Steinberg Cubase SX Release for Mac OS X

RemiT writes "Steinberg plans to release a Mac OS X version of Cubase SX, their next generation of professional digital music production software. Indicated release date is after the end of Q2 2002, finally making good on Steinberg's commitment to support Mac OS X. (I wonder how long it will be before Mac stalwarts like Moby are using Mac OS X in concert...)"

Comments

Perfect Timing

[ScumBiker]

I'll just about be able to afford it by then. I've started to assemble the parts to build my home studio and I really didn't want to be stuck using a wintel box for that. Now, all I need is a mixer, a high end audio card, some nearfield speakers, mic stands for my guitars, a drum kit, a midi controller for my valveFX, a midi keyboard... Ya know, I'm starting to think this will be just a little bit more expensive than just being a gamer dude. sigh... Does anyone have any good Cubase tutorials online?

Re:Perfect Timing

[SpamJunkie]

I had a small bit of success on mp3.com two years ago and it helped fund my home studio. With having friends working at the local shops I was able to get a new guitar, small behringer mixer (they're great!) several mics and stands. The only problem I have now is deciding on software.

I used to use Cool Edit Pro on PC exclusively. That software has to be seen to be believed - especially its noise reduction which is probably the best in the business. I can't decide on a good Mac replacement, especially since I'm dying to do my audio on OS X.

Re:Perfect Timing

[jo42]

What's a "Moby"???

Hey, what's up with that iPod icon?

[lightspawn]

It's a silly icon, an image of just one product from a great company - and while it may be the coolest one at the moment, especially if you like music, it doesn't represent the company even as well as their logo.

It's kinda like using an all-blue icon for the 'microsoft' topic.

Back to topic, since this software is not available for Our Favorite Operating System (hereafter known as OFOS), what similar software packages are available?

Re:Hey, what's up with that iPod icon?

[Anonymous Coward]

The iPod is the icon for Apple Media. Part of a range of Apple-related icons for the new Apple section.

And considering this is the Apple section, 'OFOS' does equal 'Mac OS X'.

Re:Hey, what's up with that iPod icon?

[Anonymous Coward]

I think it's apt for the mac...

• a nice rip-off of everyone else's ideas (can you say Xerox-Parc)

  Over priced

  flashy with no substance

  realy only any good if you can't think for yourself (heard any original fan-boy suff lately?)

  single purpose (can you say beige typewriter?)

  only admired by the fan boys

Back OT, i thought the Mac was already the be-all & end-all of professional audio? So what has some thing as irrevant (read: anything wintel is irrevant) as Cubase got to do with anything?

Re:Hey, what's up with that iPod icon?

[Surlyboi]

Karma be damned, but I'm feeding the troll...

>I think it's apt for the mac...

Do tell...

>a nice rip-off of everyone else's ideas (can you say Xerox-Parc)

Can you say "Embrace and extend?" Take your time,
sound it out if you need to...

>Over priced

The iPod? probably, but hey quality costs.

>flashy with no substance

Define substance. They're fucking computers and
mp3 players. If you're looking for substance in a
box of parts, you've been using too many controlled
substances for your own damn good.

>realy only any good if you can't think for yourself (heard any original fan-boy suff lately?)

Hmm, and your argument is original? Sounds like
the same crap Mac bashers have been digging up
for years. Ergo, mistar troll, teh kettle si calling,
you is black! lololol!!!11

>single purpose (can you say beige typewriter?)

Sure, like you do anything other than play games
anyway...

>only admired by the fan boys

Only bashed on by the fanboys of a certain other
architecture. Oh look! Check out the Emperor's
new flashy threads!

>Back OT, i thought the Mac was already the be-all
>& end-all of professional audio? So what has some >thing as irrevant (read: anything wintel is
>irrevant) as Cubase got to do with anything?

Did you bother to follow the link at all? Do you
know anything about Cubase? VST's been running on
Macs for a while now. But then, you're a troll,
your grasp of the facts beyond your particular
agenda are tenuous at best.

Re:Hey, what's up with that iPod icon?

[Anonymous Coward]

what does irrevant mean?

Sweet...

[3nd3r]

Finally receiving my IBook G3/500 next week and my Motu 828 the week after, then will have to wait a little bit, but what great news!!! Steinberg way to go. I am only waiting for DP3 to come out on X...

Now how about Logic for OS X? Or USB Audio?

[Peter Trepan]

Logic - OS X compatibility was apparently originally scheduled for September 2001. Now version 5 is shipping, and it still isn't compatible. Does anyone have any inside information on this?

Also, does anyone know of an OS X compatible USB audio interface? I have the iLamp, so I can't install a card.

Re:Now how about Logic for OS X? Or USB Audio?

[D.L.]

Also, does anyone know of an OS X compatible USB audio interface? I have the iLamp, so I can't install a card.

Depends on what you're looking for. The Griffin Technologies iMic adapter is fine if you just need stereo audio. Edirol makes some decent all-purpose USB audio interfaces (many of them have MIDI).

But if you're looking for many more channels than two, go firewire. It's about at generation 1.5, so you might want to wait a bit, but the Mark of the Unicorn 896 is what I'm trying to save up for right now... ASIO drivers exist for most of these products, so they should work with most audio software.

Re:Now how about Logic for OS X? Or USB Audio?

[Dokushoka]

Emagic is still finishing the OSX version of Logic. It'll be able for download from their site when it is done. They also make a USB interface called the 2|6

Re:Now how about Logic for OS X? Or USB Audio?

[RemiT]

Re USB interfaces: I'm using a couple of different boxes from Edirol (Roland subsidiary) and I can recommend them. UA-30 (no longer sold, but replaced by UA-3) and UA-5. These are more than bare basic units since they have digital (S/PDIF) I/O as well as line, mike, and guitar analog, and the UA-5 will digitize 24 bit 96 kHz audio, as well as 44/48 kHz 16 bit. They also have cheaper, bare basic units, as well as high-end professional stuff, including MIDI, synths, and video systems

The USB and MIDI products work with OS X, and also come with Win drivers.

BTW, I submitted a story about these interfaces with my Cubase item, but the Powers That Be rejected them...

From what I've read, they want to migrate people from the Cubase 5 line (there is an ugrade policy for existing Cubase users),and this may be their final idea of Cubase (and Nuendo) OS X support.

Re:Now how about Logic for OS X? Or USB Audio?

[RemiT]

Addendum: This from the Cubase SX FAQ:
"What happens to Cubase 5.1? Are you going to continue developing Cubase VST 32? Cubase VST? Cubase VST Score?
We will continue to fix outstanding issues within Cubase 5.1 and you will see an upgrade including VST System Link functionality however, you will not see any other new major feature updates. This is true for all three versions of Cubase 5.1 and the reason is simple: Cubase SX is based on a completely new code base which allows us to do things we cannot do with the older code used in Cubase 5.1. It also marks the beginning of a new era/product line for Steinberg. SX is not a continuation of an older product; it is the start of something new!"

Close, but not perfect

[madripper]

I've been using Cubase for years and I've been aching to use OS X on my music only G4, unforunately it's probably going to be a long time before i convert over to Cubase SX.

The best part about Cubase is the VST plug in standard. There are dozens of freeware VST plug-ins and VST virtual instruments that may never get ported over to OS X. Untill they build up their plug in collection for SX, I'm sticking to 9.2 and Cubase 5.1

I do have to give them praise for their new System Link standard -
http://www.steinberg.net/products/up/vstsl/index.p html?sid=06424873&id=1003
Now now of my old hardware will go to waste because i can link everything up as one system..sort of a Cubase "Beowulf" cluster...
Which leads us to paraphrase the popular /. addage... "Imagine a System Link cluster of these!"

Re:Close, but not perfect

[RemiT]

Thankfully, the situation regarding VST plugins and Cubase SX is not as dire as you think. (I also have a sh!tload of VSTs from 4.0 days I want to use...)
This is what Steinberg's Cubase SX FAQ says about that (read to the bottom where it says existing VST plugins are supported):

"FEATURES:
How many PlugIns are included within Cubase SX?
There is a huge number of audio and MIDI plug-ins included in SX to cover possibly every demand in your music making and production process such as: Audio Plug-Ins: Flanger, Phaser, Overdrive, Chorus, Symphonic, Reverb B, Reverb A, QuadraFuzz, DeEsser, DoubleDelay, ModulationDelay, Dynamics, Chopper, Transformer, Metalizer, Rotary, Vocoder, StepFilter, Bitcrusher, Ringmodulator, SMPTE Generator, Grungalizer, Mix 6to2, Datube, etc. MIDI Plug-Ins: Arpache 1, Chorder, Microtune, Quantize, Auto Panner, Control, MIDI compressor, Echo Processor, Notes 2 Volume, Track Controls, Track Para FX and Transformer.
In addition, you will of course also be able to continue to use any current Cubase VST Plug-Ins within Cubase SX."

iBooks in Concert

[Anonymous Coward]

Nobukazura Takemura uses two (or maybe more) iBooks in his concert setup. I'm not sure what else he uses, but he has video (wicked, trippy video) along with his kickin beats.
Unfortunately for us, I couldn't say what operating system he used, because it worked flawlessly. ;)

Re:iBooks in Concert

[dockthepod]

Last time I saw him he only had one iBook (among 4 or so older powerbooks) but you can be assured that he was running OS 9 point something or another.

Unfortunatly for us music-makin, osx-using folk audio software just isn't there yet on Apple's latest offering.

I am happy to say that the osx verion of macsound just came out yesterday, though it seems to be rather buggy at this point.

Excuse me while I reboot to do some music work...

Re:I'm not! So... Moderation, etc. etc. etc.

[Anonymous Coward]

you == teh stupid

I want the full experience

[billcopc]

I hope they emulated the blue screens of death from the Windows version. Cubase would rock if it didn't crash every 10 minutes. I end up using Logic Audio myself.

Mac OS X has built-in VST support

[Slur]

Check out the /Library/Audio/Plugins folder.