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Cubase: Verve Felt Piano | Audio Examples

Hear For Yourself By John Walden
Published March 2023

These four audio examples accompany March 2023's Steinberg Cubase workshop article to illustrate the musical and sonic potential of Cubase’s Verve library for HALion Sonic SE.

www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-verve-felt-piano

Cubase 12 Inspired By Verve - Audio Example JW 01.mp3

This audio example demonstrates the Verve Piano layer on its own and is split into four short sections each of which is being triggered by the same MIDI part using a chord sequence generated using one of the Verve chord pad presets. The four sections are as follows: (a) the solo piano with no effects applied, all noise controls turned off but the Distance parameter automated so that the sound starts with just the close mic positions and, by the end of the phrase, features just the distant mic positions; (b) as above but with the Attack, Key and Pedal noise controls all engaged and set to maximum; (c) as for (a) but with Verve’s reverb and delay effects added and the send controls automated to add more delay as the sequence progresses; (d) as for (a) but with the piano layer’s Color control automated to demonstrate the tonal variation available. In all these clips, no additional processing — EQ, compression, etc — has been applied.

Cubase 12 Inspired By Verve - Audio Example JW 02.mp3

This audio example demonstrates some of Verve’s Texture presets solo’ed (the piano layer is bypassed). The same chord sequence is repeated eight times, each using a different texture preset. The presets used are Analog Strings 1, Blue Ice, Dark Realms, Dramatic, Inharmonicity, Meditation, Mysterious and Random Glass. In each case, automation of the Color, Variation and Contour controls is applied through the sequence to illustrate the tonal possibilities. In all these clips, no additional processing — EQ, compression, etc — has been applied.

Cubase 12 Inspired By Verve - Audio Example JW 03.mp3

This audio example demonstrates the combination of the Piano and Texture layers within Verve. Three different clips are included, each of which uses a different Verve sound designed to suit the specific musical context. The parts are simple chord sequences based around suitable chord pad presets from within Verve that suit the target style. The three target styles are intended to provide: (a) something suitable for a ballad-style song idea; (b) something suitable for a music-to-picture application with a darker/mysterious feel; (c) something suitable for a music-to-picture application but attempting a lighter, more positive, mood. In all these clips, no additional processing — EQ, compression, etc — has been applied.

Cubase 12 Inspired By Verve - Audio Example JW 04.mp3

This audio example takes the three clips from example 03 and, while they are far from complete productions, fleshes out each idea a little further. In the first, a basic drum, bass and vocal arrangement has been added while the Verve part provides the chord/harmonic bed. In the second and third sections, a second Verve track has been added using the same sound and a simple melodic/top line has been added over the chord sequence. Where music-to-picture cues require an understated approach (that is, music that simply supports the picture), Verve could easily be used to create a complete cue.

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