Steinberg have once again tweaked the appearance of Cubase's user interface for version six, building on some of the changes introduced in Cubase 5.5 and, especially, in recent versions of Nuendo (version 5 was reviewed in SOS October 2010: /sos/oct10/articles/nuendo‑5.htm). These tutorials were produced by Streamworks Audio and should provide a good starting point for new users - even though the lady providing the instruction sounds distractingly reminiscent of someone desperately trying to disguise a heavy cold. The remaining five offer trial versions of Halion Sonic, Halion Symphonic Orchestra and The Grand SE 3, along with a DVD containing video tutorials. (Let's not even joke about printing it out.)Ĭubase 6 is supplied on six DVDs, although the main application itself only requires one disc. However, it has to be acknowledged that PDF manuals have long been commonplace and should you want to read the manual away from your computer, I suppose you can always put the documentation on a tablet device like the iPad, even though it's not quite the same. While this is great for the environment, it means that Steinberg no longer supply the Cubase Operation Manual in a physical form, which is perhaps a shame. You Sixy ThingĪs with Logic 9, the first thing you notice about Cubase 6 is that its physical package has been made smaller. And long‑standing issues haven't been ignored either, with Steinberg finally simplifying the process of multitrack audio editing and cleaning up some interface‑related cobwebs. For every feature that could perhaps have been anticipated, such as a new plug‑in to emulate guitar amps and stomp boxes, there was another most users would never have foreseen, such as the ability to record and edit expression data polyphonically. Shown for the first time at this year's Winter NAMM show, Cubase 6 had plenty of new features to both delight and surprise. And although Steinberg haven't exactly been resting on their laurels - Cubase 5.5, introduced last Summer, brought significant under‑the‑bonnet changes for multi‑core support and video - there has been much curiosity over what direction the company would take for their flagship music-creation software in the next major version. More recently, Avid launched Pro Tools 9, with support for ASIO and Core Audio‑based hardware. Apple's Logic 9, unveiled in the Summer of 2009, brought advanced tools for recording guitarists, and Flex Time audio editing. Much has happened in the world of music technology since Steinberg released Cubase 5 just over two years ago.

Cubase 6 pushes the boundaries of expressive sequencing, while adding polish and new editing functionality to keep existing users happy.