AudioMedia - October 2008 - (Page 24)

The latest update of Cubase introduces new technologies and suggests new directions for the Steinberg line. RICHARD WENTK finds out more. here was grumbling, if not quite outrage, about the release state of Cubase 4 from many users. The good news about 4.5 is that stability seems to have been improved. It’s taken a while, but 4.5 seems to have most of the robustness of the popular but now outdated SX3. Elsewhere the list of new features spans thirteen pages. Pride of place has gone to very close links with Yamaha’s new hardware series of outboard DSP, mix control and keyboard controllers. T almost anything that can be managed, storing presets under a variety of descriptions. This can be more useful in theory than in practice – trying to file the patches on even a small collection of VSTs can eat your brain alive and become a full time occupation in its own right. But this still has the potential to be a useful feature if you’re selective about patch management and don’t try to cram everything into your library. STEINBERG CUBASE 4.5 Music Production System There isn’t room here for a full review of all the new options, and the quality of the hardware add-ons will have to stand – or fall – on its own merits. If you already have a sizeable investment in existing hardware, it’s likely that only the external DSP and I/O boxes might tempt you. They add direct acceleration of certain VST 3 plug-ins, THE REVIEWER improved outboard reverb and an optional channel strip, and eight mic pres. But VST Link is still available, and you RICHARD WENTK is the owner of Skydancer Media, a digital may find it’s easier – and possibly more economic – to buy production company providing an extra PC or Mac to offload some of the processing than s o u n d, i m a g e, d e s i gn and to buy the new accelerator options. consultancy services to various VST Sound – the Cubase patch filing system – clients in London and the has been extended to page 1 9/06/08 16:18 adAT4050(audio media)186x129mm.qxd:Mise en manage any sound from any West Country. software or hardware synthesiser. You can now manage S ampling The Bread And Butter Cubase 4.5 includes a massive new sample collection. There’s a Motif-ish library of bread and butter musical samples for the included Halion  sampler, with the usual guitars, basses, drums, pads, and effect blips and bloops. Not just one but two grand piano sets are included, as well as the inevitable collection of loops – this one from Big Fish Audio. Cubase is now compatible with the budget Sequel loop sequencer, and can also load Sequel content sets, like Rock, Hop Hop, Industrial, and more. More professionally, MediaBay has been expanded making Page 1 it easier to manage sample libraries and projects. There’s also a pattern based playback mode for Environmentally Friendly AT4050: created by one, used by everyone. Before a product becomes so legendary that it is used by everyone, someone has to create it. When Akino-san, an employee of Audio-Technica for many years, spent hundreds of hours on the creation of the AT4050, he was working to obtain the AT4050’s superb quality of sound reproduction. Not only did he succeed in his ambition, but today, the AT4050 is used all over the world in a wide variety of applications, from recording studios to live sound to broadcast. And when he’s not creating legends, Akino-san loves the serenity of fishing. Audio-Technica’s range of studio microphones start from just £100*. To find out more, email info@audio-technica.co.uk or telephone +44 (0) 113 292 0463. *AT2020 suggested retail price www.audio-technica.com 24 AUDIO MEDIA OCTObEr 2008 http://www.audio-technica.com

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Audio Media - October 2008 Content Recording Post Broadcast Geofocus:�Portugal &�Spain What's Up UK IBC Report Microtech Geffel UM 930 Steinberg Cubase 4.5 ADK�Hamburg &�Vienna Final Cut: House of Fallen Lexicon PCM96 Review The Conch Awards Feature Sound Devices 788T Review Lexicon PCM96 Allen &�Heath Zed R16 Power: Fact & Fiction, PT.2 Product Sampler Plug-ins Video Guide AMSR Plasa Report Audio Technica IEM�M3 Rushes Live Mixing Techniques:�Bruce Johnston Drawmer 4x4 Kickbox

AudioMedia - October 2008

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