Cubase Arrenger Track help

[sfd]

Hi everyone !

I'm visually impaired and I've used Cubase for quite sometime now.

Until recentl yI've never really paid any attention to the Arrangment Track feature.

I realize that this feature could come in very handy.

Most tutorials out there nowdays are video guides. They're no use to me.

So what I'm wondering is if there's any kind helpful soul out there who could help me out a bit with this.

A small and simple tutorial on how to use the Arrenger Track feature.

And/or, even better, if somebody could make a very basic and simple Cubase project using the Arranger Track. Say with only one instrument. Likm,e Retrologue that's built into Cubase.

I'm using Cubase 7.5.

Any help on this is deeply appreciated !

Big thanks in advance !

[bustedfist]

I've got C6.5 on an XP system I could make a small project in so it'd be compatible with C7. I'll have a go in a bit, just woke up.

[bustedfist]

Just watched a vid to refresh my memory, it's really basic so I'll give explaining a shot.

First, add the arranger track. Select the pencil tool, and on the project page, draw events just like you would for any other part. You re-name sections via the Info Line, so you must set it to show. Once done, with the Arranger Track selected and the Inspector showing, switch to the select tool and double click on parts listed in the bottom pane to make a chain in the top. You can set repeats by changing the number in the top pane to the desired. There's a button on the Track and on the Transport, if you have that selection set to show in trans setup where you enable the arranger track, looks like a bent arrow, IIRC. The song will follow the arrangement.

Now, to make a second chain, in the Inspector, find the drop down where you add a second chain and repeat the steps above. Switching between chains is easy as selecting a different one.

Any questions, just ask.

[sfd]

I've got C6.5 on an XP system I could make a small project in so it'd be compatible with C7. I'll have a go in a bit, just woke up.

Oh, hey - that's very appreciated ..really !!!!

[sfd]

Just watched a vid to refresh my memory, it's really basic so I'll give explaining a shot.

First, add the arranger track. Select the pencil tool, and on the project page, draw events just like you would for any other part. You re-name sections via the Info Line, so you must set it to show. Once done, with the Arranger Track selected and the Inspector showing, switch to the select tool and double click on parts listed in the bottom pane to make a chain in the top. You can set repeats by changing the number in the top pane to the desired. There's a button on the Track and on the Transport, if you have that selection set to show in trans setup where you enable the arranger track, looks like a bent arrow, IIRC. The song will follow the arrangement.

Now, to make a second chain, in the Inspector, find the drop down where you add a second chain and repeat the steps above. Switching between chains is easy as selecting a different one.

Any questions, just ask.

Good guide ! Let me see if I can manage to turn that into practice on my Cubase.
Thanks a lot !!!

[thebutler]

Hi sfd - I was literally working with this feature, on a project earlier in the week..

The Arranger Track is a really useful tool on occasion, when you quickly want to 'prototype' different editions of your song (and you don't want to do any mass editing.!). The thing to look out for of course, is getting the 'joins' to work between sections/repeats etc... Things like 'pick-up notes' to phrases, or sung lyrics that go over those joins.

In these cases, I found I had to simply chop and mute those specific instances, and then run an export of the 'Arrangement' map.

Next, I re-imported that stereo mix, placing it on its own track well after existing data on the Timeline. Then I went back and grabbed those 'muted' notes/lyrics, and copied and pasted them in-line with their proper position under/above the new stereo output. Voila.!

Ok, a little trial and error was needed to get the final output sounding as I wanted (remember, you're effectively outputting twice), but this saved a whole lot of other brain-ache and sweat I might have faced otherwise; especially as one of the songs was mostly played live and I'd made a tempo-map to go with the drums. Copying and pasting sections around to create the 'extended instrumental' the client subsequently asked for, would have needed extra care to take account of the Tempo Track data too.

Arranger Track to the rescue.

@bustedfist is well on the case...

Good luck - its fun.!
thebutler

[bustedfist]

The thing to look out for of course, is getting the 'joins' to work between sections/repeats etc... Things like 'pick-up notes' to phrases, or sung lyrics that go over those joins.

This is what the Flatten function is for, to line things up before Export.

[thebutler]

The thing to look out for of course, is getting the 'joins' to work between sections/repeats etc... Things like 'pick-up notes' to phrases, or sung lyrics that go over those joins.

This is what the Flatten function is for, to line things up before Export.

OMG.! Didn't know about this - thanks; will remember to investigate at some point...

[sfd]

The one reason, or actually 8, why I got into this is 8 bars in a song that I've been struggling with for quite sometime now.

I normaly just move things around to see how that goes. But this time round I've got 9 vocal tracks (lead,, backing vocals , harmonies etc) that would be just to much to start cutting up and move around.

Bweteeen the hook/chorus and the 2nd verse there are 8 bars that is just to loong. But the vocal parts in those 8 bars are great and the last bar has a great soudning choir part that goes over to the beginning of the 2nd verse in a superb way.

I wanted to check if I could just move from the first hook/chorus directly to the 2nd verse. But it turned out to be way to much editing and cutting. And I'm not sure the final resul twould be worth it.

So, that' swhy I came into this with teh Arrenger Track.

I've played around with that today. But I realize I'
ve some more work to do before I 've grabbed this whole thing.

[thebutler]

HeHe..! You'll get there...

Remember - always work (experiment) on a Backup project; the original is kept safe, you're not going to ruin anything, don't get anxious, you're going to have some fun. You are in control, not Cubase.!

Agreed; editing and cutting as you put it, can be a bit boring. The Arranger Track may help in deciding between good ideas and bad. But it can also hinder the good ideas from working out well..! And, as in your case, you've hit the 'problem' I described in my post above when trying out this feature.

However, to get round its limitations, give the chopping and muting method a go on your vocal section - treat them as one whole block; keep the parts on their respective tracks with all insert/send FX and routing in tact. This 'block' can then literally be copied/pasted to line up against the re-imported stereo 'Arrangement Map' mixdown. Tweak, nip and tuck to blend...

It should work out...

[sfd]

The thing to look out for of course, is getting the 'joins' to work between sections/repeats etc... Things like 'pick-up notes' to phrases, or sung lyrics that go over those joins.

This is what the Flatten function is for, to line things up before Export.

OMG.! Didn't know about this - thanks; will remember to investigate at some point...

Yea, making a backup is a good idea - I've learned that the hard way !
This tune has gone trough fiftyeleven metamorphonses by now. After I "lost" a good drum track I've also started saving individual tracks too. The good part with having problems with a track is that it makes me discover features and tools I never really cared about before.

Speaking of features. Isn't there a hot-key for splitting a track at the locator's position? Instead of using the mouse. Something like Alt+X I think...?

[SJ_Digriz]

Yea, making a backup is a good idea - I've learned that the hard way !

I save a new project and flatten that.

Speaking of features. Isn't there a hot-key for splitting a track at the locator's position? Instead of using the mouse. Something like Alt+X I think...?

Split loop is the keycommand, but I don't believe it is mapped by default.

[sfd]

I found the hotkey for splitting at locator's (cursors) position. It's Alt+X

[SJ_Digriz]

I found the hotkey for splitting at locator's (cursors) position. It's Alt+X

yeah, that's the cursor. I thought you wanted the loop or selection points (multiple cuts in one go). Both of those options exist as well.

[sfd]

If I only knew where Cubase hide that Fix-The-Problem-Button !