Steinberg Cubase 5 Details
Cubase 5 from Steinberg is a native music production system that, like its past incarnations, combines full-featured audio and MIDI recording and editing, virtual instruments and powerful audio mixing, with the added flexibility of loop- and pattern-based arranging and mixing. This latest version provides added focus on five key elements of music production.

LoopMash, a virtual instrument, and Beat Designer, a beat construction plug-in, offer innovative ways for creating and working with loops and beats. In the pitch correction arena, VariAudio offers completely integrated vocal editing and pitch alteration of individual notes in monophonic vocal recordings. And to place all these elements within the mix, Cubase 5 includes REVerence, a VST3-based convolution reverb processor.

VST Expression is a new way of working with multiple instrument articulations, such as huge orchestra libraries, and introduces an editing concept that is not only user-customizable but is also fully integrated with the Key and Score Editors. Additional enhancements boost productivity and performance, allowing the composer to more easily achieve their vision, whether for audio and music production, or as part of a video or film project.

Steinberg Cubase 5 Features

• Interactive, real-time graphic editing, project overview panel, savable screen sets and user-definable keyboard shortcuts
• Part-based Volume Envelopes available for direct control of dynamics
• Level problems can be fixed on the fly without wasting automation tracks allowing events to move with their volume envelopes
• Control Room section provides the ability to connect multiple sets of control room monitors and external sources (CD, DVD, Tape etc.) directly to the user's audio hardware and switch between them from a convenient software panel
• Section also offers a talkback channel, a headphone bus and the ability to create up to four studio mixes
• Pattern-based arranging adds a new level of creative music editing - dividing a song into sections allows one to re-arrange it on the fly
• Alternative versions of the song can be compared and then converted back into a linear form for mixdown and mastering
• Window layouts help in organizing the desktop - user can create and save a separate workspace for each step of the production process and then switch workspaces on the fly
• Allows for direct integration of external hardware effects processors into the VST audio mixer - favorite outboard gear can be used just like plugins, including automatic delay compensation
• User-definable color coding for tracks and VST mixer channels provides more clarity and better orientation, especially in complex projects
• Full score functionality provides a perfect integration of score-writing, sequencing and music production
• VST mixer maps can be import or user editing panels created, even for the Track Inspector or the mixer's channel strip
• OMF inport and export

Audio Features

• Native based audio means no expensive additional outboard equipment required when using computer built-in audio I/O
• Allows the user to choose from a multitude of high-end interfaces as budget and taste allows
• Simultaneous playback of unlimited audio tracks, dependent on the power of the computer
• Adaptive and configurable track mixer, with three different selectable views
• VariAudio offers completely integrated vocal editing and pitch alteration of individual notes in monophonic vocal recordings and can solve intonation and timing problems with only a few mouse clicks
• All detected notes and segments can be converted to MIDI notes, including the micro-pitch envelope which translates to pitch bend MIDI data
• Freeze function allows virtual instruments and audio tracks to be frozen with or without insert effects, automatically freeing up RAM and CPU performance
• Supports surround with freely configurable speaker setup with up to six discrete channels and surround panning
• Unlimited undo/redo provides the freedom to experiment without fear of losing earlier moments of inspiration
• Off-line processing of individual audio files allows effects to be "stamped" onto them layer after layer, and with the off-line process history, one can jump back to any individual process such as the reverb, edit it, remove it or replace it with any other effect
• Includes professional real-time VST effects and virtual instruments - 4 EQs with graphic display are available per channel with Apogee UV22HR dithering included
• REVerence is a VST3-based convolution reverb processor offering realistic reverb and shipping with a library that includes over 70 impulses created at some of the world's most distinctive locations

Virtual Instruments

• Includes 8 virtual instruments
• Instrument tracks provide a fast and convenient way to use virtual instruments by using a single MIDI Input and a single stereo Output within a single channel/track
• HALion ONE is a player version of the HALion sampler and includes hundreds of ready-to-use instruments which can be edited using 8 rotary controls
• Groove Agent ONE combines sampling with sound shaping and includes sliced loop and MPC-import, plus a custom library of acoustic, urban, hip hop and dance drum kits - each of the 16 virtual pads feature a complete sound processing section that gives full control of textures, timbres and expressiveness
• LoopMash seamlessly blends variations of both a primary loop and loops from the user's library, to create new rhythms and grooves - uses an audio analysis/synthesis engine that matches similar elements across loops and beats, all entirely synced to the Cubase tempo
• Prologue is a polyphonic subtractive synthesizer with multi-mode variable resonance filters, powerful modulation capabilities, on-board effects and hundreds of presets
• Spector is based on 2 spectrum filters, utilizing up to 6 oscillators per voice, with 2 different waveforms each - new sounds are created by drawing new filter curves and then shifting or morphing the two filter's spectrums
• Mystic's synthesis uses a combination of physical modeling and comb filtering to generate unique sounds - the sounds can be shaped with a filter (damping), by adding an offset to the comb filters (detune), or by adding a noise component (crackle)
• Embracer is a simple but powerful polyphonic synthesizer designed entirely for producing pads and accompaniment sounds
• Monologue is a monophonic analog synthesizer based on physical modeling technology
• SoundFrame allows for managing ANY sound from ANY software or hardware synthesizer under a single, unified user interface (MediaBay)
• SoundFrame can help find any sound, not only by instrument but also by category, type, style, character or other attributes

MIDI Features

• Editor windows include key (piano keyboard), drum, event list, sys-ex, score and logical
• Inplace Editor supports ultra-fast direct MIDI event editing from within the project page
• The key and drum editors make editing MIDI information easy with cut, copy and paste, or the drag and drop functionality
• MIDI events can be edited in context with audio or video
• Offers real time MIDI plug-ins such as quantizer, chorder, MIDI-echo, compressor and many more
• Controller data can be drawn and edited on one page with the new multiple controller lanes using the mathematical curve functions
• Supports direct access to external MIDI hardware with user-definable graphic editing panels