Steinberg Nuendo 3 Operation Manual

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Using group channels for insert effects
Like all other channels, group channels can have up to eight insert ef-
fects. 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...

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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.).
To remedy this, you can freeze the track, by clicking on the Freeze 
button in the Inspector.
• When you freeze an audio...

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Notes
• You can only freeze audio tracks this way, not group channel tracks or FX 
channel tracks.
• 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 the VST In-
struments chapter in the separate PDF document “Working with MIDI”.
Send effects
Background
Send effects are handled through FX channel tracks. These are spe-
cial tracks that each can contain up...

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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...

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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...

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•If you like, you can add up to eight effects for the FX channel.
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...

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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 274) 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...

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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...

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• 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...

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Setting pan for the sends
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...