Cubase 12 released

[VitaminD]

Why does every conversation related to Cubase at KVR always devolve into a personal argument over the USB dongle?

[LoveEnigma18]

As soon as Steinberg get's rid of the dongle, I will be tempted to buy Cubase Pro. I am a FL Studio user and never used any other DAW. I like Logic Pro X, but it's not possible to use it ever as I use Windows. I could consider Studio One, but it just looks way to busy and doesn't look like I will enjoy working with it (did demo it once). Reaper and Ableton are not even in the consideration. So yeah, Cubase is likely the only DAW I will fancy buying. Just looks beautiful to me and seems to have great and useful features.

You are itching for Cubase! My advice is to go straight to Cubase Pro! It has all the tools/effects and it is amazing really!

Anyway, IMO, the best way to purchase Cubase Pro is either to find it the 2nd hand market here with seller lives in your region, so when he/she posts the dongle, it will be cheaper and faster to arrive.

The second way is the way I did! I couldn't find in 2nd hand market in my region (that is NZ and AUS), so what I did is buying the dongle locally (from a dealer here) and then upgraded my license to Artist (from Elements) from Steinberg shop when it had 40% discount. After about few months, there were also a discount (but I don't remember if it was Steinberg or Thomann), so I just bought the upgrade to Pro and downloaded it (because I already have the dongle).

Don't restrict yourself waiting for a dongleless version! The dongle is ok really and you can plug it to a usb hub or USB device sharing hub and use it with more than one computer! (but not the same time of course!).

The only problem with Cubase is some cpu hikes for some systems that have nVidia drivers and run OneDrive in the background. Shrink the nVidia driver installation to just the driver and disable any non necessary service in the background, would make Cubase happy! This is in Windows! In my M1 Air, I don't have a problem with Cpu hikes, but I'm waiting for the native version

Hey EnGee, haha, that was a pretty good attempt to get me excited! I remember our discussion in PMs.

Thank you so much for the detailed information, I appreciate it. Yes, I were to buy Cubase I would be indeed be interested in the Pro version to get the absolute best and everything.

Your suggestions are good, but there is one more method to get Pro, which is Competitive Crossgrade from FL Studio. It is currently 363 EUR for me on their website. During their annual upgrade sale, even at 40% off, it will be a pretty good deal at 218 EUR. This will probably be the cheapest and easiest way for me since I would anyway need the dongle.

But there are two problems with dongle. First, it is an expensive affair getting it new locally or used from someone (at least 40 EUR, yes). Second, since it is already known that dongle will be obsolete in near future I could use that time to get familiar with Cubase Elements that I have, and also FL Studio is my main DAW, there is no urge to get Cubase Pro right now.

Yes, Windows only here. Fortunately, I don't have NVIDIA drivers or run OneDrive, so no worries, but point noted.

[LoveEnigma18]

As soon as Steinberg get's rid of the dongle, I will be tempted to buy Cubase Pro. I am a FL Studio user and never used any other DAW. I like Logic Pro X, but it's not possible to use it ever as I use Windows. I could consider Studio One, but it just looks way to busy and doesn't look like I will enjoy working with it (did demo it once). Reaper and Ableton are not even in the consideration. So yeah, Cubase is likely the only DAW I will fancy buying. Just looks beautiful to me and seems to have great and useful features.

If you use midi alot you will be pleased with Cubase. It is a well known fact that Cubase is the best daw when it comes to midi. Period.

Thanks, good to know. Yes, I do use MIDI a lot. Hope it is almost as good with audio too.
I still feel though that it might not be the "easiest" to work with MIDI/note entry and editing as FL Studio. But hopefully it is just about getting used to a new thing.

[EnGee]

@LoveEnigma18:
Your plan is the best then There is an excellent tutorial if you want to be familiar with shortcuts and workflow. It's in macpro video website. You can watch 5 videos every 24 hours for free. Well, getting familiar with the shortcuts is the best workflow enhancer IMO. Unfortunately, you might find it completely different from FLS in almost every aspect, not only piano roll, so better to not compare!

[rasmusklump]

I'm happy with the dongle, always was.

I'm surprised that there are people who are "happy" with a blocked USB port on their computer for a copy protection dongle (imagine you have several of them, eLicenser, iLok, Codemeter...), but, hey...

I'n surprised that there are people who prefer that the software checks periodically online for an authorization and when the server is down one can't work anymore.
And this with the knowledge how often the Steinberg servers are down.
And it was confirmed by Steinberg that the new scheme will rely on online checks.

[LoveEnigma18]

@LoveEnigma18:
Your plan is the best then There is an excellent tutorial if you want to be familiar with shortcuts and workflow. It's in macpro video website. You can watch 5 videos every 24 hours for free. Well, getting familiar with the shortcuts is the best workflow enhancer IMO. Unfortunately, you might find it completely different from FLS in almost every aspect, not only piano roll, so better to not compare!

Thank you for the tip. Yes, shortcuts are absolutely essential to know and the biggest difference when you start working with a new program.

[chk071]

And it was confirmed by Steinberg that the new scheme will rely on online checks.

Well... that's what I wrote earlier.

[antic604]

As soon as Steinberg get's rid of the dongle, I will be tempted to buy Cubase Pro. I am a FL Studio user and never used any other DAW. I like Logic Pro X, but it's not possible to use it ever as I use Windows. I could consider Studio One, but it just looks way to busy and doesn't look like I will enjoy working with it (did demo it once). Reaper and Ableton are not even in the consideration. So yeah, Cubase is likely the only DAW I will fancy buying. Just looks beautiful to me and seems to have great and useful features.

Just in case - have you taken Bitwig Studio into consideration? Many consider it to be a hybrid of Cubase and Ableton Live, with healthy addition of its own (wondeful) features like native modulators & operators, modular Poly/FX Grid environment, plugin bridging & sandboxing, dedicated touch-screen support, native Linux version, etc.



https://www.bitwig.com/overview/

[LoveEnigma18]

Just in case - have you taken Bitwig Studio into consideration? Many consider it to be a hybrid of Cubase and Ableton Live, with healthy addition of its own (wondeful) features like native modulators & operators, modular Poly/FX Grid environment, plugin bridging & sandboxing, dedicated touch-screen support, native Linux version, etc.



https://www.bitwig.com/overview/

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I did look at Bitwig Studio earlier, but not sure I like it enough. I mean it looks good, but doesn't appeal me enough to try it out. Will check out some videos and see how it goes.

[Daimonicon]

Why does every conversation related to Cubase at KVR always devolve into a personal argument over the USB dongle?

Why does every conversation related to some plugins at KVR always devolve into a personal argument over the ilok dongle? Simply becuase KVR is the dongle hater forum obviously. Eventually we will se haters about the new Steinberg licensing/authorization system and how bad it is according to the haters.

[chk071]

Simply because KVR is the copy protection hater rebel hobbyist no-idea-about-economics-and-the-need-to-generate-money-when-running-a-business forum obviously.

FTFY.

FTR, as I also argued against dongles: I don't have anything against copy protections per se. For me, it stops though, when I have to plug in a physical device which blocks me from plugging additional hardware into my computer. It shouldn't be that way. Imagine you have 10 different companies, who all use different dongle protections. You could easily end up with 10 (!) different dongles in your computer. Even with additional USB hubs (which all block a USB port in your computer...), that's just completely nuts. Especially when you have a Macbook with two or three USB-C ports.

Seriously, USB dongles are really nuts. I don't know any other industry which relies on physical copy protections. There are other, much better ways. And, yes, many of those incorporate online services now. You are f***ed as well, when the eLicenser server doesn't respond, and you want to activate a product, or do maintenance work, in case something doesn't work correctly. There's really not as much of a difference as some make out of it.

Anyway, I'm not sure why we even still discuss this. Steinberg will be dongle free soon (at least the new products), and there's nothing that will change that.

[Tronam]

Many of the flagship 3D production applications used to be dongle protected back in the day, like Lightwave and 3D Studio Max, but pretty much all of them have moved away from that requirement years ago. Steinberg is one of the last old school dinosaurs. If they at least provided a variety of authorization options like iLok I wouldn't mind so much. Hopefully it won't be too much longer.

[chk071]

With iLok, you can at least move licenses from the dongle and back. You also have 2 activations for most plugins. You also have the option to use dongle or soft iLok for most plugins. All better than eLicenser.

Anyway, going on discussing that won't lead anywhere, and, it's pointless anyway. The new system is rolling on.

[BBFG#]

iLok really doesn't have options. It implies it, but for many of us, it's the software that it requires that's one of the major issues (the other being the company itself). Dongles have their own pros and cons, which can make sense or not in their own ways to each of us. I'm hoping eLicense will adopt a 3 machine scheme with two of them soft-licensed to specific machines and one of those licensed to the dongle.
And even though I personally hate the PACE/EDEN-iLok company, I don't care as long as the company includes it as an option.
Dongles should be an option but never a requirement.

[EnGee]

I hope it will be like Studio One (five manageable activations) or Bitwig (3 manageable activations). Live also has a flexible activations.
Otherwise, the dongle is better than soft e-licenser with just one computer activation! Or like shit Reason is using! If they do something like that, I will stay with the dongle (if there is such option).

Of course, the best is something like with Reaper or FLS, but I don't think this will happen! Only if Steinberg has a plan to be cracked easily in order to be very popular! But I don't think this is a good plan (what thread is this? Oh! Ok! all threads seems the same discussions )