C14 feature request - and a long rant

Cubase
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Some background:

Like many, I’ve been using Steinberg software since Pro24 in the 1980s. I own multiple licences of more or less everything: Wavelab, Cubase, Nuendo, Absolute, Iconica etc. I’ve bought EVERY version of Cubase (and Wavelab) up to and including version 13. In my opinion it’s still the best DAW there is…fact.

In short, Steinberg, I’m a fan. . . . and I’m loyal, very loyal.

But today I’m still using Cubase/ Nuendo v11 - why ? . . . because development seems to be going backwards.

  • Features are removed, sometimes quietly.
  • Broken and half-implemented new features are never fixed.
  • Working things are ‘changed’ just to ‘refresh’ not because of need, causing more things to break.
  • I could go on . . . .

I ‘get it’ and I sympathise - It’s hard to find experienced staff and expensive to pay for development. You have decades of legacy code that (probably) nobody there knows how to modify or fix. Apple continues to move it’s goalposts. Those pesky accountants need you to justify every Euro spent.

It’s a tough business environment, so it’s easy, cheap and tempting just to change some stuff, throw in a couple of plugins, some new samples and call it an update, but Steinberg, you need to move forward.

When Charlie and Manfred started Steinberg they INNOVATED. They defined what a modern DAW was. They introduced far sighted technologies like ASIO and VST/VSTi. Just look at what was achieved in their first 10 years, it was amazing . . . . .now look at the last 10 years, it feels like stagnation and it can’t go on.

Steinberg you KNOW what we want - you asked and we have told you, many times:

Yes, you have picked off some low hanging fruit (IMO) and that’s welcomed, but the BIG changes that you need to move forward are nowhere to be seen.

I’m aware this is just a rant, but it is still my honest and considered opinion.

Wake up Steinberg, the world is not standing still, your customers have more superb DAW options than ever before. It might not seem it but we, your existing users, are on your side. So Steinberg, PLEASE listen to us, give us what we want and need . . . .and FIX some stuff. It may be painful but you might just find that it is an excellent long term business decision.

Make V14 a GAME CHANGER. . . . please.

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Totally with you on this

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I kinda hate to admit it, but I agree on every point.
(Also a loyal user since Pro24.)

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you are not alone, I started with the Pro 16 Commodore 64 plastic cartridge with 3 midi sockets.

I Left after the ver 6.5 to ver 7, but came back at 12 and I too find myself agreeing with the statement.

I may not take this update.

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I had that little disappointment when I first saw new features in C13, but there still have 2 or 3 very good new features workflow that make me happy… And some little goodies…
But sure i still miss some few feature that are so important to my workflow but it’s personal.

Don’t forget that they included something that most user will not directly notice any difference for the moment, but probably it’s going to be the new “healthy” foundation for future midi control/modulation tool and features (I hope :roll_eyes:).
I have no idea how long it take for the Steinberg team to include that new midi 2.0
And at the moment not every DAW are midi 2.0 ready, so if it take time other DAW will have to “sacrifice” time to include it…

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Totally agree , some of us are so loyal Steinberg is the only DAW world , including all the peripherals , i was even thinking of leaving RME for the AXR4U USB BUT im now waiting to see the response time for all the fixes needed .
C12 took to long to even fix things that made Steinbergs name, like the key editor note alinement , over 3 months ? But one small glitch in the latest and greatest Midi remote had a Hot fix within a week .
Im not jesting this time it is make or break , C12 was just painful , i understand there’s a transition to the new BUT … response time for Fixes really does need to be a priority this time .
No rant , just the truth

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It’s a bit off topic but guys what are these versions you are referring to as pro24 or pro16? I am not aware of Cubase versions named this way…It’s an honest question, don’t get me wrong.
I first got my hands on Cubase VST 3.5 on Windows 95, and really started working with version VST 24 and above.

Back on topic,
I agree with everything being said, I like the new features of C13, but I don’t like the looks, and there are no real fixes for so many issues that have been reported in the last couple of years or more.

A better audio engine that can utilize significantly more system/hardware resources, and be at least gapless when adding tracks/plugins etc,
processes that work as intended without beating the very purpose of their existence like “flattening real-time process” which messes with the timing of the audio when used with higher algorithms and not only,
the ability for 3rd part plugins to crash without crashing the host (sandboxing),
and so many more that I can not list atm, (there is a long thread created by @Louis_R that lists all issues for the last versions)
all these are real user requests and many of them are definitely much more significant than a (poorly) mixer redesign.

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One thing that i haven’t mentioned on the forum so far is the …FADER CAPS there’s no way on earth i can wait for C14 for some sort of change .
I remember all the change over from Sx with the new audio engine and file formats .
I remember having to have match sticks holding my Atari ram chips in place otherwise it was the dreaded bombs from hell , those sort of things i can go through , fixing this , fixing that to keep the old steam powered DAW alive BUT FADER CAPS like these , not on your nelly !

Oh did i forget to mention fader caps ?

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Those are products that predates Cubase. I had Steinberg Pro24 running on an Atari 1040STe in the 80s.

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I don’t think you forgot. :wink:

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Hi everyone. I also wanted to share my opinion as a user of many Steinberg products (cubase, Dorico, vstLive). I update with each release to support the Steinberg company, although I know that with Cubase I will have to wait for some updates before I can actually work with the new version. I agree with what other users have expressed… I’m just saying that when I opened an old C12 project and soloed a track, the mixer (the working one) dazzled me… I really can’t understand how we could have arrived at a concept like the current one. just as after years I still haven’t managed to get used to the toolbox with a single line… what was the reason for removing the possibility of resizing the toolbox on two lines? steinberg, I will continue to support you, but please listen to your users

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@almaelectronix
Those were intial Steinberg products. :notes:

Best regards
Sin

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We can see how this is working out already.
Steinberg keep doing what they do because it works for them.
If there would be painful consequences, they would either change or disappear.
None of these are happening, so they’ll continue as usual.

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I left Wavelab when they moved to the ‘modern/dark/flat/lifeless’ GUI. It was already years ago and I don’t even remember what version it was. That wasn’t difficult because I’m not ME.

But now I see that they decided to do the same to Cubase and I don’t have any alternative for now so I have to stay with Cubase. For now.

My feature request for C14:

  • new GUI that is made with the user in mind. Not trends, not opinions of people who don’t even use Cubase professionally (usually those are the people that devs must satisfy first, unfortunately).
  • bring back features and tools that were removed from C13 for no reason*
  • video codec selection for rendering
  • modulation tools for plugin parameters (even evil R***** has it… common!)

*if you want to make a simplified version of Cubase that is more attractive to non-engineers then maybe it’s time to make a new ‘light’ version of Cubase. Bandlab seems to be working on something like this: one version for the artists and one for sound engineers

This is a quite common problem now with all software, that devs must please marketing departments, shareholders etc. - people who don’t use the software but have their own ‘opinions’. Bugfixing is not a new shiny toy - it doesn’t sell. New shiny features based on trends are what sells. No matter if it’s useful, no matter if it brings features from software X that don’t make sense in software Y. Just put it in! The latter is what I’m dealing with almost daily.
I don’t blame devs. they’re just trying to earn money like all of us.

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Cool, thanks!
I still have an Atari Falcon running Cubase Audio! Though it needs some tweaking to get alive again, it gets stuck on boot.

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^^^ THIS ^^^

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Hi,

I’m with Dr. Strangelove as well.

I’ve been using Cubase for 23 years and stopped updating since V10, because of the things that have been already stated in this thread.

I’ve written it before somewhere at this place - please stop adding new features (which partly aren’t even new but revived) and plugins. Instead, please work on a stable, bug-free code.

Oh, and don’t forget to add a motorized fader object for the midi remote.

Thank you.

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I also been a long time user of Cubase back to the Cubase SX days. I don’t see any feature in C13 that I absolutely need. During the summer I did the cross-grade to Nuendo 12 and hope that N13 will be a better release.

I hate to say this, but I started to use Pro Tools and it has some very nice features. Just the ability to move tracks in the mixer view improves my workflow. Now that in PT you can change key commands it made it easer to use for me.

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Number 1 on my Cubase/Nuendo wish list…

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Indeed, people here are screaming and asking for features and reforms that all competitors now have
And here 13 is issued, devoid of all our cries and wasted time writing topics here on the forum

I do not know what the reason is, whether it is neglect or lack of ability, but we must be provided with the solutions to problems and shortcomings we deserve so that we do not move away.

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