All user reviews of 3/5 for the Steinberg Cubase Essential 4

Installation is relatively simple and fast, the first time I had just a little hassle to save the license key and have it recognized by the software. The second time everything went well.

The general configuration is like any other DAW. No problem on that side.

The manual is well done and fairly complete.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The software itself does not take too much CPU, it is mostly virtual instruments and plug-ins that are greedy.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 3 ½ years.

SX3 is better than I had before.

- In the improvements, there are particular interface virtual instrument (you no longer have to create a MIDI track and route to the virtual instrument loaded into the dialog box "VST Instruments").

- Mixing audio / instrument tracks is clearer and you can now put the plugs on the audio tracks of virtual instruments (which was not the case in SX3). The automation of volume, pan and other is facilitated on the slopes of virtual instruments.

There is, against major weaknesses:

- The software does not function "side chain" like Logic (annoying when composing electronic music, especially that there is virtually no external compressor with this feature ...)

- It does not function "Trig" (big problem if you use Cubase to mix!)

- The mixer has lost its upper part, there is no way not to have an overview of the inserts and aux sends. To access these functions, you must open a separate window for each track, which is quite annoying in the long run ...


If I had the choice again, I turned more towards a solution Protools, which offers the trig functions and whose sidechain and audio interface / software instruments / MIDI is really starting to improve.