What is wrong with Cubase?

[jancivil]

I seriously doubt that Yamaha/Steinberg is worried about the sort of Ableton-triggering-loops-user perceptions of Cubendo being passe. One is hugely overassessing the prevalence of that whole approach methinks.

[ozinga]

IMHO Cubase 11 should be all about workflow, GUI optimization and overall UX. Less menu diving more clever and clean use of interface. For example when I raise the docked mixer I do not want to see giant lego faders but inserts and sends added to it .Or 10s of empty insert and send slots on the inspector waisting valuable space that needs opening and closing all the time. Make it more laptop friendly. Reduce the download size of the app and make the Gbs of content download optional. Ditch the dongle. So one can purchase, download in a matter of minutes and start to use it.
IMHO not another amp or delay plugin or new next level feature is needed. What Cubase already has is more than great. Just improve it and make everything more immediate, simple and less cluttered.

[codec_spurt]

rftrt

[SJ_Digriz]

disregard .. he was talking the docked mixer. I answered for the full mixer views.

[SJ_Digriz]

Make it more laptop friendly.

I run it on my laptop when I'm on the road. It only has a 256Gig SSD. I have no problem. It actually scales to the display pretty well now. I don't like having to page between faders, inserts and sends either though. But I don't know what would make it more laptop friendly other than combining those 3 with an exclusive row view .. which I and many others have asked for since the lower zone was first added. But in general the UI is very laptop friendly compared to some of the other stuff I have .. Reaper, Sonar, FL S etc.. but maybe it's just because I know all the zoom control keycommands without thinking.

Reduce the download size of the app and make the Gbs of content download optional.

As a person with a 8MB download cap on my internet this hasn't actually caused me any trouble. But, I agree that once a year doing a DAW only download for the upgrade/update would be better for me and deal with the content at a suitable non-use period for our internet. The way they integrate those new plugins and such into Cubase makes it highly unlikely though.

Ditch the dongle.

Nope, keep the dongle. I just did a from scratch install of my computer. I wanted to quit using every company that uses F'n serial codes per plugin to access stuff and reauthorize libraries. A lot of companies have their Portal app now which at least makes the install a lot easier. But, Cubase, VSL, UVI, iZotope and a bunch of other stuff just worked on install no entering of codes or authorizing etc... IK, BlueCat, AAS and others just plane suck from this perspective for example... and that's being kind. I spent more time doing that b u l l s h i t than the entire rest of the re-install of OS + Software + restore combined.

IMHO not another amp or delay plugin or new next level feature is needed. What Cubase already has is more than great. Just improve it and make everything more immediate, simple and less cluttered.

People keep saying this, but the Borgz are also constantly bombarded with "why don't you include" suggestions. It also assumes that time lost on a plugin is time lost on a DAW feature. That isn't necessarily true. Plus many of the plugins added since C9 are actually really good. QuadraFuzz is hugely unknown/underrated. The Multi-Delay is on a par with anything out there now from both a simplistic and creative delay usage. The multi-band plugin series that keeps getting introduced are also as good or better than the expensive alternatives.

Although there are 1000 workflow things I wish they would do, it only takes me half a day in any other DAW to come running back. My main bitch now is that keycommands require focus. They are not "global" from an execution standpoint even though they are forced unique from an assignment perspective. I don't want to have to focus the mixer on monitor 2 to change it's configuration ... but currently that's required. They have said they were going to fix that since they first f'ed it up when they added the mixconsole. Still waiting.

And another on top of my HATE list ... The MAC UI application bar. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it ... Trying to use multiple monitors with other applications with that damn floating toolbar makes alt+tab totally broken. I don't know how you Mac guys don't want to stomp your computers to dust when having multiple applications running.

[Tronam]

I love Cubase, but it's expensive to maintain. I like the freedom to choose when to step back in for an upgrade, but dislike Steinberg's old school approach making the cost cumulative which essentially turns it into a pseudo subscription model. I much prefer how Reason handles this; If there's an upgrade which has features I need or want it's a flat upgrade fee. I also find the syncrosoft dongle annoying on the laptop. I wish they offered a machine based authorization such as iLok and CodeMeter have been offering for a while now, or even cloud based authentication so I could easily move back and forth between laptop or desktop. Cubase also continues to be randomly stable on macOS for me, a consistent behavior for decades now. Those *poof* vanishing to desktop crashes. I don't know if it's a failed dongle call, funky plug-in or just Steinberg bugginess.

Regarding the program itself, I can easily see why a new user might find it intimidating. They've been bolting new functionality onto decades of legacy design with so many different ways to accomplish the same types of things. Powerful, yes, but quite complex for the uninitiated.

[Passing Bye]

QuadraFuzz is hugely unknown/underrated.

In which universe, it's most regarded and desired multi band distortion, at least version 1, that thing inspired Trash, Saturn and whatever came after, it's "the" distortion that so many ex or non Cubase users still crave for, tons of people wanted to even get a hardware unit including myself (it's not the same thing unfortunately, just like v2), it's "the" sound of psytrance bass... Quadrafuzz v1 is classic, but maybe you are right, v2 is underrated in the same time because it didn't delivered some expectations, on other hand it's amazing tool in it's own right that went under radar.

[SJ_Digriz]

QuadraFuzz is hugely unknown/underrated.

In which universe, it's most regarded and desired multi band distortion, at least version 1, that thing inspired Trash, Saturn and whatever came after, it's "the" distortion that so many ex or non Cubase users still crave for, tons of people wanted to even get a hardware unit including myself (it's not the same thing unfortunately, just like v2), it's "the" sound of psytrance bass... Quadrafuzz v1 is classic, but maybe you are right, v2 is underrated in the same time because it didn't delivered some expectations, on other hand it's amazing tool in it's own right that went under radar.

just goes to show horses for course. I thought v1 was a harsh, brittle piece of crap. V2 actually sounds good and with the extra band controls you can really dial in harmonics. But since I don't know/follow EDM genres maybe that's why I didn't know that. I don't know that I've ever seen V1 or V2 discussed as go to distortion plugins. Which IMO is a crime for V2. Maybe I just don't follow the right threads

[Passing Bye]

QuadraFuzz is hugely unknown/underrated.

In which universe, it's most regarded and desired multi band distortion, at least version 1, that thing inspired Trash, Saturn and whatever came after, it's "the" distortion that so many ex or non Cubase users still crave for, tons of people wanted to even get a hardware unit including myself (it's not the same thing unfortunately, just like v2), it's "the" sound of psytrance bass... Quadrafuzz v1 is classic, but maybe you are right, v2 is underrated in the same time because it didn't delivered some expectations, on other hand it's amazing tool in it's own right that went under radar.

just goes to show horses for course. I thought v1 was a harsh, brittle piece of crap. V2 actually sounds good and with the extra band controls you can really dial in harmonics. But since I don't know/follow EDM genres maybe that's why I didn't know that. I don't know that I've ever seen V1 or V2 discussed as go to distortion plugins. Which IMO is a crime for V2. Maybe I just don't follow the right threads

You know that saying, one man's trash is another man's treasure, it perfectly applies here.

[SJ_Digriz]

My main point was that there are lots of things done in each release around updating old plugins or making new ones. Sometimes I think they are stupid like Loopmash (but yep horses or one mans trash applies), or awesome like the multi-tap delay. Frequency is really good. The Morph filter is cool etc.. What I found surprising is that between 9 and now they must have done something with the stock EQ and Compressors on the channel strip. They might deny it, but either they put some work in or my ears are totally just giving in. To me the EQ is VERY good now. And, I find the channel strip compressors actually work so that they feel like a compressor when you move the dials. That was NOT the case in 4,5,6 etc.. The compressors on the first mixconsole were tragic IMO. You still need other EQs and Compressors for specific tasks. But for general channel use, they are not just "good enough", they are very good.

So, I am totally on board with the Borgz to keep fiddling with the plugins.

[Passing Bye]

Agree!

[telecode]

I love Cubase, but it's expensive to maintain. I like the freedom to choose when to step back in for an upgrade, but dislike Steinberg's old school approach making the cost cumulative which essentially turns it into a pseudo subscription model. I much prefer how Reason handles this; If there's an upgrade which has features I need or want it's a flat upgrade fee. I also find the syncrosoft dongle annoying on the laptop. I wish they offered a machine based authorization such as iLok and CodeMeter have been offering for a while now, or even cloud based authentication so I could easily move back and forth between laptop or desktop. Cubase also continues to be randomly stable on macOS for me, a consistent behavior for decades now. Those *poof* vanishing to desktop crashes. I don't know if it's a failed dongle call, funky plug-in or just Steinberg bugginess.

Regarding the program itself, I can easily see why a new user might find it intimidating. They've been bolting new functionality onto decades of legacy design with so many different ways to accomplish the same types of things. Powerful, yes, but quite complex for the uninitiated.

Just curious why do you mean? The cost to upgrade to Reason 11 when its on sale is around $200. Isn't that also the cost of Cubase when its on 50% sale?

[xtp]

Been having fun getting an old Win98 box up and running that has Cubase VST 5 or something on it. Works great.

I went through a period of about 8 years of playing, practising and pencilling riffs into notebooks and had no computer music stuff loaded. About 18 months ago I wanted to put some of it onto score sheets, and I remembered my old copy of 32bit sx3. I loaded it onto a win7 64bit machine, downloaded the latest [at the time] dongle driver software thingy, pushed the dongle in, and it's been rock solid ever since.

I didn’t expect it to work to be honest.

All of the vst's I have, work also; which is a bonus.

[Milkman]

Ive used cubase for close to 20 years, since SX2. I have lurked on their forums for most of that time. Steinberg have an elitism problem coupled with brand-worship coupled with the fact that their DSP has *been* the best in the industry for a long time. They have the best GUI, best workflow, and highest quality DSP, but that... is me quoting my experience with them from many years ago. I am using cubase 10.5 now..... and it isnt all roses and buttercups, for sure. I dont know if the industry still views them like they did in 2005, and cubase users still love insulting "those loop playing kiddies on ableton", so I dont think we have made any progress at all with their elitism and public perception issues.

Has anyone else visited their forums? Steinberg/cubase users and often staff can be incredibly arrogant and very dismissive when it comes to acknowledging steinberg/yamaha's responsibilities to certain ecosystem issues. They may have revenue issues, and therefore staffing issues, and are trying to keep people primarily on the "community forums" instead of direct support. Many angry people come there to discuss problems they have, in both "general" and "issues" subforums.

Incidentally I just made a new thread in this forum... about my issues with cubase 10, and how the company is not being helpful nor forthcoming. I found this thread when looking for more info.

[zoidkirb]

Steinberg support is horrible if you live outside of the eurozone or the USA it seems. This leads to their forums (which are ridiculously over sub divided) to being flooded with things that probably should be support tickets, along with a tonne of questions caused by the complicated eliscencer and upgrade/update/expansion system.
Throw in overzealous mods and some unhelpful company reps that would rather argue with paying customers than be helpful, and you end up with a kinda dead forum.
I see more vibrant Cubase discussion in the general DAW forums of KVR and Vi Control.
As for what's wrong with Cubase, besides bugs and further optimisation of existing workflow and features, is lack of a gapless audio engine. Sadly it seems that is the one thing that probably won't/can't be implemented.