4.0

14
Setting up your system
Recording from a CD player
Most computers come with a CD-ROM drive that can also
be used as a regular CD player. In some cases the CD
player is internally connected to the audio hardware so
that you can record the output of the CD player directly
into Cubase AI (consult the audio hardware documenta-
tion if you are uncertain).
• All routing and level adjustments for recording from a CD (if
available) are done in the audio hardware setup application
(see “Making settings for the audio hardware” on page 14).
• You can also grab audio tracks directly from a CD in Cubase
AI (see the chapter “File Handling” in the Operation Manual).
Word Clock connections
If you are using a digital audio connection you may also
need a word clock connection between the audio hard-
ware and external devices. Please refer to the documenta-
tion that came with the audio hardware for details.
About recording levels and inputs
When you connect your equipment, you should make sure
that the impedance and levels of the audio sources and in-
puts are matched. Typically, different inputs may be de-
signed for use with microphones, consumer line level (-10
dBV) or professional line level (+4 dBV), or you may be able
to adjust input characteristics on the audio interface or in its
control panel. Please check the audio hardware documen-
tation for details.
Using the correct types of input is important to avoid dis-
tortion or noisy recordings.
Making settings for the audio hardware
Most audio cards come with one or more small applica-
tions that allow you to configure the inputs of the hard-
ware to your liking.
This includes:
• Selecting which inputs/outputs are active.
• Setting up word clock synchronization (if available).
• Turning monitoring via the hardware on/off (see “About moni-
toring” on page 16).
• Setting levels for each input. This is very important!
• Setting levels for the outputs, so that they match the equip-
ment you use for monitoring.
• Selecting digital input and output formats.
• Making settings for the audio buffers.
In many cases all available settings for the audio hardware
are gathered in a control panel, which can be opened from
within Cubase AI as described below (or opened sepa-
rately, when Cubase AI isn’t running). In some cases,
there may be several different applications and panels –
please refer to the audio hardware documentation for de-
tails.
Selecting a driver and making audio settings
in Cubase AI
The first thing you need to do is select the correct driver in
Cubase AI to make sure that the program can communi-
cate with the audio hardware:
!
It is very important that word clock synchronization is
done correctly or there might be clicks and crackles
in recordings that you make!
!
Cubase AI does not provide any input level adjust-
ments for the signals coming in to your audio hard-
ware, since these are handled differently for each
card. Adjusting input levels is either done in a special
application included with the hardware or from its
control panel (see below).