I just bought Cubasis 3 for iPad for use in location recording with a Sound Devices MixPre II-series recorder. The MixPre saves multichannel .wav files (polywave). To my dismay it doesn’t seem possible to import these files directly to Cubasis for iPad.
The Cubase (not Cubasis) manual describes importing multichannel .wav files, while the Cubasis manual simply says that .wav is a supported file format; it makes no mention of importing multichannel files in particular. This led me to believe that multichannel .wav files were supported, which is why I bought the app.
As a brand-new user, am I missing something? Is there any way to import multichannel .wav files directly to Cubasis 3 for iPad?
If not, would it be too much to ask that this small feature be added to the next minor update? This could greatly help quite a number of musicians in the field. Thanks so much in advance.
Thanks for your reply. Could you consider updating the manual to specify the supported files in detail? As mentioned, the Cubase manual (I forget which version(s)) states that multichannel .wav files are supported, and the Cubasis 3 manual states that .wav files can be imported but doesn’t mention any limitations. Therefore I assumed that multichannel .wav files must be supported across the Cubase line, and unfortunately it wasn’t possible to test the import functionality prior to purchasing the app. I actually bought Cubasis specifically to work with the MixPre’s files while doing remote recording; now it looks like I won’t be able to use Cubasis at all.
Would it be too much to ask for Cubasis to support importing multichannel .wav files? Many thanks for considering this suggestion.
I did take a good look at that comparison chart before purchasing Cubasis 3.3. (I think that’s the “big” version for iOS/iPadOS.)
The chart says that .wav files are supported, but it doesn’t specify that multichannel .wav files are not supported.
The manual for Cubase (maybe one of the “light” versions for desktop OS’s?) does say that multichannel .wav files are supported. Again, all of this seems to suggest that Cubasis 3 for iPad also supports multichannel .wav files for import.
Since this is likely not an unimportant topic, may I suggest making both the manual and the comparison chart clearer? Also, may I again kindly suggest adding multichannel .wav import to Cubasis? That would truly solve the problem! Many thanks for considering these small suggestions.
Did you have a chance to consider my small suggestion from the other week? It would be very helpful to other customers like me to list the specifications for which .wav files are supported by each version of Cubasis. The comparison chart (which I had checked before purchasing the iPad version) merely says that each version of Cubasis supports .wav files, but it doesn’t specify which .wav formats each version supports. Evidently support for different .wav file formats is significantly different for certain versions. Adding these important details would surely help avoid any confusion. Many thanks for considering this small suggestion.
I have the same problem and I find it quite annoying…
I bought Cubasis especially to work with the recordings of my MixPre only to find it not working…
Also the answers Lars is giving here are not very satisfying.
As the other user mentioned Cubasis is worthless if there is no Multi-Channel Wav support. You better push the request of the community to your software team to solve that limitation.
I mean I am running an old Cubase 5 (from 2009 !!!) on my pc and it manages multi-track wav with ease…
The inbuilt audio player of my iPad can also play them by the way…
I also tried LogicPro on the iPad and there is no problem with multitrack waves at all…
If i could give back my version of Cubasis and get my money back I would do immediately… I will also not recommend cubasis to anyone when the customer support just answers the requests of their users in this way (just saying multitrack wav import is not possible - over and out). I will rather tell people not to use your product.
So please could you be a little more cooperative here rather than just saying that there will be no way this feature is going to be implemented - you are going to loose customers here! There are people who want to work with this tool and can‘t because they can‘t open their files…
Can you describe your workflow with these a bit more please, what you’re able to do with
them, once inside Logic.? Maybe its simply that importing is ok, but from then on it’s just like handling any other stereo WAV…?
Hey!
I just tried if it works and didn‘t work long with it because I just wanted to check if other products are able to handle my files.
Basically this is what I did and what happened:
→ Dragged my recorded multitrack wav into LP
→ It opened it as 5 single tracks on which i can now work (even every single one without changing the others)
And that‘s exactly what I want to do.
Drag my files in and start working.
Not convert them in another tool or something.
No steps in between.
Just that easy.
And as I said - My old cubase 5 can handle this and it‘s from 2009…
Hope it was clear - if not let me know and I explain in more detail.
Cheers Sven
Hello Sven - thank you for posting the extra info.!
I understand now, your multi-channel interleaved file is separated out, inside LP, onto individual tracks. The data is no longer intact, or treated, as ‘one contained file’. Ok, fine - that’s clear now.
Can I ask what happens next.?
Is there a deliverable for you at the end of any editing/mixing/processing of these separate tracks, as a multi-channel interleaved file.?
Or is this the end of the multi-channel files journey, as far as you’re concerned.? (i.e. its only an importing function that’s holding you back from using Cubasis).
All monitoring (speakers/headphones) throughout your processing is via normal stereo output.?
Any render/export of your efforts to a file for external use, is stereo format.?
I’m guessing the multi-channel interleaved format files are sourced externally, then sent to you to work your magic.? Or, can you also make them yourself (all this, with the aim for further processing on iPad whilst out on the road, travelling, etc…).?
Apologies for all these extra questions Sven - hope you don’t mind; and I don’t mean to pry.! Trying to understand all the parameters…
By the way, I don’t own Cubasis myself.! Though, with one eye on the future its an interesting topic for me, that’s all.
Hey Bob!
Yes you are right - I‘m more up to importing my recorded files to Cubasis and work with them right away without further converting. My field recorder records multichannel .wav files only.
And yes you are also right that I want to use my IPad anywhere to work on my recorded files - on my couch, in the park or right after a recording session, so mobile working is priority for me.
I also have a laptop but it‘s way more convenient to work with the iPad for it is smaller, lighter and has the touch function as tablets have. I also have an Apple Pencil which makes working incredibly easy.
The only thing that keeps me going is the missing import compatibility of Cubasis which is a shame because other programs have no problem with that.
Hope this answers your questions and don‘t hesitate to ask anytime
Cheers Sven
Now wondering if these files are some special format specific to your make of Field Recorder device, that LP and your built-in audio player both recognise and Cubasis doesn’t.? Or, this is just a normal, ‘standard’ multi-channel file format recording, that should be recognised anywhere.?
In either case, might be helpful if Lars/Cubasis team could take a look at one of these files, from your device, to see what’s going on. Is it possible you could post a (dummy, 5 - 10 secs) example file here for them to examine.? Probably doesn’t even have to have any real audio - its just the format/labelling/naming that’s important. And that it’s from your device; different hardware out there can all have their individual quirks, to hamper the workflow.!
And hey, am not saying anything will happen as a result… but fingers crossed; you never know.!
Hi - yes, the video demonstrates Cubasis import/export of Multitrack WAV’s. However this is not what’s being talked about within this thread. Specifically, the topic is about multi-channel WAV files.
A Multi-Channel WAV file is one file that has a number of separate but interleaved audio channels within - sometimes for surround sound use or application. Or in Sven’s case, from his Field Recorder hardware device that records his (5) separate sources and puts them together (interleaves) into one special file format for output and further external processing.
It is this one special file that LogicPro iPad imports ok. Not to be confused with, for example, a zip file containing the 5 separate audio tracks etc…
(However, once inside LP, it seems the audio data inside the special file is no longer kept or treated ‘intact’ as one entity - like you can in desktop Cubase/Nuendo. The audio is separated onto individual tracks - but that seems the subject for another topic.!)
Hi Puma0382,
Thanks for the info. I have never used multiwaves before and I wrongly assumed it was the same as separate wav files instead of interleaved. At least I have learned something from this
o I wrote to the support 6 days ago and still no response…
Hope to get an answer soon because its still not solved and for parts of my works the software remains worthless for me…
Too bad
Hi Lars!
The question was if there is any way or if it is planned for the future that multitrack waves (.wav) can be imported to Cubasis 3 on Ipad.
Logic Pro can do it, my old Cubasis 5 on pc can - why can’t Cubasis?
It would be a huge improvement for my workflow - so I am not using Cubasis at all which is annoying because i paid about 30€ for it tu use it just for this purpose and it shows to be useless for me at this state of functionality.
I have never used multiwaves before and I wrongly assumed it was the same as separate wav files instead of interleaved. At least I have learned something from this 
o I wrote to the support 6 days ago and still no response…