• I heard there was a way to change all effects plugins to simpler layouts with linear faders in Cubase SX. How do I do this?
• Is there a limit to the amount of effects I can use as Inserts in Cubase SX?
• Are there some VST plugins that can figure out the tempo automatically for delays?
• I've heard it's better to apply destructive effects as Offline Process plugins in Cubase SX. Is this true?
• I've been modifying fades in the Fade Dialog box to create special fades of my own, but I have to do this every time. Is there a way to store a specific curve fade preset of my own in Cubase SX?
• I've heard there's a way to emulate the sound of tube mic preamps built right into Cubase SX. Is this true?
• In Cubase SX, how do I process just the EFX part of a track?
• Why do some audio files accept the crossfade command in Cubase SX and others don't?
• I want to increase the volume on a quiet note in Cubase SX, but I screw up the file with the Gain Command in the Sample Editor, and I have to keep undoing and redoing the process to get it right. Is there an easier way to do this?
• Are there other ways to create fades aside from using the handles on the files and using automation in Cubase SX?

I heard there was a way to change all effects plugins to simpler layouts with linear faders in Cubase SX. How do I do this?

When you load a plugin as in Insert effect, Send effect or an Offline Process Plugin effect, you can change the face-plate architecture of the plugin to what Cubase SX calls a "basic" layout, which changes all rotary knobs and other adjustments to simple buttons and linear faders. Press Control + Shift (Command for Mac) and click on the edit button for the effect or slot. The face plate will change to this low-graphic representation, but all parameters will remain, including the normal buttons for mute, solo, bypass and enabling read and write modes for adding automation.

Cubase SX limits you to 8 Insert effects on any one audio track, but two of these effects slots are post-fader, which means the effects appear after the channel's fader. These slots are best suited to plugins which won't be affected by the amplitude in the fader module, including dithering plugs, maximizers and similar plugins.

In addition, you can set your plugins to display other types of information in the channel window. The drop-down menu at the top left hand side of the insert rack allows you to display the plugin's presets as well as routing information and more.

Is there a limit to the amount of effects I can use as Inserts in Cubase SX?

Yes and no. Cubase SX limits the amount of Insert Effects you can add to any one track to eight effects. Two of the Insert Effects are post-fader, which means the effects are multiplied on top of the earlier effects together with the amplitude settings from the fader itself. Effects that are found above the fader bus are called pre-fader effects.

Post fader effects are best used for effects that won't be altered by the level of the fader, including effects like dithering plugs and amplitude maximizers, but you can really use any effect you wish as a post-fader effect. In theory, you could bus a track to a group track and add another eight effects to that track, but practical applications would probably find this technique to be of very little use. How many times have you wanted to add 16 effects to anything?

Additionally, if you really wanted to get carried away, Cubase allows you to process plugin effects directly to audio events by selecting the event(s) and employing the Plug-ins command from the Audio Menu. Plugins applied in this fashion are called Offline Process plugins, and there is an Offline Process History panel (in the same menu) for deleting processing added to audio files with this method. However, these are destructive effects and as such are unlike nondestructive Insert Effects, but this is a way to stack more effects on top of each other, in theory.

Are there some VST plugins that can figure out the tempo automatically for delays?

Ever since the VST plugin standard was updated to version 2.0, VST plugins receive MIDI timing information from host programs (like Cubase SX, Nuendo, etc.). Unless they're older plugins, times for delays will already be calculated by the plugin via MIDI timing info from Cubase SX.

In some instances you need to set up tempo sync by providing a base note value and multiplier. A quarter note base value and a multiplier of three would create a delay with an interval of three quarter notes. If you solo the delay and crank up the wet side, you should be able to play with the auto tempo sync buttons on most delay effects to get the desired effect (as long as your project is set to the correct tempo). The settings usually offer you a selection of note values and multipliers on the interface of the plugin so it's possible to fiddle your way into the zone with a little practice.

I've heard it's better to apply destructive effects as Offline Process plugins in Cubase SX. Is this true?

If you select an audio event in the Project Window or any editor, you can add a plugin to the signal by selecting plugins from the Audio Menu. The Process plugin Dialog box will appear. The top portion shows the effect parameters of the effect and the bottom contains buttons for Help, Preview, Process and Cancel. If you click on More, you'll see the bottom part of the dialog box expand to reveal Wet/Dry Mix, Tail and Pre/Post Crossfade settings.

The Wet/Dry Mix adjusts the amount of effect that is applied, while the Tail setting allows you to add a tail to the file if the processing creates trailing artifacts. The Pre/Post Crossfade adjustment allows you to bring the effect in and out as a fade. If you're asking yourself what benefit you could receive by processing destructive edits in such a way (or even destructive edits at all!), you're not alone.

There is an Offline Process History box, which allows you to remove effects processing in a linear history (select an audio clip in the Project Window or any editor and use the Offline Process History command in the Audio Menu to see the editor), but Cubase SX now offers the Freeze function, which creates an unlimited amount of "frozen" tracks with nondestructive effects. In any case, the use of nondestructive effects has the distinct advantage of allowing you to change your mind later, something that is invaluable in the world of audio recording!

I've been modifying fades in the Fade Dialog box to create special fades of my own, but I have to do this every time. Is there a way to store a specific curve fade preset of my own in Cubase SX?

You can store a curve as a preset in Cubase SX. After selecting the audio material you wish to fade (using the range tool, lasso or shift + click), use the Fade In or Fade Out command in the Audio Menu. When the Fade Dialog box appears, you can use and modify any of the existing curves to create fading effects.

If you wish to create a preset of a curve you like, you need to double-click on one of the presets already in the program. You'll be prompted to enter the name of the new preset fade, and you'll be able to select this custom fade from the drop down menu in the future. However, this method of fading audio is destructive, and Cubase SX features some of the best nondestructive fade commands available.

You can easily fade one audio event by clicking and dragging on the blue handles that appear on the top left and right hand corners of the file in the Project Window. As you drag the handle, you'll see the fade being created on the file. This is completely nondestructive, and it doesn't apply to other instances of the clip.

Likewise, there are many ways to create fades across a range of files using similar techniques. If you wish to create a fade of the entire song, you can place the project cursor where you want to begin the fade and select Fade In from Cursor or Fade Out from Cursor in the Audio Menu.

Using a lot of these nondestructive fades in your project is a bit demanding on the system because it must calculate the fades, unless you freeze the tracks. You can control how these fades appear in the Auto Fade settings box in the Fade Settings dialog of the Project Window. You can choose to make any adjustments to the fades and save them as Default if you'd like to keep these settings for future projects. You can also save the fade and crossfade settings as a project setting, which leaves the global preference intact.

I've heard there's a way to emulate the sound of tube mic preamps built right into Cubase SX. Is this true?

A plugin called Datube, which is found in the Distortion section of the plugins pop-up menu, is designed to emulate valve amplifiers by adding warm distortion and clipping as would be common with vintage microphone preamps. While one could choose to run this VST plugin as an insert effect on the Input Bus, it's probably not a good idea because it destructively edits the file, which means you can't get rid of it later.

Instead, record your tracks with as little processing as possible and apply effects once the material is in the DAW for more flexibility. Datube comes with controls for Drive and Balance. Adding more Drive will add more distortion; Balance adjusts the balance of dry verses wet signal. Other software plugins are available, and new ones are popping up every day, but Datube ships with Cubase SX.

If you're not able to find the results you're after, you might consider an external microphone preamp as these are becoming very popular and very affordable as well. The ART Tube MP Studio V3 is a good example of a nice preamp that can be had for less than $100. There are many other suitable models available as well.

In Cubase SX, how do I process just the EFX part of a track?

If you use reverb as an insert effect across an entire track and simply adjust the ratio of wet and dry signal, you can't apply EQ and filters to the soloed wet portion of the reverb because it's combined with the dry signal. However, if you create an FX track and load the same reverb as a send effect, you can apply EQ, filters and other effects to just the wet portion of the effect.

From the Project menu, select Add FX Track. Make the track a stereo track and click Okay. A new FX Track will appear. Add the desired effect, in this case reverb, to the FX Track, and make sure the output of the track is targeted to the correct bus, usually the master output. If you don't target the track to an output bus, you won't be able to hear the effect.

Open your audio track's Inspector window and select the FX Track and the reverb effect in the drop-down window as you would if you were selecting an insert effect for the track. You're now using the reverb as a "send" effect instead of an "insert" effect.

You'll find a blue horizontal line directly below the title of the effect in the inspector window. Adjust this to the left to send more signal from the audio track to the FX Track. Now, you can go back to the FX Track and apply filters, EQ and other effects to the isolated wet portion of the reverb.

By filtering all but a small portion of the effect's EQ spectrum away, you can create a reverb space with only the most important part of the reverb's frequency and harmonics--while leaving most of the original signal dry and punchy. You can also apply panning, modulation and more to the signal.

Cubase SX also allows you to export the signal from FX tracks, which generates a file of just the effect. By creating this file, you can turn off the plugins on the original track and process the effects as an audio track of its own, which drastically reduces CPU usage.

Why do some audio files accept the crossfade command in Cubase SX and others don't?

The trick to applying crossfades via the Crossfade command in the Audio menu is to make certain that the files overlap, or that the instances are taken from files with a bit of space on the beginning or end that can be stretched to overlap.

This might sound confusing, but it's as simple as this: If you're pasting drum loops that are right next to each other but never overlap, you can't crossfade these files because they never actually touch--they're really exactly right next to one another. Therefore, if you're trying to get several loops of an acoustic guitar part to blend seamlessly together via crossfades, make sure the loops were cut from a take with audio on both sides of the clip.

Cubase SX will automatically extend available portions at the top and tag of audio loops to create enough overlap for the crossfade. If you record your tracks with a few beats of silence at the beginning and end, segments you cut from these files are guaranteed to have audio on both sides of the instance. If you need to remove crossfades, highlight the desired files with the pointer or range tool and select Remove Fades from the Audio menu.

I want to increase the volume on a quiet note in Cubase SX, but I screw up the file with the Gain Command in the Sample Editor, and I have to keep undoing and redoing the process to get it right. Is there an easier way to do this?

A great feature of Cubase SX is the ability to apply nondestructive fades, crossfades and volume envelopes to files. You need to create a volume envelope to make the quiet portion of your file louder. If you're already familiar with the blue volume and fade handles in Cubase SX, creating envelopes is a cinch.

It's even easier if you're not familiar with the blue volume and fade handles! Zoom in on an event in the Project Window and select the Pencil Tool from the tool bar. A small curve symbol appears on the cursor when the Pencil Tool travels over an audio file, which means you're ready to create volume envelopes.

Click on the desired spot to begin the adjustment. This is a nondestructive procedure so don't worry about screwing anything up. As you add points with the Pencil Tool, you'll see a blue line appear, which outlines the curve of your new envelope. You can add as many curve points as you wish, and you can drag them off to the side to delete them as needed. With a bit of practice, you can fix almost any problematic file.

This new envelope information on the file will travel with the file. If you copy the event, the blue curve data will remain. Fades and envelopes created in this manner must be calculated by the computer with each pass and might become taxing on the system. You can freeze audio tracks with fades and envelopes to eliminate this problem, and you can perform destructive envelopes using the Envelope function on the Audio Menu.

Are there other ways to create fades aside from using the handles on the files and using automation in Cubase SX?

Cubase SX comes with a host of excellent ways to create fades to single files, complete ranges of files and all files in the Project Window. If you're out to create a simple fade in for a guitar solo, you can create the fade by clicking on the blue fade handle on the top left hand side of the audio event and dragging it to the left.

Audition the file a few times to make sure you've got the fade right, and you're done! This method is nondestructive, and it's a great feature in the Cubase SX program. (You must enable the fade handles and wave forms visible in the Event Display preferences on the Audio Page of the Preferences in the File Menu if you don't see the handles.) Likewise, you can create fades for multiple files at once by selecting several files with the Lasso technique, Shift + Click or the Range command.

Once all files you wish to fade are highlighted, you can simply drag the handle of one of the files to create the fades across the others at the same time. Again, these are nondestructive edits, and all other instances of the files will play back normally.

Another great feature offers you a way to create fades across the entire project by simply placing the project cursor at the point in the arrangement where you want the fade in or fade out to begin. Select Fade In to Cursor or Fade Out to Cursor as applicable from the audio menu, and you've got an instant fade in or fade out across the whole song. Destructive fades are available from the Audio menu, but most people find nondestructive fades more useful and flexible.