Nuendo Live vs Cubase 10

Nuendo
#1

Hi all. I’m a live sound engineer and I’ve just been looking at Nuendo Live and Cubase 10.

I’ve been thinking for a while that it would be useful to have some recording software to use for the odd recording and potentially virtual soundchecks. It’s certainly nothing I need right now, but it always pays to have the tools available when the situation arises. Many years ago I used Cubase and Nuendo at university (I think Cubase 3 and whatever version of Nuendo was out around the same time) so when I saw the 50% off sale on Cubase I thought I’d take the opportunity. However when I looked this up I also saw Nuendo Live, which is a product I’m not familiar with.

Can somebody please explain to me the difference between the two? Even after discount Nuendo Live is about half the price of Cubase 10 Pro, but then I assume Cubase has a lot more features to make it worth the money.

#2

Hi and welcome,

Nuendo Live is meant to be for a recording only. No editing at all. It’s very light software with comparison to Cubase. So you should be able to record more tracks on the same system (comparison to Cubase). You get also a specific features (only for recording), like dedicated Recording Panel with an option to lock a keyboard, to make sure no one would interrupt your recording (or yourself) by accident.

If you want to edit the recorded material, you have to export it (AAF) and edit (mix) in other software (like Cubase, Nuendo or 3rd party DAWs).

So if you are focused on recording only, then Nuendo Live could be your choice. If you also mix and edit the records, you should go for Cubase or Nuendo.

#3

If all you want to do is capture multichannel live sound, then you possibly don’t need any additional software at all, for example RME interfaces come with the excellent DigiCheck which is anything but glamorous, but records everything bit-perfectly – as long as your hardware is RME. If you’re happy with your current hardware and want something that will work with all ASIO interfaces, then Nuendo Live would be a good choice.

On the other hand you could also get Cubase Elements 10 at the moment for a mere fifty bucks, upgrade later, but Cubase wouldn’t be my personal weapon of choice for live recording … so it really depends on where you’re at, and where you want to go. The bargains on Cubase are the best ever … but no point in buying something unsuitable, or that you’ll never use.

#4

Hi,

Be aware, Cubase Elements has a limited number of physical Audio Inputs, same as a limit of Audio tracks count.