So if you don’t know where to put those files then all kinds of problems occur. Half the files in my case couldn’t be moved by the assistant. Most of the issue lies with its inability to move the vstsound files to where they need to go. However, for those who can hold a tune better than we can, Cubase Artist 7.5 is a supremely capable recording application at a great price.I also had all sorts of problems using the Download assistant. However, we wish Artist 7.5 had the VariAudio feature, which corrects vocal pitch. Plus, Artist 7.5 includes more than enough tracks and channels for all but the most ambitious productions. Artist 7.5 is the best choice for many people because it has the same top-notch mixing facilities and the vast bulk of instrument and effect plug-ins that you get in the flagship version. Steinberg has done a fine job of catering for different users with the three versions of Cubase. This panel has received a redesign, too, and now shows all virtual instruments used throughout the project, including shortcut controls to access their settings. Instrument Tracks now supports multiple MIDI inputs and audio outputs, something previously reserved for the more cumbersome VST instruments panel. Only one version is shown at a time, and versions across multiple tracks can be synchronised and switched together. Lanes already provided a similar feature, but while Lanes is perfect for capturing multiple takes, TrackVersions works better for trying out different musical ideas. TrackVersions accommodates alternative versions of a performance without needing to duplicate mixer channels. It’s even possible to create macros to hide or show tracks with a specific word in the title. A new Visibility tab lets tracks on the Arrange window be hidden from view, either individually, by track type or by more complex criteria such as Tracks with data between the locators. This update is rounded out with a collection of workflow improvements. Layer up arpeggiated synthesizer patterns with Trip, a new sub-module in HALion Sonic SE2 Surely it’d be better to make Trip a standalone instrument? Trip specialises in complex arpeggiated ripples, and certainly has enough flair and sophistication to stand on its own.
As Trip doesn’t use samples, we wonder why Steinberg has incorporated Trip into HALion Sonic SE. There are new presets for you to use, many of which draw on a new synthesis engine called Trip. HALion Sonic SE is Cubase’s updated sample-playback instrument for pitched sounds. The new drum sampler, Groove Agent SE4, is extremely accomplished for a bundled instrument It can also slice a sampled loop into individual drum hits, allowing radical editing of both the tone and rhythm of samples. Samples can be alternated and pitch-shifted, either according to MIDI note velocity or randomly, to create some variation. Each sample can be fed through a sophisticated synthesis engine that includes 24 filter types and curved envelopes for volume, pitch and filter.
Groove Agent SE 4 is a drum sampler that’s in a different league to the Groove Agent SE1 module it replaces. The new instrument plug-ins are just as impressive. LoopMash FX adds DJ-style scratches and loops to audio The emphasis is on immediacy and live performance, with the ability to trigger each effect using a MIDI keyboard. LoopMash FX is more niche, delivering a range of pitch-bend and looping effects that resemble DJ scratches.