Cubase SX - Getting started ?

bandit_no5 · Joined: Nov 04, 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Moon

Hi there all ya music guros..

I have for quiet long time now, tried to figure out how the hell to get started with Cubase..

My main problem is:

If i want make the main beat, kick and bass maybe.. what tools do i need ? some drummachine ? a tool like redrum in Reason would be awesome!

I found out how to use Reason, using ReDrum though Cubase but rather not use Reason.. rather use some VST plugs or Native Instrument.. no hardware yet

What to do? hope some geek can help me out !

Regards
Bandit

seraph · Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:09 pm Post subject:

bandit_no5
may I ask one thing? Don't you have the manuals fo those applications Question

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:35 pm Post subject:

where is that link to that kvr something site with all those free VST stuff. Any decent VSTi synth can do percussive noises.

seraph · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 12:26 am Post subject:

elektro80 · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 1:41 am Post subject:

The omnipotence suits you well, dear Carlo.

bandit_no5 · Joined: Nov 04, 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Moon

Yes i do have a manual ! but that dosent tell me how to do what im asking for ! Rolling Eyes

Any who.. thanx for your reply !

elektro80 · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:53 am Post subject:

What kinda music are we talking about here?

elektro80 · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 4:07 am Post subject:

It all depends on what you want to do. For synth percussion, the Waldorf Attack VSTi is a great tool. It is basically an early 80s synthdrum thingie.
NI Battery is great.. this is a sample player really..

elektro80 · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 4:10 am Post subject:

The Waldorf Attack is great, but as I said, any decent synth will do. You don´t really need a sample player. If you have singular drum hits, you just drag the files into the track in Cubase. The most efficient way is of course just to record this live.

bandit_no5 · Joined: Nov 04, 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Moon

Hi again fokez, thanx for all your replys Smile

Well im talking electro / trance.. so i just ask for a plug or what ever it takes, to make the main beat (ground).. maybe the problem is that im stuck to reasons interface (redrum) its so easy to make the beat 1/4 kick or bass.. some like that i guess ??

Thanx again

elektro80 · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 5:41 am Post subject:

I guess the best way to do trance in Cubase is actually learning to do it the hard way: .. programming every little detail. If you don´t do that, then you will not learn how to do it the way it was done. Oldtstyle electro is a bit different.. in that case you would want to emulate old gear and the way that gear actually worked in the late 70s early 80s. I reckon reason is just great for doing this.

bandit_no5 · Joined: Nov 04, 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Moon

Well have done a few tracks in Reason.. just want to have an option to try all these VST plugins..
And i just thought i could use cubase it self to make the main beat etc..

Guess i have try even harden to get the point.. Confused

thanx any ways mate.. if any one has a good tuto, or something id love to see it Smile

cheers

paul e. · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:46 am Post subject:

why don't you create the beat in reason, and then export that out as a sepearte file...then open up that file in cubase document of the same BPM

seraph · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 2:06 pm Post subject:

zynthetix · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 2:18 pm Post subject:

versions of cubase since VST5.0 have come with a simple roland 808/909 knock off drum synth. Go to devices menu: vst instruments. Select drums : lm-7 from vst instru. window. create a midi track, set the output to lm-7. Program the beats into the midi track via keyboard/graph editor or score editor.

bandit_no5 · Joined: Nov 04, 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Moon

Hi mate, did found the drum thing, and read in the manual how to open the graph editor, but dosent work out for me.. can you explain a little bit more, how to..

How to program the beats into the midi track via keyboard/graph editor or score editor. ain got no midikeyboard yet, so i guess i need to edit in graph editor ?.. How to do that ? no such tuto online from making your first track in Cubase ?

ps found some video tutorial at pcAUDIOLABS, are they worth it buying ? does any one know ?

elektro80 · Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:26 am Post subject:

Cubase used to comne with a lot of demo tracks. Try to check out the installer CD if you cannot find them on your disk. You will find drum tracks in there.

mosc · Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 9:18 am Post subject:

I've never used Cubase in my life, but I've used other similar programs. At this time I use Sonar. Don't feel badly that you are overwhealmed as you get started. These are complicated software systems and learning them takes a lot to time. Trial and error is the way you move from a novice to a master. Just be patient and don't get upset when you need to redo things multiple times.

zynthetix · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:05 pm Post subject:

bandit_no5 · Joined: Nov 04, 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Moon

Hi mosc and zynthetix

And thanx alot for your replys Smile

great with a board like this !

Well guess your right both, keep trying - and thats the way it goes, gotta read in the Operations Manual, to figure out the the editor works..

For now ill leave, but ill maybe be back for further assistance Very Happy

Thanx again..

digital19 · Joined: Aug 27, 2004 Posts: 13

I think going from Reason to Cubase you are probably used to the step sequencer of the Redrum.

There are some VSTs that will do that sort of thing for you, but most of the time at least for me... I set markers say on bar 1 and bar 9 (so it loops 8 bars) and record a kick.

Lm-7 works for this, you could also use Battery (which I love).

So then overdub over this 8 bar kick rhythm some hihats maybe... etc... until it's a loop... Then you can ALT-Click drag to copy this over, so now you have 16 bars

Another thing you could do would just be Rewire Reason in and add VST effects to your tracks that way.

I found this book helpful
Get Creative With Cubase SX/SL

http://www.audiomidi.com/common/cfm/product.cfm?pid=4463

the example songs are boring as all getout... but if you force yourself to go through some of the examples your note-reading ability will improve... and you'll have an idea of how to arrange songs (and you can get back to the famous one-finger/i don't read music method).

AND THEN THE BEST TUTORIAL ON THE INTERNET THAT I KNOW OF:

http://www.nativeinstruments.de/forums.html?icebreaker_us

Check out the way this Drum and Bass song was done in Cubase with Kontakt.

Hope that helps: there are about a billion different ways to right music with a sequencing program.

bandit_no5 · Joined: Nov 04, 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Moon

Heeeey > digital19

Thanx a bunch - that kind of help gets me better going on!
Ill go grab a demo, if possible at NI, looks like an interesting instrument.

And tutos, thats just make ill all hell lot more easy ! Very Happy

Regards
Bandit