Using Cubase Send Effects

cubase send effects

Reverbs and delays are basically always used as send effects, as this allows you to channel different amounts of different channels to the same effect, while having one fader available to control the entire level of the effect. Compared among using multiple reverbs as record effects, this conserves CPU power and makes it easy to place multiple sources in the same acoustic space. Just remember the send effects should be set to 100 percent wet. To set up a send effect in Cubase, insert a plug-in on an FX or Group Channel —preferably an FX Channel.

Cubase contains plenty of choices for delay, but sometimes it pays to keep things simple and use MonoDelay or StereoDelay.In general, I find that it aides to think of your stereo mix as a three-dimensional space, consisting of a left-to-right stereo field, which you can control though panning, a 'vertical' frequency spectrum, which you can control via EQ (and by writing suitable characteristics for suitable instruments!), and front-to-back depth, which is built mainly with reverb- and delay-based effects (often combined with a bit of EQ).

A useful starting point for a mix (which is worth creating as a Project template in Cubase) is to set up somewhere between three and six FX Channels, for a different delay and/or reverb. For example, I created a template that includes six send effects channels. These include a very brief reverb provided for mainly the first part of reflections or 'ambience', a mid-length reverb and a longer reverb, and a parallel configuration for delays — one very short, with little or no feedback, one more noticeable, maybe with a touch of feedback, and another rather longer one, amidst feedback that I'll change based on information from song to song as required.

I might choose to use some further, 'special' reverbs and delays later, but this is often my basic starting point. I can use these kinds of FX Channels to place sounds at multiple points on the front-to-back axis, by sending varying amounts of the different channels to them. If you haven't tried this approach before, give it a go — it can be really effective and can save you a lot of clock ticking work.

When you use the sends to route a signal to an FX Channel, it defaults to sending the signal post-fader — that is to say, it's only the sound source as it sounds following EQ, insert effects and the volume fader that goes to the effects. But you can opt to send the signal before any of the processing or volume settings, which means that you get the unprocessed signal going to the FX Channel. To do this, you just click the pre-fader button.

Using Cubase Compressor to Create Pumping effect

How to use Cubase's compressor to get that pumping effect

First find your song's (BPM) beats per minute, then calculate your attack
and release times.

Heres one way you can use a compressor to artificially pump an 1/8th note bass line on every quarter note. First set the attack to a 1/16th note and the release to a 1/4note-1/16th note. For a BPM of 95 in this case set the attack to 158 ms and release to 632-158 = 474 ms. This should let the 1st transient through (approx 1/16th note in length) then clamp down on the rest of the 1st eighth note and the 2nd eighth note and then be fully released by the time the 3rd note starts. Basically what you get is the 1st half of every other 8th note goes through untouched thus creating a pumping effect. This is a great way to add ear trickery and take your mix to a whole new level.