Cubase Pro 8 - Multiband Envelope Shaper

by Claudio

Dec 16, 2014

It’s no secret that we’re dedicated users of Cubase. We’ve already written about Cubase Pro 8’s Quadrafuzz V2 plugin, ran through How to Export Multiple Tracks in Cubase, and had great fun making our video on How To Remix In 10 Minutes With Cubase 7.5. This time we’re diving into another awesome plugin which is built into Cubase Pro 8.

The Multiband Envelope Shaper is one of the most exciting new features introduced by Steinberg in Cubase Pro 8. It’s a frequency specific transient manipulator which allows for the shaping of the attack, release, and length of your sounds. Envelope shapers are used commonly on percussive input signals, however this plugin’s frequency dependent nature makes it fantastically equipped for shaping more complex sounds and spicing up existing loops.

In the video below we start by testing it out on a stereo Acoustic Drum Loop (00:39). Watch how with a simple click and drag of the mouse, we pull up the low end attack and give more power to the kick drum. Next we’ll add more sizzle to our hi hats by increasing the release of the mid frequencies. Each band also has a volume control, conveniently allowing the Envelope Shaper to function as an EQ!

We then try the plugin on Electronic Drums (02:36), manipulating the same controls as above, but with different effects. We go to extremes (03:43), dragging the release all the way down across every frequency band to give us possibly the driest sounding drums ever!

Finally we turn the Envelope Shaper on Electric Guitars (04:27), having tons of fun adding and removing the release on the mids to increase/remove the reverb on the guitar. The infinite ease Envelop Shaper brings to crafting your perfect sound; it’s no wonder this plugin is making headlines for Steinberg! Watch for yourself below: