Hi I've been using Cubase 5 Pro for a long time and as I'm sure you all know it's is a little dated now. I see a lot of these new versions of Elements all the way up to Cubase 9. I'm just looking for an opinion on if it is worth downloading and installing any of these programs. Some of my concerns are seeing as I was using Cubase 5 all my VST's I've collected over the years are all 32bit. Will my VSTs still work with these 64bit only versions of Element? I make Electronic based music. Hip Hop, etc. I don't really need a massive amount of tracks and I'm not really worried about the 32 Track minimum. I do like to be able to Side-chain. I actually tried to go through the process of installing Cubase 9 Elements and it didn't even work. I'm pretty sure I did the order of install instructions wrong. If i messed this up is it still possible to go back and restart the process in the right order without having problems? I noticed i kept getting string error messages during the installs of some of the plugs that came with Cubase. Anyways sorry i know that is a lot of questions in one post. I just want to hear other's opinions on upgrading from Cubase 5 pro to a newer version and if its worth it and can I still keep 5 as well without overwrite and messing it up in case I don't like it?
Thanks I appreciate any help on this
Philoso

 

Cubase 9 is 64bit only, but you can install 8.5 on the same computer which is 32/64 bit.Or you can use 8.5 64bit and its internal vst bridge system.You will be able to use all the RAM on a 64bit system.Yes you can keep version 5 on the same system, the latest license allows the installation of all previous versions on the same computer.

 

Thanks for the reply man. Will it give me problems if i tried to install Cubase 9 already. I went back and uninstalled all the programs it put on my hard drive already. I did run elicense extender etc which opened up the CMD window and started running script. I'm just hoping that didn't cause issues I can't reverse now. Thanks I'll def give 8.5 a go though. Should all my VSTs work without issues? Omnisphere, Native Instruments, Arturia, etc. Thanks man

 

You shouldnt have any problems as every install is seperate.Though if you do have any bigger problems i suggest you do a fresh windows install.
Yea all those vsts work nice in cubase 9 or 8.5.

 

Thanks man it worked perfectly. I think I'm hooked on this new Cubase now over 5. Two things I love that Cubase 8 has is the new Chord function where I can play actual chords with my Midi keyboard and I love the new equalizer setup. I really like being able to see a physical real time visual of the audio spectrum on each instrument. It gives me the ability to see instruments that are fighting for the same frequency space as well as hear it. Cuts down on so many plug ins that are now just built right into the mixer. Mixer is nice too the faders seem to work a lot smoother with my Akai MPK 49 Faders. Only thing I noticed that was a little weird and has caused me a few issues is the Media Bay. Some of my Loops don't want sync up right even when set to sync with beat. In Cubase 5 if i had a sample that had problems, I could actually go in an edit the count by just typing in 4/4 and it would auto find the correct BPM. I don't see that function now. Another thing is when i right click on samples, etc I don't get the large drop down menu where I can do thing like Duplicate or Repeat to easily string out a loop. This might just come down to watching some Cubase 8 Tutorials and figuring out how this is accomplished now.

 

I just figured out the Right click menu I had to go into preferences and change it from opening toolbox on right click. That's one thing down. =)

 

in the beginning there where some issues but the 32bit bridge is very good and for those plugs who dont work properly
there is always jbridge. but should 64b versions of all vsts if you can
and it may feel a little bit less snappy than 5 i must say but i´m still at 7.5 ;)

 

Yeah I actually picked the 32bit version when I downloaded. You think it's a nice noticeable difference if I go with 64Bit and use jbridge when needed?

 

there was no real noticable difference between 32 and 64 but as soon as you hit the ram wall
the 64 version just keeps going like nothing happend. i installed both versions side by side
the only anoying part was the (automatic) rescan of the plugs (maybe its different in 9) when starting each app after each other.
but its fine for testing ;)

 

Hi, Ive ran Cubase from the floppy disk days in the eighties, right up to 8.5 last year, after spending countless amounts on updates that were full of empty promises, bad programming, and plenty of hype. I decided to sell the whole thing and update my PC, I bought a version of Studio One 3 after first trying the download from the sister site. I must say that I'm totally blown away by Studio One, and would recommend it to anyone, Cubase is a dinosaur and is well past its sell by date. I now have a new computer and a program that actually works correctly.

 

@jefft
Strange You saying that about Cubase ?!?
The only bad thing about Cubase I can think of is the price; all the rest is the same or better than in other DAWs IMO.

Concerning the updates, I am still on 7.5 pro ... tryed the 8 engine that seems to be more efficient, but I haven`t upgraded `cause of the high cost and for me 7.5 does everything I need.

I gave Stainberg 3x my money, (SX, 5.1, 7.5) and that is enough support from my side... I decided that I will get the new version only when and if someone crack it. (sorry Steinberg, but I am not a cow! )
In the mean time I switched to Reaper that practically covers all my needs, and is really fun to use ... it gives a kind of strange sense of freedom by using it, that I haven`t found in any other DAW ?!?

To describe that strange feeling:
- Cubase:
I open my project and the moment it appears on screen, I get the feeling of an extremely professional and serious DAW... there are predefined ways to do things, and my brain falls in a kind of "automatic" mode. The job gets done in a minimum amount of time.
- Reaper:
I open my project and the moment it appears on screen, I get the feeling of a circus... there are no predefined ways to do things... tasks are possible to be completed in "thousand" ways, and performance wise to me the two daws seems very similar.
the fun part of reaper is that freedom to do things the way You like it. On Reaper it takes a bit longer to finish a project, but for me it is the fun by using it that counts.
and there is also the the customizing part of reaper that means a lot to me... I can make it look the way my eyes like it.



Using Reaper I work always with a smile on my face... using Cubase i just WORK (and that is no fun )

(sorry for slightly derailing the topic)

 

Last edited: Mar 7, 2017

Your theme looks like a circus. that maybe why you are getting this feeling. LOL. Just kidding.

 

The fast workflow that Cubase offers is unparalelled, period.No other daw offers such flexibility, fast and handy channel strip tools, fast channel eq and a mixer that is just a work of art.

 

Yeah I've tried most of the DAW's out there and Cubase is my favorite hands down. I don't like anything to hinder my creative work flow and with Cubase I feel like I can do anything I want to do with ease. I've heard a lot about Reaper and gave it a try and I wasn't really feeling it. I did watch like 3 days of Cubase 5 classes a long time ago and learned the program inside out though. Like Von said the Mixer is amazing. Myself I'm really into MIDI and VSTs and I haven't found a DAW that is has so much MIDI capability like Cubase. I spent some time a while back and created my own personal startup project in Cubase with Color Coordinated tracks. I actually use Battery 4 for my drums instead of Groove Agent. I open it in the VST Rack and set up 12 pads. Each pad going to its own MIDI track where I can mix down each drum sound indivdually. I like Battery because I can swap drums on the fly while my loop is playing and audition each sound as the beat loops. Having to go back and pull over a kick, erase it, try another etc hinders my work flow. I'm always looking for the edge on quicker work flow. I also set up 4 VST Instrument tracks, a main Drum track that I use to route all my drums to including any loop samples I might add on for a final polishing of the drum track, A compression and reverb FX track i use to sidechain plus some preset Audio tracks for recording. I actually need to remake it now though that I'm using Cubase 8. The new mixer is badass though it's going to cut down on a lot of FX I had to stack on each track which is fantastic. Anyways yeah Cubase for me. =)

 

I actually figured out both of my issues last night so very glad i upgraded. I just had to hit the setup or something button in Media Bay and i could add any extra info I needed to the loop like "Bars and Beats" that was the one I was looking for. Good way to fix an off sample in Media Bay so you can preview it and drop it into Project Window all synced up and ready. The other was just making some changes in Preferences to get the larger right click menu. It looks like all the old functions are still there if you need them plus new ones. Good stuff

 

Man I was really loving new Cubase DAW but the no sidechain option is a total kick in the balls. Was working on a beat today and was mixing 808 with big sub and went to add some Sidechain and realized I had no way of doing it. Yeah that sucks. Damn I wish I could honestly just buy a Mac and start working with Logic Pro X. It's the only DAW I like more the Cubase. I just can't afford Cubase Pro. So many features I miss though that 5 had. Being able to fix drums loops and such by just dropping a hit point and pulling back a kick or snare with the AudioWarp feature I believe that would just stretch a small part of the loop. That was fantastic. No Sidechain =(. Damn Damn. I really don't want to go back to Cubase 5 but I don't know what else to do. Bummer

 

And this is exactly why Reaper is not industry standard and is not going to be in the near future. It's for explorers, tinkerers and geeks. Don't want to sound offensive - I'm a developer myself and I love how lightweight Reaper is, but... the cost of freedom and fun is your time. Serious studios don't value freedom and fun - it's not the top priority. Time is. High-level artists don't have freedom and fun as the top priority, either - they have tight schedules, they don't want to geek around - they want to get the job done as quickly as possible and move on to the next song. Not to mention post-production jobs where freedom and doing things the way you like it is a recipe for disaster that should be avoided at all costs.

 

I totally agree man. After you've been doing this for a while it's all about finding that smooth creative flow. Whether it's Production or Engineering. Cubase is very smooth inmo. If I have the FULL VERSION I can pretty much do anything I'm wanting to do. I use a few plug-ins like Battery 4 for Drums which is a lot better then Groove Agent inmo. It has on the fly sound auditioning during playback, plus very powerful quick and useful effects and settings you can do within the plugin. Media Bay is fantastic. I like to be able to audition loops on the fly as well. I believe Logic lacks this function which is the only drawback I've seen so far, but can be remedied with some plugins out there. VU, RMS, LU Metering is vital for myself. I use them for a variety of functions. Making sure my songs all have the same Loudness level. Getting my bass, kick and snare levels just right in case my ears might be tricking me. Just a nice way to double check. Bringing up my final mix with a Limiter. Having different built in Meter settings is great. Anyways yeah just going off. I tried Reaper and I didn't like it at all. Lol I miss the days of working with a smile on my face. I think you do have to remember sometimes the original reason you got into producing and mixing music. It was because you loved music. It sucks when we forget that.