User manual

131
Recording
Options and Settings
About Pre-roll and Post-roll
The pre-roll and post-roll value fields (below the left/right locator fields) on the
Transport panel have the following functionality:
• By setting a pre-roll value, you instruct Cubase to “roll back” a short section
whenever playback is activated.
This applies whenever you start playback, but is perhaps most relevant when
recording from the left locator (punch in activated on the Transport panel) as
described below.
• By setting a post-roll value, you instruct Cubase to play back a short section after
automatic punch out before stopping.
This is only relevant when punch out is activated on the Transport panel and “Stop
after Automatic Punch Out” is activated in the Preferences dialog (Transport
page).
• To turn pre-roll or post-roll on or off, click the corresponding button on the
Transport panel (next to the pre/post-roll value) or use the “Use Pre-roll” and “Use
Post-roll” options on the Transport menu.
An example:
1. Set the locators to where you want to start and end recording.
2. Activate “Auto Punch In” and “Auto Punch Out” on the Transport panel.
3. Activate the “Stop after Automatic Punch Out” option in the Preferences dialog
(Transport page).
4. Set suitable pre-roll and post-roll times by clicking in the corresponding fields on
the Transport panel and typing in time values.
5. Activate pre-roll and post-roll by clicking the buttons next to the pre-roll and post-
roll times so that they light up.
6. Activate recording.
The project cursor “rolls back” by the time specified in the pre-roll field and
playback starts. When the cursor reaches the left locator, recording is
automatically activated. When the cursor reaches the right locator, recording is
deactivated, but playback continues for the time set in the post-roll field before
stopping.
Using the metronome
The metronome can output a click that can be used as a timing reference. The two
parameters that govern the timing of the metronome are tempo and time signature, as
set on the tempo track and signature track, or in the Tempo Track Editor (see
“Editing
the tempo curve” on page 613). The metronome can use a either an audio click
played back via the audio hardware, send MIDI data to a connected device which will
play back the click or both.
You can also set up a precount (count-in) that will be heard when you start recording
from Stop mode. This can be musical or time based.
• To activate the metronome click, activate the Click button on the Transport panel.
You can also select the “Metronome On” option on the Transport menu or use the
corresponding key command (by default [C]).
Post-roll value field and on/off switch
Pre-roll value field and on/off switch