Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Getting Started Manual

							17
Tutorial 9: Editing audio 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL17 – 212 Tutorial 9: Editing audio
About this tutorial
This chapter describes the basic procedures for editing audio in the 
Sample Editor and how to use the Process functions. For a full descrip-
tion of all settings, options and operations available, please refer to the 
chapters “The Sample Editor” and “Audio Processing and Functions” 
in the Operation Manual.
The Sample Editor
The Sample Editor allows you to edit audio, by cutting and pasting, re-
moving, drawing or processing audio data. This editing can be called 
“non-destructive”, in the sense that you can undo changes or revert to 
the original versions at any point, using the Offline Process History 
(see page 217).
What is shown in the Sample Editor?
An audio event plays a section of an audio clip, see page 60. When you 
open the Sample Editor for an audio event, it will display the waveform 
image of the corresponding audio clip. Above the waveform display is 
the thumbnail display, which provides an overview of the whole clip, 
with a blue rectangle corresponding to the section currently shown in 
the waveform display. You can navigate by dragging or resizing the blue 
rectangle in the thumbnail display.  
						

							CUBASE SX/SLTutorial 9: Editing audio 17 – 213
Editing audio in the Sample Editor – an example
This example describes how to remove a section of audio and insert it 
at another position, by using cut and paste in the Sample Editor:
1.Open the Sample Editor by double clicking an audio event in the 
Project window.
2.Select the Range Selection tool by clicking its icon on the toolbar.
3.To select a section of the clip, click and drag in the waveform display.
Click at the position where you wish the selection to begin, and drag...
...to make a selection range.    
						

							CUBASE SX/SL17 – 214 Tutorial 9: Editing audio
4.Release the mouse button when the selection is complete.
You can adjust the selection by dragging its edges.
5.Select “Cut” from the Edit menu.
The selection is removed from the clip and moved to the clipboard. The section to the 
right of the selection is moved to the left to fill out the gap.
Selecting “Paste” from the Edit menu will copy the data on the clip-
board into the clip according to the following rules:
• If there is a selection in the editor, the pasted data will replace it. 
• If there is no selection (if the selection length is “0”), the pasted data will be 
inserted starting at the selection line.
By clicking, you can place the selection line at any position in the event. The section to 
the right of the line will be moved to make room for the pasted material.
6.For this example, make the end of the event visible, either by using the 
scrollbar or by moving the blue rectangle in the thumbnail display, and 
click to place the selection line at the event end position.
7.Now select “Paste” from the Edit menu.
The selection that was cut is inserted at the position of the selection line.   
						

							CUBASE SX/SLTutorial 9: Editing audio 17 – 215
Processing audio
The Process submenu on the Audio menu contains a number of audio 
processing functions. The functions can be applied to selected audio 
events or clips, or to a selected range. 
In this example, we will apply normalizing to a selected audio event. 
The Normalize function allows you to specify the desired maximum 
level of the audio. A common use for normalizing is to raise the level of 
audio that was recorded at too low an input level.
Proceed as follows:
1.Select an audio event by clicking on it with the Arrow tool in the 
Project window.
2.Pull down the Audio menu and select Process.
A submenu opens, containing the available processing functions.
3.Select “Normalize” from the submenu.
The Normalize dialog opens. 
4.For this example, use the default “Maximum” setting of 0.00 dB.
•You can use the “Preview” button to listen to the result of the pro-
cessing if you wish.
The processing will not be applied, just auditioned.
5.Click “Process” to apply the processing.
The audio event is normalized.   
						

							CUBASE SX/SL17 – 216 Tutorial 9: Editing audio
Applying an effect plug-in (Cubase SX only)
As described on page 141, you can add “real-time” effects in the 
mixer. However, sometimes it is useful to apply an effect directly to an 
audio event or clip. This is done using the Plug-ins submenu on the 
Audio menu:
1.Select an audio event in the Project window.
In this example, select the event that was normalized in the previous example.
2.Pull down the Audio menu and select Plug-ins.
A submenu appears, listing the installed effect plug-ins. The effects are organized in 
subfolders according to the effect category.
3.Select the “Chorus” effect from the Modulation subfolder.
The Chorus dialog appears.
4.Use the parameters in the upper part of the dialog to set up the effect 
as desired.
Clicking the Preview button will let you audition the settings before actually applying 
the effect.
5.Click the “Process” button to apply the effect.  
						

							CUBASE SX/SLTutorial 9: Editing audio 17 – 217
Using the Offline Process History dialog
The Offline Process History dialog allows you to remove or modify au-
dio processing at any time. It is even possible to modify or remove some 
processing “in the middle” of the Process History, while keeping later 
processing! Whether this can be done or not depends on the type of 
processing performed, as described in the chapter “Audio Processing 
and Functions” in the Operation Manual.
In this example, we will remove the Normalize function, but keep the 
applied Chorus effect:
1.Select the audio event in the Project window.
2.Pull down the Audio menu and select “Offline Process History…”.
The Offline Process History dialog appears. This contains a list of the processing func-
tions applied to the audio clip, with the most recent operation at the bottom of the list.
3.Select the “Normalize” action by clicking on it in the list.
4.Click the “Remove” button.
You are asked whether you really want to remove the processing.
5.Click “Remove”.
The Normalize processing is removed, but the Chorus effect is kept.  
						

							CUBASE SX/SL17 – 218 Tutorial 9: Editing audio 
						

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Tutorial 10: Editing MIDI 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL18 – 220 Tutorial 10: Editing MIDI
About this tutorial
This chapter describes the basic operations for editing MIDI in the Key 
Editor. For a full description of MIDI editing please refer to the chapter 
“The MIDI Editors” in the Operation Manual.
This chapter assumes that you have read the instructions in the chap-
ter “Recording and playing back MIDI”, and have access to a recorded 
MIDI part.
Opening the Key Editor
By default, you open the Key Editor by double clicking a MIDI part in 
the Project window.
The Key Editor window shows the contents of one or several parts. You can have 
several editors open at the same time.
• The note display is the main area in the Key Editor. It contains a grid, in which 
MIDI notes are shown as boxes.
The width of a box corresponds to the note length, and the vertical position of a box 
corresponds to the note number (pitch), with higher notes higher up in the grid. 
• The piano keyboard to the left serves as a guide for finding the right notes.
• The area at the bottom of the Key Editor window is the controller display, used 
for viewing and editing velocity, MIDI controllers, etc. (see page 225).