Daw

[Boneman]

Can you compose using DAW's?

If you can you can guess the next question!

How.

Can I compose using Cubase SE?

[stevel]

Originally Posted by Boneman

Can you compose using DAW's?

If you can you can guess the next question!

How.

Can I compose using Cubase SE?

Can you compose using a Pencil and Staff Paper? Then you can compose using Cubase. How do you compose with Pencil and Paper - you have ideas and you "record" them in written form. How do you compose with Cubase? You have ideas and you "record" them in digital form.

So don't think Kevin that Cubase is a "Composition Program" any more than Pencil and Paper is. Cubase is a TOOL that you use to preserve and realize your music.

Think of Cubase like Sibelius - in Sibelius you use Notes to preserve and to play back the sounds you want, in what order, etc. Cubase is no different except that instead of the sounds being represented by notes (though it does have notation), the sounds are represented by "graphics" in the Key Editor, and by numerical values in the List Editor. Instead of a "score" you have a multi-track layout reminiscent of analog tape.

Now, one advantage of Cubase for composing is it's designed to record what you play in real time. Sibelius et al are not really meant for "recording" ideas (though they can be made to do so). So with Cubase, you can have a melodic idea, figure it out on keyboard, and record it in. Then you can manipulate that information in a multitude of ways.

Got a Song (even if it's Lieder)? How do you tell how the vocal line will sound? Well, you can't in Sibelius. But with Cubase, you can record it as Audio. So huge advantage right there. And the fact that you can combine Audio and MIDI means you could record yourself playing T-Bone, and then go back and compose string parts for it.

Now, do you generate a socre and parts from Cubase? Unlikely. Those of us who want printed notation to be read/performed from, usually use Fin or Sib to NOTATE, and then export the MIDI file to Cubase (etc.) to Realize. For example, putting a tempo change into Finale is a PITA. But in Cubase it's cake. So you learn to do what's easy in the notation program, and what to save for the sequencing program what's easy in it, and use both tools to produce both a Notated Score, and an Audio Realization of your music. If you only want to do one or the other, you skip - many people simply make music as Audio, so they only need a Sequencer - they have no need for notation. In fact, many people don't even use MIDI stuff and only record audio (vocals, drums, guitars, etc.) and need something more dedicated to that.

Best,
Steve

[Boneman]

So does it go that if I have written something using a notation program I can save it as a midi file and then put it through my Cubase to get a more realistic playback?

Where do they hide all the orchestral instrument sounds?

[stevel]

Originally Posted by Boneman

So does it go that if I have written something using a notation program I can save it as a midi file and then put it through my Cubase to get a more realistic playback?

Where do they hide all the orchestral instrument sounds?

Absolutely. That's what people typically do because it's usually far easier to manipulate playback in something like Cubase. Just for an example, say you take a quartet you've written and you did it in 4 piano parts. In Finale, to make each staff be a different sound you have to go in and create 3 new instruments which is time-consuming. In Cubase, you just take your four tracks and simply assign a MIDI channel and patch to each. Takes seconds rather than minutes. Then, if you want to change one - much easier in Cubase (excuse me, actually I lie because in newer versions of Finale they've made it easier to get to those features, but even back in 2004 you couldn't do it so easily).

All you need to do when you save your Finale as a .mid file is make sure you select "each staff goes to it's own channel" format (Type 1 or Type 0 - I always get the two mixed up). Then when you import it into Cubase, each staff will go on it's own track with it's own channel (up to 16).

There are no "sounds in Cubase. There are actually no sounds in Finale either (I know, I keep saying Finale and you use Sibelius, but bear with me). The sounds are created by the program sending MIDI instructions somewhere else. That somewhere else is one of two places: 1. An external sound module/synthesizer or 2. a software synthesizer. If #1, you need a USB capable synthesizer or MIDI interface to send those instructions to the synthesizer. For #2, you simply need a soft synth compatible with your program. Additionally, the soft synth is treated as a "plug-in" so it appears that it's "part" of the program (and you do access it from within the program, but think of it as an "attachment" that you can add on or not).

Cubase SE should have come with some VSTi (soft synths). If you've got Universal Sound Module (USM) you've got the ability to have 16 different sounds simultaneously. They are general MIDI sounds though so they are not necessarily as good as Garritan Personal Orchestra. Still, you could have Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet, T-Bone, Tuba, Violin, Viola, Viola, Cello, Bass, and room for 3 percussion using 16 channels.

Again though (referring to my other post on the subject) how many of those 16 you can play simultaneously depends on your computer's processing power and memory.

If you didn't get a virtual synth with SE, then you have to buy one. You'd have to find one (or ones) that had the instrument sounds you want - GPO being probably the most efficient and affordable, comparatively. I'd check around though before buying GPO - there might be some better ones out there.

I'm not sure how it works if you have, say GPO for Sibelius - as far as I know it should come up as available for Cubase, but there might be some kind of different format in use, and you need the VST version of GPO.

Best,
Steve

[Boneman]

I now have Sibelius 5.1 and GPO. Would Cubase provide a better quality of sound than what I already have?

As an aside can I use Cubase SE for recording "live" performance and use the file as I need?

thanks up to now Steve.

[stevel]

Originally Posted by Boneman

I now have Sibelius 5.1 and GPO. Would Cubase provide a better quality of sound than what I already have?

As an aside can I use Cubase SE for recording "live" performance and use the file as I need?

thanks up to now Steve.

Once again, Cubase does not make sound. Cubase either records sound as audio, imports sound as audio, sends messages to virtual instruments that produce audio, or sends messages to hardware synthesizers that produce audio.

The quality of sound you get depends ENTIRELY on the sound source you're recording, importing, or sending instructions to. If you loaded up the Vienna Symphonic Cube, yes, you would get far better sounds than GPO. It also costs about 100 times as much (especially if you got GPO free with Sib!). What you must have is either a software synthesizer with good orchestral sounds, a hardware synthesizer with good orchestral sounds, or be able to record live instrument sounds playing your piece.

I was reading elsewhere on the forums that Sib does not support plug-ins the way Cubase does, so you're limited to Sib sounds and its expansion packs. With Cubase, as long as it's VST format, you're good.

And yes, you can record audio with Cubase. For youre T-Bone Concerto you just posted, which - no offense - sounds godawful because of the sounds you used, could be done with live (something you've recorded) T-Bone and much better synth orchestral instruments. You can not do that with Sib. You can only hand it to real players if you can.

HTH,
Steve