Cubase 9.5 Tutorial - Folder Trick for Orchestral Composition

Introduction

This tutorial focuses on organizing your orchestral compositions in Cubase 9.5 using folder tracks. By following these steps, you can streamline your workflow, making it easier to manage numerous tracks and enhance your overall composition process.

Step 1: Create Folder Tracks

To begin organizing your project, you need to create folder tracks that will contain your orchestral instruments.

• Open your Cubase project.
• Go to the Project menu and select "Add Track."
• Choose "Folder" from the list.
• Name your folder track appropriately (e.g., "Strings," "Brass," "Woodwinds").
• Click "Add Track" to confirm.

Tip: Use clear and descriptive names for your folder tracks to make navigation easier.

Step 2: Organize Your Instrument Tracks

Now that you have your folder tracks set up, it's time to place your instrument tracks inside the appropriate folders.

• Select the instrument track you want to move.
• Click and drag the track into the corresponding folder track.
• Repeat this process for all instrument tracks, organizing them by section (e.g., all strings in the "Strings" folder).

Common Pitfall: Avoid overcrowding a single folder with too many tracks; instead, create subfolders if necessary.

Step 3: Utilize Track Visibility

Managing track visibility can enhance your focus while working on specific sections of your composition.

• Right-click on the folder track header.
• Choose "Track Visibility" to open the visibility settings.
• Select which tracks you want to display or hide within that folder.
• Adjust your view as needed while composing.

Practical Tip: Use track visibility to reduce clutter when working on complex arrangements.

Step 4: Color Code Your Tracks

Color coding your tracks can help you quickly identify different sections of your composition.

• Right-click on the track header of an individual instrument track.
• Select "Channel Settings."
• Choose a color from the color palette that represents the instrument or section.
• Apply this to all tracks within the folder for uniformity.

Tip: Assign a color scheme that makes sense to you (e.g., all strings could be one color, brass another).

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively organize your orchestral compositions in Cubase 9.5 using folder tracks. This not only helps in maintaining clarity in your project but also enhances your workflow efficiency. As you get comfortable with these techniques, consider exploring additional features in Cubase to further streamline your process, such as track freezing or using templates for future projects. Happy composing!