When moving combined pan controls so that the left or right pan control reaches its maximum pan value, it naturally cannot go any further. If you continue to move further in the same direction, only the other pan control will move, thus altering the set relative pan range until both channels are panned fully to one side. If you move the pan controls in the opposite direction without releasing the mouse, the previously set pan range will be restored.

ÖThe pan settings made with the Dual Panner are reflected in the Combined Panner and vice versa.

ÖYou can specify the default pan mode for inserted audio tracks in the Preferences (VST page).

About the “Stereo Pan Law” Preference (audio channels only)

In the Project Setup dialog there is a pop-up menu named “Stereo Pan Law”, on which you can select one of several pan modes. This is related to the fact that without power compensation, the power of the sum of the left and right side will be higher (louder) if a channel is panned center than if it is panned left or right.

To remedy this, the Stereo Pan Law setting allows you to attenuate signals panned center, by -6, -4.5 or -3dB (default). Selecting the 0dB option effectively turns off con- stant-power panning. Experiment with the modes to see which fits best in a given situation. You can also select “Equal Power” on this pop-up menu, which means that the power of the signal will remain the same regardless of the pan setting.

Audio specific procedures

This section describes the options and basic procedures regarding audio channels in the mixer.

Options for the extended audio channel strip

When using the extended channel strip view options, the upper panel can be set to show different views for each audio channel strip. You can select what to display in the extended panel individually for each channel or globally for all channels (see “Selecting what to display in the extended channel strips” on page 126).

The following views are possible:

• The 8 insert effect slots.

The inserts can also be found in the Inspector and the Channel Settings window, see “Using Channel Settings” on page 137.

•The 8 effect sends, with pop-ups and send level value sliders.

The sends can also be found in the Inspector and the Channel Settings window, see “Using Channel Settings” on page 137.

•You also have the option of displaying four sends at a time (the Sends 1-4 and 5-8 menu items).

These modes offer the additional benefit of displaying send levels as dB values.

Ö There are no sends for Input channels.

•The EQ section, either with value sliders (“EQs”) or as numerical settings with a curve display (“EQs curve”).

These two views have exactly the same controls but different graphic layouts. The EQ section is also available in the Channel Settings window. For EQ parameter descriptions, see “Making EQ settings” on page 138.

•The Surround Panner section (where applicable).

If the channel is routed to a surround bus you can view a compact version of the Surround Panner in the extended panel – double-click to open the full Surround Panner panel. Also in this section, three parameters of the Mixconvert plug-in will be shown (provided that this plug-in is inserted and active). They are SRD (surround), CTR (center) and LFE levels. You can edit these values by clicking on them and typing in new values.

•The “Meter” option shows large level meters in the extended panel.

These operate exactly like the regular meters.

•The User Panel option displays Device panels for the audio track, including panels for inserted VST effects, see “Audio tracks” on page 28. You can access User panels by clicking on the tab at the top of the User Panel display in the extended mixer.

For information on Device Panels, see the separate PDF document “MIDI Devices”.

•Selecting the “Empty” option will display a blank panel in the extended strip.

•You can also select the “Overview” option – this shows a graphic overview of which insert effect slots, EQ modules and effects sends are activated for the channel.

You can click the indicators to turn the corresponding slot/EQ module/ send on or off.

Ö If you have selected a parameter for the extended channel strip and then switch to “narrow” mode, only the channel overview and the Meter can be shown in the extended channel strip. When you switch back to “wide” mode, the parameter settings are displayed again.

Using Channel Settings

For each audio channel strip in the mixer and in the Inspector and Track list for each audio track, there is an Edit button (“e”).

Clicking this opens the VST Audio Channel Settings window. By default, this window contains:

•A section with eight insert effect slots (see “Audio effects” on page 168).

•Four EQ modules and an associated EQ curve display (see “Making EQ settings” on page 138).

•A section with eight effect sends (see “Audio effects” on page 168).

•A duplicate of the mixer channel strip (without the extended panel but with the input and output settings panel).

You can customize the Channel Settings window, by showing/hiding the different panels and/or by changing their order:

•To specify which panels should be shown/hidden, right-click in the Channel settings window, and activate/deactivate the respective options on the Customize View submenu on the context menu.

•To change the order of the panels, select “Setup” on the Customize View pop-up menu and use the “Move up” and “Move Down” buttons.

For further information, see the chapter “Customizing” on page 503.

Every channel has its own channel settings (although you can view each in the same window if you like – see below).

Click the Edit button to open the

Channel Settings window.

The Channel Settings window is used for the following operations:

•Apply equalization, see “Making EQ settings” on page 138.

•Apply send effects, see “Audio effects” on page 168.

•Apply insert effects, see “Audio effects” on page 168.

•Copy channel settings and apply them to another channel, see “Copying settings between audio channels” on page 141.

All channel settings are applied to both sides of a stereo channel.

Changing channels in the Channel Settings window

You can view any channel’s settings from a single window.

If the option “Sync Project and Mixer Selection” is activated in the Preferences (Editing–Project & Mixer page), this can be done “automatically”:

• Open the Channel Settings window for a track and position it so that you can see both the Project window and the Channel Settings window.

Selecting a track in the Project window automatically selects the corresponding channel in the mixer (and vice versa). If a Channel Settings window is open, this will immediately switch to show the settings for the selected channel. This allows you to have a single Channel Settings window open in a convenient position on the screen, and use it for all your EQ and channel effect settings.

You can also select a channel manually (thereby changing what is shown in the open Channel Settings window). Proceed as follows:

1.Open the Channel Settings window for any channel.

2.Open the Choose Edit Channel pop-up menu by clicking the arrow button to the left of the channel number at the top of the Fader view.

3. Select a channel from the pop-up to show the settings for that channel in the open Channel Settings window.

•Alternatively, you can select a channel in the mixer by clicking its channel strip (make sure not to click on a control as this will change the respective parameter setting instead).

This selects the channel, and the Channel Settings window is updated.

•To open several Channel Settings windows at the same time, press [Alt]/[Option] and click the Edit buttons for the respective channels.

Making EQ settings

Each audio channel in Nuendo has a built-in parametric equalizer with up to four bands. There are several ways to view and adjust the EQs:

• By selecting one of the EQ display modes (“EQs” or “EQs Curve”) for the extended channel strip in the mixer.

These modes contain the same settings but present them in different ways:

• By selecting the “Equalizers” or “Equalizer Curve” tab in the Inspector.

The “Equalizers” section is similar to the “EQs” mode in the extended mixer, while the “Equalizer Curve” section shows a display in which you can “draw” an EQ curve. Setting EQ in the Inspector is only possible for track-based audio channels.

Ö Note that by default, only the Equalizers tab is shown. To display the Equalizer Curve tab, right-click on an Inspector tab (not in the empty area below the Inspector) and activate the “Equalizer Curve” option.

• By using the Channel Settings window.

This offers both parameter sliders and a clickable curve display (the Equalizer + Curve pane) and also lets you store and recall EQ presets.

Below we describe how to set up EQ in the Channel Settings window, but the parameters are the same in the mixer and Inspector (apart from the presets and reset function, which are not available in the mixer).

The Equalizers + Curve pane in the Channel Settings window consists of four EQ modules with parameter sliders, an EQ curve display and some additional functions at the top.

Using the parameter controls

1.Activate an EQ module by clicking its power button.

Although the modules have different default frequency values and different Q names, they all have the same frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz). The only difference between the modules is that you can specify different filter types for each individual module (see below).

2.Set the amount of cut or boost with the gain control – the upper slider.

The range is ± 24 dB.

Using the curve display

When you activate EQ modules and make settings, you will see that your settings are automatically reflected in the curve display above. You can also make settings directly in the curve (or combine the two methods any way you like):

1.To activate an EQ module, click in the curve display.

This adds a curve point and one of the modules below are activated.

2.Make EQ settings by dragging the curve point in the display.

This allows you to adjust gain (drag up or down) and frequency (drag left or right).

3.To set the Q parameter, press [Shift] and drag the curve point up or down.

You will see the EQ curve become wider or narrower as you drag.

• You can also restrict the editing by pressing [Ctrl]/ [Command] (sets gain only) or [Alt]/[Option] (sets frequency only) while you drag the curve point.

4.To activate another EQ module, click somewhere else in the display and proceed as above.

5.To turn off an EQ module, double-click its curve point or drag it outside the display.

6.To mirror the eq curve on the x axis, click the button to the left of the curve display.

3.Set the desired frequency with the frequency slider.

This is the center frequency of the frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz) to be cut or boosted.

4.Click on the lower slider (to the left) to open the filter type pop-up menu and select the desired filter type.

The “eq1” and “eq4” bands can act as parametric, shelving or high/lowpass filters, while “eq2” and “eq3” will always be parametric filters.

EQ bypass

Whenever one or several EQ modules are activated for a channel, the EQ button will light up in green in the mixer channel strip, Inspector (Equalizer and Channel sections), Track list and Channel Settings window (top right corner of the EQ section).

5.Set the Q value with the lower slider (to the right).

This determines the width of the affected frequency range. Higher values give narrower frequency ranges.

6.If needed, you can activate and make settings for up to four modules.

You can also bypass all EQ modules. This is useful, as it allows you to compare the sound with and without EQ. Proceed as follows:

• In the mixer, the Track list and in the Channel section in the Inspector, click the EQs state button so that it turns yellow.

• In the Inspector (Equalizers tab) and in the Channel Settings window, click the Bypass button (next to the EQ button) so that it turns yellow.

Click again to deactivate EQ Bypass mode.

EQ bypass in the mixer, the Channel Settings window and in the Inspector.

EQ reset

On the preset pop-up menu in the Channel Settings window and in the Inspector, you will find the Reset command. Holding down [Alt]/[Option] and clicking this will turn off all EQ modules and reset all EQ parameters to their default values.

Using EQ presets

Some useful basic presets are included with the program. You can use them as they are, or as a starting point for further “tweaking”.

•To call up a preset, pull down the presets pop-up menu in the Channel Settings window or in the Inspector and select one of the available presets.

•To store the current EQ settings as a preset, select “Store Preset” on the presets pop-up menu and enter the desired name for the preset in the dialog that appears.

•To rename the selected preset, select “Rename Preset” on the pop-up menu and enter a new name.

•To delete the selected preset, select “Remove Preset” on the pop-up menu.

Ö You can also apply EQ (and Inserts) settings from Track presets, see “Inserts and EQ settings from track presets” on page 337.

EQ in the channel overview

If the “Channel” section is selected in the Inspector or the “Overview” view mode is selected in the extended mixer, you will get an overview of which EQ modules, insert effects and effect sends are activated for the channel.

By clicking the respective indicator (1 to 4), you can turn the corresponding EQ module on or off.

The channel overview in the Inspector.

The option “Use Nuendo 3 EQ settings as default”

In the Preferences (VST page) you will find the option “Use Nuendo 3 EQ settings as default”. When you activate this option, the EQ settings from the previous program version will be used by default. This means that when you create a new track, the four EQ modules will be set to the EQ band types they had in Nuendo 3:

Copying settings between audio channels

It is possible to copy all channel settings for an audio channel and paste them to one or several other channels. This applies to all audio-based channel types. For example, you can copy EQ settings from an audio track and apply these to a group or VST Instrument channel, if you want them to have the same sound.

Proceed as follows:

1.In the mixer, select the channel you want to copy settings from.

You can also select channels with the Channel Select pop-up menu – see “Changing channels in the Channel Settings window” on page 137.

2.Click the “Copy Selected Channel Settings” button on the common panel.

3. Select the channel(s) you want to copy the settings to and click the “Paste Settings to Selected Channels” button (below the “Copy First Selected Channel Settings” button).

The settings are applied to the selected channel(s).

•You can copy channel settings between different types of channels, but only those channels will be used for which corresponding settings are available in the target channel:

•For example, as input/output channels don’t have send effects, copying from them will leave the Sends settings in the target channel unaffected.

•Also, in case of Surround Sound, for example, any Insert effects routed to surround speaker channels will be muted, when the settings are pasted to a mono or stereo channel.

Initialize Channel and Reset Mixer

The Initialize Channel button can be found at the bottom in the Control Strip section of the Channel Settings window (if this section is not shown in the Channel Settings window, open the context menu and select “Control Strip” on the Customize View submenu). Initialize Channel resets the selected channel to the default settings.

Similarly, the mixer common panel holds a Reset Mixer/ Reset Channels button – when you click this, you will be asked whether you want to reset all channels or just the selected channels.

The default settings are:

•All EQ, Insert and Send effect settings are deactivated and reset.

•Solo/Mute is deactivated.

•The fader is set to 0dB.

•Pan is set to center position.

Changing the meter characteristics

In the Mixer context menu, opened by right-clicking anywhere on the mixer panel, there is a submenu named “Global Meter Settings”. Here you can make settings for the preferred meter characteristics, with the following options:

• If “Hold Peaks” is activated, the highest registered peak levels are “held” and are shown as static horizontal lines in the meter.

Note that you can turn this on or off by clicking in any audio level meter in the mixer.

Hold is activated. The highest registered peak is displayed in the meter.

•If “Hold Forever” is activated, the peak levels will remain until meters are reset (by clicking the numerical peak display below the meter).

If “Hold Forever” is off, you can specify for how long the peak levels will be held with the parameter “Meters’ Peak Hold Time” in the Preferences (VST–Metering page). The peak hold time can be between 500 and 30000ms.

•If “Meter Input” is activated, meters will show input levels for all audio channels and input/output channels.

Note that the input meters are post input gain.

•If “Meter Post-Fader” is activated, meters will show post-fader levels.

This is the default setting for channels in the mixer.

•There is also a “Meter Post-Panner” mode.

This is similar to “Meter Post-Fader”, but the meters will reflect pan settings as well.

• If “Fast Release” is activated, the meters respond very quickly to level peaks. If “Fast Release” is deactivated, the meters respond more like standard meters.

You can set the time it takes for the meters to “fall back” in the Preferences (VST–Metering page).

Using group channels

You can route the outputs from multiple audio channels to a group. This enables you to control the channel levels using one fader, apply the same effects and equalization to all of them etc. To create a group channel, proceed as follows:

1.Select Add Track from the Project menu and select “Group Channel” from the submenu that appears.

2.Select the desired channel configuration and click OK.

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 for a channel you want to route to the group channel, and select 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.

You can select a group channel as an Input for an audio track, e.g. to record a downmix of separate track outputs routed to a group (see “Recording from busses” on page 69).

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” on page 69), to an output bus or to another group with a higher number.

You cannot route a group to itself. Routing is done with the Output Routing pop-up menu in the Inspector (select the subtrack for the Group in the Track list) or in the Routing section at the top of each channel strip.

•There are no Input Routing pop-ups, Monitor buttons or Record Enable buttons for group channels.

This is because inputs are never connected directly to a group.

•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 setting “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” in the Preferences (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 option “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” is activated in the Preferences (VST page), muting a group channel will cause all other channels directly routed to it to be muted as well. Pressing mute again

will unmute the group channel and all other channels directly routed to it. Channels that were muted prior to the group channel being muted will not remember their mute status and will be unmuted when the group channel is unmuted.

The option “Group Channels: Mute Sources as well” does not affect how mute automation is written. Writing mute automation on a group channel only affects the group channel and not channels routed to it. When writing the automation, you will see the other channels being muted when this option is activated. However, upon playback, only the group channel will respond to the automation.

One application of group channels is to use them as “effect racks” – see the chapter “Audio effects” on page 168.

About output busses

Nuendo uses a system of input and output busses which are set up using the VST Connections dialog. This is described in the chapter “VST Connections: Setting up input and output busses” on page 10.

Output busses let you route audio from the program to the outputs on your audio hardware.

Routing audio channels to busses

To route the output of an audio channel to one of the active busses, proceed as follows:

1.Open the mixer.

2.Make sure the input/output settings panel is visible – see “Normal vs. Extended channel strips” on page 126.

3.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 14).

You can also make routing settings in the Inspector.

For details on routing surround channels, see “Surround in the mixer” on page 205.

Viewing the output busses in the mixer

Output busses are shown as output channels in a separate pane to the right in the mixer. You show or hide this pane by clicking the Hide Output Channels button in the mixer’s common panel to the left:

Each output channel resembles a regular audio channel strip. Here you can do the following:

•Adjust master levels for all configured output busses using the level faders.

•Adjust input gain and input phase of the output busses.

•Add effects or EQ to the output channels (see the chapter “Audio effects” on page 168).

•Create Sends that can be routed to other Output channels as long as they are to the right of the selected Output channel in the mixer. This can be useful when creating quick headphone mixes from the current monitor mix. This is done by creating a send from the current monitor Output bus to another Output bus that is routed to a headphone amplifier.