Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Audio Effects And VSTi Manual
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CUBASE SX/SL The included VST Instruments 2 – 81 A1 Parameters Oscillator 1 and 2 section This section contains parameters affecting the oscillators. Parameter Description Octave Clicking on the outer ring of the dial allows you to tune the oscillator in octave steps. Semitone Clicking on the inner ring of the dial allows you to tune the oscillator in semitone steps. Detune Tunes the oscillator in cent (100th of a semitone) steps. Shape This sets the waveform for the oscillator (sine, triangle, sawtooth or pulse). PW Sets the width of the waveform when a Pulse waveform is selected. Turning the dial clockwise gradually produces a narrower pulse wave- form. Note that a PW setting of 100% will lead to complete cancellation of the waveform (i.e. silence), if no modulation (see PW Mod) is applied. PW Mod This parameter determines the amount of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) by the LFO. Positive and negative values can be set. A Pulse waveform must be selected for PW Mod to function. Pitch Mod This parameter determines the amount of oscillator 1 pitch modulation (or vibrato) by the LFO. Positive and negative values can be set. FM (Osc 1 only)Governs the amount of frequency modulation. See page 89. FM Env (Osc 1 only)This governs how much the Filter Envelope parameters affects the FM amount. Positive and negative values can be set. See page 89.
CUBASE SX/SL 2 – 82 The included VST Instruments LFO section This section contains the LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) parameters. LFOs are used to modulate parameters like pitch (vibrato) or the filter cutoff. Parameter Description LFO Wave This sets the LFO waveform for modulating parameters: Sine and triangle waves have a smooth waveform, suitable for nor- mal vibrato. Saw produces a ramp up or down cycle. S&H produces stepped random modulation. Square waves produce cycles that abruptly change between two values. Random produces smooth random modulation. LFO Sync If this is activated, the LFO rate will be synchronized to the se- quencer tempo in various bar/beat divisions that can be set with the LFO Speed parameter. LFO Speed Governs the modulation rate of the LFO. LFO Speed (tempo sync on)If the “LFO Sync” parameter is activated, the LFO rate will be syn- chronized to the sequencer tempo, according to the different beat divisions that can be specified here.
CUBASE SX/SL The included VST Instruments 2 – 83 Filter section This section contains the filter parameters: Parameter Description Filter type Sets the filter type to either lowpass, highpass, bandpass or notch. The filter types are described on page 88. Cutoff Controls the filter frequency or “cutoff”. If a lowpass filter is used, it could be said to control the opening and closing of the filter, produc- ing the classic “sweeping” synthesizer sound. How this parameter op- erates is governed by the filter mode (see page 88). Resonance The Resonance control for the filter. Raise this for a more pronounced filter sweep effect. Drive This parameter can overdrive the filter to produce distortion effects. Filter Envelope Controls how much the filter cutoff should be affected by the Filter Envelope. Negative values will invert the filter envelope settings. Filter VelocityDetermines how the filter cutoff will be affected by velocity, i.e. how hard or soft you strike a key. Positive values will increase the cutoff frequency the harder you strike a key. Negative values will invert this relationship. Filter Envelope Attack/Decay/ Sustain/ ReleaseThe Filter Envelope Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release parameters. Use these parameters to determine how the filter cutoff should open and close with time, when a note is played. Values can be changed using the dials or by dragging the breakpoints in the graphic display. Cutoff Mod This controls how much the filter cutoff is modulated by the LFO (low frequency oscillator). Keytrack If this parameter is set to values over 0, the filter cutoff frequency will increase the further up on the keyboard you play. Negative values in- vert this relationship.
CUBASE SX/SL 2 – 84 The included VST Instruments Amplifier section This section contains the Amplifier parameters: Parameter Description Amplifier Attack/ Decay/Sustain/ ReleaseThe Amplifier Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release parameters. Use these parameters to determine how the volume should change with time, when a note is played. Values can be changed using the dials or by dragging the breakpoints in the graphic display. Velocity This determines how much the Amplifier Envelope should be af- fected by velocity, i.e. by how hard or soft you strike a note on the keyboard. Mono When this is activated, the A1 will be monophonic, i.e. only play one voice at a time.
CUBASE SX/SL The included VST Instruments 2 – 85 The Chorus/Flanger section Adding chorus will introduce a wide stereo effect and generally “fat- ten” sounds. With higher Feedback settings, more metallic sounding flanging effects are produced. The section contains the following pa- rameters. The Glide section This section contains the glide parameters. Parameter Description Speed Controls the modulation rate of the effect. Feedback Increasing the Feedback parameter value results in a more pro- nounced sweeping metallic sound. Positive and negative feedback values can be set. Depth Controls the depth of the modulation. Quad Adds more delay taps, producing richer chorus/flanger effects. On This turns the chorus/flanger effect on or off. Parameter Description On If set to “On” the pitch will glide up or down between notes played. Speed Controls the time it takes for the pitch to glide from one note to the next when using Glide.
CUBASE SX/SL 2 – 86 The included VST Instruments The Mixer section This section controls the relative levels of Oscillator 1 and 2. Here you also set the levels of the Ring Modulator and Noise Generator outputs. Parameter Description Osc 1 Sets the volume of oscillator 1. Ring Mod Controls the level of the ring modulator. See page 89. Osc 2 Sets the volume of oscillator 2. NoiseNoise is commonly used to create wind and percussion type sounds. To hear the noise generator output on its own, turn down the osc 1 and 2 output in the Mixer.
CUBASE SX/SL The included VST Instruments 2 – 87 Mod Wheel section This section controls how the modulation wheel affects certain pa- rameters. Positive and negative values can be set. For example, this can be used to set up so that moving the mod wheel gradually re- moves Filter Cutoff LFO modulation and instead introduces vibrato. The Parameter display The Parameter display is located in the middle of the A1 panel. The Parameter display shows information about any A1 parameter control when you point at it with the mouse. The information is presented in the following way (from left to right): • “Section” shows what A1 section the parameter belongs to. • “Parameter” shows the name of the parameter. • “Value” shows the current value of the parameter. • “Ctrl” shows the MIDI Controller assigned to the parameter, see page 89. Parameter Description Pitch Mod Governs the amount of LFO modulation of the oscillator frequency (vibrato) using the mod wheel. Cutoff Mod Governs the amount of LFO modulation of the Filter Cutoff para- meter using the mod wheel. Cutoff Governs how much the mod wheel affects the Filter Cutoff fre- quency. Positive values raise the cutoff frequency when moving the mod wheel forward. Negative values invert this relationship.
CUBASE SX/SL 2 – 88 The included VST Instruments Setting the number of voices A1 can have up to 16 voices, but you can freely set the number of voices for each program by changing the value in the “Voices” field. Keyboard section The keyboard shows incoming MIDI note data as played by “invisible hands”. The keyboard can be “played” by clicking on it with mouse. Note that the velocity produced will be fixed and that you cannot record anything by clicking the keyboard. •“Bend Range” is the only parameter that can be set in this section. A value of “1” equals a semitone bend range, “2” equals a range of two semitones etc. About the Filter types The A1 features a multimode filter. The various filter modes are selected with the Filter Type buttons, and are as follows: •Lowpass Lowpass filters let low frequencies pass and cuts out the high frequencies. This is the most commonly used filter type in analog synthesizers. •Bandpass A bandpass filter cuts frequencies above and below the cutoff frequency, allowing a specific range of frequencies to pass while attenuating all others. •Highpass A highpass filter is the opposite of a lowpass filter, cutting out the lower frequencies and letting the high frequencies pass. •Notch A notch filter cuts out frequencies in a narrow midrange band, letting the frequencies below and above through. Filter Slope You can also select between 12 or 24 dB filter slopes for all filter types. A 12 dB Lowpass filter leaves more of the harmonics in the filtered sound compared to a 24 dB Lowpass filter.
CUBASE SX/SL The included VST Instruments 2 – 89 Ring Modulator Ring modulators basically multiply two audio signals together. In the A1, Oscillator 1 is multiplied with Oscillator 2 to produce sum and dif- ference frequencies. Ring modulation can be used to create complex, bell-like sounds. •To hear the output of Ring Modulator on its own, turn down the osc 1 and 2 output in the Mixer. •If the oscillators are tuned to the same frequency, and no modulation is applied to either the oscillator 1 or 2 frequency, the ring modulated output will sound fairly similar to the “normal” sound of the oscillators. It is when the frequencies of osc 1 and osc 2 differ, that you get the more complex timbres associated with ring modulation. About FM Frequency Modulation, or FM, is when the frequency of one oscillator (called the “carrier”) is modulated by the frequency of another oscilla- tor (called the “modulator”). Using FM can produce a wide range of harmonic and non-harmonic timbres. •In the A1, Oscillator 1 is the carrier and Oscillator 2 the modulator. When using FM, you should turn the master volume for Oscillator 2 down to zero in the Mixer to hear the “pure” sound of FM. The output of oscillator 2 is internally routed to oscillator 1 anyway when using FM. •Changing the frequency of Oscillator 2 also changes the timbre of the FM sound. The waveform selected for both oscillators also affects the timbre. MIDI Controller Messages The A1 responds to MIDI Controller Messages. All A1 parameters are assigned controller numbers. To find out what controller number is as- signed to a parameter, simply point at the parameter and you can see the associated controller number assigned to it in the Parameter dis- play (see page 87).
CUBASE SX/SL 2 – 90 The included VST Instruments VB-1 Bass Synth The VB-1 is a virtual bass instrument built on real-time physical mod- elling principles. It has the following properties: •VB-1 is polyphonic with up to 4 voices. •VB-1 receives MIDI In Omni mode (on all MIDI channels). You don’t need to select a MIDI channel to direct MIDI to the VB-1. •VB-1 responds to the following MIDI messages: MIDI Note On/Off (velocity governs volume), Volume and Pan.