Introduction... xxvii Conventions used in this book... xxvii Acknowledgements...xxviii

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1 Contents Introduction... xxvii Conventions used in this book... xxvii Acknowledgements...xxviii Sequencing...1 Getting Started...2 The Transport...4 The Metronome...4 Changing Tempo...5 Picking a sound...5 Naming Tracks and Parts...6 The Info Line...6 Toolbar and Transport Setup...6 Making a recording...6 Snap...7 Trimming a part to size...7 Adding another track...8 Adding Drums...8 Adding more notes to a part...9 Picking which tracks play...9 Mute...9 Solo...10 Creating an arrangement...10 Practicing a section...10 Cycle Recording...11 Adding notes to a part...11 Keeping only the last version...12 Recording different versions...12 Editing...14 Non-Keyboard player tips...16 Slowing things down...16 Recording rhythm then changing the pitch...16 Step Input...17 Saving your work...19 The toolbar...19 The Selection Tool...19 Normal Sizing...20 Sizing moves contents...20 Sizing applies Time Stretch...21 The Range Selection Tool...21 The Scissors...22 The Glue...22 The Eraser...23 The Zoom Tool...23

2 The Mute Tool...23 The Pencil Tool...24 The Play Tool...24 The Line Tool...24 The Time Warp Tool...25 The Comp Tool...25 Editing Drums...25 Volume and Panning...26 The MixConsole...26 Instrument Tracks vs Rack Instruments...27 Instrument Tracks...27 VST Instruments and Separate MIDI Tracks...28 Advantages and Disadvantages...29 Sending MIDI to an Instrument Track...30 Using more than one output on a VST Instrument...31 Setting up the outputs in the rack...31 Assigning an output from inside the instrument...32 Linking the Inspector to the Output Track...34 Considerations for VST Instruments...35 MIDI Devices...35 The Project Window in Detail...36 The Main Area...36 The Left Zone...36 The Inspector...37 Visibility...37 The Right Zone...37 VST Instruments...38 MediaBay...38 Control Room...38 Meter...39 The Lower Zone...39 MixConsole...40 Sampler Control...40 Chord Pads...41 Transport...41 The Status Line...41 Info Line...41 Project Window Layouts...42 Backing up your work...42 Exercises...43 Sequence a simple melody...43 Sequence chords...43 Sequence a bass part...44 Sequence drums...44

3 Change sounds...44 Apply volume and panning...44 Summary...44 How MIDI Works MIDI...46 Communication...46 Controllers...48 Common MIDI Controller Messages...48 General MIDI Program Changes...49 Drums...51 Less Common Messages...51 Interpretation...51 General MIDI Standards...52 MIDI Connections...52 MIDI Files...53 MIDI File Types...54 Typical MIDI setups...54 A controller keyboard, a computer and a synthesizer...55 A controller keyboard and computer...55 A keyboard with built-in sounds and a computer...56 Summary...56 Effective Sequencing The Guitar...58 Solo playing...61 Vibrato...62 Bending Notes...62 Multiple note bending...63 Strumming sounds...64 Tuning...64 Slides...65 The Bass Guitar...65 The Drums...66 String Instruments...67 The Voice...68 General Techniques...70 Velocity...70 Quantization...70 Iterative Quantize...70 Swing...71 Randomness...72 Controllers...72 Using Volume / Expression / Velocity...72 Volume controller

4 Expression controller Editing controller data in a relative manner...73 Velocity...74 Viewing Multiple Controllers...74 Tempo Mapping...75 Importing the original audio file...75 Trimming the Audio...75 The Time Warp Tool...76 The Tempo Track...79 Changing Tempo...79 Deleting a Tempo event...80 Changing Time Signature...80 Deleting a Time Signature...80 Transpose...81 Marker Tracks...82 Creating the Marker Track...82 Active Marker Track...83 Cycle Markers...83 Applications...84 The Arranger Track...84 Good and Bad programming...87 Velocity...87 Controllers...88 Pitch Bend...88 Sound Selection...88 Exercises...89 Sequencing Guitar Parts...89 Chords...89 Strumming...89 Bending...89 Bending more than 2 semitones...89 Unison Bends...89 Slides...89 Drums...89 Sequence a simple drum part...89 More complex playing...90 Change the hi-hat...90 Repeat with 16ths...90 Use written music...90 String Instruments...90 Voice...90 Large range pitch bend...90 Vibrato...90 Scooping into notes...90

5 Tuning...91 Volume / Expression...91 Tempo Mapping...91 Summary...92 Sequencing an Entire Song Listen and Analyse...94 Tempo-map the entire song...94 Create Markers...94 Create parts...95 Create empty parts...95 Work out the parts in a basic form...95 Tuning...95 Repetition...95 Modify and improve the parts...96 Subtle variations...96 Listen with the original...96 Programming of sounds...96 Dynamic changes...97 Filtering...97 EQ...98 Performance characteristics...98 Mixing and Effects...98 Summary...99 MediaBay The Full view Attribute Filter Text Search Auditioning MIDI Patches Audio Filtering Media Types in MediaBay Search using Logical Filters Using Logical Mode Filtering by type and tempo Filtering by Key Media Bay in the Right Zone Instruments Using MediaBay to scan your own samples Editing Attributes Editing Tempo Information Editing Categories Summary

6 Music Theory Musical Notation Rhythm The Major Scale Sharp Keys The Sharp Keys in order Flat Keys The flat keys in order Reading Key Signatures The Circle of Fifths More complexity Enharmonic Notes Dynamics Intervals Chords Inversions Chords with more notes Reading Chords Remember the Key Get the notes in the right order More examples Harmonising a Melody Movement Voice Leading Using the bass note Using different chords Modes Alterations from the Major Scale Tonal Quality Using Modes to alter a melody and chords Chords from Modes Development of a Melody or Rhythm Repetition Transposition Tonal Exact Sequences Inversion Tonal Exact Retrograde Strict Pitch Rhythm

7 Removing Notes Augmentation Diminution Rhythmic Offset Common tricks Relatives Two Before Five Five of Five Flat Five Substitution Modulation Direct Modulation Reinforcing the Key Change Hinting at the new key Using a pivot chord Common Tone Modulation Ear Training Exercises Harmonise a melody Add extensions Voice lead Develop Melody Develop Rhythm Summary Cubase and Chords Introduction Chord Tracks Creating a Chord Track Editing a Chord Part Voicings and Instruments Creating New Chords Chord Assistant Modes Cadence Mode Common Notes Complexity Gap Mode Converting to MIDI A Single Part All Chord Parts Live Transform Setup Following Chords Following Scales Chord Tracks and Audio Chord Editing Tools

8 Inversions Inserting Chords Drop 2, 3 and 2/ Add to Chord Track Match with Chord Track Chord Pads Activating Editing Voicings Adaptive Voicings Editing Voicings Players Remote Control The Chord Assistant Circle of Fifths Proximity Exercises: Simple Chord Parts Using Cadence mode to suggest new chords Using Gap mode to bridge between chords Use the Arpeggiator Arrangements Listen Musical Elements in an Arrangement Form Instrumentation Rhythm Time Signature Melody Harmony Example Arrangements The Ace Of Spades Motorhead / Hayseed Dixie Structure Instrumentation Musical changes Don t Stand So Close To Me The Police (1979 and 1986) Structure Instrumentation Production Sex Type Thing / Swing Type Version- Stone Temple Pilots Black Hole Sun Soundgarden / The Moog Cookbook Instrumentation Rhythm Introduction

9 Structure It s Raining Men The Weather Girls/ Geri Halliwell Structure Introduction Choruses Summary Synthesizers History Hardware Structure Editing a synthesizer Oscillators Filter Amplifier Envelopes LFO The Amplifier Section (VCA) Controlling the Amplifier The Envelope Generator The Dynamics Switch The Filter Section (VCF) Resonance Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) The Oscillators (DCOs) Two Oscillators at once MIDI Learn Controlling Cutoff Frequency Storing A Sound Loading a Preset Choosing a Preset by using Attributes Searching by name Filtering Results Adding Attributes to Sounds Converting to VST Presets Halion Sonic SE The Main Window The Edit Page The MIDI Page The Mix Page The Effects Page The Options Page Trip Oscillator (OSC) Sub (SUB)

10 Modulation (MOD) Arpeggio (ARP) Flux The Bottom Section OSC Page SUB Page MOD Page Voice Page ARP Page Using the Arpeggiator The Lower Section Using the Arpeggio Controllers Other Synths Different Controls TAL Elec7ro Sylenth Different Sounds Different Features Exercises Listen to waveforms Use the amplifier s ADSR Use the filter Use the filter s ADSR Use multiple oscillators Summary Sampling The History of Sampling Sampling Hardware How a Sampler Works Sampling in action Sampler Tracks Creating Pitch Section Amp Section Trimming the sample Fading the sample The Filter Low Pass High Pass Band Pass All Pass Band Reject Envelopes Filter Envelope

11 Pitch Envelope Advanced Envelope Modes Sustain Loop One Shot Sample Loop AudioWarp Changing the Pitch Root Key Range Looping No Loop Continuous Alternate Once Until Release Alt Until Release Other Features One Shot MIDI Reset Fixed Pitch Reverse Monophonic Mode Transfer to New Instrument Sample Backup Summary Shortcircuit The Shortcircuit Window Sampling for a percussion instrument or single note Melodic Sampling Sampling with velocity zones Altering the sample s volume over time Using filters Modulation Altering the filter over time Velocity control of the filter Velocity and envelope control of the filter Looping a sample Making use of short cycle waveforms Tuning a sample Using the LFOs Creating a waveform for the LFO Assigning the LFO Advanced Modulation

12 Using a MIDI controller to alter LFO speed Using automation to control LFO speed Using one LFO to control another Using Groups Making your own samples Using Loops with the sampler Using samples without a sampler Using Loops with Cubase Exercises Sample a single note Sample percussion sounds, program basic drumkit Sample singer over 1 octave Extend above and below / detune Looping Single-cycle looping Modulation Summary Automation Basic Principles Controls A first piece of automation Creating Automation Data Editing Automation Data Range Selection vs Point Selection Trim Suspending Automation Viewing Automation types quickly Automating more than one parameter at a time Bypassing an effect Automation of MIDI controllers Automating Instruments Automation of an Instrument Track Automation of a Rack Instrument Exercises Automate Volume Automate Panning Automate a Mute Automate Bypass Summary The Logical Editor Overview The filter section Selecting Notes

13 Selecting Notes by Pitch Selecting by Velocity Filter Section Summary The Action Section Changing the Pitch Random Velocity Delete Short Notes Extract Note (C3) Accent Downbeat Delete Black Keys Making a part more realistic Using the editor for Composition Generating new pitches Changing note lengths and speed Changing Tonality Exercises Select a single pitch Alter the pitch Extract all the snares Select all of a given note Apply velocity changes Apply timing changes Summary The List Editor Setup Window Layout The Filter The Show Menu Summary Scoring Basics Staff Settings Clef and Key Drums Editing the Drum Map Tidying up note lengths Multirests Unpitched Percussion Guitar Tab Chord Boxes Making Chord Symbols Strummed Parts Staff Modes Split Polyphonic

14 Adding Dynamics Adding Text Bars and Bar Numbers Using Repeat Marks Graphic Elements Bracketing Parts together Aligning Elements Editing Multiple Parts Scoring for sampled parts Printout Exercises Produce a part Produce a part for a transposing instrument Produce a strummed guitar part Produce a drum part Summary Audio The Language of Sound Frequency Amplitude Frequency Response Diagrams Waveforms Harmonics Dynamic Changes Phase Microphone Types Dynamic Microphones Condenser Microphones Ribbon Microphones Boundary Microphones Summary of Microphone Characteristics Polar Patterns The Proximity Effect Connections Balanced Signal Transmission Gain Setting Gain The Mixer Analogue and Digital Bit Depth Sample Rate Storing audio in less space Summary

15 First Recordings Recording using a PC Preparation for the recording Making the recording Ambient Recording Microphone placement Spaced or AB Pair Coincident or XY pair MS Mic ing MS Recording and decoding Without a plugin With a plugin Setting up Making the recording Listening back EQ Trimming the recording Mixdown Exercises Record something Experiment with mic types Experiment with stereo mic placement Summary Multi-Track Recording Advantages Disadvantages Recording Techniques Planning Recordist Performers Microphone Placement Amplified instruments Multiple Microphones Acoustic Instruments Acoustic Guitar Double Bass Piano The Grand Piano Upright Piano Vocalist Drum Kit Bass Drum Snare

16 Toms Overheads Making use of Polar Patterns Experimentation How placement alters the sound The 3 to 1 rule DI Budgeting for tracks A typical recording session The recording sessions Instrument order to record Playing along to a backing Click Tracks Overdubbing An example Setting the record mode Keep History Replace Cycle History + Replace Cycle recording and Lanes Keep History and Cycle History + Replace Replace Dropping In Using Punch In / Out Providing Foldback for Overdubs Performer hears control room mix Performer hears their own mix General Tips Assessing the tracks Exercises Basic Overdubbing Build up a track with multiple overdubs Record a simple blues Compare microphone positions Drop in and edit replacements Summary Audio Editing The Tools: Trim Fade Dynamic Automation Cutting audio Creating a loop from a sample Finding the tempo of a sample

17 Altering the Tempo of a sample Using timestretch Making a sample follow Cubase s tempo Changing the Algorithm Changing Pitch Transpose Mode Envelope Mode Timing Using AudioWarp VariAudio Using Snap Grid Mode Event Mode Cursor Mode Shuffle Mode Audio Editing Examples Fixing a timing error Using Time Stretch Fixing Multitrack Drum Tracks Replacing a section Without timestretch With timestretch Comping Fixing pitch errors on a vocal Using pitch shift A simple example A more complex example Using VariAudio Removing Breaths Changing what someone has said Audio Alignment Audio Alignment Example Manual Editing After Audio Alignment Alignment Precision Multiple Clips Exercises Create a Loop Find the Tempo of a sample Alter tempo of a sample Find errors and fix them Summary Effects Send and Insert Effects Send Effects

18 Insert Effect Effect Types Reverb Delay Tremolo Distortion Chorus Flanger Phaser EQ Using EQ in Cubase Viewing Modes EQ Modes Editing EQ Pre Section Spectrum Analyser Frequency EQ Plugin EQ Display Piano Keyboard EQ types Peak Low/High Shelf Notch Cut EQ Modes Stereo Mode L/R Mode M/S Mode Other Controls Inv Lin Output Auto Listen for Filters Settings Applying EQ Complimentary EQ Compression Threshold Ratio More controls Make-up Gain Attack Release Side-chain Setting up

19 Ducking Kick Drum side-chaining Sidechain in VST Instruments Setup Multi-band compression Limiting Gating Attack Release Side-chain filtering Direct Offline Processing Applying a single process Making a process permanent Applying Multiple Processes Exercises Insert effect to several channels, note difference Set up FX channel, setup sends Use tempo matching to create musical delay-based effects Use of EQ Use of compression Use of gating Summary The Mix Console Opening the Mix Console Mix Console Sections Zooming and View Channel Faders Pan Control Mute, Solo, Listen and Edit Channel Fader and Meter Automation, Monitor and Record Name The Channel Right-Click Menu Adding Group Channels to selected channels Adding FX Channels to selected channels Left Zone Visibility Channel Zones History Snapshot Channel Racks & Selection The Strip The Sends Right-Click Menu

20 Use Default Send Level Show Enable and Level Automation Track EQ Channel Strip Effects Gate Comp Tools Sat Limit Changing the order of the Strip section The Toolbar Setup Window Layout Channel Types Configuration Agents Racks The Racks Menu Mute, Automation and Bypass Mute, Solo and Listen Read, Write, Suspend All Automation Bypass Rack Sections Linking channels Linking limits: Faders Pan Suspend Absolute Q-Link Sections not shown by default Overview Meter Bridge Equalizer Curve Pictures Notepad Control Room / Meter Master Mode Loudness Mode Summary Mixing Importing Tracks Trimming the tracks Add Group Channels Add Folder Tracks Panning

21 Set Levels Effects Individual Sounds Compression EQ EQ Settings Making drums sound better EQ Conflicts Building the Mix Automation Using the volume setting Using volume curves on events Using compression Mixdown File Type Wave File MP Add to Project After Export Advanced Options Accurate Mixdowns Setting locators The correct tracks Levels Compare your work Rough mix & notes Re-mix and A/B mixes Final editing and mastering Multi-band compression Normalising Topping and Tailing Exercises Mixing Multi-Band Compression Summary Audio Setup in Cubase Latency Altering the driver and latency Routing Audio in Cubase Plugins bit or 64-bit? Obtain 64-bit versions Abandon 32-bit plugins and find alternatives

22 Bridge 32-bit plugins to 64-bit Bridging plugins using JBridge Bridging plugins on Windows Bridging Plugins on Mac Installing Plugins Using an installer Locating the VST Plugins Folder Adding a location for VST2 Plugins Copying the file manually Arranging your plugins Arranging VST2 Plugins Arranging VST2 and VST3 Plugins with Plugin Collections Shortcircuit (Windows Only) Troubleshooting CPU Overload Checking CPU Load on Windows Checking CPU Load on Mac Disk Access Disk Overload Getting more from a system Freeze Economising Exercises Set up Inputs Route audio inputs Install a plugin Summary Binary, Hexadecimal and MIDI Communication Binary Hexadecimal MIDI Transmission Sending larger values Summary Glossary Keyboard Shortcuts Editing - based Transport - based Window - based Tool - based View - based

23 Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Z

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