Hi Steinberg!
Simple suggestion to incorporate the Izotope Time & Pitch Algorithm to Musical Mode. While I find Elastique amazing on all material, there are times where Izotope does way better in some occasions, especially percussion material by preserving the transients. Having both to choose from instantly, would make Cubase much more powerful at both production and editing stages.
Please take this into consideration for a future release… Cubase 11… hehe 
The Elastique algorithms aren’t up to date anymore.
Besides that Cubase is still missing a slice-based stretching mode. This has nothing to do with Slice at Hit Points where you have to do all the work by yourself (overlapping and gaps!). Bitwig, Logic or Live do have slice-based algorithms which sound amazing for drums and all transient intense material as only little parts (slices and not the whole audio file as it’s the case with Elastique) are stretched - no overlapping occur and gaps are filled up based on different principals (granular, forward, backwards and so on). In other words there should be a mode for drums where you just have to select an algorithm without fumbling your hands off in the sample editor for a simple tambourine loop.
For overall pitch shifting and time stretching there is also the Serato Pitch 'n Time algorithm which is foolproof for “whole tracks” and also licensable. It is available as third party expansion for Logic as well as Pro Tools: Pitch 'n Time
Quality wise this would be my first choice.
Then there is the already in WaveLab integrated Zynaptiq ZTX algorithm. Also available in Digital Performer. However WaveLab isn’t capable of stretching the simplest loops as bass lines or drum loops, sounds like sh’’ despite the fact that ZTX was praised for “the” best out there: zynaptiq: ZTX Features And Specifications
Listen to it here: ZTX vs. Elastique AKA Digital Performer vs. THE WORLD. (anyway, I don’t think ZTX is better than Elastique in these examples, it depends purely on the source).
When ARA2 will be better integrated in Cubase it will be possible to use the stretching algorithms (three of them) of Melodyne (cp. Studio One, Waveform), however even Melodyne can’t beat Logic or Live in terms of (nearly) artefact free stretching of transient based audio material.
Steinberg should just overhaul the stretching capabilities, especially in regard to a slice based stretching mode.
I agree with you on the slice-based stretch algorithm. That would also be a nice improvement. I would think that the Elastique algorithms would be updated with every Cubase update/version. Is there a way to see what release Cubase is using of Elastique?
I’ve never heard or used Serato so not sure how that compares to Izotope’s Radius. I’m ok with any as long as it provide more options within Cubase.
I checked out some of those samples and yes, Elastique wins the majority of them.
Fyi, Logic uses Izotope as it’s stretch algorithm and also Pro Tools, thus the reason I know that it would be a nice alternative option in Cubase. Elastique is the best for Voice material and most stuff in general and Izotope works great and percussive and also in general.
Let’s see what Steinberg can bring to the table.