06-06-2020
Cubase shortcuts, macros and tips (with gif examples)
We might take for granted the ability to modify shortcuts. But not every DAW has this feature
*. Luckily Cubase is not one of them and you can set a hotkey for literally anything. If there is no something that you want, there is a big chance to create a macro, that consists of smaller tasks and is able to do what you need. It is better to overcome brain laziness and learn hotkeys from the very beginning, Cubase don't spam with UI elements and gets some hate from point-and-click lovers for that. I think using hotkeys pays back pretty quick and gives you feeling like you operate a star ship, that flies you to your imaginary song instead of distracting your brain with necessity to search the right button on the screen.
Contents
Default shortcuts
| s = solo selected track |
 |
| m = mute selected track |
 |
| r = rec enabled on selected track |
 |
| c = metronome |
 |
| num * = record 4 |
 |
| j = snap to grid |
 |
| k = toggle group editing |
 |
| i, o = punch in / punch out |
 |
u = bring to front
(uncover overlapped clip) |
 |
alt + z = undo
alt + shift + z = redo |
 |
ctrl + left / right
= move clip, step is quantize grid |
 |
alt (+ shift) + left / right
= nudge clip |
 |
| . = toggle ruler between time and beats (exchange time formats) |
 |
| , = return to start |
 |
| shift + t = input tempo |
 |
| shift + c = tempo window |
 |
| shift + n / b = jump to next / previous marker |
 |
| shift + num/ = preview cycle on / off |
 |
ctrl + a = select all
ctrl + shift + a = deselect all
p = locators to selection
alt + p = loop and play selection
num / = loop on/off
l, e = jump to selection start / end
x = crossfade. Remove fades: Audio > Remove Fades
ctrl + l = move to cursor
f = follow cursor
g / h = zoom in / out (view centers to cursor). One of the most cool features of Cubase, believe it or not.
shift + g / h = vertical zoom in / out
alt + up / down = vertical resize of tracks
alt + x = split at cursor
q = quantize
shift + backspace = delete time (region)
shift + backspace - if Range Selection tool = delete time on particular track
ctrl + shift + e = insert time (empty, silence)
ctrl + shift + x = cut time
ctrl + shift + v = paste time (region)
ctrl + g, ctrl + u = group / un-group
shift + del = delete track
ctrl + f = find tracks
F3 = mixer
alt + F3 = mixer in the lower zone
alt + l = show / hide control line
ctrl + shift + l / u = lock / unlock event
shift + x = split range
ctrl + 1-9 = set marker
insert = insert marker
shift + 1-9 = go to marker
t = add track
ctrl + t = add audio track
alt + shift + t = add instrument track
Right click menu also has hotkeys,
D,
R,
B,
N are my favorites.
1
Send tracks hotkeys
2
Inserts hotkeys
Secondary
shift + s = project properties
alt + c = stationary cursor / page scroll
ctrl + i = info line
ctrl + v = paste
alt + v = paste at origin
shift + v = paste relative to cursor
2 = range selection tool
ctrl + x = cut
shift + enter = set event name from track name
num+ / num- = move playhead
ctrl + num+ / ctrl + num- = snap to grid
shift + num+ / shift + num- = fast
F2 = show transport bar
F7 = direct offline processing
F8 = video
F4 = show input\output\bus selection, audio connections
F5 = show Media Bay
F11 = VST instruments
F12 = audio performance
shift + F2 = inline: view layout
somehow it doesn't work in C10
alt + k = show/hide virtual keyboard (if enabled some shortcuts doesn't work)
ctrl + p = open pool
e = left selection side to cursor
d = right selection side to cursor
ctrl + k = repeat
alt + o = show / hide overview
alt + i = show / hide left zone
shift + i = show / hide punch in / out separate window
alt + shift + c = events color window
ctrl + shift + space = shuttle play 1/2x
z = zoom track exclusive (I disable this because sometimes it conflicts with
ctrl + z and wrecks horizontal zoom)
alt + r = toggle read
alt + w, w = toggle write
alt + e = expand / reduce mixer racks (it should be in focus)
alt + a = activate / deactivate whatever can be activated/deactivated when it's focused
don't understand how this is quicker than mouse click, it must be for MIDI controllers
shift + q = auto grid
3
ctrl + shift + up / down = raise the volume of the focused channel(s) in 1dB steps. Works in Mixconsole only.
alt + g / h = audio wave zoom in / out
alt + space = play selection or clip (it will stop at the end)
n / b = locate next\prev event
(shift +) tab = move through fields
ctrl + shift + i = open in-place editor (I reassigned this to shift + e)
shift + num* = retrospective record
ctrl + w = close project, current window, plugin
ctrl + z = undo
ctrl + shift + z = redo
ctrl + a, ctrl + shift + a = select all / unselect
ctrl + e = open (same as double click, use to open multiple midi or audio clips)
ctrl + alt + s = save new version
shift + F5 = search mediabay
ctrl + shift + n = new track version
ctrl + shift + h = next track version
ctrl + shift + g = previous track version
ctrl + shift + d = duplicate track version
My custom hotkeys
d = Edit > Delete
⭐ Very convenient, deleting is very common and to move hand to the right side of the keyboard is tedious.
ctrl + space = Transport - play from selection start
alt + f = invert selection
By default it's "Invert" however does nothing. So I reassigned it.
shift + d = zoom to event (custom, shift + e - default)
shift + f = zoom to project, horizontal (default)
alt + shift + e = export mixdown
alt + shift + b = bounce selection
alt + shift + v = events to part (great for duplicating clip every N bars or make it have certain length). Cancel: Audio > Dissolve Part
x = mute / unmute object
By default there is shift + m button but it seems not working. Mute/unmute object will work like a toggle. alt + m is possible shortcut, but recently I use just X
alt + shift + r = render in place (current settings)
alt + ` = select next plugin window
shift + F4 = close all plugin windows
(useful if you use "always on top" option)
ctrl + shift + f = find selected in pool
(it is useful for quick change of file's tempo, stretch algorithm, finding its location, etc)
ctrl + ` = pre-count on / off
shift + m = monitor on / off
alt + shift + x = split loop (cut selection at locators)
num+ / num- = move playhead quantized (reassigned)
ctrl + q = quantize pitch (reassigned)
ctrl + t = add mono track, without confirmation (reassigned)
a = show used automation (selected track)
(like Ableton)
shift + a = hide automation of the selected track
ctrl + alt + e = edit in lower zone
alt + shift + q = quantize length
space = play / stop
shift + space = toggle return to start position
ctrl + shift + c = global copy (overwrites Show Chord Pads)
ctrl + r = reverse
alt + shift + n = normalize
alt + shift + g = gain
alt + shift + s = silence
alt + shift + i = statistics
alt + ctrl + p = preferences
shift + F12 = key commands
UPD:
Recently I reassigned
J (snap on \ off) to
` - it is more convenient imo.
Also it is a good idea to reassign
U to "move to back" instead of "move to front", this way it makes much more sense.
/ = preferences: automation follows events
y = convert to real copy
Macros
Remove all arms for record PLE
Media Type Is - All Types
Track Operation - Record - Disable
(I don't use "Enable Record on Selected Track" so I need a quick way to disable previously armed instruments)
shift + r
Duplicate time (region)
Ableton inspired
Edit - Global Copy
Transport - Go to Right Locator
Edit - Paste Time
Transport - Locators To Selection
Transport - Go to Right Locator
ctrl + shift + d (reassigned from Duplicate Track Version)
💡 So to sum-up working with time in Cubase (the space between left and right locators):
Insert Empty Time -
ctrl + shift + e
Delete Time -
shift + backspace
Copy Time
(i.e. global copy) -
ctrl + shift + c (not by default)
Cut Time -
ctrl + shift + x
Paste Time -
ctrl + shift + v
Duplicate Time -
ctrl + shift + d (reassigned)
alt + d = 👍 hotkey assigned to built-in macro "Duplicate selected track without data"
PLE.
Play file in Media Bay with a shortcut
to test an audio sample in the mix
Media - Preview Stop
Media - Preview Start
num enter = play media
Quantized Nudge
Doesn't have a shortcut by default
in brackets my variant
close gap (Audio > Advanced)
convert tracks: mono to multi-channel [ ' ]
decrement event volume (can be done at Info Line)
delete overlaps (Audio > Advanced)
detect silence (Audio > Advanced)
unstretch audio [shift + k]
shrink to range selection (i.e. crop range) [shift + c]
edit VST instrument (i.e. open/close VSTi) [v]
show key commands window [shift + F12]
scrub tool (fun for sound design)
jog left / jog right (yes, like DJ)
next / previous quantize setting [alt + 1 / alt + 2]
next / previous VST instrument preset 😍 [ [, ] ]
next / previous preset [=, -]
Other
Some info about shortcuts in Cubase
File that stores shortcuts is
Key Commands.xml.
User presets are stored in
c:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\Cubase 10_64\Presets\KeyCommands\
You'd better save your configuration as preset from time to time
. Sometimes Cubase' config files get corrupted and don't work. So it is a good idea to back-up them.
My hotkeys preset:
download. Just in case. It is better to make your own personal shortcuts preset.
Key Commands Overview as HTML Page
Original post at steinberg.net/forums
This is a really cool, well made thing to display your hotkeys as printable table that looks like image below. First you open raw file from github, then press
ctrl + s to save it as web-page (plain HTML tool). Then you open that web page in a browser (Firefox, Opera, Chrome), there will be a form to pick a file. You select your key-commands.xml file from path mentioned above and it will display this table.
KeyCommand Utility
Original post at steinberg.net/forums
VB Script that creates two HTML files which show Cubase shortcut keys.
1. List of the commands which have keys and their associated key
2. Matrix of all the Keys vs Modifiers, and the commands for each combination
The HTML files will be opened in your default browser and are stored in the installation folder (see below). Place this script in the Cubase 'User Settings Data Folder', where the 'Key Commands.xml' file is stored. Run the script (double click) and it will create two HTML files (in the same folder as the script) and display them in your default browser. Original scripts written by JMCecil and someone else, adapted by MJV.
Here is an example of its output for
defult Cubase 9.5 Key Commands.xml. Different colors mean different key mapping groups. Editors - mistyrose, Transport - yellow, etc.
Also I've modified it a little bit so there are free keystrokes that you can use as your own hotkeys. For example
Y is totally free.
Resources
Check out my latest release! 🙌
This is my new release, please have a listen 🙌
