Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual

							CUBASE SX/SLRecording4 – 71
2.Select the track(s) by clicking in the Track list.
To select multiple tracks, press [Shift] or [Ctrl]/[Command] and click. The Inspector 
shows the settings for the first selected track (for details, see page 92).
3.Click the track headline in the Inspector to make sure the topmost 
section is shown.
4.Pull down the “in” pop-up menu and select an input.
The available MIDI inputs are shown. The items on the menu depend on the type of 
MIDI interface you are using etc. 
•If you select the “All MIDI Inputs” option, the track will receive MIDI 
data from all available MIDI inputs.
•If you hold down [Alt]/[Option] and select a MIDI input, this is selected 
for all MIDI tracks.
•If you hold down [Shift] and select a MIDI input, this is selected for all 
selected MIDI tracks.
•If you hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and select a MIDI input, this is se-
lected for all MIDI tracks within the same folder track (see page 97).  
						

							CUBASE SX/SL4 – 72 Recording
Setting the MIDI channel and output
The MIDI channel and output settings determine where the recorded 
MIDI is routed during playback, but are also relevant for MIDI Thru in 
Cubase SX/SL. Channel and output can be selected in the Track list 
or in the Inspector. The procedure below describes how to make the 
settings in the Inspector, but it can be done in largely the same man-
ner in the Track list as well.
1.To select the track(s) and show the settings in the Inspector, proceed 
as when selecting a MIDI input (see above).
2.Pull down the “out:” pop-up menu and select an output.
The available MIDI outputs are shown. The items on the menu depend on what type of 
MIDI interface you are using etc.
• If you hold down [Alt]/[Option] and select a MIDI output, this is selected for all 
MIDI tracks.
• If you hold down [Shift] and select a MIDI output, this is selected for all se-
lected MIDI tracks.
• If you hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and select a MIDI output, this is selected 
for all MIDI tracks within the same folder track (see page 97).
3.Use the “chn” pop-up menu to select a MIDI channel for the track.
•If you set the track to MIDI channel “Any”, each MIDI event on the track 
will be sent out on the channel stored in the event itself.
In other words, the MIDI material will be played back on the channel(s) used by the 
MIDI input device (the MIDI instrument you play during recording). 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLRecording4 – 73
Selecting a sound
You can select sounds from within Cubase SX/SL, by instructing the 
program to send Program Change and Bank Select messages to your 
MIDI device. This is done using the “prg” and “bnk” value fields in the 
Inspector or Track list.
Program Change messages give access to 128 different program lo-
cations. If your MIDI instruments have more than 128 programs, Bank 
Select messages (set in the “bnk” value field) allow you to select differ-
ent banks, each containing 128 programs.
• Bank Select messages are recognized differently by different MIDI in-
struments. Also, the structure and numbering of banks and programs 
may vary. Consult the documentation of your MIDI instruments for de-
tails.
• Note that it is also possible to select sounds by name. For descriptions 
of how to set this up, see the “MIDI devices” chapter in the separate pdf 
document “MIDI devices and features”. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL4 – 74 Recording
Recording
Recording MIDI is done according to the basic recording methods 
(see page 43). When you finish recording, a part containing MIDI 
events is created in the Project window.
About overlap and the Rec Mode setting
MIDI tracks are different from audio tracks when it comes to overlap-
ping parts:
• All events in overlapping parts are always played back.
If you record several parts at the same locations (or move parts so that they overlap), 
you will hear the events in all parts on playback, even though some of the parts are ob-
scured in the Project window.
When recording overlapping parts, the result depends on the Rec 
Mode setting on the Transport panel:
• If Rec Mode is set to “Normal”, overdub recording works as with audio tracks, 
i.e. if you record again where something has already been recorded, you get a 
new part that overlaps the previous one(s).
• If Rec Mode is set to “Merge”, the overdubbed events are added to the exist-
ing part.
• If Rec Mode is set to “Replace”, the new recording replaces any existing 
events in the area on that track.
About punch in and out on MIDI tracks
Performing and setting up manual and automatic punch in/out record-
ing for MIDI tracks is done in exactly the same way as for audio tracks. 
There is one thing to note, however: 
•Punching in and out on recordings with Pitch Bend or controller data 
(modulation wheel, sustain pedal, volume etc.) may lead to strange ef-
fects (apparently hanging notes, constant vibrato etc.).
If this happens, you may need to use the Reset item on the MIDI menu (see page 78).
About the Auto Quantize function
If Auto Quantize is activated on the Transport panel (the “Auto Q” but-
ton), the notes you record are automatically quantized according to 
the current Quantize settings. For more information about quantizing, 
see page 513. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLRecording4 – 75
Recording MIDI in cycle mode
When you record MIDI in cycle mode, the result depends on which 
Cycle Record mode is selected on the Transport panel:
Cycle Rec mode: Mix (MIDI)
For each completed lap, everything you record is added to what was 
previously recorded, in the same part. This is useful for building up 
rhythm patterns, for example. Record a hi-hat part on the first lap, the 
bass drum part on the second lap etc. 
Cycle Rec mode: Overwrite (MIDI)
As soon as you play a MIDI note (or send any MIDI message) all MIDI 
you have recorded on previous laps is overwritten – from that point on 
in the part. An example:
1.You start recording in an eight bar cycle.
2.The first take wasn’t good enough – you start directly with a new take 
on the next cycle lap and overwrite the first take.
3.After recording the second take you let the recording roll on and lis-
ten, without playing anything. 
You find that the take was good up until bar seven, for example.
4.On the next lap, you wait until bar seven and start playing.
This way you will overwrite the last two bars only.
5.Make sure you stop playing before the next lap begins – otherwise 
you will overwrite the entire take.
Cycle Rec mode: Keep Last
Each completed lap replaces the previously recorded lap. Note:
•The cycle lap must be completed – if you deactivate recording or 
press Stop before the cursor reaches the right locator, the previous 
take will be kept.
•If you don’t play or input any MIDI during a lap, nothing happens (the 
previous take will be kept). 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL4 – 76 Recording
Cycle Rec mode: Stacked/Stacked 2 (No Mute)
In this mode, the following happens: 
• Each recorded cycle lap is turned into a separate MIDI part.
• The track is divided into “lanes”, one for each cycle lap.
• The parts are stacked above each other, each on a different lane.
• All takes but the last one are muted (Stacked). 
• If Stacked 2 is selected, no muting takes place.
This makes it easy to create a “perfect take” by combining the best 
parts from the different cycle laps. You can edit the parts in the 
Project window (by cutting, resizing and deleting) or you can use a 
MIDI editor as in the following example:
1.Unmute the muted takes by clicking the parts with the Mute tool.
2.Select all takes (parts) and open them in the Key Editor for example.
3.Use the part list pop-up menu on the toolbar to select which part to 
edit.
See page 536.
4.Remove or edit notes as desired.
5.When you are happy with the result, close the editor.
6.To turn it all into a single MIDI part (containing your “perfect take”), se-
lect all parts and select Merge MIDI in Loop from the MIDI menu.
7.In the dialog that appears, activate the Erase Destination option and 
click OK.
The remaining events in the parts are merged together into a single part. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLRecording4 – 77
Recording different types of MIDI messages
You can decide exactly which event types should be recorded by using 
the MIDI filters – see page 81.
Notes
With MIDI, when you press and release a key on your synth or other 
MIDI keyboard, a Note On (key down) and a Note Off (key up) mes-
sage are sent out. The MIDI note message also contains the informa-
tion which MIDI channel was used. Normally, this information is overrid-
den by the MIDI channel setting for the track, but if you set the track to 
MIDI channel “Any”, the notes will be played back on their original 
channels.
Continuous messages
Pitch bend, aftertouch and controllers (like modulation wheel, sustain 
pedal, volume etc.) are considered as MIDI continuous events (as op-
posed to the momentary key down and key up messages). If you move 
the Pitch bend wheel on your synthesizer while recording, this move-
ment is recorded together with the key (Note On and Note Off mes-
sages), just as you’d expect. But the continuous messages can also 
be recorded after the notes have been recorded (or even before). They 
can also be recorded on their own tracks, separately from the notes to 
which they belong. 
Say for instance that you record one or several bass parts on track 2. 
If you now set another track, like track 55, to the same output and 
MIDI channel as track 2 you can make a separate recording of just 
pitch bends for the bass parts. This means that you activate recording 
as usual and only move the pitch bend wheel during the take. As long 
as the two tracks are set to the same output and MIDI channel it will 
appear to the MIDI instrument as if the two recordings were made at 
the same time. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL4 – 78 Recording
Program Change messages
Normally, when you switch from one program to another on your key-
board (or whatever you use to record), a number corresponding to that 
program is sent out via MIDI as a Program Change message. These 
can be recorded on the fly with the music, recorded afterwards on a 
separate track, or manually entered in the Key or List Editors. 
System Exclusive messages
System Exclusive (SysEx) is a special type of MIDI message used to 
send data that only makes sense to a unit of a certain make and type. 
Every major MIDI manufacturer has its own SysEx identity code and 
these are part of practically all SysEx messages. SysEx can be used 
to transmit a list of the numbers that make up the settings of one or 
more sounds in a synth. For more about viewing and editing SysEx 
messages, see the chapter “Working with System Exclusive mes-
sages” in the separate pdf document “MIDI devices and features”.
The Reset function
The Reset function on the MIDI menu sends out note-off messages 
and resets controllers on all MIDI channels. This is sometimes neces-
sary if you experience hanging notes, constant vibrato, etc.
•Cubase SX/SL can also automatically perform a MIDI reset during 
playback (after each part) and/or on stop.
You turn these functions on or off in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page). 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLRecording4 – 79
Retrospective Record
This feature allows you to capture any MIDI notes you play in Stop 
mode or during playback and turn them into a MIDI part “after the fact”. 
This is possible due to the fact that Cubase SX/SL can capture MIDI 
input in buffer memory, even when not recording.
Proceed as follows:
1.Enable the Retrospective Record function in the Preferences dialog 
(Record page).
This activates the buffering of MIDI input, making Retrospective Record possible.
2.Make sure a MIDI track is record enabled.
3.When you have played some MIDI material you want to capture (either 
in Stop mode or during playback), select Retrospective Record from 
the Transport menu (or use the key command, by default [Shift]-[Pad*]).
The contents of the MIDI buffer (i.e. what you just played) is turned into 
a MIDI part on the record enabled track. The part will appear where the 
project cursor was when you started playing – this means that if you 
played along during playback, the captured notes will end up exactly 
where you played them in relation to the project.
•The Retrospective Record Buffer Size setting in the Preferences dia-
log (Record page) determines how much data can be captured. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL4 – 80 Recording
MIDI Preferences
The following options and settings in the Preferences dialog affect 
MIDI recording and playback:
MIDI page
•Length Adjustment
Adjusts the length of notes so that there always is a short time between the end of one 
note and the start of another (of the same pitch and on the same MIDI channel). You 
set the time in ticks. By default there are 120 ticks per 1/16 note, but you can adjust 
this with the MIDI Display Resolution setting on the same page.
Record page
•Snap MIDI Parts to Bars
When this is activated, recorded MIDI parts will automatically be lengthened to start 
and end at whole bar positions. If you are working in a Bars+Beats-based context, this 
can make editing (moving, duplicating, repeating, etc.) easier.
•Solo Record in MIDI Editors
If this is activated and you open a part for editing in a MIDI editor, its track is automat-
ically record enabled. Furthermore, Record Enable is deactivated for all other MIDI 
tracks until you close the editor again.
This makes it easier to record MIDI data when you’re editing a part – you will always be 
sure the recorded data ends up in the edited part and not on any other track.
•MIDI Record Catch Range in ms
When you record starting at the left locator, this setting helps you make sure the very 
start of the recording is included. A very annoying scenario is when you have recorded 
a perfect MIDI take, only to find out that the very first note wasn’t included – because 
you started playing a little bit too early! If you raise the Record Catch Range, Cubase 
SX/SL will catch the events played just before the recording start point, eliminating this 
problem.