Steinberg has put in a lot of effort to making Cubase's workflow so much more efficient in version 6. The GUI is easier on the eye, as I have already explained. Things like automation, it is now possible to scale automation simply by dragging the mouse to scale left to right, up and down or tilt. Also, there is a new Quantize panel, similar to the Automation panel that arrived with C5, making Quantizing with C6 so much easier than before. Quick controls have also had an improvement in that MIDI Learn has been added to them so can assign a quick control to a MIDI controller by simply moving the control. That's something else that will save a lot of time. Also, should you want to assign a quick control to a plug-in parameter, just right click over the control you wish to assign and it's done. Simple measures that save a lot of time. Time stretching is something I think most people use quite often, and for good quality when time stretching material, you need the best algorithms. Cubase 6 has incorporated the famous Elastique Pro algorithm from zPlane into its system, offering yet another thing that the user can make good use of. Elastique Pro's
reputation is extremely good within producer ranks and now it is part of Cubase. Another hugely welcomed addition to the Cubase machine. The algorithm really is as good as the hype surrounding it. You only need to try it yourself to the extreme to see how accurate it is, and what high quality it gives. I've been a user of Cubase 5 since a month or two after its release, and I grew to love how it works, how it is so flexible. I hit problems in areas I didn't expect to, but even though I was initially frustrated, there are always ways to achieve the result you want. It might not be the most obvious method, or the one you "think" should be there, but it is exactly what you were looking for and it was there the whole time. That is just another one of Cubase's strong points, the ability to have solutions for virtually anything you throw at it.
in my opinions. Cubase has been around longer than most other music production software, and its status is more than cemented into the foundations of the digital DAW world as is its creator, Steinberg, who have impressed me no end with their ideas and innovations. There is no such thing as the ""DAW WARS", what sequencer works for you is a personal choice. Cubase works perfectly for me and my style, so if you are looking for something you can rely on, I urge you to download the demo and try it for yourself.
I absolutely adore using Cubase, I have done since I started using it, but now with this update, and the various improvements Steinberg have made, I am literally overflowing with praise for Cubase. The words of a "fan boy" you may suggest, and I am not going to disagree with you, but I am not alone
Visit: http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/cubase/cubase6_start.html
June 2011
www.WusikSoundMagazine.com
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