I recently purchased Cubase Pro 9 from an online Australian store. I was sent Cubase Pro 8.5 with a “Free upgrade to current version” tag on the box. The website did not indicate that I was purchasing 8.5. It stated Cubase Pro 9, and I even emailed and phoned before purchasing. It even says 9.0 on the online receipt. The store is a reputable shop in Australia.
I found a different Aus website that lists Cubase Pro 9 as $849 (AUD), while also listing “Cubase Pro 8.5 with free upgrade to Version 9” for only $699 (AUD). This suggests to me that purchasing 9.0 is different to buying and upgrading 8.5. Does this mean upgrading 8.5 does not give you the same content (i.e. same versions of VSTs - Halion, Groove agent, etc.) as purchasing Cubase Pro 9 outright?
Is the website I purchased from guilty of false advertising, or am I just naive? Hopefully the latter.
Assuming the license terms are the same in Australia as in the UK (and I’m pretty sure they are) , you will indeed be entitled to a free upgrade to 9 as long as you did not Activate the 8.5 version before 26th October 2016.
In order to get your version of 9 you will need to Activate the 8.5 license.
See this post from Steinberg:
As to whether the site was guilty of false advertising…a little bit dubious. I assume they had some stock of 8.5 that they wanted to shift…but it should be convertible to 9 at no cost to you.
Thanks for the quick reply planarchist. Do you know if all the included VSTs/Samples (Halion etc) is the same in 8.5 and 9.0? And if not, will they be upgraded when I update Cubase from 8.5 to 9.0?
Just download the C9 full installer. It will have everything C8.5 has and more!
Frequency EQ, the new Maximizer, Production Grooves content, for example…
If you paid full v9 price it is a bit of a fraud in my eyes and I would ask for some compensation. But you do have exactly the same program and content after downloading V9. An advantage is you now also have access to V8.5 which is more mature then V9and 8.5 will also run on the V9 licence. (I use many older versions when needed for older projects all on the same updated V9 licence.
Just to be clear, as far as the SB license server is concerned, you own a license for Cubase 9, not Cubase 8.5, and SB licenses allow you to run all the lower numbered versions.
But don’t you have to have the lower numbered version in your possession? Is there a place to download lower numbered versions if you don’t have them?
Personally, I’d rather get 8.5 like you did with the upgrade as someone else mentioned if you have any problems with version 9 then you still have 8.5.
G’day Rob
From my experience last year with purchasing a leftover Cubase 8 box in Australia during the free 8.5 upgrade period there should be no difference except that you may first have to install the earlier version (in your case 8.5), then download 9 from Steinberg. It is sometimes cheaper to buy leftover old stock from some retailers (e.g. Store DJ where I bought mine) since you are helping them clear their shelves. However, the distributor may still have boxes of 8.5 that they are supplying as 9 to retailers.
You shouldn’t need to install 8.5 before installing 9. C9 will install just fine without the previous version being on your computer. The only thing that matters is the license on your dongle. So register the 8.5, then do the free license upgrade to 9. Confirm that the license on your dongle is for 9. Then download and install C9 & you are good to go.
