Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual
Have a look at the manual Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual online for free. It’s possible to download the document as PDF or print. UserManuals.tech offer 523 Steinberg manuals and user’s guides for free. Share the user manual or guide on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
CUBASE SX/SLAudio processing and functions 16 – 361 Dry/Wet mix Allows you to specify a mix ratio between “dry” and processed sound. Pre- and Post-Crossfade See page 356. Normalize The Normalize function allows you to specify the desired maximum level of the audio. It then analyzes the selected audio and finds the current maximum level. Finally it subtracts the current maximum level from the specified level, and raises the gain of the audio by the resulting amount (if the specified maximum level is lower than the current maximum, the gain will be lowered instead). A common use for Normalizing is to raise the level of audio that was recorded at too low an input level. The dialog contains the following settings: Maximum The desired maximum level for the audio, between -50 and 0dB. The setting is also indicated below the Gain display as a percentage. Pre- and Post-Crossfade See page 356.
CUBASE SX/SL16 – 362 Audio processing and functions Phase Reverse Reverses the phase of the selected audio, turning the waveform “up- side down”. The dialog contains the following settings: Phase Reverse on When processing stereo audio, this pop-up menu allows you to spec- ify which channel(s) should be phase reversed. Pre- and Post-Crossfade See page 356. Pitch Shift This function allows you to change the pitch of the audio with or with- out affecting its length. You can also create “harmonies” by specifying several pitches, or apply pitch shift based on a user specified enve- lope curve.
CUBASE SX/SLAudio processing and functions 16 – 363 When the “Transpose” tab is selected, the dialog contains the follow- ing parameters: Keyboard display This offers a way to specify the transpose interval in semitones, and gives a graphic overview of the transposition setting. •The “root note” is indicated in red. This has nothing to do with the actual key or pitch of the original audio, it just provides a way to display transpose intervals. If you like, you can change the root note by using the settings to the right below the keyboard display, or by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and clicking in the keyboard display. •To specify a transpose interval, click on one of the keys. The key is indicated in blue, and the program plays test tones in the base pitch and transpose pitch, to give you an audible confirmation. •If “Multi Shift” is activated (see below), you can click on several keys to create “chords”. Clicking on a blue (activated) key removes it. Pitch Shift settings The “Semitones” and “Fine tune” settings allow you to specify the amount of pitch shift. You can transpose the audio ±16 semitones, and fine tune it by ±200 cents (hundredths of semitones). Volume Allows you to lower the volume of the pitch shifted sound. Multi Shift When this is activated, you can add more than one transpose value, creating multi-part harmonies. This is done by adding intervals in the keyboard display, as described above. •If the intervals you add make up a standard chord, this chord is dis- played to the right. Note however, that to include the base pitch (the original, untransposed sound) in the processed result, you need to click the base key in the keyboard display as well, so that it is displayed in blue.
CUBASE SX/SL16 – 364 Audio processing and functions Listen Key/Chord button Clicking this button plays a test tone, pitched according to the acti- vated interval key on the keyboard display. If “Multi Shift” is activated, this button is called “Listen Chord”, and plays all activated intervals, as a chord. Pitch Shift Base This allows you to set the root note (the red key in the keyboard dis- play). This has no actual relation to the pitch of the audio material, but should be viewed as an aid for easily setting up intervals and chords. Algorithm Allows you to select one of two algorithms: Timebandit Standard and MPEX (Cubase SX only). Timebandit Standard gives lower audio qual- ity but is faster while MPEX is slower and gives higher audio quality. The MPEX mode has 4 quality settings, 1 to 4, which can also be set using the Mono-Poly slider: 1 should be used for single voices/instru- ments, 2 for polyphonic material (fast), three for polyphonic material (medium) and 4 for polyphonic material with highest quality results (slow). You cannot use the Preview function in MPEX mode, since the MPEX algorithm isn’t designed for real time processing. Formant Mode (MPEX only) If you are processing vocal material, you should activate this option in order to preserve the vocal characteristics of the pitch shifted audio. Time Correction When this is activated, the pitch shift process will not affect the length of the audio. When this is deactivated, raising the pitch will shorten the audio section and vice versa, much like changing the playback speed on a tape recorder.
CUBASE SX/SLAudio processing and functions 16 – 365 Using envelope based Pitch Shift When the “Envelope” tab is selected, you can specify an envelope curve on which the pitch shift should be based. This allows you to cre- ate pitch bend effects, pitch shift different sections of the audio by dif- ferent amounts, etc. Envelope display Shows the shape of the envelope curve, over the waveform image of the audio selected for processing. Envelope curve points above the center line indicate positive pitch shift, while curve points below the center line indicate negative pitch shift. Initially, the envelope curve will be a horizontal, centered line, indicating zero pitch shift. •You can click on the curve to add points, and click and drag existing points to change the shape. To remove a point from the curve, drag it outside the display.
CUBASE SX/SL16 – 366 Audio processing and functions Curve Kind These buttons determine whether the envelope curve should consist of spline curve segments (left button), damped spline segments (mid- dle button) or linear segments (right button). Spline curve segment envelope. The same envelope with damped spline segments selected The same envelope with linear segments selected.
CUBASE SX/SLAudio processing and functions 16 – 367 Range This parameter determines the vertical pitch range of the envelope. If set to “4”, moving a curve point to the top of the display corresponds to pitch shifting by + 4 semitones. The maximum range is +/- 16 Semitones. Transpose and Fine Tune Allows you to adjust the value of a curve point numerically: 1.Click on a curve point to select it. The selected point is shown in red. 2.Adjust the Transpose and Fine Tune parameters to change the pitch of the curve point in semitones and cents, respectively. Pitch Shift Mode These are the same parameters as on the Transpose tab. Example Let’s say that you wish to create a pitch bend effect, so that the pitch is raised linearly by exactly 2 semitones in a specific part of the selected audio. 1.Remove all curve points by clicking the Reset button. 2.Select a linear curve by clicking the right Curve Kind button. 3.Create a point where you want the pitch bend to start by clicking on the envelope line. Since this is the starting point for the pitch bend, you want its pitch to be zero (the en- velope line should still be straight). If necessary, use the Fine Tune parameter to set the curve point to 0 cents, because this point governs the start point, where you want the pitch transition to begin. 4.Create a new curve point at the horizontal position where you want the pitch bend to reach the full value. This curve point determines the rise time of the pitch bend effect, i.e. the further away from the starting point the new point is positioned, the longer it will take for the pitch bend to reach the full value, and vice versa. 5.Make sure the Range parameter is set to 2 semitones or higher.
CUBASE SX/SL16 – 368 Audio processing and functions 6.With the second point still selected, use the Transpose and Fine Tune parameters to set the pitch to exactly 2 semitones. 7.Create a new curve point to set the duration of the pitch bend, i.e. the time the pitch should remain transposed by 2 semitones. 8.Finally, create a point where you want the pitch bend to end. You don’t need to create a new point if this should be the end of the audio file being processed. There is always an end point at the right side of the waveform display. 9.If necessary, make additional settings in the Pitch Shift Mode section. 10.Click Process. The pitch bend is applied according to the specified settings. Remove DC Offset This function will remove any DC offset in the audio selection. A DC offset is when there is too large a DC (direct current) component in the signal, sometimes visible as the signal not being visually centered around the “zero level axis”. DC offsets do not affect what you actually hear, but they affect zero crossing detection and certain processing, and it is recommended that you remove them. It is recommended that this function is applied to complete audio clips, since the DC offset (if any) is normally present throughout the entire re- cording. There are no parameters for this function. Note that you can check for DC Offset in an audio clip using the Statistics function (see page 386).
CUBASE SX/SLAudio processing and functions 16 – 369 Resample The Resample function can be used for changing the length, tempo and pitch of an event. The original sample rate of the event is listed in the dialog. Resample the event to a higher or lower sample rate by either specifying a sam- ple rate or by specifying the difference (in percentages) between the original sample rate and the desired new one. • Resampling to a higher sample rate will make the event longer and cause the audio to play back at a slower speed with a lower pitch. • Resampling to a lower sample rate will make the event shorter and cause the audio to play back at a faster speed with a higher pitch. •You can audition the result of the resampling by entering the desired value and clicking “Preview”. The event will then be played back as it will sound after the resampling. •When you are satisfied with the preview result, click “Process” to close the dialog and apply the processing. Reverse Reverses the audio selection, as when playing a tape backwards. There are no parameters for this function. Silence Replaces the selection with silence. There are no parameters for this function.
CUBASE SX/SL16 – 370 Audio processing and functions Stereo Flip This function works with stereo audio selections only. It allows you to manipulate the left and right channel in various ways. The dialog con- tains the following parameters: Mode This pop-up menu determines what the function does: Option Description Flip Left-Right Swaps the left and right channel. Left to Stereo Copies the left channel sound to the right channel. Right to Stereo Copies the right channel sound to the left channel. Merge Merges both channels on each side, for mono sound. Subtract Subtracts the left channel information from the right and vice versa. This is typically used as a “Karaoke effect”, for removing centered mono material from a stereo signal.