Cubase vs. Propellerhead Reason

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cubase
Score 9.6 out of 10
N/A
Steinberg Media Technologies headquartered in Hamburg offers Cubase, a digital audio workstation and audio editing application.
$579.90
Reason
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Propellerhead Software headquartered in Stockholm offers Reason, the company's flagship digital audio workstation and audio editing application.N/A
Pricing
CubasePropellerhead Reason
Editions & Modules
Starting Price
$579.90
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
CubaseReason
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
CubasePropellerhead Reason
Considered Both Products
Cubase
Chose Cubase
We chose Cubase in the beginning due to price differences between Pro Tools and Cubase. As we learned to use Cubase, we realized the flexibility between MIDI and audio was far more advanced than any other product on the market. We still feel like the MIDI implementation in …
Reason
Chose Propellerhead Reason
One thing that sets Reason apart from other DAWs is its ability to be both a DAW and a sampler. Most other DAWs, Ableton included, need a third part sampler in order to actually write music, something akin to Kontakt, for example. Reason is all-in-one - you can do everything …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
CubasePropellerhead Reason
Small Businesses
Descript
Descript
Score 9.0 out of 10
Descript
Descript
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Audition
Audition
Score 8.9 out of 10
Audition
Audition
Score 8.9 out of 10
Enterprises
Audition
Audition
Score 8.9 out of 10
Audition
Audition
Score 8.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
CubasePropellerhead Reason
Likelihood to Recommend
8.5
(4 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
CubasePropellerhead Reason
Likelihood to Recommend
Steinberg Media Technologies
I have been a longtime fan of Cubase and would recommend it to anyone, whether they are just starting in recording or a seasoned professional. I find that it is really strong in the pre-production and production phases of a song. Tools like the arranger track, track versions, and the chord track make writing and experimenting very easy. I have used these tools on almost every song that I have started from the writing phase. I am able to experiment with different variations of a song, different channel settings, and even completely different arrangements all with just a few clicks. My writing process and speed have improved so much over the last few versions of Cubase. We have also enjoyed working with the mixing process. The mixers in Cubase are laid out much like a regular console. So for an old timer like me, the learning curve is very low. Cubase did a very good job with layout and labeling. Things are labeled what you would expect them to be and laid out in an order that makes sense. The other part of the mixer that makes it great is the ability to color code and organize tracks. My mix time has drastically decreased since using Cubase.
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Propellerhead Software
Thanks to this software we have been able to achieve that all the management of quality control and product life cycle, is carried in a more organized way, in a simple to use system, which does not have such a high learning curve and that everyone in the department knows how to handle it. One of the best software in its category.
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Pros
Steinberg Media Technologies
  • 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
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Propellerhead Software
  • Huge variety of sounds
  • Easy to jump in
  • Works on it's own, so you don't need another DAW
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Cons
Steinberg Media Technologies
  • 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
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Propellerhead Software
  • The software is very complete, but it can become saturated with the many tools it has. If you have experience with Salesforce, it will be much easier for you to learn the program.
  • I would find it very useful if the system allowed to integrate other software, apart from Salesforce, so that we could have all the information from the same platform.
  • If the platform would allow local hosting or offline access to its control panel, it would make our work much easier, because sometimes the connection fails, and entering the system is impossible.
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Support Rating
Steinberg Media Technologies
Any time I've had to reach out to customer support, they've been fast to respond and answered my questions to the best of their ability. Authorization of the software is easy, and the company is great about emailing you promptly. Overall, they do a great job.
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Propellerhead Software
I've had to reach out to them very few times over the years, but Propellerhead is prompt and professional when they provide support. The manual and videos for using the product are top notch, and that goes a long way in helping you learn how to use it to its full capacity
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Alternatives Considered
Steinberg Media Technologies
We chose Cubase in the beginning due to price differences between Pro Tools and Cubase. As we learned to use Cubase, we realized the flexibility between MIDI and audio was far more advanced than any other product on the market. We still feel like the MIDI implementation in Cubase is beyond any other product on the market. We have also found that the audio engine alone is on par with all of the industry standard software. During the 18 years we have used Cubase, we have noticed more and more high-end mixing, mastering and production studios using Cubase in their workflows.
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Propellerhead Software
One thing that sets Reason apart from other DAWs is its ability to be both a DAW and a sampler. Most other DAWs, Ableton included, need a third part sampler in order to actually write music, something akin to Kontakt, for example. Reason is all-in-one - you can do everything with one product and a single purchase.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Steinberg Media Technologies
  • 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.
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Propellerhead Software
  • This software has allowed us to be much more efficient in the quality control and production department, as we were able to create quality products for our customers, with easy-to-use tools and automating tasks, so that the entire process is executed more quickly and efficiently.
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ScreenShots