Cubase 9.5 puts user requests to the fore, says Steinberg

Steinberg has announced that it’s delivering Cubase 9.5 ahead of schedule. Updated versions of the Pro, Artist and Elements editions of the DAW are available from today.

The company says that it’s put the emphasis on user-requested features, with the biggest addition being the new mixing engine. This operates at 64-bit floating point resolution and is said to deliver previously unheard levels of details and transparency to Cubase.

Additionally, there are new tabs in the Right Zone, including the integrated file browser that enables you to access and pre-listen to media files. Cubase Pro 9.5 users get a new metering section for loudness and master signal levels and the Control Room in the Right Zone as well.

Elsewhere, the metronome now has a customisable click and you can assign different patterns to adjust to different signature shifts in the Signature Track. The Click Pattern Editor, meanwhile, lets you tailor your click patterns in more detail (this is absent from the Elements version).

There are now smooth transition curves and detailed automation lanes when editing automation, while the Range tools marks a range on the automation lane for quick and easy adjustment. The number of available insert slots has been upped to 16 per track in Cubase Artist and Pro 9.5, and the insert section also offers flexible pre-fader or post-fader positioning.

Plugins

On the plugin side, the Vintage Compressor and Tube Compressor have a new look that’s said to improve their overall handling, and Cubase Pro 9.5 also benefits from a redesigned Magneto tape saturator. The Flux wavetable synth library, meanwhile, has arrived in HALion Sonic SE 3, which is part of the Pro and Artist versions.

The updates continue with Direct Offline processing - events can now be processed non-destructively while minimising CPU load - and a new video engine that offers compatibility with the most relevant codecs and video cards. There’s a new zooming tool, new features in the Sampler Track, and support for Softube’s Console 1. You’ll also find Production Presets - effects chains and master track presets for specific genres.

Paid upgrades to each version of Cubase 9.5 are available through the Steinberg shop, while those who have purchased a version of Cubase since 18 October 2017 are entitled to a free upgrade.

Find out more on the Steinberg website.