There is already a lot of great advise in this. As a professional software developer I‘d like to add: Do Kata‘s to your list. A kata (in software development) is an exercise that you do to learn something for example a technique, a new programming language or - your new IDE which is software ;) The key point in a kata is, that the problem that you solve (the algorithm you need to write in the case of software) is trivial to solve, so that you can focus for example on memorizing the key commands or the key words of your language. Transferring katas to learning a new DAW you should for example NOT try to compose a track at the same time you learn you way around the DAW. Instead you could do something trivial like recreating a piece you have done in another DAW.
11:07 it is like Object Oriented Programming. You create objects. For example, a car, an animal, a dog, a cat. And for the car, you have a set of verbs. Such as "run()", "getFuel()"... for a dog, the verbs are like "giveSound()", "attack()", "bite()"... and these are called messages you send to the object. So the contextual menu is like: you right click on an object, and you are able to send messages to that object by choosing something from that list
If you’re a Logic Pro user, you can use Logic Control which is Apple’s control software for the ipad. It’s programmable and you can set up almost any key control available in Logic.
Key commands really are incredible. I ignored them for a long time (because I was lazy and didn't want to learn them) but once I started using them it sped up my workflow at minimum at least 200%. All those key commands add up and next thing you know you're just flying around the software.
This is absolutely bang on. I worked in IT for a lot of years (retired and now enjoying learning/playing music) and what you say here is true of any software. Tenacity - the ability to keep going - is one of the most undervalued yet key skills of have.... and if you help other people to keep going even better. A lot of projects fail because people just give up - it seems too difficult. You got it just right.
This video is GOLD-PLATED knowledge! Thank you for stating things I never realized about using my old mindset to a new DAW. This tip really puts the onus on how I am thinking (and therefore can control) versus the new functionality of a new piece of software. I can not control software code. I can, however, control how I choose to learn the new code! BRILLIANT MINDSET ADJUSTMENT! ❤❤❤
Excellent video. Just over three years ago, i dived into software/DAW recording for the first time. The first two months or so, i wanted to throw my PC out a window. I am glad i stuck with it. Now, i truly enjoy working with software so much that i work mostly in the box. I am a born-again software user.
hello Guy from the US, I'm an ex pat from Nottingham, thanks so much for your Videos, u have got me out of a creative slump, I'm a musician with 45 years on the club band circuit, but I wanted to get back to creating long pieces of music, Cheers Mate I got your back
There has been a large increase in accounts that are impersonating me, claiming to offer free rewards. (particularly through Telegram) Do not engage with these accounts or reach out to them in anyway. All competitions and giveaways will be done through this account, our email list, or other social medias under "ThinkSpace Education". Stay safe!
Quick keys, quick keys, quick keys, tasks, and a big one for me, watching someone else work even if it’s just on RUclips. That was invaluable to me for being able to fumble around protools and watching your videos was a good leg up to Cubase. there’s stuff you pick up that you wouldn’t find , even if it was in the manual.
Finally a realistic blueprint and timeline for learning new software. Not the manufacturers advertisement about how easy it is. I keep a notebook of key commands and processes that pertain to my workflow. I started CyBase About four months ago. As you said instruction manual is so huge you would spend your whole life reading that instead of creating music.
Dear Guy, Thank you so much for such a great video! I know I need to spend more time getting used to Cubase, like anything, it's finding the time and I think you just really helped me in my discovery of getting around the software quicker! XX
Hello Guy, you are so right. I started with "MusicStation" (a cut-down version of Cubase) many many years ago. Then came straight to Cubase and was trained on Logic and ProTools when I studied to be an audio engineer. Then I found happiness with FL Studio for many years and have recently returned to Cubase. Such a change can be incredibly inspiring and boost creativity. And you learn a lot. And you're right - you should use keyboard shortcuts more. I admit that I also get lost in menus. Thanks for your videos and greetings from Germany! 🙂
@@Ikhthus777 In my opinion, yes. Maybe ProTools is better for mixing, but Cubase is great for the workflow of arranging, writing, producing and orchestrating. It's the daily workhorse. But I also readily admit that FL Studio always inspires me with ideas.
this comes in just perfectly timed. I had to switch from Cubase to PT for my new studio job and therefor I had to rethink my workflow. It's really a good tip if you start by learning hotkeys with small tasks.
Since you‘ve got the new PC, your screen capture quality got so much better. And btw I love your videos. Keep up the good work. You‘re just an inspiring person.
1:06 Realistic expectations. Changing DAWs. 3:22 Route finding 6:19 Key commands. Write them down. They help so much. 8:42 Another tip: a stream deck 9:48 Warning 10:20 Contextual menus. Moving DAWs will be frustrating. Look at things the new DAW does that your old one didn't. Get over the first hump. 13:12 Recap
Thanks Guy. Great advice. I am switching from Ableton to Reaper and had mostly done all you suggest - confirming the common sense of all you are saying. However I did choose to read the manual, not to 'learn' the software but to discover features I didn't know existed which I could easily have missed. Still, I do wish I had written things down! Great tip. Many thanks. John
Thanks for this, Guy! May I add that beyond Key Commands one might get into using macros, i.e. the automation of (series of) tasks. For Mac, I use Keyboard Maestro (though I've heard good things about the free Karabiner Elements). The Keyboard Maestro macros can be triggered through key shortcuts, on-screen panels or... Stream Deck buttons! There's a good video on KM for music production on RUclips called Keyboard Maestro for Music Production 101
Hello Guy. FYI Experiments in Teleportation have been ongoing for years and in fact IS actually possible and has been successfully done in labs and in the field. It was announced publically a few years ago. Doesnt bloody help me learning Pro Tools though. Big fan of your channel!!
The 20 most used key commands are easy to remember. The others need more repetition. That's where I use the free software Anki. Set up flashcards with the description of the command (in your own words) and the key command as the answer. It adjusts how often you see the card based on your assessment of how difficult/easy it was to remember. I add 1-3 new key commands every day.
@@ForceGamerrr I agree. I take image/video clips of what's happening in more complex commands to help with the stimulation. I'm 61 so I forget more quickly. 😄
Hi Guy - I'm one of your MFA students... (Which I highly recommend to anyone considering it. It's been life-changing for me!). Some great tips here. I'm really keen to see your next video regarding your adventures on the new Mac - don't keep us waiting for long! How is it going?
I wanted to record a melody as a midi file to import into a score writing piece of software. I have found it AGONY. Hours and hours of smacking my head against a brick wall in order to do something really simple. Problem is, it is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut - like learning the whole of microsoft office so you can write a shopping list 😡 I’m sure there should be a market for much simpler software, but developers seem to be stuck in this ‘the competition can do this, so we must be able to do it, too’ mentality.
Thanks so much Guy. I find your videos informative and "easy on the eye and ear". Cubase is a little daunting for me, but your fun explanation reminded me to take it easy (with the software and myself) and find the path to how to produce what I want to hear.
Hi Guy. I recently switched to Logic Pro on a Mac Studio from Cubase on PC. Logic's dynamic plugin loading is the one feature that sold me on switching when I recreated my template. My Cubase templates always needed disabled tracks to free up performance and shorten the initial load time. That doesn't seem necessary at all in Logic.
About to move and start to work on the DAW engineer side. I have done a year of like frequency areas, hi pass lo pass any EQ, compression basics etc etc. Still use cheap VSTs cause its all for fun. I haven't been able to "" write write lol at all. Just throw tracks down and focus on that. But as that improves, Ill start to think more musical, less just thrown down 145 chords lol.
@@ThinkSpaceEducation Yep! I also just moved from DP (started when it was Performer) to Cubase. Took me the summer and I LOVE Cubase. Not going back! Love your videos!!!!
My best advice is to find a DAW of your choice and stick with it. At this point in time, almost all of them do almost exactly the same thing, although often in slightly different ways. I use Cubase Elements 12, and I use the 'task-based' method to learn the software. I work on a piece of music and as each new creative challenge comes up, I consult the manual, or online sources, to discover possible solutions. It's slow-going, but it's a solid way to improve one's know-how and techniques as one is actually working. The manual is there as a reference, to be consulted as and when needed - the search function will be your best friend (but try to think about your search terms and you will get to what you're looking for much quicker).
If I were Snopes, I’d rate those first two sentences “Mostly True.” As an audio engineer, I’ve been using Pro Tools for 27 years. As a media composer, I’ve used it more than any other for 17 years. But along the way, I’ve also used Power Tracks Pro (mid 90s), Studio Vision (90s and early 2000s), Logic (on and off since), Ableton Live (dabbled for a while), and Reaper (occasionally for 10 years). Can they all do the same things? Apart from Power Tracks which is not a real competitor, yyyyyes-if you mean only that it’s possible to accomplish approximately the same kinds of results in one way or another. But, no, if you mean that all techniques are feasible, or that the same types of results can be achieved in the same amount of time and/or quality. By choosing one DAW to the exclusion of the rest, you’re effectively choosing which sets of results you can achieve on time and under budget. By way of example, there are two reasons Jeff Russo’s scores sound like they do, and not like Anne Dern’s. He has different music training and tastes, and he composes in Pro Tools instead of Cubase. It’s quicker and easier to do a huge, menacing, sci-fi, hybrid score using PT start to finish than with any other DAW because of its clear and easy routing and mixing options. It’s quicker and easier to do a straight, somewhat traditional orchestral score in Cubase than PT because it makes MIDI entry and manipulation so easy, and its interface allows you to see large numbers of MIDI tracks in ways that make ready sense to the eye. It would be possible to pull off either type of score with either tool. But it’s a truism that the tool shapes the product, in every field, not just music.
You are a great teacher :) Thank you very much for this very timely video, I'm just planning to switch from the mobile program Music Studio to Cubase, but I'm a little afraid, thanks for the inspiration :)
Ok, this will help me in learning Ableton. I am a pro-DP user, but Ableton is an entirely different workflow and includes Max for Live, so I think is the only one worth learning besides one of the other "standard" DAWs.
Great video not sure why I watched it as I am not changing and love logic however very entertaining and love your style ! Love your mate in Seville. Key commands in all software and just using the computer are the holy grail……..
A lot of Digital Performer zealots used to read the manual cover to cover - can you imagine? I am now on Presonus Studio One but the simplest way to learn is to record an instrument (electric guitar for example), some midi sounds including drums - and keep it short. Then attempt to edit audio, edit midi, then try and mix it. It's a good way to experiment on a song that doesn't matter. And you start to see the repetitive things you need to do which prompts keyboard shortcuts and macros.
Great video Guy I have used a few DAWs in the past as a hobby. Currently using FL Studio for a few years now,still learning all the time And although I have a day job,I use my days off to learn shortcuts and other stuff too
I can vouch for buying a control pad. I found one on Amazon for only about 40 bucks. Has 22 programmable keys, and you can easily switch between 2 different layouts at the press of a button. So whether you want to have 44 macros or keyboard shortcuts for a particular piece of software at your fingertips, or you want to use it for several different programs, it will do the job nicely. I've been using it for an editing project for a few months now, and it's made everything so much quicker.
@@russ254 It's the ELSRA USB Wired Programming Numeric Keypad ControlPad, model # PK-2068. Seems like a pretty solid unit, and comes with a little device to help you easily pop off the key covers so you can insert your own labels for each of the keys. I believe that once you've programmed it, that info remains in the controller and so you can switch it between computers (although you might need the driver/software installed on any computer you use it on). This particular one is just for Windows and won't work on a Mac -- but I know there are others available on Amazon that are Apple-compatible.
Hi Guy. You are probably too busy to respond to this, but just in case... I've been looking at the stream deck xl. I see that you can buy a Cubase preset pack from sideshowfx. Is this worth doing? Did you set up keys one by one? Might want to choose which ones to have together rather than predetermined. Many thanks. Kate
Guy, it's wonderful how you always speak out the thoughts we have in these situations. Very useful! I recognize your story when I used Studio One and switched back to good old Cubase. haha. (Though I still love Studio One)
In Reaper we can make our keycommand or custom action into a button on the toolbar and even use any custom icon. Reaper has endless options. Yes it is really hard to switch to Reaper from another DAW. Better to learn Reaper as your first DAW. It is not very expensive and worth it.
Much agreed. Its brilliant software runs on most anything. Portable installs, project tabs, a track can be all things, loads fast, lots of great features.... I couldn't make much sense out of FLStudio, or Ableton, but Reaper made sense right away for myself but I had used Logic years ago when I had a Mac
Hi Guy...let me first say this...I LOVE your videos. But I would just like to make this one comment. With respect to complete beginners, they may not even know what a 'DAW' is, acronyms being great for those somewhat in the know rather than newbies and secondly an overview of what a Digital Audio Workstation actually does and what can be achieved with one. Also, again for newbies, they won't know any of the terms like 'plug-ins', vst's, clips slots, arrangement views etc. So giving a broad overview of what can be achieved with a DAW and what essential bits of kits constitute a DAW would be great. Now, you have my sincere apologies if this video was intended for people with more experience. That said, if you have already done a newbie vid please provide a link and if you haven't, you new viewers and established fans alike will still benefit from your enthusiasm and experience...Great stuff...Guy...keep them coming...winter is approaching...we need good new material to warm us up...
I broke and reprogrammed quick keys so that break, zoom in and zoom out match. I’m currently spending more time switching between samplitude and protools. B isn’t (wasn’t) a key you want to hit by mistake in samplitude and I prefer r and t for zoom because you don’t need to move your hand.
Thank you so much for these simple but "on the money" tips Guy!!! Now, does anyone know if there is a written list of all the key commands for Cubase ? 😛😂
I compose in Finale & spit out .WAV files to simply mix down to .MP3 for the purpose of basic demos of my music. Now, I've gotten ProTools, & the process of going from FINALE to PROTOOLS is not explained anywhere. No one wants to talk about MIDI & going from a composer paradigm to a mixer/master paradigm. If you've done a video on who to go from Finale to ProTools, please link below. I think it should be easy to import MIDI & assign library sounds. But software sometimes wants to be a jerk.
Good video, Guy. I was pleasantly surprised you had some good nuggets in there. I use FL Studio, but all my favorite composers seem to use Cubase. I just can't afford it. Also a lot of my favorite Twitch and RUclips streamers use a Stream Deck, another wish beyond my budget. Thanks!
I appreciate it will still be expensive - but Cubase have a sale on at the moment (19 Sept 2022) and, depending on the version of FL Studio you have (it requires: Imageline FL Studio 11 or higher {Signature and Producer / excl. Fruity} ), you may be able to buy it on the Cross Grade option. That is (UK) £497 down to £185 !!!
Having just watched the Preceding Ad to this tutorial of which was for the Unison SOUND DOCTOR I have to say I'M SORTED, IT'S ALL HAPPENING, I'VE FINALLY MADE IT, UNISON, SOUND DOCTOR so forgive me for missing the first 10 minutes but I've got to act quick as unison are only holding the price for 29 going on 28 minutes before the price is inevitably going up so back in a minute .... 🔥
I have a Question Guy Got any ways to get youre music forward towards the Industry for film ? Cuz im living in Norway so dont know what places to get Connections with people in the Film Industry :) , also all youre videos are Amazing and Inspiring to the bone !
I've been using nonlinear video editors, specifically Sony Vegas for 20 years. I quickly realized that DAWs look the same but are designed by people who seem to not know how work "works."
Great info thankyou keyboard shortcuts tonlearn for me, I have Cubase 12 but findvit very busy…… just grabbed logic and find it much cleaner, Only a novice but the newcapp looks less complicated to learn
Hi Mr Michelmore, 1st of all, thanks for your vids, educational, funny, friendly ... now, as a new cubase user from protools, ableton live & reason, i've noticed an abyssal difference of stability between cubase & every other. Have you ? i work on a quite old mac system & i've built a 33 instrument tracks in cubase + a lot of mix plugins on each tracks, many reverb sends, vca's etc etc ... i just can read it very fluid in cubase when my computer is struggling in every other daws ...
Hi, I watched lots of your tutorials about film scoring and now I only have 2 things I don't understand. First is how to score dialogue? And second how to adjust my score after editor changed the scene duration? How to madapt my score to the new edit?
At the time it was a lot less efficient than Logic or Cubase and the windows version was terrible at a time when it was far from clear that Apple had any real interest in professional audio. So Cubase has been a great choice and I dont think I will change any time soon.
Hi Guy, I am not sure if this is the place to ask but was wondering how you program a stringed instrument to play chords in a strum pattern, eg. Strum up and down on guitar, or bow up and down on say a violin? Is it possible with midi, or would it have to be done via audio with a "live" instrument? Thanks
Valid points BUT... please, I beg of you all, do read the manual. Keep the pdf open and look up the answers you need. Try to resist the temptation to bypass the manual and jump on the forum asking a bunch of questions that you could have found answers to in the manual in 1/4 of the time. DAW manuals weren't always 1500-page tomes, though. My first DAW experience was Pro Tools 3.1 in 1995. I actually did learn it by going through the entire manual line-by-line, trying everything once, in three 8-hour days. I knew just about everything there was to know about Pro Tools software. Every time a new version came out, I went through the What's New material line by line and learned all of that. All I had to do was add to my knowledge base as the full manual swelled to unmanageable size. But somewhere around 2004, even keeping up with the changes became prohibitively time consuming, and I didn't need to know about some of the new features. These days, I probably only know about half of Pro Tools, if even that, even though I use it every day, and I know 50 times as much as there was to know in 1995. It's kind of crazy. It really should be two or three separate software packages.
Thanks Guy, very informative as usual. Do you have any tips on how to reconfigure Cubase on a laptop so it is easier to go back and forth to a large screen desktop version?
Thanks Guy .. given me the nudge I needed to go back and learn Logic properly instead of messing around and cursing like I do now. Wish Final Cut Pro X was as logical as Logic though. It’s like finding needles in a digital haystack. Am I doing it right 😎(sunglasses of doubt apply)
Good video but I totally disagree with custom key commands. If you have a muscle memory for a task, and you have the option to keep that, it absolutely worth doing. My key commands in Cubase reflect a lot of the Ableton Live ones, mostly because they make more sense for where my hand rests when I am working. Some were just easier to reach in longer sessions. At the end of the day its what you are used to, if you don't have any muscle memory then go with default layouts. If you have been composing for a decade and your hand always pushes Cmd+D to duplicate, it doesn't make sense to me to have it as something else. Make the software work for you, don't be a slave to it.
I've spent over 55 years testing thousands of pieces of software and I'll say one thing for what to watch out for when searching for a well designed program. First and foremost, if you have to crack open a user manual to do even the simplest of things then you're probably not going to have an enjoyable time with it. Granted there are some programs with vast amounts of commands and oddball interface designs that you'll need a manual to discover what they do and how best to use them but if you have to refer to the manual to just save a file in a format you need then you're in trouble.
For me and I think a lot of other people, we're not qualified for "pro software". It's like giving an oil paint brush to a toddler, a pencil is more than enough. AND for many professionals, maybe even more so when it comes to music. It's really superficial and very expensive. Which is why I use Mixcraft. The samples makes the most difference but can't hide bad work. I think 99% of composers should get the SoundCanvas that emulates a Roland SC-88. Use that until your music sounds really good then upgrade. Good samples can fool you and others that the music is better than it really is, oh and buy Guy's course in music theory.
Step 1: get rid of the term "intuitive," or more specifically "NON-intuitive." Anything that works the same as one is used to is icing on the cake. Step 2: most software have key commands shown in the various context menus; that is a an excellent way to learn the most important and useful. Yes! Write them down!
I really like to know where in Spain plays this samba ... nowhere, i suppose. Except, of course, in brazilian guetos ... or tourists, maybe ... Guy, you are better than this.
There is already a lot of great advise in this. As a professional software developer I‘d like to add: Do Kata‘s to your list. A kata (in software development) is an exercise that you do to learn something for example a technique, a new programming language or - your new IDE which is software ;) The key point in a kata is, that the problem that you solve (the algorithm you need to write in the case of software) is trivial to solve, so that you can focus for example on memorizing the key commands or the key words of your language. Transferring katas to learning a new DAW you should for example NOT try to compose a track at the same time you learn you way around the DAW. Instead you could do something trivial like recreating a piece you have done in another DAW.
11:07 it is like Object Oriented Programming. You create objects. For example, a car, an animal, a dog, a cat. And for the car, you have a set of verbs. Such as "run()", "getFuel()"... for a dog, the verbs are like "giveSound()", "attack()", "bite()"... and these are called messages you send to the object. So the contextual menu is like: you right click on an object, and you are able to send messages to that object by choosing something from that list
If you’re a Logic Pro user, you can use Logic Control which is Apple’s control software for the ipad. It’s programmable and you can set up almost any key control available in Logic.
Key commands really are incredible. I ignored them for a long time (because I was lazy and didn't want to learn them) but once I started using them it sped up my workflow at minimum at least 200%. All those key commands add up and next thing you know you're just flying around the software.
This is absolutely bang on. I worked in IT for a lot of years (retired and now enjoying learning/playing music) and what you say here is true of any software. Tenacity - the ability to keep going - is one of the most undervalued yet key skills of have.... and if you help other people to keep going even better. A lot of projects fail because people just give up - it seems too difficult. You got it just right.
This video is GOLD-PLATED knowledge! Thank you for stating things I never realized about using my old mindset to a new DAW. This tip really puts the onus on how I am thinking (and therefore can control) versus the new functionality of a new piece of software. I can not control software code. I can, however, control how I choose to learn the new code! BRILLIANT MINDSET ADJUSTMENT! ❤❤❤
Best teacher for composition! I use FL Studio for scoring, but am honestly thinking about switching 🤔
@@LeeGee Yes it's a particularly decent offer if you want to move to Cubase or Dorico
Excellent video.
Just over three years ago, i dived into software/DAW recording for the first time.
The first two months or so, i wanted to throw my PC out a window.
I am glad i stuck with it.
Now, i truly enjoy working with software so much that i work mostly in the box.
I am a born-again software user.
❤❤❤ Did anyone noticed the sfx style music placed while Guy moves his hands at 6:22? Awesome!!!
When I grow up I want to be Mr Michelmore! Always useful content. Always delivered in a fun way.
hello Guy from the US, I'm an ex pat from Nottingham, thanks so much for your Videos, u have got me out of a creative slump, I'm a musician with 45 years on the club band circuit, but I wanted to get back to creating long pieces of music, Cheers Mate I got your back
There has been a large increase in accounts that are impersonating me, claiming to offer free rewards. (particularly through Telegram)
Do not engage with these accounts or reach out to them in anyway.
All competitions and giveaways will be done through this account, our email list, or other social medias under "ThinkSpace Education".
Stay safe!
There's one just replied to a comment I made today
Yes Guy, there's just been a reply to a comment I made, also!
Looks like me as well, thanks for the warning.
RUclips has been hacked.
Thanks for warning us. I’m always sceptical about those prices anyway…
Quick keys, quick keys, quick keys, tasks, and a big one for me, watching someone else work even if it’s just on RUclips. That was invaluable to me for being able to fumble around protools and watching your videos was a good leg up to Cubase. there’s stuff you pick up that you wouldn’t find , even if it was in the manual.
Finally a realistic blueprint and timeline for learning new software. Not the manufacturers advertisement about how easy it is. I keep a notebook of key commands and processes that pertain to my workflow. I started CyBase About four months ago. As you said instruction manual is so huge you would spend your whole life reading that instead of creating music.
That's about right - learn one task at a time in order of priority and you'll get there
Dear Guy, Thank you so much for such a great video! I know I need to spend more time getting used to Cubase, like anything, it's finding the time and I think you just really helped me in my discovery of getting around the software quicker! XX
Hello Guy, you are so right. I started with "MusicStation" (a cut-down version of Cubase) many many years ago. Then came straight to Cubase and was trained on Logic and ProTools when I studied to be an audio engineer. Then I found happiness with FL Studio for many years and have recently returned to Cubase. Such a change can be incredibly inspiring and boost creativity. And you learn a lot. And you're right - you should use keyboard shortcuts more. I admit that I also get lost in menus. Thanks for your videos and greetings from Germany! 🙂
Why have you returned to Cubese? Is it the best option for composers?
@@Ikhthus777 In my opinion, yes. Maybe ProTools is better for mixing, but Cubase is great for the workflow of arranging, writing, producing and orchestrating. It's the daily workhorse. But I also readily admit that FL Studio always inspires me with ideas.
Thanks Guy - yes, that was very useful.
this comes in just perfectly timed. I had to switch from Cubase to PT for my new studio job and therefor I had to rethink my workflow. It's really a good tip if you start by learning hotkeys with small tasks.
Thank you so much Guy. Very encouraging video. I never looked up to any other DAW than Ableton till date. Now I want to explore some more Daws.
Since you‘ve got the new PC, your screen capture quality got so much better. And btw I love your videos. Keep up the good work. You‘re just an inspiring person.
1:06 Realistic expectations. Changing DAWs.
3:22 Route finding
6:19 Key commands. Write them down. They help so much.
8:42 Another tip: a stream deck
9:48 Warning
10:20 Contextual menus. Moving DAWs will be frustrating. Look at things the new DAW does that your old one didn't. Get over the first hump.
13:12 Recap
Thanks Guy. Great advice. I am switching from Ableton to Reaper and had mostly done all you suggest - confirming the common sense of all you are saying. However I did choose to read the manual, not to 'learn' the software but to discover features I didn't know existed which I could easily have missed. Still, I do wish I had written things down! Great tip. Many thanks. John
Thanks for this, Guy! May I add that beyond Key Commands one might get into using macros, i.e. the automation of (series of) tasks. For Mac, I use Keyboard Maestro (though I've heard good things about the free Karabiner Elements). The Keyboard Maestro macros can be triggered through key shortcuts, on-screen panels or... Stream Deck buttons!
There's a good video on KM for music production on RUclips called Keyboard Maestro for Music Production 101
Hello Guy. FYI Experiments in Teleportation have been ongoing for years and in fact IS actually possible and has been successfully done in labs and in the field. It was announced publically a few years ago. Doesnt bloody help me learning Pro Tools though. Big fan of your channel!!
Ha! Teleportation but Pro Tools is too hard - that tells you a lot about pro Tools
This is a rabbit hole worthy of my next 3 spare hours. Can you link a reputable source for me to start with? 🙏
The 20 most used key commands are easy to remember. The others need more repetition. That's where I use the free software Anki. Set up flashcards with the description of the command (in your own words) and the key command as the answer. It adjusts how often you see the card based on your assessment of how difficult/easy it was to remember. I add 1-3 new key commands every day.
Anki is really great, but it is possibly one of the most boring ways to remember. But if you don't care about that, then it really is an amazing tool.
@@ForceGamerrr I agree. I take image/video clips of what's happening in more complex commands to help with the stimulation. I'm 61 so I forget more quickly. 😄
For me it was easy to switch from Ableton to Cubase and finally Studio One 👌🔥
Mr Guy you are the best RUclipsr ever!
I found this fun and helpful and agree…key commands but especially stream deck is a game changer for workflow
Hi Guy - I'm one of your MFA students... (Which I highly recommend to anyone considering it. It's been life-changing for me!). Some great tips here. I'm really keen to see your next video regarding your adventures on the new Mac - don't keep us waiting for long! How is it going?
I wanted to record a melody as a midi file to import into a score writing piece of software. I have found it AGONY. Hours and hours of smacking my head against a brick wall in order to do something really simple. Problem is, it is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut - like learning the whole of microsoft office so you can write a shopping list 😡 I’m sure there should be a market for much simpler software, but developers seem to be stuck in this ‘the competition can do this, so we must be able to do it, too’ mentality.
Thanks so much Guy. I find your videos informative and "easy on the eye and ear". Cubase is a little daunting for me, but your fun explanation reminded me to take it easy (with the software and myself) and find the path to how to produce what I want to hear.
That's Sevilla! My hometown
Hi Guy. I recently switched to Logic Pro on a Mac Studio from Cubase on PC. Logic's dynamic plugin loading is the one feature that sold me on switching when I recreated my template. My Cubase templates always needed disabled tracks to free up performance and shorten the initial load time. That doesn't seem necessary at all in Logic.
It’s an under-appreciated feature of Logic that doesn’t get mentioned enough.
About to move and start to work on the DAW engineer side. I have done a year of like frequency areas, hi pass lo pass any EQ, compression basics etc etc. Still use cheap VSTs cause its all for fun. I haven't been able to "" write write lol at all. Just throw tracks down and focus on that. But as that improves, Ill start to think more musical, less just thrown down 145 chords lol.
thank you so much! your videos are extremely useful, bless you
Love Sevilla and the parasol
It was lovely
@@ThinkSpaceEducation Yep! I also just moved from DP (started when it was Performer) to Cubase. Took me the summer and I LOVE Cubase. Not going back! Love your videos!!!!
My best advice is to find a DAW of your choice and stick with it. At this point in time, almost all of them do almost exactly the same thing, although often in slightly different ways. I use Cubase Elements 12, and I use the 'task-based' method to learn the software. I work on a piece of music and as each new creative challenge comes up, I consult the manual, or online sources, to discover possible solutions. It's slow-going, but it's a solid way to improve one's know-how and techniques as one is actually working. The manual is there as a reference, to be consulted as and when needed - the search function will be your best friend (but try to think about your search terms and you will get to what you're looking for much quicker).
If I were Snopes, I’d rate those first two sentences “Mostly True.” As an audio engineer, I’ve been using Pro Tools for 27 years. As a media composer, I’ve used it more than any other for 17 years. But along the way, I’ve also used Power Tracks Pro (mid 90s), Studio Vision (90s and early 2000s), Logic (on and off since), Ableton Live (dabbled for a while), and Reaper (occasionally for 10 years). Can they all do the same things? Apart from Power Tracks which is not a real competitor, yyyyyes-if you mean only that it’s possible to accomplish approximately the same kinds of results in one way or another. But, no, if you mean that all techniques are feasible, or that the same types of results can be achieved in the same amount of time and/or quality. By choosing one DAW to the exclusion of the rest, you’re effectively choosing which sets of results you can achieve on time and under budget. By way of example, there are two reasons Jeff Russo’s scores sound like they do, and not like Anne Dern’s. He has different music training and tastes, and he composes in Pro Tools instead of Cubase. It’s quicker and easier to do a huge, menacing, sci-fi, hybrid score using PT start to finish than with any other DAW because of its clear and easy routing and mixing options. It’s quicker and easier to do a straight, somewhat traditional orchestral score in Cubase than PT because it makes MIDI entry and manipulation so easy, and its interface allows you to see large numbers of MIDI tracks in ways that make ready sense to the eye. It would be possible to pull off either type of score with either tool. But it’s a truism that the tool shapes the product, in every field, not just music.
You are a great teacher :)
Thank you very much for this very timely video, I'm just planning to switch from the mobile program Music Studio to Cubase, but I'm a little afraid, thanks for the inspiration :)
One task at a time just learn what you need and work out from there
Ok, this will help me in learning Ableton. I am a pro-DP user, but Ableton is an entirely different workflow and includes Max for Live, so I think is the only one worth learning besides one of the other "standard" DAWs.
Yes ableton and FL are both quite different - but worht it!
Great video not sure why I watched it as I am not changing and love logic however very entertaining and love your style ! Love your mate in Seville. Key commands in all software and just using the computer are the holy grail……..
The way Guy talks about key commands is almost like “my precious key commands”😄I’m starting my musical life with DAW soon and so excited and worried.
A lot of Digital Performer zealots used to read the manual cover to cover - can you imagine? I am now on Presonus Studio One but the simplest way to learn is to record an instrument (electric guitar for example), some midi sounds including drums - and keep it short. Then attempt to edit audio, edit midi, then try and mix it. It's a good way to experiment on a song that doesn't matter. And you start to see the repetitive things you need to do which prompts keyboard shortcuts and macros.
Great video Guy
I have used a few DAWs in the past as a hobby. Currently using FL Studio for a few years now,still learning all the time
And although I have a day job,I use my days off to learn shortcuts and other stuff too
I can vouch for buying a control pad. I found one on Amazon for only about 40 bucks. Has 22 programmable keys, and you can easily switch between 2 different layouts at the press of a button. So whether you want to have 44 macros or keyboard shortcuts for a particular piece of software at your fingertips, or you want to use it for several different programs, it will do the job nicely. I've been using it for an editing project for a few months now, and it's made everything so much quicker.
@@russ254 It's the ELSRA USB Wired Programming Numeric Keypad ControlPad, model # PK-2068. Seems like a pretty solid unit, and comes with a little device to help you easily pop off the key covers so you can insert your own labels for each of the keys. I believe that once you've programmed it, that info remains in the controller and so you can switch it between computers (although you might need the driver/software installed on any computer you use it on). This particular one is just for Windows and won't work on a Mac -- but I know there are others available on Amazon that are Apple-compatible.
You can get specialist keyboards for different Daws or you can’t get silicone skin that fit over your keyboard keys also for different daws
That works for some like Pro Tools
Very helpful! Without shortcuts, Cubase in particular can quickly become a "limbo of the lost".
To get fast shortcuts on any programme is the only way
Hi Guy. You are probably too busy to respond to this, but just in case... I've been looking at the stream deck xl. I see that you can buy a Cubase preset pack from sideshowfx. Is this worth doing? Did you set up keys one by one? Might want to choose which ones to have together rather than predetermined. Many thanks. Kate
Guy, it's wonderful how you always speak out the thoughts we have in these situations. Very useful! I recognize your story when I used Studio One and switched back to good old Cubase. haha. (Though I still love Studio One)
Have you dropped Studio One? If yes, why?
Great video. At 6.30, finally someone who understands the use of the word ‘overestimate’ correctly. Sorry, pet peeve.
In Reaper we can make our keycommand or custom action into a button on the toolbar and even use any custom icon. Reaper has endless options. Yes it is really hard to switch to Reaper from another DAW. Better to learn Reaper as your first DAW. It is not very expensive and worth it.
Much agreed. Its brilliant software runs on most anything. Portable installs, project tabs, a track can be all things, loads fast, lots of great features....
I couldn't make much sense out of FLStudio, or Ableton, but Reaper made sense right away for myself but I had used Logic years ago when I had a Mac
I thought Reaper was a great 2nd DAW! A breeze after using FL Studio. I was so worried but it ended up being wonderful
Hi Guy...let me first say this...I LOVE your videos. But I would just like to make this one comment. With respect to complete beginners, they may not even know what a 'DAW' is, acronyms being great for those somewhat in the know rather than newbies and secondly an overview of what a Digital Audio Workstation actually does and what can be achieved with one. Also, again for newbies, they won't know any of the terms like 'plug-ins', vst's, clips slots, arrangement views etc. So giving a broad overview of what can be achieved with a DAW and what essential bits of kits constitute a DAW would be great. Now, you have my sincere apologies if this video was intended for people with more experience. That said, if you have already done a newbie vid please provide a link and if you haven't, you new viewers and established fans alike will still benefit from your enthusiasm and experience...Great stuff...Guy...keep them coming...winter is approaching...we need good new material to warm us up...
sometimes it's tiring to continue to learn new software :). But you are right. Thanks, Guy
Very cool!! 😎👍
I broke and reprogrammed quick keys so that break, zoom in and zoom out match. I’m currently spending more time switching between samplitude and protools. B isn’t (wasn’t) a key you want to hit by mistake in samplitude and I prefer r and t for zoom because you don’t need to move your hand.
Thank you so much for these simple but "on the money" tips Guy!!! Now, does anyone know if there is a written list of all the key commands for Cubase ? 😛😂
Key commands. Contextual menus! 👍
I compose in Finale & spit out .WAV files to simply mix down to .MP3 for the purpose of basic demos of my music. Now, I've gotten ProTools, & the process of going from FINALE to PROTOOLS is not explained anywhere. No one wants to talk about MIDI & going from a composer paradigm to a mixer/master paradigm. If you've done a video on who to go from Finale to ProTools, please link below. I think it should be easy to import MIDI & assign library sounds. But software sometimes wants to be a jerk.
Good video, Guy. I was pleasantly surprised you had some good nuggets in there. I use FL Studio, but all my favorite composers seem to use Cubase. I just can't afford it. Also a lot of my favorite Twitch and RUclips streamers use a Stream Deck, another wish beyond my budget. Thanks!
I appreciate it will still be expensive - but Cubase have a sale on at the moment (19 Sept 2022) and, depending on the version of FL Studio you have (it requires: Imageline FL Studio 11 or higher {Signature and Producer / excl. Fruity} ), you may be able to buy it on the Cross Grade option. That is (UK) £497 down to £185 !!!
@@DocBambs Thanks, I saw that. It's on sale for $375... still way too rich for my blood. And the Stream Deck is $290. C'est la vie
Having just watched the Preceding Ad to this tutorial of which was for the Unison SOUND DOCTOR I have to say I'M SORTED, IT'S ALL HAPPENING, I'VE FINALLY MADE IT, UNISON, SOUND DOCTOR so forgive me for missing the first 10 minutes but I've got to act quick as unison are only holding the price for 29 going on 28 minutes before the price is inevitably going up so back in a minute .... 🔥
You are such a great teacher!!
Thank you
Guy thank you, very sound and useful advice :)
I have a Question Guy Got any ways to get youre music forward towards the Industry for film ? Cuz im living in Norway so dont know what places to get Connections with people in the Film Industry :) , also all youre videos are Amazing and Inspiring to the bone !
Hi Guy. Greetings from Seville. I hope you liked my city, as much as I like your videos.
How about a walkthrough of making the Guy-in-Spain music?
a musical one coming next week :)
I've been using nonlinear video editors, specifically Sony Vegas for 20 years. I quickly realized that DAWs look the same but are designed by people who seem to not know how work "works."
True!!!
Great info thankyou keyboard shortcuts tonlearn for me, I have Cubase 12 but findvit very busy…… just grabbed logic and find it much cleaner, Only a novice but the newcapp looks less complicated to learn
Hi Mr Michelmore, 1st of all, thanks for your vids, educational, funny, friendly ... now, as a new cubase user from protools, ableton live & reason, i've noticed an abyssal difference of stability between cubase & every other. Have you ? i work on a quite old mac system & i've built a 33 instrument tracks in cubase + a lot of mix plugins on each tracks, many reverb sends, vca's etc etc ... i just can read it very fluid in cubase when my computer is struggling in every other daws ...
Hi, I watched lots of your tutorials about film scoring and now I only have 2 things I don't understand. First is how to score dialogue? And second how to adjust my score after editor changed the scene duration? How to madapt my score to the new edit?
Ok yes great videos right there
@@ThinkSpaceEducation yes, you made really a great channel!!
I'm curious about what you could not do in DP that made you switch to Cubase.
At the time it was a lot less efficient than Logic or Cubase and the windows version was terrible at a time when it was far from clear that Apple had any real interest in professional audio. So Cubase has been a great choice and I dont think I will change any time soon.
Blessings from Brazil
Hello!
Brilliant analogy, unknown cities to software. 👏😎 Hope your holiday was as brilliant. 🤣👍
Research trip research trip definitely not a lovely holiday
Hi Guy, I am not sure if this is the place to ask but was wondering how you program a stringed instrument to play chords in a strum pattern, eg. Strum up and down on guitar, or bow up and down on say a violin? Is it possible with midi, or would it have to be done via audio with a "live" instrument? Thanks
Thank you I really appreciate this !
Youre welcome
Thanks for another clear, useful and entertaining video Guy! What’s that box with all of the buttons on the left of your keyboard @ 09:25?
Its a video switcher - Atem Extreme ISO
Always more to learn!
me too
@@ThinkSpaceEducation Yep!
Great channel and video!
Thanks from a fellow Cubase user.🙏🏼
I was wondering if there is a set of strings that was used in Your Honor (sliding strings)
Valid points BUT... please, I beg of you all, do read the manual. Keep the pdf open and look up the answers you need. Try to resist the temptation to bypass the manual and jump on the forum asking a bunch of questions that you could have found answers to in the manual in 1/4 of the time.
DAW manuals weren't always 1500-page tomes, though. My first DAW experience was Pro Tools 3.1 in 1995. I actually did learn it by going through the entire manual line-by-line, trying everything once, in three 8-hour days. I knew just about everything there was to know about Pro Tools software. Every time a new version came out, I went through the What's New material line by line and learned all of that. All I had to do was add to my knowledge base as the full manual swelled to unmanageable size. But somewhere around 2004, even keeping up with the changes became prohibitively time consuming, and I didn't need to know about some of the new features. These days, I probably only know about half of Pro Tools, if even that, even though I use it every day, and I know 50 times as much as there was to know in 1995. It's kind of crazy. It really should be two or three separate software packages.
Thanks Guy, very informative as usual. Do you have any tips on how to reconfigure Cubase on a laptop so it is easier to go back and forth to a large screen desktop version?
Streamdeck mobile helps but that is a challenge as you can only remember the key switches really
Thanks Guy .. given me the nudge I needed to go back and learn Logic properly instead of messing around and cursing like I do now. Wish Final Cut Pro X was as logical as Logic though. It’s like finding needles in a digital haystack. Am I doing it right 😎(sunglasses of doubt apply)
Good video but I totally disagree with custom key commands. If you have a muscle memory for a task, and you have the option to keep that, it absolutely worth doing. My key commands in Cubase reflect a lot of the Ableton Live ones, mostly because they make more sense for where my hand rests when I am working. Some were just easier to reach in longer sessions. At the end of the day its what you are used to, if you don't have any muscle memory then go with default layouts. If you have been composing for a decade and your hand always pushes Cmd+D to duplicate, it doesn't make sense to me to have it as something else. Make the software work for you, don't be a slave to it.
That's either the transportation device on your lapel or a fancy Apple mic to go with your new fancy Mac workstation! ;-)
DJI Mike its great
Can I have one from my bed to my shed please?
@@ThinkSpaceEducation If you reverse the polarity on a wireless mic, it becomes a transport portal. I saw it on the internet... it must be true.
great idea. Please move on and provide more details why you have chosen what
If you are Ever in Madrid... let us know
what do you mean by software. google or daw
I've spent over 55 years testing thousands of pieces of software and I'll say one thing for what to watch out for when searching for a well designed program. First and foremost, if you have to crack open a user manual to do even the simplest of things then you're probably not going to have an enjoyable time with it. Granted there are some programs with vast amounts of commands and oddball interface designs that you'll need a manual to discover what they do and how best to use them but if you have to refer to the manual to just save a file in a format you need then you're in trouble.
For me and I think a lot of other people, we're not qualified for "pro software". It's like giving an oil paint brush to a toddler, a pencil is more than enough. AND for many professionals, maybe even more so when it comes to music. It's really superficial and very expensive. Which is why I use Mixcraft. The samples makes the most difference but can't hide bad work.
I think 99% of composers should get the SoundCanvas that emulates a Roland SC-88. Use that until your music sounds really good then upgrade. Good samples can fool you and others that the music is better than it really is, oh and buy Guy's course in music theory.
No more Windows or Cubase?
Cubase is my DAW - but I know a lot of you use Logic so I am working on becoming a bit more bilingual. Mac Studio is the new machine though
"You make notes", "write it all down": that's the real secret... 😉
Very true
Step 1: get rid of the term "intuitive," or more specifically "NON-intuitive." Anything that works the same as one is used to is icing on the cake.
Step 2: most software have key commands shown in the various context menus; that is a an excellent way to learn the most important and useful. Yes! Write them down!
Hey!
Hey!
Why did you move 😕, I thought MOTU DP was one of best DAWS???
just bought a new laptop with a new daw... could the timing be better haha
my pleasure
Oh no - Mac! Guy's turned to the Dark Side...
SEVILLA CITY
I really like to know where in Spain plays this samba ... nowhere, i suppose. Except, of course, in brazilian guetos ... or tourists, maybe ... Guy, you are better than this.
You are 100% right - sorry
@@ThinkSpaceEducation , thank you!! By the way, i loved this video!!!!