Going from Cubase 7.5 to Presonus Studio One 2.6 - Insane??

Steinberg Lounge
#1

I am using Cubase since the Atari ST and I have 7.5 now installed on my PC. I am not sure how this happens but last years after an update I am less happy with it. Overwhelming features and changing layouts…sometimes I have the feeling that less is more. Dont get me wrong the results are great but I have the feeling that I need digging deep into lots of menu’s and need more and more mouseclicks to get what I want.

Last week I discovered Presonus Studio One Professional and installed the demo. What’s amazing is that the workflow is very smooth. I like it how easy you get thing done. All the functions seems just a mousclick away. Really nice.

Am I going insane now I am considering Studio One?

#2

I wouldn’t say you’re going insane. If a prior version suited you better, I would go back to that, or just make the switch. Whatever gets less in your way is the ticket.

#3

What kind of work do you do, and what do you miss most about C7.5 that PS1-2.6 doesn’t have?

#4

On both DAW’s I can do all I want to do. It’s just simple songwriting (midi+audio) and making backing tracks for live performance. Just simple effect adding, automation, control room etc. basic stuff no high-tech tricks.

On Studio One a lot can be done with drag and drop or it’s just one or maybe two mouse clicks away.
With Cubase it’s al ot more handling to get the same things done like setting up FX sends/busses for example.

I like to have the most recent version of Cubase just for devaluation. I kept using CubaseVST once for a long time but at some point I couldn’t update anymore and had to start over again with buying the full version.

#5

Two questions about PS1 if I could, Toonzo:

  1. Do you use VariAudio in Cubase … is there something comparable in PS1?

  2. Does it have something like Cubase’s “Comp Tool”? How does it handle multi-takes?

  3. Are you a “Control Room” kind of guy, and does PS1 have a “listen bus”, and/or other control room features?

Thanks -

#6

Thanks for the reply. Good to help me set things straight before doing a wrong move. :slight_smile:

Regarding your questions:

  1. I dont use VarioAudio yet. Studio One comes has Melodyne, maybe it is able to do the same.

  2. I dont know about comp tools for Studio One. Cubase is great in this. It starts over and over again with a new lane.
    I have to find out this weeks when I am using the demo.

  3. I have a UR28m now and that works fine without the controlroom. Before I used controlroom a lot for switching between my Event and Avantone monitors. I had quick key commands for that. And also for switching between mon/stero and dim. Now I do those things with the UR28M. Great unit.
    In the Presounus Studio One Demo I found no controlroom but you are able to setup extra outputs and switch between those.

Next week I am doing a new track with a singer. Lets see how things work out with Sudio One. Maybe I get back to Cubase quick after that… :confused:

#7

Well, the grass may or may not be greener. My only suggestion since the work flows will be different is to give both an equal shot. What feels more in alignment with you should be a sign of how to proceed. A light version of cubase may be a better fit as well…

It’s just a software ya know. You and/or your clients make the music. I’ve only used logic, protools and cubase. The last two in that list I really like and I have heard really good things about studio one. You can’t go wrong with your final choice. The hardest part will just be deciding.

#8

@ Toonzo

As long as you’re not all that concerned with MIDI - or don’t do much of it.

Studio One is aimed at those focusing mostly on Audio.
If you’re mainly doing Audio, you might really like it, but for those who do a lot of MIDI, it has been a huge let down in some respects - at least for me it has.

There are a lot of great things about Studio One, but even in the manual it says “Look Mom-no MIDI”.

Now what should one take from that?

Update after update & version after version I waited & waited only to be unpleasantly surprised by that lack of attention to even just a few basic features & MIDI enhancements - and yet they’re quite content to just ignore them again & again - even after countless feature requests.

It’s like they almost believe that MIDI is dead. I think I even read that somewhere.

That’s why I’m here.

I bailed on Sonar & Studio One & paid full price for Cubase this summer - because it has much more in the MIDI department for me.

I tried & tried to use & like Studio One, but just couldn’t. And it can be confusing in some ways as well.

I haven’t opened it in months. The only reason I’m saving it is for the advanced Mastering features it has, which I plan to try soon.

#9

It only means they don’t use the midi protocol internally, but a higher resolution data stream. I think it actually says that in the manual right after the part that says… “Look Ma, No Midi.”

#10

Thanks for the info. It’s been a few years since I even looked through the manual. Not sure I even saw that, as it doesn’t ring a bell.

#11

No problem. That sentence… “Look Mom, no Midi!” … is just the header / title of an indexed section in the manual. It causes a lot of silly drama because (apparently) many either completely ignored the text in the section it indexes or have never even actually read it at all, but just heard other people say that sentence so they just repeat it. :slight_smile:

Here is that full text below which very clearly explains (I suppose it was an attempt at being humorous, the section index title?) what that index header sentence means…

3.4 Look Mom, No MIDI!

The Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) specification was created in 1983. While it has
served musicians well for more than 25 years, it has limitations. Ironically, while the MIDI device
integration in Studio One provides revolutionary flexibility and ease of use, much of
this functionality is made possible by not using MIDI internally.

As an example, nearly jump free parameter automation is provided within virtual instrument
parts, rather than much lower-resolution (128 steps) MIDI control-data automation. The
Control Link system is also made possible by abstracting MIDI from our internal processes. As
MIDI evolves, and new potential standards are developed, Studio One remains prepared for
the innovations of the future.

Anyway, it’s midi (overall, even though it has some clever bits) is most certainly not on the same level of Cubase’s yet, and may never be, no clue, we’ll have to wait a few more years and see how that all shakes out.

Cubase is a midi monster. :slight_smile:

#12

what is so strong about cubase midi over other Daws ?
all of them do basic midi lots of editing ,functions and more so whats the big difference with cubase ?

#13

You mean other than it having 20+ years of midi development that began doing the original midi work, addressing hardware synths, allowing creating custom panels for hardware, and editing that covers just about any random midi editing task you can imagine?

Not sure why people even ask questions like that. Cubase was a professional midi sequencer 20 years ago and they’ve still been working on it ever since then. The idea that any product that just showed up 4-5 years ago would be on par with it’s midi functions - overall - is ridiculous. The idea that anyone even has to say that out loud (that it’s not really clearly obvious) is ridiculous.

Cubase has like … 5-6 different midi editors?, the Midi Logical Editor, the Input Transformer, a midi list editor with a key editor attached to it, a midi score editor, a midi drum editor, etc, etc. What new sequencer - ever - has all that stuff? Cubase is arguably the “standard” for midi editing power, even if you don’t like the product and even if most people never even use most of those midi functions.

Gosh man, I love S1 personally but it doesn’t even have midi plugins yet.

Otoh, I find S1 to be a much better general audio workstation than Cubase.

#14

I agree with Audiocave, Cubase is a MIDI monster. Also things like configurable MIDI catch range and retrospective record of MIDI data are things I really miss in S1. On the mixer side and ergonomics S1 is my favorite on the MIDI side Cubase wins the battle hands down. Too bad the developers split up in the passed. They really could complement each other these days.

#15

Right! That’s exactly why I’m here instead of there. :slight_smile:

#16

Well, yeah, that’s exactly why I was “here” (with Cubase) for like … 20 years.

Not everyone needs all that obviously, I don’t anymore personally, and there are scores of musicians out there who never use midi for anything… at all… (… e.g. contrary to what the net seems to often imply, the entire musical universe actually doesn’t revolve around midi and virtual instruments and samplers and all that … :slight_smile:) … but pretending that it’s not there just because you like something else better is a wee bit silly. I love my Jeep and will likely buy another one, but I also know it’s not a Hummer, it’s a Jeep.

I don’t have to pretend it’s a Hummer to be very happy with it or to get where I need to go. :laughing:

#17

Midi drum editor alone makes cubase better for programming in my book…apart from samplitude I dont know any other daw that has one?

Just a shame they have introduced some silly changes and click fest in v7.right click and select or reach for the keyboard to open send plugins in the rack or e channel. Slows me up and annoying change to how easy it use to be in fact I dont like the new approach to sends at all.it is a click fest hopefully steinberg will address that in the future.But its a fine daw and great upgrade the pros (for me) out way the cons.

I love track versions and the ability to hide tracks is very good saving space.

#18

Yep - before MIDI it was all straight audio. Blow the guitar line - do it again or at least over dub. Same with all the other instruments.
I even remember having a cut & splice device for my reel to reel tape machine.

#19

Yeah - I really like track versions too. Used it for the 1st time the other day.

I also like the Re-record, [although I’ve since leaned on this forum how to create a macro for it, and have done so in 7.0.6 now].

But I like the visibility options & the new REVelation reverb, which I also tried just the other day as well.

The only thing I don’t like so far is the new VST [F11] look & set up.

I prefer the old one.

…it is a click fest hopefully steinberg will address that in the future…

Yeah, seems to be a lot of clicking around doesn’t there? But I’m using key commands more & more + my CMC TP, which helps quite a bit.

As far as SB doing so, my observations are that DAW designers never seem to do such things, even with many requests.

…But its a fine daw and great upgrade the pros (for me) out way the cons.…

+1 - Agreed

Ultra-cool avatar btw.

#20

To big isn’t it? As is the vst performance meter.