AFAIK, the Cubase audio engine has always been that way, but you may be confused from using ProTools (or taking courses that used it). Because until not so long ago, ProTools used 24-bit fixed for its internal calculations, and then it indeed is very important to not clip within the mix itself.
What I normally do is use the scissors to cut the audio file either side of where I want to amplify, then select the required area and set its volume on the Info Line. You boost up to 24dB (i.e. 4x).
Usually I will also drag the ends of the section to overlap the preceding and following clips and do a crossfade.
As Split suggested, in the Mixer, try linking the channels of all the relevant tracks and then adjust the volume as required. To achieve this, firstly hold shift and select the channels required, then right click and select ‘link channels’. Now moving the fader of any one of the linked channels will move them all. This might help with some of the issues you have been having.
Thank you but I already know all that. But linking the channels will NOT adjust the volume of volume-automated tracks. It will only affect on the tracks with NO volume automation. I would like to be able to adjust the volume on all tracks regardless whether they have automation present or not.
It’s a freeware gain suite…
Here’s a quote about the plugin…
“Another interesting and exclusive feature is the ability to link several instances of the same plug-in: thanks to our unique data sharing technology, you can control the gain of several tracks at the same time with a single slider.”
I use 32bit fp throughout now. I don’t know what the advantages are, or whether it’s a good idea as I’m not that clued up when it comes to not depths. Would you recommend this?
Yeah, there are a couple of cases where 32 FP is a valid setting on the project setup.
1: If you ever use FX on an input channel then this may have an advantage as the output from the FX will be in 32 fp.
2: if you use a lot of offline processing or other functions like bounce selection. Basically any Cubase function that writes a new file to disk, will use the project bit depth setting. (apart from the export setting, that has its own settings.
Otherwise setting 32bit float just writes the 24bit word to a 32bit FP format and wastes disk space, as the project bit depth can be changed after file recording to take advantage of the higher bit depth.
Not that anyone would actually notice unless you repeatedly applied processing.
Hi Split - Thanks for your post! I do a lot of bouncing (24 bit on project set up), and so the underlined bit got me thinking. Am I understanding your point to be that it would be better for Cubase to do the bounce to 32 bit rather than 24 bit? If that’s the case, why would that be?
In my mind, I can’t tell why it would be different if the bounced file was a 32 bit one in a 32 bit project, or a 24 bit one. Is it because the bouncing process (or other offline processes) have rounding errors, and the effects of these are less in 32 bit calculations?
Yes, rounding errors. Although they will be so insignificant as to be mostly unimportant.
But if repeated over and over, who knows
My take would be that disk space is so cheap and plentiful these days then why not just use 32bit as that’s what the rest of the program is using. I never really understood why all internal file writing is not just done 32 FP anyway instead of being tied into the project bit depth setting?
It’s probably because of converting audio internally to 32FP and calculating with that will probably eliminate those rounding errors ie. minimize quantization noise.
EDIT: I’m sorry I didn’t notice that this is just what you were talking about. But didn’t someone earlier say that Cubase ALWAYS uses 32 bit-depth calculations? Anyway I always record in 32 bit mode just because of the things you said; disk space is cheap and why the hell should anyone record in 24 bit let alone in 16 bit mode?
Yeah I said Cubase always used 32bit FP, I should have said Cubase always uses 32bit FP Except when executing a function that writes a file to disk, then it will use the Project Bit Depth setting. (export exclude)
So basically it would be best to always record in 32 bit format and use that right? At least I cannot find any reason not to do so. I have plenty of HD space so that’s no problem. But is it any “heavier” for Cubase engine if all the audio is already in 32FP format or is it actually lighter since then Cubase wouldn’t have to do all the format calculating?
Have I misunderstood something here, that the problem was the mix bus or stereo bus was clipping but the individual channels were not ? Why not work at lower levels ? Why have the channels running so hot if they clip the main busses ? Give yourself more headroom.
