Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual

							CUBASE SX/SLAudio effects 11 – 261
Using group channels for insert effects
Like all other channels, group channels can have up to eight insert ef-
fects (five in Cubase SL). This is useful if you have several audio 
tracks that you want to process through the same effect (e.g. different 
vocal tracks that all should be processed by the same compressor). 
Another special use for group channels and effects is the following:
If you have a mono audio track and want to process this through a ste-
reo insert effect (e.g. a stereo chorus or an auto panner device), you 
cannot just insert the effect as usual. This is because the audio track 
is in mono – the output of the insert effect will then be in mono as well, 
and the stereo information from the effect will be lost.
One solution would be to route a send from the mono track to a stereo 
fx channel track, set the send to pre fader mode and lower the fader 
completely for the mono audio track. However, this makes mixing the 
track cumbersome, since you cannot use the fader. Here’s another 
solution:
1.Create a group channel track in stereo and route it to the desired out-
put bus.
2.Add the desired effect to the group channel as an insert effect.
3.Route the mono audio track to the group channel.
Now the signal from the mono audio track is sent directly to the group, 
where it passes through the insert effect, in stereo.
Freezing insert effects for a track
Effect plug-ins can sometimes require a lot of processor power. If you 
are using a large number of insert effects for a track, you may eventu-
ally reach a point where the computer cannot play back the track 
properly (the CPU overload indicator in the VST Performance window 
lights up, you get crackling sounds, etc.). 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL11 – 262 Audio effects
To remedy this, you can freeze the track, by clicking on the Freeze 
button in the Inspector.
• When you freeze an audio track, the program renders the output of the track, 
including all pre-fader insert effects, to an audio file. This file is placed in the 
“Freeze” folder within the Project folder.
• The frozen audio track is locked for editing in the Project window. The frozen 
insert effects cannot be edited or removed and you cannot add new insert ef-
fects for the track (except post-fader effects – Cubase SX only).
• On playback, the rendered audio file is played back. You can still adjust the 
level and panning in the Mixer, make EQ settings and adjust the effect sends. 
In the Mixer, the channel strip for a frozen track is indicated by a “snow flake” 
symbol on the volume fader handle.
The result is that you hear the track play back as before but the insert 
effects don’t have to be calculated in real time, easing the load on the 
computer processor. Typically, you would freeze a track when it’s 
more or less finished and you don’t need to edit it at the moment. 
Unfreezing
If you need to edit the events on the track or make settings for the in-
sert effects, you need to unfreeze the track:
1.Click the Freeze button in the Inspector for the track.
You will be asked whether you really want to unfreeze the instrument and if you wish to 
keep or delete the freeze files.
2.Click “Unfreeze” or “Keep Freeze files”.
This reactivates the frozen insert effects. Clicking "Keep Freeze Files" will unfreeze the 
channel but not delete the freeze files. After editing you can freeze the track again.
Notes
• You can only freeze audio tracks this way, not group channel tracks or FX 
channel tracks.
• In Cubase SX, the last two insert effects will not be frozen. This is because 
these are post-fader insert slots.
• You can also freeze VST instruments and their insert effects – see page 296.  
						

							CUBASE SX/SLAudio effects 11 – 263
Send effects
Background
Send effects are handled through FX channel tracks. These are spe-
cial tracks that each can contain up to eight insert effects (five in Cu-
base SL). The signal path is as follows:
•By routing an effect send from an audio track to an FX channel track, 
the audio is sent to the FX channel and through its insert effect(s).
Each audio channel has eight sends, which can be routed to different FX channels. 
You control the amount of signal sent to the FX channel by adjusting the effect send 
level.
•If you have added several effects to the FX channel, the signal passes 
through the effects in series, from the top (the first slot) downward.
This allows for “custom” send effect configurations – you could e.g. have a chorus fol-
lowed by a reverb followed by an EQ and so on.
•The FX channel track has its own channel strip in the mixer, the effect 
return channel.
Here you can adjust the effect return level and balance, add EQ and route the effect 
return to any output bus.
•Each FX channel track has an automation subtrack, for automating 
various effect parameters. 
See page 333 for information. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL11 – 264 Audio effects
Setting up send effects
Adding an FX channel track
1.Pull down the Project menu and select “FX Channel” from the “Add 
Track” submenu.
A dialog appears.
2.Select a channel configuration for the FX channel track.
Normally, stereo is a good choice since most effect plug-ins have stereo outputs.
3.Select an effect for the FX channel track.
This is not strictly necessary at this point – you can leave the Plug-in pop-up menu set 
to “No Effect” and add effects to the FX channel later if you like.
4.Click OK.
An FX channel track is added to the Track list, and the selected effect, if any, is loaded 
into the first insert effect slot for the FX channel (in that case, the lit Inserts tab for the 
FX channel track in the Inspector indicates that an effect has been assigned and auto-
matically activated).
•All FX channel tracks you create will appear in a kind of “folder” in the 
Track list.
This makes it easy to manage and keep track of all your FX channel tracks, and also al-
lows you to save screen space by folding the FX Channel folder.
FX channel tracks are automatically named “FX 1”, “FX 2” etc., but you can rename 
them if you wish. Just double click the name of an FX channel track in either the 
Track list or the Inspector and type in a new name. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLAudio effects 11 – 265
Adding and setting up effects
As mentioned above, you can add a single insert effect when you cre-
ate the FX channel track if you like. To add and set up effects after the 
FX channel track is created, you can either use the Inspector for the 
track (click the Inserts tab) or the FX Settings window:
1.Click the Edit (“e”) button for the FX channel track (in the Track list, 
mixer or Inspector).
The FX Settings window appears, similar to a regular Channel Settings window.
To the left in the window is the Inserts section with eight effect slots (five in 
Cubase SL).
2.Make sure the FX channel is routed to the correct output bus.
This is done with the output routing pop-up menu at the top of the fader section (also 
available in the mixer and Inspector).
3.To add an insert effect in an empty slot (or replace the current effect in 
a slot), click on the slot and select an effect from the pop-up menu.
This works just like when selecting insert effects for a regular audio channel.
4.When you add an effect, its control panel will automatically appear. 
Typically you should set the Wet/Dry Mix control to all “wet”.
This is because you control the balance between wet and dry signal with the effect 
sends. For more about making settings in the effect control panels, see page 278.  
						

							CUBASE SX/SL11 – 266 Audio effects
•If you like, you can add up to eight effects for the FX channel (five in 
Cubase SL).
Note that the signal will pass through all the effects in series. It is not possible to adjust 
the effect send- and return levels separately for each effect – this is done for the FX 
channel as a whole. If what you want is several separate send effects (where you can 
control their send and return levels independently) you should instead add more FX 
channel tracks – one for each effect.
•To remove an insert effect from a slot, click the slot and select “No 
Effect” from the pop-up menu.
You should do this for all effects that you don’t intend to use, to minimize unnecessary 
CPU load.
•You can also bypass individual effects (or all effects) by clicking the 
corresponding Bypass Inserts button(s) for the FX channel track.
See page 254.
•You can also adjust level, pan and EQ for the effect return in this 
window.
As always, this can also be done in the mixer or in the Inspector.
• Remember that effects rely heavily on the CPU power in your computer. 
The more activated effect units, the more computer power will be used for effects. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLAudio effects 11 – 267
Setting up the sends
The next step is to set up and route a send for an audio channel to the 
FX channel. This can be done in the mixer (in the extended panel), in 
the Channel Settings window or in the Inspector for the audio track. 
The example below shows the Channel Settings window, but the pro-
cedure is similar for all three sections:
1.Click the “e” button for an audio channel to bring up its Channel Set-
tings window.
In the mixer you would select one of the Sends modes for the extended mixer panel; in 
the Inspector you would click the Sends tab.
In the channel settings window, the send section is located to the far 
right. Each of the eight sends has the following controls and options:
• A send on/off switch
• A send level slider
• A pre/post fader switch
• An Edit button
2.Pull down the routing pop-up menu for a send by clicking in the empty 
slot, and select the desired routing destination.
• If the first item on this menu, “No Bus” is selected, the send isn’t routed any-
where.
• Items called “FX 1”, “FX 2” etc. correspond to existing FX tracks. If you have 
renamed an FX track (see page 264) that name will appear on this menu in-
stead of the default.
• The menu also allows for routing a send directly to output busses, separate 
output bus channels or Group channels. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL11 – 268 Audio effects
3.In this case, select an FX channel track from the pop-up menu.
Now the send is routed to the FX channel.
4.Click the power button for the effect send so that it lights up in blue.
This activates the send.
5.Click and drag the send level slider to a moderate value.
The send level determines how much of the signal from the audio channel is routed to 
the FX channel via the send.
Setting the Send level.
6.If you want the signal to be sent to the FX channel before the audio 
channel’s volume fader in the mixer, click on the Pre Fader button for 
the send so that it lights up.
Normally you want the effect send to be proportional to the channel volume (post fader 
send). The pictures below show where the sends are “tapped” from the signal in pre 
and post fader mode, in Cubase SX and Cubase SL, respectively:
Input gain
Insert effects 1-6
EQ
Volume (fader)
Insert effects 7-8
Pre-fader sends
Post-fader sends
Insert effects 1-5
EQ
Volume (fader)
Pre-fader sends
Post-fader sends
Cubase SX: Cubase SL: 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLAudio effects 11 – 269
A send set to pre fader mode.
• You can choose whether a send in pre fader mode should be affected 
by the channel’s Mute button or not.
This is done with the option “Mute Pre-Send when Mute” in the Preferences (VST 
page).
•When one or several sends are activated for a channel, the Send 
Effects buttons light up in blue in the mixer and the Track list. Click the 
button for a channel to bypass (disable) all its effect sends.
When the sends are bypassed, the button is yellow. Click the button again to enable 
the sends. Note that this button is also available in the Inspector and the Channel set-
tings window.
Click this button to bypass the sends.
•You can also bypass individual sends in the channel overview.
See page 255.
•Alternatively, in the same manner you can bypass the send effects by 
clicking the “Bypass Inserts” button for the FX channel.
The difference is that this bypasses the actual send effects which may be used by sev-
eral different channels. Bypassing a send affects that send and that channel only. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL11 – 270 Audio effects
Setting pan for the sends (Cubase SX only)
By default, the sends for an audio channel follow any pan settings – 
stereo or surround – you make for the channel itself. This means that if 
an audio channel is panned to the right, the signal from its effect sends 
will be panned the same way, making the stereo imaging as clear and 
true as possible.
However, you may want to have different pan settings for the sends. 
There are several uses for this:
• If you route a send from a mono channel to a stereo FX channel track, you can 
position the send signal at center pan in the stereo FX channel (or anywhere 
you like).
• If you route a send from a stereo channel to a mono FX channel track, the pan 
control works as a crossfader, determining the balance between the stereo 
sides when the stereo send signal is mixed to mono.
• If you route a send from a mono or stereo channel to a FX channel track in 
surround format, you can use the surround panner to position the send signal 
in the surround image.
You set up send panning the following way:
1.Open the Channel settings window for the audio channel.
2.Pull down the Display Modes pop-up menu, located above the sends 
to the right.