Introduction

[ LiB ]

Cubase has been around for a while now. I remember using its ancestor , the Pro 24 software on my Atari ST in 1987 to create musical arrangements for composition assignments during my university training years . Since then, many things have changed, and Cubase has made the transition from a MIDI sequencer to a Virtual Studio Technology (VST) software. This updated version of Cubase SX and SL grows on the knowledge that Steinberg has acquired from years of user comments like yours and the stable audio engine it developed for its Nuendo application. It also reintroduced some features previous VST users loved, but that had been removed in the first SX/SL version, like Warp tool, which is similar to the Cuepoints/Hitpoints in the Mastertrack of VST 5.1. If you are new to Cubase, you can expect this software to help you through your entire musical creation process. If you are a veteran Cubase user , you will find many of the things you loved and a few new features that are worth the upgrade. The Freeze function, which allows you to render VST instrument tracks temporarily to save CPU power, is definitely one of those features that make it worth upgrading. Hopefully, in both cases, this book will help you to get the most out of this great tool.

Like any software, as it allows you to do more things and do them in a more intuitive way, the learning curve becomes more and more abrupt. You will find very extensive documentation on all available features found in Cubase on the CD-ROM provided with the software (or installed in the Documentation folder in the Cubase program folder), but you will have to sift through over 1400 pages of electronic format documentation. For most users, this might seem like an overwhelming task. This book will provide you with the most important features, as well as some lesser-known features, in step-by-step examples that include online tutorial files to practice what you have learned in many of the chapters.

Beyond describing the features of the program and how they work, I address the "why" to use certain features and "when" they can become useful to you. All of the Cubase SL features are included in Cubase SX, so for those of you who have this version of the software, the book should address your questions as well. Since Cubase is also available in both Macintosh and PC versions in quite similar environments, it doesn't really matter which platform you are usingthe way to use the features and functions will be the same.

I offer you my 15 years of experience working with the software, as well as my insight into some tips and tricks that have been very useful in getting the job done throughout these years. As a professor and program coordinator in sound design vocational schools in Canada, I have answered questions from many students who have wanted to work with this tool to create music. I have drawn from their most frequently asked question list and answered them in a way that I hope you will find enlightening.

Enjoy.

[ LiB ]