Making Volume Adjustments in the Project Window
You don’t need to open Cubase’s virtual mixer to make adjustments to the levels of your tracks. There are several easy ways to make volume adjustments within the Project window.
The easiest way is by adjusting the volume within each part using the OST. You can do this like you changed the size of a part with the OST in Chapter 8, “Basic Editing.”
First select the audio part you wish to adjust with the OST. Then position the OST over the small blue box in the center of the part (see Figure 9.4). Once over the blue box, the OST will turn into an up-and-down arrow pointer volume control (see Figure 9.5). By clicking and dragging upward or downward, you will be able to adjust the level of the selected part. As you adjust the volume, the waveform is also redrawn to reflect the level changes (see Figures 9.6 and Figure 9.7).
Figure 9.4. Adjusting levels using an audio part’s blue volume control box.
Figure 9.5. When placed over the blue volume control box, the OST becomes the volume control.
Figure 9.6. A waveform before the volume increase.
Figure 9.7. The same waveform after the volume increase.
Using this simple method, you can make quick and accurate volume changes for each part. What’s great about adjusting the levels by part (as opposed to the entire track) is that you have the ability to isolate small sections and make finely tuned volume adjustments. This can be achieved by first cutting the section of a part that may be slightly too low in volume and then adjusting that section using the OST’s volume control (see Figures 9.8 and 9.9).
Figure 9.8. The waveform before the quick volume fix.
Figure 9.9. The waveform after the quick volume fix.
By using this method, you can quickly isolate a note or word that is slightly lower or higher in volume and needs to be adjusted.
You can also fade levels in or out using the OST to select either the left (fade in) or right (fade out) blue box in the upper corners of the selected part. This works in a way similar to selecting the part volume, except this time you drag the OST to the left or right to change the length of the fade in or fade out (see Figure 9.10).
Figure 9.10. Fading a part in or out with the OST.
If controlling the overall volume of a part, or fading a part in and out, is still not enough, you can use the Draw tool to create points within the audio part and then use the same tool to draw an envelope volume increase or decrease on the actual waveform (see Figures 9.11 and 9.12). This is very similar to the method we used in creating a pitch envelope in Chapter 8.
Figure 9.11. Creating envelope wave points with the Draw tool.
Figure 9.12. Creating gradual volume increases and decreases within a part using the Draw tool.
Once you’re finished making your volume adjustments, you can bounce your part sections into one solid audio part as I demonstrated in the last chapter. This is not always necessary but could come in handy, especially if you will be taking your mix to another studio.
For those familiar with the old-school way of mixing (with a mixer), this method may seem a little strange at first. This is the most recently added method of mixing in Cubase, and with it, I find that I rarely need to use the other methods. I feel that mixing will become more and more advanced based on this particular method.
Instead of showing you every possible way to adjust volumes in Cubase, I’ve limited this discussion to this one particular method so I can address other important areas of mixing. If you want to learn more about automation subtracks and the mixer, the Cubase manual contains a lot of useful information on both of these subjects. I will demonstrate using an automation subtrack a little later in this chapter.