Cubase Chord Track Explained
Cubase has an awesome feature called Chord Track which makes working with chords within your Project Window easy, and allows you to transform and harmonize functions throughout the Cubase application. Steinberg guru Mark Struthers makes understanding and using this powerful feature easy and fast!
Videos
• Introduction (07:46) - In this tutorial, you will be introduced to the Chord Track function and how it is initially set up within a blank project. You’ll also see how to link a created Chord Track with a VSTi and how you can create chord ‘placeholders’ before assigning specific chords.
• Editing and Modifying Chords (10:31) - Mark discusses the preference settings, sets up a chord sequence with Chord Track, modifies those initial choices. Also, see how to use the Complexity slider to evaluate more esoteric chord options.
• Using Chord Assistant (06:54) - The Chord Assistant is explored further here. Mark also discusses how the option to ‘suggest’ chords based on the previous chord or the surrounding chords. ‘Mode’ and ‘Type’ options are looked at also.
• Live Transform (05:26) - The ability to transform chords played live into Cubase and via the Chord Track is explored here. We’ll also use this function utilizing the Virtual Keyboard found on the Transport Bar.
• Voicing Choices & Info Line (07:09) - Different chord voicing choices are auditioned here in terms of whether to use Piano or Guitar voicings. Additionally, we look at how to modify voicings using the Info Bar.
• Using External MIDI Files (06:48) - At this stage, we look at integrating external MIDI files generated by Toontrack’s EZKeys and have Chord Track transpose them, using the ‘follow chord track’ option to fit the chords stipulated by our Chord Track choices.
• Using MIDI Loops (06:44) - As an extension of the last tutorial, here we look at employing Steinberg MIDI loops to enhance and further build the project. We also explore using Chord Track to drive a finger picked acoustic guitar patch in HALion Sonic SE.
• Create Chords from MIDI (06:10) - After importing a MIDI file from outside of Cubase, we look at the procedure to get Chord Track to work out what chords are used in the MIDI file. We then look at using this chord information to build up a track around that progression.
• Using with EZKeys (06:00) - Mark digs deeper into using Toontrack’s VSTi to assess how the block structure of Chord Track can be adapted to play chord changes that don’t necessarily fall at bar divisions.
• Using with VariAudio (09:03) - In this last video, we look at using chords generated by a MIDI file to create multiple VariAudio harmonies that align with these chords.