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| Cubase (software) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cubase |
| Developer | Steinberg |
| Released | 1989 |
| Latest release | Cubase 13 |
| Programming language | C++ |
| Operating system | macOS, Microsoft Windows |
| Genre | Digital audio workstation |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
Cubase (software) is a proprietary digital audio workstation developed by Steinberg for music production, recording, editing, and mixing. It has been used across popular music, film scoring, video game music, and broadcasting by creators associated with Depeche Mode, Hans Zimmer, Trent Reznor, Brian Eno, and Skrillex. The application evolved alongside hardware developments from MIDI, VST, and ASIO standards to modern audio production ecosystems involving Dolby, Auro-3D, and cloud collaboration platforms.
Cubase originated at Steinberg in 1989 during a period marked by the rise of MIDI and home studios, with early versions released for the Atari ST and later ported to Microsoft Windows and macOS. The product's timeline intersects with events such as the introduction of the VST plugin standard, the acquisition of Steinberg by Yamaha Corporation in 2004, and legal and technological milestones involving companies like Ableton, Avid Technology, Propellerhead Software, Apple Inc., and Native Instruments. Major version releases paralleled industry shifts embodied by formats and protocols including ASIO, Audio Units, and surround initiatives championed by organizations such as Dolby Laboratories and SMPTE. Collaborations and competition with firms like Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH and ecosystems involving Microsoft Surface, Apple Logic Pro, and Avid Pro Tools shaped Cubase's roadmap through innovations in digital signal processing, plugin architectures, and user interface paradigms.
Cubase provides multitrack audio recording, nonlinear audio editing, MIDI sequencing, score editing, and virtual instrument hosting used by professionals linked to Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Film Score Monthly, and Game Developers Conference. Audio engine capabilities include sample-accurate automation, time-stretching algorithms comparable to technologies from Celemony and iZotope, pitch-correction tools influenced by trends set by Antares Audio Technologies and Melodyne, and a mixer environment supporting channel strips and bus routing akin to consoles by Solid State Logic and Neve. Integrated score editing integrates notation workflows used in productions related to Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and film composers associated with Academy Awards winners. The software supports plugin formats historically championed by Steinberg and competitors such as Waves Audio, FabFilter, Arturia, Native Instruments, and U-He.
Cubase is offered in multiple editions with tiered feature sets and licensing models that mirror approaches by Adobe Systems, Avid Technology, Image-Line, PreSonus, and Propellerhead. Editions historically include entry-level packages suited to hobbyists influenced by BandLab Technologies distribution methods, mid-tier versions targeting project studios aligned with retailers like Sweetwater Sound and Thomann, and flagship releases aimed at professionals working with labels such as EMI and studios associated with Abbey Road Studios. Licensing systems have varied between USB-eLicenser dongles, soft-eLicenser activation compatible with Steinberg ID, subscription options paralleling offerings from Splice and Avid Cloud, and perpetual licenses reminiscent of models used by Native Instruments and Waves.
System requirements have tracked hardware advancements from Motorola 68000 era machines to contemporary Intel Core, AMD Ryzen, and Apple Silicon devices used in studios alongside interfaces made by Focusrite, RME, Universal Audio, and MOTU. Compatibility spans VST and VST3 plugin ecosystems, audio drivers such as ASIO on Microsoft Windows and Core Audio on macOS, integration with control surfaces produced by Mackie, Avid, PreSonus, and networked audio protocols including Dante and Avnu Alliance technologies. Supported sample rates, buffer sizes, and multicore processing requirements reflect standards promoted by AES and hardware vendors like Sonnet Technologies and RME.
Cubase's workflow combines piano-roll MIDI editing, Arrange window multitrack timelines, and Mixer consoles inspired by designs from SSL, Yamaha, and Neve. The interface incorporates inspectors and lane views comparable to interfaces from Ableton Live, Apple Logic Pro, and Avid Pro Tools, while score editors borrow notation conventions associated with Sibelius and Finale. Key workflows employed in film and game projects mirror pipelines used at studios like Guerrilla Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and post-production houses involved with Academy Awards submissions, where tempo maps, marker tracks, and video import/export integrate with editing suites such as Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro.
Integration capabilities include remote control via protocols and hardware from NKS, MIDI 2.0, HUI, and EuCon, interoperability with cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and collaboration platforms akin to Splice, and export formats suitable for distribution through aggregators such as CD Baby, DistroKid, and TuneCore. Connectivity extends to hardware controllers and instruments by Native Instruments, Roland, Korg, Yamaha, and audio interfaces by Universal Audio and Focusrite, as well as synchronization with video post workflows used by Industrial Light & Magic and broadcast engineers at BBC facilities.
Cubase has been critically acclaimed in publications like Sound on Sound, Mixmag, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Electronic Musician for innovations in MIDI sequencing, VST adoption, and integration with professional studios associated with Abbey Road Studios and Capitol Studios. Its impact is evident in the workflows of award-winning producers and composers tied to Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, BAFTA, and the evolution of electronic genres pioneered by artists on labels like Warp Records, Ninja Tune, and Mute Records. Critics and users compare Cubase to competing products by Ableton, Avid, Apple, Image-Line, and PreSonus, noting strengths in MIDI composition, scoring, and deep routing while debates around licensing and user interface changes echo discussions in communities surrounding Gearslutz and KVR Audio.
Category:Digital audio workstation software