Steinberg has announced the immediate availability of a fully functional trial version of its Cubase 5 Advanced Music Production System. All that's needed to use the full 30-day trial version is a USB eLicenser and a MySteinberg account at www.steinberg.net. The Cubase 5 software can be downloaded from the Steinberg website or obtained on DVD from any authorized Steinberg dealer. Users of other DAW products who do not yet own a USB eLicenser receive a full refund on the price of the USB eLicenser in the Steinberg online shop when buying the full Cubase 5 version.

"The Cubase 5 Trial version is the ideal way for customers of older Cubase versions or any software that uses the USB eLicenser to try out Cubase 5 for 30 days," comments Helge Vogt, Steinberg's Product Marketing Manager for Cubase. "Importantly, this is not a functionally limited demo version but the full Cubase 5 installer with all features, sounds and instruments. We're sure that some musicians and producers out there trying Cubase 5 who currently use competing products will find features like the VariAudio vocal correction features, VST Expressions or the new beat production tools extremely attractive and won't want to miss them," Vogt adds.