Steinberg Nuendo 4 Operation Manual

							111
Using markers
Moving marker positions in the Marker window
The Move button in the Marker window can be used to 
“reprogram” marker positions. Proceed as follows:
1.Set the project cursor to the position to which you 
want to move (or re-program) a marker.
2.Select the marker that you want to change in the 
Marker window.
Do not select the marker by clicking in the leftmost column, as this will 
move the project cursor to this marker.
If a cycle marker is selected, the Move operation affects 
the cycle marker start position.
The length of the range is not affected.
3.Click the Move button.
You can also move markers by editing their position nu-
merically in the Position column.
About marker ID numbers
Each time you add a marker, it is automatically and se-
quentially assigned an ID number, starting from ID 1. ID 
numbers can be changed at any time – this allows you to 
assign specific markers to key commands (see below). 
IDs for cycle markers are shown in brackets and start from 
[1]. These may also be changed.
Assigning markers to key commands
As explained above, marker ID numbers are assigned au-
tomatically and sequentially each time you add a marker. 
The nine first markers (1 to 9) can be recalled by using key 
commands – by default these are [Shift]-[1] to [9] on the 
typewriter part of the keyboard.
ÖIf you have more than nine markers, you cannot use 
key commands to navigate to markers numbered 10 or 
higher.
If you want to keep all current markers, but want to specify 
which markers should be accessed via key commands, 
the solution is to reassign the marker ID numbers. Pro-
ceed as follows:
1.First decide which of the current markers with an ID 
between 1 and 9 you want to reassign to a new ID number, 
and thus remove its key command assignment.
Memorize the ID number.
2.Enter this ID number in the ID column of the marker you 
want to access with a key command and press [Enter].
The two marker ID numbers are switched, and the key command now 
locates to the marker selected in this step.
3.Repeat as necessary for other markers.
You can also simply remove a marker with an ID number 
between 1 to 9 to free up a key – see “Adding and remo-
ving markers in the Marker window” on page 110.
For more about marker key commands, see “Marker key 
commands” on page 113.
Using the Marker track
The Marker track is used for viewing and editing markers. 
Markers shown on the Marker track are exactly the same 
as shown in the Marker window, and any changes made 
on the Marker track are reflected in the Marker window 
and vice versa. Standard position markers in the Marker 
track are shown as marker events: vertical lines with the 
marker name (if assigned) and number beside it. If you se-
lect the Marker track, all markers are shown in the Inspec-
tor, much like in the Marker window.
About cycle markers
Cycle markers are shown on the Marker track as two 
markers bridged by a horizontal line. Cycle markers are 
ideal for storing sections of a project. By setting cycle 
markers for sections of a song, for example “Intro”, 
“Verse”, “Chorus” etc., this enables you to quickly navi-
gate to the song sections, and also to optionally repeat 
the section (by activating Cycle on the Transport panel). 
In addition, Cycle markers appear on the horizontal Zoom 
pop-up menu in the Project window (see below).
Adding the Marker track
To add the Marker track to the Project, select “Marker” from 
the Add Track submenu of the Project menu (or right-click 
in the Track list and select “Add Marker Track”). You can 
only have one Marker track in a project.
Cycle markersMarkers
Locators 
						

							112
Using markers
Editing markers on the Marker track
The following editing functions can be performed directly 
on the Marker track:
Adding position markers “on the fly”.
Use the [Insert] key (Win) or the “Add Marker” button in the Track list for 
the Marker track to add position markers at the current cursor position 
during playback. 
Adding a cycle marker at the left and right locator posi-
tions.
Clicking the “Add Cycle Marker” button in the Track list for the Marker 
track adds a cycle marker spanning the area between the left and right 
locator.
Selecting markers.
You can use standard selection techniques like dragging to make a se-
lection rectangle, or use [Shift] to select separate markers.
Drawing position markers.
By using the Pencil tool (or pressing [Alt]/[Option] and using the Arrow 
tool), you can create or “draw” position marker events at any position on 
the track. If snap is activated on the toolbar, this determines at which po-
sitions you can draw markers.
Drawing cycle markers.
To draw a cycle marker range, press [Ctrl]/[Command] and use the Pen-
cil tool or the Arrow tool. Snap settings are applied if activated. 
ÖCycle markers can freely overlap. 
Resizing a cycle marker.
Select a cycle marker by clicking on it. Two handles appear at the bottom 
of the start and end events. If you click and hold one of the handles you 
can drag the event left or right to resize the cycle marker. This can also 
be done numerically on the info line.
Moving markers.
Click and drag to move the selected markers or edit marker positions on 
the info line. As usual, snap is taken into account if activated.
Removing markers.
This is done exactly the same way as for other events, i.e. by selecting 
them and pressing [Delete], using the Erase tool etc.
Naming markers.
A selected marker’s name can be edited on the info line.
Navigating using cycle markers
Cycle markers represent ranges rather than single posi-
tions. Therefore you don’t use them for moving the project 
cursor, but for moving the left and right locators:
If you double-click on a cycle marker or select it from 
the Cycle pop-up menu in the Track list, the left and right 
locators are moved to encompass the cycle marker.
To move the project cursor position to the start or the end of the cycle 
marker, move it to the corresponding locator (e.g. by using the numeric 
pad keys [1] and [2]).
You can also use key commands for this – see “Marker 
key commands” on page 113.
Zooming to cycle markers
By selecting a cycle marker on the Zoom pop-up menu, 
the event display is zoomed in to encompass the selected 
range only (see the section “Zoom presets and Cycle mar-
kers” on page 36).
You can also do this by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and double-clicking on 
the cycle marker in the event display.
Editing cycle markers using tools
Cycle markers can be edited on the Marker track using the 
following tools (Snap applies as usual):
The other tools cannot be used with cycle markers.
Add Marker/Add Cycle Marker buttons
Tool Use
Pencil Press [Ctrl]/[Command] and use the Pencil tool to create 
new cycle markers (as described above).
Eraser Click with the Eraser tool to delete a cycle marker. If you 
hold down [Alt]/[Option] when you click, all consecutive 
markers will also be deleted.
Selection 
RangeThis is described in the following section. 
						

							113
Using markers
Using markers to make range selections in the 
Project window
Besides enabling you to quickly move the project cursor 
and the locators, markers can be used in conjunction with 
the Range Selection tool to make range selections in the 
Project window. This is useful if you quickly want to make 
a selection that spans all tracks in the project. 
Double-click with the Range Selection tool between any 
two markers – this creates a selection range between the 
markers, spanning all tracks in the project (just as if you had 
used the Range Selection tool to draw a rectangle).
Any functions or processing you perform now will affect the selection only.
Moving and copying sections
This is a quick way to move or copy complete sections of 
the project (on all tracks):
1.Set markers at the start and end of the section you 
want to move or copy.
2.Select the Range Selection tool and double-click on 
the Marker track between the markers.
Everything in the project within the cycle marker boundaries is selected.
3.Click on the Marker track in the selected range and 
drag the range to a new position.
The selection in the Project window is moved to the same position.
If you hold down [Alt]/[Option] while you drag the range, 
the selection in the Project window is copied instead.
Marker key commands
You can use key commands for the following marker oper-
ations:If you need to check or change any key command assign-
ments, the marker commands can be found in the Trans-
port category in the Key Commands dialog.
ÖFor the [Shift]+[Pad1] to [Pad9] commands to work, 
Num Lock must be deactivated on the computer key-
board!
Editing markers in the Project 
Browser
If you have a Marker track in the Project window, you can 
create and edit all marker parameters, including marker 
IDs, in the Project Browser. Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Project Browser by selecting it from the 
Project menu.
2.Select “Marker” in the Project Structure window.
A list of the markers is shown in the main Browser window.
3.Now you can edit marker names, positions and ID 
numbers by selecting an item and typing in values as usual 
in the main editor window.
For details about editing in the Project Browser see “Editing the Marker 
track” on page 433.
You can use the Add pop-up menu in combination with 
the Add button to insert new markers or cycle markers 
when the Marker track is selected in the Project Browser.
This works just like the Add button in the Marker window (see “Adding 
and removing markers in the Marker window” on page 110).
Operation Description Default key
Insert Marker Creates a new marker at the current 
project cursor position.[Insert] 
(Windows only)
Locate Next 
MarkerMoves the project cursor to the right to 
the next marker position (if any).[Shift]+[N]
Locate Previous 
MarkerMoves the project cursor to the left to 
the previous marker position (if any).[Shift]+[B]
To Marker 1-9 Moves the project cursor to the speci-
fied marker (number 1 to 9).[Shift]+[1] to [9]
Set Marker 1-9 Moves the specified marker (number 1 
to 9) to the current project cursor posi-
tion.[Ctrl]+[1] to [9]
Recall Cycle 
Marker 1-9Moves the left and right locators to 
encompass the specified cycle marker 
(1 to 9).[Shift]+[Pad1] to 
[Pad9]
!To view and edit markers in the Project Browser, the 
Marker track must be added to the Project window.
Operation Description Default key 
						

							The Transpose functions 
						

							115
The Transpose functions
Introduction
Nuendo offers transpose functions for audio, MIDI and in-
strument parts and for audio events. These allow you to 
create variations of your music or change the harmonics of 
an entire project or separate sections. 
Transpose can be applied on three levels:
On the entire project
By changing the project Root Key in the Project window toolbar, the 
whole project will be transposed (see “Transposing an entire project with 
the Root Key” on page 115). 
On sections of the project
By creating Transpose events on the Transpose track you can set trans-
pose values for separate sections of your project (see “Transposing sep-
arate sections of a project using Transpose events” on page 118).
On individual parts or events
By selecting individual parts or events and changing their transpose 
value in the info line, you can transpose individual parts or events (see 
“Transposing individual parts or events using the info line” on page 118).
Apart from the transpose features described in this chap-
ter, you can also transpose all MIDI notes on the selected 
track using the MIDI modifiers (see “Transpose” on page 
346), selected notes using the Transpose dialog (see 
“Transpose” on page 357), and MIDI tracks using MIDI ef-
fects (see the separate manual “Nuendo Expansion Kit – 
Cubase Music Tools for Nuendo 4”).
Transposing your music
In the following sections we will describe the different 
possibilities of transposing your music. Note that these 
can also be combined. However, we recommend you to 
set the root key first, before recording or changing trans-
pose values on the transpose track. 
Transposing an entire project with the Root Key
The root key you specify for a project will be the reference 
that audio or MIDI events in your project will follow. You can 
of course exclude separate parts or events from being 
transposed, e.g. drums or percussion (see “The Global 
Transpose setting” on page 119). 
Depending on whether you are using events which al-
ready contain root key information or not, the procedures 
differ slightly:
If the events already contain root key information
Let’s say you want to create a project based on loops. 
Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Mediabay and drag some loops into an emp-
ty project, see “Browsing for media files” on page 316.
For this example, import audio loops with different root keys.
!The transpose functions do not change the actual 
MIDI notes or the audio, but only affect the playback. 
!As a general rule, you should always set the root key 
first when you work with content with a defined root 
key. 
						

							116
The Transpose functions
2.Now, open the Root Key pop-up menu in the Project 
window toolbar and set the project root key.
The entire project will be played back with this root key. Note that by de-
fault, the project root key is not specified (“-”).
A loop-based project with different event root keys
The separate loops will be transposed in order to match 
the project root key. If you e.g. have imported a bass loop 
in C and the project root key is set to E, the bass loop will 
be transposed up by 4 semitones.
3.Now (with the root key set), record audio or MIDI.
The recorded events will get the project root key.
4.When you are done and satisfied with the result, you 
can change the project root key and your events will follow.
If the events do not contain root key information
Let’s say you have created a project by recording audio 
and importing some MIDI loops, and you want to match 
the root key of the whole project to the register of a certain 
singer.
Proceed as follows:
1.In your project, open the Project menu and select 
“Transpose” from the Add Track submenu (or right-click in 
the Track list and select “Add Transpose Track”) to add the 
Transpose track. 
You can only have one Transpose track in a project.
2.Set the project to the desired root key by selecting the 
corresponding option from the Root Key pop-up in the 
Project window toolbar.
3.Right-click in the Track list for the Transpose track and 
select “Set root key for unassigned events” from the con-
text menu.
This sets the project root key for all unassigned parts or events. You can 
undo this command by selecting Undo from the Edit menu. The “Set root 
key for unassigned events” option is only available, if a project root key 
has been set.
!If you work with drums or percussion, you should ex-
clude these from being transposed by setting the 
“Global Transpose” setting on the info line to “Inde-
pendent” (see “The Global Transpose setting” on 
page 119).
!If you work with drums or percussion, you should ex-
clude these from being transposed by setting the 
“Global Transpose” setting on the info line to “Inde-
pendent” (see “The Global Transpose setting” on 
page 119). 
						

							117
The Transpose functions
Recording with a project root key
Let’s say that you want to record a guitar line for a project 
that is in D# minor, but your guitar player prefers to play A 
minor and G major. In this case, you can change the 
project root key to A, so that you can record your guitar. 
Proceed as follows:
1.Open your project and set the project root key to A.
All parts and events will be transposed in order to match the root key.
2.Listen to your project and verify that no drums and 
percussions have been transposed. 
If drums have been transposed, select them and set their Global Trans-
pose setting to “Independent”.
3.Record your guitar line as desired.
4.When you are done and you are satisfied with the re-
sult, you can change the project root key back to D# mi-
nor and your events will follow.
Changing the Root key of single events or parts
If you want to check if an audio event or part has root key 
information or if you want to change it, proceed as follows:
1.Open the Pool and display the Key column by select-
ing “Root Key” from the “View/Attributes” pop-up menu in 
the Pool. 
An audio event with a root key set to “C”
2.Click in the Root Key column for the desired audio 
event and set the key according to your needs.
You can also check and assign Root Keys in the MediaBay.
ÖIf you change the root key of an audio part or event, 
the corresponding audio file will not change. To save the 
Root Key setting in the audio file, you have to use the 
“Bounce Selection” function from the Audio menu. To check the root key setting of a MIDI part, proceed as 
follows:
1.Select your MIDI part in the Project window and check 
the Project window info line.
A MIDI part with a root key set to “E”
2.Click on the root key value in the info line to open the 
Root key pop-up menu in the Project window info line and 
select the desired root key.
!For recorded audio events and MIDI parts, the “Global 
Transpose” setting on the info line ist automatically set 
to “Follow”, i.e. the events or parts will get the project 
root key.
!If you change the project root key after setting the 
event root key, the events will keep their own root key 
settings, and will be transposed to match the project 
root key. If you record an audio or a MIDI part and the 
project root key is specified, this root key is automat-
ically set. 
						

							118
The Transpose functions
Transposing separate sections of a project 
using Transpose events
Sometimes you may want to transpose only certain sec-
tions of your project, e.g. to create harmonic variations. 
This can be done by creating transpose events. Trans-
pose events allow you to add a relative transpose offset by 
specifying transpose values in semitones. You can e.g. 
brighten up your loops in C major by transposing them by 
5 semitones, so that the subdominant on F major is played 
back, or you can turn your hit more interesting by trans-
posing the last chorus one semitone upwards.
1.In your project, open the Project menu and select 
“Transpose” from the Add Track submenu (or right-click in 
the Track list and select “Add Transpose Track”) to add the 
Transpose track. 
You can only have one Transpose track in a project.
2.Select the Pencil tool from the toolbar and click in the 
Transpose track to create a transpose event. 
A transpose event will be created from the point where you clicked until 
the end of the project.
3.To create another transpose event, click with the pen-
cil tool on the first transpose event.
By default, the transpose value of new transpose events is set to 0.
You can add more transpose events by clicking with the pencil tool. 
4.Click in the transpose value field and enter the trans-
pose value for the transpose event.
You can enter the desired value with the computer keyboard, use the 
mouse wheel or [Alt]/[Option]-click on the transpose value to open a 
value fader. You can specify values between -24 and 24 semitones. 
If you move the mouse over the transpose event, the cursor turns into a 
hand symbol. This indicates that you can use the mouse wheel to 
change the value.
5.Play back your project.
The parts of your project on the same position as the transpose events 
will be transposed according to the specified transpose values.
ÖYou can also transpose the whole project by means of 
the transpose track. This is useful e.g. if your singer does 
not reach a certain pitch. In this case you can transpose 
your whole project by e.g. -2 semitones. Always remem-
ber to verify that the “Global Transpose” setting for drums 
and percussion is set to “Independent” on the info line 
(see “The Global Transpose setting” on page 119).
You can erase and move transpose events, but you can 
not mute, cut or glue them. The option “Locators to Selec-
tion” does not apply on transpose events. 
Transposing individual parts or events using 
the info line
You can also transpose individual audio and MIDI parts and 
events via the Info line (or the Inspector). This transposition 
will be added to the global transposition (i.e. the root key or 
the transpose events). Proceed as follows:
1.Select the event that you want to transpose.
2.In the Project window info line, adjust the Transpose 
value as desired.
ÖA global transpose change will not overwrite individual 
part or event transpose, but will be added to the trans-
pose value for the part or event. In this case, it might be 
useful to keep the transposition within the octave range 
(see “Keep Transpose in Octave Range” on page 120). 
						

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The Transpose functions
Other functions
Indicate Transpositions
When you transpose your music, you may sometimes 
want to visually compare the original sounds and the 
transposed music. For MIDI parts, you can check this by 
opening the Key Editor and clicking the “Indicate Transpo-
sitions” button. This will help you see how your MIDI notes 
will be transposed. If the button is activated, the Key Edi-
tor will show the note pitch you will hear, if it is deacti-
vated, the Key Editor shows the original pitch of the notes 
in your MIDI part. By default, the “Indicate Transpositions” 
button is deactivated.
A MIDI part as originally recorded.
When you activate “Indicate Transpositions” you will see how your MIDI 
part will be transposed. 
The Global Transpose setting
If you are working with drum and percussion loops or with 
special effects (FX) loops, you normally want to exclude 
these events from being transposed. This can be achieved 
by locking them using the Global Transpose setting. Pro-
ceed as follows:
1.Open your project.
2.Select the desired event or part and set the “Global 
Transpose” setting on the info line to “Independent”.
A symbol will be displayed in the upper right corner of the selected part 
or event. This indicates that the part or event will not be transposed nei-
ther by changing the root key nor by specifying transpose events. 
If Global Transpose is set to Independent, the selected part will not be 
transposed.
3.You can now change the project root key.
The “Independent” parts or events will not be affected by the root key 
changes.
ÖIf you import ready-made parts or events that are 
tagged drums or FX, Global Transpose will be automatically 
set to Independent.
If you record audio or MIDI, Global Transpose will be set to 
“Independent”, if the transpose track exists and you have 
specified at least one transpose event (even when the 
transpose value is not defined). In this case, your recording 
will sound exactly the way you played it. The transpose 
events will not be taken into account during recording and 
the recorded event will not get the project root key. Have a 
look at the following example:
1.Set up a project with the root key in C.
2.Add a transpose track and enter transpose events 
with the values 0, 5, 7 and 0.
3.Record some chords with your MIDI keyboard. For our 
example, record C, F, G and C.
The transpose events are not taken into account and the result of your 
recording will be C, F, G and C. The root key will be not set. 
						

							120
The Transpose functions
ÖYou will get exactly what you have recorded, i.e. when 
your record C, F, G and C this will be played back exactly 
as you recorded it. This is because the recorded event is 
“Independent” from Global Transpose.
If no transpose track exists or if no transpose event has 
been added, Global Transpose will be set to Follow.
If Global Transpose is set to Follow, the selected part will follow all glo-
bal transpositions.
The Edit Lock on the Transpose track
If you want to prevent your transpose events from being 
changed by mistake, you can activate the Lock button on 
the transpose track. This way, you will not be able to move 
your transpose events or change their transpose values.
Mute transpose events
Sometimes it might be useful to disable the transpose 
track, e.g. to hear the original sound of individual tracks. If 
you activate the mute button on the transpose track, your 
transpose events will not be taken into account during 
playback.
Keep Transpose in Octave Range
The “Keep Transpose in Octave Range” button on the 
transpose track (the button with an up and down arrow in 
brackets) keeps the transposition in the octave range. This 
option is activated by default. This way, nothing will be 
transposed by more than seven semitones. This ensures 
that your music never sounds unnatural because the pitch 
was raised too high or too low. 
To understand the principle behind this, follow the exam-
ple below:
1.Create a MIDI part, enter a C major chord, open the key 
editor and activate “Indicate Transpositions”.
This way you can observe and understand what happens, when you 
change the tranposition.
2.Add a transpose track and create a transpose event.
By default, the transpose value is set to 0.
3.Make sure that the “Keep Transpose in Octave 
Range” button is activated on the transpose track and 
change the transpose value of the transpose event.
Your chord will be transposed upwards or downwards according to the 
entered values.
If you enter a transpose value of 7, your chord will be transposed by 
seven semitones upwards. In this example, this would be G3/B3/D4.