How to Set Up a Cubase Template from Scratch

Every time you open Cubase to a blank project, you're spending creative energy on setup instead of music. A good template solves that permanently. Here's how to build one from scratch that matches your workflow.

Why Build a Template?

Professional producers don't open a blank session and start from zero every time. They load a template — a pre-configured project with their common tracks, instruments, effects, routing, and organisation already set up. It means they're making music within seconds of launching Cubase, not spending 20 minutes creating tracks and loading plugins.

But templates aren't just about speed. They're about consistency. When every project starts from the same foundation, your workflow becomes second nature. You always know where your drums are, how your buses are routed, where your reverb sends live. This consistency frees up mental energy for the creative decisions that actually matter.

Building your own template — rather than using someone else's — is especially valuable because it forces you to think about how you work. What instruments do you always reach for? How do you like your mixer organised? What effects do you use on every project? Answering these questions builds self-awareness about your production process, which makes you a better producer.

 

Step 1: Create Your Core Tracks

Start with a new empty project in Cubase. Now think about the tracks you use in virtually every production. For most producers, this includes:

Drums — create a MIDI track with Groove Agent SE loaded, or an instrument track with your preferred drum plugin. If you typically layer drums, create multiple tracks: one for kicks, one for snares, one for hi-hats, one for percussion.

Bass — an instrument track with a bass preset loaded. Retrologue or HALion Sonic both have excellent bass sounds. If you use Vital for bass, load that instead.

Synths/Keys — two or three instrument tracks for melodic content. Load your most-used instruments with neutral, versatile presets. You can always swap them out per project, but having them ready eliminates the "loading plugins" step.

Pads/Atmosphere — a track for background textures. Padshop is excellent for this, or a Vital patch with a slow attack and lots of reverb.

Vocals/Audio — if you record vocals or live instruments, create two or three empty audio tracks with inputs pre-assigned to your audio interface. This means you can hit record immediately without configuring inputs.

FX/Ear Candy — an audio or instrument track for risers, impacts, sweeps, and transition effects.

Don't create too many tracks — 10 to 15 is usually the sweet spot for a starting template. You can always add more during production. The goal is to cover your essentials without cluttering the project.

 

Step 2: Set Up Group Channels

Group channels (also called bus tracks) let you route multiple tracks to a single fader. This is essential for efficient mixing and is how every professional session is structured.

Create group channels for Drums (route all your drum tracks here), Bass, Synths/Music (route all melodic elements here), and Vocals (if applicable). Some producers also add a FX group for transition elements.

To set this up: right-click in the track list → Add Group Channel Track. Name it clearly (e.g., "DRUM BUS"). Then on each individual track, set the output routing to the appropriate group channel instead of the main stereo out. Your groups then route to the stereo out.

This gives you single-fader control over entire groups of instruments. Need the drums louder? One fader. Want to compress all your synths together? Process the synth bus. This is how professionals mix, and setting it up in your template means you never have to configure it again.

Step 3: Create FX Channels for Reverb and Delay

Rather than putting reverb and delay directly on individual tracks (which uses more CPU and sounds disconnected), professional engineers use FX channels — also called send/return tracks. You set up one reverb on an FX channel, then send multiple instruments to it at different levels. They all share the same reverb space, which makes the mix sound cohesive.

Create at least two FX channels: one for reverb (load REVerence with a plate or room impulse response, or RoomWorks for an algorithmic reverb) and one for delay (load StudioDelay or StereoDelay with a tempo-synced setting).

Set the mix on each FX channel plugin to 100% wet — the dry/wet balance is controlled by the send level from each track, not the plugin itself. This is a common beginner mistake that's worth getting right from the start.

Now on any track in your template, you can click the "Sends" section in the Inspector and route a send to your reverb or delay FX channel. Pre-configure sends on your vocal and synth tracks so they're ready to go.

Step 4: Add a Basic Master Chain

On your main stereo output channel, add a light processing chain that you'll use as a starting point for every project. A typical master chain template includes:

A spectrum analyser (Voxengo SPAN or Cubase's built-in SuperVision) for visual reference — keep this at the end of the chain. A gentle EQ (StudioEQ or Frequency) with a high-pass filter set at 25–30Hz to catch sub-bass rumble. A compressor (the stock Compressor with very gentle settings — 1.5:1 ratio, slow attack, auto release, targeting 1–2dB of reduction at most). A limiter (Brickwall Limiter with the ceiling set to -1.0dB) as a safety net to prevent clipping.

Keep everything subtle or bypassed by default. The master chain in your template is a starting point, not a finished master — you'll adjust it per project during the mixing stage.

Step 5: Colour Code and Organise Everything

This takes five minutes and saves hours over the lifetime of your template. Give every track and group a clear name and a consistent colour scheme. A common approach:

Red for drums. Blue for bass. Green for synths and melodic elements. Yellow or orange for vocals. Purple for FX and atmosphere. Grey for group channels and buses.

Use whatever colours make sense to you — the point is consistency. When every project follows the same colour scheme, you can glance at the project window and immediately know what everything is, even in a complex session with 40+ tracks.

Also consider using track folders to group related tracks visually. Put all your drum tracks inside a "Drums" folder, all your synths inside a "Synths" folder. Folders can be collapsed when you're not working on that group, keeping your project window tidy.

Step 6: Set Your Default Tempo, Time Signature, and Preferences

Set the project tempo to whatever you work in most often. If you primarily make house music, set it to 124 BPM. If you make hip-hop, set it to 90 BPM. You can always change it per project, but starting at your usual tempo saves a step.

Set your time signature (4/4 for most producers), your snap/grid settings, and your metronome preferences. If you always work with snap-to-grid on, set it. If you prefer a specific grid resolution (1/16, 1/8), set that too. These small defaults add up.

Step 7: Save It as a Template

Once everything is configured, go to File → Save as Template. Give it a clear name — "My Production Template" or something genre-specific like "EDM Template" or "Singer-Songwriter Template." Add a description if you like.

From now on, every time you create a new project, you can select your template from the Hub and start with everything ready to go. No more blank projects. No more setup time. Just music.

Or Skip Ahead with a Professional Template

Building your own template from scratch is a great learning exercise — and we genuinely recommend doing it at least once, because the process teaches you how professional sessions are structured.

But if you want a head start, or you want to see how a professional template is built before creating your own, our Cubase templates are designed for exactly that. Each one comes with professional routing, effects chains, and instrument setups — plus tutorial videos explaining every decision so you can learn from the structure and customise it for your own workflow.

They work with all Cubase editions (Elements, Artist, and Pro) and use stock plugins exclusively, so there's nothing extra to buy or install.

All the best — the Born To Produce Team ✌️

Browse our full range of Cubase tutorials or check out what people are saying on our reviews page.