Quick Start

14
Setting up your system
Setting up audio
Connecting audio
Exactly how to set up your system depends on many dif-
ferent factors, e.g. the kind of project you wish to create,
the external equipment you want to use, the computer
hardware available to you, etc. Therefore, the following
sections can only serve as examples.
How you connect your equipment, i.e. whether you use
digital or analog connections, also depends on your indi-
vidual setup.
Stereo input and output – the simplest connection
If you only use a stereo input and output from Cubase, you
can connect your audio hardware, e.g. the inputs of your
audio card or your audio interface, directly to the input
source and the outputs to a power amplifier and speaker.
A simple stereo audio setup.
This is probably the simplest of all setups – once you have
set up the internal input and output busses, you can con-
nect your audio source, e.g. a microphone, to your audio
interface and start recording.
Multi-channel input and output
Most likely however, you will have other audio equipment
that you want to integrate with Cubase, using several in-
put and output channels. Depending on the equipment
available to you, there are two ways to go: either mixing
using an external mixing desk, or mixing using the mixer in-
side Cubase.
• External mixing means having a hardware mixing device
with a group or bus system that can be used for feeding
inputs on your audio hardware.
In the example below, four busses are used for feeding signals to the au-
dio hardware’s inputs. The four outputs are connected back to the mixer
for monitoring and playback. Remaining mixer inputs can be used for
connecting audio sources like microphones, instruments, etc.
A multi-channel audio setup using an external mixer.
Ö When connecting an input source (like a mixer) to the
audio hardware, you should use output busses, sends or
similar that are separate from the mixer’s master output to
avoid recording what you are playing back. You may also
have mixing hardware that can be connected via FireWire.
• When using the Mixer inside Cubase, you can use the
inputs on your audio hardware to connect microphones
and/or external devices. Use the outputs to connect your
monitoring equipment.
Cubase only: You can create very complex setups using external instru-
ments and external effects, and integrate Cubase seamlessly with all
your external equipment using the Control Room feature (see the chap-
ters “VST Connections: setting up input and output busses” and “The
Control Room” in the Operation Manual for details).
Mixing inside Cubase
!
Make sure that all equipment is turned off before
making any connections!