a few days ago, Futuremusic blog posted “Cubase 5 To Debut At NAMM?” but nobody confirms this rumor yet. I don’t think Steinberg would show up at NAMM (Jan’09) with the complete Cubase 5, even though it’s been released for 2 years. It would probably be a sneakpeak of under-development version. Anyway, let’s see what I expect from the next major upgrade of Steinberg Cubase.

The last version of Cubase I used is Cubase SX3, have never tried Cubase4. VST3 support and ControlRoom seem to be the most significant upgraded features on Cubase4 while the others are mainly to support Steinberg and Yamaha’s hardware. So far, I don’t think Steinberg has enough new technology and features to make major upgrade. So what I expect are what Steinberg has never made or bundled before. Since Logic Studio is the most bang-for-buck DAW in the market, most of my expectations for Cubase5 are to compete with this emagic’s legacy

• complete re-designed user interface : I’m ok if Steinberg want to keep multi-windows workflow. but, at least, please redesign GUI to refresh user’s experience which never had anything new since Cubase SX1
• bundled advance (and good quality) VST FX processor ; such as convolution reverb, noise reduction
• bundled full-function sampler, not the LE thing.
• all bundled VST/VSTi should be redesigned as well
• CD/DVD audio burning feature, or as bundled application
• vintage Rhodes modeler as VSTi , i love emagic’s EVP88.
• I do really want Cubase to support Rewire more stereo channels. Only 1 main stereo channel and 64-mono can be rewired in SX3. I want additional 32 pairs of stereo rewire. (don’t know if this was added in Cubase4)
• Cubase5 shouldn’t be more expensive than the current Cubase4
• something like Apple’s Compressor to convert files into many formats
• Adobe Audition has a cool feature to replace audio in video without re-render the video. Cubase did has the same thing but only one or two formats support. please improve it, Steinberg.

That’s all for now, I’ll add more later & hope to see Cubase’s progress in NAMM’09

image credit : http://www.steinberg.net