Fast Guide to Cubase 6 – Not so fast but packed with good info – #bookreview

Fast Guide to Cubase 6
By Simon Millward
(PC Publishing, paperback, list price $29.95)

I’m not sure a 474-page book should bill itself as a “fast guide.” For Simon Millward’s new work, a better descriptor would be “thorough.”

Steinberg Cubase 6 software is feature-rich and powerful software for music creation and audio recording. And this thick guidebook provides a thorough gathering of details, steps, tips and illustrations that show how to use the software’s many features.

The popular music software package has a reputation for being user-friendly and flexible. And it comes with a manual.

But Simon Millward’s book aims to provide readers with much more, including: (1) “the essential information to get you up and running in the shortest possible time”; and (2) descriptions of “advanced techniques and a wide range of theoretical knowledge which help you get better results.”

The major topics covered are:

• Installing and setting up Cubase 6
• Audio and MIDI recording and editing
• Mixing, mastering and EQ (equalizers)
• VST (Virtual Studio Technology) instruments and plug-in effects
• Loop manipulation and beat design
• Music production tips and tools
• Media management

That is only a partial list, of course. The author cautions: “Before you can use Cubase you must have some idea of how to record and manipulate MIDI data, how to record and manipulate audio signals, how you are going to get an audio signal into the computer and how you are going to feed it back out into the real world.”

Fortunately, his well-written and helpfully illustrated book includes much of that crucial how-to information. It also provides a macro library, a heavy-duty glossary, and a useful list of Web resources. 

Computer-savvy musicians, music producers, sound recordists and audio professionals — and readers who aspire to be any of those — should consider owning and using Fast Guide to Cubase 6.

– Si Dunn‘s latest book is a novel, Erwin’s Law. His other published works include Jump, a novella, and a book of poetry, plus several short stories, all available on Kindle.