Looking to buy Cubase SX - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

lindalove · 12-28-2005, 05:22 AM

Maybe this is a long shot, but anyone have experience purchasing higher end sequencer software? This stuff is So God Damn Expensive, I need to cut it's cost as best as possible. I feel like I'm being stolen from by purchasing a peice of software at such a price.
I wish I didn't have to do this, but I need something better than the free downloads and kiddie programs, their capability & faults are holding me back.

Does anyone know if Ebay is viable for this? Can I trust it for such a thing? I've avoided ebay in the past, as I didn't feel the method was trustworthy(uninformed bias, unfortunately).

hulk · 12-28-2005, 05:27 AM

I believe most higher-end audio apps are protected by online registration, dongles and so forth. I wouldn't trust eBay for something like this. My old man uses Cubase et al for his composing, and you really do get what you pay for. One version will last you quite some time, and there's usually discounted update rates. It all depends, if you're looking to take things professional it may even be a tax deduction.

Poppinjay · 12-28-2005, 05:30 AM

I use Adobe Audition ($300), but I'm guessing you need something more advanced. Look at it this way, $600 is a lot less than the hardware that used to do this costs. I know its frustrating to pay that much for a couple of CD-roms, but its powerful stuff.

Sage · 12-28-2005, 06:29 AM

are you a college student? I got my Educational copy of Adobe Illustrator (a $400 program) for $99 on one of the websites that runs discount programs for students. They have to have confirmation of college registration in order to sell you stuff tho, but I'm sure there's a way around that (IE- sign up for classes in order to get the program, then drop them). Try that out.

Gatorade Frost · 12-28-2005, 09:32 AM

The musicians friend website is selling it at 17 a month. Not sure how long that would hold up at the price, but looking at the payment plan might be worth it if this software is pertinent to you right now.

optik_nerve · 01-02-2006, 12:32 AM

This is what I did, I bought Cubase LE for about $90, has some limitations but you get used to it and you can upgrade any time you would want.

It's great.

amire · 01-02-2006, 04:59 PM

I know this is probably not exactly what you're looking for, but you might want to check out a freeware sequencing program called Jeskola Buzz. It's quite full-featured, and although it's got a higher learning curve than your Cubase, Reason, etc., it's very powerful. You can learn more about it at www.buzzmachines.com

sprocket · 01-02-2006, 05:36 PM

I know how you feel... the software is so expensive you dont have many options for people who just do it as a hobby like myself, and just want to learn to use it.

I dont know what kind of music you want to make, but be aware that you wont have much in the way of software instruments to make music with out of the box. If you plan on recording audio and adding fx then cubase may be a good choice.. if your looking for software synthesizers (VST plugins) be warned cubase sx only comes with about 5 pretty limited synthesizers.. you might be disappointed.. you have to use 3rd party plugins.

There are tons of sequencers out there.. might try as many as you can before you go spend the money.

Another free one is http://ardour.org/
Its near professional quality, but only runs on Mac OSX or Linux.

Also, some good music can be made with a tracker program called renoise.. its a midi tracker, it doesnt record audio though. Its only 50$ and pretty kick ass.

In the end though I am doing the same and dropped $1000 on Logic 7 Pro. Should be getting it tomorrow, you probably wont see me on the forums for a while after it arrives;P

lindalove · 01-08-2006, 02:50 PM

Rock on, thanks guys.

Yeh, I'm aware of Cubase's niche & package limitations. I helped my old man choose his home studio setup, including his software, Cubase SX. Seeing what he can do, I.... want it. Plus we're kicking around the idea of tossing our music back and forth to see what we do with each others stuff.

He's been raised on 70's/80's butt rock, and of course I'm a child of the 80's and 90's. We'd have strange results, and it sounds really really fun.

Hey, optik_nerve, tell me more about LE! I don't feel like I learn anything from reviews & certainly not the company propaganda... What are the positives and negatives that it holds, as you see it? What exactly does LE lacks which SX has? It doesn't exactly make it clear no matter where I read.

On a side note, what I really want to get my hands on is NI Reaktor... Anyone tried that out? I've not yet, but based on what I keep hearing, I need to check it out. Perfect for Sound Design, my passion.

-Ever- · 01-15-2006, 06:30 PM

Don't have time to read all the posts, but I bought an educational verson of SX on Ebay and had a good experience. Just be sure to browse the seller's feedback and go from there. Best of luck.

aberkok · 01-15-2006, 08:32 PM

hey lindalove...I feel the same way. I need decent music software, but it's way out of my reach. I'm looking at getting Cubase SE (perhaps that's what's been mentioned above as LE), which is a fraction of the price of SX, and I have a trusted friend who told me that you'd only miss the SX features if you are doing large scale professional work. Having said that, I still haven't been able to find a point by point comparison of the differences.

I did find a review, though (EDIT after testing this link I found it asks you to register...???) here's the review in full:

Quote:

Steinberg Cubase SE [PC Pro]
COMPANY: Steinberg PRICE: £94 (£110 inc VAT)
RATING: ISSUE: 116 DATE: Jun 04

Verdict: The core features of music production powerhouse Cubase SX at a fraction of the price, although newcomers won't find it any easier to master

Steinberg has always been generous in offering cut-down versions of its software at remarkably low prices. Cubasis VST 3 gave as much as home studio users would need from Steinberg's flagship audio editor Cubase VST 5 for just £50 - less than a tenth of the price of the full version.

The launch of Cubase SX in 2002 saw the professional product redesigned in the mould of the post-production editor Nuendo, bringing with it far greater control and flexibility to the recording and editing processes along with superior quality mixing tools. SX2 moved things on even further, leaving Cubasis 5, which is still based on the older VST code, looking and feeling rather dated.

Cubase SE costs a good deal more than Cubasis VST 5, which retails for £45 (inc VAT), but it offers some hope for those who crave Steinberg's latest technology but can't afford the £499 and £230 street prices of SX2 and the mid-range SL2. Cubase SE follows in the tradition of Cubasis by providing the core editing and mixing functions of SX2, but without the high-end features many home studio musicians won't miss. Track and plug-in counts are reduced, but limitations, such as 48 audio and unlimited MIDI tracks, 16 VST instruments, five inserts per track and eight global effects, will obstruct only the most extravagant of productions. Similarly, support for up to eight physical inputs and outputs matches the capabilities of almost all sound cards under £300, making this a restriction most users won't notice.

There are a few features that are more regrettably absent. Unlimited undo and redo is reduced to a single step, and anyone who has used SX2's multiband compressor won't be able to live without it. However, the most significant omissions come from the fact that Cubase SE is a cut-down version of SX rather than SX2. This means no full delay compensation, so using certain types of plug-in effects can make recordings slip slightly out of time. Stacked recording, which simplifies the task of recording multiple takes - a common technique in vocal recording - is another omission that will make SX2 and SL2 look more appealing to certainÊusers.

However, our main point of contention with Cubase SE applies to the entire Cubase range, but is especially pertinent in a low-cost version such as this: new users run a high risk of complete bewilderment. Steinberg offers little signposting of its features, and although the manual does include some tutorials on the studio techniques required to get Cubase working at its best, newcomers could face many months of hard slog to get to grips with it. Cubase-specific jargon, such as Quantise Magnetic Area, will baffle even experienced computer musicians migrating from other software, but for them, at least, trial and error should provide the answers.

All this may sound very negative, but once you get used to it, Cubase SE offers some tremendous rewards. Sooner or later, what seemed like a perplexing interface soon becomes one that lends itself perfectly to swift operation and creative thinking. With upgrade paths to SL2 and SX2, it makes a lot of sense for budget-conscious musicians to get to grips with Cubase SE rather than learning Cubasis' ageing interface. At this price, nothing can match the flexibility of Cubase SE, nor can it match the quality of its end results.

By Charlie O'Neill
SPECIFICATIONS:
Pentium III/500; 256MB RAM; 1GB hard disk space; Windows 2000 or XP (Mac OS X version also included); ASIO-compatible sound card recommended.

If you do get this, I'd love to hear how it goes. I should have my copy in about a month.

rofgilead · 01-15-2006, 08:46 PM

I just bought Cakewalk Sonar 4 for $80, and am pretty happy with it so far for sequencing. It didn't come with a sampler though, but I have an ancient Akai 3200xl hardware unit for sampling, so I am going to use that with it.

Now I am just needing time and motivation. Mostly motivation.

trickyy · 01-15-2006, 10:30 PM

well, i don't know if you'll find this very helpful, but...

here's a lengthy review of cubase sx 3 from Remix magazine
http://remixmag.com/computer_product...g_cubase_sx_2/

more audio software reviews at
http://remixmag.com/computer_production/

good luck!

lindalove · 01-16-2006, 04:02 PM

What about the hardware dongle? Do they somehow bypass that? Are the newest versions available? I don't like the idea of pirating it, but until I'm professional with my sound design, I question wether it's reasonable I pay the full ammount.

Er. BTW, it's primarily as a more standard sound design platform that I want it for. This is my professional aspiration. Making sound effects and implementing audio into varying media. I'm fairly exceptional with good ole' SoundForge, but it's not fit for alot of projects. As for what kinda music I'm interested in, I'll of course mess around with different electronic musics, but I'm telling myself that this isn't the real reason I'm going after these purchases.

I'm aware that it's pretty naked outta the box, that's why I figure I'm going to load up on VST's and see if I can jack my dad's sample libraries. NI Reaktor would probably be my very next purchase. I shiver at the possibilities...

It's kinda seeming that I don't QUITE need SX yet. I could start with LE/SE or whatever and upgrade if I really was feeling held back still. Thank you for that review. I think I'll have to downgrade for the sake of my non-existant savings, seeing as I just moved into a new place.

trickyy · 01-16-2006, 07:18 PM

pirated versions do bypass the hardware dongle.
i believe SX version 3 is available, although i can't attest to the functionality. i've never used the program myself.

12-28-2005, 05:22 AM	#1 (permalink)
lindalove Registered User	Looking to buy Cubase SX Maybe this is a long shot, but anyone have experience purchasing higher end sequencer software? This stuff is So God Damn Expensive, I need to cut it's cost as best as possible. I feel like I'm being stolen from by purchasing a peice of software at such a price. I wish I didn't have to do this, but I need something better than the free downloads and kiddie programs, their capability & faults are holding me back. Does anyone know if Ebay is viable for this? Can I trust it for such a thing? I've avoided ebay in the past, as I didn't feel the method was trustworthy(uninformed bias, unfortunately).

12-28-2005, 05:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
hulk C'mon, just blow it. Location: Perth, Australia	I believe most higher-end audio apps are protected by online registration, dongles and so forth. I wouldn't trust eBay for something like this. My old man uses Cubase et al for his composing, and you really do get what you pay for. One version will last you quite some time, and there's usually discounted update rates. It all depends, if you're looking to take things professional it may even be a tax deduction. __________________ "'There's a tendency among the press to attribute the creation of a game to a single person,' says Warren Spector, creator of Thief and Deus Ex." -- From an IGN game review.

12-28-2005, 05:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
Poppinjay You had me at hello Location: DC/Coastal VA	I use Adobe Audition ($300), but I'm guessing you need something more advanced. Look at it this way, $600 is a lot less than the hardware that used to do this costs. I know its frustrating to pay that much for a couple of CD-roms, but its powerful stuff. __________________ I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

12-28-2005, 06:29 AM	#4 (permalink)
Sage hoarding all the big girl panties since 2005 Location: North side	are you a college student? I got my Educational copy of Adobe Illustrator (a $400 program) for $99 on one of the websites that runs discount programs for students. They have to have confirmation of college registration in order to sell you stuff tho, but I'm sure there's a way around that (IE- sign up for classes in order to get the program, then drop them). Try that out. __________________ Sage knows our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's She answers hard acrostics, has a pretty taste for paradox She quotes in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus In conics she can floor peculiarities parabolous -C'hi

12-28-2005, 09:32 AM	#5 (permalink)
Gatorade Frost Rookie	The musicians friend website is selling it at 17 a month. Not sure how long that would hold up at the price, but looking at the payment plan might be worth it if this software is pertinent to you right now. __________________ I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face." I said, "You'll be sorry." He said, "Oh, yeah? Why?" I said, "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well." Emo Philips

01-02-2006, 12:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
optik_nerve Psycho Location: Florida	This is what I did, I bought Cubase LE for about $90, has some limitations but you get used to it and you can upgrade any time you would want. It's great.

01-02-2006, 04:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
amire Crazy	I know this is probably not exactly what you're looking for, but you might want to check out a freeware sequencing program called Jeskola Buzz. It's quite full-featured, and although it's got a higher learning curve than your Cubase, Reason, etc., it's very powerful. You can learn more about it at www.buzzmachines.com

01-02-2006, 05:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
sprocket Psycho Location: In transit	I know how you feel... the software is so expensive you dont have many options for people who just do it as a hobby like myself, and just want to learn to use it. I dont know what kind of music you want to make, but be aware that you wont have much in the way of software instruments to make music with out of the box. If you plan on recording audio and adding fx then cubase may be a good choice.. if your looking for software synthesizers (VST plugins) be warned cubase sx only comes with about 5 pretty limited synthesizers.. you might be disappointed.. you have to use 3rd party plugins. There are tons of sequencers out there.. might try as many as you can before you go spend the money. Another free one is http://ardour.org/ Its near professional quality, but only runs on Mac OSX or Linux. Also, some good music can be made with a tracker program called renoise.. its a midi tracker, it doesnt record audio though. Its only 50$ and pretty kick ass. In the end though I am doing the same and dropped $1000 on Logic 7 Pro. Should be getting it tomorrow, you probably wont see me on the forums for a while after it arrives;P __________________ Remember, wherever you go... there you are.

01-08-2006, 02:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
lindalove Registered User	Rock on, thanks guys. Yeh, I'm aware of Cubase's niche & package limitations. I helped my old man choose his home studio setup, including his software, Cubase SX. Seeing what he can do, I.... want it. Plus we're kicking around the idea of tossing our music back and forth to see what we do with each others stuff. He's been raised on 70's/80's butt rock, and of course I'm a child of the 80's and 90's. We'd have strange results, and it sounds really really fun. Hey, optik_nerve, tell me more about LE! I don't feel like I learn anything from reviews & certainly not the company propaganda... What are the positives and negatives that it holds, as you see it? What exactly does LE lacks which SX has? It doesn't exactly make it clear no matter where I read. On a side note, what I really want to get my hands on is NI Reaktor... Anyone tried that out? I've not yet, but based on what I keep hearing, I need to check it out. Perfect for Sound Design, my passion.

01-15-2006, 06:30 PM	#10 (permalink)
-Ever- Junkie Location: San Francisco	Don't have time to read all the posts, but I bought an educational verson of SX on Ebay and had a good experience. Just be sure to browse the seller's feedback and go from there. Best of luck. __________________ Embracing the goddess energy within yourselves will bring all of you to a new understanding and valuing of life. A vision that inspires you to live and love on planet Earth. Like a priceless jewel buried in dark layers of soil and stone, Earth radiates her brilliant beauty into the caverns of space and time. Perhaps you are aware of those who watch over your home And experience of this place to visit and play with reality. You are becoming aware of yourself as a gamemaster... --Acknowledge your weaknesses--

01-15-2006, 08:46 PM	#12 (permalink)
rofgilead Crazy Location: Nowhere	I just bought Cakewalk Sonar 4 for $80, and am pretty happy with it so far for sequencing. It didn't come with a sampler though, but I have an ancient Akai 3200xl hardware unit for sampling, so I am going to use that with it. Now I am just needing time and motivation. Mostly motivation.

01-15-2006, 10:30 PM	#13 (permalink)
trickyy ►	well, i don't know if you'll find this very helpful, but... here's a lengthy review of cubase sx 3 from Remix magazine http://remixmag.com/computer_product...g_cubase_sx_2/ more audio software reviews at http://remixmag.com/computer_production/ good luck!

01-16-2006, 04:02 PM	#14 (permalink)
lindalove Registered User	What about the hardware dongle? Do they somehow bypass that? Are the newest versions available? I don't like the idea of pirating it, but until I'm professional with my sound design, I question wether it's reasonable I pay the full ammount. Er. BTW, it's primarily as a more standard sound design platform that I want it for. This is my professional aspiration. Making sound effects and implementing audio into varying media. I'm fairly exceptional with good ole' SoundForge, but it's not fit for alot of projects. As for what kinda music I'm interested in, I'll of course mess around with different electronic musics, but I'm telling myself that this isn't the real reason I'm going after these purchases. I'm aware that it's pretty naked outta the box, that's why I figure I'm going to load up on VST's and see if I can jack my dad's sample libraries. NI Reaktor would probably be my very next purchase. I shiver at the possibilities... It's kinda seeming that I don't QUITE need SX yet. I could start with LE/SE or whatever and upgrade if I really was feeling held back still. Thank you for that review. I think I'll have to downgrade for the sake of my non-existant savings, seeing as I just moved into a new place.

01-16-2006, 07:18 PM	#15 (permalink)
trickyy ►	pirated versions do bypass the hardware dongle. i believe SX version 3 is available, although i can't attest to the functionality. i've never used the program myself.