Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual

							CUBASE SX/SLUsing markers 8 – 171
About marker ID-numbers
Each time you add a marker it is automatically and sequentially as-
signed an ID-number, starting from ID 1 and onwards. ID numbers can 
be changed at any time if needed – this allows you to assign specific 
markers to key commands (see below). 
IDs for cycle markers are shown in brackets and start from [1]. These 
may also be changed, for the same reason.
Assigning markers to key commands
As explained earlier, marker ID-numbers are assigned automatically and 
sequentially each time you add a marker. The nine first markers (1-9) 
can be recalled by using key commands – by default these are [Shift]-
[1] to [9] on the typewriter part of the keyboard. This means that even if 
you have more than nine markers, you cannot use key commands to 
navigate to markers numbered 10 or higher.
If you want to keep all current markers, but want to specify which mark-
ers should be accessed with key commands, the solution is to reassign 
the marker ID-numbers. Proceed as follows:
1.First decide which of the current markers with an ID between 1 and 9 
you want to reassign to a new ID-number, and thus remove its key 
command assignment.
Memorize the ID-number.
2.Type in this ID-number in the ID column of the marker you want to ac-
cess with a key command and press enter.
The two marker ID-numbers are switched, and the key commands now locates to the 
marker selected in this step.
3.Repeat as necessary for other markers.
•You can also simply remove a marker with an ID-number between 1 to 
9 to free up a key – see page 169.
•For more about marker key commands, see page 177. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL8 – 172 Using markers
Using the Marker track
The Marker track is used for viewing and editing markers. Markers 
shown on the Marker track are exactly the same as shown in the Marker 
window, and any changes made on the Marker track are reflected in the 
Marker window and vice versa. Standard position markers in the Marker 
track are shown as marker events, vertical lines with the marker name (if 
assigned) and number beside it. If you select the Marker track, all mark-
ers are shown in the Inspector, much like in the Marker window.
About cycle markers
Cycle markers are shown on the Marker track as two markers bridged 
by a horizontal line. Cycle markers are ideal for storing sections of a 
project. By setting cycle markers for sections of a song, for example 
“Intro”, “Verse”, “Chorus” etc., this enables you to quickly navigate to 
the song sections, and also to optionally repeat the section (by acti-
vating Cycle on the Transport panel). 
In addition, Cycle markers appear on the horizontal Zoom pop-up 
menu in the Project window. If you select a Cycle marker from the 
pop-up menu, the screen is automatically zoomed to encompass the 
Cycle marker range.
Opening the Marker track
To open the Marker track, select “Marker” from the Project menu – 
Add Track submenu. You can only have one Marker track in a project.
Markers Markers Cycle marker Locators 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLUsing markers 8 – 173
Editing markers on the Marker track
The following basic editing functions can be performed directly on the 
Marker track:
•Adding position markers “on the fly”.
Use the [Insert] key or the “Add Marker” button in the Track list for the Marker track to 
add position markers at the current cursor position during playback. 
•Adding a cycle marker at the left and right locator positions.
Clicking the “Add Cycle Marker” button in the Track list for the Marker track adds a cy-
cle marker spanning the area between the left and right locator.
•Selecting markers.
You can use standard selection techniques like dragging to make a selection rectangle 
or using [Shift] to select separate markers.
•Drawing position markers.
By clicking with the Pencil tool (or pressing [Alt]/[Option] and clicking with the Arrow 
tool), you can create or “draw” position marker events at any position on the track. If snap 
is activated on the toolbar, this determines at which positions you can draw markers.
•Drawing cycle markers.
To draw a cycle marker range, you press [Ctrl]/[Command] and use the Pencil tool or 
the Arrow tool. Snap settings are applied if activated. 
Cycle markers can freely overlap. 
Add Marker/Add Cycle Marker buttons 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL8 – 174 Using markers
•Resizing a cycle marker.
Select a cycle marker by clicking on it. As you can see, two handles appear at the bot-
tom of the start and end events. If you click and hold one of the handles you can drag 
the event left or right to resize the cycle marker. This can also be done numerically on 
the info line.
•Moving markers.
Click and drag to move the selected markers, or edit marker positions on the info line. 
As usual, snap is taken into account if activated.
•Removing markers.
This is done exactly the same way as for other events, i.e. by selecting and pressing 
[Delete], using the Erase tool etc.
•Naming markers.
A selected marker’s name can be edited by clicking the name on the info line. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLUsing markers 8 – 175
Navigating using cycle markers
Cycle markers represent ranges rather than single positions. There-
fore you don’t use them for moving the project cursor, but for moving 
the left and right locators:
•If you double click on a cycle marker, or select it from the Cycle pop-
up menu in the Track list, the left and right locators are moved to en-
compass the cycle marker.
To move the project cursor position to the start or the end of the cycle marker, move it 
to the corresponding locator (e.g. by using the numeric pad keys [1] and [2]).
•You can also use key commands for this – see page 177.
Zooming to cycle markers
•By selecting a cycle marker on the Zoom pop-up menu, the event dis-
play is zoomed in to encompass the selected range only.
You can also do this by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and double clicking on the cycle marker 
in the event display.
Editing cycle markers using tools
Cycle markers can be edited on the Marker track using the following 
tools. Note that the snap value applies as with regular events:
The other tools cannot be used with cycle markers.
Tool Use
Pencil Press [Ctrl]/[Command] and use the Pencil tool to create new 
ranges (as described above).
Eraser Click with the Eraser tool to delete a cycle marker. If you hold down 
[Alt]/[Option] when you click, all consecutive markers will also be 
deleted.
Selection Range This is described on page 176. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL8 – 176 Using markers
Using markers to make range selections in the Project window
Besides enabling you to quickly move the project cursor and locators, 
markers can be used in conjunction with the Range Selection tool to 
make range selections in the Project window. This is useful if you 
quickly want to make a selection that spans all tracks in the project. 
•Double click with the Range Selection tool between any two markers 
– this creates a selection range between the markers, spanning all 
tracks in the project (just as if you had used the Range Selection tool 
to draw a rectangle).
Any functions or processing you perform will now affect the selection only.
Moving and Copying sections
This is a quick way to move or copy complete sections of the project 
(on all tracks):
1.Set markers at the start and end of the section you want to move or 
copy.
2.Select the Range Selection tool and double click on the Marker track 
between the markers.
Everything in the project within the cycle marker boundaries is selected.
3.Click on the Marker track in the selected range and drag the range to 
a new position.
The selection in the Project window is moved to the same position.
•If you hold down [Alt]/[Option] while you drag the range, the selection 
in the Project window is copied instead. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLUsing markers 8 – 177
Marker key commands
You can use key commands for the following marker operations:
If you need to change the key command assignments, the marker com-
mands can be found in the Transport category in the Key Commands 
dialog.
• For the [Shift]-[Pad1] to [Pad9] commands to work, Num Lock must be 
deactivated on the computer keyboard!
Operation Description Default key
Insert Marker Creates a new marker at the current project 
cursor position.[Insert]/[Help]
Locate Next Marker Moves the project cursor to the right to the 
next marker position (if any).[Shift]-[N]
Locate Previous Marker Moves the project cursor to the left to the 
previous marker position (if any).[Shift]-[B]
To Marker 1-9 Moves the project cursor to the specified 
marker (number 1 to 9).[Shift]-[1] to [9]
Set Marker 1-9 Moves the specified marker (number 1 to 9) 
to the current project cursor position.[Ctrl]-[1] to [9]
Recall Cycle Marker 1-9 Moves the left and right locators to encom-
pass the specified cycle marker (1 to 9).[Shift]-[Pad1] to 
[Pad9] 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL8 – 178 Using markers
Editing markers in the Project Browser
To view and edit markers in the Project Browser, the Marker track must 
be added to the Project window.
If you have a Marker track in the Project window, you can create and 
edit all marker parameters, including marker ID’s, in the Project 
Browser. Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Project Browser by selecting it on the Project menu.
2.Select “Marker” in the Project Structure window.
A list of the markers is shown in the main Browser window.
3.Now you can edit marker names, positions and ID numbers, by select-
ing an item and typing in values as usual in the main editor window.
For details about editing in the Project Browser see page 645.
•You can use the Add pop-up menu and Add button to insert new 
markers or cycle markers when the Marker track is selected in the 
Project Browser.
This works just like the Add button in the Marker window (see page 169). 
						

							9
Fades, crossfades and
envelopes 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL9 – 180 Fades, crossfades and envelopes
Creating fades
There are two main types of fade-ins and fade-outs in audio events in 
Cubase SX/SL: fades created by using the fade handles (see below) 
and fades created by processing (see page 183).
Fades created by using the fade handles
Selected audio events have blue handles in the upper left and right cor-
ners. 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 audio clip as 
such but calculated in real time during playback. This means that sev-
eral 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 selected 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 han-
dles. Just move the mouse pointer along the fade curve until the cursor turns into a bi-
directional arrow, then click and drag.
• If the option “Show Event Volume Curves Always” is activated in the Prefer-
ences dialog (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.