A few years ago, when my children were still quite young, I got into computer recording using Cubase 5.1 on a Mac desktop running OS9. I liked it and slowly got the hang of it. What I particularly liked was that drums were another instrument and I could build up my own drums and drum patterns from scratch. I know there is a variety of ways to get drums down, including using samples, but that way suited me and that is the way I liked to work.
That was then and this is now, and I want to get back into computer recording. But things have moved on. Basically, I want to work with the same set-up I had then - although with a newer version of Cubase and my far newer Mac and OSX. How I worked would be to put down, from scratch, a basic drum track - from the various different sounds in the software - and a bass track, either a synth bass or a audio bass, then slowly build up the track, adding real guitar etc.
So my question is: bearing in mind I’m no pro but do have experience using the older version of Cubase and that I would like to be able to build drum tracks (and keyboard tracks) as I used to, which version of Cubase should I be looking at?
I am sticking to Cubase because it is the one I am familiar with.
I would recommend you to download Cubase Elements Trial. You can try yourself, if this is enough for you. If you find you are missing, you can buy the USB-eLicenser and download Cubase Pro Trial. Or you can start with Cubase Elements, and later upgrade to Artist or Pro, if you will miss something.
If you want vst and build midi tracks without too much fuss I would suggest MIxcraft and once used to that In a couple of years go and look at Cubase.
Cubase Is not easy to get around until you spend loads of time studying It.
The only thing with Mixcraft is that it does not have Sys Ex capabilities like Cubase.
So If you have a keyboard like Yamaha arrangers It is not good for editing and recording onboard arranger sounds.
Mixcraft is great for adding waves and midi vst instruments . So easy to get around and cheaper.
Otherwise go for Cubase basic Elemnts and learn slowly ,then you can upgrade once confident.
The basics have not changed. You still have key edit, drum edit, list edit windows etc. They still work the very same as C5 except additional features and using modifiers for faster workflow.
Here are the workflow improvements for Drum and Key editing.
