Learning Cubase

HI
IM starting to learn cubase.. any tips for faster and easier production..esp for hard techno/schranz... i barely know how to import a kick drum SO FAR..i need to learn how to get it to be the proper 1/4 beat or whatever..i got friends to teach me but im impatient waiting for them to stop by..lol.

.also any good ways to change the kick drums rapidly while the effects are on it ...or do i need somethign like reason attached to it..i know a few peopel that do that ..maybe there is a better way?..or can i preview a kick with all the effects on it once i have all the effects set up how i want them,, (ew>reverb>high pass filter>distortion..>

next ? how do i get my four kicks to loop so i can set the effects properly to my liking without having to keep draggin cursor back to the beggging..i check the little loop icon to the left of the STOP button.. now what some sorta DRAW tool to highlight the four kicks? so it knows what to loop is it the dotted rectangle?

last ? can i change the tempo from 120 with my mouse or do i have to always use keyboard and type in 150...etc..

im using cubase sx3 ..thanks feel free to let me know any good tips on adding effects etc..i know i have to press the "e" button on the audio sample it self...is there a good way to use sends also..I KNOW I KNOW..baby steps first..lol..thanks..

damn i got more ?'s...sorry..hah =(

where do i turn master volumes down so i can keep the track quiet and raise volumes later so i dont make it too muddy/loud/distorted at the start..


do i want snap on or snap off...is snapping making sure the kicks/audio file is starting exactly on beat K--- K--- K--- K--- AND not slighty nudged to the left etc


i was a fruity loop studio user..and it didnt really have to worry about that..but this is much more free to move about as desired ..thanks...

Ok, I'm going to try and answer these questions 1 by 1. I don't have cubase here at work so bear with me.

1) "i need to learn how to get it to be the proper 1/4 beat or whatever"

It would help to know how you are "importing" your bass drum sound. I'm going to assume you're actually just importing the audio sample straight to an audio channel. While this isn't necessarily the conventional (or easy) way to do this it's a great start and will teach you the core fundamentals of electronic composition IMHO.

SO, first you want to make a 4/4 beat with the bass drum. Make sure that you've set the quantization at 1/4 which will "snap" your cursor actions to each beat of the measure instead of letting you freely place your drums. Then you can copy and paste that bass drum in the audio channel to your heart's content. Use the grid that's laid across the screen to determine where in time you are pasting each beat.

Like I said before. This isn't the easiest way to write a song but it works. If you get tired of doing it this way you could always go out and buy a software sampler. This lets you load all of your drum sounds and samples into the software and activate them with midi messages. So you track out which midi notes activate which samples, write your midi track, and render the audio. Then you can import that audio into a new audio channel and add effects etc.

2. also any good ways to change the kick drums rapidly while the effects are on it ?

Welcome to the wonderful world of automation!! Automation allows you to change the parameters of your effects (and more) over time while they're playing without having to actually touch the effect at all. When you're looking at your audio channel in the main composition screen you'll notice a small "+" sign on the channel (probably at the bottom right corner of the label for the channel). Clicking on that will automatically drop down a window that lets you change the volume of the channel. if you click on the drop down menu that currently says "colume" you will see "pan" and a bunch of other options. Make sure you have selected and activated the effects you want to use on the channel [inserts] area. Now when you click on the "volume" dropdown you can choose "more" or something like that. This brings up a window that includes "inserts", which you can select, find the effect and effect parameter you want to automate and double click it. So now your volume automation has turned into the effect parameter you chose. Now by clicking the "R" for Read you can use the arrow, line, or pencil tool to increase or decrease that effect over time by "drawing" a new automation line. You can also "turn off" the effect by selecting "[effect name] Bypass" from that pop up menu.

That's a lot to take in if you're not familiar with cubase and you may be better of waiting on automation until you get the basics down. Also check out some beginners books on cubase for instructions that are more detailed and easier to follow (they have nifty pictures too)

3. how do i get my four kicks to loop so i can set the effects properly to my liking without having to keep draggin cursor back to the beggging..i check the little loop icon to the left of the STOP button.. now what some sorta DRAW tool to highlight the four kicks?

at the top of your composition screen on the timelin you will see what looks like an arrow pointing down. If you move your cursor over it, your cursor will change to a weird bracket looking thing I think. You can click the right half of that arrow and drag it along the timeline to set the ENDPOINT of your loop. By clicking and dragging the Left half of the arrow it lets you set the STARTPOINT of the loop. IMPORTANT!!! If you bring the STARTPOINT past the ENDPOINT and the loop is defined by a red line between the two arrows you will NOT be able to loop that section or render the audio that it encircles because... well, because it's inside out.

Also, just because your sounds will loop forever when you hit play doesn't mean it will loop forever when you export the audio. You will have to cut and paste whatever is inside that loop (just like you did for your bass drum).

4. can i change the tempo from 120 with my mouse or do i have to always use keyboard and type in 150

I don't really understand this one... When I start writing a piece I bring up the navigator with F2, and type in the BPM I want and I'm good. I don't see how being able to change the BPM with your mouse would make a difference. It takes less than 5 seconds to set the BPM as it is. Maybe you could be more detailed in your question, I may be missing something.

5. How can I change the Master volumes?

This can be done any number of ways. Starting with your speakers. Turn em down if they're too loud.

Hitting F3 brings up the main mixer and lets you adjust each individual channel's volume as well as the master volume for the entire track.

6. I keep the snap on if I want my music to be precise. Most people do. Sometimes I turn it off and adjust my samples a tiny bit for a more "human" sound.

shit it took me a min to login in..wasnt recognizing my password last week..i totally want to thank you for your help..i was too impatient to wait for my friend to come over and show me on the weekend so i needed to ask...


also i wasnt talkin about automation im not ready for that in cubase yet i was asking more of a simple stupid ? about changing the kick drum rapidly to hear all my kicks in my folder once i added effects i liked..stupid ? and i know the answer already..lol...thanks i will prob have some more ?s sooner or later..

Some excellent responses there AKo1 :)

My advice is to get a book on the subject

The fast guide to cubase by simon millward is an excellent resource.

or askvideo dvd tutorials (level 1 ,2 ,3 pack)