I spent some time hacking out a cliched tune using Cubasis’s own instruments this evening and it was fun and relatively fast. Note selection and manipulation was on occasion a little frustrating and the choice of sound pallet limiting. I’d like to see it rapidly updated too but I do think the implimentation of the basic Cubasis front end is good.
For me automation and much better midi control handling and editing, combined with an editable instrument are the first steps. I’d love to see a simple sampler and a synth with parameters and effects capable of automation.
I’d also like to see them continue to concentrate on the interface. Selecting, copying, and pasting work well but are long winded. Selecting and moving of small events, particularly midi drumming, can be dificult. Some elegant ways that take advantage of the iPad interface and that make this easier without reducing all recorded midi to metronomic precision would be good.
The price thing is a really dificult issue. App pricing in iOS is such a different model from the big music software companies are used to. If Steinberg stick with the normal iOS model I’ll eventually get the final all singing all dancing version of Cubasis without paying another penny. Whilst I suspect that I’ll see significant improvement in the main program I’m also expecting a fair amount of IAP’S . I’ll reserve judgement until we see the content. They are however used to selling regular updates of their main desktop programs so it’ll be interesting to see how they generate money for continued development on the iPad?