Is anyone here fluent in Cubase? Cubase Groups vs Reaper Folders

Multibomber · 10-26-2020, 02:45 AM

Hello fellow recording nerds! I'm trying to transpose my drum mixing template from Reaper to Cubase for a friend of mine... I painstakingly copied my whole template, panning, routing, every single FX I saved a preset for, I quickly found out that Reaper folders = Cubase Groups (I think?), I copied all my Aux channels as FX Channels in Cubase, tons of busses/Groups.

14 hours later I had finished, and when I pushed play to compare, they sounded NOTHING alike. I think it has to do with how Cubase handles Group processing. It doesnt seem to be the same way Reaper handles FX processing with folders, but I am completely stumped. Reapers folders are so obvious and intuitive for me that I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Heres an example:

I have 4 kick mics in a Reaper Folder/Cubase Group. I have Drum Leveler on each mic, then I balance the 4 faders to something I like, then I apply EQ and compression on the Kick Folder/Kick Group. If i solo the individual mics, Reaper and Cubase sound the same, but when I copy my EQ/comp setting from my Reaper Kick Folder, and apply them to my Cubase Kick Group, they sound wildly different... like the FX are being run in parallel.

I was wondering if any of you fine gentlemen have tried such a thing and maybe someone knows what I did wrong. If it matters, I'm running Reaper 6.15 and Cubase Pro 10.5.2

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

bazz02 · 10-26-2020, 04:44 AM

Hi,
In your example you say “ I apply EQ and compression on the Kick Folder/Kick Group. ”
Why then do you copy fx from Reaper Folder to Cubase Groups if you have already applied fx.
BTW Fx processing in Cubase groups is basically same as Reaper folders.

Bazz

sonicowl · 10-26-2020, 04:49 AM

If you feel like fx are in parallel in Cubase, it may be that you have double routing in cubase, meaning you are sending both to group and to master output simultaneously. I forgot a bit how routing works in Cubase (long time since Cubase for me), but I suspect you did something wrong with routing in Cubase.

Multibomber · 10-26-2020, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bazz02

Hi,
In your example you say “ I apply EQ and compression on the Kick Folder/Kick Group. ”
Why then do you copy fx from Reaper Folder to Cubase Groups if you have already applied fx.
BTW Fx processing in Cubase groups is basically same as Reaper folders.

Bazz

Hey Bazz! I'm trying copy my mixing template from Reaper into Cubase, so my friend, who mixes in Cubase, can use my template.

Multibomber · 10-26-2020, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonicowl

If you feel like fx are in parallel in Cubase, it may be that you have double routing in cubase, meaning you are sending both to group and to master output simultaneously. I forgot a bit how routing works in Cubase (long time since Cubase for me), but I suspect you did something wrong with routing in Cubase.

In Cubase, you hit F3 and it takes you their Mixer window. There is where you can change a track's parent channel, at the top of the Mixer panel, MixConsole I think they call it. They are all appropriately routed to the Group Channel instead of the Stereo Out... I can see why people rarely ever switch DAWs... It's a nightmare!

bazz02 · 10-26-2020, 07:57 AM

It’s hard to visual your Cubase mixer page do you have:
1 A group track named Kick/Reaper
And a group track. Kick/Cubase .
2 Are you playing back both group tracks.

Bazz

TonE · 10-26-2020, 08:59 AM

Cubase is Steinzeitdaw, nobody needs Cubase, except Hans Zimmer. Have fun updating gigabytes of data.

bazz02 · 10-26-2020, 11:23 AM

Your comment doesn’t really help Multibomber.

Thx Bazz

TonE · 10-26-2020, 01:03 PM

That is true. Sorry for this part, if accepted.

Multibomber · 10-26-2020, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bazz02

Your comment doesn’t really help Multibomber.

Thx Bazz

Yeah I did a terrible job of explaining that... I have Reaper and Cubase open at the same time. I copy the settings from Reaper to Cubase, but all the the FX sends are off. I found that in Cubase, if I set my FX Sends at about 60% of what I had them in Reaper, its pretty damn close.

sonicowl · 10-26-2020, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Multibomber

Yeah I did a terrible job of explaining that... I have Reaper and Cubase open at the same time. I copy the settings from Reaper to Cubase, but all the the FX sends are off. I found that in Cubase, if I set my FX Sends at about 60% of what I had them in Reaper, its pretty damn close.

Did you check if your sends location is the same, prefader, postfader,...?

JDSStudios · 10-26-2020, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Multibomber

Yeah I did a terrible job of explaining that... I have Reaper and Cubase open at the same time. I copy the settings from Reaper to Cubase, but all the the FX sends are off. I found that in Cubase, if I set my FX Sends at about 60% of what I had them in Reaper, its pretty damn close.

Is there any reason why you are writing Automation on your Snare Top Channel?
Turn OFF that Red W on that track, or you will be writing Automation on every move you make.
As for everything else just decrease the values like you said, to sound the same.

Multibomber · 10-26-2020, 11:47 PM

When I took the screen shot, I was copying Volume (Pre-FX) automation to Cubase as PreGain automation.

And yes all my sends are Post-Fader on both projects.

It's quite interesting how long it takes me to do things in Cubase without all my handy Reaper shortcuts and key commands. But I can see the utility in being able to use both DAWs. I love Cubase's auto transient detection when you click on an item.

norbury brook · 10-27-2020, 03:09 AM

is pan law set the same in both DAW's?

send a sine wave out of a cubase track to a send and measure it and do the same for reaper, you'll see then if the sends correspond in level and if not what difference you need to apply to make them the same.

M

p.s. if you're using parallel comp then you should have your send as pre fader, then once you have your balance group the channel and FX return or use a VCA to keep your balance consistent with level.