Steinberg Cubase 4

Steinberg Cubase 4 features a new set of plug-ins and integrated software instruments. The revolutionary SoundFrame™ Universal Sound Manager will change the way you make music.

Designed for professional music production from the ground up, Steinberg Cubase 4 comes with a brand-new VST3 plug-in set, four new integrated software instruments with more than 1000 sounds. The revolutionary SoundFrame™ is a powerful combination of Track Presets, Instrument Tracks, and MediaBay database, to help organize all your sounds from every instrument - both software VSTi and hardware.

Steinberg Cubase 4's mixer now offers a flexible Control Room section and up to four independent studio mixes. Composers and musicians benefit from a streamlined and enhanced score editor. A redesigned user interface with many new features speeds up workflow and boosts creativity to new levels.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - Top Features

• SoundFrame™ – Universal Sound Manager
• Control Room
• 33 All-New VST3 Audio Effects Plug-ins
• Four New Virtual Instruments
• Major Score Editor Enhancements
• MediaBay
• Instrument Tracks
• Track Presets
• User Interface Redesign
• Drag & Drop for Insert FX

Steinberg Cubase 4 - Other New Features

• Mac PPC/Intel - Universal Binary
• Advanced AudioWarp Realtime Transpose
• New Trim Tool
• User-configurable Track Inspector
• New state-of-the-art Channel EQ
• User-configurable Channel Strip
• Intuitive Audio + MIDI Hardware Setup
• MP3 Surround
• MPEX 3 – High-quality audio time-stretching and pitch-shifting
• Tutorial Videos

Steinberg Cubase 4 - In-Depth Features

Steinberg Cubase 4 - Control Room

The mixer in Steinberg Cubase 4 has been expanded with a powerful Control Room section. You're now able to connect multiple sets of control room monitors and external sources (CD, DVD, DAT, iPod) directly to your audio hardware and switch between them from a convenient Control Room panel. All connections are defined under a new tab in the VST Connections window. The Control Room section also offers a talkback channel, independent headphone channels, and the ability to create up to four studio mixes (monitor mixes). Therefore, each mixer channel now offers a separate studio send section for controlling those mixes.

Without drawing a lot of attention, the control room section of a mixer is one of the key elements in every studio. No matter if it's just about controlling the level of studio monitors, switching between different sets of monitors, communicating with musicians in a recording booth, or quickly switching to a external source like CD, DAT or DVD player: the control room section of a professional mixing desk brings all these signals together and distributes them within the studio.

Equally important and often missed on smaller mixing consoles is one or more independent monitor or headphone mixes, specially when recording a live band or multiple musicians at the same time. Many of today's studios still require a hardware mixer just for that purpose.

Steinberg Cubase 4 completely redefines the computer-based recording and mixing workflow in music production systems by recreating the complete Control Room section originally found only in high-end hardware mixing consoles. With the addition of this virtual Control Room and suitable multi-channel audio I/O hardware, external mixers are finally a thing of the past.

The Control Room section in Steinberg Cubase 4 includes the following functions:

• Completely separate output busses for Control Room and Headphone Monitoring, leaving the main mix output untouched by control room specific settings.
• Four user-definable Monitor Setups allow for quick switching between monitor systems including “Foldback” and convenient solo functionality for surround setups such as “Solo to Center” or “Back to Front”
• Up to six External Inputs for external sources such as DAT, Tape, CD or DVD can be played through any Studio, Track, Headphone or Control Room Bus.
• A total of up to four separate Studios/Monitor Mixes, each getting their signal feeds from any audio channel, group channel, or FX return channel within the Cubase mixer. All of these channel types are now equipped with four independent Studio Sends, each offering level and pan.
• Talkback function allowing producers and engineers to speak directly to musicians/artists in any or all of the studios.
• Automatic Dim, when Talkback is used, as well as manual Dim button to reduce Control Room output levels by 20dB.
• Copy function to apply the main mix to any of the Studio mixes with a single mouse click or key command.
• Separate Click Bus allows for individual distribution of a metronome click to Studios, Headphone and Control Room busses.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - Major Score Editor Enhancements

The score editor in Steinberg Cubase 4 has seen a major redesign, including many usability and workflow improvements as well as new features.

Composers don't despair! None of the existing functions have been lost. All functions from previous versions are still available, albeit in different places. Here's just a brief overview:

• The Score menu is now slimmer and better organized. Some functions are now available via dedicated context menus and therefore easier to use
• The symbol palettes have their own “inspector” which is organized in tabs – similar to the track inspector
• Several dialogs have been combined into a single “main” score settings dialog
• The Drum settings are now part of the main Drum Map Setup
• Cubase 4 now offers two additional high-quality score fonts: “Jazz” and “Classical”. The original Cubase font is now available as “Legacy” font.

The Staff Presets have been linked to Steinberg Cubase 4's SoundFrame™ and its new Track Presets. Whenever a track preset is used that contains sound category information, a suitable staff preset is automatically assigned to that track. Vice-versa user defined MIDI or Instrument Track Presets can save custom staff settings together with the instrument and sound.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - New Plug-in Set – VST3

Steinberg Cubase 4 not only includes a completely new set of audio effect plugins, it also marks the next step in VST plug-in technology! VST3 offers major new features both for plug-in developers and users. VST3 plugins can adjust their number of audio busses to the channel they're inserted to (mono, stereo, 5.1, etc.). A silence detection function makes sure that a plug-in only processes audio when there's actually a signal present. This helps to reduce overall CPU load. VST3 plug-ins natively support Mac Intel and 64-bit processing. For developers there are many more features under the hood.

In Steinberg Cubase 4, there are more than 30 all-new audio plug-ins. In addition, some of the previous plug-ins have been reworked and updated for this version, pushing the total number of plug-ins to 66! The original SX3 plug-ins will still be available to update customers. New customers may install these plug-ins as a “Legacy” set for project compatibility.

One of the highlights of this new plug-in set is a powerful new state-ofthe-art 4-band parametric Equalizer, which is also available within the newly enhanced channel EQ. Other highlights include a Vintage Compressor, Studio Chorus, a new Multiband Compressor, a voicedoubler called “Cloner”, and a great-sounding modeling guitar amplifier with speaker cabinet simulation.

A feature not related to VST3 but to Cubase 4's mixer: effects can now be re-arranged using drag & drop. This works both within a single channel, as well as between channels.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - New Virtual Instruments

Steinberg Cubase 4 adds four new virtual instruments: HALion One, Prologue, Spector and Mystic.

HALion One is a special player version of HALion and comes with hundreds of ready-to-use instruments.

With HALion One Steinberg adds powerful sample playback synthesis to Cubase 4. Based on Steinberg's award-winning HALion 3 architecture, HALion One is optimized for use with SoundFrame™. It comes with more than 650 brand-new ready-to-play sounds covering dozens of acoustic and electronic instruments, as well as hundreds of colorful synth timbres. This extremely versatile sound set is optimized for lightning-fast preset switching and low memory consumption.

HALion One plays one single VST3 Preset at a time and provides one pair of stereo audio outputs. Sound and effect parameters can be tweaked using eight convenient Quick Controls. Edits can be saved as user presets. SoundFrame™ manages all of HALion One's presets, user presets and track presets. So finding the right sound is equally convenient and fast.

• Integrated sample-based instrument with more than 600 instruments/sounds
• Includes 58 drum kits
• Eight QuickControls
• FX Bypass button
• Variable efficiency to control CPU load
• One MIDI In, stereo audio out – perfect for Instrument Tracks

Prologue is a polyphonic subtractive synthesizer with great-sounding filters and powerful modulation capabilities. Spector offers spectrum filter synthesis, while Mystic uses a combination of physical modeling and comb filtering to generate unique and colorful sounds. Prologue,

Prologue is a powerful virtual analog synthesizer and represents a further development of Steinberg's critically acclaimed D'cota synthesizer's Analog Page. It offers up to 128-voice polyphony and comes with hundreds of great-sounding presets covering a wide range of sounds reaching from traditional analog to indescribable.

Prologue's intuitive user interface provides full editing capabilities with access to its three oscillators, powerful multi-mode filter, four envelopes, two LFOs, a powerful modulation matrix, and onboard effects.

• Virtual analog synthesizer with hybrid analog and digital waveforms
• Three oscillators
• Multi-mode variable resonance filter
• Four ADSR envelope generators
• Two LFOs
• Powerful modulation matrix
• On-board effects (Distortion, Delay, Phaser, Flanger, Chorus)

Spector is based on two extremely colorful and versatile spectrum filters and is a further development of the Spectrum Page of Steinberg's D'cota Virtual Instrument. It also comes with hundreds of VST3 Presets. This unique instrument can utilize up to six oscillators per voice with two different waveforms each. Separate independent spectrum filters process each of the two waveforms. Creating new, unique sounds by simply drawing new filter curves and then shifting or morphing the two filters spectrums is pure fun.

Identical to Prologue, Spector offers four envelope generators, two LFOs, a powerful modulation matrix and on-board effects. With access to all sound parameters, Spector provides full editing capabilities.

• Up to six oscillators per voice
• Two variable spectrum filters with morph control
• Four ADSR envelope generators
• Two LFOs
• Powerful modulation matrix
• On-board effects (Distortion, Delay, Phaser, Flanger, Chorus)

Mystic and is a further development of the Wave Page of Steinberg's D'cota Virtual Synthesizer.

Mystic's synthesis is based on three parallel comb filters with feedback. Sound source is an “impulse sound” based on physical modeling technology. The harmonic spectrum of this sound is based on one of six waveforms and a set of two spectrum filters. The sound can be shaped with a filter (Damping), by adding an offset to the comb filters (Detune), or by adding a noise component (Crackle).

Mystic is a very unusual but inspiring instrument with lots of personality. That makes it the perfect complement to Cubase 4's other integrated instruments.

• Impulse oscillator with spectrum filters
• Three parallel comb filters with feedback
• Four ADSR envelope generators
• Two LFOs
• Powerful modulation matrix
• On-board effects (Distortion, Delay, Phaser, Flanger, Chorus)

Spector and Mystic are powered by VirSyn technology and also come with hundreds of fantastic preset sounds.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - MediaBay – media file management system

To keep up with the ever-growing number of sounds, samples, loops and presets, Steinberg Cubase 4 is equipped with a powerful media file management system known as MediaBay. MediaBay is the central place for browsing, searching, managing and categorizing any type of media file. This includes audio and MIDI files, instrument and plug-in presets, video data and even project files. Files can be organized in a folder structure, using attributes, or a combination of both. Powerful search tools support even most complex tasks. A user-friendly musical category search system helps finding sounds or loops fast. MediaBay also includes a tag editor to apply attributes. A Scope section features previewing options. Loops can be auditioned in the song's tempo.

Cubase 4 introduces a powerful media management system called MediaBay. MediaBay gives Cubase users total control over all of their instrument sounds, plug-in presets, audio loops and clips, MIDI Files, Track Presets and even video files or entire Cubase project files. It is the centerpiece of Steinberg's unique SoundFrame™ architecture.

But MediaBay is more than a database. It also includes a smart file Browser with “Flat” and “Focus” modes, as well as user-definable presets for Search Locations. The powerful Filter section offers both a multi-level Detail Search mode and a convenient Category Search mode, which is perfect for browsing instrument presets or track presets.

The Viewer area displays search results and can be quickly reorganized by sorting after category or type using its userdefinable column views and column order. Files can be imported into the current project either by context menu command or simple drag & drop. Even editing operations on the file system level such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete or Rename can be executed from the Viewer area of MediaBay.

The Scope section of MediaBay gives a closer view at the selected media file. It features preview functions, including Auto Preview and Preview in Project Context to play loops in the project tempo.

Audio files have a ruler waveform display. Standard Transport Controls are available as well.

The Tag Editor is used to apply and edit standard and userdefinable Attributes to any media file that is supported in MediaBay. Using Attributes are the key to MediaBay's powerful search and filter functions. Cubase 4's included content such as track presets and instrument presets have pre-defined attribute information and can be used to demonstrate the speed and convenience of SoundFrame™.

Besides the standard MediaBay window, there are multiple adapted views of MediaBay available everywhere across Steinberg Cubase 4. This includes a special SoundFrame™ Browse view for browsing sounds across all available internal and external instruments, a convenient Loop Browser, as well as any Load or Save dialogs for VST Presets and Track Presets.

Two additional MediaBay windows provide direct access to either sounds or loops without the need to reconfigure any windows. Since each of these windows remembers its last setting, users can conveniently switch between browsing for sounds or searching for a specific drum loop or audio sample.

MediaBay, SoundFrame Browser and Loop Browser can be accessed directly via key commands as well (F5, F6, F7).

Steinberg Cubase 4 - Instrument Tracks

Steinberg Cubase 4 introduces a new track type: Instrument Track. An Instrument Track provides a fast and convenient way to use virtual instruments. As a quick alternative to the VSTi Rack, Instrument Tracks provide a single MIDI Input and a single stereo Output within a single channel/track. Setting up a VST Instrument and getting ready to play is now just one step away. As a limitation, Instruments in an Instrument Track only provide a single MIDI Input and one Stereo Output. Multitimbral VSTi's and Instruments with multiple outputs may also be used in an Instrument Track, but they will automatically be restricted to one MIDI channel and one stereo output. Of course, the VSTi Rack can still be used in the familiar way.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - Track Presets

One of the most powerful new features in Cubase 4 is Track Presets – especially when they're combined with the new MediaBay. Track Presets are presets for complete track/channel settings. They are available for audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks. Combinations of tracks can also be saved as Multi-Track Preset. Most track and mixer setting are stored, as well as Instrument/Preset information for an Instrument Track, or MIDI Port/Channel/Patch information for a MIDI track. Also included are all insert effect settings as well as EQ.

Track Presets can be saved with attributes like Category/Style/Character etc. This opens up a whole new dimension in sound management….

Steinberg Cubase 4 - SoundFrame™ – Universal Sound Manager

The real power of Steinberg Cubase 4 only reveals itself when combining some of the new key features and using them in conjunction.

One of the biggest problems in typical project studio environments is the management of plug-ins, instruments, loops, presets, etc. Cubase 4 now offers a powerful solution to this problem: SoundFrame™

What is SoundFrame™?
• SoundFrame™ allows you to manage ANY sound from ANY software or hardware synthesizer under a single, unified user interface (MediaBay)
• SoundFrame™ can help you find any sound, not only by instrument but also by category, type, style, character or other attributes (Track Presets organized in MediaBay)
• SoundFrame™ even comes with more than 1000 ready-to-play sounds, which are also conveniently organized by instrument category, type, and character. These can even be instantly previewed before loading. (Instrument Track Presets managing the new included VST instruments – again organized in MediaBay)
• SoundFrame™ can even manage your VST effects plug-in presets as well. These can also be organized and categorized to form one big effects library.

The SoundFrame™ Browser window is specially configured to browse sounds across the entire studio. This can include any or all virtual or external instruments that are known to Cubase. Sounds can be previewed/played before they are loaded into a track. Instead of a “favorites flag”, SoundFrame™ features a convenient rating system to personalize a sound library and get to the right sound quickly.

With Cubase 4's Loop Browser, users can directly access their existing loop library and preview any loop with just a single click, even in context with the current arrangement. Because of the flexible structure of MediaBay, users can work in either folder-based or category-based organization systems – or a combination of both.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - User Interface Redesign

The first thing you will notice when opening Cubase 4 is the redesigned user-interface. The overall look has become a notch darker (although this can be changed in the Appearance preference pane) and less “3D”. The overall visibility of active items versus inactive items has been vastly improved. In fact, although there are more screen elements in this version, it looks like there was less, especially in the Mixer and Inspector areas. You will notice that selected mixer channels are now very clearly highlighted. Also, smaller fonts are now more readable.

The new user interface also introduces a number of new features:

• The Track Inspector is now fully customizable. A new setup panel allows each item in the Track Inspector to be made visible or hidden. Also, the order of items can be changed – individually for each track type, of course. In addition, entire setups can be stored as presets.
• The Channel Strip window is also fully customizable. It also features its own setup panel and individual sections can be configured in the same way as the track inspector. Here as well, presets can be created for later recall. You will also notice the new EQ section with its larger display area.
• The Mixer window has many new functions, most of which deal with managing views, applying those to selected channels only, changing view/hide status of individual or multiple channels. Notice the new items in the mixers common panel.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - Additional New Features

• Extended AudioWarp: realtime transpose with formant preservation. Solo instruments and vocals can be transposed at much higher quality and still sound natural. Just select the new “Solo” Preset in the Warp Setting menu of the sample editor.
• Much-improved Audio and MIDI Hardware Setup panels. Parameters are now consolidated and better organized. Port handling has been simplified.
• A new Trim tool in the key editor allows for trimming start and end for multiple events
• MP3 Surround: not only, Cubase 4 provides full MP3 encoding and decoding where similar products only provide demo versions of MP3. Cubase 4 also supports MP3 surround, the latest achievement in audio compression. MP3 surround is fully backwards compatible with stereo decoders and provides a convenient solution for multi-channel media distribution – for example via Internet or email.

Steinberg Cubase 4 - New VST3 Plug-in Set

Not only Steinberg Cubase 4 is world's first VST3 host, it also comes with a brand-new set of great-sounding VST3 effects plug-ins featuring some of the new functions of VST3.

The new effects plug-ins in Cubase 4 make Steinberg's most complete plug-in set ever. They come with more than 800 great-sounding presets, which allow you to experience the excellent quality of these effects from the first moment on.

Here is a complete overview:

Cubase Studio 4 and Cubase 4 Comparison:
Feature                                                                  Cubase Studio 4                                                                   Cubase 4
Target Customer            Composer, Musician, Professional music production                Producer in Project Studio

FAMILY VALUES:
Unlimited Audio and MIDI Tracks                        Yes                                                               Yes

Unlimited number of virtual                                Yes                                                               Yes
instruments (via Instrument Tracks)

AudioWarp realtime time-stretching                     Yes                                                               Yes
and pitch-shifting

Play Order Track                                               Yes                                                                Yes

SoundFrame - Universal                                     Yes                                                               Yes

Sound Manager
Professional Score Layout                                   Yes                                                               Yes
and Printing

Extended VST Mixer                                           Yes                                                               Yes

Instrument Tracks                                             Yes                                                               Yes

Track Presets                                                    Yes                                                               Yes

Inplace Editing                                                  Yes                                                               Yes

DIFFERENCIATORS:

Control Room                                                    No                                                                Yes

Surround - True Multichannel                               No                                                                Yes
Audio Path

MediaBay                                                      Limited*                                                            Full

Plug-ins included                                               47                                                                 66

Instruments included                                          2                                                                   6

New Channel EQ                                                No                                                                 Yes

Physical Inputs & Outputs                                  128                                                                256

Mixer views                                                        1                                                                   3

Studio Connections                                           No                                                          Recall + Audio

External Instruments and Effects                         No                                                                 Yes

Advanced Tempo Editor                                     No                                                                  Yes
(incl. TimeWarp)

MIDI Devices with editors and                             No                                                                  Yes
user panels

Full printed Operations Manual                           No                                                                  Yes

* No detail search, no separate tag editor, no user tags

Steinberg Cubase 4 - Minimum System Requirements
The minimum system requirements state the minimal specification your computer must have to be able to use the software. A more powerful system may be required for certain tasks or larger projects.

Mac OS X Version 10.4
Power Mac G4 1 GHz or Core Solo 1.5 GHz
512 MB RAM
Display Resolution 1024x768 pixels
DVD drive required for installation
CoreAudio compatible audio hardware
USB port required for Steinberg Key (copy protection device)*
Internet connection required for license activation

Windows XP Home or XP Professional
Pentium/Athlon 1.4 GHz
512 MB RAM
Windows DirectX compatible audio hardware (ASIO compatible audio hardware recommended for low latency performance)
Display resolution 1024x768
DVD-ROM drive required for installation
USB port required for Steinberg Key (copy protection device)*
Internet connection required for license activation

*The Steinberg Key (USB copy protection device) required to run this product is only available in the full version. Customers who are upgrading or updating from another version or product and who do not own a Steinberg Key must purchase one separately. The same Steinberg Key copy protection device is then used for all Steinberg products that require it.