tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57459154429833190322024-03-18T12:00:32.397-07:00No Limit Sound ProductionsWelcome to No Limit Sound Productions. Where there are no limits! Enjoy your visit!Audrey/Kicks 'n' Giggles Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498643894656058365noreply@blogger.comBlogger5217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-37717900535601914632024-03-18T12:00:00.000-07:002024-03-18T12:00:00.236-07:00Cubase 10: Channel Settings Workflow<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="group-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "The Channel Settings window provides a flexible and efficient environment for many basic mix processing tasks.", "alt": "The Channel Settings window provides a flexible and efficient environment for many basic mix processing tasks."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0120_01-4iEcZxY_TKuYnAOPMmpquvBIAHHFeaAV.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; outline: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="The Channel Settings window provides a flexible and efficient environment for many basic mix processing tasks." height="188" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0120_01-LN9GnGYyXk6fz94g8LidjNDeJJpST6Rd.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="The Channel Settings window provides a flexible and efficient environment for many basic mix processing tasks." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>The Channel Settings window provides a flexible and efficient environment for many </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>basic mix processing tasks.</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Could Cubase 10's Channel Settings window become your go-to mixing tool?</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Cubase's Channel Strip has the potential to make mixing much more efficient. Indeed, the same concept has translated fairly well from its hardware origins into most modern DAWs now. But when screen space is at a premium some implementations can require considerable screen real-estate — and while the collapsible Rack system in Cubase's MixConsole is brilliant in so many respects, accessing all the controls for each channel can entail a lot of opening/closing of Racks or scrolling up/down.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">A small-screen-friendly alternative is to build your workflow around the Channel Settings window. Sure, you can only display controls for one channel at once, but this window makes the complete Channel Strip's controls available in a very easy-to-use format. And with the useful refinements Steinberg made to the operation of the Channel Settings window in Cubase 10, you really should consider putting it at the heart of your mixing workflow.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-10-channel-settings-workflow#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Channel Guide</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">The Channel Settings window can be opened for the currently selected track/channel by clicking on the 'e' button in the Project window's Track List or in the MixConsole, and it gives you access to the full control set that's found in the MixConsole — but in a larger, easier to use GUI.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">As in previous versions, the contents of the MixConsole's EQ and Channel Strip Racks dominate the central portion of the display, but in v10 Steinberg made some worthwhile tweaks to what's possible here. For example, the UI was improved to offer better access to the core controls of each module, the visual feedback/metering was revamped and, while the EQ section could already be viewed in an expanded form via the Equalizer tab, you can now do that for the Compression section too (via a further 'e' button). The Channel Strip tab now includes a compact version of the EQ section in situ, and you can drag and drop to change the order of the various modules in the signal flow, which makes it much easier to see and configure your preferred processing chain.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-10-channel-settings-workflow#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">The Sound Of Beating Drums</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">When considering what the Channel Settings approach might offer you, there are two key questions to ask. First, are the tools provided up to the job? Second, how can they facilitate a more efficient workflow? The first is a huge question, but by way of example let's briefly consider a common mixing task: submixing a multitrack drum recording. In the example shown in the first screen there are seven mic channels, with single kick, snare and hi-hat mics joined by pairs of overheads and room (ambience) mics. For all the shiny appeal of your third-party plug-ins, the stock Cubase plug-ins in the Channel Strip and EQ sections are more than capable enough for routine mix-processing tasks like this, so the bulk of your work can easily be done in the expanded Channel Strip display.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">The exact settings required for each module across the various drum channels will obviously be project-specific, but it's worth exploring some cool features in the Channel Strip plug-ins. For example, the Noise Gate features a very useful input filter, and you can activate this via the AF button. You can then engage the LST (listen) function while you adjust the Freq and Q settings of the filter to focus the action of the gate within the dominant frequency of each sound source. In this drum mix, I used this on the kick, snare and hi-hat mics, and it allowed me to maximise the spill rejection from other drums into those mics.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "You can now access the full control set for your selected compressor within the Channel Settings window.", "alt": "You can now access the full control set for your selected compressor within the Channel Settings window."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0120_02-QynGLh4Gfgwz8Z6FblA.j9ShOzpFjQoy.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="You can now access the full control set for your selected compressor within the Channel Settings window." height="242" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0120_02-eye5oPTmho9IjP5Bq_B7BUQQ4QEnl.Kc.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="You can now access the full control set for your selected compressor within the Channel Settings window." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>You can now access the full control set for your selected compressor within the Channel Settings window.</i></span></span>It's also worth noting that all three compressor options (Standard, Tube or Vintage), which offer different characters of compression, also include Mix controls — making it possible to experiment with parallel compression on individual drum mics without leaving this window. And that, alongside the expected four-band EQ controls and an expanded display of the EQ curve, the Equalizer tab grants you access to controls from the MixConsole's Pre section. Most usefully, this includes a variable-slope low-cut filter for routine high-pass processing, and the Phase button (a polarity inverter), which is useful to optimise the phase relationships of multiple mics used on a single source. In this drum mix I used the low-cut filter to remove unwanted rumble to varying degrees on all the tracks (yes, even the kick), and set it higher for the two room mics, to prevent the kick being too ambient.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "The EQ tab includes full access to the four-band EQ but also the very useful high-cut and low-cut filters from the Pre Rack section.", "alt": "The EQ tab includes full access to the four-band EQ but also the very useful high-cut and low-cut filters from the Pre Rack section."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0120_03-lkenVv6XRzf.Sdhxhv1nuavcE2E0MCP..jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="The EQ tab includes full access to the four-band EQ but also the very useful high-cut and low-cut filters from the Pre Rack section." height="243" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0120_03-veWoVkBiRR7lhbIFspSvw_gqLCiO2OmY.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="The EQ tab includes full access to the four-band EQ but also the very useful high-cut and low-cut filters from the Pre Rack section." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>The EQ tab includes full access to the four-band EQ but also the very useful high-cut and low-cut filters from the Pre Rack section.</i></span></span>The Tools section offers a choice of the DeEsser (useful for vocal tracks, obviously, but drums too on occasion) and EnvelopeShaper. The latter is very useful for drums and a doddle to use. In this mix I use it to enhance the attack of the kick and snare, to help them punch through more clearly. Finally, I applied a subtle amount of saturation to all the channels (you can choose between Magneto II, Tape or Tube options) and limiting (Standard Limiter, Brickwall or Maximizer) just to control any really hot peaks.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">I've provided a couple of audio examples, in which I compare my raw drum tracks to the drum 'mix', with processing configured solely in the Channel Settings window on each track. To my ears, the end result is clearer and has more punch — I achieved what I set out to achieve using only these tools. So whether or not you have access to third-party, channel strip-style plug-ins, I'd say the Cubase Channel Settings toolset could take you a long way along your mixing journey. For routine mix tasks, at least, I'd answer our first question with an emphatic 'yes'.</p><blockquote style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #eeeeee; background-origin: initial; background-position: 5px 8px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; display: table; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">As you build up experience with the common control set, your familiarity will translate to much faster operation...</blockquote><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-10-channel-settings-workflow#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Command & Conquer</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">What about ease of use? Well, like the channel strips on a hardware console, a good dollop of that ease of use comes from the consistency of the control set for every channel. As you build up experience with the common control set, your familiarity will translate to much faster operation. But the other element that contributes to workflow efficiency is how quickly you can navigate the controls within the Channel Settings window itself. If you're fortunate enough to own Steinberg's CC121 hardware controller, that navigation will be very slick. But even for the rest of us, there are options and shortcuts that can speed things up.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">As a starting point, for frequent use, I'd define a keyboard shortcut for the Edit Channel Settings option (you can create/edit shortcuts in the Edit section of the Key Commands dialogue) so you can quickly open and close the Channel Settings window; I've assigned the 'E' key to this, as it matches the on-screen button.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "To get the most from the Channel Settings window, defining a few key commands will greatly enhance the workflow, including the ability to swiftly move between different tracks and channels.", "alt": "To get the most from the Channel Settings window, defining a few key commands will greatly enhance the workflow, including the ability to swiftly move between different tracks and channels."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0120_04-cGASi7iq8qgFaK1hNFa9rCe_xWkvQhmU.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="To get the most from the Channel Settings window, defining a few key commands will greatly enhance the workflow, including the ability to swiftly move between different tracks and channels." height="226" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0120_04-3mfTYoUuQSQURH7A8DjvIeIdyXaQjZ8q.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="To get the most from the Channel Settings window, defining a few key commands will greatly enhance the workflow, including the ability to swiftly move between different tracks and channels." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>To get the most from the Channel Settings window, defining a few key commands will greatly enhance the workflow, including the ability to swiftly move between different tracks and channels.</i></span></span>For the fastest workflow, two further options are worth enabling, and both are accessible from the pop-up menus in the top-right of the Channel Settings window. First, from the Toolbar menu, enable 'Always On Top'. This prevents the Channel Settings window from disappearing behind other windows as you work (once open, it's always accessible). Second, from the Function menu, enable 'Follow 'e' buttons or selection changes', so that when you select a different track/channel in the Project window or MixConsole, the Channel Settings window will update to display the newly selected track/channel's settings.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Given that the Channel Settings window only displays settings for the currently selected channel/track, the other thing we must be able to do is move efficiently between tracks. There are buttons for this in the Channel Settings window itself but key commands can speed up navigation, and it's well worth defining keys for the 'Select Track: Next' and 'Select Track: Prev' commands (which are found in the Key Commands window's Project section). As you navigate with these keys, the Channel Settings window will automatically refresh to reflect the selected track/channel. It's very slick and well worth a tick in the 'ease of use' box.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-10-channel-settings-workflow#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">For Better Or Worse</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">To finish, one further Channel Strip/EQ workflow tip is worth mentioning. When editing multiple channels, such as the drum kit recording in the example, I often find it useful to toggle all my Channel Strip and EQ settings off, for an A/B reality check as to whether my processing is actually making things better or worse! In practice, this can be a bit of a pain, as in the MixConsole you have to bypass both the Channel Strip and EQ Racks individually for every channel involved to do this. Now you could, I suppose, go to town and design a macro to solve that... but a simpler approach is to quickly select multiple channels and then press and hold Alt+Shift to temporarily 'Quick Link' them. Then, when you click on the bypass buttons on any of the selected EQ or Channel Strip sections, those Rack sections will be bypassed for all selected channels simultaneously.</p><div class="boxout clearfix" style="background: rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-10-channel-settings-workflow#top" id="para5" style="background: rgb(102, 102, 102); box-sizing: inherit; color: white; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 20px; text-decoration-line: none;">Audio Examples</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px 20px;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">cubase_0220_audio01.mp3</strong></p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;"></p><div class="media-soundcloud-audio mini-player light media-element file-sc-mini media-soundcloud-1" style="background: rgb(242, 242, 242); box-sizing: inherit; padding: 6px 8px 2px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="media-soundcloud-player" frameborder="0" height="20" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A//soundcloud.com/soundonsound/cubase-0220-audio01&show_artwork=&show_comments=&show_user=&sharing=&color=" style="box-sizing: inherit;" title="Cubase 0220 Audio01 by Sound On Sound" width="100%"></iframe></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;"></p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;">This audio example is based around a seven-microphone acoustic drum recording, featuring kick, snare and hi-hat mics alongside a pair of overheads and pair of room (ambience) mics. In this clip you hear a short section the unprocessed recording presented in three sections as follows; (1) just the kick, snare and hi-hat mics, (2) just the overhead and room mics and (3) all mics with a basic level adjustment to balance the overall sound of the kit.</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">cubase_0220_audio02.mp3</strong></p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;"></p><div class="media-soundcloud-audio mini-player light media-element file-sc-mini media-soundcloud-2" style="background: rgb(242, 242, 242); box-sizing: inherit; padding: 6px 8px 2px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="media-soundcloud-player" frameborder="0" height="20" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A//soundcloud.com/soundonsound/cubase-0220-audio02&show_artwork=&show_comments=&show_user=&sharing=&color=" style="box-sizing: inherit;" title="Cubase 0220 Audio02 by Sound On Sound" width="100%"></iframe></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;"></p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;">This second example presents the same three sections of the drum recordings but after basic processing options have been configured for each microphone channel via the Channel Settings window, as described in the main text of the workshop. On each channel, the processing involves frequency targeting use of the noise gate, high/low cut filters applied, modest amounts of compression (3-4 dB maximum) using a medium attack time, some more targeted EQ to shape the sound of individual mics as required, application of the EnvelopeShaper on the kick and snare mics to enhance the attack of both drums, subtle application of saturation, and limiting applied to catch any stray peaks. The Distroyer plug-in was applied as a send effect on both the kick and snare channels (as described in the <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/cubase-distroyer-plugin" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">December 2019</a> workshop) for a little extra edge. Finally, a further 2-3 dB of compression was applied on the drum bus.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;">The differences between the unprocessed and processed versions of the drum mix are relatively modest but do result in a somewhat punchier sound suitable for the project (a garage rock track) they are part of. However, what’s key in the context of the article is that (a) all processing was done using stock Cubase plug-ins and (b) all the processing options were applied via the Channel Settings window, with the task taking no more than 10 minutes in total. Further processing might be required as the full mix evolves, but the Channel Settings window provides a powerful and efficient means by which this kind of basic task can be performed across multiple channels/tracks.</p></div></div><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><br /></div><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><br /></div><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="group-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-02" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">February 2020</a></div><div><br /></div></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-52263405234694620832024-03-16T10:00:00.000-07:002024-03-16T10:00:00.132-07:00Korg Soundlink Video Tutorial Ep. 7 of 8: Dynamic Effects for Extensive Mix Control<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4cADyBLWV6Q?si=SewsKroHA8x7mUSf" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-7670130293131305982024-03-15T12:00:00.000-07:002024-03-15T12:00:00.132-07:00Steinberg Cubasis 3<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "While the Cubasis UI remains familiar, there's a whole raft of improvements in version 3.", "alt": "While the Cubasis UI remains familiar, there's a whole raft of improvements in version 3."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/steinberg_cubasis_3_01-FKgTl9BevvbnnblpTcDxM1N8MOXrIvbb.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="While the Cubasis UI remains familiar, there's a whole raft of improvements in version 3." height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/s/steinberg_cubasis_3_01-.CnhHtZug0TU6sn1hEfh9VlTXFclsiam.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="While the Cubasis UI remains familiar, there's a whole raft of improvements in version 3." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>While the Cubasis UI remains familiar, there's a whole raft of improvements in version 3.</i></span></span></p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">For those who want an iOS workflow that closely follows established desktop conventions, Steinberg's Cubasis is probably the most popular DAW/sequencer app currently available. Naturally, the feature set is scaled down from Steinberg's flagship Cubase Pro, but Cubasis has always struck an excellent balance between a well-chosen set of core features, a slick UI that works well on the iPad's relatively compact touchscreen, and a price that makes it accessible to almost anyone with a serious mobile music-making habit.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">The latest update, to Cubasis 3, is a significant one. Indeed, it's so significant that Steinberg are presenting this as a new app rather than a free upgrade for current Cubasis users; Cubasis 2 will remain available via the App Store at a reduced price. Some may grumble at this — and it would be helpful all round if the App Store made a system for 'upgrades' more straightforward for developers — but it's worth noting that any in-app purchases made in Cubasis 2 can be activated in Cubasis 3 at no additional cost. As Steinberg have already provided Cubasis users with over 30 free updates since it first went on sale, I think they should be cut considerable slack. After all, it's important for all users that the Cubasis project remains financially viable.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "The new UI is more easily customisable. For example, you can set the Mixer view to one of three diferent zoom presets.", "alt": "The new UI is more easily customisable. For example, you can set the Mixer view to one of three diferent zoom presets."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/steinberg_cubasis_3_02-Waa_j6debUbTVQZLuuVPIuvB1A.LeTCS.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="The new UI is more easily customisable. For example, you can set the Mixer view to one of three diferent zoom presets." height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/s/steinberg_cubasis_3_02-_ygXK9MyXjHzydALEt5OlEB1o_RYzfaT.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="The new UI is more easily customisable. For example, you can set the Mixer view to one of three diferent zoom presets." typeof="foaf:Image" width="262" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 262px;"><i>The new UI is more easily customisable. For example, you can set the Mixer view to one of three diferent zoom presets.</i></span></span>So, what's new in Cubasis 3? Well, lots actually — it has pretty much been rewritten from scratch. This has enabled Steinberg to take full advantage of more recent developments in iOS and in Apple's hardware, and of particular note is that it also means we now have universal app status; for the first time, Cubasis can run on your iPhone as well as your iPad. (iOS13.0 or later is required, so you'll need a device that supports that — an iPhone 6S, or iPad fifth-generation or later, for example).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">As you'd expect, Cubasis 3 on an iPhone demands more scrolling, good finger dexterity and decent eyesight, but having undertaken a quick tour on my (now aging) iPhone 6S I'm left impressed at just how well Steinberg have translated the workflow to the smaller screen. While working is undoubtedly faster on a larger iPad screen (the new version ran very smoothly on my first-generation iPad Pro), having the option to carry Cubasis 3 around in my pocket is very welcome!</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Group tracks are a major new feature, and allow easy configuration of the tracks within a Group.", "alt": "Group tracks are a major new feature, and allow easy configuration of the tracks within a Group."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/steinberg_cubasis_3_03-q498KhuAFmCZN.DNhXB146UwoRBRcqdy.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Group tracks are a major new feature, and allow easy configuration of the tracks within a Group." height="269" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/s/steinberg_cubasis_3_03-L4BvvHM99sFvVR0QZQXSxIIKelg2senQ.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Group tracks are a major new feature, and allow easy configuration of the tracks within a Group." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>Group tracks are a major new feature, and allow easy configuration of the tracks within a Group.</i></span></span>While Cubasis 3 will seem very familiar to users of previous versions, Steinberg have made a huge number of refinements to improve both the workflow and visual experience. For instance, editing of audio, MIDI and automation has been improved substantially, while the bundled effects and instruments have been visual revamped.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Perhaps even more useful (particularly given the iPhone support) are the new UI scaling options. You can zoom in/out on various views, as before, but you now also get some UI presets that allow you to change the display quickly. This includes the Mixer, for which a combination of full-screen mode and three channel-zoom levels make for much easier operation.</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">To me at least, Cubasis has always represented the best balance between features and usability in any iOS DAW/sequencer...</blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Of the other highlights, top of my personal list is the addition of Group tracks. If you're familiar with Cubase, you'll know this is Steinberg's take on creating subgroup buses — so you can route several tracks (for example, a set of individual drum tracks) to a Group track. You can then control the overall volume of the Group or apply Group-level effects before the audio flows to your master output.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Creating a new Group track is easy, and standard (audio or MIDI) tracks can be added to and removed from Groups with ease. Group tracks make all sorts of mixing tasks much easier, including the ability to focus your broad-brush mix–level automation down to a few instrument groups. It's a simple but powerful addition.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "It's now even easier to move projects you start in Cubasis to the more powerful Cubase DAW software on a Mac/Windows computer.", "alt": "It's now even easier to move projects you start in Cubasis to the more powerful Cubase DAW software on a Mac/Windows computer."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/steinberg_cubasis_3_04-3M7jCS_k.lGqrn6rF6P.d92e.oFq4IM9.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="It's now even easier to move projects you start in Cubasis to the more powerful Cubase DAW software on a Mac/Windows computer." height="264" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/s/steinberg_cubasis_3_04-0ZQV_u4FavDtqGD6OJ.fhV3cZHQomQI9.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="It's now even easier to move projects you start in Cubasis to the more powerful Cubase DAW software on a Mac/Windows computer." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>It's now even easier to move projects you start in Cubasis to the more powerful Cubase DAW software on a Mac/Windows computer.</i></span></span>There are all sorts of other useful refinements and additions, all of which either improve the workflow or offer new possibilities. For example, getting into the technical nitty gritty, the MIDI editing resolution has been increased to 960 pulses per quarter note. If you're particular about the precision of your MIDI sequencing, this is a very useful step forward. Also, tracks can now have up to eight insert and eight send effects, and these can be re-ordered easily, and their position set pre- or post-fader. Events can now be colour-coded vertically — and in the absence of something like Cubase's Marker track this provides an easy way to identify the different musical sections in a project. Automation is now supported within Micrologue ARP (if you have the Micrologue in-app purchase) and AU MIDI effects. Oh, and Cubasis now includes a proper History List for undo/redo operations, making it easier to navigate individual steps in your project editing timeline.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Another personal highlight is the improvements to the MediaBay, where you manage your various projects, audio files, MIDI loops and so forth, and can find options for mixdown and exporting your projects. There are many improvements, but the option to use AirDrop to transfer your Cubasis project to your desktop machine, and then have Cubase open the project, is super-cool. If you've used only Steinberg virtual instruments and effects in the Cubasis project, their Cubase equivalents will automatically appear in the desktop version of the project too; it all worked very smoothly for me.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">If you purchased Cubasis 2 recently at full price, you may feel a little aggrieved at the lack of an upgrade route to Cubasis 3. But if you've been making music with Cubasis for a while, Steinberg have added more than enough to the Cubasis experience to make v3 a very tempting proposition at this price. To me at least, Cubasis has always represented the best balance between features and usability in any iOS DAW/sequencer, and in Cubasis 3, Steinberg have raised a high bar even higher.</p><div class="infobox" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><h3 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 4px; text-transform: capitalize;">Information</h3><div class="us" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline;"><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 2px 0px;"><span class="infop" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$49.99.</span></p></div></div><p><a href="https://www.steinberg.net/" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.steinberg.net</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p><p></p><div class="group-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-03" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">March 2020</a></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-38503185200205786662024-03-14T12:00:00.000-07:002024-03-14T12:00:00.138-07:00Korg Soundlink Video Tutorial Ep. 6 of 8: Exploring Analog and Digital Tone Control<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ozh4xDarpck?si=6d9dGnP_K8OQ6HwI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-5376324874794962312024-03-13T12:00:00.000-07:002024-03-13T12:00:00.150-07:00Cubase Padshop 2: Grain Oscillator<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="group-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Padshop 2's Granular Oscillator, with layer A set to its initial state and a sample dragged and dropped. Ready to commence pad creation!", "alt": "Padshop 2's Granular Oscillator, with layer A set to its initial state and a sample dragged and dropped. Ready to commence pad creation!"}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0320_01-qOYTccAhugq6W1R_RYzB1sR3mnz8jkrl.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Padshop 2's Granular Oscillator, with layer A set to its initial state and a sample dragged and dropped. Ready to commence pad creation!" height="291" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0320_01-meBobcvy0AByUpIkuTCVIGOLNq9WiwzH.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Padshop 2's Granular Oscillator, with layer A set to its initial state and a sample dragged and dropped. Ready to commence pad creation!" typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Padshop 2's Granular Oscillator, with layer A set to its initial state and a sample </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>dragged and dropped. Ready to commence pad creation!</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Cubase 10.5's Padshop 2 granular synth can create wonderfully engaging pads from any sample.</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Cubase's Padshop has always seemed to me to be something of a hidden gem, but with the Cubase Artist/Pro v10.5 update this granular synth was treated to a significant overhaul. Where once we had only a 'lite' version of Padshop, we now get the full version of Padshop 2 (which is available as a paid product for users of other DAWs). Padshop 2 still includes its predecessor's dual-layer (A and B) engine, the Grain Oscillator, flexible filter, modulation options and effects, and all this is contained in a refreshed, yet still familiar GUI. However, it also boasts an expanded preset and bundled sample collection, drag-and-drop support for your own samples in Cubase, improved sound modulation, additional filter options, an integrated arpeggiator/phrase player (which will be familiar if you use Retrologue) and a new Spectral Oscillator.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">The original grain oscillator and the new spectral oscillator make Padshop 2 an intriguing option for sound creation, but they might be unfamiliar concepts to many taking their first steps in DIY sound creation. I hope to take a detailed look at the Spectral Oscillator in a future column, but this month and next I'll do my best to nudge you along the learning curve for the Grain Oscillator, by looking at the creation of pad/soundscape-style patches.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Padshop 2's new Spectral Oscillator provides some very different sound-creation options, which I'll explore in a column in the near-future.", "alt": "Padshop 2's new Spectral Oscillator provides some very different sound-creation options, which I'll explore in a column in the near-future."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0320_02-WbKqhvAT2TLlVIK2lFwG55c6FwtJiy_2.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Padshop 2's new Spectral Oscillator provides some very different sound-creation options, which I'll explore in a column in the near-future." height="74" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0320_02-5_dF9jg6ySe2G_7CmcJRRCyb7Z_FnwHj.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Padshop 2's new Spectral Oscillator provides some very different sound-creation options, which I'll explore in a column in the near-future." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Padshop 2's new Spectral Oscillator provides some very different sound-creation </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>options, which I'll explore in a column in the near-future.</i></span></span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2-grain-oscillator#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Grain Brain Drain</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">If granular synthesis is an alien concept, Simon Price's article in SOS December 2005 (<a href="https://sosm.ag/dec05-granular-synthesis" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/dec05-granular-synthesis</a>) is an excellent overview. In essence, grain-based audio processing involves dividing your audio sample into tiny sections (each a fraction of a second) called 'grains'. It's rather like beat-slicing but done on a micro-scale: if the individual grains are played back in sequence at the original speed and pitch, you simply hear the original sample, but grains can also be played back individually, sequenced in original order, sequenced out of original order, looped, re-pitched, filtered and reversed; multiple grains can be played simultaneously, different grains can be used on the left and right sides of the stereo image and, well, you get the idea.</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">There are all sorts of options and combinations, which mean that granular synthesis makes it possible to create entirely new sounds in which the original sound source is unrecognisable. Its potential for original sound design is huge — and you need nothing more than Padshop's Grain Oscillator to get started.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2-grain-oscillator#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Clean Drop</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">To begin our introductory tour of pad creation using Padshop's Grain Oscillator, start by: (1) ensuring only layer A is active (turn off layer B via its power button, located bottom-right); (2) selecting the Grain Oscillator in layer A (the button located top-left of the oscillator panel lets you toggle between the grain and spectral oscillators); and (3) ensuring that layer A is reset to its initial state (use the drop-down menu towards the right side of the Plugin Functions section, which is the topmost tool strip).</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Having 'blanked' layer A, rather than choosing one of the preset samples, you can use one of v2's most significant new features: you can drag and drop one of your own samples (mono or stereo) into the Grain Oscillator. This can be done from various locations, including the Project window, but for the example illustrated here I dragged a sample of a sustained guitar chord from my OS's file browser. If original sounds are what you want, starting with your own unique sound source is obviously a good plan, but almost any sound can provide something useful.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2-grain-oscillator#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">No Pain, All Grain</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">The Grain Oscillator's control set is split into three main sections: the waveform display, with its series of numerical/rotary knob controls; the 'position settings' (on the left); and the 'level settings' (on the right). In the waveform display, you can set the range of the waveform to be used for the grain-based playback by dragging the start and end markers. You can also set the starting position for grain playback by dragging the waveform playback head or by adjusting the Position (Pos) knob to the left of the waveform display.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Tweaks to the number of grains, their relative starting position and the playback speed produce timbral changes, but not always a very musical result.", "alt": "Tweaks to the number of grains, their relative starting position and the playback speed produce timbral changes, but not always a very musical result."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0320_03-JyJp_46x3FxC62x7niblaJTv.EmqseWc.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Tweaks to the number of grains, their relative starting position and the playback speed produce timbral changes, but not always a very musical result." height="74" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0320_03-sIgEWg_gORJyQw6eyIcYGZsSxhjA24lI.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Tweaks to the number of grains, their relative starting position and the playback speed produce timbral changes, but not always a very musical result." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Tweaks to the number of grains, their relative starting position and the playback </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>speed produce timbral changes, but not always a very musical result.</i></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">If you now play a few MIDI notes into Padshop the odds are that you'll hear a very static sound, albeit one that's pitch-mapped across the keyboard. So while the sound will change in timbre as you move the playhead position, you'll need to twiddle a few more knobs to create something more pad-like.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">A decent first step is to tweak the Speed knob. When you play and hold a MIDI note, this setting controls the speed and direction in which the playback head moves through the grains from the starting position. At 0 percent (the default value on initialising the settings), the playback position is static (the same grain is played repeatedly), hence our currently rather bland sound. But you can set the Speed between -200 and +200 percent. At +100 percent, the playback speed sequences the grains at their original tempo, and you hear something approximating the original sample. Well, sort of, depending on the MIDI note you play and the Shape setting (which creates different crossfade styles to smooth the transition between grains), amongst other things.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Negative Speed values move the playhead backwards through the original sample, and they can produce some interesting, often unsettling, effects. In this case, I opted for a Speed of +6 percent and the 'Welch' Shape setting, but what's 'best' will almost always depend on the nature of the original sample and what sort of result you want; there are no magic numbers to share!</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; display: table; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">Granular synthesis makes it possible to create entirely new sounds, in which the original sound source is unrecognisable.</blockquote><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2-grain-oscillator#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">It Takes Two (Or More)</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Next, try: (a) increasing the number of grains being played at any one time; and (b) ensuring that each grain uses a subtly (or perhaps not so subtly) different playback start position. The Number setting can be adjusted to a maximum of eight, but even values of two or three (used in my example) will have a noticeable impact on the sound. To the left of the waveform section, adjust the Position Spread control (I opted for 10 percent) so that each grain starts from a different point around the playback head. These adjustments should add greater complexity/richness to the sound.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">To add further sonic variation, you can also adjust the Random Position and Position Channel Offset controls. The former injects some randomness to the start position of each grain, while the latter applies start position differences between the left and right channels, to enhance the stereo width. In the example, I dialled in 10 percent for both. (By the way, it's also worth noting that Padshop always creates left and right channels, even from mono samples.)</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "My Grain Oscillator configuration is complete: it's the core of a pad sound — but the filter, modulation and effects options can help to make this patch sound much less 'static'.", "alt": "My Grain Oscillator configuration is complete: it's the core of a pad sound — but the filter, modulation and effects options can help to make this patch sound much less 'static'."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0320_04-qsCS9YsQeiR.cwaXmfIJciLsFTram1MZ.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="My Grain Oscillator configuration is complete: it's the core of a pad sound — but the filter, modulation and effects options can help to make this patch sound much less 'static'." height="73" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0320_04-uThhTK6B7qamT5EzH9fGhKBeew6ufKvt.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="My Grain Oscillator configuration is complete: it's the core of a pad sound — but the filter, modulation and effects options can help to make this patch sound much less 'static'." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>My Grain Oscillator configuration is complete: it's the core of a pad sound — but </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>the filter, modulation and effects options can help to make this patch sound </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>much less 'static'.</i></span></span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2-grain-oscillator#top" id="para5" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">More Than Noise?</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">By this stage, the sound can easily be one in which it's impossible to identify the original sample — but it may be as much 'noise' as 'musical', and in most cases, you can shift the balance towards the latter by experimenting with the Duration setting. This adjusts the length (duration) of each individual grain, and it influences the timbre of the sound and the pitched elements. With lower values (shorter grains), pitch is dominated by the frequency at which the grains repeat, while at larger values (longer grains; I've used 50), pitch elements from the underlying sample tend to dominate.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">You may also need to experiment with the Duration Key Follow setting. This interacts with the Duration setting, with shorter Duration values generally requiring higher Key Follow values (and visa-versa) so that pitch is mapped in a conventional fashion across the MIDI note range. As a guide, start at 100 percent (which worked fine in my example) and then switch to 0 percent. See which feels most natural, and adjust to taste from there.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2-grain-oscillator#top" id="para6" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Rich Pitch</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Provided you're using more than one grain, perhaps the last initial setting to tweak before digging into the modulation options should be the Pitch Interval. If this is set anywhere other than zero, grains are randomly played either at their original pitch or at the specified pitch interval. Certain values (eg. a fifth) produce more obviously musical results, but the -12 semitone setting I used here is always a good bet; it adds a little low-end depth and richness to almost any sound.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2-grain-oscillator#top" id="para7" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">See You Later, Modulator!</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">With sufficient tweaking of the Grain Oscillator controls that I've described above — and, as always, a little luck — you'll hopefully now have created a pad-like sound of your own. But while it could well be usable, chances are that you'll feel it could be made somewhat more interesting and engaging!</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">That's where Padshop 2's filter, effects and modulation options come in, and is where we'll resume our look at Padshop 2 next time. In the meantime, I've created an audio example below that demonstrates the various stages of my pad's development, from original sample through to my final Grain Oscillator tweaks. I've included an example of how this sound can then be enhanced with the filter, effects and modulation options, so you can get an idea of where we're headed next.</p></div><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><br /></div><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><br /></div><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="group-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-03" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">March 2020</a></div><div><br /></div></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-67912450460765377272024-03-12T10:00:00.000-07:002024-03-12T10:00:00.127-07:00Korg Soundlink Video Tutorial Ep. 5 of 8: Using the Digital Multi-effects Section<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLh8UKPjFaw?si=SSZ7khIh4cxQ0UA_" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-49163139608731539962024-03-11T12:00:00.000-07:002024-03-11T12:00:00.139-07:00Cubase: Padshop 2's Modulation Matrix<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "You can target a number of the Grain Oscillator's parameters for modulation in Padshop Pro 2.", "alt": "You can target a number of the Grain Oscillator's parameters for modulation in Padshop Pro 2."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_01-uqfcO6xlWBx_vo6NZLmTDkQbCGHvKYs5.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="You can target a number of the Grain Oscillator's parameters for modulation in Padshop Pro 2." height="298" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_01-Jzad6eYQwX.VH9EOFAmVOLEhBoL0ozcG.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="You can target a number of the Grain Oscillator's parameters for modulation in Padshop Pro 2." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>You can target a number of the Grain Oscillator's parameters for modulation in </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Padshop Pro 2.</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">If you want to inject some motion and mystery into your pad sounds, why not fire up Padshop 2 and enter the matrix?</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In last month's introduction to Cubase 10.5's Padshop 2 synth (<a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-0320" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/cubase-0320</a>) I explained how to turn your own audio samples into basic pad sounds with only a few of the synth's Grain Oscillator controls. Those sounds were usable enough, but also a little 'static' for some tastes, and Padshop 2 has plenty of options for injecting more interest and movement into the sound — and this time, I'll explain some ways to do this using its modulation section.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">If you're new to rolling your own synth sounds, modulation can seem a rather mysterious thing. At heart, it's actually a really simple concept: you use one control or parameter (the 'modulation source') to change one or more other parameter (the 'destination') over time — the mystery probably stems from the sheer number of options modulation can open up! So where do you start? Well, thankfully, Padshop's modulation system (enhanced in v2) is easy to use, and is centred on two fairly conventional approaches: a 'modulation matrix', and a streamlined MIDI Learn/parameter assignment system.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">I'll discuss some examples below, and you'll find accompanying audio examples on the SOS website (<a href="http://https//www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop2-workshop-0420-audio" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop2-workshop-0420-audio</a>).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="file" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><img alt="Package icon" class="file-icon" src="https://www.soundonsound.com/modules/file/icons/package-x-generic.png" style="border: none; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="application/zip" /> <a href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/assetlibrary/c/cubasepadshop2workshop0420.zip?n.z7niENGNyCIIgdh4eOARpxYrgQ3ler" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none;" type="application/zip; length=2454752">cubasepadshop2workshop0420.zip</a></span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2s-modulation-matrix#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Target Practice</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">First, decide which synth parameters you want to modulate. As with any synth, most filter and effects parameters offer plenty of potential, but for those with last month's introduction to the Grain Oscillator fresh in the mind, we'll start with some candidates in the oscillator section. Click on the Matrix tab to access the modulation matrix, where you can link up to 16 different modulation sources with parameter destinations (the 16 slots are arranged in four banks of four).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">A drop-down menu in any of the matrix's Destination slots allows you to select your modulation target. While not all of the Grain Oscillator's controls are assignable (I'll come back to this), Grain Position is a great choice: as outlined last month, the Grain Position defines the starting point in the waveform for grain playback, so modulating this will give your pad sound some timbral variation over time.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">A further drop-down menu in the corresponding Source slot allows you to select the modulation source. There are plenty of possibilities, but for this example I've selected one of the four LFOs, configured to follow a sine waveform over four bars. I've also set the Depth value in the matrix to 10, for a fairly modest amount of modulation. With the modulation configured this way, when playing and holding a note over four bars (or longer), you should notice a slow and steady change in the pad's sonic character.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">For more hands-on control, instead of the LFO, try selecting the Mod Wheel as the modulation source. If you're a good keyboardist, note velocity or aftertouch will also work well, as they allow elements of your playing dynamics to change the timbre of the sound. For more timbral change, the other two Grain Oscillator parameters to try modulating are Speed and Duration. In both cases, start with small, positive Depth values — otherwise things can soon get weird. That said, if 'weird' is what you want, target the Formant control; even with low Depth values, it can produce some wonderfully unsettling tonal/pitch variations.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Outside the Grain oscillator itself, parameters in the filter section make good modulation targets if you want to add movement to your pads.", "alt": "Outside the Grain oscillator itself, parameters in the filter section make good modulation targets if you want to add movement to your pads."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_02-_wTTgORzePqFxqeMv9W5GCiR0DD8OVHd.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Outside the Grain oscillator itself, parameters in the filter section make good modulation targets if you want to add movement to your pads." height="174" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_02-CGRsulJnq1lryAUx0_CX9L7FitCPlF_J.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Outside the Grain oscillator itself, parameters in the filter section make good modulation targets if you want to add movement to your pads." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 597px;"><i>Outside the Grain oscillator itself, parameters in the filter section make good </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 597px;"><i>modulation targets if you want to add movement to your pads.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Of course, with 16 modulation slots, you're not limited to targeting only one or two of the Grain Oscillator's parameters. Other classic candidates are the filter's cutoff, resonance and distortion settings. It's perhaps worth noting that the filter section has its own dedicated ADSR envelope, which can be used to modulate the filter's response, and this includes a Velocity setting which allows the envelope's behaviour to be modulated by note velocity. But you can also configure the filter cutoff, resonance and distortion as destinations for any of the other modulation sources in the matrix. Again, using a slow-moving LFO to gently sweep any of these parameters and making them react to note velocity can be great ways to induce further timbral variation.</p><blockquote style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #eeeeee; background-origin: initial; background-position: 5px 8px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">You can create a step-based pattern (with a maximum of 32 steps) which can be used to modulate any of the matrix's destination parameters.</blockquote><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2s-modulation-matrix#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Step On It</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Padshop 2 offers many modulation source options, but a personal favourite that I keep coming back to is the Step Modulator, which is accessed via the Step tab. Here you can create a step-based pattern (with a maximum of 32 steps) which can be used to modulate any of the matrix's destination parameters. Usefully, Step Modulator pattern presets can be saved and recalled.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "The Step Modulator provides a very flexible modulation source.", "alt": "The Step Modulator provides a very flexible modulation source."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_03-NSDBj.Hw6rQuIyDimXeidnUsewPfd51C.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="The Step Modulator provides a very flexible modulation source." height="82" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_03-p8MJxaF9yj73AQq_BMmw.MiNSP6jZsUp.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="The Step Modulator provides a very flexible modulation source." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 598px;"><i>The Step Modulator provides a very flexible modulation source.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">With this, you can achieve all sorts of outcomes, from modest tonal changes (using a smooth set of step pattern values and a low Depth value) to strong pulse-like effects (using a step pattern of alternate high/low values and a high Depth value), whether targeting grain position, filter cutoff or volume. For pulse-like effects, you can control how obvious the pulse or rhythmic pattern becomes by adjusting the Depth control to taste. And, if you specify the mod wheel as the Modifier in the appropriate modulation matrix slot, you can then vary the degree to which the Depth parameter is applied — and therefore control the intensity of this pulsing effect in real time.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2s-modulation-matrix#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Rocking The Mod</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "No menus required: initial links between sources and destinations can be established via drag and drop.", "alt": "No menus required: initial links between sources and destinations can be established via drag and drop."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_04-_.uzZkJ04GlFe6Ms9pKyt_z096f6HxEi.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="No menus required: initial links between sources and destinations can be established via drag and drop." height="210" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_04-y4rTKFNnMeTfJ5FzS3rwVJMS1Nun1oKL.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="No menus required: initial links between sources and destinations can be established via drag and drop." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>No menus required: initial links between sources and destinations can be established via drag and drop.</i></span></span>The examples above provide some fairly safe places to commence your voyage into pad design. But Padshop's modulation system allows almost endless combinations, as well as some different ways to set things up that can make more complex creations easier to achieve. First, note that Padshop 2 allows some modulation options to be configured via drag and drop. Beside some of the controls that can act as a modulation source you'll find a small 'four arrowhead' icon. If you click (and hold) this, and then drag away, the parameters that can be targeted as modulation destinations will become highlighted. Simply drag to the desired destination and a modulation link will be established; the link will be added automatically to an empty slot in the modulation matrix, where you can fine-tune it. This is a great way to, for instance, link the mod wheel to a parameter or two.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Second, I want to revisit that point about not all grain oscillator parameters being available as modulation destinations in the matrix. Why that is, I don't know, but Padshop 2 does include a conventional MIDI Learn system that provides a workaround — while you can't, for example, target the grain oscillator's Spread, Offset or Grain Number controls using an LFO or the Step Modulator, you can link them to the mod wheel or another MIDI continuous controller if you want to change them in real time.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Grain Oscillator parameters can be modulated via MIDI even if they're not present in the modulation matrix. MIDI Learn is supported, as is mod wheel control.", "alt": "Grain Oscillator parameters can be modulated via MIDI even if they're not present in the modulation matrix. MIDI Learn is supported, as is mod wheel control."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_05-t8q0TiG9c6vuYjCOXR7qOj0AooDWh2Oi.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Grain Oscillator parameters can be modulated via MIDI even if they're not present in the modulation matrix. MIDI Learn is supported, as is mod wheel control." height="209" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0420_05-DaeAXf4qP8MBJQMs2jnjWhw7sq7vlZJ4.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Grain Oscillator parameters can be modulated via MIDI even if they're not present in the modulation matrix. MIDI Learn is supported, as is mod wheel control." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Grain Oscillator parameters can be modulated via MIDI even if they're not present in </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>the modulation matrix. MIDI Learn is supported, as is mod wheel control.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Right-clicking on any control opens a pop-up menu to configure this. For instance, targeting all three parameters I mentioned above with the mod wheel can provide some cool tonal variations for your pad sounds. Incidentally, while none of the parameters in Padshop's Effects page are available in the modulation matrix, they can all (including the controls within the four-band EQ) be modulated via this MIDI Learn approach.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-padshop-2s-modulation-matrix#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Double Trouble</a></h2><p><span face=""Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px;">I'll leave you with two thoughts. First, recall that in the examples I've used here I've used only one of Padshop's layers. You can, of course, make perfectly usable pads with a single layer, but there's twice the fun to be had (and twice the complexity of the sound that can be created) by blending sounds from two layers. Second, despite its name, Padshop can be used for sounds other than pads. Hopefully, that's a topic I can return to soon, while also exploring another pair of Padshop 2 features — the Spectral Oscillator and the arpeggiator/phrase player.</span> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p><p></p><div class="group-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-04" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">April 2020</a></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-21468333170917702812024-03-09T10:00:00.000-08:002024-03-09T10:00:00.342-08:00Korg Soundlink Video Tutorial Ep. 4 of 8: Monitor Mixing with the Musician’s Phones Feature<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MGoonjGF02s?si=-UgrFLh5kL4Ph0PA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-33923853112133673392024-03-08T12:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T12:00:00.130-08:00Cubase MultiTap Delay Tricks<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "A little bit of creative MultiTap Delay can turn even the most basic of drum patterns into something groovy.", "alt": "A little bit of creative MultiTap Delay can turn even the most basic of drum patterns into something groovy."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0520_01-4zfLqKjhVhboQ4MdfaM8birj7tHyuTG9.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="A little bit of creative MultiTap Delay can turn even the most basic of drum patterns into something groovy." height="357" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0520_01-6CLwlQ_POQewBaBqawFssYs_Xa3b5762.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="A little bit of creative MultiTap Delay can turn even the most basic of drum patterns into something groovy." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>A little bit of creative MultiTap Delay can turn even the most basic of drum patterns </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>into something groovy.</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Looking for creative inspiration? Tap into Cubase's new MultiTap Delay...</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Steinberg have seriously improved Cubase's stock plug-in collection in recent years, and among the new options for Pro and Artist users in v10.5 is the modestly named MultiTap Delay. It offers emulations of both modern and vintage delays, up to eight taps (repeats), and very flexible configuration and modulation options. I'll provide a very brief overview of the key features before illustrating some options via a specific example: spicing up a drum part to generate new rhythmic ideas.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">MultiTap Delay's GUI is split into three sections. The central portion, with larger knobs and graphic display, is where you configure the number of taps, their relative timing, level and pan, feedback, and other settings that fine-tune the balance between the original and processed signals. Above this, in the Character Panel, you choose between four styles of delay (Digital Modern, Digital Vintage, Tape and Crazy) or pop open the full panel for more detailed adjustments to 'colour' the broad sonic character of the repeats. The options range from pristine, through lo-fi vintage/tape effects, to special effects territory. The bottom strip contains three more pop-open panels (Loop, Tap and Post) which focus on additional effects that can be applied to your delay line. Each provides a six-slot effects chain and there are 14 different effect types available. The three panels differ in terms of where their processing occurs in the signal path, with effects placeable in the effects loop, on individual taps or at the plug-in's main output. The effects include various modulation choices, filtering, pitch-shifting, panning, reverb and, as if eight taps with feedback weren't enough, an additional delay.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-multitap-delay-tricks#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Fun With A Drum</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">For all the potential trickery, this is also a really good, all-purpose, delay plug-in — but its more creative aspects make it stand out from the crowd. So let me take you through a fun exercise with a drum sound.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Our starting point is a simple four-bar Groove Agent acoustic tom pattern, with an instance of MultiTap Delay inserted on the GA Instrument Track. You could use the delay as a send effect, but for the automation options described below the Insert route is easier to configure, so I've done that here and set the delay plug-in's Mix control to 40 percent. I chose the Tape Character preset and tweaked the settings from there (more Saturation and picking the half-sample-rate setting), and added a touch of Overdrive in the Loop Effects panel for extra crunch. This combination means that, as well as adding rhythmic interest, MultiTap Delay will vary the sonic texture with each repeat.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "While I've only used a touch of overdrive in my example, MultiTap Delay's effects options provide plenty of interesting possibilities.", "alt": "While I've only used a touch of overdrive in my example, MultiTap Delay's effects options provide plenty of interesting possibilities."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0520_02-2faAmSdymC_PLE8GSrxxgxCxUCYdK1HB.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="While I've only used a touch of overdrive in my example, MultiTap Delay's effects options provide plenty of interesting possibilities." height="150" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0520_02-tAr_UMfphG8W6RxPzccqGQt5qEL3yhln.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="While I've only used a touch of overdrive in my example, MultiTap Delay's effects options provide plenty of interesting possibilities." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>While I've only used a touch of overdrive in my example, MultiTap Delay's effects </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>options provide plenty of interesting possibilities.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In the main panel, I've configured three taps with slightly decreasing volumes, and adjusted the Feedback to taste (30 percent) so the pattern of repeats is fed back to the delay line but (in this case) at a relatively low level. You can manually edit the position, level and pan of each tap or, via the Tap Rhythm button, position the taps by playing the rhythm that you require. Tap positions can be snapped to a grid resolution or moved without a grid. You also have Quantize and Randomise options (the latter is fun for a 'lucky dip' approach!). However, the key thing to understand is that the Delay setting determines the length of the tap grid. In this example, I've engaged the Sync option and set Delay to 1/1, so the tap grid represents one bar of time. A Decay setting of 2/1 makes the tap grid two bars in length, gives half a bar, and so on. Once you've grasped this, the logic behind laying out a pattern of taps becomes clear. (Without Sync engaged, Delay is set in milliseconds, but the same principle applies.)</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Finally, I've engaged the clever Ducker controls — the repeats are ducked (in this case, their volume is lowered by 50 percent) whenever there's a signal at the input to the plug-in. This can be used to duck both the feedback and the delay line, and ensures that your original sound doesn't get masked by the repeats.</p><blockquote style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #eeeeee; background-origin: initial; background-position: 5px 8px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">For all the potential trickery, this is also a really good, all-purpose, delay plug-in — but its more creative aspects make it stand out from the crowd.</blockquote><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-multitap-delay-tricks#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Tap Tweaker</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">As the audio examples at the end of this article show, we now have something more rhythmically interesting than our original drum pattern. Depending on the musical context this might be all you require, but if you're looking for more complexity, or to add variations during the performance, we can do plenty more.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "As you adjust the Taps control, your additional taps do not have to appear sequentially along the grid timeline.", "alt": "As you adjust the Taps control, your additional taps do not have to appear sequentially along the grid timeline."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0520_03-Vfu44Kr_9Qjx2MLerTK_WMfnat2BwqPt.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="As you adjust the Taps control, your additional taps do not have to appear sequentially along the grid timeline." height="160" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0520_03-4NvTo6rTHqDyQ60Q_oC7hof7a2Sp_WyQ.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="As you adjust the Taps control, your additional taps do not have to appear sequentially along the grid timeline." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>As you adjust the Taps control, your additional taps do not have to appear sequentially </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>along the grid timeline.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Effects aside, the two simplest tactics are (a) to add more taps and (b) to adjust the Feedback level. As it's super-easy to assign both the Taps and Feedback controls to the Track Quick Control system (right-click on the control to access the pop-up menu), automating both is a great way to change the intensity of the delay processing on the fly. Adjusting the Feedback level is straightforward, but for the Taps control you'll need to pre-configure each additional tap (position, level, pan, etc). It's worth noting that while you're allowed up to eight taps, and each is assigned a number, their position along the grid's timeline doesn't have to be numerically sequential — tap 7 can be positioned before tap 3, for example — so, as you automate the Taps control, you can add repeats with shorter or longer delays, as you prefer.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-multitap-delay-tricks#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Double Delay</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Again, if you check out the audio examples, you should hear that our very basic drum pattern has been transformed into something much more interesting, and it's possible to vary the intensity of the 'performance' with some simple automation moves. But you don't have to stop there. Why not add a second instance of MultiTap Delay, so you have a second set of eight taps to exploit in your quest for rhythmic variation?</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "MultiTap Delay's parameters can easily be automated via the Track Quick Control system.", "alt": "MultiTap Delay's parameters can easily be automated via the Track Quick Control system."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0520_04-5YihbXYgKpRaBjZD_qli3jROznXU7wiR.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="MultiTap Delay's parameters can easily be automated via the Track Quick Control system." height="204" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0520_04-pA54n5teBwWO4Gz5pa_CYVSKZfVQrVmP.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="MultiTap Delay's parameters can easily be automated via the Track Quick Control system." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 601px;"><i>MultiTap Delay's parameters can easily be automated via the Track Quick Control system.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">At this point, whether you use Insert (as here) or Send effects makes more of a difference. With Inserts, the repeats created by the first instance of MultiTap Delay become the inputs to the second instance and are then subject to processing; things can get quite busy very quickly! However, if you use two Send-based instances of MultiTap Delay, they're independent of each other; both are fed directly by your source track. On the flip side, real-time automation of your two MultiTap Delay instances is much easier when both are used as Inserts on the same track; you can use one set of Track Quick Controls to change the settings for both plug-ins. Real-time control is trickier to do with two independent Send effects.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Anyway, as a starting point for this 'double delay' effect (heard in the final audio example), I've configured two instances of MultiTap Delay as Inserts on my Groove Agent track, using the same simple drum part. To make this easy to replicate, on the first instance I selected the Alt Beat Counterpart preset, while on the second I used Snare Trap Groover. I then set the Feedback, Taps and Mix controls for both instances as Track Quick Controls. The Feedback and Taps controls can be used as before (although lower settings, especially of the Feedback controls, are best unless you want things to get really trippy). However, the two Mix controls are well worth playing with, as they allow you to blend the two delay lines or, by turning either Mix control to zero, effectively remove the delay processing of one plug-in or the other.</p><p><span face=""Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px;">I've only really scratched the surface of what's possible with MultiTap Delay and, bar a little overdrive, not even started on the creative options provided by the various effect panels. Perhaps I'll explore that side of things in more depth another time!</span> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p><p></p><div class="group-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-05" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">May 2020</a></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-3385556810542701282024-03-07T12:00:00.000-08:002024-03-07T12:00:00.130-08:00Korg Soundlink Video Tutorial Ep. 3 of 8: Mute Groups<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/InWfKds3hcE?si=ZUGXhdF_mscAZSzA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-81396124776442068452024-03-06T12:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T12:00:00.147-08:00<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="group-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "The Channel Strip's audio-sweetening tools are as good for dialogue as they are for music.", "alt": "The Channel Strip's audio-sweetening tools are as good for dialogue as they are for music."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0620_01-LV6XU9mSEWLh5E_FE.0KFY6m1GnQpfeY.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="The Channel Strip's audio-sweetening tools are as good for dialogue as they are for music." height="132" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0620_01-RTTTTOubkErRFfVRA79JPWFITh3lRxP_.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="The Channel Strip's audio-sweetening tools are as good for dialogue as they are for music." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>The Channel Strip's audio-sweetening tools are as good for dialogue as they are for music.</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Reduce the time you spend on podcasting post-production, with these Cubase voice-editing tips.</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Some podcasters are happy simply to record their dialogue in a single take, top and tail it with their standard channel intro and outro, and publish, warts and all. But most — while still usually recording an episode in a single take — will perform in a way that allows obvious gaffes, over-long pauses, ums and errs, to be edited out later. Knowing that mistakes can be edited can mean a more relaxed attitude when recording and, for example, allow you to take a deep breath and start again if you fluff your lines. But equally, anticipation of an extended period of detailed editing could deter you from creating a podcast in the first place! So it's important to strike the right balance.</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Thankfully, a little once-only work to organise things in Cubase can streamline many repetitive editing tasks — and have you transforming your raw takes into polished 'performances' in no time.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/podcast-dialogue-editing-cubase#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Podcasting Presets</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Let's consider a typical situation where the dialogue has been recorded as a single take to a Cubase audio track. Everything you need to do to lick this performance into shape falls into two broad categories: you'll no doubt want to 'sweeten' and 'clean' the audio a touch, using EQ and compression; and you'll need to edit the recording to create a better-paced, more polished-sounding performance.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">There are plenty of suitable third-party compressor and EQ plug‑ins, but in the vast majority of cases the Cubase Channel Strip has more than enough firepower. If you record your content using a consistent equipment/location setup, it's worth spending time up front figuring out some EQ, de-essing and compression settings, and creating a Track Preset based on them, for rapid repeat use. The Channel Strip's DeEsser can help tame any sibilance, and I also tend to use the low-cut filter in the Pre section to reduce the impact of any plosive sounds that crept past my pop shield. A combination of a fairly high frequency (perhaps 150Hz) and a steepish filter slope (24dB per octave) will generally take care of the worst offenders without robbing the voice of too much body. You can, of course, adjust the cutoff frequency to taste, or perhaps combine a steep high-pass filter cut with a gentle low-shelving boost that restores any lost body. (And if this isn't cutting the mustard, consider addressing the problem while recording before you look for more post-prod solutions!). Finally, if you've recorded different takes with different mics, Cubase Pro users might consider using the bundled Voxengo Curve EQ's 'match EQ' facility to make the takes more consistent before further processing is applied.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Note that while Cubase's plug‑in suite is great for music production, spoken-word can require more attention to extraneous noises and Cubase doesn't include a dedicated noise-reduction plug‑in. Again, try to address this in your recording environment, but if Cubase's EQ and (multiband) gate, compressor and expander options aren't up to the job, you'll probably want to explore third-party de-noisers (eg. iZotope RX, the freeware Cockos ReaFIR or, indeed, Steinberg's own Wavelab).</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; display: table; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">If you create this macro and assign a key command to it, each edit requires nothing more than you making a range selection and pressing a key.</blockquote><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/podcast-dialogue-editing-cubase#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Speedy Macros</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">With some time-saving Channel Strip settings in the bag, it's time to move on to the detailed audio editing. In general, this involves two kinds of task: removing unwanted sections of audio to tighten up the overall flow of the dialogue (including 'ums' and 'errs'); and reducing the level of breaths and other such natural noises (removing them completely often sounds unnatural and thus just as distracting to listeners as when they're too loud!). Both tasks can involve lots of tedious, repetitive, manual editing — but Cubase's powerful system of key commands and macros can turn 'tedious and repetitive' into 'speedy and efficient'!</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">We've looked at the Cubase Macro system many times (see SOS August 2018: <a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-0818" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/cubase-0818</a>) but the uninitiated need to know that a macro is simply a sequence of key commands, and that the Key Commands dialogue box (accessed via the File menu) is where you view, create and edit macros; just open the dialogue and click the Show Macros button.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Macros can be created and edited in the lower pane of the Key Commands window, and you can assign a macro its own key command in the Macro section of the upper pane. The command sequence for the Cut Time And Fade macro is shown in the lower pane.", "alt": "Macros can be created and edited in the lower pane of the Key Commands window, and you can assign a macro its own key command in the Macro section of the upper pane. The command sequence for the Cut Time And Fade macro is shown in the lower pane."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0620_02-TmTZPAtDRahq8Lmbv6FTfmbiWMx.ktQX.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Macros can be created and edited in the lower pane of the Key Commands window, and you can assign a macro its own key command in the Macro section of the upper pane. The command sequence for the Cut Time And Fade macro is shown in the lower pane." height="363" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0620_02-cMRfVCDWbvOJU82TqxZzeisWKQz4JJF9.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Macros can be created and edited in the lower pane of the Key Commands window, and you can assign a macro its own key command in the Macro section of the upper pane. The command sequence for the Cut Time And Fade macro is shown in the lower pane." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Macros can be created and edited in the lower pane of the Key Commands window, </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>and you can assign a macro its own key command in the Macro section of the upper pane. </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>The command sequence for the Cut Time And Fade macro is shown in the lower pane.</i></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Steinberg have made some useful additions to this panel since I last covered it (there are additional buttons on the left) so creating and editing a macro is now much easier. As before, though, once you've created a new empty macro and named it, you simply select key commands in the upper panel and 'add' them to the macro. Key commands can be moved up/down or removed from the macro. And, once you've created your macro, if you go to the Macros section of the key command list, you can also assign a dedicated key command to run the macro. You can also run macros within macros in this way... so a lot is possible.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/podcast-dialogue-editing-cubase#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Cut It Out</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">If you prefer your podcasts free of ums, errs and outright 'bad' takes where you had to repeat a section, the most time-consuming editing task will be cutting out all these vocal fails. You need not only to audition your performance, but to zoom in and select the offending sections, cut the unwanted audio, and move what remains to the right of the cut section so it neatly fills the gap you just created, butting up nicely against audio to the left of the cut section, apply suitable crossfades, and then repeat the process multiple times until all your cuts are made.</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; display: table; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;"><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;">A little once-only work to organise things in Cubase can streamline many repetitive editing tasks — and have you transforming your raw takes into polished 'performances' in no time.</p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">If this sounds like a recipe for RSI, fear not, as Cubase can prevent the pain! Switch to the Range Select tool and you can highlight the section of audio you wish to remove. Then, execute the Edit>Range>Cut Time command (the default shortcut is Cmd-Shift-X on the Mac, Ctrl-Shift-X on Windows), which will instantly delete the selected audio and move all audio to the right of the cut on the current track accordingly. Select, key command, done, repeat.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">If 'auto fades' is switched on (via the Project menu's Auto Fades settings dialogue), every time you cut audio in this fashion a fade-out/fade-in will be applied on playback, reducing the possibilities of any click and pops at your edit points. Note that auto-fades aren't actually visible on the clips themselves, though. If, like me, you prefer to see any fades but don't want to have to insert them all manually, the Cut Time And Fade macro shown in the screenshot can do the Cut Time process and add the required short fades to the events either side of the cut.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">This macro includes a number of steps. The first three commands set the left and right locators around your selection, move the cursor to the left locator, and execute the Cut Time command. The remainder of the commands move the cursor either side of the edit point, select each audio event that lies under the cursor in turn, and then apply suitable short fades. Finally, the last command ensures that the Range selection tool is still selected, so that, after the macro has run, you can move swiftly to your next edit point.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">If you create this macro and assign a key command to it, each edit requires nothing more than you making a range selection and pressing a key. This is perhaps the most common type of audio edit any podcaster will make and, via this macro, the process is about as efficient as it can get — it's a massive time-saver!</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "A breath noise that has been processed via the Breath And Fade macro. The breath itself has been reduced in volume and a fade-in/out applied to the audio event containing the breath. Fades have also been added to the audio events on either side of the selection.", "alt": "A breath noise that has been processed via the Breath And Fade macro. The breath itself has been reduced in volume and a fade-in/out applied to the audio event containing the breath. Fades have also been added to the audio events on either side of the selection."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0620_04-a9AATsQbBiWygIEW2oxq2W48_C9rEnCU.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="A breath noise that has been processed via the Breath And Fade macro. The breath itself has been reduced in volume and a fade-in/out applied to the audio event containing the breath. Fades have also been added to the audio events on either side of the selection." height="309" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0620_04-dj5mf9zHIGhk0_MyyiHYKEgqxsyAql4h.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="A breath noise that has been processed via the Breath And Fade macro. The breath itself has been reduced in volume and a fade-in/out applied to the audio event containing the breath. Fades have also been added to the audio events on either side of the selection." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 568px;"><i>A breath noise that has been processed via the Breath And Fade macro. </i><i style="font-size: 0.85714rem;">The breath </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 568px;"><i style="font-size: 0.85714rem;">itself has been reduced in volume and a fade-in/out applied to the audio </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 568px;"><i>event containing the breath. Fades have also been added to the audio events on </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 568px;"><i>either side of the selection.</i></span></span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/podcast-dialogue-editing-cubase#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Breathe Easy</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "The Breath And Fade macro comprises a long series of key commands, but the whole sequence can be executed with a single key.", "alt": "The Breath And Fade macro comprises a long series of key commands, but the whole sequence can be executed with a single key."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0620_03-Q1UEeZFAJM_.WUvQzfkZGkr0A.O5vXlJ.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="The Breath And Fade macro comprises a long series of key commands, but the whole sequence can be executed with a single key." height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0620_03-AQuGte2lKqJC9gJb5DyFzulNTJ25Rx4I.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="The Breath And Fade macro comprises a long series of key commands, but the whole sequence can be executed with a single key." typeof="foaf:Image" width="164" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 164px;"><i>The Breath And Fade macro comprises a long series of key commands, but the whole sequence can be executed with a single key.</i></span></span>Breath noises can often be distracting. But as I said above, deleting them can sound unnatural, and simply reducing their volume so they're less prominent can often lead to a better result. The same can go for some other mouth noises.</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Again, a macro can be created so each edit can be executed with only a simple range selection operation and a keystroke. I included a macro for reducing the level of breath noises in the <a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-0818" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">SOS August 2018</a> column I linked to above, but I've expanded on that process in the Breath And Fade macro shown here. Many commands used are similar to the Cut Time And Fade macro, but adding the fades requires more steps, simply because three audio events are involved rather than two.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Fades aside, the key part of the process splits the audio range you've selected containing the breath into a separate audio event. It then applies six instances of the Decrement Event Volume command, each instance adjusting the event volume handle by about 1dB. You can, of course, change the number of instances for less or greater volume reduction to suit your needs.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p><p></p><div class="group-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-06" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">June 2020</a></div></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-64038757417409884932024-03-05T12:00:00.000-08:002024-03-05T12:00:00.128-08:00Korg Soundlink Video Tutorial Ep. 2 of 8: Sub Groups and Submixing<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yl5ogmyl06c?si=eLrI7jxq5D01jZTM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-36658300916914395532024-03-04T12:00:00.000-08:002024-03-04T12:00:00.136-08:00Cubase: Delta Monitoring Explained<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700;">With some simple signal routing, Cubase can tell you exactly what a plug‑in is doing to your audio.</span></div><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">A limiter's primary function is to prevent the loudest signal peaks from exceeding a specified maximum level, but they're often also used as a 'maximiser' to increase loudness — as you raise the input signal, everything below the limiter's peak detection threshold gets louder, while the peaks are reduced to the threshold level. But the latter tactic can mean the limiter both acting more frequently and applying more attenuation, and the more you ask your limiter to do, the more unwanted sonic artifacts it will leave behind. Eventually, it will become audibly unpleasant.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "The Brickwall Limiter inserted on a drum bus Group Track, with the track's Pre Gain control used to adjust the input gain.", "alt": "The Brickwall Limiter inserted on a drum bus Group Track, with the track's Pre Gain control used to adjust the input gain."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0720_01-T0dC6TZPy2V5VtR_IP.7ShCIKDJeDeSx.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="The Brickwall Limiter inserted on a drum bus Group Track, with the track's Pre Gain control used to adjust the input gain." height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0720_01-lRhGyFnEGYttrGlSPSCbpz4BtulwNM6u.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="The Brickwall Limiter inserted on a drum bus Group Track, with the track's Pre Gain control used to adjust the input gain." typeof="foaf:Image" width="117" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 117px;"><i>The Brickwall Limiter inserted on a drum bus Group Track, with the track's Pre Gain control used to adjust the input gain.</i></span></span>You can't simply crank up the gain and hope for the best, then; you must train yourself to hear exactly how the limiter is changing your audio. When you overdo it significantly, it's very easy to hear any damage being done. But, especially when you first start experimenting with limiters, it can be harder to judge where the sweet spot is.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">To make this a little easier, you can use a technique that's often referred to as <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">'delta monitoring'</em>. Essentially, this requires you to subtract the processed signal from the unprocessed one, so that you can listen to the remainder, which is what your limiter is removing. Some third-party plug‑ins helpfully include delta monitoring facilities (Tokyo Dawn Labs' Kotelnikov and Limiter 6, for example), but a little creative audio routing allows you to achieve it with almost any plug‑in in Cubase (or, indeed, any other DAW). I've used Cubase's simple Brickwall Limiter for the examples that follow.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-delta-monitoring-explained#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Hitting Bricks</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">You can start by familiarising yourself with the Brickwall Limiter by using it on a drum bus track, as per the first screenshot — I've used the Gain control in the MixConsole's Pre section to set the signal level coming into the Brickwall Limiter. This plug‑in offers switchable dual-mono or stereo operation (via the Link button; best left engaged unless you have specific reasons to change it) and an auto-release option that generally works well. The most important control, though, is the Threshold slider, which sets the maximum level a signal can reach before limiting is applied. Any peak that exceeds this level is quickly brought down to the threshold.</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">To reduce the possibility of exceeding 0dBFS, you should set the Threshold to allow a small margin of error — the screenshot example shows 2dB of headroom left on a drum bus limiter. But if in doubt, the DIC (Detect Intersample Clipping) feature adds an extra level of safety; it uses a lookahead oversampling process that, at the cost of an additional 1ms of latency, ensures the signal won't exceed the Threshold, even at a point between two samples.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-delta-monitoring-explained#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Take It Away</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Delta monitoring: the final track and routing configuration required to isolate the audio differences between the processed and unprocessed versions of the drum bus signal.", "alt": "Delta monitoring: the final track and routing configuration required to isolate the audio differences between the processed and unprocessed versions of the drum bus signal."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0720_02-slgzn3rFXvmJaaD3Bgsnfw3D.LbHMIyl.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Delta monitoring: the final track and routing configuration required to isolate the audio differences between the processed and unprocessed versions of the drum bus signal." height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0720_02-fEUMHZPXLi5baW88uhDHlFIj97nD0mlo.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Delta monitoring: the final track and routing configuration required to isolate the audio differences between the processed and unprocessed versions of the drum bus signal." typeof="foaf:Image" width="93" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 93px;"><i>Delta monitoring: the final track and routing configuration required to isolate the audio differences between the processed and unprocessed versions of the drum bus signal.</i></span></span>Now let's look at how we can set up delta monitoring to better hear what this limiter is doing — the final configuration is set out in the second screen, but a number of steps are required to get there. I'll assume we're starting with a limiter on the drum bus, as described above.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">First, create two FX Tracks and insert an active (ie. not bypassed) instance of the Brickwall Limiter on each. Initially, configure these two instances identically to the one on your drum bus. Then disable the drum bus track's output (in the Routing section), and create two sends, each at unity gain (0dB), each going to a different one of your new FX Tracks. The audio from the drum bus now flows to the master output only via these two FX Tracks, so you can bypass the Brickwall Limiter on the drum bus track. Don't engage playback just yet, though, or the signal will be twice as loud as the original!</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Now, in the Pre panel of the second FX Track, switch the 'phase' (polarity) from 0 to 180 degrees. Engage playback now, and you should hear silence — the two FX Tracks are playing identical audio out of phase and therefore perfectly cancel. Finally, bypass the Brickwall Limiter on the second FX Track. Now, identical parts of the audio will still cancel, but where the limiter has acted you'll hear only what it has removed.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-delta-monitoring-explained#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Split The Difference</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">That was easy enough, but what does it tell you? Well, for a quick example (because it results in an obvious difference), experiment with the Threshold setting and listen to how the characteristics of the delta signal change. In practice, though, the Threshold is likely to be a 'set and forget' parameter. It's more interesting to change the input level (in this case, via the Gain control within the drum bus track's Pre section).</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">The delta monitoring signal will include any gain differences introduced by the processor.</blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">As you'd expect, as you increase the gain, you force the Brickwall Limiter to work harder, and the differences between the processed and unprocessed audio become increasingly obvious. These differences manifest themselves in three ways. First, you can hear which elements within your audio are being altered most by the limiting (whether on a drum bus or a full mix, this will probably be the kick and snare drums). Second, you may be able to hear some audio nasties, which may encourage you to think about just how far you should push your limiter. Third, the delta monitoring signal will include any gain differences that are introduced by the processor itself.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In my example, the gain change is applied equally to both FX Tracks because it's performed on the drum bus Group Track that feeds them — so you won't hear any gain differences. But if the plug‑in being monitored is one with an input gain control (Cubase's Limiter, for example), and you adjust this in the FX Track instance of the plug‑in, then the delta signal will include this gain difference, and it will be present whether or not the limiter's gain reduction circuit is active. (It's also a great way to spot plug‑in presets that try to trick your ears with a sneaky 'louder-sounds-better' boost!) There are pros and cons to both approaches: it can be handy to hear just the limiting, or a combination of the limiting and any gain change.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-delta-monitoring-explained#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Listen & Learn</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Of course, while I've used limiting for this example, the same approach can work with almost any plug‑in. For example, try it with a compressor, or tape saturation processor if you struggle to hear precisely what it is they're doing. As a means of educating your ears, it's a really helpful technique. Hearing the differences isolated in this way can be really interesting, and when you then go back to monitoring the processed signal in the normal way, you'll hopefully have a better idea of just what artifacts to listen out for as you adjust the plug‑in's controls.</p><div class="boxout clearfix" style="background: rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-delta-monitoring-explained#top" id="para5" style="background: rgb(102, 102, 102); box-sizing: inherit; color: white; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 20px; text-decoration-line: none;">Audio Examples</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px 20px;">I've created a number of audio examples so that you can hear what I'm writing about. You'll find them on this accompanying page:</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-delta-monitoring-audio-examples" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-delta-monitoring-audio-examples</a></p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px;">Stream them by all means, but as this is about critical listening, you'll have a much better experience if you download the Zip file of uncompressed WAV versions and audition them in your DAW.</p></div><p><img alt="Package icon" class="file-icon" src="https://www.soundonsound.com/modules/file/icons/package-x-generic.png" style="background-color: #cccccc; border: none; box-sizing: content-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="application/zip" /><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><a href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/assetlibrary/c/cubasedeltamonitoring0720.zip?n7QX.4m4LBKMaV0ZKI1RFNauklQW1pCi" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none;" type="application/zip; length=109616586">cubasedeltamonitoring0720.zip</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-07" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">July 2020</a></div><div><br /></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-77687300882889788042024-03-02T10:00:00.000-08:002024-03-02T10:00:00.360-08:00Korg Soundlink Video Tutorial Ep. 1 of 8: Setting Input Levels<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4MFrzUazCfs?si=2SIl8FtItdL-ZHwJ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-16963077705641295552024-03-01T12:00:00.000-08:002024-03-01T12:00:00.131-08:00How To Use Cubase's Spectral Comparison EQ<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Cubase Pro 10.5's Spectral Comparison EQ can be helpful when adjusting the frequency relationship between two sources, such as kick drum and bass guitar, whose frequency ranges overlap.", "alt": "Cubase Pro 10.5's Spectral Comparison EQ can be helpful when adjusting the frequency relationship between two sources, such as kick drum and bass guitar, whose frequency ranges overlap."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0820_01-uNX5_VuZhmWMVL_vJhVPW5nclhbdMOpe.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Cubase Pro 10.5's Spectral Comparison EQ can be helpful when adjusting the frequency relationship between two sources, such as kick drum and bass guitar, whose frequency ranges overlap." height="193" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0820_01-hUOkSD39bE_.gPVH39bGvFkhdNuH2X71.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Cubase Pro 10.5's Spectral Comparison EQ can be helpful when adjusting the frequency relationship between two sources, such as kick drum and bass guitar, whose frequency ranges overlap." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Cubase Pro 10.5's Spectral Comparison EQ can be helpful when adjusting the </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>frequency relationship between two sources, such as kick drum and bass guitar, whose frequency ranges overlap.</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Cubase Pro's Spectral Comparison EQ makes it easy to figure out why things sound too different or too similar!</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In Cubase Pro 10.5, Steinberg added a very useful Spectral Comparison EQ option to the Channel Settings window. This makes it easy to compare the frequency distribution of two audio signals, in real time, providing a very useful visual guide to complement what your ears might already be telling you. There are plenty of scenarios in which such comparison can be useful, and I'll explore two here:</p><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 1px 0px;">managing the relationship between a kick drum and a bass guitar.</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 1px 0px;">comparing the overall balance of your mix to that of a reference track in the same musical style.</li></ul><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/how-use-cubases-spectral-comparison-eq#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">EQ For Two</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Let's start with the kick and bass example. In the first screenshot (above) I've selected my bass guitar track and, in the Equaliser tab of its Channel Setting window, engaged the Activate Channel Comparison button. In the second (orange) drop-down slot, I've selected my kick drum track. As the project plays, I now see the EQ spectrum for my kick drum (orange) through that of the bass guitar (blue). This makes it easy to spot the two parts' peaks and troughs and identify frequencies where one part might be masking the other. You can then devise EQ settings to give each part enough space to play its intended role in the mix.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">But this tool isn't just a visual aid; the Spectral Comparison feature also makes it easier to do the second part of this job. By default, the displayed EQ controls will be active for the currently selected channel (in my case, the bass guitar in blue). But clicking on the orange drop-down tab toggles the EQ controls to the kick drum (orange) track — so I can quickly flick back and forth to make the required EQ adjustments. As both tabs also feature solo buttons, you can isolate either signal (or both) from the rest of the mix.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In this kick/bass example, I eventually took a few decibels out of the bass at about 60Hz and a few out of the kick at around 110Hz. In conjunction with a little side-chain compression (to duck the bass guitar by one or two dB during kick-drum hits) this improved the clarity of the low end of the mix, without adding lots of additional energy that might devour the remaining mix headroom.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/how-use-cubases-spectral-comparison-eq#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Master Strokes</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In SOS July 2019's <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-pro-reference-tracks" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cubase 'Reference Tracks'</a> workshop, Matt Houghton outlined various strategies for comparing your own mix with reference tracks when preparing your final mix or doing DIY mastering. The new Spectral Comparison EQ feature can play a useful role in this process, helping you visualise what EQ moves might be required to nudge the tonal balance of your own mix towards that of your target. It can also be combined with Cubase Pro's metering options, so you can compare loudness between your mix and the reference.</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">It's not just a visual aid... the Spectral Comparison feature also makes it easier to adjust the EQ of the two channels.</blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">To compare the tonal balance or loudness of your mix to those of a reference, you need to be able to switch quickly between hearing your own mix, with any master-bus processing applied, and the reference mix, without that also passing through your master-bus signal chain. As Matt described, there are various ways to set this up in Cubase, but if you want to exploit the Spectral Comparison EQ alongside any overall level metering, the following approach will allow you to switch between the mix-in-progress and the reference track very efficiently. It requires a little configuration, and there are six steps.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">First, configure a Group Channel to act as the 'master bus' for your own mix (we'll call it 'Master Bus'). Other tracks from your mix that are normally routed to Cubase's Stereo Output should be routed to this channel, including group channels such as drum buses that act as submix buses. Any mastering-style processing you want to apply to your mix can be inserted on this new Master Bus group track, which can then be set to output to the Stereo Output.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Second, you need to add your reference track to your project and insert it on a standard stereo audio track. This track should also be routed to the Stereo Output track, so it doesn't pass through any 'mastering' processing you apply on the Master Bus channel. In the Project window, drag this 'Reference Mix' track so it appears directly below the Master Bus one. Your Master Bus and Reference Mix tracks should now also be sitting side-by-side in the MixConsole.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Third, we need to create two simple macros, as per the screenshot. I've named these Track Left Solo and Track Right Solo; when executed, all they do is toggle the mute status of the currently selected channel in the MixConsole, navigate to select the track immediately to the left (or right), and then toggle the mute status of that track. Once created, assign these macros to convenient key commands.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Don't be scared: the two macros described in the text are easy to create in the Key Commands window.", "alt": "Don't be scared: the two macros described in the text are easy to create in the Key Commands window."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0820_02-GCMS3DCacMbmz_MmR4eDDC10iflKItpT.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Don't be scared: the two macros described in the text are easy to create in the Key Commands window." height="381" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0820_02-vOzvGgt6Ac30Nkc0OM8SvBzHeRjiJUyZ.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Don't be scared: the two macros described in the text are easy to create in the Key Commands window." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Don't be scared: the two macros described in the text are easy to create in the </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Key Commands window.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Fourth, with the MixConsole in the foreground, select the Master Bus track. Open the Channel Settings window for that track and, in the Equaliser tab, click the Activate Channel Comparison button. Select the Reference Mix track in the orange drop-down menu (the Master Bus track will already be selected under the blue drop-down). Open the Channel Settings Function Menu from the down-arrow icon located top right and deselect the option called "Follow e buttons or selection changes". Normally, the contents of the Channel Settings window change to reflect the selected channel in the MixConsole but deselecting this means that even if we change the track selection in the MixConsole, the Channel Settings will continue to display the Master Bus track settings, so we can keep our comparative EQ display for the Master Bus and Reference Mix tracks in view.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Fifth, open the Right Zone on the MixConsole and select the Meter option (upper tab), and the Loudness option (lower tab), to display the Loudness Meter. A detailed discussion of the options here is a topic for another day but, for now, just focus on the visual feedback of the meter if you want to compare the loudness of your mix to the reference.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Finally, mute the Reference Mix track and select the Master Bus track. When you initiate playback, you'll hear your mix; but if you then execute the Track Right Solo macro, the Master Bus track will be muted and the Reference Mix track selected and unmuted. You've instantly toggled playback from your mix on the Master Bus track, to the reference mix. Apply the Track Left Solo macro to flip back to your own mix.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Together, Cubase's Spectral Comparison EQ facility and its Loudness Meter can provide very useful insights when comparing your mix with a reference track.", "alt": "Together, Cubase's Spectral Comparison EQ facility and its Loudness Meter can provide very useful insights when comparing your mix with a reference track."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0820_03-CCcvaUNCbAB5r6g0oLItroY1OTtZokcA.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Together, Cubase's Spectral Comparison EQ facility and its Loudness Meter can provide very useful insights when comparing your mix with a reference track." height="191" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0820_03-ZqL.OHM2khk1UqQOcmPuXYm2itLQrXhl.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Together, Cubase's Spectral Comparison EQ facility and its Loudness Meter can provide very useful insights when comparing your mix with a reference track." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Together, Cubase's Spectral Comparison EQ facility and its Loudness Meter can </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>provide very useful insights when comparing your mix with a reference track.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">As you do this, the Spectral Comparison EQ display allows you to compare the tonal balance of the mix and reference in real time. And, if you spot frequency ranges where your mix might have relatively more or less energy than your reference, you can easily experiment with EQ adjustments.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In terms of loudness comparisons, watching where the Loudness Meter settles as you switch between the two tracks is the best place to start. But if you want to use the numerical readouts, make sure you reset the meter (the rightmost button above the numerical panel) as you switch between the mix and the reference.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">It's also worth noting that, while the overall shape/slope of the two EQ distributions can indicate the similarity (or otherwise) of the tonal balance between your mix and the reference track, the vertical axis of the EQ spectrum is also quantifying differences in signal level. So, for example, if the overall frequency curves show a similar distribution of low, mids and highs, but your mix just has lower amounts of all frequencies (as per the example in the second screenshot, where the blue curve mirrors the orange curve but sits consistently beneath it), you might want to add some overall gain to your mix — or attenuate the reference — before making more detailed EQ tweaks to refine the frequency-distribution match.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/how-use-cubases-spectral-comparison-eq#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Making Space</a></h2><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Of course, sorting the kick and bass relationship and informing mastering decisions aren't the only applications for real-time frequency comparison. For example, you might compare your lead vocal with a bus containing the instrumental elements that make up the rest of your mix. You can then experiment with EQing to create space in the instrument bed for the most important vocal frequencies, to help improve the clarity of the vocal and intelligibility of the lyrics. Spectral Comparison EQ lets you go compare!</span> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p><p></p><div class="group-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-08" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">August 2020</a></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-50332104175996622992024-02-29T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T12:00:00.132-08:00Korg Livestream - All about the Korg NuTekt OD-S Overdrive Pedal<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gk9MejaSprg?si=nJYSbpN3g6yd-h86" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-57697801929228090662024-02-28T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-28T12:00:00.164-08:00Cubase: Archiving Projects<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.85714rem;"> </span><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.85714rem; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Making a clean and compact backup of your current project is easy in all versions of Cubase.", "alt": "Making a clean and compact backup of your current project is easy in all versions of Cubase."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0920_01-j36w_D8xQYBLbdtQDiO2yqS.ebP4Lxt4.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Making a clean and compact backup of your current project is easy in all versions of Cubase." height="257" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0920_01-KUa_kqOgXFA8huwmJp1MJnl_QGcPiBg3.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Making a clean and compact backup of your current project is easy in all versions of Cubase." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 538px;"><i>Making a clean and compact backup of your current project is easy in all versions of Cubase.</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Future-proof your projects. We examine the archival options for users of Cubase Elements, Artist or Pro.</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">While archiving your projects is perhaps not the most exciting aspect of working with Cubase, you'll one day thank your younger self for having put in the effort, so in this month's column I'll examine the archival options for users of Cubase Elements, Artist or Pro. Archiving isn't just about saving your project to another hard drive; it should ensure that you have a backup copy should the original project be lost or become corrupted. It should also ensure that you can access your project even without the current versions of Cubase or the plug‑ins you used.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">The first step is to decide on the balance between your desired degree of future-proofing and the time and effort required to achieve it. I tend towards pragmatism rather than perfectionism, and will focus on the former here. But hopefully there will be enough ideas here that you can develop a more comprehensive strategy if you prefer.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-archiving-projects#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">All Backed Up</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">A sensible first step is to create a self-contained backup copy of a project that would restore the project on your own host system in the event of data loss. It's a two-step process and can be done in an identical fashion in Pro, Artist and Elements.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Using the Audio Mixdown dialogue (shown here in Cubase Elements) allows you to render your virtual instrument tracks to audio, albeit one at a time.", "alt": "Using the Audio Mixdown dialogue (shown here in Cubase Elements) allows you to render your virtual instrument tracks to audio, albeit one at a time."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0920_02-_kgTH_a4dtEzoVwN7MsbzFBIGKoJl9q..jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Using the Audio Mixdown dialogue (shown here in Cubase Elements) allows you to render your virtual instrument tracks to audio, albeit one at a time." height="236" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0920_02-c7j1JJHJVCn5kE_fOYXX2pivtlORkKwb.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Using the Audio Mixdown dialogue (shown here in Cubase Elements) allows you to render your virtual instrument tracks to audio, albeit one at a time." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Using the Audio Mixdown dialogue (shown here in Cubase Elements) allows </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>you to render your virtual instrument tracks to audio, albeit one at a time.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">First, execute the Media/Prepare Archive command. This will check whether all files referenced by your project reside in the project folder, and will place copies of them in there if not. Second, from the menu, select File/Back Up Project, and you'll be prompted to specify a new folder for the backup copy. A few tickbox options dictate exactly what gets placed in the new folder. Minimise Audio Files (only copy those portions of any audio files actually used on the timeline) and Remove Unused Files will help keep your backup compact. Provided everything else (plug‑ins, sample content locations) remains the same on your host system, this backup project should open fully intact and ready to go if your original working copy is lost.</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">Together, these files should meet pretty much any need when it comes to resurrecting a project, be it tomorrow or many years down the line.</blockquote><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-archiving-projects#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">The Future Is Now</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">While useful in the short term, the above process won't protect you from plug‑ins that might go missing in the longer term. The most straightforward insurance against this problem is to render all the project's audio and virtual instruments tracks as audio files, with all channel-level processing included. If you like, you can do the same with all the channel processing bypassed, so you have a version of your audio files with any edits, for example, but free from processing, which is handy if you want to revamp your project in the future.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">What follows will work in all versions of Cubase. It's a little clunky, though, and users of Pro have a better option in the Export Audio Mixdown dialogue, on which more later. First, save a copy of your project with a suitable 'version for future-proofing' name. If the Freeze button isn't already visible, right-click on any track in the Track List to open the Track Controls Panel and make it visible for both Audio and MIDI tracks. Track freezing is actually designed for reducing CPU loads, but it also happens to create an audio render of the frozen track, and places this in a new folder (sensibly named Freeze) in your main Project folder. The render file 'captures' both the audio and the results of any channel processing, but there is a catch. In order to keep the file sizes compact, the Freeze function only captures those sections of your track where something is actually happening, and without a little further intervention before freezing, the format of these renders doesn't really meet our 'archiving' needs.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "If you are not using Cubase Pro, a workaround combining the track Freeze and Audio Mixdown dialogue features can let you create an audio-only render of all audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project.", "alt": "If you are not using Cubase Pro, a workaround combining the track Freeze and Audio Mixdown dialogue features can let you create an audio-only render of all audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0920_03-PFw8qYwRYjBjM_5l2meREFcGeiCPH.FL.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="If you are not using Cubase Pro, a workaround combining the track Freeze and Audio Mixdown dialogue features can let you create an audio-only render of all audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project." height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0920_03-xuwG.P0dVKZuxOW2.jlV0n0D350R1T7Y.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="If you are not using Cubase Pro, a workaround combining the track Freeze and Audio Mixdown dialogue features can let you create an audio-only render of all audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project." typeof="foaf:Image" width="243" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 243px;"><i>If you are not using Cubase Pro, a workaround combining the track Freeze and Audio Mixdown dialogue features can let you create an audio-only render of all audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project.</i></span></span>For audio tracks, the workaround is simple. First, find a short (a single bar or beat) section of one of your audio tracks that contains silence. Second, copy this clip to the very start of every audio track that doesn't already start at bar 1, beat 1. Third, select all the audio events on a track (or tracks; you can handle multiple tracks simultaneously) and from the file menu execute Audio/Bounce Selection. This replaces all the separate audio events on each track with a single contiguous event starting at bar 1, beat 1. Finally, if you now Freeze each audio track, the Freeze files will all start from bar 1, beat 1 and can be dragged into a new project.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">For virtual instrument tracks, a different workaround is required, and must be done one track at a time. In the MixConsole, make sure the output of every virtual instrument track is set to the main Stereo Output. Next, bypass any plug‑ins on the Stereo Output bus (so you don't end up capturing a 'mastered' version of the instrument's audio). Then set the left locator to bar 1, beat 1 and the right locator to a point just beyond the end of your project.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Finally, one VSTi track at a time, solo the track and execute the File/Export/Audio Mixdown command. In the Audio Mixdown dialogue box, specify a filename to reflect the track's contents and point the File Path to the Freeze folder (which, assuming you've already dealt with your audio tracks as described above, will already be there). In the After Export section, deselect the Create Audio Track and Insert To Pool options (so you don't get extra tracks or audio file entries cluttering up your project) and hit Export Audio. Repeat as required for each virtual instrument track.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Then there's the MIDI: the audio might give you all you need, but you may want to consider archiving the MIDI information used to trigger any virtual or hardware instruments so that you can, for example, choose different voices or layer different parts and so forth at a later date. To do this go to File/Export/MIDI File. You'll find a few options here, so you should feel free to explore them, but the defaults should suffice.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-archiving-projects#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Go Pro?</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Cubase Pro makes this all much easier as it allows the simultaneous export of multiple tracks (any track type that uses audio) over a time range defined by the left and right locators, so every audio file created starts at the same time point and is exactly the same length. You can define a dedicated folder for the exported files and a naming scheme that can number and name the tracks. (Note that I've also deselected the Create Audio Track and Insert To Pool options.)</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Cubase Pro's Audio Mixdown includes batch processing, making it easier to create a render of all the audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project.", "alt": "Cubase Pro's Audio Mixdown includes batch processing, making it easier to create a render of all the audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0920_04-PHQS.xMjlKKh3.7Dp6FvaE3js0uYkFvY.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Cubase Pro's Audio Mixdown includes batch processing, making it easier to create a render of all the audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project." height="241" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_0920_04-mJXcPsuDp5LZlOI7KiVokpv062E7BdkX.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Cubase Pro's Audio Mixdown includes batch processing, making it easier to create a render of all the audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Cubase Pro's Audio Mixdown includes batch processing, making it easier to </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>create a render of all the audio and virtual instrument tracks within a project.</i></span></span></p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Perhaps the only catch is that you have to choose stereo (the default) or mono bounces; you can't do both at once. So either choose to live with stereo (no real hardship, unless you're trying to create a particularly compact archive) or perform the export in a couple of passes, dealing with stereo and mono (tick the Mono Downmix box) separately. Either way, Pro makes this process incredibly efficient, and for users of other Cubase versions, this might be reason enough to upgrade.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-archiving-projects#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Peace Of Mind</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Yes, it's fiddly, but if you've followed all these steps, you'll have access not only to a backup of your project, but also a version of the project's tracks where you can drag and drop all the files to bar 1, beat 1 of a new project. You'll have a pretty good working version of the original audio, the processed audio, the MIDI information — including the project tempo — and to virtual instrument tracks. Together, these files should meet pretty much any need when it comes to resurrecting a project, be it tomorrow or many years down the line.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Whichever route you took, it's now time to copy your archive to an external drive, and ideally somewhere off-site too. Next time, I'll expand on these ideas and look at additional export options to help ensure a smooth workflow when collaborating with other musicians or mix engineers. Until then, keep your data safe.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p><p></p><div class="group-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-09" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">September 2020</a></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-73967046706457121512024-02-27T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-27T12:00:00.127-08:00Soundlink Mixers MW2408/1608: The convenience of analog. The power of digital.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cZkV0S-mtvI?si=DQJ_J3FvLbx5Btzx" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-22805803990570144002024-02-26T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-26T12:00:00.138-08:00Exporting Cubase Projects<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700;">Thinking of collaborating with other musicians/engineers? Here's how to prepare and share your Cubase project data.</span></div><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Last month we looked at backups and basic future-proofing of projects made in Cubase Elements, Artist and Pro, from the perspective of personal data security and peace of mind. Some different considerations can apply, though, when you want to export your project to share it with collaborators. In this article, I'll consider the sort of data export processes that this typically requires, whether your collaboration involves working remotely with a musical partner, sending your project to a professional mix engineer, or perhaps dealing with a mastering engineer. To avoid confusion, I'll highlight any overlaps with the data-security side of things that I explored last month.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/exporting-cubase-projects#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">With Or Without You</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "If sending a mix engineer your raw tracks, resetting the MixConsole can save a lot of time.", "alt": "If sending a mix engineer your raw tracks, resetting the MixConsole can save a lot of time."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_01-P8dA_U5VfhWqrmE5uDoJEbM8d.S9GTUA.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="If sending a mix engineer your raw tracks, resetting the MixConsole can save a lot of time." height="259" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_01-2qWD_kX09WEPH.g6JWfds1UGmEqkvtZI.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="If sending a mix engineer your raw tracks, resetting the MixConsole can save a lot of time." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>If sending a mix engineer your raw tracks, resetting the MixConsole can save a lot of time.</i></span></span>If you and your collaborator both use Cubase and the same plug‑ins, the Back Up Project process described last month may be all you require. And if you each use different DAWs but your collaborator will only be adding a few overdubs, last month's audio render process (including all the channel-level processing) would give them plenty of scope to create a cue mix.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">When sending your project to a mix engineer, though, an audio render of each audio and virtual instrument track, without any of your own channel-level or mix-bus processing applied, and all starting at bar 1, beat 1, will almost always be the format of choice. Before applying the rendering approach described last month, you could first bypass any insert effects and Channel Strip processing on the tracks you're exporting, but in this context a 'mixer reset' will be quicker and probably more effective.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">To do this, first save a new copy of your project with a suitable 'for the mix engineer' name. Then, from the Functions drop-down menu in the top-right of the MixConsole (left of the Racks menu), select Reset MixConsole Channels and choose 'all channels'. This will zero the MixConsole, rather like putting all the controls of a hardware mixer back to their default position. It removes all insert plug‑ins, including those on the Group, FX and Stereo Output tracks, and resets all Channel Strip settings, including the EQ. It will pan every track to the centre, and set all faders to the 0dB (unity gain) position. Then you can render all of the audio and virtual instrument tracks to provide a clean slate for your mix engineer.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/exporting-cubase-projects#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">All Out Drums</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Multi-channel VSTis can require more work, the most obvious candidates being drum instruments like Groove Agent (GA) SE. By default, such instruments have internal mixing options and present only one stereo output to Cubase, but a mix engineer will usually want separate tracks for each virtual mic.</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "As shown here for Groove Agent SE, you can configure your multichannel virtual instruments so that separate audio renders can be made for each sound.", "alt": "As shown here for Groove Agent SE, you can configure your multichannel virtual instruments so that separate audio renders can be made for each sound."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_02-Lx72ngBSNOduFq1wbvQai7iGxIX3jIXS.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="As shown here for Groove Agent SE, you can configure your multichannel virtual instruments so that separate audio renders can be made for each sound." height="208" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_02-qSgKFlOH3W_qVUYyMjDf3Fs.aaKN3v2n.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="As shown here for Groove Agent SE, you can configure your multichannel virtual instruments so that separate audio renders can be made for each sound." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>As shown here for Groove Agent SE, you can configure your multichannel virtual </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>instruments so that separate audio renders can be made for each sound.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">The first step is identical in all versions of Cubase: you need to configure your virtual instrument to use multiple outputs, and inside the VSTi route each 'mic' to the desired output track. Taking GA SE as an example, you can see how I've set things up in the screenshot. I used the drop-down menu to activate five additional outputs — these manifest themselves as Tracks in the Project window and MixConsole. Right-clicking on a drum pad in GA SE pops up a further menu where you can route individual pads to any one of these outputs. It's also sensible to ensure that any default insert or send effects in your VSTi's internal mixer are bypassed (unless they're integral to the sound you want the mix engineer to work with).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Once you have your VSTi configured for multichannel output, Pro and Artist make it easy to generate audio renders for each channel.", "alt": "Once you have your VSTi configured for multichannel output, Pro and Artist make it easy to generate audio renders for each channel."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_03-TQaQUZeF.GGki_ja_UgFLw7SFnFIgl9V.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Once you have your VSTi configured for multichannel output, Pro and Artist make it easy to generate audio renders for each channel." height="229" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_03-WHPn_cCXCXPUIzNPwworZ4SmnYk4UtCw.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Once you have your VSTi configured for multichannel output, Pro and Artist make it easy to generate audio renders for each channel." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>Once you have your VSTi configured for multichannel output, Pro and Artist make it easy to generate audio renders for each channel.</i></span></span>Then you can render audio for each of these new outputs. In Elements, simply follow the (repetitive, yet effective) process I described last month: solo one output channel of your VSTi at a time, and use Export Audio Mixdown to render each one in turn. Artist and Pro make this step easier: select the main Instrument track in the Project window and execute the Edit/Render In Place command. For the 'Render Settings', selecting 'Dry' will bypass any channel-level processing to ensure your mix engineer gets unprocessed audio. Audio from each of the VSTi output channels will appear on new audio tracks in the project, and the audio files will reside (by default) in the Project's audio folder.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Note that Cubase's Export/Audio Mixdown command allows you to export only mono or stereo, but not both simultaneously, and some mix engineers prefer mono files for mono parts, so you may have to do two export passes.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/exporting-cubase-projects#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Stemming The Flow</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Your export needs will be different for mastering. Most commonly, you'll supply just a final stereo mix, via Export Audio Mixdown (perhaps with and without any stereo-bus processing you've used). An alternative scenario is when the mastering engineer will be working with 'stems', and you're asked to supply stereo submixes of drums, bass, guitars, keys, vocals, backing vocals, etc. This is easier if you've already used Group Channels while mixing: in Elements and Artist, each Group Channel can be soloed in turn and rendered via File/Export/Audio Mixdown; Pro's multichannel batch export capability lets you generate a stereo audio render for all Group Channels simultaneously.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Cubase Pro's batch processing options in the Export Audio Mixdown dialogue allow instrument group stems to be created with ease.", "alt": "Cubase Pro's batch processing options in the Export Audio Mixdown dialogue allow instrument group stems to be created with ease."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_04-PRaoPIfo6AHTzaDBTmLPyAQBHunj_QMe.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Cubase Pro's batch processing options in the Export Audio Mixdown dialogue allow instrument group stems to be created with ease." height="289" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_04-o7P54dVD3kVn.MYvkd8pie9lXmUfuCKx.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Cubase Pro's batch processing options in the Export Audio Mixdown dialogue allow instrument group stems to be created with ease." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>Cubase Pro's batch processing options in the Export Audio Mixdown dialogue allow instrument group stems to be created with ease.</i></span></span>If you don't normally use Group Channels, a little more care is needed when creating stems. A visual reference can be helpful, so colour-code all the project channels by instrument group (red for drums, blue for bass, etc). Then, one colour-coded section at a time, solo just the tracks within a single instrument group and perform an Export Audio Mixdown process to create an audio file for that stem. This process will work in all versions of Cubase.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Don't forget to bypass any master-bus processing while you do this — it's intended to apply to your full mix rather than individual stems from that mix. You're OK leaving master-bus EQ intact if you've been mixing through it, but always make sure any dynamics processors (compressors, expanders, limiters) are bypassed.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/exporting-cubase-projects#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Time For MIDI</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Moving raw MIDI data between collaborators is generally straightforward; all versions of Cubase can export a standard MIDI file, and this will contain data from the Tempo track. This might be useful if, for instance, a collaborator will be trying to create a better MIDI-based drum performance in a third-party instrument based on what you created with GA SE.</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">All versions of Cubase can export a standard MIDI file, and this will contain data from the Tempo track.</blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Cubase Pro supports both AAF and OMF export and import — neither's a perfect format, but some collaborators might request these formats.", "alt": "Cubase Pro supports both AAF and OMF export and import — neither's a perfect format, but some collaborators might request these formats."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_05-iCcnadZGEoe0JKB4j5rGK.fODs3DzDt4.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Cubase Pro supports both AAF and OMF export and import — neither's a perfect format, but some collaborators might request these formats." height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1020_05-nwukX4aWVLzbRcKxCef_j2OIgjXnWrWd.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Cubase Pro supports both AAF and OMF export and import — neither's a perfect format, but some collaborators might request these formats." typeof="foaf:Image" width="256" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 256px;"><i>Cubase Pro supports both AAF and OMF export and import — neither's a perfect format, but some collaborators might request these formats.</i></span></span>If your collaborator is importing into another version of Cubase, they should start without a new project open and use the MIDI File Import menu option. This creates a new project and ensures the tempo data is imported alongside the other MIDI data, and they can then import any audio into that project. In other DAWs, though, your collaborator may need to check some preferences/settings. For example, in Logic Pro, they'd need to enable the Import Tempo option under Preferences/General/Notifications. This kind of detail aside, the most time-consuming aspect of MIDI imports will usually be configuring virtual instruments to match the desired playback character. Notes will be fine, but control parameters (even velocity mapping) and any keyswitching can vary enormously.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/exporting-cubase-projects#top" id="para5" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Industry Standards?</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">I've deliberately avoided mention of Open Media Framework (OMF, available in Cubase Pro only) and Advanced Authoring Format (AAF, available in Artist and Pro). Both are standard industry formats, intended primarily for the exchange of audio and video data between different applications, but they each have limitations. Neither is anywhere near being a complete 'audio, video, MIDI and plug‑ins' solution.</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">So unless a collaborator specifically requests OMF or AAF, I'd stick with project backups, rendered audio and exported MIDI. These low-level formats are reliable, straightforward to use and will, I suspect, have a longer shelf life too.</span> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-10" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">October 2020</a></div><div><br /></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-18572884943762970302024-02-24T10:00:00.000-08:002024-02-24T10:00:00.236-08:00TORIENA feat. NEW volca sample ( and EXCLUSIVE Sample Pack!)<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CRIi8iFM8MU?si=SIdYlGS6jD8EIzx9" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-45283024847358945052024-02-23T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-23T12:00:00.130-08:00Cubase 11 now available<div class="node__content" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span class="field--subtitle" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #999999; display: table-cell; font-size: 1.35714rem; line-height: 1.2em;">Steinberg's flagship DAW gets major update</span><div class="field--body" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "", "alt": "Steinberg Cubase 11"}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/i/intro_visual_cubase_11_cubase-DnkQt43t9zAmLFIiFgMqtsq3t3cop936.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Steinberg Cubase 11" height="225" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/i/intro_visual_cubase_11_cubase-tEh1oZniS61HKMZWQeLfHruuZjb9_cyh.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="introtext" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The latest version of Cubase has just been announced. The update applies across all editions (Elements, Artist and Pro), and adds a wealth of features and extra content.</p><p class="nindent" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Common to all versions are:</p><ul style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 1px 0px;">An enhanced <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Sampler Track</strong>, which now features a new slicing mode for working with loops, two global LFOs, and a monophonic legato feature that Steinberg recommend for 303-style bass lines.<span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "", "alt": "Steinberg Cubase 11 Sampler Track"}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/screen_shot_2020-11-11_at_13.27.49-Zxg76RP7C8p6nzK92mgBj5kp35u8gTE8.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Steinberg Cubase 11 Sampler Track" height="143" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/s/screen_shot_2020-11-11_at_13.27.49-8CGGnfeDR2cpFbfA.b6rHWglea7n.dpL.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a></span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 1px 0px;">The <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Key Editor</strong> now boasts a <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Scale Assistant</strong>, which you can use to filter out out-of-scale MIDI notes in real time, or display only in-scale notes in the piano roll editor. It also lets you nudge existing performances, or even pitch-bend data, into the key of your choice.</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 1px 0px;">MIDI editing has also been enhanced, so that you can now delete notes with a simple double-click, and easily copy CC data from one track to another.</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 1px 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Squasher</strong> is a multi-band dynamics processor that combines upward and downward compression for precise control of dynamic range — or extreme crushing effects, should the urge strike.</li></ul><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Both the Pro and Artist versions additionally benefit from a new high-res metering and analysis tool called <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">SuperVision</strong>. This provides precise visual feedback over audio levels, spectral content, phase coherence and waveform shape.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Operational enhancements to both Pro and Artist include a new <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Marker Lines</strong> feature for faster project navigation; <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Pitch Visibility</strong>, which shows you the pitch of a clip or sample at a glance; an enhanced <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Range Selection</strong> tool; and improvements to the <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">ARA</strong> workflow.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-left" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: left; margin: 10px 10px 5px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "", "alt": "Steinberg Cubase 11 SuperVision"}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/screen_shot_2020-11-11_at_13.31.43-9u2o7ZvmzBLk8A6slLGSM2wmDwSNl8lI.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Steinberg Cubase 11 SuperVision" height="230" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/s/screen_shot_2020-11-11_at_13.31.43-zKpw87PT264Jl8fZmLiYXbha_glxiHD4.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a></span>In terms of new tools, those two versions also benefit from a new four-band stereo-width processor called <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Imager</strong>, and also come with a copy of <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">SpectraLayers One</strong>, a streamlined version of Steinberg's spectral audio editor.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">The flagship edition, <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Cubase Pro</strong>, has yet more new tricks up its sleeve that will doubtless please professional composers who need to work fast. The process of exporting projects and stems has been given a major overhaul, with advanced options now letting you choose exactly what to export — even including aux effects and master-bus processing when exporting a single track or group. You can also set up an export queue, so that all the stems you create and select will be merrily exported, one after the other, at the click of a mouse.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" /><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Cubase Pro's <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Frequency EQ</strong> has also been given a boost, and now lets you switch each of its eight bands into dynamic mode, so that the filter nodes will move according to the input signal. It now also supports multiple side-chain inputs, meaning you can trigger different frequency bands according to different input signals.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">The <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Score Editor</strong> has been enhanced too, with more notation settings and editing modes, and support for the SMuFL font format, which makes popular Dorico fonts available in Cubase for the first time.<span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "", "alt": "Steinberg Cubase 11 Export"}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/screen_shot_2020-11-11_at_13.28.25-xgdfyWH992lGPJ_MOZkTQ0UXbbQXLeFF.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Steinberg Cubase 11 Export" height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/s/screen_shot_2020-11-11_at_13.28.25-oywVwGkJfKLNRw7iqXyR_31bB7zIJUF..jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" width="282" /></a></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">Owners of Avid/Euphonix controllers, meanwhile, will be delighted to learn that <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">EuCon</strong> support has been added to Cubase 11 Pro.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px;">The entry level <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Elements</strong> edition now supports audio side-chaining, while the <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Artist</strong> version of Cubase has also been granted a few extremely useful extras, including ARA 2 and VariAudio 3 support and unlimited audio and MIDI tracks.</p></div></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">There are many more additions and features to speak of, which you can find details about at the link below, but we'll leave you with pricing and availability info. Cubase 11 will cost €559 for the Pro version, €329 for the Artist edition, and just €99.99 for Elements (upgrade paths for users of earlier versions are available). Cubase 11 is available to buy now from the Steinberg online shop, and is authorised, as ever, via a Steinberg eLicenser USB key.</span> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="node__content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></div><p></p><div class="submitted" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #999999; float: right; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.85714rem; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="date" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Published 11/11/20</span></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-85282858891126936842024-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-22T12:00:00.125-08:00Moe Shop feat. NEW volca sample ( and EXCLUSIVE Sample Pack!)<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_IFtGDuCBTg?si=XTmnyDUdmvrA9s-b" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-91524316072810477062024-02-21T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-21T12:00:00.132-08:00Cubase: String Theory Part 2<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Merge MIDI In Loop can be used to render the notes created by Arpache SX and Transformer to regular MIDI clips for each string part.", "alt": "Merge MIDI In Loop can be used to render the notes created by Arpache SX and Transformer to regular MIDI clips for each string part."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1220_01-3JiywYwWJmRFOv1h6HBph.tX.bkRz1S..jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Merge MIDI In Loop can be used to render the notes created by Arpache SX and Transformer to regular MIDI clips for each string part." height="223" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1220_01-GfUbuHXJV6NcZo_bl1.v3tHQ80F3v.2A.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Merge MIDI In Loop can be used to render the notes created by Arpache SX and Transformer to regular MIDI clips for each string part." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Merge MIDI In Loop can be used to render the notes created by Arpache SX and </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Transformer to regular MIDI clips for each string part.</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Last month we ‘faked’ some string‑arrangements. Now it’s time to add a human touch.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Last month, we used Cubase’s Chord Track, Arpache SX and Transformer MIDI plug‑ins to create an almost‑passable five‑part string arrangement. However, we left off with the ‘performance’ sounding a little robotic, and perhaps a little too busy as well. So this month I’ll explore some more ‘fake it’ options that can create a better impression of ‘human’ parts.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">As our quest for realism requires us to edit the MIDI performances, you must first render the MIDI note data that’s being created on the fly by the Arpache SX and Transformer. To do this, go though each track in turn: solo the track and action the Merge MIDI In Loop command (in the MIDI menu). As you do this, enable the Include Inserts and Erase Destination options to ensure both that the replacement MIDI clip contains the results of both Arpache SX and Transformer, and that the original sustained notes are deleted. Finally, bypass or remove the instances of Arpache SX and Transformer.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-2#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Thin On The Ground</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Five arpeggiators can generate lots of notes, so start by thinning out the parts a little. For example, the cello and double‑bass are often played more sparsely than the other strings. Suitable arpeggiator settings (for example, quarter‑note rather than 16th‑note step sizes) may already have helped, but further note muting may be required. It’s more common for the violas and violin parts to be a little busier but, even so, thinning these out a little can work wonders, especially if it helps the sequence ebb and flow between the different instruments.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Prudent thinning out of the arpeggiator note data can create more interesting rhythmical interplay between the different string lines.", "alt": "Prudent thinning out of the arpeggiator note data can create more interesting rhythmical interplay between the different string lines."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1220_02-ePCnrpGBWgpa_wC_.umzEl1suOq3kWyt.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Prudent thinning out of the arpeggiator note data can create more interesting rhythmical interplay between the different string lines." height="163" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1220_02-iib59hf7olUP626XQzc2YgU89eeIsHnD.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Prudent thinning out of the arpeggiator note data can create more interesting rhythmical interplay between the different string lines." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Prudent thinning out of the arpeggiator note data can create more interesting </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>rhythmical interplay between the different string lines.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Note‑thinning can also be used to create a more distinct rhythmic feel. For example, simply muting some notes in a continuous 16th‑note pattern can change the rhythmical emphasis of the part. This can be enhanced further if, in some sections of the sequence, you let different instruments emphasise different beats, while at other points you have instruments playing in unison.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Once satisfied with your thinning, unwanted muted notes can be deleted. To save doing this manually for each note, select all the MIDI clips and, from the MIDI menu, navigate to Logical Presets/standard set 1, and select the ‘delete muted’ option. It’s a really neat time‑saver!</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">While editing, another useful feature is the Key Editor’s ability to overlay multiple MIDI parts: you can see and edit, for example, the MIDI notes for both the 1st and 2nd violin parts in one window; enable the Key Editor’s Event Color controls in the toolbar if you want to see each part in a different colour.</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">Performance articulations are important if you want your virtual string performance to sound convincing.</blockquote><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-2#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">The Art Of Articulations</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Performance articulations are important if you want your virtual string performance to sound convincing. The HSSE3 Pro Large Strings VX preset used for my worked example includes two spiccato (short note) articulations; f and ff (loud and very loud). These suit the performance style I was attempting so, in most of the parts in my arrangement, I used the ff articulation on the first and third beats of a bar and the f articulation elsewhere, for some subtle variety and rhythmic emphasis.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "For Cubase Pro users, the Expression Map system can be used to add and edit any required articulation changes.", "alt": "For Cubase Pro users, the Expression Map system can be used to add and edit any required articulation changes."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1220_03-ZqqR4JCoA1O.ThEh2iFBW7vWyIW0xlWQ.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="For Cubase Pro users, the Expression Map system can be used to add and edit any required articulation changes." height="164" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1220_03-i0N9RJl2e9QHFvpS0FBgotlRKpnImpk9.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="For Cubase Pro users, the Expression Map system can be used to add and edit any required articulation changes." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>For Cubase Pro users, the Expression Map system can be used to add and edit </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>any required articulation changes.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">For Large Strings VX, the keyswitches (MIDI notes outside the playable range of the instrument) for spiccato f and ff are D#0 and E0. Adding either note to the MIDI sequence means that from that point on any notes in the instrument’s playable range will play back using the corresponding articulation. For Cubase Pro users, the Expression Map feature is a more elegant articulation‑switching option. See the SOS January (<a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-0110" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/cubase-0110</a>) and February 2010 (<a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-0210" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/cubase-0210</a>) columns for more on this but, essentially, articulations can be displayed and their use sequenced in a Key Editor controller lane. There is a catch, though: while the Large Strings VX preset is supplied with an Expression Map, most third‑party VSTis are not. Still, creating one yourself is a straightforward, one‑off job, and there are some downloadable third‑party Expression Maps on Steinberg’s website too.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-2#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Less Perfection!</a></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "The Logical Editor can be used to add accents on the beat (top) and some subtle randomisation to velocity and timing (bottom) to improve the realism of the performance.", "alt": "The Logical Editor can be used to add accents on the beat (top) and some subtle randomisation to velocity and timing (bottom) to improve the realism of the performance."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1220_04-XXwZQBPCLXHc2uUh4jsjbV9bPGSTtQqW.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="The Logical Editor can be used to add accents on the beat (top) and some subtle randomisation to velocity and timing (bottom) to improve the realism of the performance." height="281" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1220_04-emF08kKr6FEmjQLdXhRoASLBhl_pQEce.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="The Logical Editor can be used to add accents on the beat (top) and some subtle randomisation to velocity and timing (bottom) to improve the realism of the performance." typeof="foaf:Image" width="300" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 300px;"><i>The Logical Editor can be used to add accents on the beat (top) and some subtle randomisation to velocity and timing (bottom) to improve the realism of the performance.</i></span></span></p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Some subtle velocity and timing variation can also help things feel more real. This can be accomplished with manual edits and in some cases (eg. adding a velocity data crescendo at the end of a phrase) this is the easiest method, but Cubase also offers some shortcuts. For example, in many forms of music accenting notes that fall on the beat can clarify the rhythmic nature of the performance: a Logical Editor preset will do this for you. With the desired MIDI clip(s) selected, from the MIDI menu, select the Logical Presets/experimental/downbeat accent (4/4) option (it assumes your time signature is 4/4). The settings this applies are shown in the screenshot; open this preset in the Logical Editor and you can adjust these to taste.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">To my surprise, I found that the current collection of Logical Editor presets lacks a simple ‘humanise’ option, but the commands required to create your own preset are simple, as shown in the final screen. In the upper pane, the preset selects all objects in the selected clip that are notes. It then applies two actions, defined in the lower pane, which apply a small amount of randomisation to each note’s velocity (cryptically labelled Value 2!) and start position. Adjust the values if you want more or less ‘humanisation’.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-2#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Top Tunes</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">If you wish, without manual editing, to add a more defined top‑line melody or counter‑melody (counterpoint) to your arp‑inspired string arrangement, the StepDesigner MIDI plug‑in is worth exploring. StepDesigner makes it easy to experiment with adding and subtracting notes to/from a short sequence, and put a Transformer plug‑in after StepDesigner and whatever changes you make in the step sequence can be automatically corrected to a key/scale combination. Once you have something you like, Merge MIDI In Loop can again be used to render the result as a conventional MIDI clip for further manual refinement.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">For more semi‑automatic approaches to top‑line melody creation, Cubase has plenty more to offer. In particular, you might like to dip back into the Cubase workshops from November 2019 (<a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-1119" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/cubase-1119</a>) or November 2013 (<a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-1113" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/cubase-1113</a>).</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-2#top" id="para5" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Next Steps</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In my main example, I started with a sequence of simple sustained chords, divided the chord notes between various string sub‑sections, and then applied some arpeggiator ‘magic’ to create single‑note performances for each instrument. But other starting points can also deliver interesting results. For example, rather than split the notes from the chord sequence before applying the arpeggiation, you could start by applying a single instance of an arpeggiator to the full chords. Transformer can be used again, to keep everything in the desired key/scale, and once you have something promising, Merge MIDI In Loop can create a conventional MIDI clip with all the notes from the arpeggiator. The notes from this clip can be copied to each individual string‑instrument track for manual editing. For comparison, I’ve included another audio example using this alternative starting point; you’ll find all examples at <a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-1220" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://sosm.ag/cubase-1220</a>. The two approaches have generated different, but complementary musical, outcomes from the same chord sequence starting point.</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="file" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><img alt="Package icon" class="file-icon" src="https://www.soundonsound.com/modules/file/icons/package-x-generic.png" style="border: none; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="application/zip" /> <a href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/assetlibrary/c/cubasestringtheorypart2audio.zip?Q1OF4DwsRhIqPeauoSDTkAhPLPt0uEQo" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none;" type="application/zip; length=4275654">cubasestringtheorypart2audio.zip</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I’ve kept things simple here to demonstrate the workflow, but if you want to attempt a full orchestration, there’s nothing to stop you applying the same ‘fake it’ approach to the brass or woodwind sections. That said, if the results are going to have a chance of sounding authentic, our arp‑based cheats will need to be applied with some sensitivity to the roles and ranges the various instruments generally play, and to that end a little knowledge can go along way — so I’ll point you once again to Dave Stewart’s ‘The Sampled Orchestra’ series (</span><a href="https://sosm.ag/the-sampled-orchestra-pt1" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/the-sampled-orchestra-pt1</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">) and leave you to do some homework!</span> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p><p></p><div class="group-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-12" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">December 2020</a></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-41731373480459621732024-02-20T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-20T12:00:00.132-08:00Kronos Combination Masterclass<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DdfxOPe-xBM?si=p_tJBAe6DLfY0AuK" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745915442983319032.post-90343670001519563982024-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:002024-02-19T12:00:00.127-08:00Cubase: String Theory Part 1<div class="group-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span class="field--author" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0.85714rem;">By <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/author/john-walden" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">John Walden</a></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "To pull off this ‘string fakery’ trick, you’ll need a set of multi‑articulation strings sounds. Cubase Pro’s Large Strings VX is a usable ensemble patch, but plenty of good‑quality alternatives offer more flexibility, including Spitfire Audio’s free BBC Discover library.", "alt": "To pull off this ‘string fakery’ trick, you’ll need a set of multi‑articulation strings sounds. Cubase Pro’s Large Strings VX is a usable ensemble patch, but plenty of good‑quality alternatives offer more flexibility, including Spitfire Audio’s free BBC Discover library."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1120_01-tI8HpCJxkpTpaH5Rxen3LL18Tr.spKQd.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="To pull off this ‘string fakery’ trick, you’ll need a set of multi‑articulation strings sounds. Cubase Pro’s Large Strings VX is a usable ensemble patch, but plenty of good‑quality alternatives offer more flexibility, including Spitfire Audio’s free BBC Discover library." height="159" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1120_01-q6HdNBU7Fqji4JYQoAIkhX7Yd3.9kDVh.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="To pull off this ‘string fakery’ trick, you’ll need a set of multi‑articulation strings sounds. Cubase Pro’s Large Strings VX is a usable ensemble patch, but plenty of good‑quality alternatives offer more flexibility, including Spitfire Audio’s free BBC Discover library." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>To pull off this ‘string fakery’ trick, you’ll need a set of multi‑articulation strings </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>sounds. Cubase Pro’s Large Strings VX is a usable ensemble patch, but plenty of </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>good‑quality alternatives offer more flexibility, including Spitfire Audio’s free BBC </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Discover library.</i></span></span></p><p class="introtext" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.14286rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Cubase can help you write and arrange realistic string parts.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Credible string arrangements can add a real touch of class to your productions. Dave Stewart’s four‑part Arranging For Strings (part 1: <a href="https://sosm.ag/string-arranging-pt1" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/string-arranging-pt1</a>) and nine‑part The Sampled Orchestra (part 1: <a href="https://sosm.ag/the-sampled-orchestra-pt1" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/the-sampled-orchestra-pt1</a>) are great places to start learning, but in the meantime Cubase offers some tools that can help you get ideas down quickly. There’s lots of ground to cover, so I’ll cover this subject in two tutorials, Part 1 this month and Part 2 next.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Cubase includes some impressive virtual instruments, but multi‑articulation (performance‑style) orchestral sounds are thin on the ground. Still, the Large Strings VX preset in the Halion Sonic SE Pro soundbank that comes with Cubase Pro is very usable. It includes eight articulations, and while it’s an ensemble patch (all strings at once, rather than in separate instruments) it’s good enough for the examples that follow.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">If you want a more capable library with separate string instruments, a third‑party option I can recommend is Spitfire Audio’s BBC Discover. It’s inexpensive anyway but free if you’re prepared to sign up and wait two weeks. It’s a super‑compact taster of the full version of their BBC Symphony Orchestra library, and includes separate bass, cello, viola and violin patches, each with long, spiccato, pizzicato and (with the exception of the double bass) tremolo articulations. If you want something more fully featured than this, and are prepared to pay, check out the aforementioned Dave Stewart series for some recommendations.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-1#top" id="para1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Strike The Right Chord</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Once you’ve chosen your instrument(s), add some tracks to a Cubase project. Even if, as here, you’re using an ensemble patch, create separate tracks for double bass, cello, viola and first and second violins, as this is how they’d conventionally be arranged/scored in a real orchestra.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">For the example, I aimed to create a kind of rhythmic performance based on short (staccato) notes. But whatever performance style you want, the starting point when ‘faking it’ like this can be the same: a single MIDI part with some simple, sustained chords to define the chord sequence. These can be played in, or created using the Chord Pads (<a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/strike-chord" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.soundonsound.com/techniques/strike-chord</a>).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Cubase’s Chord Track allows you to explore your initial chord‑progression options and then makes it easy to create a clip with the sustained MIDI notes you need to get started.", "alt": "Cubase’s Chord Track allows you to explore your initial chord‑progression options and then makes it easy to create a clip with the sustained MIDI notes you need to get started."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1120_02-PmlrodFz30byEMHgKBF5VcK7qR8f9g64.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Cubase’s Chord Track allows you to explore your initial chord‑progression options and then makes it easy to create a clip with the sustained MIDI notes you need to get started." height="288" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1120_02-MO8MTAk.1jqm07Q26TuaaHx2syUHp3E9.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Cubase’s Chord Track allows you to explore your initial chord‑progression options and then makes it easy to create a clip with the sustained MIDI notes you need to get started." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Cubase’s Chord Track allows you to explore your initial chord‑progression options </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>and then makes it easy to create a clip with the sustained MIDI notes you need to get started.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">For my example, I used the Chord Track (see June 2013: <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/re-chord-industry" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.soundonsound.com/techniques/re-chord-industry</a>) to create a simple four‑chord sequence, using an HSSE acoustic piano preset. Once happy with the sequence, I selected the piano track and executed the Project/Chord Track/Chords To MIDI command. This created a MIDI clip on the piano track containing block chords derived from the Chord Track.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-1#top" id="para2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">String Roles</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Generally, each string subsection in an orchestra will play one note at a time. By combining the notes from each subsection, a full chord can be voiced. If more notes are needed, a subsection may play divisi (divided in two, each half playing a different note), but this halves the impact of each note. You can break such conventions when using virtual instruments, but I’ll aim for realism here (as you must do if writing parts that will later be played by a real string section).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Your next task, then, is to allocate the notes of each chord across the five string subsections. An easy starting point is to assign the highest note to the first violins, the second highest note to the second violins, the next to the violas. The lowest goes to the double‑basses, but can be doubled an octave (or perhaps a fifth) higher by the cellos. For our block four‑note chords, it’s easy to copy the MIDI clip to each of the respective string MIDI tracks and then delete/mute the excess notes in each copy, leaving only the notes required for each subsection.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">Check that the notes are in a suitable octave for the real instruments: A7‑G3 for the violins; A6‑C3 for the violas; A5‑C2 for the cellos; and G4‑E1 for the double basses. For my example, I ensured the notes were in the lower/mid portion of each instrument’s range, leaving me some room to tweak.</p><blockquote style="background: url("https://www.soundonsound.com/sites/all/themes/sound_on_sound/images/bb_quote.png") 5px 8px no-repeat rgb(238, 238, 238); border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: table; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px auto 14px; max-width: 90%; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 20px 12px 28px; width: auto;">For something that’s rhythmically and harmonically more adventurous, a MIDI arpeggiator plug‑in or, better still, several of them, can help.</blockquote><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-1#top" id="para3" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Inspiring Arps</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-right" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 5px 10px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Arpache SX offers plenty of creative options. Shown here are settings for my viola (upper) and double‑bass (lower) parts. The MIDI clips in the background show the eventual output from the arpeggiation process for each of my five string parts.", "alt": "Arpache SX offers plenty of creative options. Shown here are settings for my viola (upper) and double‑bass (lower) parts. The MIDI clips in the background show the eventual output from the arpeggiation process for each of my five string parts."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1120_04-tOFMge_KtxOVRbuZ7y.DGtf1bpGj3Aba.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Arpache SX offers plenty of creative options. Shown here are settings for my viola (upper) and double‑bass (lower) parts. The MIDI clips in the background show the eventual output from the arpeggiation process for each of my five string parts." height="300" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_preview/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1120_04-Q.FdBSpH1bTunSbikGncm0HacE3koicP.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Arpache SX offers plenty of creative options. Shown here are settings for my viola (upper) and double‑bass (lower) parts. The MIDI clips in the background show the eventual output from the arpeggiation process for each of my five string parts." typeof="foaf:Image" width="186" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 186px;"><i>Arpache SX offers plenty of creative options. Shown here are settings for my viola (upper) and double‑bass (lower) parts. The MIDI clips in the background show the eventual output from the arpeggiation process for each of my five string parts.</i></span></span>When a little velocity and volume automation is added, and appropriate articulations are used, the sustained single‑note parts for each subsection can combine to make perfectly acceptable string ensemble chords. But it’s not much of a ‘performance’, so for something that’s rhythmically and harmonically more adventurous, you can turn to a MIDI arpeggiator plug‑in or, better still, several of them.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">There are several possible options here, but one is to place individual instances of your arpeggiator on each of your string tracks. For the example, I did this with Cubase’s Arpache SX and followed each instance with a Transformer MIDI plug‑in. The latter’s Transpose To Scale function is essentially a MIDI note pitch‑correction processor, and here it ensures that Arpache SX’s output will always remain harmonically correct. (Of course, ‘wrong’ notes can sometimes sound cool too, so you can always experiment with bypassing Transformer to see what happens.)</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">The key to coaxing something interesting from this setup is to use different settings on each instance. In the screenshot, the upper instance of Arpache SX is used for the viola. A Step Size of eighth‑note triplets is combined with an Up Transpose setting, one Repeat and a Pitch Shift setting of 5. This results in a fairly brisk sequence of short notes from each of the sustained notes going into the arpeggiator. In contrast, for the double‑bass, I used a quarter‑note triplet setting with the Transpose off. This produces a less busy but still rhythmic performance, in which the pitch simply follows that of the input. When the two parts are combined, their rhythmic interaction is pleasing, and there’s also some melodic content.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"><a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" data-cbox-img-attrs="{"title": "Transformer’s scale‑based MIDI pitch‑correction can make experimenting with arpeggiator settings much easier.", "alt": "Transformer’s scale‑based MIDI pitch‑correction can make experimenting with arpeggiator settings much easier."}" data-colorbox-gallery="all" href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1120_03-B.ZaEausESwysGFnI7sExywIWWfgLK0r.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><img alt="Transformer’s scale‑based MIDI pitch‑correction can make experimenting with arpeggiator settings much easier." height="180" src="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/header/s3/imagelibrary/c/cubase_1120_03-REoncRooTvZlg_k3Hj8JfCNV7lRos2ct.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" title="Transformer’s scale‑based MIDI pitch‑correction can make experimenting with arpeggiator settings much easier." typeof="foaf:Image" width="400" /></a><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>Transformer’s scale‑based MIDI pitch‑correction can make </i></span><span class="caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.85714rem; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; width: 620px;"><i>experimenting with arpeggiator settings much easier.</i></span></span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71429rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-string-theory-part-1#top" id="para4" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">Hand‑built By Robots</a></h2><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">By applying these principles across all five string tracks, with suitable experimentation (and a bit of luck), your arp‑fuelled string section will hopefully now play something that: (a) is rhythmically interesting; (b) has harmonic movement that follows the chord changes; and (c) remains in the correct key/scale. The performance might sound a little robotic and perhaps a little on the busy side, so next you’ll probably want to turn your attention to some manual editing. And that’s where we’ll pick up next month.</p><p class="nindent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">In the meantime, check out the audio examples (<a href="https://sosm.ag/cubase-1120" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://sosm.ag/cubase-1120</a>) that illustrate the steps we’ve taken so far and, by way of a teaser, also reveal how the same arrangement will sound after a little more tweaking.</p><p><img alt="Package icon" class="file-icon" src="https://www.soundonsound.com/modules/file/icons/package-x-generic.png" style="background-color: white; border: none; box-sizing: content-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="application/zip" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><a href="https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/assetlibrary/c/cubasestringtheorypart1.zip?pmyns7wJN5XtrdbRJrzDE3Sza0f3R.L1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none;" type="application/zip; length=3180036">cubasestringtheorypart1.zip</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="media-image-none media-image-header" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; margin: 15px 0px;"></span></p><p></p><div class="group-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="field--issue-date" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; font-size: 0.85714rem;">Published <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/magazine/2020-11" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; text-decoration-line: none;">November 2020</a></div></div>No Limit Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14070854520250260068noreply@blogger.com0