6.0

165
The Mixer
Routing audio to output busses in the Mixer
Output busses let you route audio from the program to the
outputs on your audio hardware. To route the output of an
audio channel to one of the active busses, proceed as fol-
lows:
1. Make sure that the routing panel is visible (see “Nor-
mal vs. extended channel strips” on page 148).
2. Pull down the Output Routing pop-up menu at the top
of the channel strip and select one of the busses.
This pop-up menu contains the output busses configured in the VST
Connections window, as well as available group channels (provided that
the busses and groups are compatible with the speaker configuration for
the channel – see
“Routing” on page 164).
For details on routing surround channels (Cubase only),
see “Routing” on page 219.
Using group channels
You can route the outputs from multiple audio channels to
a group. This enables you to control the channel levels us-
ing one fader, apply the same effects and equalization to
all the channels, etc.
For example, group channels can be used as “effect
racks” (see the chapter
“Audio effects” on page 187).
To set up a group channel, proceed as follows:
1. Pull down the Project menu, open the Add Track sub-
menu and select the “Group Channel…” option.
2. Select the desired channel configuration and click the
Add Track button.
A group channel track is added to the track list and a corresponding
group channel strip is added to the Mixer. By default, the first group
channel strip is labeled “Group 1”, but you can rename it just like any
channel in the Mixer.
3. Pull down the Output Routing pop-up menu for a
channel you want to route to the group channel, and se-
lect the group channel.
The output of the audio channel is now redirected to the selected group.
4. Do the same for the other channels you wish to route
to the group.
Settings for group channels
The group channel strips are almost identical to audio
channel strips in the Mixer. The descriptions of the Mixer
features earlier in this chapter apply to group channels as
well. Some things to note:
• You can route the output of a group to an audio channel
(see
“Recording from busses (Cubase only)” on page 94),
to an output bus or to another group.
You cannot route a group to itself.
• There are no Input Routing pop-up menus, Monitor but-
tons or Record Enable buttons for group channels.
• Solo functionality is automatically linked for channels
routed to a group and the group channel itself.
This means that if you solo a group channel, all channels routed to the
group are automatically soloed as well. Similarly, soloing a channel
routed to a group will automatically solo the group channel.
• Mute functionality depends on the “Group Channels:
Mute Sources as well” setting in the Preferences dialog
(VST page).
By default, when you mute a group channel, no audio will
pass through the group. However, other channels that are
routed directly to that group channel will remain unmuted.
If any of those channels have aux sends routed to other
group channels, FX channels or output busses, those will
still be heard.
If the “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” option is
activated in the Preferences dialog (VST page), muting a
group channel will cause all other channels directly routed
to it to be muted as well. Clicking the Mute button again
will unmute the group channel and all other channels di
-
rectly routed to it. Channels that were muted prior to the
group channel being muted will not remember their mute
state and become unmuted with the group channel.
!
You can select a group channel as input for an audio
track, e. g. to record a downmix of separate tracks
(see “Recording from busses (Cubase only)” on
page 94).
!
The “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” option
does not affect how mute automation is written. Writ-
ing mute automation for a group channel only affects
the group channel and not the channels routed to it.
When writing automation, you will see the other
channels being muted as well upon muting a group
channel. However, during playback, only the group
channel will respond to the automation.