Recording - June 2018 - 36

REVISITED

Steinberg
Cubase
Pro 9.5
The latest version of Cubase puts faster
workflow front and center
By Paul Vnuk Jr.

Every June for six years now, I've covered the latest
and greatest updates to Steinberg Cubase, and I have
to say that the new version 9.5 is my favorite yet.
This isn't because of glamorous new content...
it 's because my favorite DAW just became faster and
easier to use in the heat of a session.
Last year's version 9.0 brought redesigned Zones,
a simple but effective Sampler track for instant oldschool sampler gratif ication, Frequency EQ, Mix
Console Undo and Redo, and a newly designed Plug-In
Sentinel to help manage and weed out problematic
plug-ins that could cause stability issues.
In the new 9.5 update,
there's a redesigned 64bit floating point mix
engine under the hood,
with impr o ved pr ocessing, pr ecision, and
accuracy. Beyond that,
the real name of the
game-as it says right
on Cubase's upgrade
webpage-is "Workflow
Enhancements." As a
15-plus-year user of Cubase as my main and only
DAW, this is more than
OK with me!

RECORDING June 2018

In the Zone

Cubase 9.0 introduced a new Zone layout that placed
many often-used windows in locked zones around the
program, rather than just as a collection of floating windows.
These groups of windows can be called up and docked on the
sides and bottom of the program's main Edit window. The left
side features Zones for track visibility and the Track Inspector;
the lower Zone houses the Sampler track, the Mix Console,
and track editing windows; and the right side is dedicated to
preset navigation and recall-including the Media Bay, VST
Rack, and virtual instruments.
In 9.5 the right-side Zones are improved again. Not only
can you call up the Media Bay, the VST Rack, and soft-synths,
you can now also directly access your computer's native file
directory to perform detailed searches for sounds, samples,
and more-all without leaving Cubase (see Figure 1A). This
is one of those simple features that seems like it should have
always been there, but it hasn't been until now. The right Zone
now also accesses Cubase control-room features and master/
loudness metering (see Figure 1B); these are now permanently
displayed in my setup.

CLICK click click click CLICK click click click

Cubase's metronome/click track has been behind the times
for some years now, but no longer. In version 9.5, there is
much-improved flexibility and control over the metronome via
a 3-page window with new sound choices, MIDI routing, and
even multiple click pattern choices. Cubase Pro 9.5 even has
a 4-step accent editor, and now seamlessly follows changes
on the time signature track (see Figure 2).
Yes, I am geeking out over something as simple and basic as
a metronome. Why? Because a studio relies on click tracks!
These new features have already made tracking easier for
me and my clients; they can now play to a click that can be
customized quickly for individual players' tastes.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - June 2018