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Cubase

Cubase

Overview

What is Cubase?

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

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Cubase has been praised by users for its ability to provide clear and informative help articles and videos, making it easier for users to …
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Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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Starting Price

$579.90

Cloud

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Details

What is Cubase?

Cubase Video

Whether you are a producer or artist, Cubase packs the features in a user-friendly interface to make your best work. Here the TrustRadius team breaks down the pricing, top features, use case, and user sentiment for Cubase to decide if it's the best option for you.

Cubase Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(11)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Cubase has been praised by users for its ability to provide clear and informative help articles and videos, making it easier for users to understand the program. This feature has been highly beneficial, especially for those who are new to music production or need assistance with specific functionalities. Another prominent use case of Cubase is its excellent management of MIDI, allowing users to compose music directly on their piano. Musicians and composers have found this feature to be incredibly useful as it streamlines the process of creating music and enhances their workflow. Additionally, a significant number of users utilize Cubase for recording vocals, as it is considered one of the best digital audio workstations DAWs for this purpose. The software's robust tools and efficient audio engine enable seamless recording sessions, resulting in professional-quality vocal tracks. Producers and musicians also highly appreciate the efficiency of Cubase as an audio editor. Its precise editing capabilities make it easier to refine and enhance audio files, ensuring that every detail is perfected. Moreover, many users value how Cubase simplifies the music creation process, allowing them to record professional songs effortlessly, add virtual instruments, and quickly export them in mp3 format. The software's user-friendly interface and comprehensive features save time and enhance the overall music-making experience. Overall, Cubase stands out among other DAWs due to its versatility, making it suitable for both audio recording and editing as well as MIDI-based music production. Whether users are professionals or beginners in the field of music production, Cubase offers a wide range of functionalities that cater to their needs.

Users have provided several recommendations for Cubase based on their experiences and preferences. Here are the three most common recommendations:

  1. It is recommended to try out the trial version of Cubase before making a purchase decision. This allows potential customers to test the software's features and evaluate its suitability for their needs.

  2. Many reviewers suggest purchasing Cubase for music production and orchestration purposes. They find that the software offers a variety of tools and features that cater to these specific uses.

  3. Users frequently recommend exploring the option of adding premium plugins to enhance Cubase's capabilities. These additional plugins provide an opportunity to extend the functionality of the software and further customize the production process.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-3 of 3)
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Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
  • Allow for easy mix edits
  • Cross compatibility with Nuendo
  • Works well with all VST3 plugins
  • Customer support
  • Software updates more regularly
  • The ability to route through several sound cards at the same time
As Cubase has different levels of product available, there is a starting point for most people in the industry who require this software with the Pro version being the top level. Therefore, it can be built around end user needs rather than paying a fortune for everything and only using 40% as other software products do. It would be less appropriate for beginners, or those who do not wish to use VSTi instruments as there are cheaper products on the market which would allow this (Reaper being one). It is all down to user preference at the end of the day, and there isn't one product that will tick every single box for every user.
  • 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.
The reason I find Cubase is best suited to my needs compared to other DAW software is primarily the ease in which the software can be edited. The MIDI integration, editing and composing aspects, in my opinion, is far superior to other software which is great when creating and / or editing projects. As I use Mac, the CoreAudio side of things works seamlessly too which provides a stable work environment for both myself and clients when working remotely over video links etc
Rob Gokee | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I've been a composer for film, television and advertising for over 13 years. I've been using Cubase since 2011, it's what I've used to score many award-winning projects, it's easy to learn (I migrated over to it from Cubase), the technology is cutting edge, and it's pretty stable. Overall, it's a great product to use for scoring/podcasting/audio mixing, and I'd definitely recommend it for any new composer.
  • Writing music to video
  • Quick rendering
  • Easy learning curve
  • Moderately priced for anyone starting out in the industry
  • 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
While Cubase is great at editing audio, and songwriting, it's a champ at creating music to video. It's easy to import the videos into a session, and syncing up the music to the video is very easy for even a beginner. And Cubase can be used all the way through the process - writing, recording, mixing and mastering, and exporting back out is practically a one-step process!

Cubase is also really adept at MIDI, something that was lacking for me in Pro Tools at the time, and allows you to render MIDI to audio in place at a high speed rate, saving you tons of downtime.
  • Overpriced upgrades
  • Can be a resource hog with RAM when you have a large session
While Pro Tools is the industry standard when it comes to recording and audio mixing, I've found Cubase to be superior when it comes to writing with MIDI. Also, it comes with a lot of features (MP3 exporting, time code) that Pro Tools charges you extra for. They're both about the same price to buy, but learning Cubase is much easier than Pro Tools, which can be a bit cumbersome because it does so much.
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.
Dan Butler | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Cubase is the core of our business. As a recording and production studio, we use Cubase as the primary recording solution. We are using this in all key aspects of the production process. Cubase excels in MIDI production with VST instruments and orchestration. Cubase is very flexible when it comes to routing and audio mixing, making it a very valuable part of our process.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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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