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New Features
The following list informs you about the most important improvements in Backbone and provides links to the corresponding descriptions.
This is the Operation Manual for Steinberg’s Backbone. Here you will find detailed information about all the features and functions in the application.
Typographical Conventions
In our documentation, we use structural and markup elements to present information according to its purpose.
How To Contact Us
Click the Steinberg logo in the top right corner of the control panel to open a pop-up menu which includes information on how to contact us and to receive help.
About the Documentation
The documentation is available online and can be downloaded in PDF format from http://www.steinberg.help.
Window Overview
The Backbone window is fully resizable. It is divided into several sections.
Programs, Layers, and Samples
In Backbone, you can load and save programs, layers, and samples.
Plug-in Functions Section
Input Section
The Input section gives you a quick overview over the MIDI input and the trigger note.
Output Section
This section contains output settings, such as the output level, a bypass function for the internal global limiter, and sample export controls and settings.
Options Page
On the Options page, you can find global options, the Automation editor, and the MIDI Controller editor.
The Decompose function allows you to split your samples into their noise and tonal components.
Decompose Section
The Decompose section at the top of the window contains the controls and settings for the Decompose function.
Decomposing Samples
The Decompose function separates the noise and the tonal components of a sample and allows you to save these components separately as new samples.
Combining Noise and Tonal Components of Different Samples
Once the tonal and noise components are split, you can use them separately. This allows you to try out different noise components with a tonal sample, edit the components of a sample separately before combining them again, etc. You can also create entirely new sounds from your samples in this way.
Changing the Distribution of the Tonal and the Noise Components of Samples
The Decompose function allows you to mix the noise and the tonal components of samples individually. This can be used to change the level of the snares of a snare drum, for example.
DrumGAN allows you to create your own drum sounds, modify existing sounds, or create variations of drum sounds.
DrumGAN Section
The DrumGAN section at the top of the window contains the controls and settings for the DrumGAN function.
Generating Drum Sounds with DrumGAN
In the DrumGAN section, you can generate your own drum sounds.
Creating Variations of Drum Sounds
You can create variations of drum samples. This allows you to create a stereo sound, for example, by creating two variations and panning them left and right.
The sounds in Backbone are made up of up to eight layers. Each layer contributes a specific detail of the sound, for example, the tonal and noise components of a drum sound. You can adjust and modify the sound of each layer extensively in the edit section.
Layers Section
The Layers section on the left contains eight slots into which you can load samples or layer presets.
Main Tab
The Main tab contains additional settings for the program and the layers.
Edit Section
In the Edit section, you can edit the layers.
Sample Export
You can export samples to render effects into your samples, to save processor power, or to apply further editing and effects to the rendered samples, for example.
You can manage your files using the Load panel.
Load Panel
The Load panel allows you to manage, navigate to, load, and preview different file types.
File Management with the Programs and Layers Tabs of the Load Panel
The Programs and Layers tabs give you access to the available programs and layers. They are based on Steinberg’s MediaBay technology, that is, they allow you to filter the results and find specific files quickly.
File Management with the Browser Tab of the Load Panel
With the Browser, you can navigate to specific directories on your system and load files from there.
Saving and Exporting Programs
The MediaBay is Steinberg's database to manage your content, quickly find files that you are looking for, specify attributes for your files, and much more.
You can load and edit effects and set up the effect routing in the Effects section.
Effects Section
In the Effects section, you can add and set up effects for the two effect busses and specify the effect routing.
Loading Effects
You can load effects in the effect slots in the routing section or in the effect editors.
Bypassing Effects
To compare the sound with and without an effect, you can bypass the effect.
Removing Effects
You can remove effects in the routing section or in the effect editors.
Backbone comes with a collection of high-quality studio effects.
EQ/Filter Effects
The EQ/Filter submenu contains the equalizer and filter effects.
Dynamics Effects
The Dynamics submenu contains the compressor and limiter effects.
Distortion Effects
The Distortion submenu contains the distortion effects.
Modulation Effects
The Modulation submenu contains the modulation effects, such as Chorus, Flanger, etc.
Pan Effects
The Pan submenu contains the panorama effect Stereo Pan.
Time Effects
The Time submenu contains the delay and reverb effects.
You can automate most of the Backbone parameters from within your host application, whether these are parameters of a layer or global effect parameters.
Automation Editor
In the Automation editor, all assigned automation parameters are shown.
Setting Up Automation
You can assign Backbone parameters to automation parameters, and even assign multiple parameters to the same automation parameter, to control these parameters at the same time.
Backbone allows you to assign almost any parameter to a MIDI controller.
MIDI Controller Editor
In the MIDI Controller editor, all assigned MIDI controllers are shown.
Assigning MIDI Controllers