Cubase has an amazing gate. It has a simple look ahead feature, not as great as Fabfilter but good. I like REVerence. Groove Agent is cool but Superior Drummer 3 is the best.
Regarding the "not as great as FabFilter" statement, I agree that it doesnt has as much flexibility as Pro-G, but in one project I wasnt able to use Pro-G for ducking, since it delayed the signal slightly so the phase reversed signal didnt cancel out the source. Since then I've been using Cubase's Gate, since it IME apparently introduces less latency :)
Does Cubase have the ability to duck based on midi input? Last I checked it could only do the opposite.
Also VariAudio is probably the best Cubase "plugin". The quality of pitched sounds is often better than even the best 3rd party tuning tools
Yes, Cubase has a MIDI Gate you can use to duck using MIDI. You have to make a MIDI channel and route the MIDI signal to the VST effect. Works with 3rd party plugins as well.
My comment above was using audio though.
Right but I think the midi gate only lets sound through when the midi signal is triggered and it doesn't have the option to duck the sound on midi instead. It's inconvenient
I usually use some parallel processing with phase inversion and a gate for ducking since its more flexible (specially when combined with a linear phase EQ), but as far as I recall the MIDI Gate plugin has both the option to open when triggered or to close/duck when triggered.
EDIT:
You're right about the MIDI Gate plugin not being able to duck. It only opens up the signal. But you can still make a return bus with a phase inverted signal, throw in the MIDI Gate on it and there you have your MIDI triggered ducker.
Yeah I wish they'd give the option to invert more easily. It would pair perfectly with Cubase's feature to turn audio hitpoints into MIDI.
I have the fabfilter suite so I just use that for convenience but there's something satisfying about using as few 3rd party plugins as possible.
Now I just want VariAudio to have full implementation with Chord Tracks and more control over resizing every window. I'm on 9.5 though so maybe that's already a thing
I'll definitely have to check out the gate - can you do rhythmic sequences with it or is it only open/closed style?
I haven't really gotten into autotuning yet, but saw a tutorial on VA that made it seem super easy to get good results, which is great because no way in hell am I dropping $$ for Antares or Melodyne.
Do you know if there is a good vocoder in Cubase? I'm much more interested in those for vocal effects.
The Gate plugin is a simple open/close gate, but you can make rythmic effects by sending a sidechain signal to the gate. Otherwise you have the MIDI Gate, which you can make rythmic effects using a midi signal as trigger.
The 2 gates are very basic. They can technically do most anything combined with other Cubase automation but they're very limited compared to all the great 3rd party options.
I don't know if you have any 3rd party plugins but I highly recommend trying to make songs in Cubase with only stock tools for a while. It's easy to overlook all the great native features once you start adding new ones.
Superior Drummer's acoustic samples are more realistic sounding. There's also more sampling velocities. You can also take and audio track, import it into SD3 and it will automatically convert the separate instruments into midi.
I think groove agent is pretty top notch. I haven't seen a better or more realistic plugin anywhere else. Variaudio is pretty crucial for vocal editing. Effects-wise I think their guitar and bass amp simulators are good but I'm sure you could find something just as good. I also really like the magneto saturation. In the end though, everything works as it should. Like I'm not a huge fan of the de-esser UI, but it works exactly as one should. It just saves me the trouble of creating one in the signal path.
>Effects-wise I think their guitar and bass amp simulators are good but I'm sure you could find something just as good.
Ah yeah, I've got the Native Instruments Komplete bundle which comes with a lot of great amp modelers, but that's multiple votes for Magneto. I like a softer overdrive/saturation on synths instead of distortion, so that might be perfect.
- Envelope Shaper and Multiband Envelope Shaper I use a LOT! They act a lot different than most transient shapers IMO and are some very valuable tools to have at my disposal.
- Magneto has a nice warm sound for saturation.
- The tremolo is nice and simple. It does lack advanced features, but it often does the job needed IMO.
- Quadrafuzz is a nice multiband distortion.
- Groove Agent is awesome and integrates superbly with Cubase. When using Drum Map (the percussion version of the Piano Roll) you can 'create drum map from instrument' and your drum map will name the "keys" after the samples used in Groove Agent, which saves a lot of guess work when writing the MIDI.
I get my best “clean” mixes using stock cubase plugins. Brick and tube compressors are my favs. Also the limiter is great.the only limited I’ve used in the past 4 years is cubase a (also fabfilters limiter, but I use that for creative purposes)
Nice - do you stick a brick on your master out? I got in the habit of that for every situation after having some synth feedback loops runaway a few times and if I hadn't been quick on the faders it could have blown all the things.
Once you get past some of the UIs and start listning, they are great!
I use Frequency an Studio Eq all the time. I also dig the deesser! The Stereo delay is used in almost every session, some of the IR responses in the verb sounds amazing! The signal processor (noise, tones etc) is top when calibrating out board! I am generally using Uad plugs and some Waves for "sounds and vibe" and Izotope Ozone for mastering. But bread and butter processing is done with stock plug ins! Great integration/sidechaining etc
Quadrafuzz v2 and Magneto are absolutely amazing distortion/saturation plugins.
Also, all the multiband dynamics plugins are great. They come in handy in almost every project.
Depends on the signal and how hard you drive it, but generally it is a pretty smooth sound. Trying it out for yourself is the best way to familiarize yourself with it.
You'll never learn to trust them without practice, as much as that may not be pleasant to admit, it's the truth. And of course, you can also use the HF adjustment to also pull down the highs on a signal, which I often do to focus a signal more into the mids. Just keep practicing more, your ear will develop.
After mixing multi track drums (acoustic with mics etc) I mix down to a 'Group Track' and, almost always, use the 'Maximizer'. There is a setting called, something like, 'Dirty Drums' or some such.
Is cool... I promise :)
Cubase has an amazing gate. It has a simple look ahead feature, not as great as Fabfilter but good. I like REVerence. Groove Agent is cool but Superior Drummer 3 is the best.
Regarding the "not as great as FabFilter" statement, I agree that it doesnt has as much flexibility as Pro-G, but in one project I wasnt able to use Pro-G for ducking, since it delayed the signal slightly so the phase reversed signal didnt cancel out the source. Since then I've been using Cubase's Gate, since it IME apparently introduces less latency :)
Does Cubase have the ability to duck based on midi input? Last I checked it could only do the opposite. Also VariAudio is probably the best Cubase "plugin". The quality of pitched sounds is often better than even the best 3rd party tuning tools
Yes, Cubase has a MIDI Gate you can use to duck using MIDI. You have to make a MIDI channel and route the MIDI signal to the VST effect. Works with 3rd party plugins as well. My comment above was using audio though.
Right but I think the midi gate only lets sound through when the midi signal is triggered and it doesn't have the option to duck the sound on midi instead. It's inconvenient
I usually use some parallel processing with phase inversion and a gate for ducking since its more flexible (specially when combined with a linear phase EQ), but as far as I recall the MIDI Gate plugin has both the option to open when triggered or to close/duck when triggered. EDIT: You're right about the MIDI Gate plugin not being able to duck. It only opens up the signal. But you can still make a return bus with a phase inverted signal, throw in the MIDI Gate on it and there you have your MIDI triggered ducker.
Yeah I wish they'd give the option to invert more easily. It would pair perfectly with Cubase's feature to turn audio hitpoints into MIDI. I have the fabfilter suite so I just use that for convenience but there's something satisfying about using as few 3rd party plugins as possible. Now I just want VariAudio to have full implementation with Chord Tracks and more control over resizing every window. I'm on 9.5 though so maybe that's already a thing
I'll definitely have to check out the gate - can you do rhythmic sequences with it or is it only open/closed style? I haven't really gotten into autotuning yet, but saw a tutorial on VA that made it seem super easy to get good results, which is great because no way in hell am I dropping $$ for Antares or Melodyne. Do you know if there is a good vocoder in Cubase? I'm much more interested in those for vocal effects.
The Gate plugin is a simple open/close gate, but you can make rythmic effects by sending a sidechain signal to the gate. Otherwise you have the MIDI Gate, which you can make rythmic effects using a midi signal as trigger.
The 2 gates are very basic. They can technically do most anything combined with other Cubase automation but they're very limited compared to all the great 3rd party options. I don't know if you have any 3rd party plugins but I highly recommend trying to make songs in Cubase with only stock tools for a while. It's easy to overlook all the great native features once you start adding new ones.
Absolutely love the gate. The sidechain is especially useful for really locking into what you want to let through.
Interesting, I wouldn't have expected a simple utility like that to be so great. RE: Superior Drummer - what makes it better than Groove Agent?
Superior Drummer's acoustic samples are more realistic sounding. There's also more sampling velocities. You can also take and audio track, import it into SD3 and it will automatically convert the separate instruments into midi.
Wow that's awesome it has audi/MIDI conversion for separate instruments.
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I love the accessibility of Groove Agent and the random pattern generator function. Superior Drummer 3 is in a whole new class.
I think groove agent is pretty top notch. I haven't seen a better or more realistic plugin anywhere else. Variaudio is pretty crucial for vocal editing. Effects-wise I think their guitar and bass amp simulators are good but I'm sure you could find something just as good. I also really like the magneto saturation. In the end though, everything works as it should. Like I'm not a huge fan of the de-esser UI, but it works exactly as one should. It just saves me the trouble of creating one in the signal path.
>Effects-wise I think their guitar and bass amp simulators are good but I'm sure you could find something just as good. Ah yeah, I've got the Native Instruments Komplete bundle which comes with a lot of great amp modelers, but that's multiple votes for Magneto. I like a softer overdrive/saturation on synths instead of distortion, so that might be perfect.
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Oh that's good to hear - I'm usually loathe to reach for 3rd party compressors unless I know I want a certain effect.
Not arguing.. Just asking. What colour do you get from an 1176? I just refer to mine as the 'makes everything better' plug.
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Cool. Thanks for the reply. "Raw" is the perfect descriptor for what I hear. I was just wondering if it had an EQ component to your ear?
- Envelope Shaper and Multiband Envelope Shaper I use a LOT! They act a lot different than most transient shapers IMO and are some very valuable tools to have at my disposal. - Magneto has a nice warm sound for saturation. - The tremolo is nice and simple. It does lack advanced features, but it often does the job needed IMO. - Quadrafuzz is a nice multiband distortion. - Groove Agent is awesome and integrates superbly with Cubase. When using Drum Map (the percussion version of the Piano Roll) you can 'create drum map from instrument' and your drum map will name the "keys" after the samples used in Groove Agent, which saves a lot of guess work when writing the MIDI.
Won’t the hf adjust make signalsharsh when it gives it more highs ?
I get my best “clean” mixes using stock cubase plugins. Brick and tube compressors are my favs. Also the limiter is great.the only limited I’ve used in the past 4 years is cubase a (also fabfilters limiter, but I use that for creative purposes)
Nice - do you stick a brick on your master out? I got in the habit of that for every situation after having some synth feedback loops runaway a few times and if I hadn't been quick on the faders it could have blown all the things.
Once you get past some of the UIs and start listning, they are great! I use Frequency an Studio Eq all the time. I also dig the deesser! The Stereo delay is used in almost every session, some of the IR responses in the verb sounds amazing! The signal processor (noise, tones etc) is top when calibrating out board! I am generally using Uad plugs and some Waves for "sounds and vibe" and Izotope Ozone for mastering. But bread and butter processing is done with stock plug ins! Great integration/sidechaining etc
>Great integration/sidechaining etc Yeah that's one of the things that seems especially good, which I greatly appreciate from a workflow perspective.
Yep! Agreed!
Quadrafuzz v2 and Magneto are absolutely amazing distortion/saturation plugins. Also, all the multiband dynamics plugins are great. They come in handy in almost every project.
Won’t the magneto hf adjust make signalsharsh when it gives it more highs ?
Depends on the signal and how hard you drive it, but generally it is a pretty smooth sound. Trying it out for yourself is the best way to familiarize yourself with it.
Problem is that I don’t trust my ears :)
You'll never learn to trust them without practice, as much as that may not be pleasant to admit, it's the truth. And of course, you can also use the HF adjustment to also pull down the highs on a signal, which I often do to focus a signal more into the mids. Just keep practicing more, your ear will develop.
Thx
After mixing multi track drums (acoustic with mics etc) I mix down to a 'Group Track' and, almost always, use the 'Maximizer'. There is a setting called, something like, 'Dirty Drums' or some such. Is cool... I promise :)