Why You Should Use VCA Faders | Cubase Secrets with Dom

Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль

In this Cubase Secrets video, Dom Sigalas looks at how to use VCA faders when mixing and mastering your music production. Creating a VCA fader for multiple channels in the MixConsole allows you to have better, and more straightforward control over those channels to speed up your workflow.
We hope you find this video entertaining and useful. If you like what you see, please leave a comment and tell us what you think.
Thank you.
Your Steinberg Team
#Cubase #CubaseTutorial #MusicWorkflow
Check out the trial version of Cubase and lay hands on the exciting features Cubase has to offer:
www.steinberg.net/cubase/trial/
Get more detailed information on Cubase from our website:
www.steinberg.net/cubase/
Quickly and easily access the most up-to-date manual for your Steinberg product on:
steinberg.help/
Whether you require assistance with registration and activation/re-activation through our support forums and Knowledge Base support articles or simply want to read the latest support news, you can find all the information in one place:
helpcenter.steinberg.de
Like our Facebook page and stay informed on insights, news, announcements and updates, events and live streams. Follow us on Facebook:
/ steinberg
Subscribe to our dedicated Cubase KZread channel and learn the ropes of using Cubase by watching practical video tutorials and other interesting features:
/ cubase
On Twitter, stay up to date with the latest news, updates and special offers anytime and anywhere:
/ steinbergmedia
Follow us on Instagram for full picture coverage on launch events, trade shows and other exciting occasions:
/ steinbergmedia
Check out our SoundCloud profile and listen to the many demo tracks we’ve got listed there:
/ steinbergmedia

Пікірлер: 106

  • @milogiraldoagain
    @milogiraldoagain14 күн бұрын

    Dom, you're a legend!!

  • @TONDJO-STATION
    @TONDJO-STATION13 күн бұрын

    C'est tellement plus claire avec les sous titres en français...merci Dom !!!

  • @alexanderewing3779
    @alexanderewing377914 күн бұрын

    A wee bit confusing but i will persist. Thanks again, Dom, for very useful tips. Cheers!

  • @edgriggs3544
    @edgriggs35443 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the refresher. I'm pretty sure I watched this a while back. It looks like you re-did the entire video word-for-word, move-by-move in Cubase 13. Nicely done. Kudos to Steinberg for re-enlisting one of their best teachers.

  • @DavidDavis-FA-photog
    @DavidDavis-FA-photog2 ай бұрын

    OMG, now I finally understand the whole VCA thing. I think this will speed up my work flow a lot!

  • @jeremythornton433
    @jeremythornton4335 ай бұрын

    This is fantastic stuff! Thank you!

  • @LouieKalouie
    @LouieKalouie5 ай бұрын

    All your tips and tutorials have opened my eyes more on Cubase. Thanks Dom!

  • @Starfire42
    @Starfire425 ай бұрын

    Always so educational! Bravo!

  • @powernemo
    @powernemo5 ай бұрын

    Whoah this was really a great one! Thank you! An incredible time saver!

  • @DavidDavis-FA-photog
    @DavidDavis-FA-photog5 ай бұрын

    This is just what the Dr. ordered. This will help me speed up my mixes.

  • @dirk-jancornelisse3875
    @dirk-jancornelisse3875Ай бұрын

    Very clear explanation! Thanks a lot!

  • @Webzterr
    @Webzterr5 ай бұрын

    Never knew what they were for... Glad I watched

  • @alexanderivakov
    @alexanderivakov5 ай бұрын

    Just the video I needed! Always wanted to learn about VCA faders but never could get around to doing it! Thank you, Dom! You're the best! 🙏🙏🙏

  • @javierpenya
    @javierpenya5 ай бұрын

    Great. As always. Thanks. Learning a lot with your videos.

  • @DaveDickens
    @DaveDickens5 ай бұрын

    Really helpful video Dom, thank you. Cheers Dave

  • @yams900
    @yams9005 ай бұрын

    Thx Dom !

  • @ufo_alien_arcturus
    @ufo_alien_arcturus4 ай бұрын

    Thank you!!!

  • @LindaMissad
    @LindaMissad5 ай бұрын

    OH MY, I've been using Cubase for a long time and never understood this idea. Thanks so much for your clear explanations. I will definately be using the VCA fader now.

  • @DeepakKumarSatellites
    @DeepakKumarSatellitesАй бұрын

    WOW Dom that was so helpful Thanks

  • @juliancroot
    @juliancroot5 ай бұрын

    Such a great teacher. Whether I learn anything new or not, I always appreciate the way you deliver these types of video. Thank you Dom.

  • @CarlManleyMusic
    @CarlManleyMusic4 ай бұрын

    Second day learning Cubase but this is super helpful already! Thanks! Have been using Logic and Ableton but excited to get stuck into this DAW now!

  • @andrewsun4385
    @andrewsun43855 ай бұрын

    Awesome!!!❤❤💯💯

  • @jockeysacato8284
    @jockeysacato82843 ай бұрын

    Excellent

  • @simonlawrence1234
    @simonlawrence12345 ай бұрын

    Very useful

  • @harryolive1853
    @harryolive18535 ай бұрын

    Your approach to teaching is really great - it's well explained and organized. Thanks a lot for that. I've been working with C13pro to test the fastest CPU on the planet, the AMD EPYC 9654..

  • @kelvinlee18
    @kelvinlee185 ай бұрын

    Nice video! One of the most useful thing of the VCA fader to me is it allow automating the level of your tracks while retaining the send relationships of individual tracks. Group tracks cannot do that.

  • @i_jetlag

    @i_jetlag

    5 ай бұрын

    Oh! thanks a lot, I didn't think of that. I was wondering why I would even wanna use a VCA when the group channel fader does the same volume adjustments.

  • @Lectrosoul

    @Lectrosoul

    5 ай бұрын

    Nice to know!

  • @skippyweb

    @skippyweb

    5 ай бұрын

    You can automate group tracks.....

  • @kevvinster

    @kevvinster

    5 ай бұрын

    Exactly the reason to use VCA over groups. Keeping the sends in check of your source tracks. If your source tracks don't have post fader sends then a group will do the job.

  • @kelvinlee18

    @kelvinlee18

    5 ай бұрын

    @@skippyweb I automate both 😎. Having both group and VCA at the same time offers great flexibility when doing mix revision for my client. Just within a few clicks you could change automation as a group / individual tracks. Great for balancing lead vocals / dub / backing vocals. Try it! 👍

  • @hassejansson
    @hassejansson5 ай бұрын

    Cubase is the best!

  • @ir8123
    @ir81235 ай бұрын

    Top notch DAW

  • @raoofco
    @raoofco5 ай бұрын

    Thanks 🙏

  • @steffengiesel4992
    @steffengiesel49922 ай бұрын

    Hey Dom, really helps me a lot! I have recorded a choir with 16 singers where each one has an own mic. I can for example reduce the breathing noise of everybody with automating one fader.

  • @sanjayasooriyaarachc
    @sanjayasooriyaarachc5 ай бұрын

    Great thanks...

  • @Harrysound
    @Harrysound5 ай бұрын

    I’m going to have to experiment with this. Those acoustic guitars sounded really well recorded.

  • @mcsweet1966
    @mcsweet19665 ай бұрын

    Cool video Dom

  • @_pokies
    @_pokies5 ай бұрын

    Thanks

  • @franky7103
    @franky7103Ай бұрын

    I thought VCA faders were only used to link many channels' fader together so I can lower them all when my signals gets too hot without loosing all the effects on them. That's much more useful than I thought! I'll start using them more! Thank you for this video!

  • @MrCraigSayer
    @MrCraigSayer5 ай бұрын

    Best DX7 tee shirt ever!

  • @MartinStolzMusic
    @MartinStolzMusic5 ай бұрын

    Hi Dom, great video - I'm going to use them in future. It would be great to have a video about mixing with wind instruments like sax, clarinet and flute. Especially the eq, reverb and delay. I play all of these instruments but I don't get the modern sound out of them ;-)

  • @RalfBiermann777
    @RalfBiermann7773 ай бұрын

    I didn't know that and I think it might be very useful for Orchestra Libraries, the strings for example.

  • @ehabsh9427
    @ehabsh94275 ай бұрын

    I'm already using the VCA faders but mainly for controlling volume. Honestly I wasn't aware of their full potential especially the idea of linking the sends and EQs. Big thanks for this video.

  • @jensloetzsch

    @jensloetzsch

    Ай бұрын

    You can also select the channels and hit the Q-Link Button on the top of the mixer. Now you can also process your selected channels simultaniously ;)

  • @susyquark
    @susyquark5 ай бұрын

    Nice video. In my case I use VCA when I have a grout track with automations and I need to increase or decrease the volume of that automated track. So I create a VCA of the group track (not the individual tracks because I do not want to modify how "attack" the plugins in the group track, I only want to level that track and I do not want to modify all the automation points).

  • @PiotrLYRRE
    @PiotrLYRRE5 ай бұрын

    In my workflow I also use them to automate the faders even on single tracks - doing so I can still change the volume of the track later, but the relative volume in time stays as I wrote with VCA.

  • @laurentschark
    @laurentschark5 ай бұрын

    The VCA are a great tool indeed. The reason why I don’t use them is because I prefer to “group” te tracks (group option not creating a group fader) if needed. When you do so, you can also choose which common elements (eq, volume, etc) you want to include. Why do I prefer this over VCA faders ? I don’t have an extra fader in my mix console. If I need to modify one common thing on many track at once without the need to group then, I use the super cool Q-Link shortcut :) it is however great that cubase is giving you the VCA option as many people prefer the comfort of a VCA fader which makes sense for many users.

  • @triniticoclough6387

    @triniticoclough6387

    5 ай бұрын

    I do see the benefits of using a VCA...I may start using them but not for tradtional VCA functions...only in the cases where I would need multi tracks to push more into their plugins with out changing the fader position of my group channel itself!

  • @CorradoLoffredi
    @CorradoLoffrediАй бұрын

    Hi Dom, many thanks for this video. I'd like to know if it is possible to create a vca fader to use it for other cc's than cc7, f.e. cc1 or cc11.

  • @Blueberrystop
    @Blueberrystop2 ай бұрын

  • @nikolaostsimpetonidis4243
    @nikolaostsimpetonidis42432 ай бұрын

    Φοβερός όπως πάντα με πολύ καλή εξήγηση και επαγγελματική προσέγγιση! Many thanks for the useful advice, Keep up the great work!! :)

  • @diegoalejo15
    @diegoalejo155 ай бұрын

    ey, didn´t know this VCA linking property, now they turn much more useful for me (as Dom says how cool is that!), the one thing that need to take into account is that while adding inserts that slot must be empty in every linked channel.

  • @jensloetzsch

    @jensloetzsch

    Ай бұрын

    You don't need a VCA Fader for this, just select the tracks you want to automate and hit the Q-Link button in the mixer ;)

  • @diegoalejo15

    @diegoalejo15

    Ай бұрын

    @@jensloetzsch I know that but VCA link stays "forever", I use Q-link more for temporary links

  • @KlausSchmuck
    @KlausSchmuck3 ай бұрын

    I like VCA to, but just came in to my mind. Can what you showed not also be done with the gain lever of the groupe? I mean the volume thing.

  • @anthonyh1298
    @anthonyh129817 күн бұрын

    Would love to know what that hardware controller is!

  • @sandrovanhetgroenewoud5817
    @sandrovanhetgroenewoud58175 ай бұрын

    Hello Dom, great info, as usual! However, when listening to your guitar tracks you use, I stumble on the same problem I have. the quantize makes it too perfect and de-humanizes the guitars. is there a function where you can 'humanize' the quantizing?

  • @curiouscatlabincgetsworrie7755

    @curiouscatlabincgetsworrie7755

    5 ай бұрын

    Yeah! There are actually multiple functions within human capabilities to achieve that FX. They're called practice and rehearse! :D

  • @diegoalejo15

    @diegoalejo15

    5 ай бұрын

    you may soft quantize, i.e quantize at 80% or modify a little the swing, etc in the Quantize panel

  • @lamybenjamin7922
    @lamybenjamin79225 ай бұрын

    Hi Dom thanks for the video. But I still not notice the interest of the VCA Fader Channel compare to Group Channel... That seems really useless and minimal to me... I use group channel that I can send to an FX channel for example...

  • @aftabkhan27
    @aftabkhan275 ай бұрын

    Need help on this. If I use vca in my cubase project and run automation thought it . Same project I open in nuendo the vca does not. Plz suggest what to do. Lot of clients work in cubase and send me cubase projects to mix . I use nuendo. Plz help

  • @marcrobertson4735
    @marcrobertson47355 ай бұрын

    Is it possible to UnLink multiple channels at once? I've had times when I needed to temporarily unlink, for instance, 3 different snare channels and having to unlink one at a time is very time consuming. Highlighting all the channels and selecting unlink does not work. I'm still on C12 btw.

  • @Mix3dbyMark
    @Mix3dbyMark5 ай бұрын

    Did they fix the bug where VCAs would forget my channel values when I restart Cubase?

  • @Jura_JS
    @Jura_JS5 ай бұрын

    I have issues with VCA faders. They broke my mixes couple of times so I'm afraid to use them Say I have main vocal at 0db, double vocal at -6db, and I create VCA fader for them, and for example I move it -3db in the bridge. I save project, quit. On the next day I open project and I have main vocal at -3db, double at -9db at start, and it moves to -6/-12 at bridge correspondingly

  • @shwanaskari

    @shwanaskari

    5 ай бұрын

    I have the exact same issue. I avoid VCAs completely now. I feel like they're not stable in Cubase unfortunately. Especially when using automations

  • @ggmanestraki

    @ggmanestraki

    5 ай бұрын

    You need to write automation for the tracks connected to the VCA fader. If you write at least one value at the start of each track, things work as they should. Otherwise, your fader levels will be offset by the amount dictated by the VCA's automation, which is not predictable behaviour.

  • @corradospada
    @corradospada5 ай бұрын

    so do you recommend sending all the drum channels to a VCA and the VCA to the channel group or the tracks to both the VCA and the channel group?

  • @DomSigalas

    @DomSigalas

    5 ай бұрын

    I always like to use a combination VCA and groups: VCA controls all the elements of the drum kit but the routing still goes to the Group (which is not controlled by the VCA ;)

  • @ThomsenTower

    @ThomsenTower

    5 ай бұрын

    @@DomSigalasThis is where I get confused. In this video, once you set up the VCA, AND linked group, with inserts and sends enabled, what is left for a Group track?

  • @DomSigalas

    @DomSigalas

    5 ай бұрын

    @@ThomsenTower it processes the sum of the channels! :)

  • @ThomsenTower

    @ThomsenTower

    5 ай бұрын

    @@DomSigalas Ah, I see. I forget that linking Sends through VCA still keeps them separate; it is just a "remote control" for controlling sends of several tracks simultaneously. Thanks for clarifying!

  • @stevenleonmusic
    @stevenleonmusic5 ай бұрын

    Except you actually should *NOT* use VCA faders in Cubase 13 right now because they have bugs that are being worked out. The VCA fader is causing a weird issue when you try to input numbers into the volume parameter of a track connected to the fader and when you close/re-open Cubase the volume gets reset to whatever the last value it is in your VCA fader's automation. I don't even know how you made it work for this video; I had to just stop using them altogether.

  • @d.rubtsov

    @d.rubtsov

    Ай бұрын

    13.0.30 fixes this bug, but for some reason only a half. Input now works correctly. But the problem with VCA automation and re-opening cubase is still there. So yeah, don't use VCA

  • @kti01
    @kti015 ай бұрын

    I don't quite understand the advantage of applying effects to all grouped tracks via the somewhat awkward linking in the VCA track. It seems much more logical to me to apply effects to the grouped tracks via the group track.

  • @Godspeed_ViViX
    @Godspeed_ViViX5 ай бұрын

    What's frustrating about VCA faders in Cubase is that they work in a different manner than in Nuendo and they aren't compatible with each other.

  • @KeshavDhar

    @KeshavDhar

    5 ай бұрын

    Nuendo doesn't let me add more than 4 VCA faders in a project. Is this normal?

  • @Sheriffvlogs

    @Sheriffvlogs

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@KeshavDhar, that is not true thay work the same maybe u are using an older version.

  • @KeshavDhar

    @KeshavDhar

    5 ай бұрын

    I'm using 12… @@Sheriffvlogs

  • @voidabstraction
    @voidabstraction5 ай бұрын

    This is only for Pro right? Otherwise for Artist users etc, we just use groups.

  • @luxxinterior5200
    @luxxinterior52002 ай бұрын

    Just not seeing why I would add clutter to my mixer with a VCA fader when it seems that I can accomplish the same exact thing by just using the "Link" feature for multiple channels.

  • @SoundPeaks
    @SoundPeaks5 ай бұрын

    How do I share my Groove Agent Kit with my friend? This sampler literally has no way of doing that :(

  • @jesperborgstrm3385
    @jesperborgstrm33855 ай бұрын

    Q-link next?

  • @GaryR55
    @GaryR554 ай бұрын

    Voltage Controlled Amplifier?

  • @anthonyh1298

    @anthonyh1298

    17 күн бұрын

    Yeh, that's the original implementation in analog desks. Obviously it no longer applies, but name has stuck.

  • @trmusic4035
    @trmusic40355 ай бұрын

    maja aaya

  • @chucktripi491
    @chucktripi4915 ай бұрын

    Hi Dom, Would you consider using a fairly complex instrumental tune instead of a pop song? I’d like to think that I’m not the only subscriber who doesn’t work in the pop genre? Thanks!

  • @alanredversangel
    @alanredversangel5 ай бұрын

    I still don't see the point of vca. You already have a crazy number of tracks, folders, group channels, why would you add another fader to it all? I'm pretty sure you can achieve everything a vca does without a vca in Cubase. I may be wrong.

  • @i_jetlag

    @i_jetlag

    5 ай бұрын

    I was also thinking the same thing until I saw the other comment. Replying just so you can find the comment too. Don't wanna copy that person's comment though. It's probably the second comment there. 👍

  • @i_jetlag

    @i_jetlag

    5 ай бұрын

    Read @kelvinlee18 's comment

  • @alanredversangel

    @alanredversangel

    5 ай бұрын

    @@i_jetlag Surely you can have sends pre fader then automate the fader on a group channel,or just link tracks and automate those faders? Maybe I'm missing something. This all comes down to signal path

  • @i_jetlag

    @i_jetlag

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@@alanredversangelOkay, you could do that I guess. I'm a rookie in mixing so I don't know much. Thank you for the tip.

  • @alanredversangel

    @alanredversangel

    5 ай бұрын

    @@i_jetlag My advice is don't listen to all the advice, just trust your ears. I mean you could for example gain stage everything to -12db then run it into a vca fader then into a compressor and adjust the fader to make it compress more, OR just turn up the input gain on the compressor. There are far more fundamental things that need time/ attention in a mix IMO.

  • @xicoamc
    @xicoamc5 ай бұрын

    I was kind of excited to update to Cubase 13 but the GUI doesn't look great at all.

  • @kontemplatemusic2189
    @kontemplatemusic21895 ай бұрын

    Or you could just bounce both tracks into one stereo file.......

  • @assistantassistant5516
    @assistantassistant55164 ай бұрын

    I wouldn't recommend using VCA's in cubase. There is still an unresolved bug that can seriously screw up your projects if no automation data is written to the VCA and you reopen your projects. Reported several times and forums are filled with info on this.

  • @alexissongsforyou

    @alexissongsforyou

    4 ай бұрын

    This is why I'm holding off on VCA faders. I guess the fix is to put one automation point on each VCA track, have I understood that correctly?

  • @assistantassistant5516

    @assistantassistant5516

    4 ай бұрын

    @@alexissongsforyou Yes exactly!

  • @dmillionaire7
    @dmillionaire72 ай бұрын

    Shout out TimBo and Justin H/m BrittBritt "Cry Me A River"

  • @karayuschij
    @karayuschij5 ай бұрын

    I'm sorry, but these aren't VCA faders, Cubase uses the wrong terminology. They're bus faders. You can't insert effects on a VCA fader... A VCA fader, as its name indicates, Voltage Controlled Amplifier, controls the volume of a group of channels, nothing else. VCAs: Can Only Control Volume Levels Of Different Channels (Remotely) Any Audio Channel Can Be Assigned To VCA’s Cannot Receive Or Send Audio Signals Cannot Process Audio Signals Might Have The Option Being Muted Or Soloed Groups & Buses: Can Control Volume Through Their “Own” Faders (Direct) Any Audio Channel Can Be Assigned To A Group, Which Can Be Routed To A Bus Can Receive Or Send Audio Signals Can Process Audio Signals Can Be Muted Or Soloed.

  • @johnnybregar

    @johnnybregar

    4 ай бұрын

    He explained exactly that… maybe you didn’t make it past the group fader discussion into the actual VCA discussion?

  • @anthonyh1298

    @anthonyh1298

    17 күн бұрын

    You can't insert effects on the Cubase VCA either. It's explained in the video. The insertion of effects on both channels simultaneously is via the Link functionality, not the VCA itself.

Келесі