Creative Composing and Sequencing

Composing has never been easier or more inspirational. Based on morethan 25 years of experience in developing easy-to-use editing andprofessional composing and notation tools, Cubase once again set amilestone in version 6: With VST Expression 2 Steinberg is takingsequencer-based composing to a whole new level and offers the mostintuitive and functionally complete MIDI composing and sequencingtoolset on the planet.

Key Editor

At the heart of MIDI sequencing in Cubase is the Key Editor: abreathtakingly powerful yet transparent tool which offers functionalwealth that opens up virtually limitless possibilities for songwritersand composers. This is where melodies, chords, arrangements andperformances take shape, and where ideas are sketched out, developed andtaken to their full potential. Entering, cutting, moving andtransposing individual notes or whole chords, editing any of thehundreds of MIDI parameters available or reworking even the most subtlenuances of a MIDI performance are just some of the tasks for which theKey Editor has been developed and refined continuously by Steinberg forover two decades.

The Key Editors Inspector provides smooth and intuitive access tothe most important MIDI tools and functions, including Expression Maps,Note Expression, Quantize, Transpose, Length and many more in onecentral spot. Whats more, with the In-place Editing function, you canalso process MIDI parts directly in the Project window in context withother tracks.

Score Editor

The Score Editor is a full notation environment completelyintegrated within Cubase and lets you view your music in the form ofscores, with full support for just about all symbol, display and editingoptions that this entails. With support for lyrics and remarks as wellas drum notes, guitar tablature and lead sheets, the Cubase Score Editorincludes hundreds of professional notation symbols: simply select thetools needed to create fully professional score layouts for othersincluding soloists, orchestras and choirs. Thanks to the full Music XMLImport / Export support, even exchanging scores with other notationpackages is only a matter of seconds. In addition, the Expression Mapsof the VST Expression 2 set have been engineered to offer new levels ofspeed and intuitiveness when working with large sample libraries byintroducing dynamic support for articulations and expressive notationthat is automatically interpreted by a VST instrument. Cubase 6 featuresan unparalleled combination of a fully featured composition, recordingand mixing environment with comprehensive scoring features ideal forcomposers.

Drum Editor

The Drum Editor is a highly intuitive yet powerful window forconstructing and reworking beats, rhythms and grooves as well ascreating individual drum maps for every employed instrument, offering aplethora of features to let you come up with the perfect rhythm for yoursong or production.

List Editor

The List Editor is a powerful MIDI editing tool that gives fastaccess to every single aspect of a MIDI note and can be a huge timesaverin complex projects.

VST Expression 2

VST Expression Maps provide an ultra-intuitive way of working withmultiple instrument articulations, for example of huge orchestralibraries, and introduces an editing concept that is user-customizableand fully integrated with the Key and Score Editors. This groundbreakingtechnology makes working with instrument articulations as easy as itshould be. Instead of handling all those MIDI controllers for switchingarticulations, VST Expression Maps allow seamlessly and transparentlyintegrated editing as well as full control over multiple articulations.Best of all, articulations noted in the Key and Score Editors can beplayed back in real time by orchestra and any other sample-basedlibraries.

With Cubase 6, Steinberg has innovated even further to offer morecreative compositional tools. Note Expression is a revolutionaryapproach to create and edit multiple controller values in a singlegraphical interface, directly on the note they belong to. Invaluable fordemanding orchestral arrangements as well as cutting-edge electronicmusic, Note Expression significantly enhances the composers workflowand sets new standards in terms of creativity and musicality.
Seamless, transparent and integrated editing of articulations, withfull control over multiple articulations in the Key and Score Editors.
Break traditional MIDI limitations create and edit multiple controller values on single note-level
Invaluable for demanding orchestral arrangements, cutting-edge electronic music and unique sound effects
Immediately listen to dynamic changes noted in the Score Editor or placed in the Key Editor
Automatically transfer articulation setups of VST 3.5 compatible instruments for individual instrument sounds

MIDI plug-ins

To inspire you even further, Cubase includes a huge set of VST MIDIplug-ins. Creative tools, such as the drum step sequencer, the BeatDesigner, a powerful arpeggiator, a MIDI pattern sequencer and a MIDIchord processor amongst others will take your composition to the nextlevel. While Cubase 6 offers probably the most feature-rich MIDIsequencing toolset in the audio industry today, Steinbergs developmentphilosophy is constantly focused on the creativity of musicians,composers and producers, resulting in a MIDI environment that is notonly technologically advanced but highly intuitive and instantlyaccessible for anyone.

Intuitive recording

An exceptional audio quality, a wide range of innovative tools and atruly musical feel make Cubase 6 the first choice for all kinds ofmusic production from lightning-fast band recording to professionalstudio productions. The advanced recording environment combines thefunctionality of high-end mixing consoles with the elegance of astate-of-the-art software system. Whether you want to record a guitarriff, a multi-miked drum kit or a full classical orchestra, Cubase 6always provides the best set of tools for your music.

Next-generation audio engine

The award-winning Cubase audio engine delivers a crystal-clear32-bit floating-point resolution and 192 kHz sample rate, with apristine sound quality that is the hallmark of the Cubase 6 musicproduction experience. The next-generation audio engine includes truesurround capability throughout, with each track and channel offering upto six discreet channels, ready for 5.1 surround and powered by VirtualStudio Technology that opens up a myriad of VST instruments at yourfingertips.
Convenient recording

Cubase 6 offers convenient recording capabilities such asRetrospective Record, which means that no take ever gets lost becauserecord mode wasnt engaged in time. With the exemplary FX handling anyVST plug-in can be recorded with the signal, or simply used formonitoring while the untouched, pristine signal is recorded in Cubase.

The intuitive user interface supports even the largest recordingrigs, with easy-to-use folders, customizable Track views and customcolor schemes for Tracks that differentiate track types at a glance.Handling inputs and outputs in Cubase is effortless: the VST Connectionswindow allows you to not only setup custom I/O setups and customizeport names but also switch between different I/O setups on the fly.

Cubase comes with a huge range of additional functions engineered toaccelerate recording workflows, including the Arm/Disarm All AudioTracks function, the Lock Record mode, and the Remaining Record Timedisplay. With Cubase 6 you can focus on the only thing that trulymatters your music.

Control Room

Dispensing with the need for hardware mixing consoles, the Cubase 6Control Room represents the final paradigm shift for software inintegrating real-world studio setups, and firmly puts Cubase 6 the heartof any recording environment. The Control Room is a uniquely powerfulrecording and monitoring environment with custom busses and setups forup to four studio sends for performers, full talkback and metronomeintegration, custom monitor setups and much more.

Engineered exclusively for Steinbergs audio production systems andunavailable on any other software workstations, this unique recordingand monitoring environment allows you to control and switch betweenseveral different speaker setups in different configurations on the fly,create and manage up to four unique studio mixes feeding performerstheir own tailored mix, use the integrated Talkback function, manageaudio sources feeding from tape, CD or DVD all from one easy-to-usepanel.

And in conjunction with Steinbergs MR816 CSX/X Advanced IntegrationDSP Studio FireWire interfaces, the Control Room offers latency-freerecording completely integrated into the Cubase mixer and Control Roompanels, with no need to use an additional mixing application.

Edit audio with peerless precision and speed

The sixth generation of powerful tools for recording and editing Steinbergs wealth of engineering experience in digital audio stretchingback over two decades provides the basis for a new generation ofcapabilities for editing in Cubase 6. With its emphasis not only ontechnology and precision but also on user friendliness, usability andergonomics, Cubase 6 provides you all the tools you need to edit audiowith peerless precision and speed.

Sample Editor

The Cubase Sample Editor allows you almost limitless creativefreedom while editing audio. A full editing toolset offers a huge rangeof functions that not only cover common editing tasks right down to thesample level. The Cubase 6 loop functions are a boon for anyone usingloops in their project, including state-of-the-art transient and tempodetection as well as audio quantization functions to perfect the timing,feel and flavor of live-recorded drum tracks.

Whether you want to adapt drum loops to the song tempo, transposeand timestretch instruments or analyze and directly edit notes ofmonophonic vocal recordings with the VariAudio technology, apply any ofthe myriad audio processes or the included VST 3 plug-ins: Cubase 6 isthe complete production environment for fast, intuitive andqualitatively outstanding audio tools that allow you to manipulate audioin almost any way imaginable.

Total vocal editing with VariAudio

VariAudio offers completely integrated vocal editing and pitchalteration of individual notes in monophonic vocal recordings and cansolve intonation and timing problems with only a few mouse clicks. Withcutting-edge technology Cubase 6 turns the dreams of musicians andproducers into reality: editing vocal lines in the Sample Editor just asseamlessly and quickly as if editing MIDI notes in the renowned KeyEditor.
Gives you complete control over the melody and intonation
Automatically corrects the intonation of vocal lines by quantizing the pitch and micro-pitch of an entire part
All detected notes and segments can be converted to MIDI notes,including the micro-pitch envelope which translates to pitch bend MIDIdata
Seamless integration with Note Expression
No noticeable artifacts, entirely preserve the soul of the recording and its sonic fidelity

Smart Multitrack Editing

Cubase 6 offers an intuitive toolset for multitrack audio editingand phase-stable quantization. Overcoming the differences between audioand MIDI, Cubase allows to quantize audio material just like any MIDInote, offering numerous possibilities to fix timing issues and to changethe groove and feel of live-recorded drums and percussion instruments.Whats more, with the straightforward drum replacement function it getsvery easy to replace recorded drum hits with the samples of your choice.

Ultra-fast take comping

Conjure the perfect take Cubase 6 includes a new Lane Trackconcept for lightning fast multitake comping. Simply swipe across thebest parts of a take, and Cubase automatically creates a master takethat contains all selected parts. Each Lane Track sports a solo buttonand full editing functionality. Building the perfect take has never beenthat easy.

Pure mixing

Cubase 6 provides a complete mixing environment that not only equipsyou to produce stunning mixes in stereo or surround, but allows you totailor your mixing workflow to suit your own personal artistic andcreative vision.

The 32-bit floating-point mixing engine in Cubase 6 has beenengineered to deliver so much more than just a sumptuous smoothness anddepth to your mixes. For a smooth yet powerful mixing workflow thatsupports your creative artistry, you also need high levels ofconfigurability and flexibility to adapt all those powerful tools toyour individual workflow.

Fully equipped professional mixer

With 128 physical inputs and outputs, 8 inserts per Channel, 64 FXsends as well as 256 groups/busses and unlimited routing between audiochannels, busses, groups and FX returns mean that Cubase 6 is fullyequipped for even the most complex recording setup. And even in thelargest projects, the system-wide automatic latency compensationsynchronizes all audio streams in your system automatically.

Three freely configurable mixer views allow you to show specificcombinations of channels, channel types and zoom guaranteeing fullcontrol over your session. The unique Track Presets system lets youstore, recall and archive your track settings for just about any audiotrack or VST instrument for almost instant recall through the MediaBay.

Full automation

The new automation handling in Cubase 6 provides a dedicatedautomation panel for quick access to all automation functions. Theenhanced transparency and flexibility provides professionals with thecapability to set up a complete automation within minutes and controlthe session clearly.

Free routing

Cubase 6 gives you complete freedom when routing audio in yourproject. The routing capabilities allow totally unlimited routingbetween group channels regardless of their order, and supports sendingfrom groups to FX returns as well as from FX returns into groupchannels. For even more flexibility, audio tracks cannot only sendsignals into groups and FX returns with help of the pre fader sends, butalso patch signals post fader from the output tab to group channels andFX returns.

Surround mixing

Mixing for surround or thinking of moving to surround The fullysurround-capable architecture developed for Cubase puts all thesecapabilities at your command in the context of a surround mix. AllCubase 6 VST 3 plug-ins are fully surround-ready, intelligently adaptingtheir I/O configuration as required for mono, stereo or surround. Withits complete multi-channel audio signal path from input to output andthe ability to export to the MP3 surround format for convenient deliveryand distribution Cubase offers a consistent end to end surroundworkflow.
Sidechain input for VST 3 plug-ins

Sidechain inputs are available on most VST 3 plug-ins included withCubase 6. Thanks to the free routing? architecture virtually any signal
in the VST mixer can be used as a sidechain input signal. Sidechainis a crucial function for audio-controlled effects such as ducking(compression controlled by an audio source), but can be used creativelyin many ways (for example controlling the LFO in modulation effects).

High-end EQ and pro reverb

By using the renowned Cubase Channel Studio EQ, youre able tocreate high quality mixes right out of the box, including multiplefilter modes and characteristics. But the Cubase Channel EQ is not theonly plug-in that means youll be reaching for expensive additionalplug-ins and hardware less often: the exceptional REVerence convolutionreverb sets new quality standards within the audio mixing process.

Includes Cubase 6 Video Tutorials. DVD Supplied with Cubase 6. Good addition to manuals.