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Nuendo 13.0.30

Operation Manual

Table of Contents
Track Handling
Tracks are the building blocks of your project. In Nuendo, events and parts are placed on tracks.

New Features
The following list informs you about the most important improvements in Nuendo and provides links to the corresponding descriptions.
Introduction
This is the Operation Manual for Steinberg’s Nuendo. Here you will find detailed information about all the features and functions in the application.
Setting up Your System
To use Nuendo, you must set up your audio, and if required, your MIDI system.
Audio Connections
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.
Project Window
The Project window provides an overview of the project, and allows you to navigate and perform large scale editing.
Project Handling
In Nuendo, projects are the central documents. You must create and set up a project to work with the program.
Tracks and Channels
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.
Track Handling
Tracks are the building blocks of your project. In Nuendo, events and parts are placed on tracks.
- Adding Tracks via Double-Click
  You can add tracks by double-clicking in the track list.
- Adding Tracks via the Add Track Dialog
  You can add tracks via the Add Track dialog.
- Adding Tracks Using Track Presets
  You can add tracks based on track presets. Track presets contain sound and channel settings.
- Adding Tracks by Dragging Files from the MediaBay
  You can add tracks by dragging files from the MediaBay.
- Track Import from Projects or Track Archives
  You can import tracks from other Nuendo or Cubase projects or track archives. This allows you, for example, to import premixed tracks or stems into your active project, or to reuse the mix settings of a previous project for a new song.
- Track Export
  You can export selected tracks as track archives. This is useful if you want to use specific tracks in other projects, for example.
- Exporting MIDI Tracks as Standard MIDI Files
  You can export MIDI tracks as standard MIDI files. This allows you to transfer MIDI material to virtually any MIDI application on any platform.
- Channel Configurations
  The channel configuration of audio, group channel, and FX channel tracks defines their number and configuration of speaker channels. Nuendo supports mono, stereo, and several 2D and 3D surround channel configurations.
- Splitting Multi-Channel Audio Tracks
  You can split multi-channel tracks, such as stereo or surround, into several mono tracks. This is useful if you want to use the tracks in an application that only supports mono tracks or if you want to edit individual channels of a multi-channel file.
- Merging Mono Audio Tracks to Multi-Channel Tracks
  Converting mono tracks to multi-channel tracks makes editing and mixing more convenient.
- Removing Selected Tracks
  You can remove selected tracks from the track list.
- Removing Empty Tracks
  You can remove empty tracks from the track list.
- Moving Tracks in the Track List
  You can move tracks up or down in the track list.
- Renaming Tracks
  You can rename tracks.
- Automatically Assigning Colors to New Tracks/Channels
  You can automatically assign colors to newly added tracks or channels.
- Showing Track Pictures
  Track pictures can help you to recognize your tracks. Track pictures are available for audio, instrument, MIDI, FX channel, and group channel tracks.
- Setting the Track Height
  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.
- Selecting Tracks
  You can select one or multiple tracks in the track list.
- Deselecting Tracks
  You can deselect tracks that are selected in the track list.
- Duplicating Tracks
  You can duplicate a track with all of its contents and channel settings.
- Disabling Tracks
  You can disable audio, instrument, MIDI, and sampler tracks that you do not want to play back or process at the moment. Disabling a track zeroes its output volume and shuts down all disk activity and processing for the track.
- Freezing Multiple Tracks
  You can freeze multiple selected audio, instrument, or sampler tracks.
- Organizing Tracks in Folder Tracks
  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.
- Handling Overlapping Audio
  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 the front is played back. You can, however, select the event/region that you want to play back.
- Track Folding Menu
  You can show, hide, or invert tracks that are displayed in the Project window event display. This allows you to divide the project into several parts by creating several folder tracks for the different project elements and showing/hiding their contents by selecting a menu function or using a key command. You can also fold in automation tracks this way.
- Events Display on Folder Tracks
  Closed folder tracks can display data of the contained audio, MIDI, and instrument tracks as data blocks or as events.
- Modifying Event Display on Folder Tracks
  You can modify the event display on folder tracks.
- Lanes, Takes, and Overlapping Events
  In the following, we focus on cycle recordings with takes. However, you can also apply lane operations and comping methods to overlapping events or parts that you assemble on one track.
- Defining the Track Time Base
  The time base of a track determines if the events on a track are positioned to bars and beats (musical time base) or to the timeline (linear time base). Changing the playback tempo affects only the time position of events on tracks with a musical time base.
- Track Versions
  Track versions allow you to create and manage multiple versions of events and parts on the same track.
- Track Presets
  Track presets are templates that can be applied to newly created or existing tracks of the same type.
Parts and Events
Parts and events are the basic building blocks in Nuendo.
Range Editing in the Project Window and in the Editors
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.
Playback and Transport
Nuendo offers multiple methods and functions to control playback and transport.
On-Screen Keyboard
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.
Recording
In Nuendo, you can record audio and MIDI.
Importing Audio and MIDI Files
You can add audio and MIDI files to your project by importing them.
Quantizing MIDI and Audio
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, Crossfades, and Envelopes
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.
Arranger Track
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.
Transpose Functions
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
Markers are used to locate certain positions quickly. There are two types of markers: position markers and cycle markers.
ADR
The ADR section of the Markers window/ADR window allows you to perform ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) and language dubbing tasks.
MixConsole
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
VCA faders serve as remote controls for channel faders in the MixConsole.
Control Room
The Control Room allows you to divide the studio environment into the performing area (studio) and the engineer/producer area (control room).
Metering and Loudness
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).
Audio Effects
Nuendo comes with a number of included effect plug-ins that you can use to process audio, group, and instrument channels.
Direct Offline Processing
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.
Time Stretch and Pitch Shift Algorithms
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.
Audio Functions
Nuendo offers particular functions for analyzing the audio in your project.
Game Audio Connect
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.
Sample Editor
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
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.
Tempo Matching Audio
Nuendo offers several functions that allow you to match the tempo of the audio in your project.
Pitch Editing and Time Correction with VariAudio
The VariAudio features in Nuendo allow you to edit pitch, and correct the timing and intonation of individual notes in monophonic vocal recordings.
Audio Part Editor
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.
Extensions in Nuendo
Nuendo supports extensions such as Audio Random Access (ARA). Extensions allow you to integrate compatible programs as plug-ins into your DAW.
Sampler Tracks
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.
Pool
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.
MediaBay and Media Rack
You can manage media files on your computer as well as presets from multiple sources from within the MediaBay or the Media rack.
Surround Sound
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.
Automation
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
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.
Installing and Managing VST Plug-ins
Nuendo supports the VST 2 and VST 3 plug-in standards. You can install effects and instruments that comply with these formats.
Track Quick Controls
Nuendo allows you to set up 8 different track parameters or settings as Track Quick Controls for quick access.
MIDI Remote
MIDI Remote allows you to integrate and use third party MIDI controllers in Nuendo.
Remote-Controlling Nuendo
You can control Nuendo with a connected MIDI device via MIDI.
MIDI Realtime Parameters and MIDI Effects
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.
Using MIDI Devices
The MIDI Device Manager allows you to work with MIDI devices, that is, representations of external MIDI hardware.
MIDI Functions
MIDI functions allow you to permanently edit MIDI events or MIDI parts in the Project window or from within a MIDI editor.
MIDI Editors
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
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
Note expression allows you to edit MIDI notes and their expressions as one unit.
Chord Functions
The chord functions offer many possibilities for working with chords.
Using Chord Pads
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.
Project Input Transformer
The Project Input Transformer is a powerful tool for search and replace functions performed on MIDI data.
Logical Editor
The Logical Editor is a powerful tool for search and replace functions performed on MIDI data.
Project Logical Editor
The Project Logical Editor is a powerful tool for search and replace functions in the Project window.
Editing Tempo and Time Signature
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.
Rendering Audio and MIDI
You can render existing material to new audio material.
Export Audio Mixdown
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.
Networking
The networking functions allow you to collaborate with other users of Nuendo in a peer-to-peer network.
Synchronization
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
VST System Link is a digital audio network system that allows you to link several computers using digital audio hardware and cables.
Video
Nuendo is a full-featured postproduction media tool that allows you to work with video content and create complete soundtracks for your video.
Audio Editing to Picture
Nuendo is a production tool that allows you to create music and sound design for film and video.
Film Transfers
When working on film projects, video postproduction editors typically transfer the film footage to video for use with computer video editing systems.
ReConform
The ReConform function allows you to automatically adapt edited audio projects to new cut versions of video material.
Exchanging Files with Other Applications
Nuendo supports a number of file formats that you can use to exchange files with other applications.
Key Commands
Key commands are assigned to most main menus and functions in Nuendo. They are used for all of your projects.
Customizing
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.
Optimizing Audio Performance
To fully benefit from all the capacities of your Nuendo system in terms of audio performance, you can optimize specific settings.
Preferences
The Preferences dialog provides options and settings that control the global behavior of the program.

Track Handling

Tracks are the building blocks of your project. In Nuendo, events and parts are placed on tracks.

Add Track Dialog Adding Tracks via Double-Click

Nuendo 13.0.30

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