User manual

73
Recording
Monitoring
In this context, “monitoring” means listening to the input
signal during recording. There are three fundamentally dif-
ferent ways to do this: via Cubase, externally (by listening
to the signal before it reaches Cubase), or by using ASIO
Direct Monitoring (which is a combination of both other
methods – see below).
Monitoring via Cubase
If you monitor via Cubase, the input signal is mixed in with
the audio playback. The advantage of this is that you can
adjust the monitoring level and panning in the mixer, and
add effects and EQ to the monitor signal just as during
playback (using the track’s channel strip – not the input
bus!).
The disadvantage of monitoring via Cubase is that the
monitored signal will be delayed according to the latency
value (which depends on your audio hardware and driv-
ers). Therefore, monitoring via Cubase requires an audio
hardware configuration with a low latency value. You can
check the latency of your hardware in the Device Setup
dialog (VST Audio System page).
Ö If you are using plug-in effects with large inherent de-
lays, the automatic delay compensation function in Cubase
will increase the latency.
If this is a problem, you can use the Constrain Delay Compensation func-
tion while recording, see “Constrain Delay Compensation” on page 179.
When monitoring via Cubase, you can select one of four
Auto Monitoring modes in the Preferences (VST page):
• Manual.
This option allows you to turn input monitoring on or off by clicking the
Monitor button in the Inspector, the Track list or in the mixer.
• While Record Enabled.
With this option, you will hear the audio source connected to the channel
input whenever the track is record enabled.
• While Record Running.
This option switches to input monitoring only during recording.
• Tapemachine Style.
This option emulates standard tapemachine behavior: input monitoring in
Stop mode and during recording, but not during playback.
• Cubase only: In the Preferences (VST–Metering page)
you can find the option “Map Input Bus Metering to Audio
Track (in Direct Monitoring)”.
When Direct Monitoring is activated in the Device Setup dialog, this op-
tion allows you to map the input bus metering to monitor-enabled audio
tracks. This gives you the opportunity to watch the input levels of your
audio tracks when working in the Project window.
When Direct Monitoring is activated in the Device Setup
dialog, this function works as follows:
• When “Map Input Bus Metering to Audio Track (in Direct Mo-
nitoring)” is activated, audio tracks show the metering signal
from the input bus they are routed to as soon as the track is
record-enabled.
Note that the tracks are mirroring the input bus signal, i.e. you
will see the same signal in both places. When using mapped
metering, any functions (e.g. trimming) you apply to the audio
track are not reflected in its meters.
• When “Map Input Bus Metering to Audio Track (in Direct Mo-
nitoring)” is not activated, metering works as usual.
• In Cubase Studio, the audio tracks always show the in-
put bus metering, see “Cubase Studio” on page 72.
External monitoring
External monitoring (listening to the input signal before it
goes into Cubase) requires some sort of external mixer for
mixing the audio playback with the input signal. This can
be a stand-alone physical mixer or a mixer application for
your audio hardware, if this has a mode in which the input
audio is sent back out again (usually called “Thru”, “Direct
Thru” or similar).
When using external monitoring, you cannot control the
level of the monitor signal from within Cubase or add VST
effects or EQ to the monitor signal. The latency value of
the audio hardware configuration does not affect the mon-
itor signal in this mode.