Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 221
Input Phase switch (Cubase SX only)
Each audio channel and input/output channel has an Input Phase 
switch, to the left of the Input Gain control dial. When activated, the 
phase polarity is inverted for the signal. Use this to correct for bal-
anced lines and mics that are wired backwards, or mics that are “out 
of phase” due to their positioning.
•Phase polarity is important when mixing together two similar signals. 
If the signals are “out of phase” with respect to one another, there will be some cancel-
lation in the resulting audio, producing a hollow sound with less low frequency content.
About level meters for MIDI channels
The level meters for MIDI channels do not show actual volume levels. 
Instead, they indicate the velocity values of the notes played back on 
MIDI tracks.
About MIDI tracks set to the same MIDI channel and output
If you have several MIDI tracks set to the same MIDI channel (and 
routed to the same MIDI output), making volume settings for one of 
these MIDI tracks/mixer channels will also affect all other mixer chan-
nels set to the same MIDI channel/output combination. 
This also applies to pan settings. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 222 The mixer
Using Solo and Mute
The Mute (top) and Solo buttons.
You can use the Mute and Solo buttons to silence one or several 
channels. The following applies:
• The Mute button silences the selected channel.
Clicking the Mute button again un-mutes the channel. Several channels can be muted 
simultaneously. A muted channel is indicated by a lit Mute button, and also by the lit 
Global Mute indicator on the common panel. 
• Clicking the Solo button for a channel mutes all other channels.
A soloed channel is indicated by a lit Solo button, and also by the lit Global Solo indi-
cator on the common panel. Click the Solo button again to turn off Solo.
• Several channels can be soloed at the same time.
However, if you press [Ctrl]/[Command] and click the Solo button for a channel, any 
other soloed channels will automatically be un-soloed (i.e. this Solo mode is exclusive).
• [Alt]/[Option]-clicking a Solo button activates “Solo Defeat” for that channel.
In this mode (indicated by a red solo button without any other channels being muted) 
the channel will not be muted if you solo another channel (see page 273 for a practical 
use of this). To turn off Solo Defeat, [Alt]/[Option]-click the Solo button again. 
• You can un-mute or un-solo all channels by clicking the Mute or Solo indica-
tor on the common panel.
A muted channel in 
the mixer.A lit Global Mute indicator on the 
common panel shows that one or 
more channels are muted. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 223
Setting pan in the mixer
The pan control.
The pan controls in the mixer are used to position a channel between 
the left and right side of the stereo spectrum. For stereo audio chan-
nels, pan (by default) controls the balance between the left and right 
channels. By selecting one of the other pan modes (see below) you 
can set pan independently for the left and right channel.
•To make fine pan adjustments, hold down [Shift] when you move the 
pan control.
•To select center pan position, hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and click 
on the pan control.
•For MIDI channels, the pan control sends out MIDI pan messages.
The result depends on how your MIDI instrument is set to respond to pan – check your 
documentation for details.
• The Surround Panner is described on page 309. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 224 The mixer
About the three pan modes (Cubase SX only)
If you right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) in the pan control field for 
a (stereo) audio channel you can select one of three pan modes:
•Stereo Balance Panner controls the balance between the left and 
right channels.
This is the default mode.
•If Stereo Dual Panner is selected, there will be two pan controls with 
the upper controlling pan for the left channel, and the lower controlling 
pan for the right channel.
This allows you set pan independently for the left and right channels. Note that it is 
possible to reverse the left and right channels, i.e. the left channel can be panned to 
the right and vice versa. You can also “sum” two channels by setting them to the same 
pan position (i.e. mono) – note that this will increase the volume of the signal.
•If Stereo Combined Panner is selected, the left and right pan posi-
tions are shown as two lines with a blue/gray area between them.
If you reverse the left and right channels, the area between the pan controls will be red 
instead of blue/gray. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 225
Stereo Combined mode also allows you set pan independently for the 
left and right channels. This is done by holding down [Alt]/[Option] 
and dragging the corresponding pan control. When you release the 
[Alt]/[Option] key, the left and right pan controls are linked, and can be 
moved left and right like a single pan control (with their relative posi-
tions intact). 
When moving combined pan controls so that the left or right pan con-
trol reaches its maximum pan value, it naturally cannot go any further. 
If you do continue to move further in the same direction, only the other 
pan control will move, thus altering the set relative pan range until 
both channels are panned fully to one side. If you move the pan con-
trols in the opposite direction without releasing the mouse, the previ-
ously set pan range will be restored.
• The pan settings made with the Dual Panner are reflected in the Com-
bined Panner and vice versa.
About the “Stereo Pan Law” Preference (audio channels only)
In the Project Setup dialog there is a pop-up menu named “Stereo Pan 
Law”, on which you can select one of three pan modes. This is all re-
lated to the fact that without power compensation, the power of the 
sum of the left and right side will be higher (louder) if a channel is 
panned center than if it’s panned left or right. 
To remedy this, the Stereo Pan Law setting allows you to attenuate sig-
nals panned center, by -6, -4.5 or -3dB (default). Selecting the 0dB op-
tion effectively turns off “constant-power panning”. Experiment with the 
modes to see which fits best in a given situation. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 226 The mixer
Audio specific procedures
This section describes the options and basic procedures regarding 
audio channels in the mixer.
Options for the extended audio channel strip (Cubase SX only)
When using the extended channel strip view options, the upper panel 
can be set to show different views for each audio channel strip. You 
can select what to display in the extended panel individually for each 
channel or globally for all channels (see page 206).
The following views are possible:
• The 8 insert effect slots.
The inserts can also be found in the Inspector and the Channel Settings window, see 
page 228.
• The 8 effect sends, with pop-ups and send level value sliders.
The sends can also be found in the Inspector and the Channel Settings window, see 
page 228.
• You also have the option of displaying four sends at a time (the Sends 1-4 
and 5-8 menu items). 
These modes offer the additional benefit of displaying send levels as dB values.
• There are no sends for Input/Output channels. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 227
• The EQ section, either with parameter dials (“EQ +” menu item), value sliders 
(“EQs” item) or as numerical settings with a curve display (“EQs curve” item).
These three views have exactly the same controls but different graphic layouts. The EQ 
section is also available in the Channel Settings window. For EQ parameter descrip-
tions, see page 230.
• The Surround Panner section (where applicable).
If the channel is routed to a surround bus you can view a compact version of the Sur-
round Panner in the extended panel – double click to open the full Surround Panner 
panel.
• The “Meter Input” option shows large level meters in the extended panel. 
These operate exactly like the regular meters.
• Selecting the “Empty” option will display a blank panel in the extended strip.
• You can also select the “Overview” option – this shows a graphic overview of 
which insert effect slots, EQ modules and effects sends are activated for the 
channel.
You can click the indicators to turn the corresponding slot/EQ module/send on or off.
• If you have selected a parameter for the extended channel strip and 
then switch to “narrow” mode, only the channel overview is shown in the 
extended channel strip. When you switch back to “wide” mode, the para-
meter settings are displayed again. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 228 The mixer
Using Channel Settings 
For each audio channel strip in the mixer (and in the Inspector and 
Track list for each audio track) there is an Edit button (“e”).
Clicking this opens the VST Audio Channel Settings window. This 
window contains a simplified common panel, a duplicate of the mixer 
channel strip (without the extended panel but with the input and output 
settings panel), a section with eight (five in Cubase SL) insert effect 
slots (see page 252), four EQ modules and an associated EQ curve 
display (see page 230) and a section with eight effect sends (see 
page 267). Every channel has its own channel settings (although you 
can view each in the same window if you like – see below).
The Channel Settings window is used for the following operations:
• Apply equalization, see page 230.
• Apply send effects, see page 263.
• Apply insert effects, see page 252.
• Copy channel settings and apply them to another channel, see page 235.
All channel settings are applied to both sides of a stereo channel.
Click the Edit button to open 
the Channel Settings window: 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 229
Changing channels in the Channel Settings window
You can view any channel’s settings from a single window. 
If the option “Mixer Selection Follows Project” is activated in the Pref-
erences (Editing page), this can be done “automatically”:
•Open the Channel Settings window for a track and position it so that 
you can see both the Project window and the Channel Settings window.
Selecting a track in the Project window automatically selects the corre-
sponding channel in the mixer (and vice versa). If a Channel Settings 
window is open, this will immediately switch to show the settings for 
the selected channel. This allows you to have a single Channel Settings 
window open in a convenient position on the screen, and use this for all 
your EQ and channel effect settings.
You can also select a channel manually (thereby changing what is 
shown in the open Channel Settings window). Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Channel Settings window for any channel.
2.Open the Channel Select pop-up on the common panel.
3.Select a channel from the pop-up to show the settings for that chan-
nel in the open Channel Settings window.
•Alternatively, you can select a channel in the mixer by clicking the strip 
at the bottom of the channel strip (above the channel name).
This selects the channel, and the Channel Settings window will be updated.
•To open several Channel Settings windows at the same time, press 
[Alt]/[Option] and click the Edit buttons for the respective channels. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 230 The mixer
Making EQ settings
Each audio channel in Cubase SX/SL has a built-in parametric equal-
izer with up to four bands. There are several ways to view and adjust 
the EQs:
• By selecting one of the three EQ display modes (“EQs”, “EQs +” or “EQs 
Curve”) for the extended channel strip in the mixer (Cubase SX only).
These three modes contain the same settings but present them in different ways:
From left to right, “EQs” mode (sliders), “EQs +” mode (dials) and “EQs Curve” 
mode (numeric values with a curve display).
• By selecting the “Equalizers” or “Equalizer Curve” tab in the Inspector.
The “Equalizers” section is similar to the “EQs” mode in the extended mixer, while the 
“Equalizer Curve” section shows a display in which you can “draw” an EQ curve. Set-
ting EQ in the Inspector is only possible for track-based audio channels (not for Re-
Wire channels).
• By using the Channel Settings window.
This offers both parameter dials and a clickable curve display and also lets you store 
and recall EQ presets.
Below we describe how to set up EQ in the Channel Settings window, 
but the parameters are the same in the mixer and Inspector (apart from 
the presets and reset function).
In the Channel Settings window you find the EQ section in the middle 
(or to the right, if you are making settings for an FX channel track). The 
section consists of four EQ modules with parameter dials, an EQ curve 
display and some additional functions at the top.
The outer ring of the 
dial controls the fre-
quency, while the in-
ner controls gain.
The small dial sets 
the Q parameter. The top value slider 
controls the gain, the 
middle controls fre-
quency and the lower 
sets the Q parameter 
for each EQ band.In this mode, EQ 
settings are shown 
as a curve. Para-
meters are set by 
clicking on the 
value and adjust-
ing with the fader 
that appears.