Plug-in Reference
Manual by Anders Nordmark Revision for Cubase AI and Quality Control: Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Birgit Grossmann, Sabine Pfeifer, Claudia Schomburg The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement.
Table of Contents
3 Table of Contents 5 Audio effects 6 6 7 9 12 13 15 About this chapter Overview Insert effects Send effects Making settings for the effects Effect presets Installing and managing effect plug-ins 18 The included effect plug-ins 19 19 20 22 23 25 26 27 Introduction Delay plug-ins Dynamics plug-ins Filter plug-ins Modulation plug-ins Other plug-ins Spatial plug-ins Earlier VST plug-ins 34 VST Instruments 35 35 37 39 Introduction Activating and using VST Instruments Using VST presets About latency
1 Audio effects
About this chapter Smart plug-in processing Overview Another feature of the VST3 standard is “smart” plug-in processing. Previously, any loaded plug-in was processing continuously, regardless of whether a signal was present or not. In VST3, there is a smart functionality builtin which disengages processing by a plug-in if there is no signal present. This can greatly reduce CPU load, thus allowing for more effects to be used. There are no settings involved for this functionality, it is fully automatic.
Which effect plug-ins can I use as insert effects? • When MIDI receive is available (or necessary) for other purposes than timing, the setting up and operation is described in the documentation for the corresponding effect. Please refer to the chapter “The included effect plug-ins” on page 18 for details about the included effects. Most effect plug-ins will work fine as insert effects.
• If the effect has a Dry/Wet Mix parameter you can use this to adjust the balance between the dry signal and the effect signal. Insert effects in the channel overview If the “Channel” section is selected in the Inspector, you will get an overview of which EQ modules, insert effects and effect sends are activated for the channel. See “Making settings for the effects” on page 12 for details about editing effects.
Using group channels for insert effects • If you have added several effects to the FX channel, the signal passes through the effects in series, from the top (the first slot) downward. Like all other channels, group channels can have up to eight insert effects. This is useful if you have several audio tracks that you want to process through the same effect (e.g. different vocal tracks that all should be processed by the same compressor).
• All FX channel tracks you create will appear in a kind of “folder” in the Track list. 4. When you add an effect, its control panel will automatically appear. Typically you should set the Wet/Dry Mix control to all “wet”. This makes it easy to manage and keep track of all your FX channel tracks, and also allows you to save screen space by folding the FX Channel folder. This is because you control the balance between wet and dry signal with the effect sends.
Note that the last three items are not shown until the Send is activated and an effect has been loaded. 6. If you want the signal to be sent to the FX channel before the audio channel’s volume fader in the mixer, click on the Pre Fader button for the send so that it lights up. 2. Pull down the routing pop-up menu for a send by clicking in the empty slot, and select the desired routing destination. Normally you want the effect send to be proportional to the channel volume (post fader send).
FX channels and the Solo Defeat function • You can also bypass individual sends in the channel overview. When mixing, you might sometimes want to solo specific audio channels, and listen only to these while other channels are muted. However, this will mute all FX channels as well. If the soloed audio channels have sends routed to FX channels, this means you won’t hear the send effects for the channels. See “Insert effects in the channel overview” on page 8.
Making settings 2. Click in the name field at the top of the effect’s control panel. Effect control panels may have any combination of knobs, sliders, buttons and graphic curves. This opens the Preset browser. Ö For specifics about the included effects and their parameters, please refer to the chapter “The included effect plug-ins” on page 18. If you edit the parameters for an effect, these settings are saved automatically in the project.
Saving effect presets This dialog is very similar to the Preset browser, but there is a difference in how the effect presets are loaded: You can save your edited effects for further use (e.g. in other projects): • If you use the “Load Preset” dialog, this allows you to select different presets and to audition them without actually loading them.
3. In the File name field in the lower part of the dialog you can enter a name for the new preset. 4. After importing, you can convert the current program list to VST Presets by selecting “Convert Program List to VST Presets” from the Preset Management pop-up. 4. Click OK to store the preset and exit the dialog. After converting, the presets will be available in the Preset browser. The new converted presets will be stored in the VST3 Preset folder.
• Username/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/ • Under Mac OS X, you cannot change the hierarchic arrangement of the “built-in” VST plug-ins. “Username” above is the name you use to log on to the computer (the easiest way to open this folder is to go to your “Home” folder and use the path /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/ from there). Plug-ins installed in this folder are only available to you.
The other columns show the following information about each plug-in: Column Description Name The name of the plug-in. Vendor The manufacturer of the plug-in. File This shows the complete name of the plug-in (with extension). Path The path and name of the folder in which the plug-in file is located. Category This indicates the category of each plug-in (such as VST Instruments etc.). Version Shows the current version of the plug-in.
2 The included effect plug-ins
Introduction PingPongDelay This chapter contains descriptions of the included plug-in effects and their parameters. In Cubase AI, the plug-in effects are arranged in a number of different categories. This chapter is arranged in the same fashion, with the plug-ins listed in separate sections for each effect category. This is a stereo delay effect that alternates each delay repeat between the left and right channels. The effect can either be tempo-based or use freely specified delay time settings.
Dynamics plug-ins Parameter Description Hold This determines how long the gate stays open after the sig(0 – 2000 ms) nal drops below the threshold level. This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Dynamics” category. Release This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the gate (10 – 1000 ms to close (after the set hold time). If the “Auto” button is acor “Auto”) tivated, Gate will find an optimal release setting, depending on the audio program material.
Parameter Parameter Description Release This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the gain (0.1 – 1000ms to return to its original level. If the “Auto” button is actior Auto mode) vated, Limiter will automatically find an optimal release setting that varies depending on the audio material. Description Center This sets the center frequency of the filter. (50 – 22000Hz) Q-Factor This sets the resonance or width of the filter. (0.
Filter plug-ins Parameter Description Graphic display Use the graphic display to graphically set the Threshold or the Ratio value. In this section, the Filter plug-in WahWah will be described. The Limiter section Limiter is designed to ensure that the output level never exceeds a certain set output level, to avoid clipping in following devices.
Modulation plug-ins Phaser This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Modulation” category. Flanger Phaser produces the well-known “swooshing” phasing effect with additional stereo enhancement. The parameters are as follows: Parameter Tempo sync on/ The button below the Rate knob is used to switch tempo off sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is on. Flanger is a classic flanger effect with added stereo enhancement.
Rotary Directing MIDI to the Rotary For real-time MIDI control of the Speed parameter, MIDI must be directed to the Rotary. • Whenever the Rotary has been added as an insert effect (for an audio track or an FX channel), it will be available on the Output Routing pop-up menu for MIDI tracks. If Rotary is selected on the “out:” menu, MIDI will be directed to the plugin from the selected track. The Rotary plug-in simulates the classic effect of a rotary speaker.
Vibrato Parameter Description Octave 1 This adjust the level of the generated signal one octave below the original pitch. Set to 0 means the voice is muted. Octave 2 This adjust the level of the generated signal two octaves below the original pitch. Set to 0 means the voice is muted. Tuner The Vibrato plug-in produces pitch modulation. Parameter Description Tempo sync on/ The button below the Rate knob is used to switch tempo off sync on or off. The button is lit when tempo sync is on.
Spatial plug-ins StereoEnhancer This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Spatial” category. MonoToStereo This plug-in will expand the stereo width of (stereo) audio material. It can not be used with mono files. The parameters are as follows: This effect will turn a mono signal into a “pseudo-stereo” signal. The plug-in must be inserted on a stereo track playing a mono file to work. Parameter Description Width This controls the width or depth of the stereo enhancement.
Earlier VST plug-ins Dynamics plug-ins This contains a selection of earlier VST plug-ins, divided into various sub-categories. This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Dynamics” category. Distortion plug-ins MIDI Gate This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Distortion” category. DaTube Gating, in its fundamental form, silences audio signals below a certain set threshold level.
What to do next depends on whether you are using live or recorded audio and whether you are using real-time or recorded MIDI. We will assume for the purposes of this manual that you are using recorded audio, and play the MIDI in real-time. Filter plug-ins Make sure the MIDI track is selected and start playback. StepFilter This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Filter” category. 5. Now play a few notes on your MIDI keyboard.
StepFilter parameters • The horizontal axis shows the pattern steps 1–16 from left to right, and the vertical axis determines the (relative) filter cutoff frequency and resonance setting. Parameter/ Value Description The higher up on the vertical axis a step value is entered, the higher the relative filter cutoff frequency or filter resonance setting.
Modulation plug-ins Ringmodulator This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Modulation” category. Metalizer The Ringmodulator can produce complex, bell-like enharmonic sounds. Ring modulators work by multiplying two audio signals. The ring modulated output contains added frequencies generated by the sum of, and the difference between, the frequencies of the two signals.
Tranceformer Parameter Description Invert Stereo This inverts the LFO waveform for the right channel of the oscillator, which produces a wider stereo perspective for the modulation. Envelope Gener- The Envelope Generator section controls how the input ator (Attack and signal is converted to envelope data, which can then be Decay dials) used to control oscillator pitch and LFO speed. It has two main controls: Attack sets how fast the envelope output level rises in response to a rising input signal.
Other plug-ins Chopper This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Other” category. Bitcrusher Chopper is a combined tremolo and autopan effect. It can use different waveforms to modulate the level (tremolo) or left-right stereo position (pan), either using tempo sync or manual modulation speed settings. The parameters are as follows: If you’re into lo-fi sound, Bitcrusher is the effect for you.
Restoration plug-ins Reverb plug-ins This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Restoration” category. This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the “Reverb” category. Grungelizer RoomWorks SE RoomWorks SE is a “lite” version of the RoomWorks reverb plug-in. This plug-in delivers high quality reverberation, but has fewer parameters and is less CPU demanding than the full version.
3 VST Instruments
Introduction When a VST Instrument is loaded, each audio output bus is represented by a channel strip in the mixer. When you are working with VST Instruments that have a lot of audio busses, this maybe a bit confusing. Therefore, you can deactivate unused output busses by clicking the corresponding button in the VST Instruments rack. VST Instruments are software synthesizers (or other sound sources) that are contained within Cubase AI.
• The MIDI volume and pan are not visible. Instead, the VST Instrument volume and pan are displayed. • If you look in the Project window track list, you will find that a special “folder” for the selected instrument has been added, within a “VST Instruments” folder (where all your VST Instrument channels will appear). • The output device of an Instrument track always has to be a VST Instrument.
8. Play the VST Instrument from your MIDI keyboard. • To open the control panel for the VST Instrument, click the “Edit Instrument” button in the Inspector. You can use the Channel Settings window to adjust the sound, add EQ or effects, etc. – just as with regular audio channels. Of course, you can also record or manually create MIDI parts that play back sounds from the VST Instrument.
Saving VST Instrument presets 3. If necessary, click on the track name at the top of the Inspector to open the basic track settings. You can save your edited settings for further use (e.g. in other projects): 4. Click in the Programs field in the Inspector. This opens the Presets Browser. Selecting a new preset overwrites the settings of the current preset so any unsaved changes will be lost. 1. In the VST Instrument panel, click the VST Sound button to the right of the name field.
Importing and converting FXB/FXP files However, when you play a VST Instrument in real time or record live audio (with monitoring through Cubase AI activated), this delay compensation may sometimes result in added latency. To avoid this, activate the Constrain Delay Compensation button on the Project window toolbar. This function tries to minimize the latency effects of the delay compensation, while maintaining the sound of the mix as far as possible. To import .fxp/.fxb files, proceed as follows: 1.
4 HALionOne
Introduction Parameter Description DCA Release Controls the DCA signal after a key is released. DCA Amount Controls the amount of the DCA (amplifier) envelope. As stated earlier, other parameters may be shown; these will be clearly labelled on the panel. For most of the presets there are also associated effects – the effect parameters are usually located to the right on the panel and typically control the dry/wet mix of the effect.
Index
A G S Audio effects About 6 Editing 12 For output busses (Master inserts) 8 Inserts 7 Organizing in subfolders 16 Post-fader inserts 7 Pre/Post fader sends 11 Saving 14 Selecting Presets 13 Selecting VST Presets 37 Sends 10 Tempo sync 6 Gate 20 Group channel tracks Using effects 9 Grungelizer 33 Send effects 9 Solo Defeat 12 StepFilter 28 StereoEnhancer 26 H T HALionOne About 41 Parameters 41 Tracks Routing MIDI to VST Instruments 36 Tranceformer 31 Tremolo 24 Tuner 25 B Limiter 20 Bitcrusher 32
