Cubase 9

[fese]

Okay, I got to let off some steam now... was running C6.5 until now, bought the C9 upgrade, and am trying to get acquainted with it which is a PITA, to be honest.
Granted, there are lots of good ideas and features and I sure need to get used to some new workflows, but the implementation is often lacking, there's a plethora of little annoyances and the whole design looks as if it was done and implemented by an intern! Just look at the new scrollbars, not only are they tiny and fiddly, they are also completely inconsistent in different parts of the program (just compare those in the project window, the mixer/fader window, the rack window and the plugin manager!).
And the classic Steinberg edit-"e" is a different font in the mixer window that in the project window!
In the mixer, to activate/deactivate all automation, I just click on the "R","W" buttons in the toolbar. To bypass all inserts or sends, I need to 'ALT'-click the "I" or "E" button. Why???

And my list goes on, apart from several design inconsistencies there are many little bugs that are annoying when trying to figure out a new workflow.
Like the Channel visibility configurations: great, I thought, now I can make different configurations to view audio-, group- and FX-channels and switch between them with key commands. But nooo - those configurations are only local to the project, in every old C6 project I load I have to redo the configurations. Or am I blind? What do I have to do to switch between audio/instrument/group and FX tracks in the mixer?

I am really annoyed, I was looking forward to having cool new features instead I have to get used to a half baked UI design and loads of inconsistencies and little bugs.
Rant over. Sorry, had to be said.

[keyman_sam]

What do I have to do to switch between audio/instrument/group and FX tracks in the mixer?

You can click the filter icon and filter between those categories in the mixconsole (I'm on v7.5). Save them as a configuration and switch between those quickly.

[incubus]

So, there is no way to demo this or any cubase product right now?

There will be demo when they introduce maintenance update so you'll get demo without less bugs.
Yes customers who bought already are post-beta testers

Figures. Every once in a very blue-moon I get a hair up my fanny about picking up the dongle (which it's silly to need that for a demo) and just trying it out for curiosity sake.

I think it's just a form of gas though

Man, I forgot how butt-ugly that GUI has become. Looks to my failing eyes as simple blocks (I don't remember 4 and 5 being that way)

[mitchiemasha]

Okay, I got to let off some steam now... was running C6.5 until now, bought the C9 upgrade, and am trying to get acquainted with it which is a PITA, to be honest.

Ahhh yes... the problem with waiting for upgrades. Not only do you have to learn the new things in 9, which isn't too much but all the other things since. The mixer in 6.5 was changed considerably with the jump to 7. I made a big jump from 5 to 8. Now running 9 and loving it.

I think there aim was to unclutter the faders.

[igoramos]

Compare quick controls with the very elegant Studio One controller interface. Man what a difference. I can't believe how clunky Cubase is. And whereas Studio one is just a couple mouse clicks, Cubase can take 20 or so. (if you have to reassign the quick control slots to the quick control buttons for the VST synth. Like Reaktor.) Obviously kludged together and hasn't been refined. I just got Cubase 9 and must say its a mixed bag. Great note expression stuff and Chord tools, but some other basic features are so awkward. Its doable, but editing the tempo curve is not minimally friendly. jeez.

[incubus]

That's were I start to scratch my head.

If cubase is such a world-wide leader, then why is it so clunky and cumbersome?

I'll go back to my comments for one of these threads: Welcome to 2016/17 ... where hosts are mostly like 2007

[lfm]

That's were I start to scratch my head.

If cubase is such a world-wide leader, then why is it so clunky and cumbersome?

I'll go back to my comments for one of these threads: Welcome to 2016/17 ... where hosts are mostly like 2007

Have to agree to a large extent - and the part that could make up for that is missing - context sensitive help, biggest flaw in Cubase still in my view.

I installed upgrade Cubase 9, and no manual was installed. So I had to get manual online and then pressing F1 being offline you get a hint where it should be with a message box with missing file. Create a documentation folder where program file is - and put manual there and it's found by pressing F1.

But still it's just a manual you have to search by yourself - and possibly find what you look for(naming of stuff in Cubase is a bit off in my view).

From a top daw one would expect what ProTools and Sonar has - really good context sensitive help - getting relevant info from where you are.

So Steinberg, a tip to really raise the bar and be on par with competition - look at help system. It could make up for many things having a good context sensitive help.

And maybe look at structure of manual as well - I had to make my own assembled text from various part of pdf manual to get everything I needed for recording modes and takes and stuff cleared up.

ProTools manuals shines above everthing else I saw, and second would be Reaper. The exact amount of depth on each field of work you do.

[Compyfox]

Why am I having a serious deja vu back to 2013 with my first encounter with C7 and the following days on KVR?

And the classic Steinberg edit-"e" is a different font in the mixer window that in the project window!
In the mixer, to activate/deactivate all automation, I just click on the "R","W" buttons in the toolbar. To bypass all inserts or sends, I need to 'ALT'-click the "I" or "E" button. Why???

WARNING - huge difference here.

If you ALT+Click, you completely turn off the plugin.
If you press the power button on the plugin overlay, you pull it into bypass
If you just mouse-click on the plugin, you open the UI.

Yes, the solution like in Logic Pro X would have been better (here, everything overlays the plugin slot rather than having the buttons to the side of it), but Steinberg refused to listen since the Cubase 7's update that made this behavior worse (I think it was C7.0.2 or was it 7.0.4? - and people went into a frenzy that "change is good" and "people should STFU and adapt"). Which tells me that Logic Pro X hasn't had a paid upgrade since 2013... hm...


E has multiple modes as well.

Simple Mouse Click - open the Rack Editor view (you know, where you have your inserts, sends, EQ UI, etc)
Press and Hold the Mouse Button, opens the VSTi UI


Solo Save feature... was it CTRL or ALT + Mouse on the S(olo) button of the channel in the mix console? I do it so intuitively at this point, my brain doesn't associate hotkeys with keyboard "values" to remember... but... manual!

Like the Channel visibility configurations: great, I thought, now I can make different configurations to view audio-, group- and FX-channels and switch between them with key commands. But nooo - those configurations are only local to the project, in every old C6 project I load I have to redo the configurations. Or am I blind? What do I have to do to switch between audio/instrument/group and FX tracks in the mixer?

Workspaces and "rack view"... yeah, a little bit complicated and not good old buttons like back in the days.

I am really annoyed, I was looking forward to having cool new features instead I have to get used to a half baked UI design and loads of inconsistencies and little bugs.
Rant over. Sorry, had to be said.

Cue Michael Jackson's "You're not alone"...

...oh wait, maybe not.

[fese]

What do I have to do to switch between audio/instrument/group and FX tracks in the mixer?

You can click the filter icon and filter between those categories in the mixconsole (I'm on v7.5). Save them as a configuration and switch between those quickly.

I know that. I did that. The problem is that with every project I open where that configuration (which is every project I have at the moment) I have to do that again, as those configurations are only saved in the project and I cannot save them as presets like with many other things (think VST Connections, Keyboard commands, global setttings and so on).
Maybe in some months when I have everything on C9 and work with a new template it's okay, but until then it is just a friggin' waste of time...

[ghettosynth]

You know, cubase has ALWAYS had a "half-baked U/I design", ALWAYS! It's an evolving bed of crud that has roots going back to the late 80s early 90s. They have never stripped it down to nothing to start over. When you use Cubase you should expect inconsistencies. To some extent I think that they'd be better off to give themselves more time between major updates so that they could focus on unifying U/I details in older code, but that's not their mo.

[fese]

And the classic Steinberg edit-"e" is a different font in the mixer window that in the project window!
In the mixer, to activate/deactivate all automation, I just click on the "R","W" buttons in the toolbar. To bypass all inserts or sends, I need to 'ALT'-click the "I" or "E" button. Why???

WARNING - huge difference here.

If you ALT+Click, you completely turn off the plugin.
If you press the power button on the plugin overlay, you pull it into bypass
If you just mouse-click on the plugin, you open the UI.
...
E has multiple modes as well.

Simple Mouse Click - open the Rack Editor view (you know, where you have your inserts, sends, EQ UI, etc)
Press and Hold the Mouse Button, opens the VSTi UI

I know all that. It is still stupid and inconsistent as hell. We had an extra button for opening VST window in C6, there would've been space for one above the track labels, and NOWHERE else in Cubase do we have to long-click on something! NOWHERE else does the "edit-button look like an "E", it is always a small italic "e".
And look at the scroll bars - there are at least 5 different designs for a scrollbar, and even the new ones are different in the project and the mixer window. Hell, even in the mixer window, they are not the same (compare the horizontal fader scrollbar and the vertical on in the rack!)

I know I will eventually get used to it, but it is this overall level of unprofessionalism that really bugs me, especially in a product that spells "pro" and sells for a lot of money. I am a learned typesetter and have worked in DTP for some time and I am pretty sure that for something like that in my final exam there would've been serious points deduction...
It just seems like Steinberg has no real UI designer and no QA. "Pfusch", as we say in german

[fese]

You know, cubase has ALWAYS had a "half-baked U/I design", ALWAYS! It's an evolving bed of crud that has roots going back to the late 80s early 90s. They have never stripped it down to nothing to start over. When you use Cubase you should expect inconsistencies. To some extent I think that they'd be better off to give themselves more time between major updates so that they could focus on unifying U/I details in older code, but that's not their mo.

You are probably right, I have had a long time (since SX) to get used to my current way of working and of course there is loads of crap in older version, too, you just get used to it. It's just when there is suddenly new crap to replace the old crap, it's no fun anymore.

And to be fair, I have tested most other major DAWs on the market and they all have usability flaws, some more than others. Even with the much praised S1, within a couple of minutes I found something where I asked myself: "why would one do it like that???".
Ableton Live I found pretty convincing most of the time, but it just isn't my way of working...

[incubus]

I dunno. Everyone is different. I just felt back in "the day" when I used it that the general GUI was fine (plain but fine) and that now it looks more like lego blocks. Here is what I mean:





other than the color, it's nothing spectacular, but 9 looks more like lego blocks.

[chk071]

Gorgeous.

[Robert Randolph]

I dunno. Everyone is different. I just felt back in "the day" when I used it that the general GUI was fine (plain but fine) and that now it looks more like lego blocks. Here is what I mean:





other than the color, it's nothing spectacular, but 9 looks more like lego blocks.

The v5 definitely looks more like lego blocks to me.

V9 is a huge improvement.