Cubase 9 … Hit or Miss ?
- Hit
- Miss
- Undecided
0 voters
Id like to hear your thoughts on C9 , whether you think its worth upgrading on a .O release . Do you think it’s a hit or miss ?
I’ve said this before but I’ll reiterate because it’s a forum and I’m a guy with an opinion lol. When I was looking at the new features “on paper” (aka on Youtube) I thought… well it looks okay; that mixer history is a must, and the docked editors will be a welcome change, so I guess I’ll get the upgrade. I wasn’t expecting all that much… and especially after browsing these forums, you practically feel like “ah hell everything’s wrong. I guess I’ll just give up on music then” 
But I tell you, I was actually significantly surprised by what a step up it was. The lower zone, the new UI, and the mixer history… these things work together to make it a noticeably nicer experience than 8.5. And yes, of course I still have a Cubase wishlist, but I’m happy with it.
One thing I’m a little ambivalent about is the Frequency EQ. It’s nice and all, but like many others have said, I have Pro Q 2, Acon Equalize, Neutron, Ozone, Filterscape, Melda Equalizer, etc. etc. etc. I tested it out and it’s very nice, probably the nicest stock EQ I’ve ever used, but in a perfect world there is a laundry list of desired features I would have taken over that. That said, I guess i understand their need to keep up with other DAWs, practically all of which offer a full featured parametric EQ. I also think the option to make each individual module linear phase is novel and interesting. That said, people make a lot of fuss about Cubase as a DAW for professionals. (I hate this conversation but we’ll only have to tolerate it for a couple sentences). You would think by the time you’re a professional you’d already have a favorite EQ plugin. Not a criticism, just an observation.
Now that I think about it, I haven’t even tried the VSTi audio inputs. I need to check and see if that works on my u-he synths.
Production grooves and the new content… I surely could have lived without. I would have traded that for about a million other things. But i guess if you have a DAW that comes with lots of content, you probably feel compelled to add some new stuff for a version upgrade.
Overall though, I use Cubase for its power, flexibility, and speed as pertains of my style of working with audio and midi. And that aspect has been improved… I dare say enough to warrant my $100. So there.
Every time I watch cubase 9 videos I fall asleep
Hit.
Dropping 32 bit support and the Sentinel seems to have done the trick for me. Been using Reaper because 8.5 was unuseable. Reaper was stable but also a bit daft. Welcome back Cubase.
I think it depends on what you need most of the time, but after seeing the new Cubase 9 features I downloaded the Studio One Pro demo to see if it turns out to be a better fit for me.
About C9:
- Mixer undo was certainly long overdue, but I would argue that it should have been delivered a long time ago and not as part of an 100 Euro upgrade
- Lower zone is pretty much the only thing that I feel is an innovation
- I personally don’t really need any improved internal plugins, like the new EQs. I would argue that 95% of all users already have dedicated and better FX and synths, so I am generally not hyped about the latest internal synth update, ect.
- Overall, looks more like a .5 upgrade
What I don’t like:
- No HiDPI support in 2016 → very bad for Laptop users
- No ARA support, which would allow an incredible workflow if you are using Melodyne and Vocalign regularly
- Still no video functionality (I know it’s supposed to arrive in spring, but the fact the function has been missing for months is solely Steinberg’s fault)
- The only piece of software I have ever seen that requires me to change to an Aero theme
- Ugly menu bar if you minimize the software on Windows 7 (at least in C8.5 )
Of course, if you are on Windows 10 with a large HD screen, use Variaudio instead of Melodyne and don’t need video support, all these issues might be of no concern for you and you can happily upgrade.
Massive hit, IMO. Steinberg continue to deliver and innovate!
Very true Hattrixx
Hit!!! still not there yet, many things needed but a leap forward. It is the best Cubase.
I think we’d of seen a lot more if they didn’t have the video issue, which I know very little about.
IMO, this version is good. Some of the new stuff I don’t need, but overall it feels comfortable. 8.5 was a sneaker, 9 a slipper.
This is the best Cubase so far. Hot swapping USB! Love the zones - about time as Sonar had both 6 years ago I like the way the inspector changes automatically to editor parameters when you are doing midi editing. Nice. So far no crashes.
Very cool IMHO. Had a bit of trouble at first getting my PowerCore Virus and plug-ins to work, but with help from some kind forum members, that’s all sorted allowing me to enjoy Cubase Pro 9.
:thumbs-up:
It would be great if I could actually load Cubase 9 to have an opinion! I have an aero theme
running and yet I get the error message of death telling me to switch to an aero theme? Not impressed at this point at all. Tried about ten workarounds and still no joy.
Cubase 8.6.
Hit.
I think C9 is really great so far. Been pushing and haven’t broken it yet. So, that’s a plus. I could break 8 no problem.
Cheers
I have to say that I am liking it
I am not ready to 100% commit to it because I am still testing it out but so far so good.
Its definitely the most “mild” release in a while.
“Hit” or “Miss” probably depends on your style of music. Electronic producers will probably like it more.
spot on
Come to think about it… I’ve spent more than $100 on plugins only marginally better than Frequency. That alone should tell you…
How is that? I see they added a sampler track but what else leads you to come to the conclusion that this release is more “electronic producer” based?
New EQ
Zones
Mixer Undo
Sentinel
Those are features that would be used across any genre of music IMO.
Hadn’t noticed the USB hot swapping thing. I’m always forgetting to turn on my keyboard before starting Cubase. A small thing, but for me a timesaver 