I'm a frequent Arranger Track user and as you promised, I did learn a number of new things. Thank you for another good deep dive. One thing that is perhaps obvious but something I tripped over as a AT newbie is that I you are using tools like those from Toontrack and you are in the habit of keeping their MIDI in their own song tracks (which I do often as I develop parts because of the great EZBass, EZKeys2, etc., built-in editing/other features), that MIDI will of course not be seen by the AT. So a good workflow is to be sure you finish everything you want to do in those VSTs and then drag the parts into CB where you can take advantage of all the great AT functionality.
@@PlottingTheDownfall Yeah losing the artics isn't good. But is that DAW dependent? Because i just tried dragging some EZB slap into Cubase Pro 13 and it still slaps and I see the keyswitches down below. Rendering to audio is an option for sure, but makes it harder to change tempo or maybe a few notes in the part or even a chord later. Ideally those kind of changes probably ought to be done before flattening via the arranger track, but sometimes I find myself needing to do them at the last minute, say when the flattened arrangement needs a different chord in a section transition or something.
Great tutorial!...thanks for the good work!...I am familiar with the Arranger function and use it a lot, mostly at the songwriting phase to find out which best combinations there are with verse, pre chorus, chorus, bridge etc. After flattening I afterwards add more specifics to the various parts of the song.. the remix and shorter versions are very good ideas by the way....
Thanks Maarten, I use always the arranger track while composing. At the beginning of the work when assembling the ideas and defining the structure of the track. It is also useful to practice the guitar or keyboard solos with this version in playback mode because you can repeat some parts. Then I am obliged to flatten a first time to try some transition between the parts and changes in the tempo. Sometimes I reuse the arranger track to experiment different structures. Then I can flatten and begin mixing automations. Before it is not possible at all. So I think it is really useful for producers, especially home studios like me, not for people mixing or mastering
Great tutorial. I mostly use the arranger track to edit songs recorded without click track. I wish for two things. 1. It would be nice to have pickup sections in some tracks. 2. Crossfade would also be very useful. These two things would greatly improve the usability for those of us who doesn't work with techno-like stuff.
When this feature first came out I was excited...I thought it would be like my dearly beloved studio vision pro subsequences.. it wasn't... I was so disappointed that I forgot Cubase even has an arranger track till today :)
Oh, and I just realised that you could use the arranger track for live performances by assigning the function "trigger arranger event X" (X being the number of the respective event) to pads via the MIDI remote assistant. That could even be done with a foot switch that can do MIDI-CC...
It’s useful, but only when you are 100% grid based. It has not enough enough intelligence to take into account audio that has a tail or a pre element. So forget using it with guitars that are recorded with reverb or echo, and watch out for any elements being “forgotten” such as a breath being taken before the vocal starts on the 1 - it will cut hard to the grid. Hopefully Steinberg can improve it so that it fetches the elements as required and does not just slice the tracks hard on the grid. But it’s already a great tool during composition.
hi ! thank you for the fantastic video. Do you know witch kind of controller can i use to control the arranger (in live) ? i know it could be programmed.
I cannot recommend a specific controller but it seems you can setup a Cubase remote for any device to do this: forums.steinberg.net/t/note-on-to-control-arranger-events/905805/8
I've noticed that sometimes when I press space to start it will play from 0:00 even if Arranger is ON. I have to click it off/on again to make it work again. Not sure if its a C13 bug. I also noticed there's apparently no way to leave the arranger panel open on top of the project window, or to assign a key command to open it.
Very interesting and detailed explanation thank you 🙏🏻 However I got a question for you: do you know if there is a “quantized” jump mode for the play head? I mean for example in ableton live you can do that (click on the grid a new play head position while playing) and set accordingly a quantization value.
You can jump ahead with the play head with the play head by clicking in the top ruler bar and I believe it will stick to the set grid/quatization value then. But is that what you meant?
@@LanewoodStudios not exactly, it’s difficult to explain. I’m also a Cubase user, but a feature I miss from Ableton is that when the project is playing, if you click on the upper side to move the playhead in a new position it waits to be on the set grid value before moving to the new position. This can be quite useful to test horizontal resequencing, an approach used to write videogame music when you need to shift to a new section of the piece (but possibly staying on the grid).
HI Maarten - something is really frustrating me on this topic - I haven't been getting myself used to the arranger track much at all since I put a like on this video.... but I'm trying to mix down a song consisting of chain events C, A(x2), B(x2), D in that order, but on export between cycle markers it repeats 'A' for the 2nd time, but then stops about 2 beats into event B, so I only have part of the full chain mixed down!!! Why might this be? It does what it's supposed to when just playing the song in the project.... 😲 Do I have to flatten the chain before mixing down?
Hi Kenny, I've never really tried exporting a mix with the arranger track still active. It sounds like a bug, especially if it does not do this when you listen to the arrangement from the project window. You can have a look at the Cubase forums whether anyone ran into the same issue, but the easiest way is probably indeed to flatten the chain before export. And if you still have the issue then, then maybe it's easier to track down.
I experience an issue when flattening an arranger with tempo changes. Cubase truncates each "loop," requiring me to go in and manually extend them to their proper length. Any one have ideas as to why, and what a solution may be?
pure Nonsense. Arrangertrack has NOTHING to do with pattern clip launcher mode! If you need a random pattern clip mode thingy, go with Bitwig or Abelton. done. It´s so easy. Most Cubaser dont need this because timeline composing is best.
Great deep dive. It's worth mentioning that you can also add arranger events to the chain by double clicking them :)
👍
Your videos are helping me to a great extent... thanks for all the cubase stuff...love your channel god bless
That’s great to hear 👍
I'm a frequent Arranger Track user and as you promised, I did learn a number of new things. Thank you for another good deep dive.
One thing that is perhaps obvious but something I tripped over as a AT newbie is that I you are using tools like those from Toontrack and you are in the habit of keeping their MIDI in their own song tracks (which I do often as I develop parts because of the great EZBass, EZKeys2, etc., built-in editing/other features), that MIDI will of course not be seen by the AT. So a good workflow is to be sure you finish everything you want to do in those VSTs and then drag the parts into CB where you can take advantage of all the great AT functionality.
Thank you and very good tip!
But, if you grab the EZbass MIDI out of it's grid, you lose the advanced articulations with hammer-ons slides etc. Better to render to audio.
@@PlottingTheDownfall Yeah losing the artics isn't good. But is that DAW dependent? Because i just tried dragging some EZB slap into Cubase Pro 13 and it still slaps and I see the keyswitches down below.
Rendering to audio is an option for sure, but makes it harder to change tempo or maybe a few notes in the part or even a chord later. Ideally those kind of changes probably ought to be done before flattening via the arranger track, but sometimes I find myself needing to do them at the last minute, say when the flattened arrangement needs a different chord in a section transition or something.
Your deep-dive videos are fantastic! Please do more!
Thank you, I will!
Great tutorial!...thanks for the good work!...I am familiar with the Arranger function and use it a lot, mostly at the songwriting phase to find out which best combinations there are with verse, pre chorus, chorus, bridge etc. After flattening I afterwards add more specifics to the various parts of the song.. the remix and shorter versions are very good ideas by the way....
Thanks and for the tips as well!
I use it the same way. It helps so much with the writing!!! And I am pretty sure, that is what it was designed for 😁
@@procrasti-nation9517 great and yes it probably was!
Thanks! I will certainly give it a try!
Yes 👍
Thanks Maarten,
I use always the arranger track while composing.
At the beginning of the work when assembling the ideas and defining the structure of the track. It is also useful to practice the guitar or keyboard solos with this version in playback mode because you can repeat some parts.
Then I am obliged to flatten a first time to try some transition between the parts and changes in the tempo.
Sometimes I reuse the arranger track to experiment different structures.
Then I can flatten and begin mixing automations. Before it is not possible at all.
So I think it is really useful for producers, especially home studios like me, not for people mixing or mastering
Great tips, thanks!
Great tutorial. I mostly use the arranger track to edit songs recorded without click track. I wish for two things. 1. It would be nice to have pickup sections in some tracks. 2. Crossfade would also be very useful. These two things would greatly improve the usability for those of us who doesn't work with techno-like stuff.
Good ideas! You may be able to do the cross fades after flattening maybe?
@@LanewoodStudios Interesting. I haven't thought of making such changes after flattening. I will try. Thanx.
@@beejaybertelsen yes give it a try.
@@LanewoodStudios Wow! It works! Why have I never thought about that?? Stupid me.
Excellent, enjoy!
Thanks again Maarten - super helpful video - so super thanks deserved👏
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks a lot, really helpful.🙏
You are welcome!
When this feature first came out I was excited...I thought it would be like my dearly beloved studio vision pro subsequences.. it wasn't... I was so disappointed that I forgot Cubase even has an arranger track till today :)
What are you missing from it? I don’t really know studio Vision Pro subsequences.
Thanks, Maarten!☕
Thank you very much Kenny!
Thanks for the video
👍🙏
Thank you so much Maartin great video
Hope, finally C doing a better and good audio to midi in the next version 👍👍
You are welcome. I’m sure new versions will bring improvements to existing features as well yes. 🤞
Oh, and I just realised that you could use the arranger track for live performances by assigning the function "trigger arranger event X" (X being the number of the respective event) to pads via the MIDI remote assistant. That could even be done with a foot switch that can do MIDI-CC...
Indeed you can.
Great! video
Glad you enjoyed it
It’s useful, but only when you are 100% grid based. It has not enough enough intelligence to take into account audio that has a tail or a pre element. So forget using it with guitars that are recorded with reverb or echo, and watch out for any elements being “forgotten” such as a breath being taken before the vocal starts on the 1 - it will cut hard to the grid. Hopefully Steinberg can improve it so that it fetches the elements as required and does not just slice the tracks hard on the grid. But it’s already a great tool during composition.
Yes I can see your point 👍. It has an option for midi notes that carry over but not for audio tracks.
I usually arrange before I record things like reverb or ear any candy elements.
If there are tails, just make them their own thing and add it where you intend it to be
hi ! thank you for the fantastic video. Do you know witch kind of controller can i use to control the arranger (in live) ? i know it could be programmed.
I cannot recommend a specific controller but it seems you can setup a Cubase remote for any device to do this: forums.steinberg.net/t/note-on-to-control-arranger-events/905805/8
I will need to replay. It starts at 3:00 am on Pacific time in the USA
Yes of course it will be there waiting for you 👍. And it must be lovely to be on Pacific time; lived in LA for a year and loved it.
I've noticed that sometimes when I press space to start it will play from 0:00 even if Arranger is ON. I have to click it off/on again to make it work again. Not sure if its a C13 bug. I also noticed there's apparently no way to leave the arranger panel open on top of the project window, or to assign a key command to open it.
Very interesting and detailed explanation thank you 🙏🏻
However I got a question for you: do you know if there is a “quantized” jump mode for the play head? I mean for example in ableton live you can do that (click on the grid a new play head position while playing) and set accordingly a quantization value.
You can jump ahead with the play head with the play head by clicking in the top ruler bar and I believe it will stick to the set grid/quatization value then. But is that what you meant?
@@LanewoodStudios not exactly, it’s difficult to explain.
I’m also a Cubase user, but a feature I miss from Ableton is that when the project is playing, if you click on the upper side to move the playhead in a new position it waits to be on the set grid value before moving to the new position. This can be quite useful to test horizontal resequencing, an approach used to write videogame music when you need to shift to a new section of the piece (but possibly staying on the grid).
@GuyVignati ah ok now I understand.
Thanks for the video :) how do you deal with vocal or reverb tails of audio tracks?
I’d probably flatten it first before making a serious mix.
You can colour the Marker track... I do this all the time. (Then I make the Arranger Track the same colour if I'm using it.)
Great and thanks for the tip!
HI Maarten - something is really frustrating me on this topic - I haven't been getting myself used to the arranger track much at all since I put a like on this video.... but I'm trying to mix down a song consisting of chain events C, A(x2), B(x2), D in that order, but on export between cycle markers it repeats 'A' for the 2nd time, but then stops about 2 beats into event B, so I only have part of the full chain mixed down!!! Why might this be? It does what it's supposed to when just playing the song in the project.... 😲 Do I have to flatten the chain before mixing down?
Hi Kenny, I've never really tried exporting a mix with the arranger track still active. It sounds like a bug, especially if it does not do this when you listen to the arrangement from the project window. You can have a look at the Cubase forums whether anyone ran into the same issue, but the easiest way is probably indeed to flatten the chain before export. And if you still have the issue then, then maybe it's easier to track down.
@@LanewoodStudios thank you so much, Maarten - you've helped enormously!!! 🙂
@@in2gadgets great.
How do you get your marker tracks to to be spread out like that? mine are little flags basically.
By using cycle markers instead.
I experience an issue when flattening an arranger with tempo changes. Cubase truncates each "loop," requiring me to go in and manually extend them to their proper length.
Any one have ideas as to why, and what a solution may be?
Sorry never tried that. Perhaps check the forum?
The Arranger ist nothing but Bad Programmed Alternativ to a Clip Launcher.Steinberg must get rid of this and start implementing Clip launcher
You think so? I think it is still one of Cubase's coolest features. But I don't know the Clip Launcher of course.
pure Nonsense. Arrangertrack has NOTHING to do with pattern clip launcher mode!
If you need a random pattern clip mode thingy, go with Bitwig or Abelton. done. It´s so easy.
Most Cubaser dont need this because timeline composing is best.
Rather a work table where you can throw several clips from mediabay to choose more easily what fits in your project.
@@ladislaufazakas8980 a Clip launcher ist EXACTLY this
@@ladislaufazakas8980 ah ok, sounds a bit like what my video editor does.