I am a platinum-certified producer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. I am writing this as an open letter in response to your invitation for feedback on Cubase 15. To be completely direct: I am deeply frustrated and appalled by the massive workflow regressions introduced in the recent versions, especially when comparing them to the flawless efficiency of Cubase 11.
The issues below create so much friction in my daily high-pressure sessions that I am genuinely considering switching to another DAW after many years of faithful dedication to Cubase. I currently find myself forced to downgrade and mix in Cubase 11 when deadlines are tight because Cubase 15 actively slows me down.
I would like official support and answers on the following critical points:
1. Scrolling and Zooming Axis Locking: The scroll and zoom functions have become severely flawed. I frequently rely on horizontal zoom, horizontal scroll, and vertical scroll in quick succession. In Cubase 15, engaging one axis frequently locks the other, grinding my navigation to a halt. This was never an issue in Cubase 11, or even back in Cubase 5 or 6. How has navigating the project window become less efficient?
2. Childish UI and Poor Visual Contrast: The entire new color scheme and GUI feel like amateur, children’s software. Essential buttons lack the vital visual contrast needed for fast-paced studio environments. For example, the ‘Group Editing’ button used to be a distinct, easily spottable orange in Cubase 11. Now, it is just white, blending into the rest of the interface and slowing down basic tracking tasks.
3. Anonymous Send Automation Labels: When expanding automation lanes for auxiliary sends, the track name of the specific destination/FX channel is completely hidden. It simply displays the word “Level”. When running sessions with complex routing and multiple sends, working with these anonymous lanes forces me to work completely in the blind. This feels incredibly outdated.
4. MixConsole Arrow Navigation and Focus Hijacking: When browsing channels horizontally in the MixConsole using the keyboard arrow keys, the focus constantly resets or binds exclusively to the horizontal scrollbar. Similarly, if I try to copy an insert chain across multiple channels using the right arrow key, after just one paste, the arrow key completely loses focus of the slots and starts scrolling the entire mixer instead. This is deeply counterintuitive.
5. Audio Clip Volume Handle overlapping Crossfades: The clip-gain handle design is a major step backward. The old center-placed drag-down function was perfect. Moving it to a tiny handle on the left zone means it sits directly on top of the crossfade boundaries. When attempting to adjust crossfades or quickly arrange audio clips, I constantly misclick and grab the volume handle by mistake. Getting it perfectly back to 0 dB is infuriatingly difficult.
Too many counterproductive UI and architectural decisions have been made. You are throwing gravel into the machinery of professionals who use this software under heavy time constraints every single day.
I paid a substantial amount of money to upgrade to Cubase 15, and given how flawed the current workflow is, I honestly feel that longtime professional users deserve compensation or an immediate rollout of legacy workflow options.
Two final questions:
How and when will these specific workflow regressions be addressed?
Where can I officially sign up to become an alpha/beta tester for upcoming versions? I want to help ensure that the needs of working professionals are actually listened to before these updates are forced into production.
I expect you to take this inquiry and the attached frustration extremely seriously.
Best regards, Esben Svane
Platinum-Certified Producer
Copenhagen, Denmark
Last I checked, anything written in a forum is open.
Personally, never would I want to go back to C11. I would probably look for an alternative before going back that far.
I think it’s always a good thing to be aware of the competition and how it relates to your version of Cubase.
Here, I’ll choose the easy one:
If you bothered to do a search, you can configure it the way it’s always been. As a matter of fact, there is a very recent post with @Johnny_Moneto posting the example.
I run into counter productive UI and architectural issues on occasion. I either create work-arounds or do above…which is staying informed about the competition. I don’t have as many time constraints as I used to have but I’m still in my project studio 5 days a week 9-5 with a 2-hour break for lunch, taking listening breaks by browsing audio forums, and a Baja Margarita on occasion.
I think most everyone pays it one way or the other. Going from 11 to 15, did you not check out the Cubase 15 demo before upgrading?
I think every user has DAW issues. It’s how you respond to the issues that matters. If they are overwhelming, then it’s time to find a DAW that has less issues for you.
Last I knew, Hans Zimmer still uses Cubase. I don’t think its a good look to proclaim this level of importance because of Platinum on the wall or skill ability with a DAW. There are lots of professionals using Cubase, and like any DAW, there is a never-ending quest for improvement.
I don’t know if you realise but your post comes over as very arrogant.
Should we all post our CV’s and list our musical successes to validate what we want from Cubase.
In general I’m quite happy with the current version of Cubase..
Should I say if Steinberg change it to your vision I’m going to another DAW or would that sound childish?
I’ll post a list of my credits to see who’s opinion is more important … Sarcasm
you’ve made some valid points. Most of your points have been the subject of intense discussions here in this forum and, as a consequence, Steinberg has adressed some of these issues and offered pretty solid solutions (do a forum search - use any outside search engine, discourse’s search engine is pretty much useless). You will find some decent workarounds for some of these issues.
If I may suggest: Focus on one point at the time and find out what the latest version brings to the table (a lot has happened since C11 and there have been some amazing improvements, definetly worth looking into). If you get stuck - look for help in the forum. This is probably the most constructive approach towards your issues.
One last thing. Starting a thread with
might not be the best strategy to add weight to your complaints. YMMV.
Again, try to learn what Cubase 12-15 has to offer and I am pretty confident that you will see the benefits of the latest versions in a different light compared to their downsides.
I share your frustration with the UI and have been highly critical as well but criticism is most effective when you are as critical of your own criticism as your are of the target of your criticism (in both form and substance).
Most experts and successful users either report issues anonymously or refrain from explicitly touting their credits and awards because it forces companies to listen to everyone, not just a handful of big names, which ultimately benefits everyone, including you.
We don’t have time to report every single issue we encounter, we need amateurs to do it for us, but they have to be taken seriously which companies are forced to do if they can’t tell us apart.
This is poor form because you would be worse off if everyone did the same, and by flaunting your credits, you’re tacitly admitting that you think your feedback and needs are more valuable than other anonymous “platinum” users, which is off-putting and will cause people to take you less seriously, not more.
Lastly, Steinberg wouldn’t be this successful if they prioritized “platinum perspectives” because established users actually have a tendency to be set in their ways and resist change. The best ideas tend to come from up and coming users, not already established ones.
