• Does the Retrospective Record feature in Cubase SX allow me to record MIDI after the transport has fully stopped?
• When I've recorded cycled recordings in Cubase SX, can I cut and paste portions of the cycle to other tracks or will this ruin the timing of the other takes?
• Can you explain the different methods and concerns for recording overlapping events in Cubase SX?
• What's the difference between Record Enabled, Manual, Record Running and Tape Machine style monitoring in Cubase SX?
• Should I use 32 bit float Record Format as opposed to 16 or 24 bit depth for my files in Cubase SX?
• Do I need to change the meter settings to check input levels to Cubase SX?
• I've heard there are three or four ways to activate recording in Cubase SX. What are they?
• What do Postroll and Preroll mean in Cubase SX, and how do I set it up?
• How much difference is there between recording at 16 bit and 24 bit?
• When should I use stacked audio takes in Cubase SX?
• Are special microphone preamps really necessary?
• Do I need an external mixing board for digital recording?
• How do I set up busses in Cubase SX?

Does the Retrospective Record feature in Cubase SX allow me to record MIDI after the transport has fully stopped?

Yes. Retrospective Record allows you to record parts in Stop mode or while play back is taking place via a layer of special buffers for capturing the information. You must turn the Retrospective Record function on in the Preferences for Recording. You can also adjust the buffer size to enable you to capture more or less information while the transport is stopped.

This might seem like a completely crazy feature at first, but picture it this way: As long as you Record Enable the track (you MUST do this for this function to work), you can goof around to your heart's content with ideas perhaps as you normally do--but when you play a part and say to yourself "man, I wish I had recorded that bit because I know I'll forget it," you're saved. Simply select Retrospective Record from the Transport menu, and all the MIDI data in the buffer will be transformed into a new event at the position of the cursor.

You can also activate this function with the key command Shift + Pad. If you're experiencing problems with MIDI in Cubase SX, make sure you have the latest drivers for your interface and update to at least version 3.1.1. Many have reported dramatic improvements in MIDI performance as of the release of this version of Cubase SX.

When I've recorded cycled recordings in Cubase SX, can I cut and paste portions of the cycle to other tracks or will this ruin the timing of the other takes?

One of the great things about Cubase SX is the Stacked Mode of cycle recording. The files you see in the lanes can be edited like any other audio event, and they can even be moved or copied (Alt + click + drag) to other tracks, provided the tracks match up in the mono/stereo department.

You can only listen to one event at a time while your tracks remain in the stacked cycle lanes on the track where they were created, but if you decide you're looking for a good vocal double (or double for anything really) along the way, you can delete all but the two best takes and drag the track you intend to use for a double to a new track.

This means you'd have your star take on the track where you performed the cycle record with the double version on another track. In this way you them together in context during playback. You can also use make as many copies of these files as you like on other tracks for generating vocal harmonies or other effects with plugins. Stacked cycle record mode is an excellent tool for creating quick comp tracks.

Can you explain the different methods and concerns for recording overlapping events in Cubase SX?

Overlapping events are handled differently for MIDI and audio recordings in Cubase SX, but one basic rule applies to all overlapping events that become overlapped when you drag all or a portion of an event on top of another: only the visible event (the one on top or closest to the front) will play back.

If you wish to bring the hidden portion of a file that's been obscured by another event to the front, highlight the obscured event by clicking on it once and select Move to Front on the Edit Menu. Events overlapping in different Record modes will behave in a variety of ways. When Normal is selected as the record mode on the Transport Window, MIDI and audio files will create new events for every pass or loop of the cycle, which will be layered on top of one another and labeled Take 1, Take 2, etc. These are auditioned by right clicking on the file and selecting the playback region from the contextual menu.

When Merge mode is selected, MIDI files will keep adding MIDI data to the save event with every pass or take, which results with one event with all notes played from all takes. Merge and Normal mode provide the same result for audio files.

When Replace is selected, all MIDI data is replaced with each pass, and the result is one event with the MIDI data from the last pass or take. This works the same for audio files, and if you decide you wish to record on top of an existing event, the event will be split and the new audio or data will appear as a new event in the newly created gap.

Cycle Record modes, found directly beneath the settings for Record modes in the Transport Window, tailor the style of the cycled recordings.

Mix mode applies to MIDI and all notes played are mixed together as the cycles compound. In Overwrite mode, new overlapping events are created.

Keep Last mode applies to audio events, and it keeps creating instances of the same event on top of one another, but it only keep audio from the last complete run of the cycle. In other words, if you stop recording before the fifth cycle has completed, the audio you recorded on the fifth take will not be saved. You must let the full cycle pass and a new loop begin before exiting recording to save all takes.

The Stacked option is most useful for most operations. Usually, the purpose of cycle recording is to assemble the best performances from a variety of takes into a comp (compilation) track. Stacked mode creates instances of the takes stacked in lanes on the audio track so you can easily use the Mute tool (the "X" icon in the toolbox) to mute different takes during the compilation procedure.

Zoom the track so you can see the wave files clearly and add the intended signal processing (pitch correction, effects, etc.) to the track to make sure you're hearing the files as they'll sound in your mix. You can even use the Left and Right Locators to cut segments as small as one word from each take and cycle through those to find the best performance.

Playback in stacked mode gives the lowest file in the stack playback preference. You'll need to use the Mute tool to listen to the takes by muting the lower files, which allows the file above it to play. Stacked 2 (no Mute) mode works the same as Stacked mode, but all audio from previous takes are played back during the cycled recording.

What's the difference between Record Enabled, Manual, Record Running and Tape Machine style monitoring in Cubase SX?

Monitoring in DAW software is the biggest cause of latency. This is why it's important to note, when discussing monitoring, that avoiding monitoring while the software is in record mode is the ultimate goal to eliminate the latency issue almost entirely.

In a nutshell, there is no latency when you record through an analog 24-track tape machine because the read and write heads of the tape machine don't have a complex piece of software in the middle decoding and encoding audio files. When you add this layer of complexity, the time it takes to process the incoming audio (the signal you're recording) means it arrives at the stereo output of your sequencer's mixer a tiny bit later than the audio you've already printed, creating a tiny delay.

This problem has been compensated for by a host of mathematics within the DAW, but it's not entirely reliable--in fact, it's downright wrong many times. Some sound cards support a new ASIO spec (ASIO 2.0), which patches the input signal directly to the output (without passing through the software) for monitoring while recording, and you can check the VST Audiobay page of the Device Setup window in the Device Menu. If there is a checkbox next to Direct Monitoring, your sound card supports this feature. If the option is grayed-out, either your card doesn't support it or the current drivers do not support it.

If your sound card doesn't support ASIO 2.0, you'll still want to avoid the need to monitor the signal you're sending to the computer at the outputs of the software. This is easily done by monitoring the signal in an external mixing board before it gets to the software. All you need is an external mixer with an Alt 3-4 bus.

If you patch the outputs of the Alt 3-4 bus to the input of your sound card and patch the output of the sound card to a set of stereo inputs on your mixer, you can monitor the signal you're sending to the computer in the mixer along with the signal that's already printed, without having to wait for the signal to appear at the software's output. This is probably the most important technique for getting great results with any DAW.

As far as the difference between the various types of monitoring, there are four. Record Enabled monitoring means the monitor button (the brown button with the speaker icon) will only allow signal to pass when the track's Record Enable button (the large red button with the red dot) is engaged. Manual style monitoring means the monitor button allows signal to pass whenever it's engaged.

Record running monitoring means the button only allows signal to pass while the software is recording (or is paused in record mode), and Tapemachine style emulates tape recorders by allowing the signal to pass while the transport is stopped or in record mode--but not during playback mode.

If you're using an external mixer to sidestep latency, you'll only need to monitor signal through the software to check levels. Manual monitoring works best in this instance because you can turn on the monitor button to check levels and turn it off when you're ready to record.

Should I use 32 bit float Record Format as opposed to 16 or 24 bit depth for my files in Cubase SX?

Cubase SX uses 32 bit float to process files internally. This means it processes interval audio operations, including EQ and other signal processing effects in a 32 bit float resolution, but it will create files in 16 or 24 bit resolution with the correct dithering if you choose to use only 16 or 24 bit files as your session preference.

Since disk space is usually not the huge problem it used to be for most DAW users, you should probably just set the recording bit depth to the top resolution of your sound card. Some sound cards only offer 16 bit resolution at the D/A converter. In these instances, recording at 24 bit resolution will not improve the quality of the audio at all. In fact, doing this will just create bigger audio files that don't sound any better.

If your sound card does support 24 bit resolutions, you're probably better off using this setting for your recording bit depth to take full advantage of your system. You'll need to reduce the resolution for CD mixes, and this will require dithering, which is a process of adding digital noise to cancel out the noise created by rounding off numbers when trading down to lower bit depths.

Do I need to change the meter settings to check input levels to Cubase SX?

If you want to check just the input that's arriving at the input bus, without any added EQ or other signal processing, you need to right click (Control + click for Mac) anywhere in the Mixer Window to access the Global Meter Settings submenu. Select Meter Input and check the levels.

Some signals, especially hi-gain amp modeling patches from external signal processing units, can change dramatically when your external mixer (if you're using one) is set to unity gain. In other words, a jazz guitar patch on the same amp modeling unit can have a much lower output than a super hi-gain rock patch.

If you're not using an external mixer this becomes even more important because you'll have to manually alter the output of the device you're sending to your sound card. Clipping the sound card hardware isn't the same as clipping the Input Bus on Cubase SX, although the result can seem the same.

What you're after is a good setting for each stage in the chain so you won't have to keep resetting the input level in the sequencer's preferences. If the sound card has separate software for adjusting input you should probably try using that to set an appropriate level for several devices passing through your external mixer at unity gain.

If your sound card supports ASIO control panels, you can open the control panel on the VST Audiobay, which is found via the Device Setup section in the Devices menu. Once you're sure you're not clipping the hardware d/a converter and the Input Bus of Cubase SX, you'll need to make sure you're not clipping when you print to disk.

It might seem a bit weird to imagine at first, but you want the input signal meter to reflect an absence of clipping at input as well as an absence of clipping when actually printing audio to disk. The only reason these can differ is because of the added EQ and other signal processing that appear after input in the chain.

If you're using 32-bit float for your bit depth for everything, you won't need to bother with any further investigation because, well, you just won't. This stuff begins to get fairly strange here, but, for reasons of headroom with lower bit depths (using lower bit depths decreases the headroom), you'll need to check the meters post fader.

Bring up the Global Meter Setting submenu again (right + click anywhere on the Mixer Panel), and select Meter Post-Fader. Add a bit of EQ and maybe a compressor plugin for good measure to the input channel and print some audio. Listen back to the audio to make sure it's not clipping. If it is, you should only need to adjust the meter in the current Post-Fader configuration.

This sounds more complex than it really is, and the sweet spot for your settings should become obvious as you go through the steps. Remember that you're looking for a reading on the meter that will not only tell you if the signal is clipping as it enters the software naked, but you're also looking for some headroom for adding EQ and signal processing while avoiding clipping.

I've heard there are three or four ways to activate recording in Cubase SX. What are they?

First of all, you must tell Cubase SX which tracks you wish to record on by enabling tracks for recording. Tracks can be enabled by clicking on the Red Record Enable button on the Track List, Track Inspector or Track Fader. You can record multiple tracks at once. Also, if you wish to monitor the signal from the track at the master outputs of Cubase SX, you need to click on the Monitor button (the button with an icon that looks like a speaker, which you'll find next to the Record Enable buttons).

Once you've enabled the desired tracks for recording, you can activate the recording in a variety of ways. Manual activation simply requires setting the Left and Right Locators for the range you wish to record and pressing Record. As soon as you press the Record button, you're recording.

If you press Play and allow Cubase SX to play your tracks and then press the Record button, you're essentially punching into recording mode at that moment. Recording will end when you reach the Right Locator or when you press Stop. If you have the Start Record at Left Locator button depressed, and you press Record while the transport is stopped, Cubase SX will play your song and automatically punch in at the Left Locator.

Likewise if you have the Stop Record at Right Locator button depressed, Cubase SX will stop recording when it reaches the Right Locator. Using these buttons in concert, you can activate recording for automatic punch ins and punch outs.

If you're synchronizing Cubase SX to an external time source and you hit the Record button, recording will only begin when the program receives the time code and the automatic punch in and punch out features will still function if you've set your Left and Right Locators to the desired position.

Likewise, if you hit Play after you've hit Record when you're synchronized to an external clock source, Cubase SX will play along with the clock source until it reaches the Left Locator and punches into Record mode. Again, for these automatic recording functions to work, you must have the Punch In and Punch Out buttons activated on the Transport Window.

What do Postroll and Preroll mean in Cubase SX, and how do I set it up?

Postroll and Preroll allow you to tell Cubase SX to play back the segment of audio selected with the Left and Right Locators with a few seconds added to the beginning or end of the selection. This is useful for punching in during recording.

Let's say you need to record an electric guitar solo. If you set the Left and Right Locators to the exact length of the solo, you'll need to hear a bit of the song before the solo comes in so you'll be in tempo, etc. By highlighting the Postroll and Preroll settings in the Transport Window, you can enter the amount of time you need to hear the song prior to the Left and Right Locators.

Enable the Preroll and Postroll functions and make sure you've got your Punch In and Punch Out buttons depressed as well (the Punch In button looks like a 45 degree line that intersects with a horizontal line, and the Punch Out button is the opposite).

When you press Record, the song will begin playing before the range you've selected with the Left and Right Locators, punch into record mode at the Left Locator, punch out at the Right Locator and continue playing until it reaches the amount of time you've specified for Postroll.

Perhaps an easier way around this is to just position the Left and Right Locators to the size of the segment of the guitar solo with the pre and post roll added on if you don't mind using a separate track. Hey, this is digital audio here; we're not worried about track counts anymore! Using this method, you'll simply need to trim any noise off the beginning and end of the segment.

How much difference is there between recording at 16 bit and 24 bit?

There are two major issues when it comes to bit depth. The first is based on the capability of your sound card or audio interface. If your sound card delivers 20 bit resolution at the A/D converters, you could record at 24 bit to get the full quality your hardware has to offer. However, if your hardware's D/A converters only deliver 16-bit resolution, there is no need to record at the higher bit depth because no increase in quality will occur, and the file size of 24 bit files over 16 bit files is considerable.

There is one instance where recording at 32 bit Float can capture higher quality sound, and it's based on the fact that Cubase SX processes audio internally on a 32-bit Float. If you're recording effects in Cubase SX, the effects will mathematically print with glorious 32 bit color as well as your incoming signal. The incoming signal will not get any better, but the quality of the effects does increase.

Nevertheless, using higher bit depths will create much bigger audio files. This puts more strain on the disk(s), and if you're operating a one-disk setup, you might consider going the 16-bit route until you can add a dedicated audio drive. The bit depth setting is found in the Project Setup menu in the Project menu.

It should also be noted that recording at higher bit depths requires dithering when you knock the final mix back down to 16 bit. CD players only understand 16 bit files, and artificial noise (dithering) has to be added to cancel the noise that occurs when knocking files down to lower bit depths.

When should I use stacked audio takes in Cubase SX?

Stacked segments of audio are a collection of cycled clips from different takes at the same pass, which can be easily and quickly edited in the session window to create great comps.

First, you'll need to tell Cubase SX that you'd like to create stacked files when you use the cycle record mode. (Note: For MIDI users, you'll need to keep track of this setting when you create MIDI parts in cycle record mode. For the present, we're addressing audio.) Select Stacked from the pop-up menu at the far left of the Transport Window. By selecting Stacked for your cycle record style, Cubase SX will create separate segments of audio for each pass or take you record during the cycle and stack them in "lanes" in your audio track.

After you've made a few passes and stopped the recording, you'll see a series of red horizontal lines in the track where the wave image should be. Zoom the track, and you'll find the red lines are actually separate wave images of each take. This is where it gets cool.

Let's say you created a vocal pass for the vocals in the verse. You now have the option of singling out each word or phrase in the verse using the left and right locators. You can even use the Cut Loop command in the Edit menu to cut all of the segments at once so you can move them around like a jigsaw puzzle while creating your vocal comp.

You must use the Mute tool (change the pointer to the mute tool by selecting the "X" icon on the tool bar) and work from the bottom of the stack. Cubase gives playback priority to the file at the bottom of the stack, so as you audition each phrase, you mute the tracks from the bottom up. In this way you can quickly combine phrases (or even single words) from any number of stacked takes for a great vocal comp.

If you're planning to use pitch correction, you'll probably want to engage the plugin while you're creating your comp as some phrases take to pitch correction better than others. After you've decided which takes you'd like to keep, line them up so they take up only one lane. Close the lane display by clicking on the Lanes icon in the track's title control bar in the Session window.

If you don't see the Lane icon, it's probably hidden; you can reveal it by selecting Lane Display Type in the Track Control Settings dialog box, which is launched by selecting Track Control Settings via the pop-up menu at the top of the track window.

Once the dialog box is open, add Lane Display to the right column, and you'll see the Lane icon appear on the track title window. When it's switched off, the audio that is at the bottom of the stacked file appears on top of the rest; when it's on, the files are stacked on top of one another in horizontal lanes.

Are special microphone preamps really necessary?

Microphone preamps are famous for adding a warm or pleasing character to sound at the inputs of vintage recording consoles. However, this is a loaded statement, and much of what has become written in stone about recording gear was written by people from an earlier generation who trained themselves to "hear" on various combinations of components found in high-end recording studios.

Yamaha NS-10 monitors became the reference speakers of all time in the 1970s because almost every studio had a pair (and still do to this day); engineers and producers were quite familiar with the character of these speakers. Therefore, a great many engineers and producers cannot feel comfortable or confident about what they're hearing unless they're able to check the output on the trusty NS-10s.

Today, some feel printing signal with the least amount of coloring is best. Many preamps in today's mixers are marketed for their transparent sound. The round character of tube mic preamps does remove harsh attributes from input signals in varying degrees. Neve mic preamps, which have been cannibalized from the vintage Neve consoles and sold separately as fairly expensive rack pieces, tend to shave sharp edges off vocals and guitars almost intuitively, while being almost too muddy for direct bass signals.

Microphone preamps are big business, and the best way to find out which preamp will suit you best is to try them out. For good results with little money, check out the RNP (Really Nice Preamp), which comes from the same folks who make the popular RNC (Really Nice Compressor).

Focusrite preamps are considered best by many and often include other dynamics processing features. They are somewhat expensive, however. Studio Projects makes good preamps for low prices. Units from Behringer and M-Audio are growing in popularity.

Microphone preamps take a lot of guess work out of printing good signals, and they're almost invaluable if you get the right combination of mic and mic preamp working together. Trust your ears.

Do I need an external mixing board for digital recording?

Many folks have external mixing boards because they need to route various audio sources to and from the computer. One great thing about using an external mixer is you don't have to monitor signals you're sending to the computer back through the software. You're able to hear the part you're playing mixed with the printed tracks from the computer in the mixer--instead of having to wait for the part you're playing to pass through the software.

This is perhaps the most important technique you can use to eliminate timing (or latency) issues when recording digital audio. Monitoring live tracks back through the software is the number one cause of latency problems.

For the same reason, it's best to monitor dry guitar in the mixer as you're tracking if you're going to use amp modeling plugins for the guitar's final amplified sound. Waiting for the signal from the guitar to pass through the plugin and back through the computer's outputs opens the door to timing nightmares. If you have an external Pod or Vamp guitar unit, you can split the signal and monitor the Marshall stack sound from your Pod or Vamp while sending a completely dry signal to the computer for later processing with plugins like Guitar Rig.

In addition, external mixers allow you to hang several microphones near your workstation and just pop up the fader to whichever one you like when inspiration strikes. If you're using a guitar amp modeling unit, you can route its stereo outputs to inputs on the mixer and send that to the computer as you wish.

You can also route the audio output from your MIDI devices through the mixing console. It's easy to patch many sound modules and samplers back to the DAW. If you want the ability to send any combination of microphones, processing units and more to the computer's inputs with the push of a button, an external mixer is the way to go.

Many high-end mixers interface with DAWs for complete flying fader automation, which allows you to mix your music with your fingers instead of using the mouse. Automation can be applied to these fader adjustments by the DAW software, and many feel this approach offers them a more intimate connection with the mix.

Behringer makes a series of extremely low-cost external mixers that work great for routing multiple sources to and from the DAW, but you must make sure you get one that features an Alt 3-4 bus in addition to the regular stereo master outputs. You'll use the Alt 3-4 bus to send your signals to the DAW by simply depressing the Alt 3-4 button on the channel strip of the desired source.

In summary, having your setup ready to rock at the drop of a hat is the ultimate goal. When inspiration strikes, it's better to strike while the iron is hot--as opposed to looking for cables and reading manuals about patching procedures while your ideas fly out the window.

How do I set up busses in Cubase SX?

Input and output busses route the audio signal to and from the Cubase SX program. Input busses allow you to hear the signal entering the program via your sound hardware at various places along the signal path while it remains in the program, while output busses allow you to direct signal back from the software to the outputs of your audio hardware.

The action of playing back audio is always done using one or a series of output busses. Bus setups are saved as project files. If you find you like a certain bus structure over another, you might wish to copy this setup to a template project. Your bus setup depends largely on what type of sound hardware you have and the types of projects you wish to complete.

If you're a singer/songwriter and you're not out to create mixes in surround sound, a basic stereo I/0 card will do, and your bus setup is fairly simple. Since stereo inputs can carry mono inputs as well, you'll just need to name the inputs and outputs in Cubase SX. Using the Device Setup Dialog in the Devices Menu, select VST Outputs and name the stereo outputs of your card anything you wish if you don't like the default name.

Additionally, you can choose to hide other ports that might get in the way by clicking on the Visible Column until the item shows NO. Repeat the same procedure for the VST Inputs and close the dialog box. Open the VST Connections Window in the Device Menu. Here you'll find setting for all bus assignments in the current project. Input and Output busses are on the first tab, while Group FX allows you to create Cubase tracks for FX sums and External FX is for creating an effects loop for external effects hardware.

The Studio tab is for the Audition bus, which we won't worry about here. You'll probably only need to deal with the Input and Output busses for now, and chances are everything will already appear as it should when you open this window. If you need to add an input or output bus, click on Add Bus and simply fill in the dialog box.

If you're running a 10 I/O card, you'll need to create your bus configuration here. Mono tracks can always be split off of stereo sends, but some like seeing four mono ins and outs as opposed to two stereo pairs of ins and outs. It's completely up to you.

If you'd like to see the Input and Output settings on the Cubase Mixer at all times, click the show Input and Output settings icon in the left hand corner of the mixer (it looks like three horizontal lines standing next to each other, each line cut in three segments, which represent various mixer views). Click on the top row of lines in the icon to reveal the bus assignments at the top of the mixer. You can change each channel's input and output assignment via the drop-down menu on top of the mixer or in the Track Inspector window.