Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 231
Using the parameter dials
1.Activate an EQ module by clicking its power button.
Although the modules are labeled “lo”, “lo mid” and so on, they all have the same fre-
quency range (20Hz to 20kHz). The only difference between the modules is that the 
“lo” and “hi” bands can act as shelving or high/low-pass filters (described below).
2.Set the desired frequency with the outer ring of the parameter dial.
This is the center frequency of the frequency range to be cut or boosted.
3.Set the amount of cut or boost with the gain control – the inner pa-
rameter dial.
The range is ± 24 dB.
4.Set the Q value with the lower dial.
This determines the width of the affected frequency range. Higher values give nar-
rower frequency ranges.
•If you set the Q value for the “lo” EQ module to minimum, it will act as 
a low shelving filter.
If you set it to its maximum value, it will act as a high-pass filter.
•If you set the Q value for the “hi” EQ module to minimum, it will act as 
a high shelving filter.
If you set it to its maximum value, it will act as a low-pass filter.
5.If needed, you can activate and make settings for up to four modules.
Note that you can edit the values numerically as well, by clicking in a value field and en-
tering the desired gain, frequency or Q value. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 232 The mixer
Using the curve display
When you activate EQ modules and make settings with the parameter 
dials you will see that your settings are automatically reflected in the 
curve display above. You can also make settings directly in the curve 
(or combine the two methods any way you like):
1.To activate an EQ module, click in the curve display.
This adds a curve point and one of the modules below are activated.
2.Make EQ settings by dragging the curve point in the display.
This allows you to adjust gain (drag up or down) and frequency (drag left or right).
3.To set the Q parameter, press [Shift] and drag the curve point up or 
down.
You will see the EQ curve become wider or narrower as you drag.
•You can also restrict the editing by pressing [Ctrl]/[Command] (sets 
gain only) or [Alt]/[Option] (sets frequency only) while you drag the 
curve point.
4.To activate another EQ module, click somewhere else in the display 
and proceed as above.
5.To turn off an EQ module, double click its curve point or drag it out-
side the display.
EQ reset (Channel Settings window only)
To the right above the EQ curve display in the Channel Settings win-
dow you will find a reset button. Clicking this will turn off all EQ mod-
ules and reset all EQ parameters to their default values. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 233
EQ bypass
Whenever one or several EQ modules are activated for a channel, the 
EQ button will light up in green in the mixer channel strip, Inspector 
(Equalizer and Channel sections), Track list and Channel Settings 
window (top right corner of the EQ section).
Clicking the EQ button will bypass all EQ modules for the channel, al-
lowing you to compare the sound with and without EQ. When the EQ 
is in Bypass mode, the EQ button is yellow.
Using EQ presets (Channel Settings window only)
Some useful basic presets are included with the program. You can use 
them as they are, or as a starting point for further “tweaking”. 
•To call up a preset, pull down the presets pop-up menu above the EQ 
curve display and select one of the available presets.
•To store the current EQ settings as a preset, click the store button 
(plus sign) to the left of the presets field.
The settings are stored with the default name “Preset” and a number. To rename a pre-
set, double click in the preset pop-up field and enter a new name.
•To remove a preset, select it and click the remove (minus sign) button. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 234 The mixer
EQ in the channel overview
If the “Channel” section is selected in the Inspector or the “Channel 
Overview” view mode is selected in the extended mixer (Cubase SX 
only), you will get an overview of which EQ modules, insert effects and 
effect sends are activated for the channel.
By clicking the “hi”, “hi mid”, “lo mid” or “lo” indicator, you can turn the 
corresponding EQ module on or off.
The channel overview in the Inspector. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 235
Copying settings between audio channels
It is possible to copy all channel settings for an audio channel and 
paste them onto another channel. This applies to all audio channel 
types. For example, you can copy EQ settings from an audio track and 
apply these to a group or VST Instrument channel, if you want them to 
have the same sound. Proceed as follows:
1.Select the channel you want to copy settings from by clicking the nar-
row horizontal strip just above the channel name field (or just above 
the pan control). A selected channel is indicated by these two fields 
being highlighted.
You can also select channels with the Channel Select pop-up menu – see page 229.
Selecting a channel in the channel strip (left), and in the common panel (right).
2.Click the “Copy” button in the common panel.
3.Select the channel you want to copy the settings to and click the 
Paste button.
The settings are applied to the selected channel.
4.To copy the same settings to several channels, repeat step 3.
The copied settings are retained in memory until you copy new channel settings, or 
close the project.
Channel settings can be copied from stereo channels and pasted to 
mono channels and vice versa. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 236 The mixer
Cubase SX note: Copying channel settings from a channel using a sur-
round format to a mono or stereo channel can lead to conflicts. For exam-
ple, any Insert effects routed to surround speaker channels will be muted. 
Or, in other words: you can copy channel settings to any type of channel, 
but of course only those settings are used for which corresponding 
speakers are available in the target channel.
Input/output channels do not have sends, but channel settings can still 
be copied to/from other audio channel types. When copying from a i/o 
or effect channel, any send settings in the channel you paste into are 
unaffected.
Initialize Channel and Reset Mixer
The Initialize Channel button can be found at the bottom of the Chan-
nel Settings common panel. It resets the selected channel to the de-
fault settings. Similarly, the mixer common panel holds a Reset Mixer 
button – when you click this you will be asked whether to reset all 
channels or just the selected channel.
Default settings are:
• All EQ, Insert and Send effect settings are deactivated and reset.
• Solo/Mute is deactivated.
• The fader is set to 0dB.
• Pan is set to center position. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 237
Changing the meter characteristics 
On the Mixer context menu, opened by right-clicking (Win) or [Ctrl]-
clicking (Mac) anywhere on the mixer panel, there is a submenu named 
“Global Meter Settings”. Here you can make settings for the preferred 
meter characteristics, with the following options:
•If “Hold Peaks” is activated, the highest registered peak levels are 
“held” and are shown as static horizontal lines in the meter.
Note that you can turn this on or off by clicking in any audio level meter in the mixer.
Hold activated
•If “Hold Forever” is activated, the peak levels will remain until meters 
are reset (by clicking the numerical peak display below the meter).
If “Hold Forever” is off, you can specify for how long the peak levels will be held with 
the parameter “Meter Peak’s Hold Time” in the Preferences dialog (VST page). The 
peak hold time can be between 500 and 30000ms.
•If “Meter Input” is activated, meters will show input levels for all audio 
channels and input/output channels. 
Note that these meters are post input gain (Cubase SX only).
•If “Meter Post-Fader” is activated, meters will show post-fader levels.
This is the default setting for channels in the mixer.
•In Cubase SX, there is also a “Meter Post-Panner” mode.
This is similar to “Meter Post-Fader”, but the meters will reflect pan settings as well.
•If “Fast Release” is activated, the meters respond very quickly to level 
peaks.
If “Fast Release” is deactivated, the meters respond more like standard meters. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 238 The mixer
Using group channels
You can route the outputs from multiple audio channels to a group. 
This enables you to control the channel levels using one fader, apply 
the same effects and equalization to all of them etc. To create a group 
channel, proceed as follows:
1.Select Add Track from the Project menu and select “Group Channel” 
from the submenu that appears.
2.Select the desired channel configuration and click OK.
A group channel track is added to the Track list and a corresponding group channel 
strip is added to the mixer. By default the first group channel strip is labeled “Group 1”, 
but you can rename it just like any channel in the mixer.
3.Pull down the Output routing pop-up for a channel you want to route 
to the group channel, and select the group channel.
The output of the audio channel is now redirected to the selected group.
4.Do the same for the other channels you wish to route to the group.
Settings for group channels
The group channel strips are (almost) identical to audio channel strips 
in the mixer. The descriptions of the mixer features earlier in this chap-
ter apply to group channels as well. Some things to note:
•You can route the output of a group to an output bus or to another 
group with a higher number.
You cannot route a group to itself. Routing is done with the Output Routing pop-up 
menu in the Inspector (select an automation track for the Group in the Track list) or in 
the input/output settings area at the top of each channel strip.
•There are no input routing pop-ups, monitor buttons or record enable 
buttons for group channels.
This is because inputs are never connected directly to a group.
•Solo functionality is automatically linked for a channel routed to a 
group and the group channel itself.
This means that if you solo a group channel, all channels routed to the group are auto-
matically soloed as well. Similarly, soloing a channel routed to a group will automati-
cally solo the group channel. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLThe mixer 10 – 239
•Mute functionality depends on the setting “Group Channels: Mute 
Sources as well” in the Preferences dialog.
By default, when you mute a group channel no audio will pass through the group. 
However, other channels that are routed directly to that group channel will remain un-
muted. If any of those channels have aux sends routed to other group channels, FX 
channels or output busses, those will still be heard.
If the option “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” is activated in the Preferences 
(VST page) muting a group channel will cause all other channels directly roouted to it 
to be muted as well. Pressing mute again will unmute the group channel and all other 
channels directly routed to it. Channels that were muted prior to the group channel be-
ing muted will not remember their mute status and will be unmuted when the group 
channel is unmuted.
The option “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” does not affect how 
mute automation is written. Writing mute automation on a group channel 
only affects the group channel and not channels routed to it. When writ-
ing the automation you will see the other channels being muted when 
this option is checked. However, upon playback, only the group channel 
will respond to the automation.
One application of group channels is to use them as “effect racks” – 
see page 261.
About output busses
As described in the Getting Started book Cubase SX/SL uses a sys-
tem of input and output busses which are set up using the VST Con-
nections dialog. This is described in the chapter “VST Connections: 
Setting up input and output busses”.
Output busses let you route audio from the program to the outputs on 
your audio hardware. 
Routing audio channels to busses
To route the output of an audio channel to one of the active busses, 
proceed as follows:
1.Open the Mixer.
2.Make sure the input/output settings panel is visible – see page 204. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL10 – 240 The mixer
3.Pull down the output routing pop-up menu at the top of the channel 
strip and select one of the busses.
This pop-up menu contains the output busses configured in the VST Connections 
window, as well as available group channels (provided that the busses and groups are 
compatible with the speaker configuration for the channel – see page 21).
You can also make routing settings in the Inspector.
For details on routing surround channels (Cubase SX), see page 304.
Viewing the output busses in the mixer
Output busses are shown as output channels in a separate pane to 
the right in the mixer. You show or hide this pane by clicking the Hide 
Output Channels button in the mixer’s common panel to the left:
Each output channel resembles a regular audio channel strip. Here 
you can do the following:
• Adjust master levels for all configured output busses using the level faders.
• Adjust input gain and input phase of the output busses (Cubase SX only).
• Add effects or EQ to the output channels (see page 259).