Table of Contents
What is cubase
Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencing application for recording, editing, mixing and producing music, sounds for film and video post-production. It has also been used as a DAW in games such as Silent Hill: Homecoming. Its user interface (UI) is designed to be simple and easy to learn. It is based on the sequencer program Steinberg Cubase SX 2.
The program was developed by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, and is marketed as Cubase SX. From version 2.5 onwards, Cubase SX is a free download, while Cubase SX Pro is the paid-for version (currently priced at US$99 per year; there has been a free trial period since 10 June 2011).
Cubase supports multiple operating systems and devices, with versions available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Versions are available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Support is also available in Japanese. Cubase has been ported to iOS and Android mobile devices.
Cubase is used for recording music, authoring audio and video post-production and editing. It supports a plurality of plug-in technologies, including VST and VSTi. The software is used by many professional recording studios and sound media facilities (e.g. game developers).
What is pro tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation application developed by the American company Avid Technology Corporation. It is widely used in film, television, music and video post-production. It was originally developed as a tool for making music, but has since grown to become the industry standard for editing, mastering, tracking and mixing audio signals. The program has been used on computers running all Microsoft Windows operating systems, as well as Mac OS X versions up to 10.6 (Snow Leopard). It also runs on Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) and 10.8 and later versions of OS X on an Intel processor-based Mac.
Pro Tools was originally developed in the early 1990s by musician-songwriter and engineer Scott Billington at his home studio. Avid Technology Corporation acquired “Sonic Solutions”, the company behind Pro Tools, in 1993. The expansion of the company’s audio editing software into other areas led Avid to enable the acquisition by purchasing “Digidesign” (now known as Avid Pro Tools) from Digidesign (later became SSL).
The cost of cubase and pro tools
There is a lot of debate on the price of these programs and whether or not it would be wise for an independent artist to purchase them. But, the price difference can be staggering. For example, if you want to buy Avid Pro Tools 6.5, it costs $3,299.99 USD and can be purchased here at this link. http://www.avid.com/pro-tools-6-5.html
On the other hand, Cubase 7.0 has been released and is available here (updated version of cubase 7: http://www.sonic-industries.com/en/products/cubase-7). It costs $1,199 USD and is available here http://www.sonic-industries.com/en/products/cubase-7).
You can find out more about this debate over here at ProToolsCentral: Cost of Pro Tools http://www.protoolscentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3277
Or, at a forum called Gearslutz: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/soap-box-distortion-other…
And, there is a very interesting debate on this issue going on at MusicTech.net: http://www.mt-industries.net/blog/20-studios-against-bu…
The features of cubase and pro tools
Both Cubase and Pro Tools offer a lot of interesting features. But, the one’s that stand out the most is their respective instruments, as well as VST’s. Both of these programs give you the ability to use virtual instruments (VST’s) by Steinberg and Waves, where you can play a violin, saxophone or even drums. You’ll also experience better recording capabilities with their respective audio interfaces. The interfaces have a total of 8 inputs and 18 outputs. While Cubase only has an interface for microphones, it also has an additional 4 for audio interfaces such as the Focusrite, PreSonus, or RME. Pro Tools comes with multiple connections for audio interface to include the PreSonus Audiobox USB and RME Fireface UCX . Another feature that makes pro tools stand out is the fact that it can be used to mix music from multiple tracks at once. Cubase does not have this feature, but does allow you to mix tracks individually. It also has a feature for monitoring of your performance with two live input and an effects slot. Another interesting feature that Cubase has is the fact that it is able to convert recordings from a format such as MP3 into a format such as WAV. Something both cubase and pro tools won’t do.
Which one should you choose
For an independent artist, it is important to consider the features that each program offers. For example, you may want to record music on your computer and would love to have an audio interface and Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that allows you to play virtual instruments. If this was the case, then I would recommend Cubase because it offers great sounding virtual instruments and is relatively inexpensive compared to pro tools. But, if you are making music for use in film or television, then pro tools would be the program of choice. Its use is extensive and has been used to help countless filmmakers and studios create great sounding sounds. It is also used in audio mixing and mastering.
At the end of the day, there are many programs to choose from and what fits your needs best will determine which program you should get. Cubase is great for music production but it doesn’t allow you to do full-length audio tracks (track lengths greater than 8 minutes) or be able to use virtual instruments, whereas pro tools would let you do both. The good thing about this industry is that there is always room for improvement on both sides. Stay updated with the latest technology, and try different programs to see what works best for you.
Please note: This article is not meant to be an endorsement of one program over the other. Read reviews online and on your local computer news page regarding each program. Also, keep in mind that this article is not a comparison of the two programs mentioned above; they are only compared to each other.
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