How to Get the Most out of the Chord Pads in Cubase | Q&A with Greg Ondo 

Hi Steinberg, i hope you pay Greg very very well, he is doing such a great job with a lot passion. We, Cubase users, like his video’s a lot.

I have been a Cubase user for almost 20 years now and honestly Greg is pretty much the only guy I can pick up something I didn't know about from Cubase! Keep up the great work Greg

The best chord pad Tutorial on RU-vid.

I have been using Cubase for two years, ​and clearly, I have barely scratched the surface with what it can do. Chord Pads, what an amazing and underutilized feature.

Gold nuggets falling from every second this video played. Bravo!

A feature unique amongst DAWs. Outstanding!

Wow, I was not aware of being able to bring in a MIDI part and pull the chords out of that, then play them back in a different order. Don't use Chord Pads that often, but may do so now, we all need inspiration from wherever we can get it. Many thanks.

I wish Greg lived next door :-) Fantastic!!

This really elucidated not only the features of the chord pads, but several use cases that brought at least for me several new insights into composing and finding inspiration. Greg Ondo articulates how to use these features with clarity making it easy to quickly amass new techniques for applying Cubase features that I would not otherwise be aware I could incorporate with such facility. Excellent educational video. 5 / 5 stars in terms of useful content.

This is seriously badass. I migrated to Cubase from Pro Tools recently and am almost lost with all the MIDI sequencing options. Impressive.

I wish I could just hug Greg :)

This is the best video i could find on Cubase Chord track possibilities , thank you Greg!! Overall you have the best and complete video's there is!

Great video, thanks so much for explaining such a fantastic feature of Cubasis- I’m rapidly becoming a convert! :)

This is pure gold!

don't ask if your videos are helpful!! they are always helpful!!!! man!! awesome demonstration!!! i have no words!!! excellent!!!!!!!!!

Watched so many videos on chord pads but nobody said anything about ' Assign Pad from MIDI Input ' . Owe you one Greg, Thanks

Very good tutorial. I had no idea the ChordPads had that flexibility. Thanks for the videos. Keep more coming please.

This 'player' thing is really powerful. I had no idea we could assign patterns and sequences and then use them as we want, simple chord, arpeggio, etc. What I'm now going to do is grabbing some great jazz midi files, which often use those beautiful chords NOBODY knows about, have cubase analyse them and create a chord track, and finally, assign the chord track chords to the chord pads, and save as a preset! : in just 30 seconds, i have a chord pad preset with 6, 12 or even 24 'beautiful jazz chords', that i can use, eg, to play and preview the Halion sounds. Why ? Because often, when we try 50 or 100 different sounds, like pads, we end up doing the same 2 or 3 notes all the time, and all the sounds seem to sound the same. BUT, if we play the same pad/choir/string sounds with some nice beautiful chords, only then we realize how great those sounds are. I wish a video like this one was available when the chord pads first came out. Because to 99% of people and cubase users, including myself, the chord pads was just another 'press a midi key and play a chord' simple basic feature, WHEN, in fact, it is a fantastic , deep, complex yet simple to use TOOL everybody should be using, even a piano player shouldn't feel ashamed of using it. Now, if Greg reads this, maybe he will be able to answer: When i use the VST called Chthulu, from Steve Duda, i have the possibility to 'play root note 1-2-3 octaves lower', for example, if i press a key that plays C4-E4-G4, by enabling the 'root-1-octave-lower' option, i will get C3-C4-E4-G4, or even C2- C3 - C4 - E4 - G4 Q1- is this possible to do, with the Chord Pads ? Q2- is there a way in Cubase/Chord Pads, to IMPORT a .txt file with a list of chords ? With such feature, users could simply create a txt file with their favorite chords, and import them into the chord pads, or they could go to a website, that displays lyrics and chords, 'copy' some chords as plain text, and then, in Cubase, 'paste chords from Clipboard'... if some chords were present and detected, they would be imported into the chord pads. GREG, thanks a lot for your video. A M A Z I N G

Excellent tutorial. Thank you !!

I'm very happy to have transitioned from FL Studio to Ableton Live to Cubase! Cubase is the most powerful of all. Although Ableton's simplicity and workflow is the neatest of all...

Mr Ondo is a rare Genius

I recently updated my LE 4 to the latest LE10.5 and I was SO pleasantly surprised by how much of this stuff is also possible in the LE-version! for over a decade, I didn't really use Cubase all that much, but this is definitely a gamechanger! thank you guys so much!! and also thanks at Greg for doing this video! super-interesting! sorry for all the shouting, I"m just REALLY excited!!

this video has answered questions around chord pad that I have had for some time. Greg's pacing and presentation is just right. Thank You.

Wow Greg! That was again an absolute brilliant video! Informative and inspiring (even for a long time user) And again: If I were somebody looking for a good DAW to buy... This video is one that could convince me! Thank you!

the right tutorial at the right time. as a guitar player who loves adding in orchestral stuff i have no idea how piano chords work....i don't even know how guitar chords work lol

I've been using the chord track for a while to get alternative ideas, but the pads will allow me to impart rhythms to my chords. I have been replaying the measures to achieve the rhythm structure. This will get me there a whole lot faster. Thanks you for doing these videos Greg! :)

First time I’ve ever pressed ‘save’ on a YT video. Lots of good info in here!!

Your best video yet!

Great video full of info .. thanks!!!

Love it. Such great advice in improving Cubase workflow and show what Cubase is capable of.

As a former Reason standalone user, the more I learn about Cubase the more I realize how impressive this software is really. What I ❤ about Steinberg in comparison to Reason Studios is when they add a feature, it's done in a way that is well thought out, robust, and way beyond the surface.

Gregg you are the best

Didn't know I could do this. Thanks a lot G-man!

Mind blown. Thank you!

This is a very, very good tut! Thanks!

Very useful video thank u sir,

Usefull toturial 🙏 thanks

Greg your the best great videos 📸📸📸📸

Perfect~ Chord Pad Tutorial~

thanks, very nice tutorial. For a beginner would be useful to know that in order to record, to play the keys on a keyboard and hit record is not the only option, you can also drag the chord from the chord pad to the project window and build your chord progression with the mouse

Greg you're a legend! Thank you!

Greg Super helpful. A big thank you!

Truly impressive! Thanks for this awesome video!

Great video!

Vielen Dank fürs Video!

many thanks Greg for your interesting chord tutorial. It will help me very much - i saved it for later use also.

Absolutely brilliant video, Greg. Thanks a lot

great course!

Love these in depth tutorials. Thanks.

Perfect explained Greg,thanks a lot for a wonderful series and of cours Cubase Hangout ,cheers!

thanks !! it's really amazing .

THANK YOU

Thanks for a great instructional. Very in depth and really helped me.

Greg Ondo, thank you, clearly explained.......

Great demo. Very useful.

awesome info yet again thanks greg !

Thanx for your videos. They are really inspired and give me an oportunity to learn Cubase 5 mins every day. I just didn't get a thing with using different settings of pads for different tracks. If I change let's say plain chords to patterns it changes everywhere not just for a selected track. Reveal plz the magic

great guide Steinberg ! Ooh I see 7 DISLIKES... I guess those were the 7 people who purchased a different software ;)

Amazing, hope to see other tutorials about chord pad functions

Great ! Thanks Greg

Marvelous!!!!! 👍

This is a serious advanced Cubase tutorial. But, if one masters this technique, one will be able to write complex chord progressions in minutes. Now take that other DAW's!

Happy Birthedy to You x2 , Happy Birth Day dear Chordless and learn how to play , thank you for showing us that knowing chords makes no difference what so ever ,

Great tutorial! Thank you

Wow, never knew what I could do with this!

AWESOME

Thank you so much!

Excellent.

litterly game changer

Its.... just... perfect.

Great explanation and tutorial of the chord pad function , have not got round to writing with this function as yet , but inspired to do so after this great post , thank you Greg ;-) TU^ 85 Trevor

Another GREAT tutorial, Greg! Thank you very much! Q: Is there a way to distribute the Chords as singlenotes to different single-voice-instruments (auto-divisi)? As one example: I would like to define a "pool" of orchestral instruments (f.e. a section of strings and brass, and thus all single voiced by their nature), and the Cubase chordpad automatically distributes the single voices (of the chords) to different instruments in the "pool". And maybe even with the additional "charme and benefit" of randomisation... >Just a question or maybe an idea for future features. Anyway, I thank you for all your excellent explanations and tutorials here!

Wow! Shows what can be done! I am hoping to just get it working with a VST right now and be able to put in whole notes or half notes (etc.). I'm just hoping to get it to work. I watched the chord pads video that is there when you open Cubase 10.5 LE. I could replicate a little of it but not enough to really make things work for any production value. IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS...THE RIGHT CLICK...THE RIGHT MOUSE POINT TO CLICK/UNCLICK. I watched hours of youtubes on GrooveAgent 5 to make it record freehand play to record midi and couldn't replicate a single one of them. Cubase 10.5 LE

Excellent

Fantastic tool guess I will be trying to use it ;-)

Chord pads work like ezykeys i Love yes ,you can build your chords and play whith any midi performance too gave your chords more human feel and rhythm another words more sauce

Thanks a lot!

Great guy thx a lot for sharing ur know how wit us

Wow! That's really interesting! Gonna try that soon! Thanks Greg! ;-)

OMG I love this feature. When I was able to use it. I hate it now, because it just won't hold and the on-screen keyboard won't work.

Great Video thx :)

Very helpful tutorial! Is it possible to drag a chord pattern with a midi sequence directly to the sequencer, without recording it?

very helpfull.. please demo the all extensions of follow chords.

Hi Greq, I always learn something new in Cubase with your videos and I been using Cubase for over 15 years. One part of Cubase I always have problems with is setting up Device panels for external synths. It's not the placing or programing of faders and knobs it's understanding the node system and how it works that confuses me. I would love to see a video on this if you could please.

great

Hi Greg, thanks for the great tutorial!! I have 2 questions: I have Cubase 10 pro and when I open the player setup in the chordspad mode I don't get the same menu as shown in the tutorial. Can you help me to get this right? Second: Do you also have a tutorial about harmonizing a midi-melody line in different ways and het those harmonies on different tracks? (I hope that that is possible)

If you delete some midi notes out of the recorded pads you can make nice melodys in just few minutes :)

Wooooooow😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

Great video. Trying to follow. The “e” function page is different on CB10. Layout Is different, so Im lost again. A great function that would really be helpful, especially dragging arpeggiated sections and using more than one together. Thanks.

You are the greatest, this is what I have been looking for this will give you inspiration to create something new THANKS>>>

What if you want to do a cumbia?

can you make a chord pad roll or strum a chord the way a guitar player would strum the chord, which. is different than a keyboard hitting all notes at once.

Please make a new video for chord pads in Cubase 10! Many things have changed !

Soooooo much function in Cubase dint know about the other function in the chord pads

Can you use the Chord Pads (or maybe another tool in Cubase) to transpose the Midi input you play on the keyboard to a specific scale? For example: playing only the white keys (basically Cmaj), but outputting to a scale of choice?

Greg, I'm a touch confused. Before you dragged the guitar MIDI pattern to the pattern, it already sounded like a guitar. What did dragging it do?

Ty

How to "trigger the note from C1"? Need detail. We can't see what do you do off the screen. maybe you do something on midi keyboard? We need to know it.

When I first setup a new chord track...and open up the chord pads...they are in the key of C. I like the selection of chords there....but how on earth do I change the key?? Cubase has nice features but it's so damn fiddly. What you mentioned there doesn't work with Cubase 11

Hello , what is this ; to use chord pads activate record enable or monitor of tracks where input routing is set to chord pads. when I click no sound. how can I fix this? thank you.