Upgrading Elements 10.5 to Pro 10.5?

Cubase
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1

Hello.

I own Elements and, well, now I realised I bought the wrong version :slight_smile:

I also have the Steinberg UR22 mkII-interface which comes with Cubase AI. Not activated though.

Can I buy the AI to Pro-upgrade and upgrade Elements? Or uninstall Elements, install AI and upgrade that to Pro?

A little bit cheaper then buying the full version.

2

No. An upgrade from AI/LE will only work for AI/LE. What is installed is irrelevant. The upgrade occurs to the LICENSE (in the eLicense Control Center). You could have no Cubase version installed at all. Upgrading from Elements should be less expensive unless you could get your money back for it in which case activating AI and upgrading from that may be cheaper.
Again, we are talking about the license, not the installed version.

3

I can only see one option for upgrading to Pro, no matter if you upgrade from AI/LE or Elements license. So basically that upgrade path should work. As jaslan already mentioned upgrade will happen in the eLicense Control Center and it does not matter what version is currently installed.
CubaseProUpgrade.JPG

I also have the Steinberg UR22 mkII-interface which comes with Cubase AI. Not activated though.

The upgrade from Elements and AI will cost you the same:

  • If you can return the (unused!) Elements license - do so and upgrade the free AI license you got with the hardware.
  • If youā€™ve already activated Elements then just upgrade that license and do not bother with the AI one (or sell it.)

Adding a note for those who upgrade to Artist:
It works different with Artist with two different upgrades (AI/LE->Artist and Elements->Artist) with different prices.

4

Sorry I didnā€™t realize upgrading from AI/LE was the same cost as from Elements. In the past I think they were different prices.

5

Sorry to jump on your thread, but Iā€™m in a similar position.

I originally had LE8 bundled with a desk. Activated with the codes, all good.
After a while (& an offer from Steinberg) I upgraded to Elements 9, again activated with the codes, all good.
All has been dandy, but I now want to upgrade to Pro 10.5, oh and move the software to a new PC at the same time.

Now for the confusionā€¦

Steinberg site tells me I can upgrade from ā€œCubase Elements, LE (4 or higher), AI, Essential, Studio, SX, SL or Sequelā€ for the princely sum of Ā£405 (plus I need a separate USB-eLicenser).

Resellers in the UK are offering an upgrade from AI to Pro 10.5 for Ā£230ā€¦ā€¦???
Even Amazon offer it at Ā£249 with the dongle and fulfilled by Steinberg!
But this seems to stipulate upgrade from ā€œAI 6 or higherā€ onlyā€¦ā€¦

So 2 questions:

  1. Will the Amazon ā€˜so called AI upgradeā€™ work from Elements?
  2. If it does I assume the easiest transition to a new PC would be upgrade to Pro 10.5 on the old PC (with the USB dongle), then just download Pro 10.5 on the new PC and switch the USB dongle overā€¦

Thanks for any help (and sorry for my lack of knowledge)ā€¦

Cheers

6

Somehow I missed that offer, I see Thomann have it too with free shipping to many countries :smiley:
https://www.thomann.de/intl/steinberg_cubase_pro_10_upgrade_ai.htm

  1. Will the Amazon ā€˜so called AI upgradeā€™ work from Elements?
  2. If it does I assume the easiest transition to a new PC would be upgrade to Pro 10.5 on the old PC (with the USB dongle), then just download Pro 10.5 on the new PC and switch the USB dongle overā€¦

From what I read it will upgrade AI 6 or newer license only. It will NOT work from Elements, LE or any other version.
AI license is usually bundled with Steinberg/Yamaha hardware. Given the much lower price itā€™s worth asking around if someone has an unused AI license to give/sell :wink:

7

Okā€¦to add a bit more info & after a bit more deliberation/diggingā€¦and to explain my decisions
Please feel free to suggest otherwiseā€¦ā€¦ā€¦

My existing set-up is an Allen & Heath Zed 16, which is theoretically an analogue mixing desk, with built in AD convertors to USB into the DAW software. That came with LEā€¦and was my entry pointā€¦LE was later upgraded to Elementsā€¦

For my needs (home studio, singer songwriter) it was a great entry solution and having a ā€˜deskā€™ for inputs meant that I could at least ā€œpre-cableā€ my various mics/guitar(s)/bass/stereo-ins etc, rather than faff around (or wear out) the input sockets on a traditional 2 in 2 out AD convertor.

Now I want to 10.5 pro and the only upgrade from Elements is Ā£405 via Steinberg. Straight purchase being best part of Ā£500.

From what I can tell these are the following are the 2 best options:
a) buy a bundle consisting of a UR22C interface (comes with AI) and a Pro 10.5 upgrade (from AI), that I have seen at Ā£385. Retaining the Allen & Heath desk, but outputted to the UR22Cā€¦(arguably the UR22C AD convertors should be better than the Allen Heath).
b) buy a bundle consisting of UR22C interface (comes with AI), ST-M01 Microphone, ST-HO1 Studio Monitor Headphones and a Pro 10.5 upgrade (from AI) that I have seen for Ā£445. Again, retaining the Allen & Heath desk, but outputted to the UR22Cā€¦(arguably the UR22C AD convertors should be better than the Allen Heath).

Thoughts anyone??? I have no real need for the mic/headphones (probably the UR22 either), but at least I feel that Iā€™ve gained something over the very annoying straight upgrade!!!

p.s. cant help think that an Elements upgrade at Ā£405 is a bit of pi## take, when you can upgrade from AI (a lesser product) for Ā£229ā€¦