Cubase LE Quick Start Guide

Our company does not provide support for Cubase LE. Please
refer to the Cubase LE help menu for instructions about how to Note about trademarks
use the application.
• TASCAM is a trademark of TEAC CORPORATION, registered
in the U.S. and other countries.
Contents • Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
Contents.............................................................................................. 1 and/or other countries.
Conventions used in this manual............................................... 1 • Mac is trademarks of Apple Inc.
Note about trademarks.................................................................. 1 • Cubase and VST are registered trademark of Steinberg
Media Technologies GmbH.
Installing the software.................................................................... 2
Downloading Cubase LE......................................................... 2
Installing Cubase LE.................................................................. 3
Activating the software................................................................. 4
Activating Cubase LE................................................................ 4
Recording and playback................................................................ 5
Preparing for use....................................................................... 5
Recording audio......................................................................... 8
Playing audio.............................................................................. 8
• Other company names, product names and logos in this
document are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective owners.
Conventions used in this manual
The following conventions are used in this manual.
• Information shown on the computer display is written like
this: “OK”.
• Additional information is provided as necessary as tips,
notes and cautions.

TIP
These are tips about how to use the unit.

NOTE
These provide additional explanations and describe special
cases.

CAUTION
Failure to follow these instructions could result in injury,
damage to equipment or lost recording data, for example.

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 Cubase LE Quick Start Guide

Installing the software

To obtain Cubase LE, you must download the software from the
Steinberg website.
In order to always allow you to use the latest version, the
software is provided as a download.
Cubase LE can be used on both Windows and Mac operating
systems.

7. Click “Enter Download Access Code”.

Downloading Cubase LE
1. Access it at the following URL.
http://www.steinberg.net
2. You must have a MySteinberg account in order to download
Cubase LE. If you do not already have an account, follow
these procedures to create one. If you already have an
account, login to MySteinberg and skip to step 7.
3. Create a MySteinberg account. Click “MySteinberg” at the
top right of the screen.
8. Enter the access code.
A sticker with your personal access code is attached to
the license card included with the TASCAM product. After
entering this access code, click “Continue”.

4. When the “Welcome to MySteinberg” screen opens, click

“Create account” at the bottom the screen. 9. If the access code is confirmed successfully, downloading
will become possible. Click the Windows version if you are
using Windows or the Mac version if you are using Mac.

10. An activation code that is necessary to begin using Cubase

LE will appear on the screen. An activation code that is
necessary to begin using Cubase LE will appear on the
screen.

5. Follow the instructions given on screen and input infor-

mation to create an account.
6. After you create an account, an email should arrive from NOTE
“MySteinberg Account Info”. Click “To activate your MySte- The activation code will also be sent by email.
inberg account please click here” in the message to open the 11. Downloading could take more than 20 minutes. After
login screen. Input your email address and password to log downloading finishes, click “Finish”.
in to MySteinberg.

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 Cubase LE Quick Start Guide

Installing Cubase LE
88 Windows
1. The downloaded file will be in zip format. Uncompress the
zip file to create a “Cubase LE 8” folder. Double-click “Start_
Center.exe” inside this folder.
2. When the installer starts, the language is set to English.
Move the cursor to “English” in the middle of the screen to
open a pull-down menu and select the desired language.

88 Mac
1. The downloaded file will be in disk image (.dmg) format.
Double-click the dmg file to open a Cubase LE disk image.
Double-click “Start Center”.

3. Follow the instructions on the screen to open the instal-

lation screen. Next, click the “Install” button in the middle of
the screen to start installation.

2. When the installer starts, the language is set to English.

Move the cursor to “English” in the middle of the screen to
open a pull-down menu and select the desired language.

4. When the pop-up message appears, click “No, install locally

available software”.

3. Follow the instructions on the screen to open the instal-

lation screen. Next, click the “Install” button in the middle of
the screen to start installation.

5. Follow the instructions on the screen, and click the “Install”

button at the bottom right to start installation on the hard
disk. (Installation could take several minutes.) 4. When the pop-up message appears, click “No, install locally
6. Click the “Finish” button to complete installation. available software”.

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 Cubase LE Quick Start Guide

Activating the software

Cubase LE requires activation in order to identify authorized
users. The software cannot be used without being activated.
An Internet connection is necessary for activation.

Activating Cubase LE
88 Windows
1. Double-click the “Cubase LE AI Elements 8” icon created on
the desktop or select “Cubase LE AI Elements 8” from the
start menu to launch Cubase LE.

5. Follow the instructions on the screen, and click the “Install”

button at the bottom right to start installation on the hard
disk. (Installation could take several minutes.)
6. After installation completes, click the “Close” button.

When a pop-up message appears, click “Activate Cubase LE

8…”

2. When a screen where you can enter the activation code

appears, enter the activation code in the input field.

NOTE
The activation code is shown below the access code on the
MySteinberg screen. It will also be sent by email.
3. When “Cubase LE 8” appears at the bottom of the screen,
click the “Activate license” button.

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 Cubase LE Quick Start Guide
4. After completing activation, click the “Finish license 4. After completing activation, click the “Finish license
activation” button. activation” button.

88 Mac
1. Open the Applications folder in the Finder, and double-click
the “Cubase LE AI Elements 8” icon to launch Cubase LE.
Recording and playback
The settings for Cubase LE are the same on both Windows and
Mac operating systems. The following examples show screens
from Windows 7 when using a US-2x2.
Basic procedures to prepare for recording are explained below.
Please refer to the Cubase LE help menu for detailed information
about functions and operations.

Preparing for use

1. Launch Cubase LE. When the “Steinberg Hub” that assists in
2. When a pop-up message appears, click “Activate Cubase LE starting projects opens, click “Recording” and then “Create
8…" Empty”.

3. When a screen where you can enter the activation code

appears, enter the activation code in the input field. After
entering it, click the “Activate license” button at the bottom
right.

When you do this, an empty project screen like the one shown
below will open.

NOTE
Various default project templates for recording different
types of music are available in the Steinberg Hub. In this

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 Cubase LE Quick Start Guide
case, we have created an empty project in order to explain 2. Set the ASIO driver so that Cubase LE can input and output
how to use Cubase LE. through an external device. Open the Devices menu from
the menu bar and select “Device Setup”.
TIP
A project is a unit for working on the creation of a single
piece of music. You can create multiple projects, and save,
load and make settings for each one separately. To change
projects settings, open the “Project” menu from the menu
bar and select “Project Setup ”.

3. Select “VST Audio System” on the left side, and select the
audio interface from the ASIO Driver menu on the right side
("US-2x2 & US-4x4” in this example). After selection, click the
“OK” button.

On the Project Setup screen you can change the sample

rate, bit resolution and other settings that affect the entire
project.

4. Make input and output audio port settings. These settings

connect Cubase LE with the audio ports of the audio
interface being used ("US-2x2” in this example).
Open the Devices menu from the menu bar and select “VST
Connections”.

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 Cubase LE Quick Start Guide

8. We will add a stereo track in this example. On the “Add

Audio Track” screen, confirm that the “Configuration” is set to
5. Click the “Inputs” tab on the VST Connections screen. The “Stereo” and click the “Add Track” button.
“Stereo In” bus is available by default. In its Device Port field
(shown in yellow) pull-downs on the right, select US-2x2
input ports. In this case, select the US-2x2 “In 01” port for
Stereo In Left and the “In 02” port for Stereo In Right.

An audio track is added as shown below.

6. Click the “Outputs” tab in order to set the output audio

ports in the same way. The “Stereo Out” bus is available by
default. In its Device Port field (shown in blue) pull-downs
on the right, select US-2x2 output ports. In this case, select
the US-2x2 “Out 01” port for Stereo Out Left and the “Out 02” TIP
port for Stereo Out Right. By default, the inputs and outputs of created tracks will
be assigned to the previously set Stereo In and Stereo Out
busses. If you want to assign a track to a different bus, use
the pull-down menus in the Inspector to change it.

NOTE
• The number of channels shown in the Device Port
pull-downs depends on the audio interface used.
• An audio signal path is called a “bus”.
• To use multiple busses with Cubase LE, click the “Add Bus”
button to add busses. For example, when using an audio
interface with four input channels, you can add another
Stereo In bus to the Inputs tab and record a total of four
input channels simultaneously by selecting ports 03 and 04
in the Device Port fields.
7. Next, create audio tracks for recording. Open the “Project” This completes preparation. Next, we will record.
menu from the menu bar and select “Add Track” followed by
“Audio...”.

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 Cubase LE Quick Start Guide

Recording audio Playing audio

We will record to the previously created track. Next, we will play the recorded track.
1. In order to record to a track, it must be record-enabled. Click 1. Click the Record Enable button to disable recording on
the black circle (Record Enable) button under the track name it (button becomes unlit) in order to avoid accidentally
(Audio 01) so that it lights red. This enables recording for this recording over it. Click the Monitor button (making it unlit)
track. to output the playback sound rather than the input sound.
2. During recording, it is necessary to listen to the Cubase LE
input sound (sound of performance been recorded). Click
the speaker icon (Monitor) button next to the Record Enable
button so that it lights orange. When the Monitor button is
lit, you can hear the input sound.

2. Click the Rewind button to return to the beginning of the

project.

3. Try inputting sound into the audio interface that you are
using. The meters to the right move in response to the
volume. 3. Click the Play button to start playback from the beginning.

During playback, the meters move in response to the

volume of the audio playing back.

4. Click the round black Record button among the transport

controls at the top of the screen. When you do this, the
Record button will light red, the Playback button next to it
will light green and recording will start.

4. Click the Stop button to stop playback.

During recording, tracks that are being recorded become
red and audio waveforms are shown as they are recorded.
TIP
Balancing track volumes using the Inspector becomes
tedious when numerous tracks are playing back. The
MixConsole is convenient for such times. Open the Devices
menu from the menu bar and select “MixConsole” to open
the MixConsole.

5. To stop recording, click the square black (Stop) button.

NOTE
A song can be created by recording multiple tracks one
after another.

TIP
• After recording a track, we recommend that you click its
Record Enable button to disable recording on it in order to
avoid accidentally recording to it again when recording a
different track.
• We recommend saving projects frequently to avoid loss of
recording data. To save a project, open the File menu from
the menu bar and select “Save”.

8 TASCAM