• I'm using Cubase SX and files seem to be jumping over each other when I move them. In fact, the order of the files changes altogether, and I just want to move one file without any of that happening. What's wrong?
• I've got a track soloed in Cubase SX, and I want to solo another track. However, when I click on the track in the Track List, it solos the new track and I have to go back to the other track, etc. It seems crazy. Why is this?
• Is there a difference between using the Mute tool in the tool bar and the Mute button on tracks in Cubase SX?
• How do I open and close the Track Inspector in Cubase SX and what does it do?
• Can I use Folder tracks inside Folder tracks without crashing Cubase SX?
• What is the Divide Track List feature used for in Cubase SX?
• How do I move a bunch of tracks at once in Cubase SX? Will this change how they appear on the Mixer?
• Is there a faster way to add tracks to my project than using the Project Menu in Cubase SX?
• What is the Overview Line for on tracks in Cubase SX?
• Is there one control I can use to restore all tracks to the same size in the Project Window in Cubase SX?
• What's the fastest way to zoom in on tracks in Cubase SX?
• What are Folder tracks used for in Cubase SX?
• How do I create a custom User Panel in the Track Inspector in Cubase SX?
• When should I "freeze" audio tracks?
• When is it best to "normalize" an audio track?
• When should I use the Play Order Track in Cubase SX?

I'm using Cubase SX and files seem to be jumping over each other when I move them. In fact, the order of the files changes altogether, and I just want to move one file without any of that happening. What's wrong?

There is a rather infuriating preference setting in Cubase SX snap settings called "Shuffle," which has a strange way of changing the order of audio events as you move them on tracks. Annoying, isn't it? In any event, what's probably happened is that your Snap settings have been switched to Shuffle mode.

Find the Snap drop down menu at the top of the Project Window (the menu is directly adjacent to the Snap Enabling Button). This should be set to Grid for most operations. When the Shuffle Mode is activated, audio events on tracks literally switch places with others when you drag the events across the track. This mode might have some useful applications, but it is difficult to imagine ever using it extensively. Luckily, this is an easy fix.

I've got a track soloed in Cubase SX, and I want to solo another track. However, when I click on the track in the Track List, it solos the new track and I have to go back to the other track, etc. It seems crazy. Why is this?

Some find this feature useful, but it can seem pretty weird if you're not familiar with how it works. Cubase SX seems to ship with this setting enabled, but it is fairly simple to change. If you open the Editing page of the Preferences in the File menu, you'll find the switch for this function, called Enable Solo on Selected Track. If you deactivate this option, soloed tracks will remain soloed until you turn the solo button off.

It's easy to see how this mode could be useful, but having soloed track assignments travel with selections in the Track List can become downright bothersome because the program's behavior is not intuitive in this mode. If you're working on a mixing board in the real world and you solo a track, poking around with the other channel strips on the mixer doesn't cause those tracks to suddenly replace the track you've already selected for solo playback. Fortunately, this is easily deactivated, as explained previously.

Is there a difference between using the Mute tool in the tool bar and the Mute button on tracks in Cubase SX?

There is a big difference in that the Mute button on the track inspector and mixing consoles mutes the entire track instead of just one event. The Mute tool (engaged by changing the pointer to the Mute tool by depressing the button in the button bar with the icon that looks like a big "X") will mute individual audio and MIDI events in the Project Window. Muted events appear to be dimmed out with a gray color. No large "M" appears on the event. If you see a file that appears to be gray in relation to other files, this file has most likely been muted after this manner.

The tool really comes in handy when you create comp tracks using a track with Lanes. If you record tracks in Cycle Record mode (the selection is found in the cycle record settings at the left hand side of the Transport Window), you'll see each "take" of the pass at the loop appears on a separate level or "lane" in the track. This is where the Mute Tool is a necessity. You audition takes by clicking on them with the Mute Tool. You can edit each take until you've got a portion of each for a perfect comp track. You'll notice play back is favored to tracks on the lowest lane. Use the Mute Tool on the lanes for a few moments, and the function will become obvious.

How do I open and close the Track Inspector in Cubase SX and what does it do?

The Track Inspector is a series of control parameters for tracks, and it's found on the top left-hand portion of the project window. When you click on a track in the project window, you should see a panel on the left displaying Inserts, Sends, Equalizer Curve and other functions. If not, you need to open the Track Inspector by clicking on its icon, which is found in the top left hand corner of the project window. It should be the first button in a group of five at the top, and the icon on the button looks like a tall rectangle with an arrow on the right. The Track Inspector is an excellent command panel for changing effects and other assignments on your tracks.

As you highlight different tracks in the Track List by clicking on them, you'll see the name of the track changes to the selected track in the Track Inspector window. Audio tracks and MIDI tracks have different attributes in the Track Inspector. Effects sends, insert effects, volume, panning, a note pad for notes and a graphic EQ are offered for audio tracks, while inserts, sends, panning, channel info, a note pad and a user panel are offered for MIDI tracks.

Can I use Folder tracks inside Folder tracks without crashing Cubase SX?

Folder tracks are excellent for hiding tracks within the space of one track. Folder tracks work much like the folders in Windows and Mac OS systems that contain files. Folder tracks in Cubase SX can contain any type of track, including audio tracks, MIDI tracks, group tracks and even more Folder tracks. It's possible to have as many Folder tracks inside Folder tracks as you wish without crashing Cubase SX.

It is dirt simple to mute and solo all the tracks within your Folder track, simply by clicking the main Mute and Solo buttons for the Folder track. In this way, you can think of Folder tracks almost like Group tracks. Folder tracks don't have faders on the mixing consoles or inserts for effects on the Track Inspector, but they do offer everything else that Group tracks offer.

One advantage to using Folder tracks is increased visual clarity. For example, if you place all the lead vocals from your song into a Folder track, and then place all your drums and percussion into another and your guitar tracks into another, you can easily find any specific track, because it will be grouped with similar tracks. Using Folder tracks is a great way to keep your Project Window organized.

Folder tracks can become a bit of a problem if you decide to edit ranges of audio across an arrangement. This is because you must open all folders to make sure you're getting everything from the range you wish to copy or edit. You'll want to remember that when making any universal edits.

What is the Divide Track List feature used for in Cubase SX?

Dividing the Track List is mostly useful for referencing a video track across the top half of the list, while other types of tracks remain below the division. To see how this feature works, click on the rectangular icon at the top left hand corner of the Track List. You'll see the Track List split in two.

You can drag tracks to either side of the divide in this mode, but when you use the Add Track submenu, certain tracks will appear above the divide and others below. Video tracks, Ruler tracks and Marker tracks will automatically be added above the line while all other types of tracks will appear below the line. You can rejoin the tracks by clicking on the rectangular icon again.

Additionally, you can drag the border of the Track List into the Session Window to show all of the enable buttons while decreasing the height of the tracks. This methodology requires that you give up some real estate in the Session Window, but gain some in the Track List. By clicking on the diamond icon at the top right hand corner of the Track List, you can pick from a variety of track list views, all of which are tailored for mixing, tracking and more. You can also create your own views if you find you only use two or three enabling buttons on the Track List.

How do I move a bunch of tracks at once in Cubase SX? Will this change how they appear on the Mixer?

Part of working fast in Cubase SX is working clean. If you have a big mess in your session window, which is your primary lookout point for your song, you'll wind up spending too much time searching for specific tracks in the session window and mixers. The problem is caused when you leave unnecessary tracks in the arrangement because you're not sure if we're ready to get rid of them. Folder tracks are a great tool for stashing tracks you're not sure about without losing them. If you make sure you disable the tracks before you do this, you won't have to deal with them on the mixers.

Ideally you should clean as you go (it's an old maxim that's useful for more than just Denny's chefs), most people usually wind up having to it after the tracks have already piled up. Unfortunately, there is no command to disable multiple tracks, but after you've disabled unnecessary tracks (this is essential because the disk is still reading these tracks until they've been disabled--even if you muted them), you'll need to move a bunch of them to a Folder track to get them out of the way.

Control + click (Command + click for Mac) on all tracks you intend to move. Once all are highlighted, click on any one of them and drag them all at once into the Folder Track. Simple, yes? Delete unused tracks by highlighting them (make sure they're unused by zooming out so you can see the whole track!) and hitting the Delete key.

Tracks appear in the mixer from the left to right as they do in the session window from top to bottom, so you need to make sure your tracks are arranged in a logical way to simplify making adjustments in the mixer. For example, you could order your tracks something like this: drums, cymbals, percussion, bass, acoustic guitars, electric Guitars, keyboards and vocals. It makes no difference, as long as it makes logical sense to you. If you keep your tracks in order, you'll spend less time poking around in search of that third harmonized vocal you recorded yesterday.

Another excellent tip for track management concerns the naming of tracks. Sometimes it's hard to remember to name tracks before recording, and you'll wind up with a file name like Audio 41. You can change the name of the track easily, but you can also change the name of all files on that track while you're doing it if you hold down the control key when you hit return, after changing the name in the Track List. Even if you've managed to rename Track 43 to "Bass," you can still just reenter "Bass" in the field, hold down the control key and hit return to rename all of the files on that track as "Bass".

Is there a faster way to add tracks to my project than using the Project Menu in Cubase SX?

The standard way to add tracks in Cubase SX is to select Add Track from the Project Menu. From there, you're presented with dialog boxes for stereo/mono preferences and more. However, there are more ways to add tracks to your project. If you right click (Ctrl + Click for Mac) on the Track List, a pop-up menu will appear with options for adding Audio Tracks, FX Tracks, Folder Tracks, Group Channels, MIDI Tracks, Marker Tracks, Ruler Tracks and Video Tracks. It works pretty much the same as the Project Menu option, but it's closer to the Track List, and some find this easier.

Likewise, key commands can be programmed to add various types of tracks for instant action. In addition, you can also add a group of tracks in one step by selecting "Multiple..." from the pop-up menu when you right click in the Track List. You'll be presented with a field for Count, which is simply asking for the number of tracks you wish to add during the operation. The type of track (audio, MIDI, etc) will also have to be defined.

If you choose Audio tracks, you'll need to further define whether you want to have stereo files or mono files added. But with the Multiple command in the pop-up menu, you can save a decent amount of time when you want to add more than one track to your project.

What is the Overview Line for on tracks in Cubase SX?

The Track Overview Line is accessed by clicking on the Show Track Overview Line button on the tool bar. Once you've revealed this window, you'll see that it's a miniature representation of the Project Window. You should also notice a blue rectangle that appears to float on top of the Track Overview Line. This rectangle is used to zoom in and zoom out on various parts of the session by resizing the geometry of the rectangle with the mouse. Zoom in and zoom out horizontally by dragging the vertical lines in the rectangle to the left or right.

While this works okay, it's probably much faster to use the zooming feature of the song position cursor. If you click on the song position cursor and hold the mouse button down, you can quickly zoom in and out by dragging the mouse up and down across the screen. You'll notice the zoom is super fast and extremely accurate.

You can quickly scroll across the project using a similar method. Click and hold the mouse button on the song position cursor and drag the cursor left and right. By mastering this cursor zoom feature, you can zoom in on any part of your arrangement in a flash.

Is there one control I can use to restore all tracks to the same size in the Project Window in Cubase SX?

You can change the height of tracks in session window of Cubase SX by clicking on the track in the track list and dragging it to its desired size, usually to reveal or hide various enabling buttons on the track list. If you hold down the Control key, you can resize all tracks in the project at once using this same method. In other words, if you're holding down the Control key (Command key for Mac) while you resize one track, all other tracks in the project will snap to the size of the track your adjusting.

You can also change the width of the Track List by dragging the border of the Track List into the session window. This will allow you to see all of the enabling buttons on the Track List, but it will take away some real estate in the event window.

You can also resize all tracks in the session window via the Track Scale pop-up menu, which is found above the minus symbol on the horizontal zoom controller at the bottom left hand side of the session window. A pop-up window will appear, offering a host of zoom options as well as a command to snap all track heights.

What's the fastest way to zoom in on tracks in Cubase SX?

One of the best features in Cubase SX is its ability to zoom in on various elements in many different ways. The fastest overall method for zooming anywhere in the session window is to get the hang of using the song position cursor to zoom.

If you grab the cursor and drag it across the ruler, you'll find it scrolls quickly across the length of the arrangement. When you get to the area you wish to zoom, simply pull the cursor down toward the bottom of the window (making sure not to let go of the mouse button). You'll find the downward pull of the mouse quickly zooms to the highest zoom possible in the blink of an eye.

Likewise, zooming out via the same method is just as effective. When you use an upward motion with the mouse clicked on the song position cursor, the session window is zoomed out to the max almost instantly. By mastering this technique, you can quickly zoom in and out anywhere in your session with great accuracy.

There are zoom adjustments in the bottom right hand corner of the session window and editor windows, but these are little choppy at times and don't provide the instant results like the cursor zoom. Using the Zoom Tool (the magnifying glass in the toolbar) can also zoom in quickly on any part of your arrangement, and the preferences for these settings are found in the Zoom submenu of the Edit Menu.

What are Folder tracks used for in Cubase SX?

Folder tracks are used for a variety of reasons in Cubase SX. Usually, during the course of a creating a project file, a good many tracks will be created which eventually become unnecessary but not complete trash. For instance, you might have recorded cycle recordings for all parts of the verses, choruses, b-sections, middle 8 and tag sections, and you might have saved the second best takes of all these vocals for possible use for vocal doubles, etc. If you've decided you like the solo vocals just fine, these tracks become unnecessary--but not trash.

To keep the arrangement from looking clean while not destroying tracks, it's best to disable unnecessary tracks and hide them within a Folder track. Folder tracks take less space than one track in the session window, but they can hold any number of tracks. FX tracks, Audio tracks, MIDI tracks and even bear tracks (ha-ha) can be safely deposited in a Folder track and tucked out of sight until needed. Another useful application for Folder tracks is to use them to organize active file types in your arrangement.

How do I create a custom User Panel in the Track Inspector in Cubase SX?

User Panels are opened via Control + click (Command + click for Mac) on the Edit Channel Icon in the Track Inspector Window. You'll see a menu with device panels for all devices in the chain of the selected track. If you haven't created panels yet, there are setup panels available in the menu. Double-click on these setup panels to create User panels, which can control a host of settings for the audio track, including insert effects, EQ and more. You can also create User Panels for MIDI tracks, and they share much of the same functions. Some prefer working with these user panels as collapsed versions that can be copied to other assignments.

It should be noted that Cubase SX has suffered from some performance issues related to latency and MIDI problems since the SX facelift, but most of the problems have been fixed, and the latest version is highly recommend (Cubase SX version 3.1.1). Also, you should make sure your sound card and MIDI interface hardware have the latest available drivers installed. Those suffering from poor MIDI performance will especially appreciate version 3.1.1 and beyond as many claim their MIDI timing issues are a thing of the past since this update became available.

When should I "freeze" audio tracks?

Nuendo, Cubase SX, Logic and Sonar all offer track freezing to reduce plugin stress on CPUs. When you click on a track's Freeze button, the sequencer simply creates a mix of the track's audio with the current plugin settings and stores it as a temporary file on the disk as well as disabling the track's plugins. This enables the CPU to only have to worry about playing back the audio file--instead of crunching a ton of numbers to create the signal processing effects from the plugins.

Exporting the file does take time, and it's important to remember that the software will create a file that's as long as the song because it doesn't know how many files you might have on a track. This means trimming the length of the song's arrangement in the arrangement window will generate smaller files when the tracks are frozen, and these will take less time to freeze.

The volume and panning adjustments of frozen tracks can still be tweaked, but further editing isn't available until the track has been restored to its unfrozen state, which is accomplished simply by clicking on the freeze track button again.

When is it best to "normalize" an audio track?

Digital normalization is designed to locate the loudest part of a file and raise the rest of the file proportionately to just below a threshold where the hottest part of the file would clip or distort. Normalizing a digital audio file is almost always okay, but it is a destructive procedure (meaning the original file is destroyed and replaced by another file).

Some folks believe there is voodoo in wholesale normalization, but this is probably because any noise in the recording is also increased with everything else. But the signal-to-noise ratio does not change in mathematics, and normalizing a track should be imagined as boosting the level of a low-volume track to get it up into a decent relationship with other tracks in a mix.

Cubase SX and Nuendo allow the user to simply drag a handle in the center of the track's wave image in the arrange window to alter the file's base amplitude without destructive editing.

When should I use the Play Order Track in Cubase SX?

The Play Order Track provides a different way of arranging sections of your song (verse sections, intro sections, chorus sections, etc.), which you can easily edit. This is useful for getting a good flow in your arrangement, and when you've decide the Play Order Track is correct, you can "flatten" the list, which automatically creates an arrangement in that order.

Right click on the Track List and select Play Order Track to create a play order track. On the new track, you can create "sections" using the Pencil tool or the Left and Right Locators. If you have the Left and Right Locators set to the range of the section you'd like to create, double-click anywhere between the locators and a section will be created. The sections will be named "A," "B," "C" and so on at first, but you can change their names on the Info Line of the Project Window, or by Alt + double-click (Option for Mac) on the part; click on the part in the list and change the name there.

You'll need to open the Play Order Editor by clicking on the "e" in the Play Order Track. It's pretty awesome because the Editor contains two columns: available parts and the actual part list. You can drag parts from the available parts list into the Play Order List to create your arrangements. Drag the parts around in the Play Order List until you're satisfied. If you need to delete a part, right click on the part and select Remove Touched from the drop down menu.

You can also create new lists with the buttons in the Play Order List Editor. This is useful for comparing various arrangements. To play back the list, you must enable the Play Order function in the Play Order List Editor (it's the large orange button in the editor's tool bar). Hit the Play button in the editor's tool bar and your new arrangement will begin playing. You can jump around the arrangement by using the up and down arrow keys in the tool bar too.

When you've decided you like a specific arrangement, and you'd like to change the order of all selected events in the Project Window, you need to "flatten" the play order. Use the Flatten Play Order button in the editor (the large button at the top right hand side of the Play Order Editor) and the changes are automatically made. Also, the Play Order Track will be removed after the flattening process is complete.