Steinberg Cubase Studio 4 Operation Manual Studio Manual

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Recording
Recording
Recording MIDI is done according to the basic recording 
methods (see “Basic recording methods” on page 66). 
When you finish recording, a part containing MIDI events 
is created in the Project window.
About overlap and the Record Mode setting
MIDI tracks are different from audio tracks when it comes 
to overlapping parts:
ÖAll events in overlapping parts are always played back.
If you record several parts at the same locations (or move parts so that 
they overlap), you will hear the events in all parts on playback, even 
though some of the parts are obscured in the Project window.
When recording overlapping parts, the result depends on 
the Linear Record Mode setting on the Transport panel:
 If the record mode is set to “Normal”, overdub recording 
works as with audio tracks, i.e. if you record again where 
something has already been recorded, you get a new part that 
overlaps the previous one(s).
 If the record mode is set to “Merge”, the overdubbed events 
are added to the existing part.
 If the record mode is set to “Replace”, the new recording re-
places any existing events in the area on that track.
About punch in and out on MIDI tracks
Performing and setting up manual and automatic punch 
in/out recording for MIDI tracks is done in exactly the 
same way as for audio tracks. There is one thing to note, 
however: 
Punching in and out on recordings with Pitch Bend or 
controller data (modulation wheel, sustain pedal, volume 
etc.) may lead to strange effects (apparently hanging 
notes, constant vibrato etc.).
If this happens, you may need to use the Reset item on the MIDI menu 
(see “The Reset function” on page 83).
About the Automatic MIDI Record Quantize function
If Auto Quantize is activated on the Transport panel (the 
“Auto Q” button), the notes you record are automatically 
quantized according to the current Quantize settings. For 
more information about quantizing, see “The Quantizing 
functions” on page 325.
Recording MIDI in cycle mode
When you record MIDI in cycle mode, the result depends 
on which Cycle Record mode is selected on the Transport 
panel:
Cycle Record mode: Mix (MIDI)
For each completed lap, everything you record is added to 
what was previously recorded in the same part. This is 
useful for building up rhythm patterns, for example. 
Record a hi-hat part on the first lap, the bass drum part on 
the second lap etc. 
Cycle Record mode: Overwrite (MIDI)
As soon as you play a MIDI note (or send any MIDI mes-
sage), all MIDI you have recorded on previous laps is over-
written from that point on in the part. An example:
1.You start recording in an eight bar cycle.
2.The first take wasn’t good enough – you start directly 
with a new take on the next cycle lap and overwrite the 
first take.
3.After recording the second take you let the recording 
roll on and listen, without playing anything. 
You find that the take was good up until bar seven, for example.
4.On the next lap, you wait until bar seven and start play-
ing.
This way you will overwrite the last two bars only.
5.Make sure you stop playing before the next lap begins 
– otherwise you will overwrite the entire take.
Cycle Record mode: Keep Last
Each completed lap replaces the previously recorded lap. 
Note:
The cycle lap must be completed – if you deactivate re-
cording or press Stop before the cursor reaches the right 
locator, the previous take will be kept.
If you don’t play or input any MIDI during a lap, nothing 
happens (the previous take will be kept). 
						

							82
Recording
Cycle Record mode: Stacked/Stacked 2 (No Mute)
In this mode, the following happens: 
 Each recorded cycle lap is turned into a separate MIDI part.
 The track is divided into “lanes”, one for each cycle lap.
 The parts are stacked above each other, each on a different 
lane.
 All takes but the last one are muted (Stacked). 
 If Stacked 2 is selected, no muting takes place.
This makes it easy to create a “perfect take” by combining 
the best parts from the different cycle laps. You can edit 
the parts in the Project window (by cutting, resizing and 
deleting) or you can use a MIDI editor as in the following 
example:
1.Unmute the muted takes by clicking the parts with the 
Mute tool.
2.Select all takes (parts) and open them in the Key Edi-
tor for example.
3.Use the part list pop-up menu on the toolbar to select 
which part to edit.
See “Handling several parts” on page 338.
4.Remove or edit notes as desired.
5.When you are happy with the result, close the editor.
6.To turn it all into a single MIDI part (containing your 
“perfect take”), select all parts and select “Merge MIDI in 
Loop” from the MIDI menu.
7.In the dialog that appears, activate the Erase Destina-
tion option and click OK.
The remaining events in the parts are merged together into a single part.
Recording different types of MIDI messages
Notes
When you press and release a key on your synth or other 
MIDI keyboard, a Note On (key down) and a Note Off (key 
up) message are sent out. The MIDI note message also 
contains the information which MIDI channel was used. 
Normally, this information is overridden by the MIDI chan-
nel setting for the track, but if you set the track to MIDI 
channel “Any”, the notes will be played back on their orig-
inal channels.
Continuous messages
Pitch bend, aftertouch and controllers (like modulation 
wheel, sustain pedal, volume etc.) are considered as MIDI 
continuous events (as opposed to the momentary key down 
and key up messages). If you move the Pitch bend wheel on 
your synthesizer while recording, this movement is re-
corded together with the key (Note On and Note Off mes-
sages), just as you’d expect. But the continuous messages 
can also be recorded after the notes have been recorded 
(or even before). They can also be recorded on their own 
tracks, separately from the notes to which they belong. 
Say, for instance, that you record one or several bass 
parts on track 2. If you now set another track, like track 55, 
to the same output and MIDI channel as track 2, you can 
make a separate recording of just pitch bends for the bass 
parts on track 55. This means that you activate recording 
as usual and only move the pitch bend wheel during the 
take. As long as the two tracks are set to the same output 
and MIDI channel, it will appear to the MIDI instrument as 
if the two recordings were made at the same time.
Program Change messages
Normally, when you switch from one program to another 
on your keyboard (or whatever you use to record), a num-
ber corresponding to that program is sent out via MIDI as 
a Program Change message. These can be recorded on 
the fly with the music, recorded afterwards on a separate 
track, or manually entered in the Key or List Editors. 
!You can decide exactly which event types should be 
recorded by using the MIDI filters – see “Filtering 
MIDI” on page 84. 
						

							83
Recording
System Exclusive messages
System Exclusive (SysEx) is a special type of MIDI mes-
sage used to send data that only makes sense to a unit of 
a certain make and type. SysEx can be used to transmit a 
list of the numbers that make up the settings of one or 
more sounds in a synth. For more about viewing and edit-
ing SysEx messages, see the chapter “Working with Sys-
tem Exclusive messages” on page 390.
The Reset function
The Reset function on the MIDI menu sends out note-off 
messages and resets controllers on all MIDI channels. 
This is sometimes necessary if you experience hanging 
notes, constant vibrato, etc.
Cubase can also automatically perform a MIDI reset on 
stop.
You can turn this function on or off in the Preferences (MIDI page).
Also in the Preferences (MIDI page), you can find the 
option “Insert Reset Events after Record”.
This is a very handy function for MIDI recording. At the end of each re-
corded part, a Reset event will be inserted, resetting controller data such 
as Sustain, Aftertouch, Pitchbend, Modulation, Breath Control, etc. This 
is useful if a MIDI part is recorded and e.g. the Sustain pedal is still held 
after stopping recording. Usually, this would cause all following parts to 
be played with Sustain, as the Pedal Off command was not recorded. 
This can be prevented by activating “Insert Reset Events after Record”.
Retrospective Record
This feature allows you to capture any MIDI notes you play 
in Stop mode or during playback and turn them into a MIDI 
part “after the fact”. This is possible due to the fact that 
Cubase can capture MIDI input in buffer memory, even 
when not recording.
Proceed as follows:
1.Enable the Retrospective Record option in the Prefer-
ences (Record-MIDI page).
This activates the buffering of MIDI input, making Retrospective Record 
possible.
2.Make sure a MIDI track is record-enabled.
3.When you have played some MIDI material you want 
to capture (either in Stop mode or during playback), select 
Retrospective Record from the Transport menu (or use 
the key command, by default [Shift]-[Pad*]).The content of the MIDI buffer (i.e. what you just played) is 
turned into a MIDI part on the record enabled track. The 
part will appear where the project cursor was when you 
started playing – this means that if you played along dur-
ing playback, the captured notes will end up exactly where 
you played them in relation to the project.
The Retrospective Record Buffer Size setting in the 
Preferences (Record-MIDI page) determines how much 
data can be captured.
MIDI Preferences
There are several other options and settings in the Prefer-
ences that affect MIDI recording and playback:
MIDI page
Length Adjustment
Adjusts the length of notes so that there is always a short time between 
the end of one note and the start of another (of the same pitch and on the 
same MIDI channel). The time is set in ticks. By default there are 120 
ticks per 1/16 note, but you can adjust this with the MIDI Display Reso-
lution setting on the same page.
Record-MIDI page
Snap MIDI Parts to Bars
When this is activated, recorded MIDI parts will automatically be length-
ened to start and end at whole bar positions. If you are working in a 
Bars+Beats-based context, this can make editing (moving, duplicating, 
repeating, etc.) easier.
Solo Record in MIDI Editors
If this is activated and you open a part for editing in a MIDI editor, its track 
is automatically record-enabled. Furthermore, Record Enable is deacti-
vated for all other MIDI tracks until you close the editor again.
This makes it easier to record MIDI data when you’re editing a part – you 
will always be sure the recorded data ends up in the edited part and not 
on any other track.
MIDI Record Catch Range in ms
When you record starting at the left locator, this setting helps you make 
sure the very start of the recording is included. A very annoying scenario is 
when you have recorded a perfect MIDI take, only to find out that the very 
first note wasn’t included – because you started playing a little bit too early! 
If you raise the Record Catch Range, Cubase will catch the events played 
just before the recording start point, eliminating this problem. 
For a description of the other options, click the Help but-
ton in the Preferences. 
						

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Recording
Filtering MIDI
The MIDI–MIDI Filter page in the Preferences allows you 
to prevent certain MIDI messages from being recorded 
and/or “thruput” (echoed by the MIDI Thru function).
The dialog is divided into four sections:
Options and Settings
Recording-related Transport Preferences
A couple of settings in the Preferences (Transport page) 
are relevant for recording. Set these according to your 
preferred method of work:
Deactivate Punch In on Stop
If this is activated, punch in on the Transport panel is auto-
matically deactivated whenever you enter Stop mode.
Stop after Automatic Punch Out
If this is activated, playback will automatically stop after 
automatic punch out (when the project cursor reaches the 
right locator and punch out is activated on the Transport 
panel). If the postroll value on the Transport panel is set to 
a value other than zero, playback will continue for the set 
time before stopping (see below).
About Preroll and Postroll
The preroll and postroll value fields (below the left/right 
locator fields) on the Transport panel have the following 
functionality:
By setting a preroll value, you instruct Cubase to “roll 
back” a short section whenever playback is activated.
This applies whenever you start playback, but is perhaps most relevant 
when recording from the left locator (punch in activated on the Transport 
panel) as described below.
By setting a postroll value, you instruct Cubase to play 
back a short section after automatic punch out before 
stopping.
This is only relevant when punch out is activated on the Transport panel 
and “Stop after Automatic Punch Out” is activated in the Preferences 
(Transport page).
To turn preroll or postroll on or off, click the correspond-
ing button on the Transport panel (next to the pre/postroll 
value) or use the “Use Preroll” and “Use Postroll” options 
on the Transport menu.
Section Description
Record  Activating any of these options prevents that type of MIDI 
message from being recorded. It will, however, be thru-
put, and if already recorded, it will play back normally.
Thru  Activating any of these options prevents that type of MIDI 
message from being thruput. It will, however, be re-
corded and played back normally.
Channels If you activate a channel button, no MIDI messages on 
that MIDI channel will be recorded or thruput. Already re-
corded messages will, however, be played back normally.
Controller  Allows you to prevent certain MIDI controller types from 
being recorded or thruput.
To filter out a controller type, select it from the list at the 
top of the Controller section and click “Add”. It will ap-
pear on the list below.
To remove a controller type from the list (allow it to be re-
corded and thruput), select it in the lower list and click 
“Remove”.Preroll value field and 
on/off switch.
Postroll value field and 
on/off switch. 
						

							85
Recording
An example:
1.Set the locators to where you want to start and end re-
cording.
2.Activate Punch in and Punch out on the Transport 
panel.
3.Activate the option “Stop after Automatic Punch Out” 
in the Preferences (Transport page).
4.Set suitable preroll and postroll times by clicking in the 
corresponding fields on the Transport panel and typing in 
time values.
5.Activate preroll and postroll by clicking the buttons 
next to the preroll and postroll times so that they light up.
6.Activate recording.
The project cursor “rolls back” by the time specified in the preroll field 
and playback starts. When the cursor reaches the left locator, recording 
is automatically activated. When the cursor reaches the right locator, re-
cording is deactivated, but playback continues for the time set in the 
postroll field before stopping.
Using the metronome
The metronome can output a click that can be used as a 
timing reference. The two parameters that govern the tim-
ing of the metronome are tempo and time signature, and 
these are edited in the Tempo Track window (see “Editing 
the tempo curve” on page 397).
You can use the metronome for a click during recording 
and/or playback or for a precount (count-in) that will be 
heard when you start recording from Stop mode. Click 
and precount are activated separately:
To activate the metronome, click the Click button on the 
Transport panel.
You can also activate the “Metronome On” option on the Transport menu 
or use the corresponding key command (by default [C]).
To activate the precount, click the Precount button on 
the Transport panel.
You can also activate the “Precount On” option on the Transport menu 
or set up a key command for this.
Metronome settings
You make settings for the metronome in the Metronome 
Setup dialog, opened from the Transport menu.
The metronome can use either an audio click played back 
via the audio hardware, send MIDI data to a connected 
device which will play back the click or do both. 
The following metronome settings can be made in the 
dialog:
Click on/off Precount on/off
Metronome 
OptionsDescription
Metronome in 
Record / PlayAllows you to specify whether the metronome should be 
heard during playback, recording or both (when Click is 
activated on the Transport panel).
Use 
Count BaseIf this option is activated, a field appears to the right 
where you specify the “rhythm” of the metronome. Nor-
mally, the metronome plays one click per beat, but setting 
this to e.g. “1/8” gives you eighth notes – two clicks per 
beat. It’s also possible to create unusual metronome 
rhythms such as triplets etc.
Precount 
OptionsDescription
Precount Bars Sets the number of bars the metronome will count in be-
fore it starts recording if precount is activated on the 
Transport panel.
Use Time Signa-
ture at Record 
Start TimeWhen this is activated, the precount will automatically 
use the time signature and tempo set at the position 
where you start recording. 
						

							86
Recording
Recovery of audio recordings after 
system failure
Normally, when a computer crashes, all changes made to 
your current project since you last saved it will be lost. Usu-
ally, there is no quick and easy way to recover your work.
With Cubase, when your system crashes while you are re-
cording (because of a power cut or other mishap), you will 
find that your recording is still available, from the moment 
when you started recording to the time when your com-
puter crashed.
When you experience a computer crash during a record-
ing, simply relaunch the system and check the project 
record folder (by default this is the Audio subfolder inside 
the project folder). It should contain the audio file you 
were recording at the time of the crash.
Use Time 
Signature at 
Project TimeWhen this is activated, the precount will be in the time 
signature set in the Tempo track. Furthermore, any tempo 
changes in the Tempo track during the precount will be 
applied.
Use Signature… This lets you set a time signature for the precount. In this 
mode, tempo changes in the Tempo track won’t affect 
the precount.
MIDI Click Description
Activate MIDI 
ClickSelects whether or not the metronome will sound via 
MIDI.
MIDI Port/
ChannelThis is where you select a MIDI output and channel for 
the metronome click.
Hi Note/
VelocitySets the MIDI note number and velocity value for the 
“high note” (the first beat in a bar). 
Lo Note/
VelocitySets the MIDI note number and velocity for the “low 
notes” (the other beats). 
Audio Click Description
Activate Audio 
ClickSelects whether or not the metronome will sound via the 
audio hardware.
Beeps When this is selected, the audio clicks will be beeps gen-
erated by the program. Adjust the pitch and level of the 
beeps for the “Hi” (first) beat and “Lo” (other) beats using 
the sliders below.
Sounds When this is selected, you can click in the “Sound” fields 
below to load any audio files for use as the “Hi” and “Lo” 
metronome sounds. The sliders set the level of the click. Precount 
OptionsDescription
!Please note: This feature does not constitute an 
“overall” guarantee by Steinberg. While the program 
itself was improved in such a way that audio record-
ings can be recovered after a system failure, it is al-
ways possible that a computer crash, power cut, etc. 
might have damaged another component of the 
computer, making it impossible to save or recover 
any of the data.
!Warning: Please do not try to actively bring about 
this kind of situation to test this feature. Although the 
internal program processes have been improved to 
cope with such situations, Steinberg cannot guaran-
tee that other parts of the computer are not damaged 
as a consequence. 
						

							6
Fades, crossfades and envelopes 
						

							88
Fades, crossfades and envelopes
Creating fades
There are two main types of fade-ins and fade-outs in au-
dio events in Cubase: fades created by using the fade 
handles (see below) and fades created by processing 
(see “Fades created by processing” on page 89).
Fades created by using the fade handles
Selected audio events have blue handles in the upper left 
and right corners. These can be dragged to create a fade-
in or fade-out respectively.
Creating a fade-in. The fade is automatically reflected in the shape of 
the event’s waveform, giving you a visual feedback of the result when 
you drag the fade handle. 
Fades created with the handles are not applied to the au-
dio clip as such but calculated in real time during play-
back. This means that several events referring to the same 
audio clip can have different fade curves. It also means 
that having a huge number of fades may demand a lot of 
processor power.
If you select multiple events and drag the fade handles 
on one of them, the same fade will be applied to all se-
lected events.
A fade can be edited in the Fade dialog, as described 
on the following pages. 
You open the dialog by double-clicking in the area above the fade curve, 
or by selecting the event and selecting “Open Fade Editor(s)” from the 
Audio menu (note that this will open two dialogs if the event has both 
fade-in and fade-out curves).
If you adjust the shape of the fade curve in the Fade dialog, this shape 
will be maintained when you later adjust the length of a fade.
You can make the fade longer or shorter at any time, by 
dragging the handle.
You can actually do this even without selecting the event first, i.e. without 
visible handles. Just move the mouse pointer along the fade curve until 
the cursor turns into a bidirectional arrow, then click and drag.
If the option “Fade Handles always on Top” is activated 
in the Preferences dialog (Event Display-Audio page), the 
fade handles stay at the top of the event, and vertical help 
lines indicate the exact end or start points of fades.
This is useful in situations where you want the event volume to be very 
low, as this option allows you to still see the fade handles.
If the option “Show Event Volume Curves Always” is ac-
tivated in the Preferences (Event Display–Audio page), 
the fade curves will be shown in all events, regardless of 
whether they are selected or not.
If the option is deactivated, the fade curves are shown in selected events 
only.
If the option “Thick Fade Lines” is activated in the Pref-
erences dialog (Event Display-Audio page), the fade lines 
and volume curve are thicker, increasing their visibility.
Fade handles on top of the event and thicker fade and volume lines al-
low you to edit and view fades even in situations where event volume is 
very low.
When the option “Use Mouse Wheel for Event volume 
and Fades” is activated in the Preferences dialog (Edit-
ing–Audio page), you can use the mouse wheel to move 
the volume curve up or down. When you hold down [Shift] 
while moving the mouse wheel, this will change the fade 
curves. This is useful in situations where the fade handles 
are not visible (e. g. because of a very high zoom factor).
When you position the mouse pointer somewhere in the left half of the 
event, the fade in end point is moved. When the mouse pointer is in the 
right half of the event, the fade out start point will move.
ÖYou can set up key commands for changing the event 
volume curve and any fade curves, if you don’t want to use 
the mouse for this.
You will find these commands in the Key Commands dialog, in the Audio 
category. See “Key commands” on page 475.
ÖAs an alternative to dragging the fade handles, you 
can use the items “Fade In to Cursor” and “Fade Out to 
Cursor” on the Audio menu to create fades (Cubase only).
Position the project cursor on an audio event where you want a fade in to 
end or a fade out to begin, and select the appropriate option from the 
Audio menu. A fade will then be created, ranging from the event’s start or 
end to the position of the cursor. 
						

							89
Fades, crossfades and envelopes
Creating and adjusting fades with the Range Selection 
tool
“Handle-type” fades can also be created and adjusted 
with the Range Selection tool, in the following way:
1.Select a section of the audio event with the Range Se-
lection tool.
The result depends on your selection, in the following way:
 If you select a range from the beginning of the event, a fade-in 
will be created within the range. 
 If you select a range that reaches the end of an event, a fade-
out will be created in the range. 
 If you select a range encompassing a middle section of the 
event, but not reaching neither the start nor the end, both a 
fade-in and a fade-out will be created outside of the selected 
range. In other words, the fade-in will cover the area from the 
beginning of the event to the beginning of the selected range, 
and the fade-out will cover the area from the end of the se-
lected range to the end of the event.
2.Pull down the Audio menu and select “Adjust Fades to 
Range”.
The fade areas are adjusted according to the selection range.
About the volume handle
A selected audio event also has a blue handle in the top 
middle. This is the volume handle, and it provides a quick 
way of changing the volume of an event, directly in the 
Project window. It is linked directly to the volume setting 
on the info line, that is, dragging the volume handle also 
changes the value on the info line.
Removing fades
To remove the fades for an event, select the event and se-
lect “Remove Fades” from the Audio menu.
You can also use the Range Selection tool to remove 
fades and crossfades within the selected range:
1.Drag the Range Selection tool in the Project window, 
so that the selection encloses all of the fades and cross-
fades you wish to remove.
2.Select “Remove Fades” from the Audio menu.
Fades created by processing
If you have selected an audio event or a section of an au-
dio event (using the Range Selection tool), you can apply 
a fade-in or fade-out to the selection by using the “Fade 
In” or “Fade Out” functions on the Process submenu on 
the Audio menu. These functions open the corresponding 
Fade dialog, allowing you to specify a fade curve.
!You can select multiple audio events on separate 
tracks with the Range Selection tool, and apply the 
fade to all of them simultaneously.
!Note that the length of the fade area is determined 
by your selection. In other words, you specify the 
length of the fade before you enter the Fade dialog.
!Also note that you can select multiple events and ap-
ply the same processing to all of them simultaneously.
Drag the Volume handle 
up or down to change the 
volume of the event. The volume change is displayed 
numerically on the info line.
The event waveform reflects the volume change. 
						

							90
Fades, crossfades and envelopes
Fades created this way are applied to the audio clip rather 
than to the event. Please note the following:
 If you later create new events that refer to the same clip, these 
will have the same fades.
 You can remove or modify the fades at any time using the Of-
fline Process History (see “The Offline Process History dialog” 
on page 227).
If other events refer to the same audio clip, you will be 
asked whether you want the processing to be applied to 
these events or not.
 Continue will apply the processing to all events that refer to 
the audio clip.
 New Version will create a separate, new version of the audio 
clip for the selected event.
 You can also choose to put a checkmark in the “Do not show 
this message again” box. Regardless of whether you then 
choose “Continue” or “New Version”, any further processing 
will conform to the option you select.
The Fade dialogs
The Fade dialogs appear when you edit an existing fade or 
use the “Fade In”/“Fade Out” functions on the Process 
submenu on the Audio menu. The picture below shows 
the Fade In dialog; the Fade Out dialog has identical set-
tings and features.If you open the Fade dialog(s) with several events se-
lected, you can adjust the fade curves for all these events 
at the same time.
This is useful if you want to apply the same type of fade-in to more than 
one event, etc.
Curve Kind
These determine whether the fade curve should consist of 
spline curve segments (left button), damped spline seg-
ments (middle button) or linear segments (right button).
Fade display
Shows the shape of the fade curve. The resulting wave-
form shape is shown in dark gray, with the current wave-
form 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 outside the display.
Curve shape buttons
These buttons give you quick access to some common 
curve shapes.
Restore button
The Restore button (to the right above the fade display) is 
only available when editing fades made by dragging the 
fade handles. Click this to cancel any changes you have 
made since opening the dialog.
As Default button
The “As Default” button is only available when editing 
fades made by dragging the fade handles. Click this to 
store the current settings as the default fade. This shape 
will be used whenever you create new fades.
Fade Length Value
The Fade Length Value can be used to enter fade lengths 
numerically. The format of values displayed here are deter-
mined by the Primary Time Display in the Transport Panel.
When you activate the “Apply Length” option, the value en-
tered in the Fade Length value field will be used when click-
ing “Apply” or “OK”. This setting is deactivated by default.
!You can change this setting at any time in the Prefer-
ences (Editing–Audio page), under “On Processing 
Shared Clips”.