The documentation applies to the operating systems Windows and macOS.

In our documentation, we use typographical and markup elements to structure information.

Many of the default key commands, also known as keyboard shortcuts, use modifier keys, some of which are different depending on the operating system.

The Studio Setup dialog allows you to set up your connected audio, MIDI, and remote control devices.

You must set up your audio equipment before you can use it in Cubase.

You must set up your MIDI equipment before you can use it in Cubase.

When using Cubase with external tape transports, you most likely must add a synchronizer to your system.

The Audio Connections window allows you to set up input and output busses.

Before you set up busses, you should rename the default inputs and outputs of your audio hardware. This allows transferring projects between different computers and setups.

You must add input and output busses to establish the connection between your audio hardware and Cubase.

For input and output bus configurations, you can use different kinds of presets.

The default output bus (Main Mix) is used for monitoring. You can adjust the monitoring level in the MixConsole.

After you have set up all the required busses for a project you can edit the names and change port assignments. The bus configuration is saved with the project.

You can show/hide the zones in the Project window according to your needs.

The project zone is the heart of the Project window and cannot be hidden.

The left zone of the Project window allows you to display the Inspector.

The lower zone of the Project window allows you to display specific windows and editors in an integrated and fixed zone of the Project window. This is useful if you work on single screen systems and notebooks, for example.

The right zone of the Project window allows you to display the VSTi rack and the Media rack.

The different zones in the Project window can be controlled by using key commands. To make sure that a key command has effect on a specific zone, you must make sure that this zone has the keyboard focus.

You can zoom in the Project window according to the standard zoom techniques.

The Snap function helps you to find exact positions when editing in the Project window. It does this by restricting horizontal movement and positioning to certain positions. Operations affected by Snap include moving, copying, drawing, sizing, splitting, range selection, etc.

The cross-hair cursor is displayed when working in the Project window and in the editors, facilitating navigation and editing, especially when arranging large projects.

The Edit History dialog contains a list of all your edits. This allows you to undo all actions in the Project window as well as in the editors.

You can colorize events and tracks in Cubase. This allows for an easier overview in the Project window.

You can create empty projects or projects that are based on a template.

Hub keeps you up to date with the latest information and assists you with organizing your projects.

The Project Assistant dialog assists you with organizing your projects.

A project file (extension *.cpr) is the central document in Cubase. A project file contains references to media data that can be saved in the project folder.

Templates can be a good starting point for new projects. Templates are projects where you can save all settings that you regularly use, such as bus configurations, sample rates, record formats, basic track layouts, VSTi setups, drum map setups, etc.

The Project Setup dialog allows you to make general settings for your project.

You can open one or several saved project files at the same time.

You can save the active project as a project file. To keep your projects as manageable as possible, make sure that you save project files and all related files in the respective project folders.

You can return to the last saved version and discard all changes that have been introduced.

You can specify a project location for saving projects in the Hub and in the Project Assistant.

If you want to share your work or transfer it to another computer, your project must be self-contained.

The Track Inspector Settings dialog allows you to configure for each track type which Inspector sections are shown. You can also specify the order of the sections.

The Track Controls Settings dialog allows you to configure which track controls are shown in the track list. You can also specify the order of controls and group controls so that they are always shown adjacent to each other.

The Add Track dialog allows you to set up and add tracks.

You can use audio tracks for recording and playing back audio events and audio parts. Each audio track has a corresponding audio channel in the MixConsole. An audio track can have any number of automation tracks for automating channel parameters, effect settings, etc.

You can use instrument tracks for dedicated VST instruments. Each instrument track has a corresponding instrument channel in the MixConsole. An instrument track can have any number of automation tracks.

You can use MIDI tracks for recording and playing back MIDI parts. Each MIDI track has a corresponding MIDI channel in the MixConsole. A MIDI track can have any number of automation tracks.

You can use group channel tracks to create a submix of several audio channels and apply the same effects to them. A group channel track contains no events as such, but displays settings and automation for the corresponding group channel.

You can use FX channel tracks for adding send effects. Each FX channel can contain up to eight effect processors. By routing sends from an audio channel to an FX channel, you send audio from the audio channel to the effects on the FX channel. You can place FX channel tracks in a special FX channel folder, or in the track list, outside an FX channel folder. Each FX channel has a corresponding channel in the MixConsole. An FX channel track can have any number of automation tracks.

You can use ruler tracks to show several rulers with different display formats for the timeline. This is completely independent from the main ruler, as well as rulers and position displays in other windows.

Folder tracks function as containers for other tracks, making it easier to organize and manage the track structure. They also allow you to edit several tracks at the same time.

Some track types can only be added once.

You can add tracks via the Add Track dialog.

You can add tracks based on track presets. Track presets contain sound and channel settings.

You can add tracks by dragging files from the MediaBay.

You can export MIDI tracks as standard MIDI files. This allows you to transfer MIDI material to virtually any MIDI application on any platform.

You can remove selected tracks from the track list.

You can remove empty tracks from the track list.

You can move tracks up or down in the track list.

You can rename tracks.

You can automatically assign colors to newly added tracks or channels.

You can add pictures to tracks to recognize your tracks easily. Track pictures are available for audio, instrument, MIDI, FX channel and group channel tracks.

You can enlarge the track height to show the events on the track in detail, or you can decrease the height of several tracks to get a better overview of your project.

You can select one or multiple tracks in the track list.

You can deselect tracks that are selected in the track list.

You can duplicate a track with all contents and channel settings.

You can organize your tracks in folders by moving tracks into folder tracks. This allows you to perform editing on several tracks as one entity. Folder tracks can contain any type of track including other folder tracks.

The basic rule for audio tracks is that each track can only play back a single audio event at a time. If two or more events overlap, only the one that is in front is played back. You can, however, select the event/region that you want to play back.

Closed folder tracks can display data of the contained audio, MIDI, and instrument tracks as data blocks or as events.

You can modify the event display on folder tracks.

Track presets are templates that can be applied to newly created or existing tracks of the same type.

In Cubase, most event types can be viewed and edited on their specific tracks in the Project window.

Parts are containers for MIDI or audio events, and for tracks.

This section describes techniques for editing in the Project window. If not explicitly stated, all descriptions apply to both events and parts, even though we use the term event for convenience.

You can edit selection ranges, that is, adjust their size, move or duplicate them, split them, etc.

The Transport panel contains the main transport functions as well as many other options related to playback and recording.

The Transport menu contains several transport functions as well as many other options related to playback and recording.

The Transport Bar contains all transport functions in an integrated and fixed zone of the Project window.

The Transport pop-up window allows you to access specific transport commands if the Transport panel, the Transport Bar, and theTransport Controls in the Project window toolbar are closed or hidden.

The Time Display window allows you to view the current time position in a separate window. You can adjust its size and specify the time format that you want to display.

The left and right locators are a pair of markers that you can use as reference positions in the Project window and in the editors.

You can set the project cursor to the position where you click, or to markers or other predefined positions.

Auto-Scroll allows you to keep the project cursor visible in the window during playback.

You can set up different time formats.

You can activate pre-roll and post-roll with the corresponding buttons in the Pre-roll & Post-roll section on the Transport panel or by selecting Transport > Pre-roll & Post-roll > Use Pre-roll/Use Post-roll.

The punch in and the punch out points are a pair of markers that you can use for punch in and punch out of recordings. The punch in position determines the record start position and the punch out position determines the record stop position.

You can use the metronome click as a timing reference for playing along and recording. The two parameters that govern the timing of the metronome are project tempo and the time signature that you can set up on the Transport panel.

Chase is a function that makes sure your MIDI instruments sound as they should when you locate to a new position and start playback. This is accomplished by the program transmitting a number of MIDI messages to your instruments each time that you move to a new position in the project, making sure all MIDI devices are set up correctly with regard to program change, controller messages (such as MIDI volume), etc.

You can use the On-Screen Keyboard to record MIDI in Cubase.

The On-Screen Keyboard offers different display modes as well as other options.

The basic recording methods apply to audio and MIDI recordings.

In Cubase, monitoring means listening to the input signal while preparing to record or while recording.

Specific preparations and settings are required for audio recording.

Specific preparations and settings are required for MIDI recordings.

The Max. Record Time display lets you see how much time you have left for recording.

The Lock Record function prevents you from accidentally deactivating record mode.

You can import compressed and uncompressed audio files in a variety of different formats. You can also import audio from audio CDs or extract the audio of video files.

Cubase can import standard MIDI files. This allows you to transfer MIDI material to and from virtually any MIDI application on any platform.

The quantize functions are available in the Edit menu and in the Snap and Quantize sections of the Project window toolbar.

You can quantize the MIDI event start positions.

You can quantize the MIDI event lengths.

You can quantize the MIDI event end positions.

You can quantize the audio event start positions.

The Quantize Panel allows you to define how to quantize audio or MIDI to the grid or to a groove. Depending on what method you choose, different parameters are shown.

You can create event-based fade ins and fade outs. These are calculated in real time when you play back audio events. You can create different fade curves for several events, even if they refer to the same audio clip.

You can create and edit clip-based fade ins and fade outs using Direct Offline Processing. These fades are applied to the audio clip. Events that refer to the same clip get the same fades.

Crossfades allow you to create smooth transitions for consecutive audio events on the same track. Crossfades are always event-based.

Cubase features an Auto Fade function that can be set both globally and separately for each audio track. Auto fades allow you to create smoother transitions between events by applying fade ins and fade outs with a length between 1 and 500 ms.

Position markers allow you to save a specific position.

By creating cycle markers you can save any number of left and right locator positions as start and end positions of a range and recall them by double-clicking on the corresponding marker.

In the Markers window, you can view and edit markers. The markers on the marker track are displayed in the marker list in the order in which they occur in the project.

A marker track is used for adding and editing markers.

Markers and marker tracks can be imported and exported.

You can show a MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window. This is useful if you want to access the most important MixConsole functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window. The MixConsole in the lower zone of the Project window is a separate MixConsole that does not follow any visibility changes you perform in the MixConsole window.

You can open the MixConsole in a separate window.

You can apply effects to audio channels by using insert effects or send effects.

Insert effects can be inserted in the signal chain of an audio channel. This way, the whole channel signal passes through the effect.

The VST effect selector allows you to select VST effects of the active collection.

Send effects are outside the signal path of an audio channel. The audio data that is to be processed must be sent to the effect.

The effect control panel allows you to set up the parameters of the selected effect. The contents, design, and layout of the control panel depend on the selected effect.

Effect presets store the parameter settings of an effect. The included effects come with a number of presets that you can load, adjust, and save.

The System Component Information window lists all available audio-codec plug-ins, program plug-ins, project import-export plug-ins, and the virtual file system plug-ins.

You can perform offline processing operations in the Direct Offline Processing window. The window always shows the processing of the selected audio.

The Direct Offline Processing window allows you to add, modify, or delete audio processing instantly for one or multiple events, clips, or selection ranges in one window. Furthermore, you can undo any audio processing.

Cubase provides several built-in audio processes that can be used for Direct Offline Processing.

You can apply offline processing by using key commands.

The Standard algorithm is optimized for CPU-efficient realtime processing.

Applying time stretching to audio material can lead to a degradation in audio quality and to audible artifacts. The result depends on the source material, the particular stretch operations applied, and the selected audio algorithm preset.

The Detect Silence dialog allows you to search for silent sections in events. You can split events and remove the silent parts from the project, or create regions corresponding to the non-silent sections.

The Spectrum Analyzer window displays the audio spectrum of an event, clip, or selection range as a two-dimensional graph, with frequency range on the x-axis and level distribution on the y-axis.

The Statistics function analyzes the selected audio events, clips, or selection ranges.

The toolbar contains tools for selecting, editing, and playing back audio.

The info line shows information about the audio clip, such as the audio format and the selection range.

The overview line displays the whole clip, and indicates which part of the clip is shown in the waveform display.

The Inspector shows controls and parameters that allow you to edit the audio event that is opened in the Sample Editor.

The ruler shows the timeline and display format of the project, the project tempo grid.

The waveform display shows the waveform image of the edited audio clip.

In the Sample Editor you can edit selection ranges. This is useful if you want to quickly edit a specific section in the audio waveform, or if you want to create a new event or clip.

Regions are sections within an audio clip that allow you to mark important sections in the audio. You can add and edit regions for the selected audio clip in the regions zone.

The snap point is a marker within an audio event that can be used as a reference position.

When you add an audio file to your project by recording or by importing, Cubase automatically detects hitpoints.

You can navigate through the hitpoints of an audio event in the Project window.

You can create slices from hitpoints, where each slice ideally represents an individual sound or beat of the audio.

You can use hitpoints to create a groove quantize map.

You can create markers at hitpoint positions. This allows you to snap to hitpoint positions.

You can create regions at hitpoint positions. This allows you to isolate recorded sounds.

You can create events at hitpoint positions.

You can create MIDI notes from hitpoints. This allows you to double, replace, or enrich drum hits by triggering sounds of a VST instrument.

You can select an algorithm preset that is applied for realtime playback and time stretching.

You can stretch audio loops to the project tempo.

The Musical Mode allows you to tempo-match audio loops to the project tempo.

The toolbar contains tools for selecting, editing, and playing back audio parts.

The info line shows information about the audio part, such as the start, end, length, or the time stretch algorithm.

The ruler shows the timeline and the display format of the project.

Lanes can make it easier to work with several audio events in a part. Moving some of the events to another lane can make selecting and editing much easier.

All operations can be performed in the Audio Part Editor window and in the lower zone editor.

The Pool window allows you to manage the media files of the active project.

The Media rack in the right zone of the Project window allows you to access the MediaBay functions from within a fixed zone of the Project window.

Cubase saves all media file information that is used in the MediaBay, such as paths and attributes, in a local database file on your computer. However, in some cases, it might be necessary to browse and manage this kind of metadata on an external volume.

If the settings in your current project are crucial, you may not want to experiment with automation until you know more about how it all fits together. If so, you can create a new project for the following example. The project does not have to contain any audio events, just a few audio tracks.

Within a Cubase project, the changes in a parameter value over time are reflected as curves on automation tracks.

When you open an automation track for the first time, it does not contain any automation events. This is reflected in the event display as a dotted horizontal line, the static value line. This line represents the current parameter setting.

You can automation-enable tracks and MixConsole channels by activating their automation write W and read R buttons.

You can create automation curves manually or automatically.

Automation events can be edited much like other events.

Most of the tracks in your project have automation tracks, one for each automated parameter.

The VST instrument control panel allows you to set up the parameters of the selected instrument. The contents, design, and layout of the control panel depend on the selected instrument.

The VST instrument selector allows you to select VST instruments of the active collection.

You can create instrument tracks that hold dedicated VST instruments.

The VST Instruments in the right zone of the Project window allow you to add VST instruments for MIDI and instrument tracks.

The VST Instruments window allows you to add VST instruments for MIDI and instrument tracks.

The VST Instruments window toolbar contains controls that allow you to add and set up VST instruments and VST Quick Controls.

The VST instrument controls allow you to make settings for a loaded VST instrument.

You can load and save presets for instruments. These contain all the settings that are required for the sound that you want.

After you have added a VST instrument and selected a sound, you can play back the VST instrument using the instrument or MIDI track in your project.

The term latency stands for the time it takes for the instrument to produce a sound when you press a key on your MIDI controller. It can be an issue when using VST instruments in real time. Latency depends on your audio hardware and its ASIO driver.

VST Quick Controls allow you to remote-control a VST instrument from within the VST Instruments window.

The VST Plug-in Manager shows the VST effects and VST instruments that are installed on your computer.

You can add new collections of VST effects or VST instruments.

You can hide plug-ins from all collections. This is useful if you have plug-ins installed on your computer that you do not want to use in Cubase.

You can reactivate 64-bit plug-ins that are on the blocklist.

You can assign track, effect, and instrument parameters to Quick Controls.

You can use Quick Controls to control all automatable parameters. This allows you to control parameters on other tracks using Quick Controls.

Track Quick Controls become powerful if you use them together with a remote controller.

You can connect your remote device via USB or via MIDI.

To avoid that you accidentally record data from the remote unit when you record MIDI, you must remove the remote input from All MIDI Inputs.

You can write automation using remote devices.

You can assign any Cubase command to which a key command can be assigned to remote devices.

You can use a generic MIDI controller to remote-control almost any function in Cubase. After setting up the Generic Remote device, you can control the specified parameters from the MIDI remote device.

The MIDI track parameters are located in the topmost Inspector section for MIDI and instrument tracks.

MIDI modifiers allow you to modify MIDI events during playback.

You can edit the transposition and the velocity for selected MIDI parts on the info line. This only affects the notes in playback.

To select a patch, that is, a sound in your MIDI device you must send a program change message to that device.

The Patch Banks list can have two or more main banks, depending on the selected device.

The MIDI Device Manager allows you to install preset MIDI devices or define new ones.

The Transpose Setup dialog contains settings for transposing the selected events.

You can merge all MIDI events into a new part, apply MIDI modifiers, and generate a new part.

You can separate MIDI events in a part according to channels or pitches and dissolve the part to different tracks or lanes.

You can repeat the MIDI events inside an independent track loop to fill up a MIDI part. This is useful if you want to convert the events of an independent track loop to actual MIDI events.

You can extend MIDI notes so that they reach the next notes.

You can set the length of selected MIDI notes to the Length Quantize value.

You can set the velocity of selected MIDI notes to the Note Insert Velocity value.

You can render sustain pedal data to note lengths. This is useful if you recorded MIDI data with a MIDI keyboard and a sustain pedal, and you want to extend the actual MIDI notes for as long as you held the pedal, in order to edit the notes later.

You can delete overlaps of notes that have the same or different pitches. This is useful if your MIDI instruments cannot handle overlapping events.

You can manipulate the velocity of notes.

You can delete double notes of the same pitch on the exact same position from selected MIDI parts. Double notes can occur when recording in cycle mode, after quantizing, for example.

You can delete controller data from selected MIDI parts.

You can delete continuous controller data from selected MIDI parts.

You can restrict polyphonic voices in selected MIDI notes or parts. This is useful if you have an instrument with limited polyphony and want to make sure all notes are played.

You can thin out controller data in selected MIDI parts. Use this to ease the load on your external MIDI devices if you have recorded very dense controller curves.

You can convert continuous controllers of your recorded MIDI parts into MIDI track automation data, so that you can edit them in the Project window.

You can invert the order of the selected events or of all events in selected part rhythmically. This causes the MIDI to play backwards. However, this is different from reversing an audio recording. The individual MIDI notes still play as usual, but the playback order changes.

This function inverts the order of the selected events, or of all events in the selected parts, graphically. Technically, this function turns a Note On message into a Note Off message and vice versa, which can lead to rhythmic inaccuracies if the Note Off position of a note has not been quantized.

You can use the tools and functions within the MIDI editors to process MIDI parts in various ways.

The area at the bottom of the Key Editor and the Drum Editor is the controller display.

The Key Editor is the default MIDI editor. It displays notes graphically in a piano roll-style grid. The Key Editor allows for detailed editing of notes and non-note events, such as MIDI controllers.

This section describes the principal editing operations within the Key Editor.

The basic Score Editor shows MIDI notes as a musical score. This offers basic score editing and printing options.

This section describes the principal editing operations within the Score Editor.

The Drum Editor is the editor to use when you are editing drum or percussion parts.

This section describes the general editing operations within the Drum Editor.

A drum kit in a MIDI instrument is most often a set of different drum sounds with each sound placed on a separate key. For example, the different sounds are assigned to different MIDI note numbers. One key plays a bass drum sound, another a snare, and so on.

The chord track allows you to add chord events and scale events.

Chord events are representations of chords that control or transpose playback on MIDI and instrument tracks.

Scale events inform you which chord events fit in a specific sequence of notes that belong to a specific root note.

Voicings determine how chord events are set up. They define the vertical spacing and order of the pitches in a chord, but also the instrumentation and genre of a musical piece.

You can convert chord events to MIDI for further editing or for printing a lead sheet in the Score Editor.

You can use the chord track to control MIDI playback.

You can transpose MIDI notes to match the voices of a selected voicing library.

You can extract chords from MIDI notes, parts, or tracks. This is useful if you have a MIDI file and want to show its harmonic structure, and use this file as starting point for further experimenting.

You can use a MIDI keyboard to record chord events on the chord track.

The chord pads in the lower zone of the Project window hold all functions that you need to work with chord pads.

The Chord Assistant allows you to use a chord as a starting point for suggestions for the next chord. It assists you in finding the right chords for creating a chord progression for your song.

Some chords are preassigned to the chord pads. But you can also assign your own chords.

You can swap the chord assignments of 2 pads.

You can copy the chord assignment of one pad and paste it on another pad.

You can play back and record chords that are assigned to chord pads using MIDI or instrument tracks.

The Player Setup allows you to select a player and a voicing setting that is typical for that kind of player, and determine if the notes of a chord are played as plain chords or as a pattern.

The Chord Pads Setup dialog allows you to change the remote key assignments and the layout of the chord pads.

Chord Pads Presets are templates that can be applied to newly created or to existing chord pads.

You can use the chords assigned to the chord pads to create chord events in the Project window.

You can use the chords assigned to the chord pads to create MIDI parts in the Project window.

For every project you can set a tempo mode, depending on whether your music has a fixed tempo or if it changes throughout the project.

The Tempo Track Editor provides an overview of the project tempo settings. It allows you to add and edit tempo events.

If the tempo track is activated, you can set up tempo changes for your project.

If your music does not contain tempo changes, and the tempo track is deactivated, you can set up a fixed tempo for your project.

The Beat Calculator is a tool for calculating the tempo of freely recorded audio or MIDI material. It also allows you to set the tempo by tapping.

The Set Definition from Tempo dialog allows you to set up freely recorded audio material to follow a specific tempo.

You can set up one or more time signatures for a project.

The Export Audio Mixdown dialog allows you to set up how audio is mixed down and exported.

You can mix selected channels down to audio files.

The File Type pop-up menu in the File Format section allows you to select a format and make additional settings for the mixdown file.

Calling one device the master and another one the slave can lead to confusion. Therefore, the timecode relationship and the machine control relationship must be differentiated in this regard.

The position of any device is most often described using timecode. Timecode represents time using hours, minutes, seconds, and frames to provide a location for each device. Each frame represents a visual film or video frame.

The Project Synchronization Setup dialog provides a central place to configure a complex synchronized system. In addition to settings for timecode sources, basic transport controls are available for testing the system.

To be able to work with VST System Link, you must first set up the network, configure the audio hardware, and set up the digital audio connections.

You must activate VST System Link on all network computers to be able to work with VST System Link.

VST System Link allows you to split different tasks between 2 or more computers. The following application examples should give you an idea of what is possible.

When working on a project involving a video file, you must make sure that the video file type works on your Cubase system.

Cubase supports different video and film frame rates.

Cubase supports several video output devices.

Before you can start working with video in Cubase, some basic preparations must be made.

You can play back imported video files from within Cubase by using the transport controls.

Video events are created automatically when you import a video file.

You can extract the audio stream of a video file on import.

To use the available ReWire applications on your computer in your project, you must enable them in the ReWire Setup dialog.

When using ReWire, the order in which you launch and quit the two programs is very important.

ReWire supports streaming of up to 48 separate audio channels. The exact number of available ReWire channels depends on the synthesizer application. The ReWire device panels in Cubase, allow you to activate the channels that you want to use.

When you activate ReWire channels in the ReWire device panels, they will become available as channels in the MixConsole.

The Key Commands dialog allows you to view and edit key commands for the main menus and functions in Cubase.

You can add key commands in the Key Commands dialog.

You can search for Cubase functions in the Key Commands dialog. This is useful if you want to know which key command is assigned to a specific function.

You can save key commands settings as presets.

You can load key commands presets.

The default key commands are arranged in categories.

You can set up tool modifier keys that allow you to get an alternative function when using a tool.

You can customize the appearance of the following elements:

The Windows dialog allows you to manage open windows in Cubase.

The Safe Mode dialog contains troubleshooting options.

This window shows the audio processing load and the hard disk transfer rate. This allows you to verify that you do not run into performance problems when adding effects or plug-ins, for example.

The ASIO-Guard allows you to shift as much processing as possible from the ASIO real time path to the ASIO-Guard processing path. This results in a more stable system.

The Preferences dialog is divided into a navigation list and a settings page. Clicking one of the entries in the navigation list opens a settings page.

The Event Display section contains several settings for customizing the display in the Project window.

The General page contains general settings that affect the program user interface. Set these according to your preferred work methods.

This page contains settings that affect MIDI recording and playback.

This page contains settings related to audio and MIDI recording.

This page contains options related to playback, recording, and positioning.

This page contains options that allow you to adjust the default user interface colors.

This page contains settings for the VST audio engine.