how to set up multi-band processing in cubase?

[koalabear]

I was watching someone, in Logic, set-up an audio track so that they could use different plugfx on different 5 frequency bands. Eg. the bass low mids they could add delay, the high-mids they could add distortion, etc. They then could control the different bands like they were different signals on the mixer, mixing levels in channel strips, tweaking/muting until the overall sound was right. They used eq'ing to setup the different bandpasses.

I've been trying to do the same in my cubase sx3 daw, and i don't know how to set it up. I think the lingo is different from logic to cubase, and i've tried the manual, but i'm a bit lost tbh. I know this involved somehow sending the main signal to either 5 different busses/sends/groups, but it's all a bit advanced for me.

If someone could tell me how to set this scenario up in my cubase i'd be very grateful... i get confused by terms like 'busses' and so on because they sometimes mean different things. A step by step guide would be excellent.

Thanks!

[cancelbutton]

wait a sec. do you know how to make it in logic? if you do, then teach me please.

you can create duplicated tracks of the same audio track, filter each of them as you wish (you can make 1st for low, 2nd for lo-mid.., etc), and then apply totally different sound effects on each track. as i think of it, it should replicate the results. and, yeah, you can do it in any sequencer. that's how i do.

[mantovani]

busses are called grouptracks in cubase.
create 5 grouptracks in cubase. ( via right-click in the project trackview )
route 5 of the sends of your audiotrack to the 5 different groups.
insert a filter/eq plugin in each of the group´s first insertslot to set the respective bandwidth.
route your audiotrack to "no bus" OR pull the fader down and set your sends to prefader, so all you hear is the output of the 5 groups.
done.
mix with the 5 groupfaders.

[koalabear]

mantovani... thanks, what you're saying makes sense, i will try it. The use of the word 'groups' was really confusing me.

cancelbutton... you might like this

[koalabear]

Originally Posted by mantovani

route 5 of the sends of your audiotrack to the 5 different groups.

I'm unsure what you mean by this. On my audio track, i can only send to one group track at a time, instead on 5. Do you mean i must set up 5 'sendfx' channels as well, and route each one to a group channel? Now it's complicated (5 group channels AND 5 sendfx?), i'm confused again . Please clarify!

[IxtabStudios]

I don't know if you can do this in Cubase, but in PT you output your track to a bus, and assign that same bus as the input of your however many aux (group) tracks.

[Vogon]

Originally Posted by koalabear

mantovani... thanks, what you're saying makes sense, i will try it. The use of the word 'groups' was really confusing me.

cancelbutton... you might like this

Actually in Logic, you could also send the track to one bus and assign 5 aux's inputs to that bus - just as IxtabStudios suggests for PT.
Not that it's much different in practice, maybe neater as you wouldn't be taking up multiple strip sends for one job, as in the video.

But in cubase, to split a signal into 5 buses (grouptracks) you would use sends on that signal's channelstrip. So you'd use whatever you use to send to a reverb or delay etc. that's on a bus, but one for each bus. Then disable that channel's output (obviously).

[schmuck]

Originally Posted by koalabear

I'm unsure what you mean by this. On my audio track, i can only send to one group track at a time, instead on 5. Do you mean i must set up 5 'sendfx' channels as well, and route each one to a group channel? Now it's complicated (5 group channels AND 5 sendfx?), i'm confused again . Please clarify!

On the original audio channel, go to the 'send' slots. There you can choose FX and group channels as a destination (the group channels must be setup first, but afterwards you can choose them in the send slots of any audio channel unless its output is routed to the group channel already).

[RTR]

YA, I am finding cubase hard to learn compared to PT, everything is named different and you have to set up buses and outputs..in PT they are just there!

[gurubuzz]

Don't forget to use your sends as pre-fader and then turn your fader down so the full signal won't go to your master out.

I used to do complicated stuff like this all the time but now I can mix well enough without going to such lengths. I used to split the low end off a master and process that OTB and have the hi end processed ITB.. but I soon saw the light and shelved those endeavors too.