Cubase Elements 7 - surpriced how much I like it

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Also using plugins like Metaplugin and Patchwork you can overcome some limitations like running midi plugins before synths etc.

The preset handler(MediaBay) is really good. Presets are otherwise PITA to find.

Track folders, track presets, multiout instruments - all is smooth.

Stunning value for money I must say.
:)

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I'm using Cubase 6 Elements, and was pleasantly surprised how many nice features they included in the 7 update when watching a vid featuring them. Especially the mixer is much improved. Some new effects too. The thing that killed it for me though is the lack of sidechain capability, that's why i'm using Studio One now. Apart from that, it's great.

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Thanks for commenting.
Reading manual that is for LE, AI and Elements - they raised Elements a notch.

Presonus new policy not to give non-US citizens support directly - but refer to local dealers made me go away from S1. But S1 Producer is pretty good value for money too.

I feel I need a place to turn to report bugs acknowledged/confirmed and possibly assistance at times.

Being closer to development kind of - than through dealers to agents and then possibly to Presonus as feedback and eventually getting things fixed.

As support Steinberg has been responsive and good, to me at least. Good support is like they care even after they took your money.

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I upgraded from version 6 to 7 about one month ago. I really like it a lot especially the mixer and also the chord track.
What a nice DAW :-)

I don't miss the sidechaining now. I mean I don't have a use for it. I thought it would be a top necessity for my mixing, but I don't use heavy kicks or basses. Of course it is better to have it and use it when required. I don't miss the Midi tools either!

What I really miss from the full cubase is the score editor because in Elements it is very basic, so mostly I will upgrade in the future to the full Cubase (wow! returning to the DAW that I was using 10 years ago, maybe it is home after all).

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The Arranger blows me away completely.

Exactly what I was looking for testing Digital Performer and what they call Chunks.

Chaining sections of the projects is really brilliant way of working. You sense there is a need for another repeat of a chorus or a bridge or something, and you add it anywhere in time and just add to arranger. No need to cut/paste room into a project to make a hole to add stuff.

But Cubase implement this much better and easier than DP. In DP there were things like each Chunk needed it's own instance of each synth etc to be independent of each other. Some advantages in DP I guess is that a Chunk can be moved to another project without problems.

I think this Arranger thingy will be copied in every daw soon.

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lfm wrote: In DP there were things like each Chunk needed it's own instance of each synth etc to be independent of each other. Some advantages in DP I guess is that a Chunk can be moved to another project without problems.
That is not correct. You need to look at v-racks in DP.

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HobbyCore wrote:
lfm wrote: In DP there were things like each Chunk needed it's own instance of each synth etc to be independent of each other. Some advantages in DP I guess is that a Chunk can be moved to another project without problems.
That is not correct. You need to look at v-racks in DP.
Thanks for correcting if I'm stating untrue things.

What is untrue - that separate instances are needed or that chunks could be moved to other projects.

Or was it that a synth could be loaded in v-rack, and used in multiple chunks?

I soon ran into trouble with Waves Element synth(scanned, but no place to insert it), so I did not look further into it than that.

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lfm wrote:
HobbyCore wrote:
lfm wrote: In DP there were things like each Chunk needed it's own instance of each synth etc to be independent of each other. Some advantages in DP I guess is that a Chunk can be moved to another project without problems.
That is not correct. You need to look at v-racks in DP.
Thanks for correcting if I'm stating untrue things.

What is untrue - that separate instances are needed or that chunks could be moved to other projects.

Or was it that a synth could be loaded in v-rack, and used in multiple chunks?

I soon ran into trouble with Waves Element synth(scanned, but no place to insert it), so I did not look further into it than that.
You don't need separate instances of a plugin for each chunk since the plugins can exist in V-racks which exist 'outside' of them.

AFAIK, you can move chunks to other projects. IIRC this is done via the file->load dialog, and I think that drag and drop from the chunks window works as well.

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HobbyCore wrote: You don't need separate instances of a plugin for each chunk since the plugins can exist in V-racks which exist 'outside' of them.

AFAIK, you can move chunks to other projects. IIRC this is done via the file->load dialog, and I think that drag and drop from the chunks window works as well.
Ok, thanks. It was a year ago I tested so, and never could get a full project over from mine since Element synth is everywhere for me - and trial period expired.

Since Cubase can generate new projects from a Arranger event chain, it's almost as flexible. And many event chains can exist to make different versions of a piece of music/songs.

Really clever approach, I think. Never knew it was there until I bought it.

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lfm wrote:Presonus new policy not to give non-US citizens support directly - but refer to local dealers made me go away from S1. But S1 Producer is pretty good value for money too.
That is new to me. The inquiries I had with Presonus (from Germany) where always positive IMO.

lfm wrote:As support Steinberg has been responsive and good, to me at least. Good support is like they care even after they took your money.
I have a different opinion here if it comes to "care" and "money". But let's not go there.

chk071 wrote:I'm using Cubase 6 Elements, and was pleasantly surprised how many nice features they included in the 7 update when watching a vid featuring them. Especially the mixer is much improved. Some new effects too. The thing that killed it for me though is the lack of sidechain capability, that's why i'm using Studio One now. Apart from that, it's great.
If you have the chance to get an upgrade to Artist for cheap, go for it.

I set up a small project studio with Cubase 7 Elements as backbone. I found out that the functions were too limited overall, and the option was there to up to Artist for "mere" (to some, a lot of money) 50EUR. But in turn it gave you more inserts, side chaining and a couple of other handy features like access to the Instrument Rack (with more outputs!) rather than being forced to use the Instrument Track (stereo out only). Saves you a lot of valuable rack slots.

Sadly, AI/LE/Elements will never see .5 updates. So I guess it's down to wait for winter 2014/2015 until C8 is about to hit. I'm sure one of the many music magazines will pick that up (maybe Keys again). And you get all major features from C7.5 in it. With reduced FX and sample content of course. But I mean... 15EUR for a Cubase Elements version (mag ware), plus 50-60 EUR upgrade to Artist (which makes it possible to up to .5 versions if you feel like it). That is a huge entry deal!

And it's a better and sooner accessible demo than waiting up to half a year for an official Cubase Full Version demo with 30days/100 launches (that counts down in 2 decrement steps!).


I just wish Steinberg would have gone that route years ago - instead we got Sequel as entry level software. :shrug:
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Compyfox wrote:But in turn it gave you more inserts
Elements supports 8 insert effects, the same as Artist and Cubase.
Compyfox wrote:rather than being forced to use the Instrument Track (stereo out only)
Elements has the instrument rack with up to 16 instrument slots.

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Compyfox wrote: But in turn it gave you more inserts, side chaining and a couple of other handy features like access to the Instrument Rack (with more outputs!) rather than being forced to use the Instrument Track (stereo out only). Saves you a lot of valuable rack slots.
I have access to Instrument Channels in Element 7, if that is what you mean by rack. There you handle multiple outs as well as routing separate midi tracks to it.

But 16 slots only and there are 32 in Artist, and 64 in full Cubase version.

Now that competition has made entry level software that powerful it's very nice indeed regarding money - even as upgrades cost about 50% of new price.

Cakewalk, Presonus and Magix has went that road too, having more powerful entrylevel products. It's mostly more bling-bling in full version products.

One strangeness I found was that at Thomann, buying full version Cubase 7.5 directly is $100/€80 more expensive than first buying Elements 7 and then upgrading to Cubase 7.5. And upgrade contains syncrosoft lock as well.

Limitations about some routing stuff can be made through these Metaplugin and Patchwork plugins. Sidechain and stretching stuff I never use anyway. And none of shipped plugins, internal EQ's or instruments are used either - not to get dependent on the daw as such.

If shit happends you can always move project to another daw and use your 3rd party stuff that you are used to and know well. Just move wave files and midi clips and save presets for used pluginsettings - and you are up in another daw. Especially working through Metaplugin/Patchwork a single preset.

If in wup of Waves stuff - they have Studio Rack as well for free, that make chains of Waves stuff into single presets. Trying to encourage to stay in wup I guess.

Always better to be safe than sorry and be prepared and armed to the teeth for all posibilities.

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I stand corrected on this.

Obviously I meant LE to Elements. The "same" to me really since the Elements/AI/LE disk is(!) the same, only the license declares what stuff is unlocked.


LE definitely only has a limited set of inserts (4) and rack (only Track Instruments). Also no sidechaining.
Apparently, elements doesn't have Sidechaining either. Then again, it's listed with 100EUR as entry level program. And I never cared if the Quad Channel trick is still working there (a project studio with kids that barely know anything about audio engineering - why would they need side chaining?).

LE is sold pretty much every year as magware for about 15bucks. Upgrading to Elements for additional 50 bucks is indeed a great entry level. But you still miss out on .5 versions. Which can also be a good thing really.



I hear you on the crazy pricing. That is a huge criticism from a lot of users. Then again, thankfully the competition doesn't stand still. I mean.. look at Reapers price - and that is not(!) an entry level host. Presonus has the instrument limited Artist for 100bucks as well, then again, Producer goes for 140EUR street!

We can pretty much pick the cherries.


Regarding Instrument Rack limitations. Up until this day, I barely scratched 16 slots. I remember only scratching like... 8-10 as absolute max since I mostly use Multi-Channel instruments like Kontakt and co. This definitely saves a lot of slots. Else yes - nowadays a modular host as add-on is IMO a must. Especially as audio engineer.
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True but after you have used up the Rack limitation you can add more by using instrument tracks (Atleast in Cubase elements 6).
I have v7 also but i didn't try to overcome the vsti limit in it yet so not sure if it works there.

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Nowadays it's so easy to evade that with Virtual Racks and Modular environments. And like I earlier wrote... multi-channel instruments.

I still remember the days where Halion Sonic SE was not part of Cubase (or not existing), only Halion One. If you wanted to use a built in MOTIF sound, you had a ton of fun with limited Instrument Rack slots. So that's a huge improvement!


Another actual improvement in the mixer is the Channel Strip. Which gives you more "insert FX" than you have. Though you're still limited in terms of the signal chain order, and you can only use built in stuff. Again, this can be easily evaded these days with ton of excellent tools (i.e. NF Magma, Blue Cat's MB7 and Patchwork, a modular environment like DDMF's Metaplugin or MuTools MUX, etc)

You really get a lot(!) of bang for your buck if you go for Elements. Especially since it's now shipped with the new Chord Track (but not the Chord Assistant). Imagine what wil lhappen with the LE/AI/Elements 8 upgrade.


I can't live without certain features of Cubase Full anymore, else I'd move back down a bit again. But sadly, Artist doesn't have the Control Room, neither Vari Audio, and since Artist doesn't have surround channels, you can't really pull off the "Quad Group" trick for sidechaining, if a VST3 plugin is crapping out on you again.

Everything has it's good and bad sides I guess.
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