Cubase Power Feature: Unveiling the Secrets of the Arranger Track (Tutorial)

In this video I do a deep dive into the Cubase Arranger Track and what it can be used for!
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Table of Contents:
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00:00 Intro
00:25 Overview
00:53 The arranger track
01:10 Add arranger track
01:23 Add events
02:03 Markers to arranger events
02:52 Playback arranger events
05:05 Arranger editor
08:11 Editing in the inspector
08:40 Flatten arranger chains
11:42 Practical use-cases
12:50 Outro
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Relevant Links:
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Streambeats -streambeats.com
Cubase marker tracks - • Cubase markers and the...
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Gear Used to Make This Video:
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Camera (paid link) - geni.us/fenwfH
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Lighting (paid link) - geni.us/3FDnMM
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Display calibration (paid link) - geni.us/TwAqR
Mouse (paid link) - geni.us/dwGar6
Keyboard (paid link) - geni.us/wQoYAm
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Other Studio Gear:
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DAW software (paid link) - geni.us/CjRlex
iOS Microphone (paid link) - geni.us/hPTh
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Vocal Microphone (paid link) - geni.us/M8AMSJ
Speaker calibration (paid link USD) - bit.ly/3mi5kjo
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Reverb plugin (paid link) - geni.us/V2k6h
Komplete 13 (paid link) - geni.us/GIcIisT
Komplete control (paid link) - geni.us/4jz20g
DJI Mic (paid link) - geni.us/F2pmV
Elgato Stream Deck (paid link) - geni.us/fxx1VF
Tegeler Creme (paid link) - thmn.to/thoprod/364291?partne...
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SSL UF1 - thmn.to/thoprod/567897?offid=...
Complete Current Gear list - kit.co/LanewoodStudios/home-s...
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Recommended reading:
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The mixing engineer's handbook (paid link) - geni.us/Lhy8
Mixing secrets for the small studio (paid link) - geni.us/EbL0
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#homerecording #cubase #musicproduction

[@nungu60a]

Great! video

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jcalla28]

Your deep-dive videos are fantastic! Please do more!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you, I will!

[@kha6205]

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.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you and very good tip!

[@luispezzi6890]

Thanks! I will certainly give it a try!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes 👍

[@in2gadgets]

Thanks again Maarten - super helpful video - so super thanks deserved👏

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JayRP-pk5de]

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....

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks and for the tips as well!

[@procrasti-nation9517]

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 😁

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@procrasti-nation9517 great and yes it probably was!

[@yudaasha]

Thanks a lot, really helpful.🙏

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome!

[@jasoncruizer]

Brilliant tool, i like to write long tracks, 7-8 minutes, but within the project also create a Radio (4.5 minute) version in the arranger track as well. Its like making 2 songs in 1 project.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yess!!

[@Griuofficial]

Thanks for the video

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍🙏

[@in2gadgets]

Thanks, Maarten!☕

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you very much Kenny!

[@nicok5630]

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.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes I can see your point 👍. It has an option for midi notes that carry over but not for audio tracks.

[@dlwhite6537]

I usually arrange before I record things like reverb or ear any candy elements.

[@Citizen_J]

If there are tails, just make them their own thing and add it where you intend it to be

[@beejaybertelsen]

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.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Good ideas! You may be able to do the cross fades after flattening maybe?

[@beejaybertelsen]

@@LanewoodStudios Interesting. I haven't thought of making such changes after flattening. I will try. Thanx.

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@beejaybertelsen yes give it a try.

[@beejaybertelsen]

@@LanewoodStudios Wow! It works! Why have I never thought about that?? Stupid me.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Excellent, enjoy!

[@tjosselin]

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

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great tips, thanks!

[@gennarosicurezza5107]

Thank you so much Maartin great video Hope, finally C doing a better and good audio to midi in the next version 👍👍

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome. I’m sure new versions will bring improvements to existing features as well yes. 🤞

[@kevinwilliams4855]

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.)

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great and thanks for the tip!

[@zvenx]

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 :)

[@LanewoodStudios]

What are you missing from it? I don’t really know studio Vision Pro subsequences.

[@SableWinters]

I will need to replay. It starts at 3:00 am on Pacific time in the USA

[@LanewoodStudios]

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.

[@shine-mastering]

Thanks for the video :) how do you deal with vocal or reverb tails of audio tracks?

[@LanewoodStudios]

I’d probably flatten it first before making a serious mix.

[@GuyVignati]

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.

[@LanewoodStudios]

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?

[@GuyVignati]

@@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).

[@LanewoodStudios]

@GuyVignati ah ok now I understand.

[@shanebullard7995]

How do you get your marker tracks to to be spread out like that? mine are little flags basically.

[@LanewoodStudios]

By using cycle markers instead.

[@Citizen_J]

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?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Sorry never tried that. Perhaps check the forum?

[@electricjuiz]

The Arranger ist nothing but Bad Programmed Alternativ to a Clip Launcher.Steinberg must get rid of this and start implementing Clip launcher

[@LanewoodStudios]

You think so? I think it is still one of Cubase's coolest features. But I don't know the Clip Launcher of course.

[@Byron101_]

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.

[@ladislaufazakas8980]

Rather a work table where you can throw several clips from mediabay to choose more easily what fits in your project.

[@electricjuiz]

@@ladislaufazakas8980 a Clip launcher ist EXACTLY this

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@ladislaufazakas8980 ah ok, sounds a bit like what my video editor does.