this is displayed below the “Type 
in Key” field. 
If a key command already is assigned to another function, you can either 
ignore this and proceed to assign the key command to the new function 
instead, or you can select another key command.
8.Click the Assign button above the field.
The new key command appears in the Keys List.
Note that you can have several different key commands for 
the same function. So adding a key command to a function 
that already has another key command will not replace the 
key command previously defined for the function. If you 
wish to remove an assigned key command, see “Removing 
a key command” on page 478.
9.Click OK to exit the dialog.
Searching for key commands
If you want to know which key command is assigned to a 
certain function in the program, you can use the Search 
function in the Key Commands dialog:
1.Click in the search text field at the top left of the dialog 
and type in the function for which you want to know the key 
command.
This is a standard word search function, so you should type the command 
as it is spelled in the program. Partial words can be used; e.g., to search 
for all quantize related commands, type “Quantize”, “Quant”, etc.
2.Click the Search button (the magnifying glass icon).
The search is conducted and the first matching command is selected 
and displayed in the commands list below. The keys column and the keys 
list show the assigned key commands, if any.
3.To search for more commands containing the word(s) 
you entered, click the Search button again.
4.When you’re done, click OK to close the dialog.
If a selected item or function has a key command 
assigned already, it is displayed here……and here.
!If the key command you enter is already assigned to 
another function, you will get a warning message 
asking if you want to reassign the command to the 
new function instead, or cancel the operation. 
						

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Key commands
Removing a key command
To remove a key command, proceed as follows:
1.If the key commands dialog isn’t already open, pull 
down the File menu and select “Key Commands…”.
2.Use the list of categories and commands to select the 
item or function for which you wish to remove a key com-
mand.
The key command for the item is shown in the Keys list and the Keys 
column.
3.Select the key command in the Keys list and click the 
Remove button (the trash icon).
You will get a prompt asking if you want to remove the key command or 
cancel the operation.
4.Click Remove to remove the selected key command.
5.Click OK to close the dialog.
Setting up macros
A macro is a combination of several functions or com-
mands, to be performed in one go. For example, you could 
select all events on the selected audio track, remove DC 
offset, normalize the events and duplicate them, all with a 
single command.
Macros are set up in the Key Commands dialog as follows:
1.Click the Show Macros button.
The macro settings are shown in the lower part of the dialog. To hide 
these from view, click the button (now renamed to Hide Macros) again.
2.Click New Macro.
A new, unnamed macro appears in the Macros list. Name it by typing the 
desired name. You can rename a macro at any time by selecting it in the 
list and typing in a new name.
3.Make sure the macro is selected, and use the Catego-
ries and Commands in the upper half of the dialog to se-
lect the first command you want to include in the macro.
4.Click Add Command.
The selected command appears in the list of Commands in the Macros 
section.
5.Repeat the procedure to add more commands to the 
macro.
Note that commands are added after the currently selected command in 
the list. This allows you to insert commands “in the middle” of an existing 
macro.
A macro with three commands.
To remove a command from the macro, select it in the 
Macros list and click Delete.
Similarly, to remove an entire macro, select it in the 
Macros list and click Delete.
After you have closed the Key Commands dialog, all mac-
ros you have created appear at the bottom of the Edit menu 
in the Macros submenu, available for instant selection.
You can also assign key commands to macros. All macros 
you have created appear in the upper section of the Key 
Commands dialog under the Macros category – just se-
lect a macro and assign a key command as with any other 
function.
About key commands presets
Saving key commands presets
As mentioned above, any changes made to the key com-
mands (and macros) are automatically stored as a Cubase 
preference. However, it is also possible to store key com-
mands settings separately. This way, you can store any 
number of different key command settings as presets for 
instant recall.
Proceed as follows:
1.Set up the key commands and macros to your liking.
When setting up key commands, remember to click “Assign” to make the 
changes. 
						

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Key commands
2.Click the Save button next to the Presets pop-up 
menu.
A dialog appears, allowing you to type in a name for the preset. 
3.Click OK to save the preset.
Your saved key commands settings will now be available in the Preset 
pop-up menu for your future projects.
Loading key command presets
To load a key command preset, simply select it from the 
Presets pop-up menu.
ÖNote that this operation may replace existing key com-
mands!
The key command settings you load will replace the current key command 
settings for the same functions (if any). If you have macros of the same 
name as those stored in the preset you load, these will be replaced too.
If you want to be able to revert to your current settings again, make sure to 
save them first, as described above!
Loading saved key commands settings from earlier 
versions of Cubase 
If you have saved key commands settings with a previous 
version of Cubase, it is possible to use them in Cubase 4, 
by using the “Import Key Command File” function, which 
lets you load and apply saved key commands or macros:
1.Open the Key Commands dialog.
2.Click the “Import Key Command File” button to the 
right of the Presets pop-up menu.
A standard file dialog opens.
3.In the file dialog, use the “Files of type:” pop-up to 
specify if you want to import a key commands file (Win-
dows file extension “.key”) or a macro commands file (ex-
tension “.mac”).
Key commands files included any macro settings and were saved with 
the file extension “.xml”. When you have imported an older file, you might 
want to save it as a preset (see “About key commands presets” on page 
478) to be able to access it from the Presets pop-up menu in the future.
4.Navigate to the file you want to import and click “Open”.
The file is imported.
5.Click OK to exit the Key Commands dialog and apply 
the imported settings.
The settings in the loaded key commands or macros file now replace the 
current settings.
About the “Reset” and “Reset All” functions
These two buttons in the Key Commands dialog will both 
restore the default settings. The following rules apply:
“Reset” restores the default key command setting for 
the function selected in the Commands list.
“Reset All” will restore the default key commands for all 
commands.
About the default key commands
As mentioned before, there are numerous default key 
commands. These are listed in the section “The default 
key commands” on page 480.
!Note that the “Reset All” operation will cause any 
changes made to the default key commands to be 
lost! If you want to be able to revert to these settings 
again, make sure to save them first! 
						

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Key commands
Setting up tool modifier keys
A tool modifier key is a key you can press to get an alter-
nate function when using a tool. For example, clicking and 
dragging an event with the Arrow tool normally moves it – 
holding down a modifier key (by default [Alt]/[Option]) will 
copy it instead.
The default assignments for tool modifier keys can be 
found in the Preferences (Editing–Tool Modifiers page). 
Here, you can also edit them:
1.Open the Preferences dialog from the File menu (on 
the Mac, this is located on the Cubase menu) and select 
the Editing–Tool Modifiers page.
2.Select an option in the Categories list, and locate the 
action for which you want to edit the modifier key.
For example, the “Copy” action mentioned above resides in the category 
“Drag & Drop”.
3.Select the action in the Action list.
4.Hold down the desired modifier key(s) and click the 
Assign button.
The current modifier key(s) for the action is replaced. If the modifier 
key(s) you pressed are already assigned to another tool, you will be 
asked whether you want to overwrite them. If you do, this will leave the 
other tool without any modifier key(s) assigned.
5.When you’re done, click OK to apply the changes and 
close the dialog.
The default key commands
Below, the default key commands are listed according to 
category.
As described in the section “Key command conventions” 
on page 12, modifier keys are written as: 
[Win modifier key]/[Mac modifier key].
For example, “[Ctrl]/[Command]+[N]” in the list below means 
“press [Ctrl] under Windows or [Command] under Mac OS X, 
then press [N]”.
Audio category
Automation category
Devices category
Edit category
Option Key command
Adjust Fades to Range [A]
Crossfade [X]
Find Selected in Pool [Ctrl]/[Command]+[F]
Option Key command
Toggle Read Enable All Tracks [Alt]/[Option]+[R]
Toggle Write Enable All Tracks [Alt]/[Option]+[W]
Option Key command
Mixer [F3]
Video [F8]
VST Connections [F4]
VST Instruments [F11]
VST Performance [F12]
Option Key command
Autoscroll [F]
Copy [Ctrl]/[Command]+[C]
Cut [Ctrl]/[Command]+[X]
Cut Time [Ctrl]/[Command]+[Shift]+[X]
Delete [Del] or [Backspace]
Delete Time [Shift]+[Backspace]
Duplicate [Ctrl]/[Command]+[D]
Edit In-place [Ctrl]/[Command]+[Shift]+[I]
Group [Ctrl]/[Command]+[G]