Cubase Blog
Post Entries
How to set up a
new project in Cubase:
To
set up a new project, you open Cubase, click on file and go down to New
Project. This opens up a new project in which you can add tracks to.
How to create tracks:
To
add tracks into your project, you need to go across to Audio on the top bar,
‘add track’ and create an instrument track. You can add as many of these as you
need.
How to assign
synths to tracks:
To
assign a synth to a track, you first need to add a track. Once you do this,
this black box appears. Click on VST Instrument, and all the synth you need. We
used Halion Sonic SE, and Sylenth 1.
How to input
midi data (notes):
Once
you have added your track, you need to draw in the length of the track. You do
this by clicking the pencil icon at the top of the screen, and drawing the
track as long as you need it. Once you have drawn your track in, double click
on it, and it comes up with a keyboard across the side. To input notes, select
the pencil icon at the top of the screen, and click on the note you want.
How to use
Groove agent and MediaBay to create a drum track:
When
creating a new track for the drums, you need to add a track from the project
bar at the top, and when the black box appears, you need to select Drum Groove
Agent One.
This
adds the track to Cubase. Next you need to select the little keyboard icon, on
the left hand side of the screen, by the track.
This
then brings up the drum sampler, in which you add the sounds to the pads.
You
now need to open MediaBay from the Media tab at the top of the screen.
This
brings up a window in which you can search for the different drum sounds you
need.
Here
you search for all of the different sounds you need, and drag them onto the
sampler pads. Make sure they are all in the same group (group 1).
Once
you have added the sounds to the pads, you will notice that on the pads, in the
top right hand corner, that there is a letter and a number. This tells you what
note on the track, will play the drum sound you selected.
For example, E-1 and F-1 will play the sounds
I selected.
To
create the drum track, you just input the notes, in the order you need.
DAW - A DAW is a digital audio workstation. This is an electronic device or computer software application; it's used for recording, editing and producing audio files, such as songs, musical pieces, dialogue, or sound effects. They come in a wide variety of configurations, from a single software program, to a stand alone unit, all the way to a highly complex configuration of numerous components, controlled by a computer. Modern DAW's have a central interface that allows the user to alter and mix multiple recordings and tracks. The DAW we are using is Cubase 6. It allows us to configure different elements, into one combined track.
Operating System - This is the most important program that runs on a computer. Every general purpose computer must have one in order to run other programs and applications. They perform basic tasks, like recognising input from the keyboard, and sending an output to the screen. For large systems, the operating system has a much greater power it keeps different programs running at the same time, from interfering with each other. The OS we use, is OS X on the Macs.
What's a synthesiser? - This is an electronic musical instrument, which is typically operated by a keyboard. It is able to mimic traditional instrumental sounds, like a piano or drums. Or it is able to create new sounds, using snippets of existing sounds.
Software synthesiser - This is a computer program, used in the same way as a hardware synthesiser, which digitally creates the sounds typically used in music. They are used more often than hardware synthesisers due to the increase in computer processing speeds.
MIDI specifications - The Midi Manufacturers Association (MMA) set out a series of specifications that enable MIDI products to work together. They define new MIDI messages, and new recommended practices for using MIDI technology.
MIDI manager - This shows you the MIDI devices that you currently have available, and where they are connected. The MIDI manager shows you these by name, instead of number, so it is easier to differentiate between them.
MIDI channels - A MIDI channel has a specific meaning. The MIDI command is designed to control sound generating voices, which are called channel voice messages. These are tagged with a MIDI channel number, so that one MIDI link can carry up to 16 independent parts or lines of musical performance. The corresponding master instrument or sequencer track should be set to the same channel as the receiving subsystem.
MIDI controller - This is a computer peripheral, which allows you to send input information directly from the input device to a computer. The vast majority are connected by USB, and they prevent you from having to use a mouse to 'click' on each individual note, instead using a more familiar input such as a keyboard or groove box.
MIDI file - A standard MIDI File (SMF) is a file format that provides a standardised way for sequences to be saved, transported and opened in other systems. Its compact size enables these files to be used in a plethora of other ways such as phone ringtones and greetings cards.
Hardware Keyboard Sampler - This is a keyboard device, similar to a synthesiser, but instead of generating new sounds, it uses snippets of pre recorded sounds (samples) from actual instruments to produce music.
MIDI interfaces - This is a cable that allows you to connect MIDI devices, without USB connectors, to a computer. One end is connected via MIDI in/out and the other end is connected to a USB port. This enables legacy MIDI devices to be connected to a computer in order to be used with a DAW.
Software Synthesisers
On the synthesiser there are different sections. At the top, there are two oscillators, which generates the waveform for the synthesiser. Within the oscillator, there is an option to choose which wave you want to use. There are four types of waves; sine wave, square wave, triangle wave and sawtooth wave. Each of these have a different sound. For example, the sine wave has a soft sound, whereas the square wave has a very harsh, digital sound. To replicate the sound in Clean Bandit's 'Rather Be', we chose the sine wave as it has a softer sound to it.
There is an amplifier envelope, which changes the velocity of different parts of the note. It changes the timing of the note, and how delayed it may be. There is Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. Attack defines the amount of time it takes for the note to reach its maximum velocity. Decay is the amount of time it takes for the note to go from the maximum velocity to the sustain level. Sustain defines the velocity of the note whilst the note is being held. Release is the amount of time the note takes to fall from the sustain level, to silence, once the note is released. To replicate the sound in Rather Be, we left the attack level at the bottom, and increased the level of release, to create a slight echo.
The filter is the EQ. This changes the frequency. You can choose to boost the higher frequencies, or the lower frequencies. To replicate this song, we needed to boost the lower frequencies.
At the bottom of the synthesiser, there is a low frequency oscillator. This consists of three dials, which affect the rate, the gain and the offset. If you change these dials, it changes the sound of the track. So, for example, in this track, we altered the rate, which means the rate in which the volume changes is altered. When the synthesiser is used in the track, at the end, a 'wobble' sound is created, as it is in the original.
Sampling Packages
To add a drum track to a song in Cubase, you have to go to 'Project', 'Add Track', and select 'Instrument'. Next you select the 'Groove Agent One'. You then draw on the length of the track using the pencil icon. Double click on this, and a sampler will appear. Next, you need to go onto 'Media' and select 'MediaBay'. Here you can search for the different sounds. Once you have typed into the search box, a list of sounds will appear. You choose which one sounds more like the original, and drag it onto the sampler. Make sure you stay in the same group so all of the sounds are together. On the sampler, you can have up to 128 different sounds assigned to the pads. The groups keep one set of sounds together for easier use. Each group uses the same octave of notes to assign the sounds to.
Link to soundcloud track: https://soundcloud.com/user-467455279/clean-bandit-rather-be
DAW - A DAW is a digital audio workstation. This is an electronic device or computer software application; it's used for recording, editing and producing audio files, such as songs, musical pieces, dialogue, or sound effects. They come in a wide variety of configurations, from a single software program, to a stand alone unit, all the way to a highly complex configuration of numerous components, controlled by a computer. Modern DAW's have a central interface that allows the user to alter and mix multiple recordings and tracks. The DAW we are using is Cubase 6. It allows us to configure different elements, into one combined track.
Operating System - This is the most important program that runs on a computer. Every general purpose computer must have one in order to run other programs and applications. They perform basic tasks, like recognising input from the keyboard, and sending an output to the screen. For large systems, the operating system has a much greater power it keeps different programs running at the same time, from interfering with each other. The OS we use, is OS X on the Macs.
What's a synthesiser? - This is an electronic musical instrument, which is typically operated by a keyboard. It is able to mimic traditional instrumental sounds, like a piano or drums. Or it is able to create new sounds, using snippets of existing sounds.
Software synthesiser - This is a computer program, used in the same way as a hardware synthesiser, which digitally creates the sounds typically used in music. They are used more often than hardware synthesisers due to the increase in computer processing speeds.
MIDI specifications - The Midi Manufacturers Association (MMA) set out a series of specifications that enable MIDI products to work together. They define new MIDI messages, and new recommended practices for using MIDI technology.
MIDI manager - This shows you the MIDI devices that you currently have available, and where they are connected. The MIDI manager shows you these by name, instead of number, so it is easier to differentiate between them.
MIDI channels - A MIDI channel has a specific meaning. The MIDI command is designed to control sound generating voices, which are called channel voice messages. These are tagged with a MIDI channel number, so that one MIDI link can carry up to 16 independent parts or lines of musical performance. The corresponding master instrument or sequencer track should be set to the same channel as the receiving subsystem.
MIDI controller - This is a computer peripheral, which allows you to send input information directly from the input device to a computer. The vast majority are connected by USB, and they prevent you from having to use a mouse to 'click' on each individual note, instead using a more familiar input such as a keyboard or groove box.
MIDI file - A standard MIDI File (SMF) is a file format that provides a standardised way for sequences to be saved, transported and opened in other systems. Its compact size enables these files to be used in a plethora of other ways such as phone ringtones and greetings cards.
Hardware Keyboard Sampler - This is a keyboard device, similar to a synthesiser, but instead of generating new sounds, it uses snippets of pre recorded sounds (samples) from actual instruments to produce music.
MIDI interfaces - This is a cable that allows you to connect MIDI devices, without USB connectors, to a computer. One end is connected via MIDI in/out and the other end is connected to a USB port. This enables legacy MIDI devices to be connected to a computer in order to be used with a DAW.
Software Synthesisers
On the synthesiser there are different sections. At the top, there are two oscillators, which generates the waveform for the synthesiser. Within the oscillator, there is an option to choose which wave you want to use. There are four types of waves; sine wave, square wave, triangle wave and sawtooth wave. Each of these have a different sound. For example, the sine wave has a soft sound, whereas the square wave has a very harsh, digital sound. To replicate the sound in Clean Bandit's 'Rather Be', we chose the sine wave as it has a softer sound to it.
There is an amplifier envelope, which changes the velocity of different parts of the note. It changes the timing of the note, and how delayed it may be. There is Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. Attack defines the amount of time it takes for the note to reach its maximum velocity. Decay is the amount of time it takes for the note to go from the maximum velocity to the sustain level. Sustain defines the velocity of the note whilst the note is being held. Release is the amount of time the note takes to fall from the sustain level, to silence, once the note is released. To replicate the sound in Rather Be, we left the attack level at the bottom, and increased the level of release, to create a slight echo.
The filter is the EQ. This changes the frequency. You can choose to boost the higher frequencies, or the lower frequencies. To replicate this song, we needed to boost the lower frequencies.
At the bottom of the synthesiser, there is a low frequency oscillator. This consists of three dials, which affect the rate, the gain and the offset. If you change these dials, it changes the sound of the track. So, for example, in this track, we altered the rate, which means the rate in which the volume changes is altered. When the synthesiser is used in the track, at the end, a 'wobble' sound is created, as it is in the original.
Sampling Packages
To add a drum track to a song in Cubase, you have to go to 'Project', 'Add Track', and select 'Instrument'. Next you select the 'Groove Agent One'. You then draw on the length of the track using the pencil icon. Double click on this, and a sampler will appear. Next, you need to go onto 'Media' and select 'MediaBay'. Here you can search for the different sounds. Once you have typed into the search box, a list of sounds will appear. You choose which one sounds more like the original, and drag it onto the sampler. Make sure you stay in the same group so all of the sounds are together. On the sampler, you can have up to 128 different sounds assigned to the pads. The groups keep one set of sounds together for easier use. Each group uses the same octave of notes to assign the sounds to.
Link to soundcloud track: https://soundcloud.com/user-467455279/clean-bandit-rather-be
No comments:
Post a Comment