Steinberg Cubase 4 review

This is the ninth version of Cubase since the program first appeared for the Atari ST in 1989.

Steinberg reset the version number in 2002 with the launch of Cubase SX, but this latest version is simply called Cubase 4. The software is far from simple, though; 18 years of development has resulted in a mass of comprehensive features covering everything from MIDI sequencing and synthesis to multi-track audio recording, editing and mixing. This latest version includes a radical overhaul to the plug-in library, a new asset management system and improvements to the mixer and scoring facilities.

Cubase SX3's instruments were basic, but the new instrument plug-ins bring it back in line with the competition. HALion One is a general-purpose synthesizer that draws on samples taken from Yamaha's Motif keyboards. There's little editing potential, but the 656 presets are up to professional standards and cover a wide range of acoustic emulations and more abstract tones. Prologue is a virtual analogue synth that doesn't have a remarkable raw tone, but a wide range of oscillator types and modulation options provide ample scope for creating interesting noises. The remaining two instruments, Spector and Mystic, take abstract experimentation to new heights. Spector uses a matrix of resonant comb filters, and Mystic employs physical modelling and spectrum filters, to produce a range of otherworldly noises that are unobtainable through conventional synthesis techniques.

The effects plug-ins include 30 new additions, including high-quality examples of the usual bread-and-butter effects and a few more unusual ones, such as a basic guitar amp simulator and a multi-band compressor. Sadly, though, there's no new reverb plug-in, and the one carried over from SX3 is uninspiring. All the new arrivals adhere to the latest VST3 standard, which brings various advantages including automatic switching to mono, stereo or surround-sound operation. However, there's bad news for users with existing third-party plug-ins: only VST 2.4 plug-ins are guaranteed to work, while DirectX support has been abandoned altogether. This could have disastrous repercussions for upgraders, who may need to continue using Cubase SX3 for existing projects.

Asset management has seen a thorough overhaul. The new Media Bay window organises audio, video and MIDI files, plus instrument, effect and track presets, using metadata tags to sort them by instrument type, musical genre and tonal character. It's an ambitious concept but it needs third-party plug-in developers to come on board if it's to realise its potential. It's particularly useful in the new Instrument Tracks, which simplifies setting up instrument plug-ins and allows the user to browse presets by sonic character, regardless of the source instrument.

A new Control Room feature makes it much easier to use Cubase without resorting to a hardware mixer, particularly in recording sessions that require multiple headphone mixes for performers. However, other mix limitations remain unresolved. Mixer channels are limited to eight inserts and eight auxiliary effects, and certain signal routing options are unavailable. You can't use one channel to trigger a compressor or gate inserted on another channel, for example (a technique known as side-chaining) - an inexcusable omission at this price. At least it's now possible to rearrange the order of plug-ins using drag-and-drop, removing a serious frustration with previous versions.

There's no doubt that Cubase 4 is a highly capable application, but it doesn't justify costing £250 more than its strongest competitors, Ableton Live (What's New, Shopper February 2006) and Cakewalk Sonar (What's New, Shopper March 2006). For those who don't have near-on £600, the mid-price Cubase Studio 4 takes over from Cubase SL3. It's more expensive than its predecessor (up from £200 to £279) and differs in the features it omits compared with the full version. Rather than further reducing the insert and instrument slots, it loses various new features such as Control Room and some of the plug-ins, plus a few advanced ones few will miss, such as surround sound.