Steinberg has recently launched the highly anticipated Cubase 11, the latest version of their renowned digital audio workstation (DAW). With a range of new and improved features, Cubase 11 aims to provide an unparalleled music production experience for both beginners and professionals alike. One of the standout features of Cubase 11 is its intuitive user interface, which has been redesigned to enhance workflow efficiency. The streamlined layout allows users to focus on their creativity, making it easier than ever to produce high-quality music. Additionally, the DAW offers customizable workspaces, giving users the ability to tailor the interface to their specific needs. Cubase 11 also introduces a variety of new virtual instruments and audio processors. From the powerful Sampler Track to the mesmerizing SpectraLayers One, these additions expand the sonic possibilities for users, enabling them to explore new creative avenues. Furthermore, Cubase 11 includes a wide range of professional-grade effects and plugins, allowing users to fine-tune their sound with precision. In terms of performance and compatibility, Cubase 11 does not disappoint. The DAW features enhanced audio engine technology, providing low-latency recording and playback. It also offers support for the latest hardware and software, ensuring seamless integration with a variety of audio interfaces and plugins. Overall, the new Steinberg Cubase 11 is a game-changer in the world of music production. With its innovative features, user-friendly interface, and exceptional performance, it sets a new standard for DAWs. Whether you're a seasoned producer or just starting out, Cubase 11 is sure to inspire creativity and take your music production to the next level.

by Anders Johanson November 16, 2020 9 min read

Steinberg Cubase 11

Steinberg's team has been consistent in their approach to releasing updates in recent years, a trend that continued with the launch of Cubase 10 and the subsequent 10.5 update. This pattern has allowed people to speculate and anticipate the probable release date of their next update. Cubase 11DAW to choose are often swayed towards Cubase. This release, Cubase 11, promises to continue raising the bar and solidifying its position in the music production world. The anticipation for Cubase 11 grew as the release date approached. Speculations and insights flooded the internet, building up the excitement. Finally, Steinberg made their official declaration, confirming the arrival of the much-anticipated Cubase 11. In an industry where Apple's Logic and Avid's Pro Tools have dominated, hailed as the "industry standard" and a prerequisite in most renowned studios and production houses, Cubase by Steinberg Media has carved its own niche. It has become a preferred choice for aspiring and professional composers, and even mainstream metal producers have embraced its capabilities. With each update, Cubase becomes more user-friendly and accessible, surpassing its previous versions. This ongoing evolution influences those who are undecided on which DAW to opt for, as they tend to lean towards Cubase. The release of Cubase 11 promises to take the DAW to new heights, reinforcing its position as a leader in the music production realm. DAWSome individuals might be attracted to the captivating elements offered in Cubase 11, prompting them to choose it. Commencing on November 11, 2020, Cubase 11 is now accessible in all the Cubase product variations comprising Pro, Artist, and Elements editions, providing options suitable for both your economic resources and project requirements.

 

If you are coming from Cubase 10 or 10.5, or from an even earlier version, you'll be thrilled to learn that the digital audio workstation's visual appearance remains virtually unchanged, just as you're accustomed to. In fact, it's exactly the same. It's natural to worry about a company implementing major alterations to the user interface - we've witnessed this countless times in the past, and it's likely to continue as companies evolve and adapt to industry demands and their target audience's preferences. However, in this particular instance, you can take a deep breath and relax because everything, from the loading splash screen to the list of recently opened projects, to the blank template screen, is virtually identical to how it has always been. It's as if you open your underwear drawer and find that all your power tools have unexpectedly made their way in there - rest assured, nothing like that has occurred in this new Cubase update. All your favorite clicks and commands are exactly where they belong. If you're new to Cubase, this is a fantastic time to get started! The Steinberg and Cubase subreddits are buzzing with activity and serve as incredible resources of information and knowledge for newcomers and seasoned users alike. Additionally, there are numerous other online forums and Facebook groups you can join to see how other producers and composers are utilizing this software and its latest update.

What Are the Latest Additions in Cubase 11? What's New in Cubase 11?

GarageBand). It's important to weigh the benefits and features of each software, as well as consider individual needs and preferences. Cubase offers a comprehensive set of tools and functionalities that cater to professional music producers and audio engineers. Its versatility and efficiency make it a top choice for those seeking a powerful digital audio workstation. Furthermore, Cubase ensures seamless integration with various hardware and software components, providing a smooth and reliable workflow. While Logic and Pro Tools may also have their merits, Cubase stands out with its user-friendly interface and advanced features, such as MIDI editing capabilities and extensive plugin support. Additionally, Cubase boasts a strong community of users and a vast resource of tutorials and online support. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a beginner in the field, investing in Cubase guarantees a rich and rewarding music production experience. MPC Beatsincluding enhanced audio processing, new creative tools, and updated virtual instruments. The software is designed to cater to different needs and budgets, with three tiers offering varying levels of features and accessibility. When it comes to value for money, Cubase is a standout choice. As you move up the tiers, you gain access to more advanced capabilities, allowing you to unlock your full creative potential. The Cubase 11 update brings a range of exciting features across all tiers, while some are exclusive to the Artist and Pro versions, providing even greater functionality. What sets Cubase apart is its inclusivity. Previously reserved for the Pro version, certain features are now available in the lower-tier Elements and Artist versions. This means that those on a tighter budget or who don't require all the features of the Pro version can still enjoy a high-quality DAW experience. Cubase 11 boasts an impressive array of enhancements. From improved audio processing to new creative tools and updated virtual instruments, the software delivers a comprehensive package for musicians and audio professionals alike. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, Cubase offers the tools you need to bring your music to life. So why wait? Take your musical journey to the next level with Cubase 11. plugins The latest version of the software offers a range of new features and improvements in terms of functionality and user interface. Although some of these may appear similar to previous versions, they are all valuable additions to enhance the audio workflow for professionals and amateurs alike.

Adjust the dynamic range using the Squasher control.

Cubase 11 Squasher

the success of other dynamic processors on the market, Squasher brings a new level of control and versatility to the table. With a sleek design and intuitive interface, this plugin allows users to easily shape the dynamics of their audio signals. Whether you're aiming to enhance the punch and impact of a drum track or smooth out the fluctuations in a vocal recording, Squasher has you covered. Its wide range of parameters, including attack and release times, threshold control, and makeup gain, give you the power to sculpt your sound in endless ways. Additionally, Squasher offers a variety of presets to get you started, providing instant inspiration and saving you valuable time. As a built-in feature of Cubase 11, Squasher seamlessly integrates into your workflow, allowing for efficient and streamlined production. Take your mixes to the next level with the Squasher plugin and unlock a world of sonic possibilities. FabFilter’s wonderful Saturn pluginDespite its somewhat humorous name, Squasher is a powerful tool for multiband compression that allows you to effectively control the dynamic range of your overall track or individual tracks. Squasher enables you to manipulate up to three separate frequency bands, with each band having its own dedicated compression settings, drive function, and noise gate. If you desire to add overdrive to the midrange frequencies, gate off the lower frequencies, and heavily compress and overdrive the higher frequencies, you have the freedom to do so, although it may not be the most common use case. Naturally, there are more tasteful and sophisticated ways to utilize this plugin, but there will undoubtedly be individuals who utilize it in unconventional ways. Using Squasher on drum tracks, whether on individual channels or the master channel, is a fantastic method to make certain tracks stand out while adding a different or grittier sound to others. Other instruments and applications can also benefit from Squasher, but I predict that it will find great popularity for drum-related purposes.

Isolate Audio with SpectraLayers

Cubase 11 offers a unique feature with its modified version of Steinberg's SpectraLayers Pro plugin, known as SpectraLayers One. While composers and music producers may not frequently utilize this feature, it proves to be highly valuable for sound designers, film and TV audio editors, as well as field recording enthusiasts. SpectraLayers One allows users to rescue potentially lost audio clips by isolating the human voice from unwanted background noises. By separating the voice from the rest of the audio elements, users can create two distinct files - one with the voice and the other with the remaining audio. This functionality not only saves location recordings or vocal tracks from being discarded, but it also opens up possibilities for remixes and other creative projects. Conversely, users can also remove vocals from tracks, leaving behind instrumentals for singing over. The plugin includes a sensitivity adjustment slider to fine-tune the isolation process, helping users quickly salvage their audio and continue their work with just a few simple clicks.

Expand the stereo width of your audio using Imager

Steinberg Cubase Imager

I have been using iZotope’s OzoneHTML: Mastering suite for quite some time now, and I absolutely love it. In a similar breakout to how Steinberg offers their tiered product line, iZotope also has a couple of different versions of their Ozone package depending on your budget or your needs - and the one priced the lowest, only $29 as of the time of writing this, has their stereo imaging processor as one of its handful of available features. With this update to Cubase, Steinberg has introduced an imaging plugin that is very similar to that exact module in iZotope Ozone and it is one that I, personally, consider to be an essential part of the mastering chain. The Imager plugin allows you to select the width of a frequency band and then manipulate sliders to determine how far that band will spread into the stereo field of your. Rephrased text: I've been using a mastering suite for quite some time now, and I'm absolutely enamored with it. Just like Steinberg offers various products in their line, iZotope also provides different versions of their Ozone package to suit different budgets and needs. The most affordable version, priced at just $29 at the time of writing, includes their fantastic stereo imaging processor among other impressive features. Steinberg has recently released an update to Cubase that introduces a plugin with a striking resemblance to the imaging module found in iZotope Ozone. Personally, I find this plugin to be an indispensable part of the mastering process. The Imager plugin gives you the ability to select the width of a frequency band and manipulate sliders to control the stereo spread of that band. studio monitors, headphones, or any other listening device. Perhaps this doesn't sound like the most functional tool in the world, but if you compare a track or mix with and without it, you'll definitely notice a significant difference in the sound width. This can be particularly helpful in creating more spacious room for pads to breathe, or expanding the frequency range of the high drum bus to pan the cymbals further left and right than usual. It can also be used to focus the thunderous low end right in the center of the stereo field. These are just a few examples of how the Imager function can greatly enhance your mix. Cubase 11 now offers this processor right within the software, which is a fantastic upgrade. In the past, their spatial processing plugins lacked practicality and ease-of-use compared to this. The interface of the new Imager plugin is incredibly user-friendly, making it a valuable addition to Cubase.

Introducing the Revolutionary Sampler for Effortless Splicing

If you are interested in creating beats and sequences using sampled audio, previous versions of Cubase offered limited options for processing the audio. In order to use the native sampler in Cubase, the audio had to be chopped up and prepared beforehand, which made the workflow inconvenient. It was puzzling why a sampler would lack the ability to slice samples, as this is a fundamental aspect of sampling. However, all of these limitations have been resolved in Cubase 11 with the introduction of the new slice functionality within the sampler. Not only can Cubase now slice your audio, but you also have the option to select how the slicing is done from a drop-down menu. Cubase can automatically detect transients and slice the audio accordingly, or you can choose to slice it to a grid, or even a combination of transients and a grid. Alternatively, you can manually chop the audio yourself. Each of these slices will be assigned to specific notes on the keyboard, allowing you to program them on the piano roll or play them in using a hardware keyboard. But the new features don't stop there – Cubase also provides two global low frequency oscillators (LFO) that can be used to manipulate various aspects of your samples while you play them. For example, you can assign an LFO to control the pitch, filter, or amplitude, and the properties will change based on your LFO settings. This opens up a world of creative possibilities for sample playback. Additionally, the sampler in Cubase 11 includes a built-in vinyl turntable emulator. You can choose the speed of the virtual record, adding a fun lo-fi crunch to your samples. This is a feature that was previously missing from Cubase, but its inclusion in Cubase 11 more than makes up for it.

Obtain the Necessary Files through Innovative Audio Mixdown Features Enhance your audio experience with advanced features for managing and obtaining the files you require.

One of the significant advancements in Cubase 11 lies in the final stage of any project, which is the exporting stage. Steinberg has enriched the export page with highly requested features and functions, bringing a sense of relief to the Cubase Community. An exciting development is the audio mixdown window, which now allows users to queue various types of exports simultaneously with just a single click. Gone are the days of exporting WAV, waiting, reconfiguring settings for FLAC, and waiting again. Now, you can select your desired settings, queue the export, make changes to the settings, queue another export, click export, and enjoy a game or two of Fortnite while Cubase does its magic. Additionally, you can export separate tracks all at once to create a stem collection for external producers or other software applications. By utilizing the mixdown function's queue feature, you can effortlessly achieve this. Furthermore, you have the option to create file format export presets, eliminating the need for tedious dropdown menu navigation to meet specific client or artist requirements. Simply set it up once, save it as a preset, and every subsequent exporting task becomes a breeze with just a click. This enhanced functionality in the export audio mixdown stage will prove immensely beneficial in many scenarios, whether you're demoing your tracks, exporting diverse file types for various platforms or social media networks, or fulfilling any other specific needs. You can now accomplish it all effortlessly with a few checkboxes and a single click.

Final Thoughts

I have been using Cubase for several years now, starting off with Garageband on an old MacBook Pro and later moving on to Cubase Elements 7. When Cubase 10 was released, I built a dedicated music production PC specifically for it. Recently, I upgraded to Cubase 11 and I can't recommend it enough to those who are unsure about Cubase, considering upgrading from a previous version, or looking to switch from another digital audio workstation. Cubase continues to impress me with its extensive functionality and seamless workflow. While I still use Logic for my mobile music production needs, I can't imagine leaving Cubase for any other DAW. Even if these new additions may not immediately catch your attention, I honestly can't think of what else you could possibly need. Although Ableton remains the go-to DAW for live performances, Cubase undeniably holds the crown for in-studio production work. Its capabilities and features have cemented its position as the leader in the industry.

Anders Johanson
Anders Johanson



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