In the Key of your Commands - Part 1

The Transport Bar / Record Mode / Locator / Navigation Keyboard on the Num key's

Fig.1: The TRLN Keys

If you work with Cubase every day - doing a lot of the same routines - you surely know some of the
default shortcut settings. However, the Key command Settings feature in VST 5.1 gives us a very big
possibility to control Cubase via shortcuts.
Our keyboard gives us a little over 600 shortcuts! I have not counted how many possibilities there are
in key command settings - but it's a lot! More than enough to get you totally confused.
Many of us just play the same old song: Play-Stop-Record and a few more shortcuts - (most default) -
and then doing the rest with the mouse.
Inspired by the topics Liam started - "The Cubase Key Quiz" and "In command of your keys" - in the
Cubase.net Users Forum for Windows, I started to work with this problem.
My root idea was using the SHIFT-CTRL-ALT keys. Using these keys in combinations, gives us 7
combinations, + 1 more - (no SHIFT-CTRL-ALT involved). The Num keyboard has 16 keys, so this will
give us up to 128 shortcuts! But how can we set up all these possibilities in a nice and musical way?

Here are my thoughts about using the Num keyboard as a Transport Bar / Record Mode / Locator /
Navigation keyboard. (It took some nights and days!)
The Guitar Transpose Concept

First of all I must say - I'm a guitar player (as my main instrument) - so maybe this idea comes from
playing the guitar. One easy way to transpose on a guitar, is just to move up/down the guitar "fret
board" - and play the exact same pattern of chords or notes - (unlike a piano keyboard or a wind
instrument - where the chords and note pattern are completely different when you transpose). Now if
we transfer this method to how we set up our shortcuts, then the SHIFT - CTRL - ALT keys will act like
a ‘transpose’ (move up/down the guitar). And the 16 Number keys will act like the notes/chords. This
means, that if you add a Transpose/Tonality key and play the same Note / Num key = you play the
same old song. Or in other words, depending on the tonality, we get variations of that song/function.

Now this is a little different from the Cubase standard keyboard .kdb shortcuts.
They are spread all over the keyboard, and more like the way you transpose on a keyboard/wind
instrument.

• L/R Locator is both played by the Num 1 - 2 keys, the L - R keys, and the P key

• Cue points - Locator Sets - and Mute Sets, is both played by the Num keys 3 - 9, and the F2 - F11
keys, - and there is no similarity in the Tonality of Storing/Programming these

So what we gain with the Guitar Transpose Concept, is:

1. To have the related shortcuts located at the same area on the keyboard. (Both as a single key,
and as a Group of keys.)
2. To have the similarity in the Tonality, when you Store/Program - Edit - Set - open Window/Dialog -
and so on.

This makes it much easier to remember the shortcuts, and a lot of them can be played with one hand.

Examples:

Number 1 is always number 1, number 2 is always number 2, and so on. Depending on the Tonality,
they work on Cue - Locators - Mutes - Markers.

We could also say - when working with Cue-points, we play in Open String mode (in the key of Open
String (no Tonality keys involved)) - working with Locators, we play in CTRL mode (in the key of
CTRL) - working with Mutes, we play in ALT mode (in the key of ALT) - and so on.

The Record key always plays record. Depending on which tonality, it plays different record
modes/functions - (Open String = Rec, CTRL + ALT = Punch in, CTRL + SHIFT = Input - and so on.)
On another level we can change from minor to major:

The Cycle/Toggle key = Click, if we play in CTRL mode (in the key of CTRL) - minor.

If we change from minor to major (add SHIFT) = Metronome (in the key of CTRL+ SHIFT) - major

Like - Recall Locator Settings = (1-10 played in the key of CTRL) - minor.

Set Locators Settings = (1-10 played in the key of CTRL+SHIFT) - major - and so on.

Key commands that are related to each other - always play in the same tonality:

On the Transport Bar - All the Edit-(write) shortcuts are played in the key of CTRL + SHIFT.
Locator related shortcuts are played in the key of CTRL + ALT - Punch In/Out - Selected Parts.
So - this is what I came up with. Let's start from the top - and draw a nice big J down along the Num
keyboard.

Cycle/Toggle Key
Toggle the Buttons on
the transport bar. Locator Keys
Loop in Editors. Go to / Set the
L-R Locators.
Edit Locators.
Record Key
Punch Out.
Rec.
Punch In.
Play Key
Toggle different Audio/Midi
Play.
Rec modes.
Play from Selected Object.
Input.

Stop Key Position Key

Stop. Goes to Song positions in Editors.
Go to last start pos. Song positions to Selected Event.
Follow Song. Edit Position.
Number 10 (Locator/Mute/Markers)

Fig.2: The big J

Navigation Keys

The 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 and 0 keys - are used to set/recall

Locator-sets/Cues/Markers/Mute-sets
Cues = None involved (Open String)
Locators = CTRL
Mutes = ALT
Markers = CTRL+ALT
Setting always involve the SHIFT Key - (minor / major)

Fig. 3: Navigation Keys

There are 4 more keys on the Scroll keyboard (see the Notes)

GO TO: Keys REWIND/FWD Tempo Keys

Left side of the window. Rewind/Fwd.
8 different go to Tempo Up/Down.
commands in the Editors. Edit Tempo.

Fig.4: 4 more keys on the Scroll keyboard

Well, if you think this sounds like music - then maybe you should try it!
To make it easy for you to try it out, I've made a kdb. file with all the shortcuts. I've also placed all the
shortcuts at the end of the document, so you can print it out and look at it, when you try to play with
the shortcuts.

Save your Key command Settings, (if you've made any) - >Save as > Files type = Kdb. > name. Place
them in the Library Folder -(another great new Cubase 5.0 feature) or where you like - (If you don't like
the Setup - I hope you will - you just open your own Key commands Setting). Then open the TRLN
.kdb file - > Open > Files of type = .kdb > TRLN

Before you start playing with TRLN, remember to turn Num Lock off.
If Num Lock is on, some of the shortcuts don't work. (See the Notes)

PS:
The shortcut - 2 x 0 = Go to last Start pos. -
You must make the shortcut yourself (in the Preferences>General)
It's not included in the .Kbd file
 Here we go:
114 hot shortcuts!
(I’m sure you will be able to remember most of them)

CYCLE/TOGGLE Key
/ = Cycle
/ + CTRL = Click
/ + CTRL + SHIFT = Metronome
/ + ALT = Sync
/ + ALT + SHIFT = Synchronization
/ + CTRL + ALT = Master
/ + CTRL + ALT + SHIFT = Loop on/off (editor)- or - (= Edit track Output (Arr.)) (see notes)

REC Key
* = Rec
* + CTRL + ALT = Punch in
* + CTRL + ALT + SHIFT = Retrospective Record
* + SHIFT = True Tape
* + SHIFT + CTRL = Input
* + CTRL = Rec modes
* + ALT = Cycle Rec
* + ALT + SHIFT = Auto Quantize On/Off

LOCATOR Keys
+ = Go to left locator
- = Go to right locator
(+) + CTRL = Set left locator at song pos.
(-) + CTRL = Set right locator at song pos.
(+) + CTRL + ALT = Locators to selected parts
(-) + CTRL + ALT = Punch out
(+) + CTRL + SHIFT = Edit left Locator
(-) + CTRL + SHIFT = Edit right Locator
(+ or -) + CTRL + ALT + SHIFT = Set Left/Right Loop (editor)

PLAY Key
ENTER = Play
Enter + CTRL = Play from selected Object
POSITION Key
, (or . depending on which language your keyboard is laid out for) = Go to song pos. (in editors)
, (or . depending on which language your keyboard is laid out for) + CTRL = Song pos. to selected
event
, (or . depending on which language your keyboard is laid out for) + CTRL + SHIFT = Edit Position
, (or . depending on which language your keyboard is laid out for) + ALT + SHIFT = Edit SMTPE
Position

STOP Key
0 = Stop
2 x 0 = Go to last Start pos. (set in Preferences > General)
0 + SHIFT = Follow Song

REWIND/FWD Keys
Page Up/Down = Fwd/Rewind
Page Up/Down + SHIFT = Fwd/Rewind
Page Up/Down + ALT + CTRL = Tempo Up/Down
Page Down + SHIFT + CTRL = Edit Tempo

GO TO: Keys
Home = Go to Left side of the Window
Home/End + CTRL = Go to First/Last Event
Home/End + CTRL + SHIFT = Go to First/Last Selected
Home/End + ALT + SHIFT = Go to Prev/Next Selected
Home/End + ALT = Go to Prev/Next Part

NAVIGATION Keys
Cue point mode
(1-7) + SHIFT = Set Cue-point (Loc!)
(1-7) = Recall Cue-point (Loc!)

Locator mode
(1-9 and 0) + CTRL + SHIFT = Set Locator settings
(1-9 and 0) + CTRL = Recall Locator settings

Mute mode
(1-9 and 0) + ALT + SHIFT = Set Muted
(1-9 and 0) + ALT = Recall Muted
Markers mode
(1-9 and 0) + CTRL + ALT = Pos. to Markers
(Markers you have to set with the mouse - in the new Marker Track on the top in the Arrange window -
with the Pencil Tool)

As a result of this Setup I moved The VST Mixer's

F9 = Mixer 1
F10 = Mixer 2
F12 = Transport Bar
CTRL + F12 = Master/Buses

NOTES

IMPORTANT!
When you are using the TRLN - remember to turn the Num Lock key OFF - (on the num
keyboard - just above number 7 - (no LED on - green/yellow))
If you don't do that, some of the shortcuts don't work!

Note that Cubase turns Num Lock on when you hit a shortcut, where you have to write edit. But it‘s no
problem, it turns off as soon as you hit ENTER)
(This applies to all shortcuts, where you have to write edit)

Remember to activate (Edit/Select object-event/Transport Bar and so on) - if it is needed for the
shortcut!
(You can't do Loop on/off if you don't have set Loop points - or do Retrospective Rec if you haven't
played anything MIDI - or write edit on the Transport Bar if it's not open - Right?)

Some few commands in the Key command setting are doing 2 different things - depending on the
active window (Edit or Arr.)
One is : CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + / = Loop on/off (editor) - or - ( = Edit track Output (Arr.))

About Fwd/Rewind:

At some point in this work, I wanted to use 2 other keys for

Fwd/Rewind - it IS possible - BUT:

Using the Scroll keyboard keys Page Up/Down - lets you make a smooth
Fwd/Rewind
Using any other keys - makes it kind of Step Wind/Rewind - and Fast is not having any effect

HOME is the only key that can do the command Left side of the window.

There are only 7 Cue point's - (from old Cubase where 1 – 2 = Go to L/R- Locator).

The Cue point's are now named Loc - don't confuse with Locators!
(It's a little confusing - Set left/right Loc and Go to left/right Loc- is working on the Locators - but they
have the same name as Cue points).

In the Audio Editor - the (Go to song pos. - Song pos. to selected event - all Goto commands) is not
included! - Yet -

That's all for now. Remember.

If you want to change anything - just do it - the keys are under YOUR command!
So hit the keys and start playing!

Bo Clausen - They call me Mr. Shortcut