The Complete Idiot's Guide to
Recording with Cubase

$19.95 US
250 pp.
ISBN 1592574998
January 2007
Alpha Books
Michael Miller, Author

COVERS CUBASE 4 AND CUBASE STUDIO 4!

About the Book

You're no idiot, of course. You have high hopes that Cubase will turn you into a real live recording artist. But when you start up the software to begin laying down your tunes, you suddenly miss the simplicity of your old cassette recorder...

Get on the right tracks! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recording with Cubase shows you how to use this revolutionary computer software to record, mix, and master your own music. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get:

Simple tips on navigating and configuring the Cubase workspace
Straightforward strategies for spicing up your tracks with process effects and equalization
Foolproof instructions for creating drum tracks and loop-based recordings
Expert advice on recording, mixing, and mastering

Here's more of what you'll learn in The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recording with Cubase:

Set up your home recording studio
Record audio and MIDI tracks
Make acoustic or electric instruments sound great
Play and record VST virtual instruments
Edit mistakes out of your tracks
Apply expert equalization to your recordings
Enhance your recordings with reverb, compression, and other plug-in effects
Turn your mix track into a polished master
Get your master mix ready for distribution

What's In the Book?

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recording with Cubase is composed of 15 chapters, each of which concentrates on a different aspect of the recording, mixing, and mastering process. The chapters are organized into five general parts, as follows:

Part 1, "Getting Started," starts off with a "quick start" to your first recording project, then talks about what you need to set up your own home recording studio and how to find your way around the Cubase interface.
Part 2, "Recording," tackles the basics of recording music. One chapter is devoted to traditional audio recording (using microphones and guitars and such), another to MIDI recording (using MIDI keyboards and synthesizers).
Part 3, "Editing," shows you how to edit the recordings you've made. Cubase offers a wealth of editing functions for both audio and MIDI recordings; both types of editing are covered separately.
Part 4, "Special Techniques," recognizes that not everyone records the same way. The first of these three chapters show you how to use VST virtual instruments in your recordings, the second chapter discusses recording with loops and samples, and the third chapter teaches you several different ways to create a great-sounding drum track
Part 5, "Mixing and Mastering," brings you to the end of the recording process. You'll learn how to mix your multiple tracks down to stereo, how to add various types of plug-in effects, how to apply EQ, and how to export your master mix to a digital audio file for distribution on CD or over the Internet.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recording with Cubase concludes with a glossary of recording terms and a second appendix that details what's new in Cubase 4 -- and how Cubase 4 differs from Cubase Studio 4.

From the Book's Foreword...

...Michael Miller's mastery of this software will walk you step-by-step from the basics of getting set up through the mastering of your final mix. You will work through a series of exercises to develop your skills in MIDI programming, recording techniques, audio editing, and working with the latest cutting-edge VST instruments and plug-in effects. Throughout the experience, you will discover that Cubase 4 is a multi-faceted program that includes deep feature sets for all areas of music from songwriting and album production, to film scoring and sound design. Cubase 4 will become the source of inspiration to develop your art, while offering the most reliable platform to record, edit, mix, and master your music.

Doug DeAngelis
Doug DeAngelis is a well-known producer, composer, and recording engineer. His composing credits include the soundtracks for a number of hit television shows, including CSI: Miami, The Evidence, Robbery Homicide Division, Third Watch, and L.A.X.

How to Buy This Book

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recording with Cubase is available at bookstores everywhere, or you can order the book online by clicking the button to the left.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recording with Cubase