Steinberg Houston Operation Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. Steinberg Manuals
  4. Music Mixer
  5. Houston
  6. Operation manual

Steinberg Houston Operation Manual

Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
Houston
Operation Manual

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the Houston and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Summary of Contents for Steinberg Houston

  • Page 1 Houston Operation Manual...
  • Page 2 The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not rep- resent a commitment on the part of Steinberg Media Technologies AG. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement.
  • Page 3 Table of Contents...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Fader Set : Pan Fader Set : FX Sends Global : Send Masters Global : Send Effects Global : Master Effects Global : Instruments Transport Control About this Chapter The Transport Controls Working with Locators and Cue Points Houston Table of Contents...

  • Page 5: Basic Mixing

    Basic Mixing...

  • Page 6: About This Chapter

    Selecting which channels to control Houston’s fader section controls eight different channels in the host application (plus the master level, which has its own fader). You select which eight channels to control with the buttons directly to the right of the Master fader.
  • Page 7 This is the small floating window that appeared when you first selected Houston as your remote device. 2. Pull down the pop-up menu and select the “CTM” option. Houston will now control the faders (level), pan, mute and solo in the MIDI Track Mixer. • You use the buttons to switch between sets of eight MIDI Tracks to control, in the usual manner.

  • Page 8: Using The Faders

    Using the Faders Houston’s faders are used for hands-on level control and mixing, and allow precise adjustments of the corresponding channel levels in the host application. Since the faders are motorized, they will move to re- flect any level automation you have created in your Songs. The faders will also move when you select a new set of eight channels to control, instantly jumping to reflect the current levels of the eight channels.

  • Page 9: Mute And Solo

    This means that if you Mute a channel and then select another set of eight channels for fader control, the Mute indicator will go dark. However, the Mute Defeat button will still be lit, indicating that one or more channels are Muted. Houston Basic Mixing 1 – 9...

  • Page 10: Using The Select Buttons

    The Write and Read buttons to the left of the faders control the status of the Write and Read buttons in the host application’s mixer, allowing remote control of mixer automation. The Automation Mode button be- low is reserved for future use. Houston 1 – 10 Basic Mixing...

  • Page 11: Using The Function Matrix And Control Strip

    Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 12: About This Chapter

    VST settings in the host application; EQ, effect sends, ef- fect and VST Instrument parameters and so on. It also contains descrip- tions of the available parameter pages, as shown in Houston’s display. Basic Procedures Selecting a Parameter Group in the Function Matrix...
  • Page 13 1 out of 2 pages. • You select which channel to edit in Selected Channel mode by press- ing one of the eight Select buttons below the display. page Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 13...
  • Page 14 This is where you make global settings, i.e. settings that are not re- lated to the individual channels. Examples include parameter settings for the Send Effects, Master Effects and VST Instruments. Houston 2 – 14 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...
  • Page 15 After you have moved a dial, the display will keep the values shown for a short while before switching back to parameter names. Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 15...
  • Page 16 The figure below shows the first page of the first parameter sub-group in the Master Effects group. This indicates Master Effect slot 1. Use the P1 dial to select another parameter sub-group (i.e. another Master Effect slot). Houston 2 – 16 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 17: About The Symbols Used In This Chapter

    About the Symbols used in this chapter On the following pages, all the different parameter groups are de- scribed. As on the Houston panel, the parameter groups are divided into the three modes, Selected Channel, Fader Set and Global. For quick navigation, an icon at the top of each page shows in which...

  • Page 18: Selected Channel : Eqs

    The controls for the equalizers are divided into 2 pages: Page 1 • Frequency and Gain pairs for the four bands. Page 2 • Enable and Q controls for the four bands. Houston 2 – 18 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 19: Selected Channel : Aux

    • Enable switches for each of the 8 Aux Sends. Page 3 • Switches to change between pre/post fader mode. Page 4 • Controls to choose the destination of the aux send signal. Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 19...
  • Page 20 The Bus destinations control whether the aux send signal is sent directly to the internal effects, to the Group channels or to a physical bus output (if your sound card has additional outputs.) Houston 2 – 20 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 21: Selected Channel : Inserts

    ‘number of pages’ indicator will be updated to show the amount of pages necessary to display all the plug-in’s declared parameters. Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 21...
  • Page 22 Here the Reverb32 plug-in has been selected. Houston 2 – 22 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 23: Selected Channel : Dynamics

    There are five sub-sections to the Dynamics module. Each of these has a parameter sub-group (see page 16). When Page 01 is selected, the Dial P1 selects which of the sub-sections is currently being changed. Auto Gate: Auto-Level: Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 23...
  • Page 24 Soft Clip: Limiter: Compressor: Houston 2 – 24 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 25: Selected Channel : Routing

    The Dial P2 controls from which physical input this channel will record from, if it is a standard audio channel. The Dial P3 switches the input monitoring on or off. Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 25...

  • Page 26: Selected Channel : Pan

    Pan controls in the Fader Set section more useful. This is because the Fader Set : Pan mode allows pan control of up to 8 channels at once. Houston 2 – 26 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 27: Fader Set : Eqs

    5 pages: Page 1 • Gain Controls. Page 2 • Frequency Controls. Page 3 • Q or Resonance Controls. Page 4 • Enable Controls. Page 5 • Bypass Controls. Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 27...
  • Page 28 Houston 2 – 28 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 29: Fader Set : Routing

    Rewire channels can only have the physical outputs as destinations. The Dials on Page2 control from which physical input this channel will record from, if it is a standard audio channel. Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 29...
  • Page 30 The Dials on Page3 switch the input monitoring on or off, for each channel in the current Fader Set. This is only possible for standard audio channels. Houston 2 – 30 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 31: Fader Set : Pan

    Pan button in the Fader Set section of the Function Matrix. Each dial controls the Left/Right Panning of the corresponding chan- nel in the current Fader Set Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 31...

  • Page 32: Fader Set : Fx Sends

    Fader Set : FX Sends Houston can control up to eight separate FX Sends for each channel in a Fader Set. The available settings are the same for each of the eight FX Sends. ❐ To access the FX Sends settings for the current Fader Set, press one of the button FX Send 1-8 in the Fader Set section of the Function Matrix.
  • Page 33 Houston Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip 2 – 33...

  • Page 34: Global : Send Masters

    Global : Send Masters Houston can control the 8 Send Masters controls that adjust the total level of the mixed signal from each auxiliary send routed to an effect in the Send Effects Rack. Push the Send Masters button in the Func- tion Matrix to access these controls.

  • Page 35: Global : Send Effects

    Global : Send Effects Houston can control the parameters of the effects that are loaded in the Send Effects Rack. To access these effects, push the Send Effects button in the Global Section of the Function Matrix. • When Page 01 is selected, the Dial P1 selects which of the effect...
  • Page 36 Here the Reverb32 plug-in has been selected. Houston 2 – 36 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 37: Global : Master Effects

    Global : Master Effects Houston can control the parameters of the effects that are loaded in the Master Effects section of the main stereo output. To access these effects, push the Master Effects button in the Global Section of the Function Matrix.
  • Page 38 Here the Symphonic plug-in has been selected. Houston 2 – 38 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 39: Global : Instruments

    Global : Instruments Houston can control the parameters of the Instruments that are loaded in the VST Instruments Rack. To access the these push the Instruments button in the Global Section of the Function Matrix. • When Page 01 is selected, the Dial P1 selects which of the VST Instru-...
  • Page 40 ‘number of pages’ indicator will be updated to show the amount of pages necessary to display all the plug-in’s declared pa- rameters. Houston 2 – 40 Using the Function Matrix and Control Strip...

  • Page 41: Transport Control

    Transport Control...

  • Page 42: About This Chapter

    This chapter describes how to control playback, recording and posi- tioning in the host application from Houston. The Transport Controls Houston’s transport controls are located in the lower right corner of the panel. They have the following functionality: Jog Wheel...

  • Page 43: Working With Locators And Cue Points

    Tracks set to channel “Any” can not be selected for recording this way. Working with Locators and Cue Points You can use Houston to move directly to defined Cue Points in the Song, and to define the current Song Position as a Cue Point. The most common use for this is probably to move to Cue Point 1 and 2 –...
  • Page 44 2. Click one of the buttons 1-8 on the Number Pad to go to the corre- sponding Locator/Cue Point. Houston remains in Jump mode until you select another mode for the Number Pad. Capturing a position as a Locator/Cue Point 1.

  • Page 45: Other Functions

    Other Functions...

  • Page 46: About This Chapter

    About this Chapter This chapter describes the remaining functions available on the Houston panel. Song Functions The two buttons in the Song section of the panel have the following functionality: • Press the Save button to save the current Song.

  • Page 47: Working With Windows

    Arrange window, a combination of Editor windows, etc. If you have created the desired Window Sets in Cubase VST, you recall them from Houston in the following way: 1. Press the Sets button in the Windows section.

  • Page 48: Functions Mode

    Pressing 7 in Cursor mode is the same as pressing [Tab] on the com- puter keyboard. • Pressing 0 in Cursor mode is the same as pressing the Space bar on the computer keyboard. Data Mode The Data button is reserved for future use. Houston 4 – 48 Other Functions...

  • Page 49: Index

    Index...
  • Page 50 Locators Edit Button (Windows section) Effects Main Button (Windows section) Insert Effects Markers Master Effects Master Effects Send Effects MIDI Track Mixer Enter Button Mixer Views More Button Fader Set Mode Motors Selected Channel Mute Normal Button (Faders) Houston Index...
  • Page 51 Selecting a channel for editing Selecting Tracks for recording Selected Channel mode Send Effects Send Masters Sends Master Levels Sends Fader Set Mode Selected Channel Mode Sets Button (Faders) Sets button (Windows section) Solo Studio Button (Windows section) Houston Index...

Table of Contents