By Cheyenne Morgan

*Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

Unit 1- Set up and operate a DAW

*What is an digital audio workstation

Early daws, such as those developed in the 1970s and 1990s, were hardware units that include a mixing console , data storage device, and an analog to digital converter (ADC).

They could be used to record, edit, and play back digital audio.

Cubase Logic Garage band

*Strengths and weaknesses of Cubase Cubase is a digital audio recording program for Mac and PC.

The program allows you to record and mix original music, whether for fun or on a professional basis. Though Cubase has many competitors, the software offers some distinct advantages that set it apart in the world of digital audio workstations.

In addition to the included instruments and effects, you can customize your Cubase software by adding external VST plug-ins. If you want more effects options, better virtual synthesizers or more versatile equalizers, just download the necessary plug-ins and add them to your Cubase VST folder.

*How to get into Cubase Opening Cubase and creating a new project

Step 1: go to start and click on all programs.

Step 2: go to music and go to Cubase.

Step 3: once you get to this page click on more and the click on empty then press crate.

Step 4: once you clicked create then this should come then if it your into Cubase.

*What is MIDI

MIDI short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface is a technical standard that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors and allows a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers and other related devices to connect and communicate with one another.

*What are the benefits of MIDI

Advantages File sizes are smaller• All aspects of the sound can be edited• Effects can be applied to individual instruments• No interference or background noise during recording• Can use to create music without need for different

musicians / instruments

DisadvantagesDependent on quality of sound card for overall sound• Can not store vocals• Effects are limited• Less realistic sounds than actual instruments

*What is audio file There are a number of different types of Audio files. The most common are Wave files (wav) and MPEG Layer-3 files (mp3). There are, however, many other audio file types discussed below. The type is usually determined by the file extension.

*What are benefits of audio files

The Advantages

So having your 24 bit recordings in 32 bit floating point format will not change the quality of the initial recordings themselves, but creating audio files in this format before they are processed by plug-ins will help you avoid the following:

• Clipping during

• Audio Suite rendering

• Unnecessary noise introduced by Audio Suite dithering

Rounding errors during signal processingThese issues then are mostly caused by the fact that with either 16 or 24 bit audio the data requires conversion at the point of processing.

The Disadvantages

So, it is a ‘good thing’ from a quality point of view to have your audio in the 32 bit floating point format from the start, but is there a downside? 32 bit files are 50% bigger than their 24 bit counterparts, and 100% bigger than the 16 bit equivalent. For example, 60 seconds of 44.1 kHz mono 16 bit audio will take up roughly 5 MB of hard drive space and require a data throughput of 83. These figures will double at 32 bit. Still not huge numbers by today’s standards maybe, but 10 minutes of a 64 (mono) track session recorded at 32 bit and 192 kHz will take up roughly 28 GB and require data throughput of 48 MB/s just to play back.

*The differences between audio and MIDI

MIDI was quite something when it first arrived in the early 1980s. It is still very much around today, although we don't tend to work quite as directly with it as before. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is now mostly hidden 'under the hood'. But still it is very useful to know about what it is and what it can do.

When you record an audio signal, then the acoustic or electronic waveform that the instrument produces is captured directly. The recording is a representation of the sound the instrument actually made, and will be different according to whether the instrument was, say, a violin or a trumpet. An audio signal is recorded on an audio track of a digital audio workstation software.

*Connecting audio

• Audio interface • Keyboard • Microphone

USB

port

Audio interface

Synth. Plugs into line in of audio interface this uses a jack cable.

Micro

phone. P

lugs in

to

micro

ph

one in

put o

f audio

in

terfa

ce. T

his u

ses a

XLR

ca

ble

.

*Connecting MIDI Equipment

USB port

Computer

Midi drum pads

Midi keyboard

Midi out Midi

in

Midi out

Midi out

Midi cable

Midi USB cable

*Setting up midi

Once you get into Cubase right click and go to add mid track

Then once this comes up press no vst instrument then go down to synth

When this comes up go to the black boxes click and go to all midi inputs.

And then once this comes up you can start recording

Audio set up When this comes up

go to devises and go down to VST connections.

Go to io2 (io1 +io2) and your done with what you are doing.

Then right click the grey area and go down to add Audio track.

Go to the black boxes and click on it and It will say left or right click on left.

Now you will have your audio track as you can see.

Now you can start recording and as you can see the blue lines will go up to how hard you are playing your instrument.