User manual

414
Export Audio Mixdown
Introduction
The Export Audio Mixdown function in Cubase allows you
to mix down audio from the program to a file on your hard
disk, in a number of formats. You can choose to mix down
one of the following:
• An output bus.
For example, if you have set up a stereo mix with tracks routed to a stereo
output bus, mixing down that output bus would give you a mixdown file
containing the whole mix. Similarly, you can mix down a complete surround
bus, either to a single multi-channel file or to one file per surround channel
(by activating the split channels option).
• The channel for an audio track (Cubase only).
This will mix down the channel for the track, complete with insert effects,
EQ, etc. This can be useful for turning a number of events into a single file,
or if you are using CPU-intensive insert effects – by exporting the track and
re-importing it into the project you can turn off the insert effect, saving pro-
cessor power.
• Any kind of audio channel in the mixer (Cubase only).
This includes VST Instrument channels, effect return channels (FX Chan-
nel tracks), Group channels and ReWire channels. There are many uses
for this – for example, you can mix down an effect return track or turn in-
dividual ReWire channels into audio files.
Notes
• The Export Audio Mixdown function mixes down the
area between the left and right locators.
• When you mix down, you get what you hear – mutes,
mixer settings and insert effects are taken into account.
Note though that you will only include the sound of the bus or channel
you select for mixdown.
• MIDI tracks are not included in the mixdown!
To make a complete mixdown containing both MIDI and audio, you first
need to record all your MIDI music to audio tracks (by connecting the
outputs of your MIDI instruments to your audio inputs and recording, as
with any other sound source).
• A single instrument track can be directly exported as an
audio mixdown.
• You can also export selected tracks – this is a different
function that doesn’t create an audio mixdown.
Rather, this is a way to transfer complete tracks (including clips and
events) from one project to another. See “Importing audio” on page 454.
Mixing down to an audio file
1. Set up the left and right locators to encompass the
area that you want to mix down.
2. Set up your tracks, so that they play back the way you
want.
This includes muting unwanted tracks or parts, making manual mixer set-
tings and/or activating the R (Read) automation buttons for some or all
mixer channels.
3. Pull down the File menu and select “Audio Mixdown…”
from the Export submenu.
The Export Audio Mixdown dialog appears.
The available settings and options differ depending on the
selected file format (see “The available file formats” on
page 415).
4. In the File Location section at the top you can specify
a name and path for the mixdown file.
Note that there are a number of options:
• Click the Options/Functions button to the right of the File
Name field to open a pop-up menu.
• Select an entry from the Recent Paths sub-menu to reuse a
path specified for a previous export.
• Select “Set File Name to Project Name” to use the project
name for the export file.
• Enable the “Auto Update File Name” option (so that a check
mark is displayed before it) to add a number to the specified
file name every time you click the Export button.