Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual
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CUBASE SX/SL10 – 200 The mixer
Opening the mixer
The mixer can be opened in several ways:
•By selecting Mixer from the Devices menu.
•By clicking the Mixer icon on the toolbar
This always opens the first Mixer window (see below).
•By using a key command (by default [F3]).
•By clicking the Mixer button in the Devices panel.
You open the Devices panel by selecting Show Panel from the Devices menu.](http://img.usermanuals.tech/thumb/86/103328/w64_Operation_Manual_d-199.png "Page 200
CUBASE SX/SL10 – 200 The mixer
Opening the mixer
The mixer can be opened in several ways:
•By selecting Mixer from the Devices menu.
•By clicking the Mixer icon on the toolbar
This always opens the first Mixer window (see below).
•By using a key command (by default [F3]).
•By clicking the Mixer button in the Devices panel.
You open the Devices panel by selecting Show Panel from the Devices menu.")
CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 201 About the multiple mixer windows You may have noticed that there are in fact three separate mixer items selectable from the Devices menu; “Mixer”, “Mixer 2” and “Mixer 3” (in Cubase SL there are two mixer items). These are not separate mixers, but rather separate windows of the same mixer. •Each of the mixer windows can be configured to show any combina- tion of channels, channel types, narrow and wide channel strips etc. (how to do this is described later in this chapter). You can for example configure one mixer window to show MIDI channel strips, another to show input and output channels, another to show all audio channels and so on. •You can also save channel configurations as View sets (see page 211) which are then accessible from all mixer windows. These features are very convenient when working with large projects. Considering the number of different channel types that can be shown in the mixer, they could even be described as necessary! With the three/two mixer windows combined with the ability to recall different mixer configurations, you are always able to focus on the task at hand and keep window scrolling down to a minimum. • All the various options for configuring the mixer described in this chap- ter are identical for all mixer windows.
CUBASE SX/SL10 – 202 The mixer What channel types can be shown in the mixer? The following track based channel types are shown in the mixer: • Audio • MIDI • Effect return channels (FX channel tracks are referred to as effect return channels in the mixer). • Group channels. The order of audio, group, effect return and MIDI channel strips (from left to right) in the mixer corresponds to the Project window Track list (from the top down). If you reorder tracks of these types in the Track list, this will in turn be mirrored in the mixer. In addition to the above, the following channel types are also shown in the mixer : • Activated ReWire channels (see page 726). • VST Instrument channels (see page 290). ReWire channels cannot be reordered and always appear to the right of other channels in the main mixer pane (see below). VST instrument (VSTi) channels can be reordered in the Track list which will in turn be mirrored in the mixer. Folder, Marker, Video and Automation tracks are not shown in the mixer. Input and output busses in the mixer Input and output busses are represented by input and output channels in the mixer. They appear in separate “panes” separated by movable dividers and with their own horizontal scrollbars. See page 216. • In Cubase SL, only output channels are shown in the mixer (not input channels).
CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 203 About multichannel audio (Cubase SX only) Cubase SX has full support for surround sound. Each audio channel and bus in the mixer can carry up to 6 speaker channels. This means that if you have an audio track configured for 5.1 surround sound for example, this will have a single channel strip in the mixer, just like mono or stereo tracks (although its level meter will have six meter bars, one for each speaker channel). Another thing to note is that the look of a channel strip differs slightly depending on how it is routed – mono or stereo tracks routed to a sur- round output bus will have a surround panner control instead of a reg- ular pan control, for example.
CUBASE SX/SL10 – 204 The mixer Configuring the mixer As mentioned earlier, the mixer windows can be configured in various ways to suit your needs and to save screen space. Here follows a run through of the various view options (the following descriptions assume that you have an active project containing some tracks): Normal vs. Extended channel strips (Cubase SX only) You have the option of selecting normal or extended channel strips and whether to show the input and output settings at the top of the channel strips. Proceed as follows: 1.Open any of the mixer windows. The leftmost strip is called the common panel and is always shown in the mixer. This contains various global settings and options relating to the mixer. For further info see page 215. In the lower left corner of the common panel you can see a graphic representation of a row of three “channel strips”, divided into three vertical sections. The three vertical sections indicate what channel strip sections are currently visible in the mixer – if a section is lit the corresponding panel will be visible in the mixer. Here the middle section is dark, but the lower and upper sections are lit. This indicates that the mixer will show channel strips with the fader panel (lower section) plus the Input/Output settings panel (top section). 2.Click on the middle section so it lights up. Now the mixer will show the extended panel for all channel strips. 3.You can show or hide the extended and top panels of the channel strips by clicking on the corresponding section in the figure. The fader panel is always shown. •You can also show or hide the extended and top panels by clicking the + and – buttons to the left of each section in the common panel. Input/Output settings. Extended channel strips. Fader section (cannot be hidden).
CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 205 The fader panel shows the basic controls – faders, pan controls and an associated vertical row of buttons. The extended panel can be set to show EQ, effect sends, insert effects, etc. The input/output settings panel contains input and output routing pop-up menus (where appli- cable), along with input phase switches and input gain controls. A basic channel strip with no extended options.A fully extended channel strip with the input/output settings panel at the top.
CUBASE SX/SL10 – 206 The mixer The input/output settings panel (Cubase SL) In Cubase SL there is no extended mixer panel – all settings for EQ and effects are done in the Channel Settings windows. However, at the top of the channel strips you will find a panel with input and output routing pop-up menus. This is where you select an input bus for the channel (where applicable) and route the channel to an output bus. •You can show or hide the input/output settings panel by clicking the +/– buttons at the top of the common panel to the left. Selecting what to display in the extended channel strips (Cubase SX only) You can select what to display in the extended channel strip either glo- bally from the common panel, or individually from each channel strip. The available options vary depending on the type of channel. • See page 226 for a description of the various options for audio channels. • See page 241 for a description of the various options for MIDI channels. Selecting globally from the common panel 1.Open any of the mixer windows. The leftmost strip is called the common panel and is always shown in the mixer. This contains various global settings and options relating to the mixer. For further info see page 215. 2.Make sure that the extended panel of the mixer is visible.
CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 207 In the extended area of the common panel you can see a vertical row of icons. These act as buttons, and determine globally what is dis- played in the extended panel for all channel strips in the mixer. If you place the pointer on an icon a tooltip appears, describing the item. 3.Click on the “Show all Inserts” button (second icon from the top). Now all channel strips in the mixer will show Insert effect slots in the extended panel. •As mentioned above, what can be set globally depends on the type of channel. Channel types that do not support a selected global option will be unaffected. •If you press [Alt]/[Option] and click one of the global view buttons, in- put and output channels will be affected as well. Clear all views (blank panels) Show all Inserts Show all Equalizers Show all Equalizers as dials Show all Equalizers as curves Show all Sends Show Sends 1-4 Show Sends 5-8 Show Surround Panners (where applicable) Show all Meters Show Channel Overview
CUBASE SX/SL10 – 208 The mixer Selecting for individual channels Each channel strip in the mixer features a View options pop-up, which is used for two things: •To determine what is shown in the extended panel for individual chan- nels in the mixer. •To set the “Can Hide” status for individual channels in the mixer. This is described on page 210. The View options pop-up is opened by clicking the down arrow lo- cated just above the fader panel of the channel strip. •To select what to display in the extended panel from the View options pop-up you must first open the extended mixer. You can then use the pop-up to select what parameters to show in the extended panel for each individual channel in the mixer.
CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 209 Setting the width of channel strips Each channel strip’s width can be sized to either “Wide” or “Narrow” mode by using the Narrow/Wide button. This is the two left/right arrows just above the fader strip (to the left of the View options pop-up). The Narrow/Wide button •Narrow channel strips contain a narrow fader, miniature buttons, plus the View options pop-up. If you have selected to show parameters in the extended section (Cubase SX only), only the channel overview is shown in narrow mode. (The parameters will be shown again when you return to wide mode.) Wide and narrow channel strips •When selecting wide or narrow channel strips from the common panel View options pop-up, all channel strips are affected.
CUBASE SX/SL10 – 210 The mixer Selecting what channel types to show/hide You can specify what channel types to show or hide in the mixer. In the lower part of the common panel you find a vertical strip with different indicator buttons. Each indicator represents a channel type to show or hide in the mixer: •To hide or show a channel type, click the corresponding indicator. If an indicator is dark, the corresponding channel type will be shown in the mixer. If it is orange, the corresponding channel type will be hidden. Selecting individual channels to show/hide You can also show/hide individual channels of any type in the mixer. This is done by first assigning channels a “Can Hide” status. After having done so you can hide all channels assigned this status at any time. Proceed as follows: 1.Pull down the View options pop-up menu for the channel you want to hide and activate the “Can Hide” option. Input Channels (Cubase SX only) Audio Channels Group Channels ReWire Channels MIDI Channels VST Instrument Channels Effect Return Channels Output Channels For hiding individual channels – see below.