Nuendo offers multiple methods and functions to control playback and transport.
You can set up different time formats.
The following list informs you about the most important improvements in Nuendo and provides links to the corresponding descriptions.
This is the Operation Manual for Steinberg’s Nuendo. Here you will find detailed information about all the features and functions in the application.
Operation Manual
To use Nuendo, you must set up your audio, and if required, your MIDI system.
To play back and record in Nuendo, you must set up input and output busses in the Audio Connections window. Here, you can also set up group and FX channels, external effects, external instruments, and the Control Room.
The Project window provides an overview of the project, and allows you to navigate and perform large scale editing.
In Nuendo, projects are the central documents. You must create and set up a project to work with the program.
Tracks are the building blocks of your project. They allow you to import, add, record, and edit parts and events. Tracks are listed from top to bottom in the track list and extend horizontally across the Project window. Channels can be shown for all audio-related and MIDI-related tracks.
Tracks are the building blocks of your project. In Nuendo, events and parts are placed on tracks.
Parts and events are the basic building blocks in Nuendo.
Editing is not restricted to handling whole events and parts. You can also work with selection ranges, which can be independent from event, part, and track boundaries.
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 the Transport 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 by clicking at a position, or you can predefine a position.
Auto-Scroll allows you to keep the project cursor visible in the window during playback.
On the Transport panel, you can select the primary time format. This is the global display format that is used for all rulers and position displays in the program, except for the ruler tracks.
You can show time displays that are independent from the global display format.
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.
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.
The On-Screen Keyboard allows you to play and record MIDI notes by using your computer keyboard or mouse. This is useful if you have no external MIDI instrument at hand and you do not want to draw in notes with the Draw tool.
In Nuendo, you can record audio and MIDI.
You can add audio and MIDI files to your project by importing them.
Quantizing means moving recorded audio or MIDI and positioning it on the nearest grid position that is musically relevant. Quantizing is designed to correct errors, but you can also use it in a creative way.
Fades allow you to gradually increase or decrease the volume at the start or at the end of audio events or audio clips, and to create smooth transitions.
The arranger functions in Nuendo allow you to work in a non-linear fashion. Using an arranger track allows you to determine how and when specific sections are played back, even for live performances. This way, you do not need to move, copy, and paste events in the Project window.
The transpose functions for audio and MIDI in Nuendo allow you to change the pitches of audio and MIDI for playback without changing the actual MIDI notes or the audio.
Markers are used to locate certain positions quickly. There are two types of markers: position markers and cycle markers.
The ADR section of the Markers window/ADR window allows you to perform ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) and language dubbing tasks.
The MixConsole provides a common environment for producing mixes in stereo or surround. It allows you to control level, pan, solo/mute status, etc. for audio and MIDI channels. Furthermore, you can set up the input and output routing for multiple tracks or channels at the same time. You can undo/redo MixConsole parameter changes for an open project at any time.
VCA faders serve as remote controls for channel faders in the MixConsole.
The Control Room allows you to divide the studio environment into the performing area (studio) and the engineer/producer area (control room).
Nuendo provides a master meter that works as a multi-channel true peak meter and a loudness meter that allows you to measure the loudness in compliance with the loudness recommendation R 128 of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Nuendo comes with a number of included effect plug-ins that you can use to process audio, group, and instrument channels.
Direct Offline Processing allows you to instantly add plug-in effects and audio processes to the selected audio events, clips, or ranges, without destroying the original audio.
In Nuendo, time-stretching and pitch-shifting algorithms are used for offline processes, in the Sample Editor, or for the Flattening Realtime Processing function. Depending on the feature, élastique, MPEX, or Standard algorithm presets are available.
Nuendo offers particular functions for analyzing the audio in your project.
Game Audio Connect makes it easy to transfer game audio assets to game audio engines or middleware, such as Audiokinetic’s Wwise. As a sound designer, you create and edit game audio assets in Nuendo and directly transfer them to your game audio engine.
The Sample Editor provides an overview of the selected audio event. It allows you to view and edit audio by cutting and pasting, removing, or drawing audio data, as well as by processing audio. Editing is non-destructive so that you can undo modifications at any time.
Hitpoints mark musically relevant positions in audio files. Nuendo can detect these positions and create hitpoints automatically by analyzing onsets and melodic changes of the audio.
Nuendo offers several functions that allow you to match the tempo of the audio in your project.
The VariAudio features in Nuendo allow you to edit pitch, and correct the timing and intonation of individual notes in monophonic vocal recordings.
The Audio Part Editor provides an overview of the selected audio parts. It allows you to view, audition, and edit parts by cutting and pasting, crossfading, drawing level curves, or by processing parts. Editing is non-destructive so that you can undo modifications at any time.
Nuendo supports extensions such as Audio Random Access (ARA). Extensions allow you to integrate compatible programs as plug-ins into your DAW.
The sampler track feature allows you to chromatically play back any audio from your audio sample library via MIDI. You can create and edit new sounds based on specific samples and integrate them into an existing project.
Every time that you record on an audio track, a file is created on your hard disk. A reference to this file, a clip, is added to the Pool.
You can manage media files on your computer as well as presets from multiple sources from within the MediaBay or the Media rack.
Nuendo provides integrated surround sound features with support for several formats. All audio-related channels and busses can handle multi-channel speaker configurations. A channel in the MixConsole can contain either complete surround mixes or an individual speaker channel as part of a surround setup.
In essence, automation refers to recording values for a particular MixConsole or effect parameter. When you create your final mix, Nuendo can adjust this particular parameter control.
VST instruments are software synthesizers or other sound sources that are included with Nuendo. They are played internally via MIDI. You can add effects or EQ to VST instruments.
Nuendo supports the VST 2 and VST 3 plug-in standards. You can install effects and instruments that comply with these formats.
Nuendo allows you to set up 8 different track parameters or settings as Track Quick Controls for quick access.
MIDI Remote allows you to integrate and use third party MIDI controllers in Nuendo.
You can control Nuendo with a connected MIDI device via MIDI.
MIDI realtime means that you can change or transform MIDI events on MIDI or instrument tracks before they are sent to the MIDI outputs. This allows you to change the way MIDI data is played back.
The MIDI Device Manager allows you to work with MIDI devices, that is, representations of external MIDI hardware.
MIDI functions allow you to permanently edit MIDI events or MIDI parts in the Project window or from within a MIDI editor.
There are several ways to edit MIDI in Nuendo. You can use the tools and functions in the Project window for large-scale editing or the functions on the MIDI menu to process MIDI parts in various ways. To manually edit your MIDI data on a graphical interface, you can use the MIDI editors.
Expression maps allow you to set up a map for all of your articulations. This allows you to audition a project including articulations.
Note expression allows you to edit MIDI notes and their expressions as one unit.
The chord functions offer many possibilities for working with chords.
Chord pads allow you to play with chords and to change their voicings and tensions. In terms of harmonies and rhythms, they allow for a more playful and spontaneous approach to composition than the chord track functions.
The Project Input Transformer is a powerful tool for search and replace functions performed on MIDI data.
The Logical Editor is a powerful tool for search and replace functions performed on MIDI data.
The Project Logical Editor is a powerful tool for search and replace functions in the Project window.
You can set up a tempo and time signature for your project. By default, the tempo is set to 120 BPM, and the time signature to 4/4.
You can render existing material to new audio material.
The Export Audio Mixdown function allows you to mix down and export all audio that is contained between the left and right locators of a project or in ranges defined by cycle markers.
The networking functions allow you to collaborate with other users of Nuendo in a peer-to-peer network.
Synchronization is the process of getting 2 or more devices to play back together at the same speed, position, and phase. These devices can range from audio and video tape machines to digital audio workstations, MIDI sequencers, synchronization controllers, and digital video devices.
VST System Link is a digital audio network system that allows you to link several computers using digital audio hardware and cables.
Nuendo is a full-featured postproduction media tool that allows you to work with video content and create complete soundtracks for your video.
Nuendo is a production tool that allows you to create music and sound design for film and video.
When working on film projects, video postproduction editors typically transfer the film footage to video for use with computer video editing systems.
The ReConform function allows you to automatically adapt edited audio projects to new cut versions of video material.
Nuendo supports a number of file formats that you can use to exchange files with other applications.
Key commands are assigned to most main menus and functions in Nuendo. They are used for all of your projects.
In Nuendo you can organize windows and dialogs in workspaces, set up the appearance of specific elements, configure the main menu items, and save program settings as profiles.
To fully benefit from all the capacities of your Nuendo system in terms of audio performance, you can optimize specific settings.
The Preferences dialog provides options and settings that control the global behavior of the program.
