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Posted by djxposure on Jan-13-2011 14:28:

clueless with CUBASE !

Hi there ive just been given cubase 5 and ive only spent about an hour trying to create a basic tune but im already tearing my hair out.

I plan on creating a house style tune with vocals (have female singer) although i dont even know where to start

Is It worth me purchasing music production software a bit more aimed at beginners? or should i buy the dummies guide to cubase 5?

I have the following equipment: Numark mixdeck, yamaha djx keyboard, cubase 5, mic, female singer. I dont plan on using any external hardware to create my tunes.

any guidance is much appreciated thanks

Posted by Raphie on Jan-13-2011 14:32:

Cubase is not difficult, but you need a bit of time to get your head around it. I personally think it's the moest versatile DAW of all.

I would suggest to just start reading the quickstart manual and ckick as you go, spending 30mins with that will teach you a whole lot more than waiting on generic answers on Cubase.

Just to put things in perspective, did you purchase Cubase already? or are you "testing" it?

Posted by djxposure on Jan-13-2011 14:37:

im testing a friends version. I dont plan on spending that sort of money until i know i can use it. Theres a few books for getting started with it advertised on amazon. is it worth buying one or are there free guides online just as good?

Posted by tehlord on Jan-13-2011 14:39:

+1 to Raphie's post.

You need to put months of practise and study in to get to grips with the basics assuming you're a complete beginner.

Cubase is one of the easiest to get to grips with imo (having tried them all) so stick with it.

You can get an excellent Cubase video tutorial here for peanuts :-

http://www.music-production-videos.com/

It's for Cubase 4, but most features will be exactly the same or very similar.

As for buying it, you could easily get away with a MUCH cheaper version like Cubase Studio 4 (which I use). It'll have more features than you'll ever need and only really lacks a couple of the full versions (not particularly good) plugins.

Posted by djxposure on Jan-13-2011 15:05:

Thanks for that.

Will i need an external MIDI controller or will i be able to compose the whole track using cubase?

also if i have a vocalist, will cubase allow me to plug a microfone in and record some verses?

Posted by Raphie on Jan-13-2011 15:10:

if oyur soundcard has a line in, cubase can record it, and you can slice and dice it anyway you like afterwards

a midi controller is highly recommended unless you want ot draw everything iwth your mouse

Posted by J.L. on Jan-13-2011 15:11:

quote:
Originally posted by djxposure
Thanks for that.

Will i need an external MIDI controller or will i be able to compose the whole track using cubase?

also if i have a vocalist, will cubase allow me to plug a microfone in and record some verses?

It does all of that. Order today and get a free Sham Wow! For 3 payments of $99.99. Order now and get free analogue.

Posted by tehlord on Jan-13-2011 15:11:

You can program notes into Cubase with a mouse although it's fairly laborious. Even a basic 25 key controller will speed things up immensely.

You'll also do better with a proper ASIO audio interface for recording vocals or you'll potentially run into latency issues. Something like an M-Audio Fastrack will do fine, as well as having a proper XLR mic input. As for mics, a Behringer XM5800 is probably the cheapest way to get an acceptable sounding vocal into your computer.

Also budget for at least some kind of monitoring. Mixing on hifi gear almost always gives shite results.

Posted by Subtle on Jan-13-2011 22:51:

Cubase is easy really, its just those little things in the beginning you have to get your head around.

Check youtube its all there.