Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual

							CUBASE SX/SLThe Project window 5 – 101
Editing Transpose and Velocity for MIDI parts
When one or several MIDI parts are selected, the info line contains 
Transpose and Velocity fields.
•Adjusting the Transpose field transposes the selected parts in semi-
tone steps.
Note that this transposition doesn’t change the actual notes in the part – it’s just a 
“play parameter”, affecting the notes on playback. The transposition you specify for a 
part on the info line is added to the transposition set for the whole track with the Trans-
pose track parameter in the Inspector.
•Adjusting the Velocity field shifts the velocity for the selected parts – 
the value you specify is added to the velocities of the notes in the parts.
Again, this velocity shift only affects the notes on playback, and again, the value you 
specify is added to the Vel.Shift. value set for the whole MIDI track in the Inspector.
Audio events can also be transposed – see page 439.
Getting on-the-fly info with the Arrow tool
If the option “Select Tool: Show Extra Info” is activated in the Prefer-
ences (Editing page), a tool tip will be shown for the Arrow tool, display-
ing various info depending on where you point it. For example, in the 
Project window’s event display, the tool will show the current pointer 
position and the name of the track and event you’re pointing at. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL5 – 102 The Project window
The ruler
The ruler at the top of the event display shows the timeline. Initially, the 
Project window ruler uses the display format specified in the Project 
Setup dialog (see page 105), as do all other rulers and position dis-
plays in the project. However, you can select an independent display 
format for the ruler by clicking the arrow button to the right of it and 
selecting an option from the pop-up menu that appears (you can also 
bring up this pop-up menu by right-clicking (Win) or [Ctrl]-clicking 
(Mac) anywhere in the ruler).
•The selection you make here affects the ruler, the info line and tool tip 
position values (appear when you drag an event in the Project window).
You can also select independent formats for other rulers and position displays. 
Option Positions and lengths displayed as
Bars+Beats Bars, beats, sixteenth notes and ticks. By default there are 120 
ticks per sixteenth note but you can adjust this with the “MIDI Dis-
play Resolution” setting in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page).
Seconds Hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds.
Timecode This format displays hours, minutes, seconds and frames. The 
number of frames per second (fps) is set in the Project Setup di-
alog (see page 105). You can choose from 24, 25, 29.97 and 
30 fps or 29.97 and 30 dfps (“drop frame”).
Samples Samples.
User Hours, minutes, seconds and frames, with a user definable num-
ber of frames per second. You set the desired number of fps in 
the Preferences dialog (Transport page).
Time Linear When this is selected, the ruler will be linear relative to time. This 
means that if there are tempo changes on the Tempo track, the 
distance between the bars will vary in Bars+Beats mode.
Bars+Beats Linear When this is selected, the ruler will be linear relative to meter po-
sition – bars and beats. This means that if there are tempo 
changes on the Tempo track, there will still be the same distance 
between bars in Bars+Beats mode. If the ruler is set to a time-
based mode, the distance between seconds will vary depending 
on the tempo changes. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe Project window 5 – 103
•To set the display format globally (for all windows), use the primary dis-
play format pop-up on the Transport panel, or hold down [Ctrl]/[Com-
mand] and select a display format in any ruler.
•If you use the “Timecode” or “User” options and the option “Show 
Timecode Subframes” is activated in the Preferences dialog (Trans-
port page), the frames will also display subframes.
There are 80 subframes per frame.
Using multiple rulers – ruler tracks (Cubase SX only)
As described above, the Cubase SX/SL Project window contains a 
main ruler at the top of the event display, displaying the timeline from 
left to right.
If needed, you can have several rulers in the Project window, by add-
ing ruler tracks to the project. Each ruler track contains an additional 
ruler.
•To add a ruler track, select “Add Track” from the Project menu and 
from the submenu that appears, select “Ruler”.
A ruler track showing an additional ruler is added to the Track list.
A ruler track set to the display format “Seconds”.
You can add any number of ruler tracks to a project, and position them 
as needed by dragging them up or down in the list. Each one can 
show a separate display format:
•To select a display format for a ruler track, click the leftmost part of it 
in the track list and select an option from the pop-up menu.
The different display formats are described above. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL5 – 104 The Project window
Note that ruler tracks are completely independent from the main event 
display ruler, as well as rulers and position displays in other windows. 
This means that:
• Ruler tracks can all have independent display formats.
• Ruler tracks are not affected by the display format setting in the Project Setup 
dialog (see page 105).
• Ruler tracks are not affected if you set the display format globally with the pri-
mary time display in the Transport panel.
• Ruler tracks are however affected by the option “Show Timecode Sub-
frames” (described above) in the Preferences dialog. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe Project window 5 – 105
Operations
Creating a new project
You create a new project in the following way:
1.Select “New Project” from the File menu.
A dialog appears, listing a number of project templates, including any custom templates 
you may have created (see page 737). 
2.Select a template and click OK.
A file dialog appears, allowing you to specify a location for the project folder. This will 
contain all files related to the project. 
3.Select an existing folder or type the name of a new one. Click OK.
A Project window appears. The new project will be based on the selected template, 
and include tracks, events and settings from the template.
The Project Setup dialog
General settings for the project are made in the Project Setup dialog. 
This is opened by selecting “Project Setup…” from the Project menu. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL5 – 106 The Project window
The following settings are available in the Project Setup dialog:
While most Project Setup settings can be changed at any time, you should 
select a sample rate once and for all when starting with a new project! All 
audio files must be of this sample rate to play back correctly.
Setting Description
Start The start time of the project. Allows you to have the project start at an-
other time than zero. Also used for setting the sync start position when 
synchronizing Cubase SX/SL to external devices (see page 687). 
When you change this setting you will be asked whether you want to 
keep the project content at its timecode positions. “Yes” means that 
all events will stay at their original timecode positions - i.e they will be 
moved in relation to the start of the project. “No” means that all events 
keep their position relative to the project start.
Length The length of the project.
Frame Rate Used when synchronizing Cubase SX/SL with external equipment. If 
Cubase SX/SL is slave, this value is automatically set to the frame 
rate of the incoming sync signal. If Cubase SX/SL is the master, this 
determines the frame rate of the sent sync signal. See page 694.
Display Format This is the global display format used for all rulers and position dis-
plays in the program, except ruler tracks (Cubase SX only, see page 
99). However, you can make independent display format selections 
for the individual rulers and displays if you like.
For descriptions of the different display format options, see page 102.
Display Offset Offsets the time positions displayed in the ruler etc., allowing you to 
compensate for the Start position setting. Typically, if you synchro-
nize Cubase SX/SL to an external source starting at a frame other 
than zero, you set the Start position to this value. However, if you still 
want the display in Cubase SX/SL to start at zero, set the Display 
Offset to the same value too.
Bar Offset This works just like “Display Offset” described above, in that it off-
sets the time positions in the ruler by a number of bars, allowing you 
to compensate for the Start position setting. The difference is that 
Bar Offset is only used when the “Bars+Beats” display format is se-
lected (see page 102).
Sample Rate The sample rate at which Cubase SX/SL records and plays audio.
Record Format / 
File TypeWhen you record audio in Cubase SX/SL, the files that are created 
will be of this resolution and file type. See page 48.
Stereo Pan Law Decides whether panning should use power compensation or not. 
This is explained on page 225. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe Project window 5 – 107
Zoom and view options
Zooming in the Project window is done according to the standard 
zoom procedures (see the Getting Started book), with the following 
special notes:
•When you are using the Zoom tool (magnifying glass), the result de-
pends on the option “Zoom Tool Standard Mode: Horizontal Zooming 
Only” in the Preferences – Editing dialog.
If this is activated and you drag a selection rectangle with the Zoom tool, the window 
will only be zoomed horizontally (track height will not change). If the option is off, the 
window will be zoomed both horizontally and vertically.
•When using the vertical zoom sliders, the tracks are scaled relatively. 
In other words, if you have made any individual track height adjustments (see below), 
the relative height differences are maintained.
You find the following options are available on the Zoom submenu on 
the Edit menu:
Option Description
Zoom In Zooms in one step, centering on the project cursor.
Zoom Out Zooms out one step, centering on the project cursor.
Zoom Full Zooms out so that the whole project is visible. “The whole project” 
means the timeline from the project start to the length set in the 
Project Setup dialog (see above).
Zoom to Selection Zooms in horizontally and vertically so that the current selection 
fills the screen.
Zoom to Selection 
(Horiz)Zooms in horizontally so that the current selection fills the screen.
Zoom to Event This option is available only in the Sample Editor (see page 394).
Zoom In Vertical Zooms in one step vertically.
Zoom Out Vertical Zooms out one step vertically.
Zoom In Tracks Zooms in selected track(s) one step vertically.
Zoom Out Tracks Zooms out selected track(s) one step vertically.
Zoom Selected 
Tracks This zooms in vertically on the selected track(s) and minimizes the 
height of all other tracks. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL5 – 108 The Project window
•If the option “Zoom while Locating in Time Scale” is activated in the 
Preferences (Transport page), you can also zoom by clicking in the 
main ruler and dragging up or down with the mouse button pressed.
Drag up to zoom out; drag down to zoom in.
•You can zoom the contents of parts and events vertically, using the 
Waveform Zoom slider in the top right corner of the event display.
This can be useful to better view quiet audio passages.
To get an approximate reading on the level of the audio events by view-
ing the waveforms, make sure the slider is all the way down. Otherwise, 
zoomed waveforms may be mistaken for clipped audio.
•If you activate the option Quick Zoom in the Preferences (Editing page), 
the contents of parts and events will not be continuously redrawn when 
you zoom manually.
Instead, the contents are redrawn once you have stopped changing the zoom – acti-
vate this if screen redraws are slow on your system. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe Project window 5 – 109
Resizing tracks in the Track list
• You can change the height of an individual track by clicking on its lower bor-
der in the Track list and dragging up or down.
To change the height of all tracks simultaneously, hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and re-
size one of the tracks in this way. If “Snap Track Heights” is activated on the Track scale 
pop-up (see below), the track height will change in fixed increments when you resize it.
•You can also change the width of the Track list area, by dragging the 
border between the Track list and the event display.
•The controls shown for tracks in the Track list will by default adapt to 
the track size. This means that when resizing a track’s height or width 
some of the controls will be dynamically placed where they best “fit in”.
If you instead always want to have the controls in fixed positions, you can deactivate 
the option “Wrap Controls” in the Track Controls settings dialog (see page 769).
• You can decide for each track type what controls should be shown in the 
Track list – see page 769.
• You can use the Track scale pop-up (opened by clicking the arrow button 
above the vertical zoom control) to set the number of tracks to view in the cur-
rent Project window.
The track height will be adjusted to show only the number of tracks specified on the 
pop-up menu. By selecting “Zoom N Tracks” from the pop-up you can manually set the 
number of tracks to fit in the current Project window.
•Tracks can also be divided vertically in lanes – see page 139. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL5 – 110 The Project window
Zoom presets and Cycle markers
The pop-up menu to the left of the horizontal zoom control allows you 
to select, create and organize zoom presets. These are useful if you 
want to toggle between different zoom settings (e.g. one where the 
whole project is displayed in the project window and another with a 
high zoom factor for detailed editing). With this pop-up menu, you can 
also zoom in on the area between cycle markers in the project.
The upper part of the menu lists the zoom presets:
•To store the current zoom setting as a preset, select Add from the 
pop-up menu.
A dialog appears, allowing you to type in a name for the preset.
•To select and apply a preset, select it from the pop-up menu.
•The “Zoom Full” preset is always available. Selecting this option 
Zooms out so that the whole project is visible. “The whole project” 
means the timeline from the project start to the length set in the 
Project Setup dialog (see page 105).
•If you want to delete a preset, select “Organize…” from the pop-up 
menu.
In the dialog that appears, select the preset in the list and click the Delete button. The 
preset is removed from the list.