Cubase 13 here… For some reason, I just cannot locate the input trim for a given channel… in my case, my master bus is about +4dB and i would like to trim the input gain to it. Where is it? It was always there in the channel strip, in prior Cubase versions, and seems to have disappeared on me! Without it, I’d have to manually trim 30-40 channel outputs (many of which have automation dependent on a particular level. Thx!!!
Kindly post a screenshot of the channel settings window.
Oh snap, this is not what I needed. This pre-gain doesn’t attenuate the hot signals coming to the master bus. Not sure what it does then.
IOW, my signals coming to the stereo out bus are +4dB. I need to trim the hot levels coming in, uniformly, by say 6dB. Looking for a channel trim pot.
Hmmm… if you can’t use the pre-gain and you cannot use the fader on the master bus, maybe a little gain plugin could be loaded on an insert slot in order to adjust the volume? In C14 Steinberg added such a plugin but there is also freeware out there, or you use any plugin that has a volume control in it like Frequency.
There is also the possibility to trim the volume including all automation. Kindly check the manual for “Trim”.
However, there is no trim potentiometer in Cubase. You must have seen this in another software.
Maybe I’ve got something wrong with my approach… but to be clear:
The pre-gain found in the EQ section doesn’t adjust the input level reaching the master bus (stereo out). Not sure what it does then.
If I use the stereo out master fader and drop down 6dB, this will adjust the output, yes, but the signal coming TO that bus will already have clipped (as I said I’m hot by about 4dB), so adjusting it after the damage is done will not suffice. And using a plugin ON the master bus will be the same thing… it’ll be adjusting the output but NOT the input.
On Cubase SX. 4, 5, and 6 (I jumped from 6 to 13), yes indeed, there was a little adjuster at the top of every channel strip where you could instantly adjust the input gain. It didn’t have a pot graphic tho, it was just a blue little box, right next to the pan. I used this function hundreds of times. Not sure what it was formerly called, ie trim, pre-gain, etc.
Internally Cubase cannot clip anything. +4dB is nothing to worry about, you have more than 700 dB of headroom.
If your are using any plugins that try to emulate old analog equipment they might be sensitive to such things, but only soundwise.
The clipping can only occur in the DA converter of your audio interface, and that is why there is a red clipping warning light on any of the output busses.
If you can lower the fader of the master bus you will be fine.
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Excellent info, definitely above my paygrade! Great to know, thx. Will use the master fader then for now!
I am still curious what happened to the damn input trim tho. For posterity’s sake, here’s a blurry pic of the master bus in Cubase 6 i happened to have in my Google Photo archive, and i circled the input trim above the channel fader. I used to just punch in the value, (like “-6db”) and can’t recall if that rotary pot to the right of it was an input pot (probably was). Strange.
That marked control used to be called “Input Gain” and is now called Pre-Gain. It works still in the same way now as it did back then.
If you like to make a little practical experiment regarding clipping:
Create an empty project, and then one audio track. Import a nice audio file onto the track that comes close to 0.0dB. Then load three Studio EQ plugins in the insert and increase each’s output volume by +24dB.
Now lower the master out by -72.0dB. Start playback.
Your audio track’s meter will be all red, but the playback will still sound nice.
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