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What is cubase elements 9 and what are its features
CUBASE ELEMENTS 9 is a music production suite, which features a DAW (digital audio workstation) and VST instrument collection. CUBASE ELEMENTS 9 is a perfect entry point for music makers of all stripes. But what does this software suite offer, and is it worth your investment of time and hard earned money?
What is cubase elements 9 and what are its features
CUBASE ELEMENTS 9 is available as a free download for Windows, Mac and Linux. It contains a host of powerful music production tools that cover everything from mixing and editing, to live performance features. The software even has support for audio transcription!
The latest version of cubase elements 9 features an all-new mixer with seven channels. Other highlights include improved performance, a flexible and fast-loading file browser, and an updated automation engine. In addition to that, the new version features a dedicated option for capturing audio from external sources. You can use this feature to record everything from your favorite vinyl onto your laptop or desktop computer.
How to install and activate the software
To install CUBASE ELEMENTS 9, all you have to do is download the software and follow the simple installation instructions. You’ll need to create an account first, but that’s just a matter of creating an account on Cubase.com and logging in there. Once Cubase is installed, it’s super simple to integrate with your existing digital hardware setup. This is thanks to the interface being completely mouse- and keyboard-friendly.
If you’re using a computer with operating system X, it’s important to download the correct version of Cubase. If you have an X computer, download Cubase X. Make sure you’ve got the latest version of your audio interface’s driver installed on your computer. If the driver isn’t up to date, you might have issues with Cubase not being able to recognize it.
Step 1: Download the correct version of Cubase for your operating system.
A tour of the user interface
Once you get your hands on CUBASE ELEMENTS 9, you might be thrown off by the user interface. The first thing that you’ll probably notice is that all of the icons look similar. This is because they were designed to be used by both experienced and inexperienced users alike. This can cause a bit of frustration while you’re trying to find a particular feature. However, once you get the hang of it, the interface becomes a joy to use. CUBASE ELEMENTS 9 features a ton of different buttons that allow you to access different editing and mixing properties. New users will have trouble remembering where each button is, but the wealth of included documentation (both on-line and in the manual) will make it easy to remember.
There are three main play modes that CUBASE uses: Arrange, Mixer, and Editing View. The Arrange mode is used to place tracks on the timeline. The Mixer mode is used to record, edit and mix audio. Levelling tracks in the mix can be done using the editing view.
There are also several different windows that you can display simultaneously. CUBASE 9 features a new expansion of the Mixer window. This allows you to add in additional effects, automation and switching quickly. The master engineering track has been made quicker to use.
Recording audio tracks
The first thing that you will want to do when using CUBASE ELEMENTS 9 to create music is to record some audio. To do this, simply select the track that you want to record on, and then hit the red Record Arm button in the Control Bar. Then select your source under Input Channel drop down menu. You have your choice of a few different input channels, each with their own parameters. You can also adjust the input channel gain, pan and EQ if you need to. Once you have your source selected, hit Record, and if all goes well, your audio will be recorded right into Cubase’s session. You can then go back and edit it, or put it in one of several different effects chains and processing effects that are built in to the program.
NOTE: The process you described is almost exactly how I do things. However, I have always been using a hard disk recorder to capture audio tracks, and in Cubase I have always just recorded into the session (across all audio tracks). You can also record without an external hard disk recorder and use the internal audio recording engine. This is useful if you are working on a laptop computer that doesn’t have a lot of memory. It’s not ideal, but it does work when you need it.
Another note for those new to Cubase is that there are a number of VST instruments that can also be used to record audio, such as the VST MIDI keyboard synthesizer plugin (for keyboard players only). These are then used within Cubase with the audio recorded from a mic, guitar or other instrument. So you can put most anything that produces sound in to your Cubase session!
Editing audio tracks
Once you drop audio tracks into CUBASE ELEMENTS 9, you can start using the built in editing tools to create something truly special. Unlike softwares such as Pro Tools, workspaces and mixer strip are not part of CUBASE ELEMENTS 9. Instead, you’ll need to fiddle with the Session View to create your edits. You can group several tracks together if they relate in some way. You can also choose to mute, solo or activate other track properties.
CUBASE ELEMENTS 9 allows you to edit multiple audio tracks at the same time. The tool is called ‘region editing’. You can split your regions using the cursor tool and then add them back together to create new parts in your composition. It’s a great way of focussing on specific parts of a track, rather than the entire thing, so you can focus on individual elements. This can be done through manual shifting or through functions such as auto-split (which divides regions according to beats and musical phrases).
