Click on and launch Cubase. Click "File" on the menu bar and select "New" to create a new project, Click on a tempo and time signature to set up your song file. Both of these parameters appear near the upper-right corner of your window. The default tempo reads "120," and the default time signature reads "4/4." Click either one of these parameters to change them. Use a tempo between 90 and 105 beats per minute for a slow song, Use 135 to 160 beats per minute for a fast song.
Connect a MIDI keyboard to your PC if available. Cubase SX3 allows you to create entire songs with its built-in virtual instruments, including drum kits, synthesizers and bass settings. Use a MIDI keyboard connected through your USB port or Cubase's piano roll to play these virtual instruments. Use a MIDI USB adapter, which are available at music supply stores, if your MIDI keyboard does not include USB.
Connect any analog instruments to your PC, including guitars and keyboards. Use a 1/4- to 1/8-inch audio cable for the most direct connection. The 1/4-inch plug connects to the "Output" or "Output L" jack on your instrument, and the 1/8-inch plug connects to your computer's "Line-In" jack. Connect an audio interface, such as an external sound card, to your computer, and connect directly your instruments to the interface with your standard instrument cables for a more high-quality connection. Audio interfaces are available from most music supply stores.
Click (Devices > Device Setup) on your menu bar. If you connected a USB device such as an adapter or MIDI controller, click the "VST Audiobay" tab and select your device from the list. If you plan to use virtual instruments, click (Devices > VST Instruments) and select a software instrument from the list. Click "OK" when you finish making your selections.
Create a track for recording. Every piece of audio that you record is placed on a "track," which looks like a thin horizontal space on your main project window in Cubase. Record each piece individually onto separate tracks, and place them in alignment on the time line to layer your music, such as guitars, bass and drums. Click on "Project" and "Add Track"on the menu bar to create a track. Click on the "MIDI Track" option if recording with a MIDI instrument. Click on "Audio Track." if recording with analog instruments or your built-in microphone,
Click on your new track once to select it. Click the red "Record" button at the top of your window to begin recording, and begin playing your MIDI keyboard, analogue instrument or using your microphone, if applicable. Click the square "Stop" button, which appears two buttons to the left of the "Record" button when finished. Drag your mouse over the space within your track to highlight it, then double-click if you want to use virtual instruments but do not have a MIDI instrument. Begin inserting notes on the grid -- high notes at the top, low notes on the bottom -- when the piano roll appears.
Create a second track for your second layer of music. Add piano accompaniment, if desired, on track two if you recorded a guitar riff on track one. Create as many tracks as you need for your song. Click "Inserts" in the left column, and click on the desired effects options to add effects to a track.