6.0

136
Audio effects
Here is another solution:
1. Create a group channel track in stereo and route it to
the desired output bus.
2. Add the desired effect to the group channel as an in-
sert effect.
3. Route the mono audio track to the group channel.
Now the signal from the mono audio track is sent directly
to the group, where it passes through the insert effect, in
stereo.
Freezing (rendering) insert effects for a track
Effect plug-ins can sometimes require a lot of processor
power. If you are using a large number of insert effects for
a track, you may reach a point where the computer cannot
play back the track properly (the CPU overload indicator
in the VST Performance window lights up, you get crack
-
ling sounds, etc.).
To remedy this, you can freeze the track, by clicking the
Freeze button in the Inspector.
• The Freeze Channel Options dialog opens, allowing you
to set a “Tail Size” time in seconds.
This adds time at the end of the rendered file to allow reverb and delay
tails to fully fade out.
• The program now renders the output of the track, in-
cluding all pre-fader insert effects, to an audio file.
This file is placed in the “Freeze” folder within the Project folder (Win-
dows). On the Mac, the Freeze folder is stored under “User/Documents”.
• The frozen audio track is locked for editing in the Project
window.
The frozen insert effects cannot be edited or removed and you cannot
add new insert effects for the track (except post-fader effects).
• On playback, the rendered audio file is played back.
You can still adjust the level and panning in the Mixer,
make EQ settings and adjust the effect sends.
In the Mixer, the channel strip for a frozen track is indicated by a “snow
flake” symbol on the volume fader handle.
After freezing the Inserts for a track, you hear the track
play back as before but the insert effects do not have to
be calculated in real time, easing the load on the computer
processor. Typically, you would freeze a track when it is
finished and you do not need to edit it anymore.
• You can only freeze audio tracks this way, not group
channel tracks or FX channel tracks.
• Cubase Elements only: the last two insert effects (in
slots 7 and 8) will not be frozen. This is because these are
post-fader insert slots.
• You can also freeze VST instruments and their insert
effects – see the chapter
“VST instruments and instru-
ment tracks” on page 145.
Unfreezing
If you need to edit the events on a frozen track or make
settings for the insert effects, you can unfreeze the track:
1. Click the Freeze button in the Inspector for the track.
You will be asked whether you really want to unfreeze the channel and if
you wish to keep or delete the freeze files.
2. Click “Unfreeze” or “Keep Freeze files”.
This reactivates the frozen insert effects. Clicking “Keep Freeze Files”
will unfreeze the channel but not delete the freeze files. After editing, you
can freeze the track again.
Send effects
Background
As their name implies, send effects are outside of an audio
channel’s signal path, i.
e. the audio data to be processed
must be sent to the effect (as opposed to insert effects,
which are inserted into the channel’s signal path).
To this end, Cubase provides FX channel tracks. When
you have created such a track, it is added to the track list
and can be selected as a routing target in the Send slots
of audio channels.
• When selecting an FX channel track in one of the send
slots of an audio channel, the audio is sent to the FX chan
-
nel and through any insert effects set up for it.
The sends can be routed to different FX channels, and thus different FX
channel insert effect configurations. You control the amount of signal
sent to the FX channel by adjusting the effect send level.