Cubase5

[Bagpipe Brony]

Hiya there guys, I just got my hands on Cubase5 and I was wondering, how the bloody hell do I use this thing? I am so used to the simplicity of FL Studio (although many think it's a "try-hard's" program)and this is so alien to me. The first thing the program tells me is that my soundcard can't record audio or something. I also don't know how to just straight up open the MIDI editor window and start clicking in notes like in FL.
Anyone know what to do?

[guitarskills]

I believe Cubase doesn't have a piano roll...

EDIT: never mind, it does.

http://www.ehow.com/video_2387921_add-tracks_-cubase-tutorial.html

Try that... It's really low quality, though.

[Makkon]

I remember that too when I launched it for the first time. Just make sure you set it up for stereo as the default. What it means is that you won't be able to record live audio in the program from a microphone.
Also you set up midi-tracks assigned to specific instruments, and each midi sequence can be unique or copied. Much simpler than the pattern system than drove me mad in FL.

[Bagpipe Brony]

Ok but how do I actually open that nifty MIDI editor window so I can start clicking in notes?

[Lenich]

1. Choose instrument in VST Rack (default key: "F11")
2. Menu: Project - Add Track - MIDI
3. In created midi track set output to vst instrument chosen before
4. Select Pencil Tool (default key: "8")
5. Draw blank strip\container on the current track on timeline
6. Double click on it. (or menu: MIDI - Open Key Editor)
7. PROFIT

[Bagpipe Brony]

Thank you! It works!
But I still have a problem ^^; It is not like FL studio where I can adjust the length of the notes and I have no way of knowing how long the notes are. Is Cubase supposed to be used w/ a MIDI keyboard or something?

[aap998]

thats kind of confusing to me too, especially the whole 1/2, 1/4 #f stuff... I don't understand that well (but thats my lack of musical education, probably).

does anyone how I do good voice pitching (see avast fluttershy's ass)?

[Lenich]

Is Cubase supposed to be used w/ a MIDI keyboard or something?

Yes, of course. Just set track midi in to midi in of your soundcard, and press "monitor" button beside "prepare to record" button.

does anyone how I do good voice pitching (see avast fluttershy's ass)?

There's a built-in vocal pitcher in cubase 5 named "VariAudio". Or you can do it in Melodyne plugin. Or other vocal pitch shifters... Antares autotune, izotope nectar and e.t.c

[aap998]

hmm... at the moment i feel like a total noob when I open cubase. my "workflow" basicly consists by creating medolies at the midi editor, set instruments and use effects (which ends always sounds horrible).

Sometimes i want to use layers, or fade in or out of certain effects but I have no idea where to start.

I want to learn how to use all those confusing options efficiently, so I would love to hear basic advice that everyone who uses this program should know

[Lenich]

Basic using the program is not such a difficult and only need to understand the principles of work. Just a different approach to work
FL is more convenient to make electronic music, Cubase — live recordings, vocals, guitars.

[aap998]

anyone know how to fade in and out certain effects (like wet mix and stuff) in a efficient way?

[Sugarholik]

anyone know how to fade in and out certain effects (like wet mix and stuff) in a efficient way?

Look for an automation track (there can be many of those for each track). I'm not sure how they are opened in Cubase 5 but a copy of the track should appear beneath the actual track with a black line in it.
Press the 'R'-button (read automation) and the line should be now colored (otherwise all automation on that track will be ignored).
On the automation track near the read automation-button there should be a box which says 'volume' as a default.
Click it and you should now be able to switch it in to desired parameter.
Then click on a desired location on that line. Now there should be a dot.
You can either drag that dot where ever you like or you can type in the values.
Like this you can determine how the parameter value (e.g. wet/dry mix) changes over time.

[aap998]

thanks you very much! I'd been trying to figure out how to do this so tyvm!
my only concern is... how the hay do i know what all these parameters mean???!

[Sugarholik]

thanks you very much! I'd been trying to figure out how to do this so tyvm!
my only concern is... how the hay do i know what all these parameters mean???!

They should be named the same way as they are in the effect window.
For example if you look for dry/wet mix of a reverb, it should be in 'inserts/<effect name>/wet dry mix' That's all i can tell you from here...

How the hay did you manage to find that monstrous list anyway???! :O

[Navron]

Bumping an old topic, but perhaps I can help out a little bit, as I use Cubase 5, and had plenty of headaches in the process of learning it.

Some people were asking what the 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 meant in the MIDI editor. This is known as your "Quantize," which essentially is how the MIDI notes/piano roll is subdivided into. For example, if you select 1/4, you're basically telling the program that you want your MIDI notes to be a quarter note in length, as in 4 notes per measure. 1/8 gives you 8 notes, 1/16 gives you 16, etc. Quantize can be used for a couple things. One, you can use it to help lay out notes (if you're like me and don't own a keyboard). If I know a segment doesn't contain anything faster than 16th notes, I'll set my quantize to a max. of 1/16. Another way this function helps out with is MIDI quantize:

When you play on a keyboard and record MIDI notes live vs penciling them in, you're going to run into timing issues. Most humans aren't perfect, so their notes will be long in certain sections, and shorter in others. If you're hammering out 16th notes on a keyboard, chances are a few of those will be closer to 8th notes, because you held the key down a little longer. MIDI quantize essentially cleans up your MIDI track, and can shorten/lengthen notes in your section to what's specified. For example, if you record a fast 16th note segment for a full measure, and you set your quantize to 1/16, Cubase will automatically clean up your notes so each one is exactly a 16th note.

Going off another question, you can view the automation editor by right clicking on a track and selecting "Show Automation." To the left of the default volume automation that pops up, you can either click on the top to remove an automation, or at the bottom to add one. I'm not sure if there's a max amount of automation lines you can use, but you can select what you want to automate by clicking on the box and the corresponding drop-down menu.

I'm still trying to get the hang of Cubase, but it really isn't that hard of a program to learn once you establish a workflow in it. I'm sure both these questions you've been able to get answers to and/or found yourself, but if not, I hope this helps.