Hello,
Thank you for your comment. I/we at Steinberg actually value your, say “impatience”, as it really shows that you care about our products. So I completly understand that people are waiting for N14 to be released. I’m sorry that I might have been a bit slow answering this question, which doesn’t actually mean I don’t care; it seems we talk via more channels with our users than we are currently able to maintain.
That said, I’ve been discussing the Cubase/Nuendo release timing already a few times here in the forums, but I’m happy to shed some light on this for those who are new to the Nuendo platform.
First, there is not “intentional” delay of the Nuendo release. It’s simply not ready for release, since Cubase and Nuendo share some of the same team members in the development department. Like Nuendo 13, Nuendo 14 will receive some features based on AI, which is a significant development task.
Both Cubase and Nuendo are developed on what is called the “Sequencer branch”, in this case, branch #14. This initial launch and beta testing with some more Sequencer-general and music features is for Cubase, on top of which we add the Nuendo-specific functions. This allows the Sequencer basis to be tested properly before adding Nuendo functions.
Which leads me to the second reason. Nuendo is used in tens of thousands, almost exclusively, professional environments, and has to be a 24/7 workhorse (at least, as much as possible), with stability being the #1 priority, in conjunction with new features. In the past there have been release situations in which we released Cubase and Nuendo developments in close succession. This was the case with C13 and N13 (to be correct, this release scenario was a result of a severe Online-Shop outtage in October 2023).
Both products were based on the initial release branch, which was 13.0.0.
In the first couple of release days, thousands of Nuendo users installed this version and, due to the nature of the kind of work they do (“pro scenario”), we have seen people rolling back to N12 for their daily work, as naturally, the first bug-fix updates were yet to come. As a result, we were criticized for releasing Nuendo too quickly after Cubase. Considering this for the N14 development, we went for a combination of “added development time + stability”. Nuendo 14 will be released on the basis of the 2nd bugfix version of Sequencer Branch 14.
We could certainly think of an extension for the Cubase trial exclusively for Nuendo users, but that’s not something that can be done overnight, it’s more than changing the duration of the trial. The trial provision workflow service needs to be changed for this. So that could be something to consider for generation 15.
I’m pretty aware of the that there is no way for us doing the right thing here. I nevertheless try to be very honest and open with this. That said, more information on the launch of N14 will come within the next 14 days. It isn’t too far away anymore.
Thanks for reading and your continuous support,
Timo
P.S. Speaking of communication channels, I’m also sharing information on Nuendo regularly on my Facebook Channel (e.g. tradeshows, news, connect to Nuendo people, sales promotions etc.), so please feel invited to connect there as well.