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Cubase

Score7.1 out of 10

12 Reviews and Ratings

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What is Cubase?

Steinberg Media Technologies headquartered in Hamburg offers Cubase, a digital audio workstation and audio editing application.

Categories & Use Cases

Reviews

What users are saying about Cubase.
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You really can't go wrong using Cubase

Incentivized
Verified User
Director in Corporate (1-10 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Cubase on a regular basis for mixing tracks / soundtracks / speech etc. Compared to other DAW software, I find Cubase the easiest to navigate and operate, with all functions being clearly laid out, easy to find and operate. Cubase and it's partner product, Nuendo, are also interchangeable when working with other producers (especially in the world of post production in TV) where Nuendo is a popular platform, which means I don't have to worry about compatibility in the first stage mix before it goes to post. Cubase is also a perpetual licence unlike most other DAW's in the industry which means it can be budgeted for and costs offset rather than worrying about subscriptions, increasing prices, licence activation / authorisation through the computer having to be online as well. There is also the fact that , compared to ProTools, there is no limitation on channel counts or other software limitations which quickly become more expensive to 'rent' from the supplier when working on larger projects. All in all, Cubase is an industry recognised software platform which I am very happy with. The only thing I wish they did is release updates more often once bugs have been identified by the user community, and the user support via ticket could improve considerably.

Pros

  • Allow for easy mix edits
  • Cross compatibility with Nuendo
  • Works well with all VST3 plugins

Cons

  • Customer support
  • Software updates more regularly
  • The ability to route through several sound cards at the same time

Return on Investment

  • As a result of having Cubase in my inventory I have received 15-20 large scale projects increasing turnover by around 25%
  • Ability to work in remote areas with no internet and not have to worry about activation / licence renewals
  • The interoperability of Cubase with Nuendo provides increased scope for work with other sound designers / editors / post mixers.

Other Software Used

Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Adobe Audition, Adobe Acrobat, Cyberduck, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, FileZilla, Parallels Desktop, OBS Studio, Mozilla Firefox

Cubase should be the new industry standard

Incentivized
Dan ButlerView profile
Owner / Engineer at Seventh Seal Records (1-10 employees employees)

Pros

  • MIDI: MIDI has been an integral part of Cubase since the very beginning. In Cubase 11, working with and editing MIDI has become a very streamlined process.
  • Advanced Audio Features: One of my favorite audio features is the ability to generate harmony voices in just one click. This speeds up the production process and helps new singers understand different harmony lines. It also gives the ability to add modern harmony sounds to our tracks.
  • Channel Strip: While we use many plugins to emulate famous consoles and outboard equipment, the stock channel strip is outstanding. The included channel strip could easily stand on its own to get a finished sound.
  • Control Room: This is an amazing tool that emulates a monitor controller right in the software. Using this allows me to set up headphone cues, headphone mixes, and different monitor configurations. I am able to insert plugins into these chains that do not affect the master bus.

Cons

  • Channel Conversion: The one thing I wish Cubase would change is the ability to change a mono channel to stereo. Sometimes when creating a new track, you realize after the fact it needs to be one or the other. There is no easy way to change this setting.
  • Automation: While the automation abilities are very inclusive, I would like to see more streamlined abilities when drawing automation curves. It can sometimes feel a little clunky in its current iteration.

Most Important Features

  • MIDI and VSTi: During the writing process, we use a number of VSTi's. Cubase's ability to handle all of the different routing possibilities has become integral to our process.
  • Speed: The workflow improvements made in the last few versions has greatly improved the amount of work we can get done.
  • Flexibility: Being able to export mixes in multiple formats without having to use third-party software is invaluable. We can make multiple versions for online, CD, or even vinyl in just a few clicks.

Return on Investment

  • Since converting to Cubase, we have only seen a positive impact. We are able to provide a much higher value to our clients by being able to do everything in one software solution. The price point for Cubase Pro is under $1,000, so the investment is paid for within a couple projects.

Alternatives Considered

Propellerhead Reason, GarageBand and Avid Pro Tools

Other Software Used

Adobe Captivate, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Audition

Cubase--Usable and powerful

Incentivized
Walter Aho
Creative Director at Lake Superior Christian Church (1-10 employees employees)

Pros

  • Ease of use
  • Clear, user-friendly interface
  • Stable and glitch free

Cons

  • Some documentation is confusing and may be different than the version you have
  • Finding how to set up more complex audio environments can be cumbersome
  • Audio library can be a little confusing

Most Important Features

  • Integration with Waves plugins and VSTs
  • Multitrack recording
  • Efficient mastering

Return on Investment

  • Ease of use minimizing learning time
  • Cost effective
  • Ability to quickly produce a quality product

Alternatives Considered

Avid Pro Tools

Other Software Used

Cinema 4D, Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator CC

Cubase Gets A High Score

Incentivized
Rob GokeeView profile
Podcast Producer & Audio Mixer in Professional Services at Rob Gokee Music (1-10 employees employees)

Pros

  • Writing music to video
  • Quick rendering
  • Easy learning curve
  • Moderately priced for anyone starting out in the industry

Cons

  • Shortcuts aren't easy to learn
  • Can be a bit of a resource hog
  • Upgrades don't necessarily have enough features to make the worthwhile

Return on Investment

  • Overpriced upgrades
  • Can be a resource hog with RAM when you have a large session

Alternatives Considered

Avid Pro Tools

Other Software Used

Avid Pro Tools, Audacity, Ableton Live

A user interface designed to be used

Incentivized
Verified User
Manager (11-50 employees employees)

Pros

  • The user interface is very accessible and easy to operate
  • Cubase will run fine on most PCs with regular hardware
  • VSTs are easy to manage and install
  • Audio routing within the mixer is very simple

Cons

  • Keyboard shortcuts aren't the best, I find it tedious to zoom in and out of the timeline
  • Multi-track recording of multiple takes can become hard to manage
  • Composing with Midi can be hard, the midi editing is a bit outdated

Most Important Features

  • Easy to use user interface
  • Easy to use media import feature and media management (pool)
  • Low requirements for PC hardware

Return on Investment

  • Using Cubase over something like Protools means that new users are more likely to be successful during training and due to this, decrease training time.
  • More trained staff means that we are able to complete more projects faster instead of waiting for a more skilled staff member to become available.
  • Implementation on-site for on-site recording has been very reliable and has decreased the amount of failed recordings during events.

Alternatives Considered

Avid Pro Tools, FL Studio and Audacity

Other Software Used

FL Studio, Avid Pro Tools, Audacity, Ableton Live