Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cubase Essential 4 | Cubase Studio 4 | Cubase 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous playback of audio tracks | 64 | virtually unlimited | virtually unlimited |
| MIDI tracks | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited |
| Physical inputs/outputs | 32 | 128 | 256 |
| Inserts | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Group channels | 256 | 256 | 256 |
| FX Send channels | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| FX Return channels | 8 | 64 | 64 |
| Instrument tracks | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited |
| VST instrument slots | 16 | 32 | 64 |
| MIDI Insert plug-ins | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Number of mixer views | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Control Room | no | no | yes |
| Extended Channel EQ (VST3 Studio EQ) | no | no | yes |
| Extended Mixer view | no | yes | yes |
| Automation modes | touch fader | touch fader | touch fader, x-over, autolatch, trim, overwrite |
| VST 3 plug-in support | yes | yes | yes |
| Sidechain inputs | no | yes | yes |
| Recording from buses | no | yes | yes |
| Mac OS X Universal Binary | yes | yes | yes |
| Multi-processing support | yes | yes | yes |
| Surround: True multichannel audio path | no | no | yes |
| Unlimited Undo and Redo functions | yes | yes | yes |
| Offline Process History | single undo | for built-in audio | for built-in audio and all plug-ins |
| MediaBay | limited* | limited* | full |
| Track presets | yes | yes | yes |
| Studio connections | Recall | Recall | Recall + Audio |
| External FX | no | no | yes |
| External instruments | no | no | yes |
| Workspaces (virtual desktops) | no | yes | yes |
| Project Browser | no | yes | yes |
| Recording modes: Mix, Overwrite, Normal, Merge, Stacked | excl. Stacked | yes | yes |
| Editors: Key, List, Basic Score | yes | yes | yes |
| Drum Editor | yes | yes | yes |
| Logical Editor | no | yes | yes |
| Project Logical Editor | no | no | yes |
| Inplace Editor (MIDI editing in Project Window) | no | yes | yes |
| Advanced options in Tempo Editor | no | no | yes |
| Volume envelopes | no | yes | yes |
| Extended Track Inspector (shows VSTi channel for MIDI tracks) | yes | yes | yes |
| MIDI devices (Device Maps and Editors) | no | no | yes |
| Professional Score layout and printing functions (incl. MusicXML Import + Export) | no | yes | yes |
| Arranger Track | yes | yes | yes |
| Global Transpose Track | no | yes | yes |
| Audio Warp (real-time time stretching + pitch shifting) | playback only | yes | yes |
| Time Warp tool | no | yes | yes |
| Pitch Shifting/Time Stretching algorithm | real time | real time + MPEX | real time + MPEX |
| Dithering | Apogee UV22HR | Apogee UV22HR | Apogee UV22HR |
| Key command macros | yes | yes | yes |
| Pool Import and Export | no | yes | yes |
| Rewire support | yes | yes | yes |
| Track archives | no | no | yes |
| Extended Freeze for VST instruments and audio tracks | yes | yes | yes |
| Hardware controller support | Only Houston, Generic + Tascam US-428/224, Mackie Universal, HUI and CC121 | yes | yes |
| Track Quick Controls | no | yes | yes |
| Full MP3 Fraunhofer encoding | available as update | available as update | yes |
| Windows Media WMA Pro encoding | yes | yes | yes |
| Sequel Project import | no | yes | yes |
| OMF import/export | no | no | yes |
| Number of VST MIDI effect plug-ins included | 15 | 16 | 16 |
| Number of VST audio effect plug-ins included | 31 | 37 | 55 |
| Number of VST instruments included | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Number of instrument sounds included | 135 | 600+ | 1000+ |
| Full printed operations manual | no | no | yes |
* No detail search, no separate tag editor, no user tags
Plug-in Comparison
| Audio Plug-ins | Cubase Essential 4.1 | Cubase Studio 4.1 | Cubase 4.1 | VST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcrusher | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| Chopper | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| DaTube | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| DeEsser (SPL) | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| Grungelizer | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| Metalizer | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| MIDI Gate | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| Mix6to2 | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| MultiScope | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| RingModulator | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| SMPTE Generator | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| StepFilter | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| SurroundPan | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| TestGenerator | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| Tonic | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| Tranceformer | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
| UV22 HR | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| AmpSimulator | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| AutoPan | no | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Chorus (new) | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Cloner | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| Compressor | no | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Distortion (new) | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| DualFilter (new) | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| EnvelopeShaper | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| Expander | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| Flanger | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Gate | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| GEQ-10 | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| GEQ-30 | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| Limiter | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Maximizer | no | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| ModMachine | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| MonoDelay | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| MonoToStereo | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| MultibandCompressor | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| New Surround Panner SX | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| Octaver | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Phaser | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| PingPongDelay | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Roomworks | no | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Roomworks SE | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Rotary | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| SoftClipper | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| StereoDelay | no | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| StereoEnhancer | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| StudioChorus | no | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| StudioEQ | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| ToneBooster | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Tremolo | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Tuner | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Vibrato | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| VintageCompressor | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| VSTDynamics | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| WahWah | yes | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| MIDI Plug-ins | Cubase Essential 4.1 | Cubase Studio 4.1 | Cubase 4.1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arpache 5 | yes | yes | yes |
| Arpache SX | no | yes | yes |
| Autopan | yes | yes | yes |
| Chorder | yes | yes | yes |
| Compress | yes | yes | yes |
| Control | yes | no | no |
| Context Gate | no | yes | yes |
| Density | yes | yes | yes |
| Micro Tuner | yes | yes | yes |
| MidiControl | yes | yes | yes |
| MidiEcho | yes | yes | yes |
| Note 2 CC | yes | yes | yes |
| Quantizer | yes | yes | yes |
| StepDesigner | yes | yes | yes |
| Track Control | yes | yes | yes |
| Track FX | yes | yes | yes |
| Transformer | yes | yes | yes |
| Virtual Instruments | Cubase Essential 4.1 | Cubase Studio 4.1 | Cubase 4.1 | VST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embracer | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| Monologue | no | no | yes | 2.4 |
| Prologue | no | yes | yes | 3.0 |
| Spector | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| Mystic | no | no | yes | 3.0 |
| HALion One | yes | yes | yes | 2.4 |
Advanced Integration Features
| Feature | Cubase Essential 4.5 | Cubase Studio 4.5 | Cubase 4.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic integration through IEEE1394 (MR816 X, MR816 CSX, CC121, MOTIF XS) | yes | yes | yes |
| True Integrated Monitoring – 1:1 mixer mapping (MR816 X, MR816 CSX) | yes | yes | yes |
| True Integrated Monitoring – multiple studio mixes (MR816 X, MR816 CSX) | no | no | yes |
| Quick Connect (MR816 X, MR816 CSX) | yes | yes | yes |
| Monitor mixer integration (MR816 X, MR816 CSX) | yes | yes | yes |
| HW setup integration (MR816 X, MR816 CSX) | yes | yes | yes |
| Plug-in integration of DSP effects (MR816 X (REV-X only) , MR816 CSX) | yes | yes | yes |
| VST connection presets (MR816 X, MR816 CSX) | yes | yes | yes |
| Plug-in integration of MOTIF XS series voice editor (MOTIF XS) | yes | yes | yes |
| Control Room control (CC121) | no | no | yes |
| AI knob control (CC121) | yes | yes | yes |
| External VST3 support – MIDI + Audio (MOTIF XS) | yes | yes | yes |
| VST instrument preset browser access (KX) | yes | yes | yes |
| Track Quick Controls support (KX) | no | yes | yes |
