Cubase Tips - Tooled-Up

Do you know Cubase's editing tools inside and out? If not, read on
for some handy tips that'll make your life easier..
To resize an item, select a pre-existing item with the Pointer, change to the Pencil, click on the selected item
and drag it to the new size. In the Key and List editors it's possible to re-size more than one event at a time.
Using the Pointer again, select the notes to be edited, switch to the Pencil, click on to one of the selected
events and drag it to the new size. All the other items selected are stretched or shortened by the same
amount. Holding down the Control key while doing this will force all selected parts to the same size.
Back in the Arrange window, there are some more handy little shortcuts to be had from the Pencil. You can
'drag out' copies of a part by holding down Alt, clicking on the part to be copied and dragging - the part will
be copied repeatedly to fill the selection. Doing the same thing with the Control key held down will drag out
ghost copies of a part.
3. The Eraser. This does exactly what it says on the tin. Use it to delete items by clicking on them or moving
across them while holding down the mouse button. But you didn't really need me to tell you that, now did
you?
4. The Magnifying Glass. This is really more of an audition tool than anything else. In the Arrange window,
clicking a part with the Magnifying Glass changes the part's appearance to represent the events it contains
Moving the mouse while keeping the button pressed then plays any events that the Magnifying Glass
passes over. In the Edit windows, the Magnifying Glass simply plays the event it is clicked on.
Arrange window tools
5. The Q Match tool. This Arrange window tool is exceptionally useful, especially when dealing with drum
and other rhythmic parts. Using this tool always involves two parts: a reference and a target. You simply
select the Q Match tool, then drag the reference part and drop it on top of the target. The idea behind what
this does is simple: to match the feel of the target part with that of the reference part.
Let's say we had a two-bar unquantised hi-hat part. Now let's say that we had programmed a kick and snare
pattern that had a slightly different feel. Now, the aim here is to match the feel (i.e. the bar positions of the
events) of the kick and snare with that of the hi-hat part. In the arrange window, drag the hi-hat part onto the
kick and snare part. A dialog box will pop up to ask if you want to include the accents (the velocities of the
hi-hat part) - the options are self-explanatory. That done, and all being well, the result should be as tight as a
gnat's chuff. So to speak.
There is a little more to it than this, as the quantisation setting does come into play, but we shall cover that
when we take a look at all of the quantisation methods in a future instalment.

6. The Mute tool. Use this tool to mute individual parts within an arrangement. That's it - there's nothing
more to be said about it. Move along, now.
7. The Scissors. This tool is used for cutting a part into segments. In normal use, the Scissors simply create
a split in a part at the point at which the Scissors are used. However, holding down the Alt key before
clicking on a part creates splits along the full duration of a part. Each new cut has the same length as that of
the first cut.
8. The Glue. The opposite of the Scissors tool. Clicking on a part with the Glue tool merges it with the
following part on the same track, creating a single, longer part. The two parts in question do not have to be
next to each other, as any space in between them is included in the new part. Holding down Alt when using
the Glue tool will merge all parts from the selected part to the last part in the arrangement.
Editor tools
9. The Crosshair (a.k.a. the Compass).
This is probably the most versatile tool in Cubase's armoury. Its function not only varies with which window
you are using, but also with what area of the window you are using it in. Let's start by looking at its function
in the Key editor as this is where it is most useful, and has the most modifications.
As an example, consider an E major chord as voiced on a guitar. Using the crosshair to click and drag a line
that slopes from top left to bottom right adjusts the lengths of all the notes to follow this line. Doing a similar
thing with the Alt key held down adjusts the start points while still keeping the note ends in their original
positions. Hopefully, it will be clear at this point why I used a guitar-voiced chord - the crosshair is perfect for
creating a strummed effect.
Holding down the Control key when using the crosshair allows you to move either the start or end points of
an event or group of events. Using the tool on the left half of a note moves the start point without affecting
the end point; using the tool on the right half alters the end point without affecting the start.
The crosshair can also be used to edit data in the controller portion of the Edit window. Its operation here
varies depending upon what type of controller information you are editing, but the following general rules
apply: using the tool with no extra keys held down simply alters any existing data to follow the line drawn, for
example ramping velocities.
However, in the case of a MIDI continuous controller message, such as volume, there is not necessarily any
volume data to edit (the volume stays at whatever level its last message told it to be - it doesn't have a
continuous stream of 'volume=112' messages). To get around this, simply hold down the Alt key while
drawing the desired fade (or filter sweep or whatever). Now Cubase will create a series of controller
messages to match the desired line, their spacing being determined by the Editors' 'snap' setting.
10. The Brush. This tool is used for creating large numbers of events quickly and easily. In the Key and
Drum Edit windows, clicking and dragging the Brush on the screen creates a line of notes whose length is
defined by the current quantise value, and separation by the current snap value. Combinations of the shift
and control keys create different note velocities, in the same way as they do with the Pencil tool.
You will notice that notes are only drawn in a horizontal line from the point of your initial click. Holding down
Alt enables you to 'paint' events anywhere you want. In the List editor the Brush performs the same
operation, but can be used to create any type of MIDI message, with the message type being defined by the
'ins.' setting at the top of the List Edit window. We shall cover this in more detail when we take a closer look
at the Editors.
11. The Kickers. These two tools are used for nudging events earlier (to the left) or later (to the right) in a
part. The amount an event is nudged by is defined by the editor's snap value.
12. The Drumstick. This tool, exclusive to the Drum editor, is used, rather unsurprisingly, to create events on
the drum grid. Using the shift and control keys while entering notes adjusts the note's velocity (the velocity
values that are created are defined for each individual instrument in the drum editor). Notes in the Drum
editor only appear as individual hits with no note length. The notes entered with the drumstick do indeed
have a length value attached to them, but normally this isn't important, as most synths' drum kit patches are

set simply to trigger on an incoming note on message and ignore the note length. If, however, you need to
enter longer notes, then these longer lengths can also be set on a
per-instrument basis.

Adam Crute The Mix 05/00

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