Courses

Professional Course Programs Pro Producer Courses Specialist Courses Logic Courses Ableton Live Courses Cubase Courses Reason Courses

Cubase Introduction Course

A comprehensive introduction to producing music with Cubase. The Cubase course covers all of the essential MIDI skills you need to produce a track, whatever the genre. Perfect for beginners, but even experienced Cubase users will benefit from weekly personal feedback by pro music producers.

Course materials:

Weekly online masterclass with a pro producer

Personalised video feedback on your music

Over 20 Quicktime video tutorials

300 pages of notes

Exclusive song files and audio samples

24/7 access to student / tutor discussion forums

Course Breakdown:

MIDI Sequencing

What is MIDI?
How to use virtual instruments (VST's) in Cubase
Basic structure: beats, bars, tempo & time signature
How to record MIDI

Introduction to Drum Programming

Differentiating the sounds (snare, kick, hats etc.)
Programming drum machines
Making your first beat
Editing MIDI: velocity, note length and quantize

Drum Programming - 2: Groove and Live Feel

How to use the step sequencer
Understanding the key editor
What is ‘groove’ and 'live' feel?
Adding a groove to your beats

Percussion & Other Beat-Making Techniques

The role of percussion instruments
How to edit your drums in Cubase
Key drum programming techniques
Adding "swing" and "shuffle" to your beats

Introduction to Chords & MIDI Plug-ins

Basic theory: Notes, octaves, tones and semi tones
What is a scale? Constructing Scales
Chord construction and inversion
MIDI plug-ins: how to use Cubase’s Chorder

Making the Bassline

Understanding the role of the bassline
Key basslines tecniques to bear in mind
Creating chord following basslines
How to record and editing a bassline

Introduction to Analog Synthesis

How do synthesizers work?
Cubase synths: A1, VB1 and Monologue
Getting to grips with the oscillator: envelopes, filter and volume
Creating 'classic' synth sounds

Analog Synthesis - 2

Modulation: giving expression to a sound
How to modulate the filter using various parameters
Glide with bass and synth sounds / Portamento
What is LFO and how does it work?

The Step Designer, Arpeggiator and MIDI Plug-ins

The Arpeggiator in modern music
How to use Cubase’s Arpeggiator
Creating sequences and phrases with the Step Designer
Creating synth riffs with the Step Designer

Structure & Arrangement

Instrumentation and arrangement
How to create a basic structure for your tracks
Add interest: Understanding breaks, cuts and fills
How to structure a killer club track

Mixing Basics

Which studio monitor for you?
Mixing your track in Cubase
EQ, Levels, and panning
FX channels: adding reverb & delay

Final Project

Final mix down
How to save as MP3 and burn to audio CD
Final project submission
Final exam

Press play to watch a preview from this course.

To watch full size click icon

Tutor profile

JC Concato
JC's previous projects include production, engineering and remix work for the likes of Bjork, Portishead, The Cure, Erasure, Allister Whitehead, Galliano, Pressure Drop, Raggatwins and Renegade Soundwave.