Cubase is a computer program for music production/recording. The program offers recording, producing and mixing of sounds in order to make music production for distribution on CDs or the internet. Most of the facilities in recording studios are now available for computer owners using Cubase or other similar products.

Cubase is a series of MIDI, music sequencer and digital audio editing computer applications (commonly known as a DAW - Digital Audio Workstation), created by the German company Steinberg. Its first version, which ran on the Atari ST computer, was released in 1989.

On January 15, 2009, Steinberg announced that the new version, Cubase 5, is ready and will be shipped in early February 2009. Steinberg officially started shipping Cubase 5 on January 27, 2009. The many new features include: drum machine features, vocal editing and (real time) pitch correction, VST expression tools for easy editing of instrument articulations, improved handling of automation data, and a VST3 convolution reverb. This version also supports 64-bit technology under Windows Vista.

Operation

Cubase creates projects which allow the operator to edit MIDI files, raw audio tracks, and other associated information like lyrics, and to present them in a range of formats including musical scores, editing console, event lists, etc. The operator can also mix the various tracks down into a stereo .wav file ready to be burned onto a CD in Red Book format or .mp3 burnt to CD or DVD as files or to be published on the Web.

While MIDI is a fairly ubiquitous standard for representation of digital music, there is no broadly accepted standard for the interchange of complete projects containing both MIDI and audio between Cubase and other competing recording/editing software (e.g. Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Digital Performer, or Cakewalk), so while actual pure recorded audio information can be exchanged, it is hard to import a whole project (with specific edits, instrument information and automation) in its native format from Cubase to another application and vice versa. The cross-platform OMFI format (which is supported by Cubase SX) resolves this issue to some extent.

Versions

Cubase 1.0 Atari

April 1989
Originally called Cubit, but changed to Cubase due to copyright reasons, this was the much awaited successor to Pro-24. Cubase for Atari was MIDI only and ran on the Atari 520ST and Atari 1040ST. Although it would run on a colour screen, the best resolution was obtained by using the SM 124 monochrome monitor which gave, for its time, an impressive resolution of 640x400

The main innovation of Cubase for the Atari was the graphic arrange page. The Arrange Page, since copied by just about every other similar product, allowed for the graphic representation of the composition using a vertical list of tracks and a horizontal timeline.
1990
Cubase 1.0 is released for the Apple Macintosh..?

Cubase 2.0 Atari

April 1990
Only supports format "0" MIDI files.

Cubase Audio

1991
Macintosh
1993
Release on Atari Falcon 030. This version brings DSP built-in effects with 8-tracks audio playback. It was an incredible solution for the price at this time. Later versions enable 16-tracks mode.

Cubase 3.0 Atari

1992

Cubase for Windows

1992

Cubase Score for Windows

1993
Cubase Score is released for Windows offering Key, List, Logical, Drum, and, of course, score editing and printing facilities. A GM/GS Editor is also included.

Cubase 2.8 for Windows

1996
The Arrange Window was redesigned.

Features included the Interactive Phrase Synthesizer, CueTrax and StyleTrax: the "virtual Band".

Cubase Audio 1.6 Windows

1996
Cubase Audio 1.6 supported the hard disk recording functions of Session8 and Yamaha's CBX D3/D5 Cubase Audio supported Digidesign's new AudioMedia III PCI card. Used in conjunction with AudioMedia III Cubase Audio gave 8 audio tracks, EQ and automation.

Cubase Audio 3.0 TDM for Macintosh

1996
Cubase Audio 3.0 TDM had up to 16 Audio Tracks with TDM Support for up to 48 Physical Audio Tracks.

Cubase Audio 3.0 TDM contained all the new features of Cubase Score 2.0. It also had OMS II Support and MovieManager Support.

Cubase Audio XT 3.0

1996

Cubase Score 3.0

1996

Cubase VST3.0 Macintosh

1996
Up to 32 tracks of Digital Audio. Up to 128 realtime EQs.Professional Effects Rack with 4 multi-effect processors. Plug in Interface for external Plug-ins, allowing external audio technology to be integrated into the Cubase environment. Professional Score Printing, up to 60 staves per page, 8-voice Polyphony. Had a bug limiting memory in the host system to 64mb on the PowerMac. Was eventually resolved with a patch.

Cubase VST3.5 Windows

1997
Windows Cubase VST provided up to 32 tracks of digital audio, 128 Equalizers in real time, a fully equipped effects rack with four multi-effects processors, a master section and an open PlugIn interface for additional real time effects and mastering tools. VST for Windows also supported Active Movie compatible PlugIns.

Cubase VST3.5.5

1998
Other new features include updated implementation of the DirectX PlugIns which allows you to organize the list of installed PlugIns according to personal preferences.
Support for Recycle Export Files (.REX-files). This allows the use of 'recycled' sample loops right in VST audio tracks without using a dedicated hardware sampler.
VST Audio Engine can now be disabled while VST is running (from within the Audio-System Menu) or by launching the program while holding the Shift key, this is also used in schools

Cubase VST24 3.6

1998
96 tracks, Submixers, ReWire, 8 FX sends and eight Aux. VST/24 3.6 supports the entire functionality of Yamaha's DSP Factory card

Cubase VST24 3.7

1999
download

Cubase VST24 4.0 Macintosh

1998
Macintosh only. Cubase VST24 4.0 now offers 96 tracks of 24 bit, 96 kHz digital audio with Digidesign Pro Tools 24(TM) digital audio hardware systems.

Cubase VST24 4.1 Macintosh

1999
Macintosh only. Introduced VST 2.0, ASIO 2.0, DSP Factory support, TDM support and more. In addition, the Cubase VST/24 Mixer/EQ section included an extension with 5 new real-time processing modules - Compressor, Limiter, Auto Gate, Auto Limit and Soft Clip. A number of VST elements could also now be controlled remotely via external devices such as the Yamaha 01-V.

Cubase VST32 5.0

2000

Cubase VST32 5.1

2001
Was available individually and as part of a Producer's Pack featuring Recycle loop editor and Rebirth virtual instrument (non-VST format), programs developed by Propellerheads but distributed by Steinberg. The Propellerheads products came on Mac & PC compatible CDs, but the disc and serial hasp for Cubase were PC-only.

Cubase SX1.0/Cubase SL1.0

2002
Cubase SX1.0 was released as the next generation after Cubase VST. It was based upon a contemporary sister program, Nuendo V1.0, and was a total rewrite over the previous versions of Cubase. Although bringing vast improvements in both stability and feature quality, there were many features from Cubase VST that didn't make it into the new version, much to the annoyance of users upgrading from previous versions.

One notable improvement of Cubase SX was its sound. The sound of Cubase VST was considered inferior to its competitors and Cubase SX corrected this with its inheritance of Nuendo's audio engine.

Cubase SX1 was also blessed with responsiveness, having a bare minimum of intrusive copy protection code. Notably the copy protection code was embedded in the Key Editor where users could move MIDI Notes. The cracked version of SX1 was identifiable by its tendency to crash if a user moved notes in the Key Editor. One of the caveats of Cubase SX1 was the loss of the Dynamic Events, a major feature of Cubase VST.

Cubase SX 1.0 was the first Cubase version not to open Cubase VST songs and projects.
Cubase SX 1.0 allows you to import VST projects and save them in the new *.cpr format. However the import feature doesn't work very well.

Cubase SX 2.0/Cubase SL2.0

2003
Cubase SX2.0 was hailed by many as a huge leap in functionality. One of the most innovative features was called Timewarp. This allowed users to record music either as midi and/or Audio in freetime, without click or metronome, and then move the bars and beats grid to the music, automatically creating a tempo track. The Timewarp tool actually allowed the user to move the gridlines.

Cubase SX2.0 also saw the introduction of Full PDC (Plugin Delay Compensation). Many plugins, particularly those which run on DSP Cards such as UAD-1 or Powercore cannot process their audio within a 1 sample time period and therefore introduce extra latency into the system. Unchecked this will cause some audio channels to end up out of sync with others. PDC is basically an internal algorithm that checks all the various latencies introduced by such plugins and creates audio delay buffers to allow the audio from all channels to synchronize.

Cubase SX 3.0

2004
One of the major features to arrive with Cubase SX3.0 was Audiowarp. Audiowarp allowed Audio to remain in sync with the project even after changing its tempo. It also allowed the user to apply 'tempo anchors' to an imported audio file in order that it would sync to the tempo of the project regardless of the original tempo.

Audiowarp was largely successful, but had a major flaw in that it didn't work with variable tempo projects. This was because the tempo map it copied to the Audio file when musical mode was enabled was derived from the fixed tempo setting of the project rather than the tempo track.

Nonetheless Audiowarp was an important addition to the musical features of Cubase and despite the caveats, having the ability to change the tempo of a musical piece and have the audio tracks follow this new tempo was an important facility in music production.

Cubase SX3.1

2005

• Cubase SX 3.1 was released on August 31 2005.

• Cubase SX 3.1.1 was released on October 20 2005.

Cubase 4.0

2006
Cubase 4.0 marked the end of the SX, SL and SE designations, with SX becoming Cubase 4, SL becoming Cubase Studio 4 and SE becoming Cubase Essentials 4. It also marked the end of DX Plugin support. Whatever technical or economic reason Steinberg had for dropping the use of DX Plugins in Cubase 4 it had a big impact on customer satisfaction. In addition, there was no prior announcement before release to allow users to plan ahead. It was up to a user on the Cubase forums to announce that DX Plugins were no longer supported in the program.

Cubase 4 was the first Cubase version not to support the import of Cubase VST songs and projects. To give the ability to import older Cubase VST projects and songs Steinberg decided to make the previous Cubase SX3 and Cubase SL3 versions available as a download.

Cubase 4.0 brought a GUI change. In general the GUI was darker than the previous version, Cubase SX3, and on the whole was warmly welcomed, although some elements are considered by many users to be a little too dark on some monitors.

With this version the preset system was changed. The FXP (Preset) and FXB (Bank) files were discontinued along with the drop-down menu XML presets. They were replaced by a preset system that integrates in a new feature, the Media Bay, which allows deeper categorisation and management of presets at the expense of ergonomics/speed.

Cubase 4.1

2007
Cubase 4.1 was released on October 23, 2007. Apart from a host of bugfixes, V4.1 added some new features, including Sidechaining, Free Group Routing, Project Logical Editor, and Recording from Sum Objects. Existing Features were also improved including the Play Order Track and the Audiowarp which is now integrated into the Audio Sample editor.

Cubase 4.5

• Cubase 4.5 was released on September 3, 2008.

• Cubase 4.5.2 was released on September 11, 2008.

Cubase 5.0

• Cubase 5.0 was released on January 27, 2009.

• Cubase 5.0.1 was released on April 8, 2009.

Cubase 5.1

• Cubase 5.1 was released on August 24, 2009 .