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Plug-in Reference
Manual by Anders Nordmark
Revision for Cubase AI and Quality Control:
Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Birgit Grossmann, Sabine Pfeifer, Claudia Schomburg
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part
of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement
and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this publica-
tion may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission
by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners. Windows XP is a trademark of
Microsoft Corporation. The Mac logo is a trademark used under license. Macintosh and Power Macintosh are registered
trademarks.
© Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, 2006.
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
4
Table of Contents
3Table of Contents
5Audio effects
6About this chapter
6Overview
7Insert effects
9Send effects
12 Making settings for the effects
13 Effect presets
15 Installing and managing effect plug-ins
18 The included effect plug-ins
19 Introduction
19 Delay plug-ins
20 Dynamics plug-ins
22 Filter plug-ins
23 Modulation plug-ins
25 Other plug-ins
26 Spatial plug-ins
27 Earlier VST plug-ins
34 VST Instruments
35 Introduction
35 Activating and using VST Instruments
37 Using VST presets
39 About latency
40 HALionOne
41 Introduction
41 HALionOne parameters
42 Index
1
Audio effects
6
Audio effects
About this chapter
Cubase AI comes with a number of effect plug-ins in-
cluded. This chapter contains general details about how
to assign, use and organize effect plug-ins. The effects
and their parameters are described in the chapter “The in-
cluded effect plug-ins” on page 18.
Overview
There are two ways to use audio effects in Cubase AI:
•As insert effects.
An insert effect is inserted into the signal chain of an audio channel, which
means that the whole channel signal passes through the effect. This makes
inserts suitable for effects for which you don’t need to mix dry and wet
sound, e.g. distortion, filters or other effects that change the tonal or dy-
namic characteristics of the sound. You can have up to eight different in-
sert effects per channel (and the same is true for output busses).
•As send effects.
Each audio channel has eight effect sends, each of which can be freely
routed to an effect (or to a chain of effects). Send effects are practical for
two reasons: you can control the balance between the dry (direct) and
wet (processed) sound individually for each channel using the sends,
and several different audio channels can use the same send effect. In
Cubase AI, send effects are handled by means of FX channel tracks.
About VST 3
The new VST 3 plug-in standard offers many improve-
ments over the previous VST 2 standard, yet retains full
backwards compatibility so you can still use your old VST
effects and presets.
VST Preset management
From a user perspective, the main difference between
VST 2 and VST 3 is in the effect preset management. The
new preset handling replaces the old “.fxp/.fxb” files with
VST 3 Presets (extension “.vstpreset”). You can also pre-
view effect presets before you load them. A large number
of presets for effects are included with the program.
Should you have any previous VST plug-ins installed on
your computer, you can still use them, and you can also
chose to convert their programs to VST 3 Presets. See
“Effect presets” on page 13 for details.
Smart plug-in processing
Another feature of the VST3 standard is “smart” plug-in
processing. Previously, any loaded plug-in was process-
ing continuously, regardless of whether a signal was
present or not. In VST3, there is a smart functionality built-
in which disengages processing by a plug-in if there is no
signal present. This can greatly reduce CPU load, thus al-
lowing for more effects to be used. There are no settings
involved for this functionality, it is fully automatic.
About plug-in delay compensation
A plug-in effect may have some inherent delay or latency.
This means that it takes a brief time for the plug-in to pro-
cess the audio fed into it – as a result, the output audio
will be slightly delayed. This especially applies to dynam-
ics processors featuring “look-ahead” functionality.
However, Cubase AI provides full plug-in delay compen-
sation throughout the entire audio path. All plug-in delays
are compensated for, maintaining the sync and timing of
all audio channels.
Normally, you don’t have to make any settings for this.
However, VST3 dynamics plug-ins with look-ahead func-
tionality have a “Live” button, allowing you to disengage
the look-ahead to minimize latency if they are to be used
during real-time recording (see the chapter “The included
effect plug-ins” on page 18 for details).
You can also constrain the delay compensation, which is
useful to avoid latency when recording audio or playing a
VST Instrument in real time. See “Constrain Delay Com-
pensation” on page 39.
About tempo sync
Plug-ins can receive MIDI timing information from the host
application (in this case, Cubase AI). A typical use for this
feature are tempo-based effects (delays, auto-panning,
etc.), but it is also used in other ways for certain plug-ins.
•MIDI timing information is automatically provided to any
VST (2.0 or later) plug-in that “requests it”.
You don’t need to make any special settings for this.
•You set up tempo sync by specifying a base note value.
You can use straight, triplet or dotted note values (1/1 - 1/32).
7
Audio effects
•When MIDI receive is available (or necessary) for other
purposes than timing, the setting up and operation is de-
scribed in the documentation for the corresponding effect.
Please refer to the chapter “The included effect plug-ins” on page 18 for
details about the included effects.
Insert effects
Background
As the name implies, insert effects are inserted into the
audio signal path – this means that the audio will be
routed through the effect. You can add up to eight differ-
ent insert effects independently for each audio channel
(audio track, group channel track, FX channel track or VST
Instrument channel) or bus. The signal passes through the
effects in series from the top downwards, with the signal
path shown below:
As you can see, the last two insert slots (for any channel)
are post-EQ and post-fader. Post-fader slots are best
suited for insert effects where you don’t want the level to be
changed after the effect, such as dithering and maximizers
– both typically used as insert effects for output busses.
ÖApplying insert effects on many channels uses up a lot
of CPU power!
It might often be more efficient to use send effects or use insert effects
on Group tracks, especially if you want to use the same type of effect on
several channels. Remember that you can use the VST Performance win-
dow to keep an eye on the CPU load.
Which effect plug-ins can I use as insert
effects?
Most effect plug-ins will work fine as insert effects. In gen-
eral, the only restrictions are with the number of inputs and
outputs in the effects:
•For a plug-in to be usable as an insert effect, it has to
have at least 1 or 2 inputs and 1 or 2 outputs.
Different effects feature different amounts of inputs and outputs, but the
number of inputs and outputs actually used is determined by whether you
use the insert effects on a single (mono) audio channel or a stereo channel
pair.
Routing an audio channel or bus through
insert effects
Insert effect settings are available in the Channel Settings
window and the Inspector. The examples below show the
Channel Settings window, but the procedures are similar
for both send sections:
1. Bring up the Channel Settings window or the Inserts
section in the Inspector.
In the Channel Settings window, the inserts are located to the far left.
2. Pull down the effect type pop-up for one of the insert
slots, and select an effect.
The effect is loaded and automatically activated and its
control panel appears. You can hide or show the control
panel by clicking the “e” button for the insert slot.
Input gain
Insert effect 1
Insert effect 2
Insert effect 3
Insert effect 6
EQ
Volume (fader)
Insert effect 7
Insert effect 8
Insert effect 4
Insert effect 5
8
Audio effects
•If the effect has a Dry/Wet Mix parameter you can use
this to adjust the balance between the dry signal and the
effect signal.
See “Making settings for the effects” on page 12 for details about editing
effects.
•When one or several insert effects are activated for a
channel, the insert effects buttons light up in blue in the
mixer, the Inspector and the Track list. Click the button for
a channel to bypass (disable) all its inserts.
When the inserts are bypassed, the buttons are yellow. Click the button
again to enable the inserts. Note that the bypass button is also available
in the Inspector and the Channel settings window for the audio track.
•To remove an effect, pull down the effect type pop-up
menu and select “No Effect”.
You should do this for all effects that you don’t intend to use, to minimize
unnecessary CPU load.
•When you have several insert effects for a channel, you
can bypass separate effects by clicking the bypass button
of the respective slot.
When an effect is bypassed, the button is yellow.
The “PingPongDelay” insert effect slot is bypassed.
Insert effects in the channel overview
If the “Channel” section is selected in the Inspector, you will
get an overview of which EQ modules, insert effects and ef-
fect sends are activated for the channel.
You can activate or deactivate individual insert effect slots
by clicking the corresponding number (in the upper part of
the overview).
The channel overview in the Inspector.
About adding insert effects to busses
As already stated, output busses have eight insert slots,
just like regular audio channels. The procedures for add-
ing insert effects are the same (except you cannot use the
Inspector here).
•Insert effects added to an output bus will affect all audio
routed to that bus, like a “master insert effect”.
Typically you would add compressors, limiters, EQ or other plug-ins to
tailor the dynamics and sound of the final mix.
9
Audio effects
Using group channels for insert effects
Like all other channels, group channels can have up to
eight insert effects. This is useful if you have several audio
tracks that you want to process through the same effect
(e.g. different vocal tracks that all should be processed by
the same compressor). Another special use for group
channels and effects is the following:
If you have a mono audio track and want to process this
through a stereo insert effect (e.g. a stereo chorus or an
auto panner device), you cannot just insert the effect as
usual. This is because the audio track is in mono – the
output of the insert effect will then be in mono as well, and
the stereo information from the effect will be lost.
One solution would be to route a send from the mono
track to a stereo FX channel track, set the send to pre
fader mode and lower the fader completely for the mono
audio track. However, this makes mixing the track cumber-
some, since you cannot use the fader.
Here’s another solution:
1. Create a group channel track in stereo and route it to
the desired output bus.
2. Add the desired effect to the group channel as an in-
sert effect.
3. Route the mono audio track to the group channel.
Now the signal from the mono audio track is sent directly
to the group, where it passes through the insert effect, in
stereo.
Send effects
Background
Send effects are handled through FX channel tracks.
These are special tracks that each can contain up to eight
insert effects. The signal path is as follows:
•By routing an effect send from an audio track to an FX
channel track, the audio is sent to the FX channel and
through its insert effect(s).
Each audio channel has eight sends, which can be routed to different FX
channels. You control the amount of signal sent to the FX channel by ad-
justing the effect send level.
•If you have added several effects to the FX channel, the
signal passes through the effects in series, from the top
(the first slot) downward.
This allows for “custom” send effect configurations – you could e.g. have
a chorus followed by a reverb followed by an EQ and so on.
•The FX channel track has its own channel strip in the
mixer, the effect return channel.
Here you can adjust the effect return level and balance.
•Each FX channel track has an automation subtrack, for
automating various effect parameters.
See the chapter “Automation” in the Operation Manual for more informa-
tion.
Setting up send effects
Adding an FX channel track
1. Pull down the Project menu and select “FX Channel”
from the “Add Track” submenu.
A dialog appears.
2. Select a channel configuration for the FX channel
track.
Normally, stereo is a good choice since most effect plug-ins have stereo
outputs.
3. Select an effect for the FX channel track.
This is not strictly necessary at this point – you can leave the Plug-in
pop-up menu set to “No Effect” and add effects to the FX channel later if
you like.
4. Click OK.
An FX channel track is added to the Track list, and the selected effect, if
any, is loaded into the first insert effect slot for the FX channel (in that
case, the lit Inserts tab for the FX channel track in the Inspector indicates
that an effect has been assigned and automatically activated).
10
Audio effects
•All FX channel tracks you create will appear in a kind of
“folder” in the Track list.
This makes it easy to manage and keep track of all your FX channel tracks,
and also allows you to save screen space by folding the FX Channel folder.
FX channel tracks are automatically named “FX 1”, “FX 2” etc., but you
can rename them if you wish. Just double click the name of an FX chan-
nel track in either the Track list or the Inspector and type in a new name.
Adding and setting up effects
As mentioned above, you can add a single insert effect
when you create the FX channel track if you like. To add
and set up effects after the FX channel track is created,
you can either use the Inspector for the track (click the In-
serts tab) or the FX Channel Settings window:
1. Click the Edit (“e”) button for the FX channel track (in
the Track list, mixer or Inspector).
The FX Channel Settings window appears, similar to a regular Channel
Settings window.
To the left in the window is the Inserts section with eight effect slots.
2. Make sure the FX channel is routed to the correct out-
put bus.
This is done with the output routing pop-up menu at the top of the fader
section (also available in the Inspector).
3. To add an insert effect in an empty slot (or replace the
current effect in a slot), click on the slot and select an ef-
fect from the pop-up menu.
This works just like when selecting insert effects for a regular audio
channel.
4. When you add an effect, its control panel will automat-
ically appear. Typically you should set the Wet/Dry Mix
control to all “wet”.
This is because you control the balance between wet and dry signal with
the effect sends. For more information about making settings in the effect
control panels, see “Making settings for the effects” on page 12.
•You can add up to eight insert effects for an FX channel.
Note that the signal will pass through all the effects in series. It is not
possible to adjust the effect send and return levels separately for each
effect – this is done for the FX channel as a whole. If what you want is
several separate send effects (where you can control their send and re-
turn levels independently) you should instead add more FX channel
tracks – one for each effect.
•To remove an insert effect from a slot, click the slot and
select “No Effect” from the pop-up menu.
You should do this for all effects that you don’t intend to use, to minimize
unnecessary CPU load.
•You can also bypass individual effects (or all effects) by
clicking the corresponding Bypass Inserts button(s) for
the FX channel track.
See “Routing an audio channel or bus through insert effects” on page 7.
•You can also adjust level, pan and EQ for the effect re-
turn in this window.
ÖRemember that effects rely heavily on the CPU power
in your computer.
The more activated effect units, the more computer power will be used
for effects.
Setting up the sends
The next step is to set up and route a send for an audio
channel to the FX channel. This can be done in the Chan-
nel Settings window or in the Inspector for the audio track.
The example below shows the Channel Settings window,
but the procedure is similar for both sections:
1. Click the “e” button for an audio channel to bring up its
Channel Settings window.
In the Inspector you would click the Sends tab.
In the channel settings window, the send section is lo-
cated to the left of the channel strip. Each of the eight
sends has the following controls and options:
• A send on/off switch
• A send level slider
• A pre/post fader switch
•An Edit button
11
Audio effects
Note that the last three items are not shown until the Send
is activated and an effect has been loaded.
2. Pull down the routing pop-up menu for a send by
clicking in the empty slot, and select the desired routing
destination.
• If the first item on this menu, “No Bus” is selected, the send
isn’t routed anywhere.
• Items called “FX 1”, “FX 2” etc. correspond to existing FX
tracks. If you have renamed an FX track (see “Adding an FX
channel track” on page 9) that name will appear on this menu
instead of the default.
• The menu also allows for routing a send directly to output bus-
ses, separate output bus channels or Group channels.
3. In this case, select an FX channel track from the pop-
up menu.
Now the send is routed to the FX channel.
4. Click the power button for the effect send so that it
lights up in blue.
This activates the send.
5. Click and drag the send level slider to a moderate
value.
The send level determines how much of the signal from the audio chan-
nel is routed to the FX channel via the send.
Setting the Send level.
6. If you want the signal to be sent to the FX channel be-
fore the audio channel’s volume fader in the mixer, click on
the Pre Fader button for the send so that it lights up.
Normally you want the effect send to be proportional to the channel vol-
ume (post fader send). The picture below shows where the sends are
“tapped” from the signal in pre and post fader mode:
A send set to pre fader mode.
ÖYou can choose whether a send in pre fader mode
should be affected by the channel’s Mute button or not.
This is done with the option “Mute Pre-Send when Mute” in the Prefer-
ences (VST page).
•When one or several sends are activated for a channel,
the Send Effects buttons light up in blue in the mixer and
the Track list. Click the button for a channel to bypass
(disable) all its effect sends.
When the sends are bypassed, the button is yellow. Click the button
again to enable the sends. Note that this button is also available in the In-
spector and the Channel settings window.
Click this button to bypass the sends.
Input gain
Insert effects 1-6
EQ
Volume (fader)
Insert effects 7-8
Pre-fader sends
Post-fader sends
12
Audio effects
•You can also bypass individual sends in the channel
overview.
See “Insert effects in the channel overview” on page 8.
•Alternatively, in the same manner you can bypass the
send effects by clicking the “Bypass Inserts” button for
the FX channel.
The difference is that this bypasses the actual send effects which may be
used by several different channels. Bypassing a send affects that send
and that channel only. If you bypass the insert effect the original sound
will be passed through. This may lead to unwanted side effects (higher
volume). To deactivate all effects, use the mute button in the FX channel.
Setting effect levels
After you have set up the sends as described in the previ-
ous sections, the following is now possible:
•You can use the send level slider in the Channel Set-
tings or the Inspector to set the send level.
By adjusting the send level you control the amount of signal sent from the
audio channel to the FX channel.
Setting the effect send level.
•In the mixer, you can use the level fader for the FX chan-
nel to set the effect return level.
By adjusting the return level you control the amount of the signal sent
from the FX channel to the output bus.
Setting the effect return level.
FX channels and the Solo Defeat function
When mixing, you might sometimes want to solo specific
audio channels, and listen only to these while other chan-
nels are muted. However, this will mute all FX channels as
well. If the soloed audio channels have sends routed to FX
channels, this means you won’t hear the send effects for
the channels.
To remedy this, you can use the Solo Defeat function for
the FX channel:
1. First press [Alt]/[Option] and click on the Solo button
for the FX channel.
This activates the Solo Defeat function for the FX channel. In this mode,
the FX channel will not be muted if you solo another channel in the mixer.
2. You can now solo any of the audio channels without
having the effect return (the FX channel) muted.
3. To turn off Solo Defeat for the FX channel, [Alt]/[Op-
tion]-click the Solo button for the FX channel again.
Making settings for the effects
Editing effects
All inserts and sends have an Edit (“e”) button. Clicking
this opens the selected effect’s control panel in which you
can make parameter settings.
The contents, design and layout of the control panel de-
pends on the selected effect. However, all effect control
panels have a power button, a Bypass button, Read/Write
automation buttons (for automating effect parameter
changes (see the chapter “Automation” in the Operation
Manual), a Preset selection pop-up menu and a Preset
Management pop-up menu for saving or loading programs.
The Rotary effect control panel.
•Please note that all effects can be edited using a simpli-
fied control panel (horizontal sliders only, no graphics). To
edit effects using this “basic” control panel instead, press
[Ctrl]/[Command]+[Alt]/[Option]+[Shift] and click on the
Edit button for the effect send or slot.
13
Audio effects
Making settings
Effect control panels may have any combination of knobs,
sliders, buttons and graphic curves.
ÖFor specifics about the included effects and their pa-
rameters, please refer to the chapter “The included effect
plug-ins” on page 18.
If you edit the parameters for an effect, these settings are
saved automatically in the project. If you want to save the
current settings, the following points apply:
• The basis for the current settings may have been a preset ef-
fect program, in which case there is a name in the preset field.
• The basis for the current settings may have been a default set-
ting program location in which case “Default” is displayed in
the preset field.
In both cases, if you have changed any effect parameter
settings, these are automatically saved when you save the
program. How to select and save effect presets is de-
scribed below.
Automating effect parameters
Effects parameters can be automated – see the chapter
“Automation” in the Operation Manual.
Effect presets
Cubase AI comes with a number of categorized VST pre-
sets that you can use straight out of the box. VST presets
are stored parameter settings for a specific effect.
Selecting effect presets
Most VST effect plug-ins come with a number of useful
presets for instant selection. The Preset browser can ei-
ther be accessed from the control panel for the effect,
from the Channel Settings window, or from the Inspector.
To select an effect preset, proceed as follows:
1. Load an effect, either as a channel Insert or into a FX
channel, it doesn’t matter.
The effect’s control panel is automatically shown when loaded.
2. Click in the name field at the top of the effect’s control
panel.
This opens the Preset browser.
•The right half of the browser shows the available pre-
sets for the selected effect.
Selecting a preset loads it directly, replacing the previous preset.
•The lower left half of the Preset browser contains a sec-
tion where all assigned attributes (to any preset) for the
selected effect are shown in the respective column.
If no attributes have been specified for the effect presets, the various col-
umns will be empty. If attributes have been assigned to a preset for this
effect, you can click on the assigned attribute in the respective column
(Category, Style etc.), to filter out all presets that do not match the se-
lected attribute(s).
•The preset handling for VST 2 plug-ins is slightly differ-
ent, see “About earlier VST effect presets” on page 15.
•You can also open the Preset browser from the Inspec-
tor. Click the Inserts tab for the channel with the effect and
click in the Preset name field.
•Click the VST Sound button (the cube symbol) to open
the Preset Management pop-up menu and select “Load
Preset…” from the pop-up menu that appears.
The “Load Preset” dialog opens.
!
In the Inspector there is a dual functionality. When an
effect is loaded into a slot you can click on the Preset
name (or in the bottom half of the effect slot) to open
the Preset browser. Clicking in the upper half of the
slot will instead open the Effect selection pop-up.
14
Audio effects
This dialog is very similar to the Preset browser, but there
is a difference in how the effect presets are loaded:
•If you use the “Load Preset” dialog, this allows you to se-
lect different presets and to audition them without actually
loading them. If you chose to cancel the operation and exit
the dialog, the preset that was selected before opening the
dialog will be reloaded exactly as it was, including any un-
saved changes. See “Auditioning presets” on page 14.
•When you use the Preset browser, selecting another
preset will load it directly, replacing the previous preset.
3. When you have selected an effect preset in the list to
the left, click OK to confirm the selection in case you used
the Load Preset dialog, or simply click outside the
browser window.
Auditioning presets
A new VST 3 feature is the option to audition effects be-
fore you load them. This works as follows:
1. Load an effect as usual for the track you wish to pro-
cess.
2. Start playback.
It may be helpful to set up cycle playback of a section to make compari-
sons between different preset settings easier.
•Open the Load Preset dialog by clicking the VST Sound
button in the effect slot and select “Load Preset” from the
pop-up.
3. Activate “Auto Preview” below the Viewer display.
4. With playback still running, you now can step through
different presets in the list and hear the results instantly!
•If you activate “Preview” in step 3 it works similarly, but
you have to activate Preview for each selected preset to
audition the settings.
•To confirm a preset selection and to load it, click OK.
•If you click Cancel, the previously loaded preset will re-
main, including any unsaved settings.
Saving effect presets
You can save your edited effects for further use (e.g. in
other projects):
1. Click the VST Sound button to open the Load/Save
Preset pop-up.
2. Select “Save Preset…” from the pop-up.
This opens a dialog where you can save the current settings as a preset.
Presets are saved into a default folder named VST3 Pre-
sets. Within this folder, there is a folder named “Steinberg
Media Technologies” where the included presets are ar-
ranged in subfolders named after each effect.
You cannot change the default folder, but you can add fur-
ther subfolders inside the individual effect preset folder.
Under Windows, the default preset folder is located in the
following location:
Boot drive/Documents and Settings/User name/Application data/VST3
Presets.
•Under Mac OS, the default preset folder is located in
the following location:
Users/Username/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Presets/
15
Audio effects
3. In the File name field in the lower part of the dialog you
can enter a name for the new preset.
4. Click OK to store the preset and exit the dialog.
About earlier VST effect presets
As stated previously, you can use any VST 2.x plug-ins in
Cubase AI. For a description of how to add VST plug-ins
see “Installing and managing effect plug-ins” on page 15.
When you add a VST 2 plug-in, any previously stored pre-
sets for it will be of the old FX program/bank (.fxp/.fxb)
standard. You can import such files, but the preset han-
dling will be slightly different. You will not immediately be
able to use the new features like the Preview function until
you have converted the old “.fxp/.fxb” presets to VST 3
presets. If you save new presets for the included VST 2
plug-ins these will automatically be saved in the new “.vst-
preset” format.
•For all the plug-ins in the “Earlier VST Plug-ins” cate-
gory (or any other VST 2 plug-ins you may have installed),
you can import presets of the previous “.fxp/.fxb” standard
to ensure backwards compatibility.
Importing and converting FXB/FXP files
To import .fxp/.fxb files, proceed as follows:
1. Load an effect from the “Earlier VST Plug-ins” folder
(or any VST 2 effect you may have installed), and click on
the VST Sound button to open the Preset Management
pop-up menu.
2. Select “Import FXB/FXP…” from the pop-up.
This menu item is only available for VST 2 plug-ins.
3. In the file dialog that opens, locate the file and click
Open.
If you loaded a Bank, it will replace the current set of all effect programs.
If you loaded a single effect, it will replace the currently selected effect
program only.
4. After importing, you can convert the current program
list to VST Presets by selecting “Convert Program List to
VST Presets” from the Preset Management pop-up.
After converting, the presets will be available in the Preset browser. The
new converted presets will be stored in the VST3 Preset folder.
Installing and managing effect plug-
ins
Cubase AI supports two plug-in formats; the VST 2 format
(extension “.dll”) and the VST 3 format (extension “.vst3”).
The formats are handled differently when it comes to in-
stallation and organizing.
Installing additional VST plug-ins
Installing VST 3 plug-ins under Mac OS X
To install a VST 3.x plug-in under Mac OS X, quit Cubase
AI and drag the plug-in file to one of the following folders:
•/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
This is only possible if you are the system administrator. Plug-ins in-
stalled in this folder will be available to all users, for all programs that
support them.
•Users/Username/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
“Username” above is the name you use to log on to the computer (the
easiest way to open this folder is to go to your “Home” folder and use the
path /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/ from there). Plug-ins installed in this
folder are only available to you.
When you launch Cubase AI again, the new effects will ap-
pear on the effect pop-up menus. In the VST 3 protocol, the
effect category, sub-folder structure etc. is built-in and can-
not be changed. The effect(s) will show up in the assigned
category folder(s) on the Effect pop-up menu.
Installing VST 2.x plug-ins under Mac OS X
To install a VST 2.x plug-in under Mac OS X, quit Cubase
AI and drag the plug-in file to one of the following folders:
•/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/
This is only possible if you are the system administrator. Plug-ins in-
stalled in this folder will be available to all users, for all programs that
support them.
!
Plug-ins in Mac OS 9.X format cannot be used.
16
Audio effects
•Username/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/
“Username” above is the name you use to log on to the computer (the
easiest way to open this folder is to go to your “Home” folder and use the
path /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/ from there). Plug-ins installed in this
folder are only available to you.
When you launch Cubase AI again, the new effects will
appear on the effect pop-up menus.
ÖAn effect plug-in may also come with its own installa-
tion application, in which case you should use this.
Generally, always read the documentation or readme files before install-
ing new plug-ins.
Installing VST 3 plug-ins under Windows
Under Windows, VST 3 plug-ins are installed simply by
dragging the files (extension “.vst3”) into the vst3 folder in
the Cubase AI application folder. When you launch Cu-
base AI again, the new effects will appear on the Effect
pop-up menus. In the VST 3 protocol, the effect category,
sub-folder structure etc. is built-in and cannot be changed.
The installed new effect(s) will show up in the assigned
category folder(s) on the Effect pop-up menu.
Installing VST 2 plug-ins under Windows
Under Windows, VST 2.x plug-ins are usually installed
simply by dragging the files (with the extension “.dll”) into
the Vstplugins folder in the Cubase AI application folder,
or into the Shared VST Plug-in folder – see below. When
you launch Cubase AI again, the new effects will appear
on the Effect pop-up menus.
ÖIf the effect plug-in comes with its own installation ap-
plication, you should use this.
Generally, always read the documentation before installing new plug-ins.
Organizing VST 2 plug-ins
If you have a large number of VST 2 plug-ins, having them
all on a single pop-up menu in the program may become
unmanageable. For this reason, the VST 2 plug-ins in-
stalled with Cubase AI are placed in appropriate subfold-
ers according to the effect type.
•Under Windows, you can rearrange this by moving,
adding or renaming subfolders within the Vstplugins folder
if you like.
When you launch the program and pull down an Effects pop-up menu,
the subfolders will be represented by hierarchical submenus, each listing
the plug-ins in the corresponding subfolder.
•Under Mac OS X, you cannot change the hierarchic ar-
rangement of the “built-in” VST plug-ins.
You can however arrange any additional plug-ins you have installed (in the
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/ folders, see above) by placing them in sub-
folders. In the program, the subfolders will be represented by hierarchical
submenus, each listing the plug-ins in the corresponding subfolder.
The Plug-in Information window
On the Devices menu, you will find an item called “Plug-in
Information”. Selecting this opens a dialog listing all the
available VST compatible plug-ins in your system (includ-
ing VST Instruments).
Managing and selecting VST plug-ins
To see which VST plug-ins are available in your system,
click the “VST PlugIns” tab at the top of the window.
•To enable a plug-in (make it available for selection),
click in the left column.
Only the enabled plug-ins (shown with a check mark in the left column)
will appear on the effect menus.
•The second column indicates how many instances of
the plug-in are currently used in Cubase AI.
Clicking in this column for a plug-in which is already in use produces a
pop-up showing exactly where each use occurs – select an instance to
open the control panel for the plug-in.
ÖA plug-in may be in use even if it isn’t enabled in the
left column.
You might for example have opened a project containing effects that cur-
rently are disabled on the menu. The left column purely determines
whether or not the plug-in will be visible on the effect menus.
•All columns can be resized by using the divider in the
column header.
17
Audio effects
The other columns show the following information about
each plug-in:
Update button
Pressing this button will make Cubase AI re-scan the des-
ignated VST folders for updated information about the
plug-ins.
VST 2.x Plug-in Paths button
This opens a dialog where you can see the current paths
to where VST 2.x plug-ins are located. You can freely
Add/Remove folder locations by using the corresponding
buttons. If you click Add a file dialog is opened, where you
can select a folder location.
About the Shared Plug-ins Folder (Windows and VST 2.x
only)
You can designate a “shared” VST 2.x plugins folder. This
will allow VST 2.x plug-in to be used by other programs
that support this standard.
You designate a shared folder by selecting a folder in the
list and clicking the “Set As Shared Folder” button in the
VST 2.x Plug-in Paths dialog.
Column Description
Name The name of the plug-in.
Vendor The manufacturer of the plug-in.
File This shows the complete name of the plug-in (with exten-
sion).
Path The path and name of the folder in which the plug-in file
is located.
Category This indicates the category of each plug-in (such as VST
Instruments etc.).
Version Shows the current version of the plug-in.
SDK Shows with which version of the VST protocol a plug-in
is compatible.
Latency This shows the delay (in samples) that will be introduced
if the effect is used as an Insert. This is automatically
compensated for by Cubase AI.
I/O This column shows the number of inputs and outputs for
each plug-in.
2
The included effect plug-ins
19
The included effect plug-ins
Introduction
This chapter contains descriptions of the included plug-in
effects and their parameters.
In Cubase AI, the plug-in effects are arranged in a number
of different categories. This chapter is arranged in the
same fashion, with the plug-ins listed in separate sections
for each effect category.
Delay plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the
“Delay” category.
MonoDelay
This is a mono delay effect that can either be tempo-
based or use freely specified delay time settings.
The parameters are as follows:
PingPongDelay
This is a stereo delay effect that alternates each delay re-
peat between the left and right channels. The effect can
either be tempo-based or use freely specified delay time
settings.
The parameters are as follows:
Parameter Description
Delay This is where you specify the base note value for the de-
lay if tempo sync is on (1/1–1/32, straight, triplet or dot-
ted). If tempo sync is off, it sets the delay time in
milliseconds.
Tempo sync on/
off
The button below the Delay Time knob is used to turn
tempo sync on or off. If set to off the delay time can be
set freely with the Delay Time knob, without sync to
tempo.
Feedback This sets the number of repeats for the delay.
Filter Lo This filter affects the feedback loop of the effect signal
and allows you to roll off low frequencies from 10Hz up to
800Hz. The button below the knob activates/deactivates
the filter.
Filter Hi This filter affects the feedback loop of the effect signal
and allows you to roll off high frequencies from 20kHz
down to 1.2kHz. The button below the knob activates/
deactivates the filter.
Mix Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the ef-
fect. If MonoDelay is used as a send effect, this should be
set to maximum as you can control the dry/effect balance
with the send.
Parameter Description
Delay This is where you specify the base note value for the de-
lay if tempo sync is on (1/1–1/32, straight, triplet or dot-
ted). If tempo sync is off, it sets the delay time in
milliseconds.
Tempo sync on/
off
The button below the Delay Time knob is used to turn
tempo sync on or off. If set to off the delay time can be
set freely with the Delay Time knob, without sync to
tempo.
Feedback This sets the number of repeats for the delay.
Filter Lo This filter affects the feedback loop and allows you to roll
off low frequencies up to 800Hz. The button below the
knob activates/deactivates the filter.
Filter Hi This filter affects the feedback loop and allows you to roll
off high frequencies from 20kHz down to 1.2kHz. The
button below the knob activates/deactivates the filter.
Spatial This parameter sets the stereo width for the left/right re-
peats. Turn clockwise for a more pronounced stereo
“ping-pong” effect.
Mix Sets the level balance between the dry signal and the ef-
fect. If PingPongDelay is used as a send effect, this
should be set to maximum as you can control the dry/ef-
fect balance with the send.
20
The included effect plug-ins
Dynamics plug-ins
This section contains descriptions of the plug-ins in the
“Dynamics” category.
Gate
Gating, or noise gating, silences audio signals below a
certain set threshold level. As soon as the signal level ex-
ceeds the set threshold, the gate opens to let the signal
through.
The available parameters are as follows:
Limiter
Limiter is designed to ensure that the output level never
exceeds a certain set output level, to avoid clipping in fol-
lowing devices. Limiter can adjust and optimize the Re-
lease parameter automatically according to the audio
material, or it can be set manually. Limiter also features
separate meters for the input, output and the amount of
limiting (middle meters).
The available parameters are the following:
Parameter Description
Threshold
(-60 – 0dB)
This setting determines the level where Gate is activated.
Signal levels above the set threshold trigger the gate to
open, and signal levels below the set threshold will close
the gate.
Filter buttons When the Side Chain button (see below) is activated, you
can use these buttons to set the filter type to either Low
Pass, Band Pass or High Pass.
Side chain
(Off/On)
This button (below the Center knob) activates the filter. The
input signal can then be shaped according to set Center
and Q-Factor parameters which may be useful in tailoring
how the Gate operates.
Center
(50Hz –
20000Hz)
Sets the center frequency of the filter.
Q-Factor
(0.01 –
10000)
Sets the Resonance of the filter.
Monitor
(Off/On)
Allows you to monitor the filtered signal.
Attack
(0.1 – 1000
ms)
This parameter sets the time it takes for the gate to open
after being triggered. If the Live button (see below) is deac-
tivated, it will ensure that the gate will already be open
when a signal above the threshold level is played back.
Gate manages this by “looking ahead” in the audio mate-
rial, checking for signals loud enough to pass the gate.
Hold
(0 – 2000 ms)
This determines how long the gate stays open after the sig-
nal drops below the threshold level.
Release
(10 – 1000 ms
or “Auto”)
This parameter sets the amount of time it takes for the gate
to close (after the set hold time). If the “Auto” button is ac-
tivated, Gate will find an optimal release setting, depending
on the audio program material.
Analysis
(0 – 100)
(Pure Peak to
Pure RMS
This parameter determines whether the input signal is ana-
lyzed according to Peak or RMS values (or a mixture of
both). A value of 0 is pure Peak and 100 pure RMS. RMS
mode operates using the average power of the audio signal
as a basis, whereas Peak mode operates more on peak lev-
els. As a general guideline, RMS mode works better on ma-
terial with few transients such as vocals, and Peak mode
better for percussive material, with a lot of transient peaks.
Live mode
(On/Off)
When activated, Live mode disengages the “look ahead”
feature of the Gate. Look ahead does produce more accu-
rate processing but will add a certain amount of latency as
a trade-off. When Live mode is activated, there is no la-
tency, which might be better for “live” processing.
Parameter Description
Input
(-24 – +24dB)
Allows you to adjust the input gain.
Output
(-24 – +6 dB)
This setting determines the maximum output level.
Parameter Description
/