Set Up The Control Room | Tips, Tricks and Workflow Enhancements

Turn your recording set up into a powerful virtual control room. The Control Room is the hidden gem in the Mix Console. This video covers the in's and out's of the control room....literally. We look at setting up external studio inputs, individual cue mixes for performers, studio monitors and headphone sends. A Steinberg UR 44 is used to set up two independent headphone sends, perfect for a home, project or control room set up. Everything is controlled from the Mix Console, removing the need for a headphone amp.

We hope you find this video entertaining and useful. If you like what you see, please leave a comment and tell us what you think. Thank you.
Your Steinberg YouTube Team

Check out the trial version of Cubase and lay hands on the exciting features Cubase has to offer:

Get more detailed information on Cubase from our website:

Buy Cubase in the Steinberg Online Shop:

Whether you require assistance with registration and activation/re-activation through our support forums and Knowledge Base support articles or simply want to read the latest support news, you can find all information in one place:

Also make sure to...

Like our Facebook page and stay informed on insights, news, announcements and updates, events and live streams. Follow us on Facebook:

Subscribe to our dedicated Cubase YouTube channel and learn the ropes of using Cubase by watching practical video tutorials and other interesting features:

On Twitter, stay up to date with latest news, updates and special offers anytime and anywhere:

Follow us on Instagram for full picture coverage on launch events, trade shows and other exciting occasions:

Check out our SoundCloud profile and listen to the many demo tracks we’ve got listed there:

[robbiejguitarist]

Phew! That was breathless. I followed it because I’ve done all this before, but I feel sorry for anyone using your video to set this up for the first time.

[timmacdonald]

thanks. fastest best to the point video ever. I appreciate it

[jayveeeye]

Fantastic explanation - I finally get it - control room has been baffling to me for a long time now.. thx so much

[tabodee]

You know what you are doing. The control room is such an important part of being able to use Cubase like a Pro. Most people like me have to try to learn by trail and error unless there is a good instructional video. This video would make for a good overview. It would be helpful to just take one aspect of the control room and make a shorter but more thorough Quick Tip video. Thanks!

[SonicVision]

Well sheee it....I had this setup for quite some time. Much better now. Thanks.

[roodsound]

Brilliant feature and super flexible. Easy to set up and use.

[Lexxo]

Never used control room, it alway seems confusing and complicated, but you make it look so easy, so I must have another crack at it now. Great video Andy ;)

[mattsynth]

Very powerful but very confusing. I used the control room a couple of times but always decided to disconnect it in the end. I am sure large studios will enjoy the versatility but for my small home studio it is too confusing to control. Cubase 6 version control room was much less confusing to me.

[danhargrave]

Confused. I think it would help if I could see how the mixes where physically getting from the computer to the headphones of the performers. I just use a Behringer HA400. I don't know how I ever mixed without it.

[DanielGutierrez-xzjn]

Why would you assign any speakers to the FX Bus on the UR44? Is there a secret on how to output a dry signal through the FX Busses?
I'd like to be able to switch quickly between two set of monitors and my headphones, using Sonarworks room calibration on my main monitors on Mix 1 and Sonarworks headphone calibration on my Mix 2 headphone output and somehow be able to switch between my main monitors in stereo and my Mixcube in mono (without Sonarworks VST applied). The closest I've can get is assigning Mix 2 to my Mixcube so I can A/B between monitors, but then I adjust headphone volume seperately of my Mixcube, nor can I have the Sonarworks VST working on my headphones and not the speaker.

[skidogbill]

Excellent. Good speed for me! Two things I didn't get: how do you monitor inputs with UR44 fx in cue mix? Can you send a cue mix to one of the line outs, if you're using a headphone amp?

[Nathankaye]

Thanks for this tutorial. It was really clear and concise.
Q: Got all this working with Cubase Pro 10 and my UR44 interface, except 2 things;
1) that the talkback mic seems to get signal (I can see it on the input), yet I can’t hear the actual talkback, only the dip when the talkback switch is pressed.
2) the DSP reverb from the UR44 interface doesn’t seem to be coming through the cues.

I’m sure these are tiny, easy things to fix that I’ve missed, but any tips?
Thanks so much in advance.

[Rolanoid]

Brain friedl! I need a simpler tutorial on how to add a room EQ correction plugin just to the control monitor so that it is not affecting the main stereo L&R mix?

[mitchiemasha]

Needed to set this up a long time ago. Only problem I've got now, thanks to my audio interface (Presonus FireStudio) sharing headphones with out 1, I can't listen to music outside Cubase, if I want to set up a different monitor mix to headphone mix.

[agrecords]

I tried to use my two pair of monitors which are connected to my clarett 8pre outputs. Every monitor is on different channel. I followed this procedure and create two monitors in the control room. But when I'm trying to listen my mix on different monitors something strange happens. I hear both pair of monitors in the same monitor mix. The other one that I have created is silent. I don't know what's happening?

[bobbypeterson]

Can you help me with this?

I understand the control room volume is independent of the master output. What I do not understand, is why does the "control room" level knob have so much gain that it overdrives my monitors at 0db. There is a reference level button beside the volume knob in the MAIN section, which by default is at -20db. (to my ears, when I mix down a project and compare it, it seems that -18db is more equivalent in volume)

Is that the same as 0db on the master output level? I can't find anything in documentation that explains it.

[TheDrumhead]

How do you setup cable wiring to your audio interface and headphone amp physically and use Cubase Pro Control Room features?

[GoPlanB]

Cause:
If the initial dialog on Cubase start-up to select an ASIO driver is dismissed with the "Please, do not show again" checkbox, there is not enough time for a proper initialization of the driver. This is because of a changed timing in Cubase since version 8.5.10 that only affects the above mentioned devices.
Solution/Workarounds
In "Devices" > "Device Setup" > "VST Audio System", please switch the ASIO driver to something else than the Yamaha Steinberg USB driver and back again.
The dialog will now be shown until quitting Cubase completely.The "Audio Hardware Setup" dialog can always be accessed by clicking on one of the icons in the "Hardware" section of the Cubase MixConsole window (see image below).

[brianeasy]

A transcript of your commentary would be handy or written instruction to clarify things.

[brianeasy]

Very helpful, but I think you need to have left some pauses in your commentary too allow us take things in small bites at a time. Worth the view though.