# Pro Tools to Cubase..



## cqd (May 7, 2019)

Hi all..
I'm currently working in Pro tools mainly..I'm considering picking up a Cubase crossgrade in the current sale..
Has anyone made this transition, or does anyone use both, which is what I think I'll probably end up doing..
Or anyone that has went from pt to Cubase, how did you find it,. what was good or bad?.. Did you notice any performance improvement?
Any advice on it?..Am I just wasting my time and money?..
Thanks..


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## fish_hoof (May 7, 2019)

I did, for me it was great because i could use a lot of Pro Tools key commands in Cubase. Made the transitions easy. DAWs nowadays are like buying a car. They all drive A to B but they have subtle differences here and there. There’s a few things that were new for me to get use to but all in all, I like it so much better for composing, although I still use Pro Tools for other things. 

Does that help?


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## cqd (May 7, 2019)

Hey.. yeah, that does perhaps help a bit.. yeah, I figure for the most part there won't be that much too it once there's a template and stuff set up..
Are you on windows by any chance?..
Any difference performance wise?


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## fish_hoof (May 7, 2019)

Im on Mac. Oddly enough, i feel like it handled my VI’s better. Maybe thats me but i could have more instances of Hans Zimmer Strings with more mic positions than I could in Pro Tools.


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## ChazC (May 7, 2019)

I went from PTHD11 to PT vanilla to Cubase (& eventually to Nuendo). I simply had enough of Avid’s attitude, there was nothing wrong with Pro Tools per se and I still say it has the best GUI of any DAW out there.

However, if you’re working with MIDI or VI’s, Cubase is night and day compared to Pro Tools - I honestly don’t know how I managed on PT before. It’s also a lot more stable on Windows than PT ever was.

I’m now 100% Nuendo (since v10 has all the Cubase music features finally) - when I first switched I still used PT for the final mix as I really dislike Steinbergs attempt at the mixer GUI but those days are behind me now. I did keep my PT vanilla extortion plan active until November last year, I won’t be renewing it next time around.

My only real beef in functionality vs PT is the way Steinberg choose to handle the majority of audio editing - you need to open a separate editor window. Having said that, what you can do in that edit window is fantastic and if you can get your head around the bizarre way Steinberg deal with gluing audio parts/events/regions (which is totally bonkers) it’s really powerful. I’d still prefer to see more audio editing functionality in the project window but overall the positives over PT completely outweigh the negatives IMO.


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## Guy Rowland (May 7, 2019)

I'd echo a lot of ChazC's comments above. Midi infinitely better, but audio editing is worse for me. I still get really basic screw ups - at the weekend I needed to copy a unique clip, which there is a specific command for, and then apply a new variaudio to it (Variaudio is fantastic btw). But the whole thing got its knickers in a twist and started affecting other clips - I ended up with a real kludge of multiple undos and manually rendering out the audio so it didn't affect other clips, it seemed to be the only way. 

There were other glitches too, this is just one example. In these sorts of things, Cubase doesn't feel anything like as solid as Pro Tools. By and large, I always want to keep my distinction of PT for audio / post work, Cubase for midi work, in both cases playing to each DAWs strengths. The current crossgrade price to Pro from PT (or many other DAWs) is exceptionally good - I'd try the demo first to see how you find it, mind.


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## Alex Niedt (May 7, 2019)

MIDI editing and composition/production workflow are massively better in Cubase. Not even remotely a competition. But for me, general navigation and editing borders on atrocious. Even getting shortcuts as close as possible to PT, it's definitely not the same. I made the transition about six months ago, and basic navigation and editing tasks that are lightning fast and smooth in PT feel absolutely cumbersome and bafflingly unintuitive in Cubase. Never before Cubase had I used a DAW with such nonsensical cursor/playback head functionality. And I don't understand how Cubase is the last DAW without a smart tool. Also can't believe I had to use a third party app to get left-to-right mousewheel scrolling uninverted. I could go on, but those are the things that really drive me nuts. With that said, I do love Cubase, overall, and I switched from PT HD because I refused to pay $999 for a MIDI bug fix.


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## Jeremy Gillam (May 8, 2019)

I use both and like both, and I agree with strengths and weaknesses that others have stated. I am a fan of Pro Tools' overall layout, logic, and coherent workflow — I love having having an edit cursor! The lack of customizability sometimes feels frustrating, but sometimes seems like one less distraction. I personally find its MIDI workflow to be much better than many others seem to (I recently sequenced a substantial project entirely in Pro Tools with VEP hosting VIs), although Cubase undeniably has way more tricks up its sleeve in that area. Audio editing in Cubase is overall not as nice to me, but I can generally achieve what I need to. Track freeze/commit in Pro Tools open up some good workflow possibilities. Cubase has some crazy bugs that seem like relics of a bygone age ("mute pre-send when mute" anyone?) but overall is super stable in my experience. At the end of the day both are great tools.

However, I loath AVID and after the fiasco of them taking seven months and counting to get a qualified Mojave release out (because they are still trying to tie PT Ultimate to HDX hardware and can't solve their own engineering problems), while continuing to extort vast sums of money from customers who aren't even getting a stable compatibility release let alone feature updates, seems like it might be the final sign that it's time to embrace a fully Cubase-centric workflow.


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## X-Bassist (May 8, 2019)

Guy Rowland said:


> I'd echo a lot of ChazC's comments above. Midi infinitely better, but audio editing is worse for me. I still get really basic screw ups - at the weekend I needed to copy a unique clip, which there is a specific command for, and then apply a new variaudio to it (Variaudio is fantastic btw). But the whole thing got its knickers in a twist and started affecting other clips - I ended up with a real kludge of multiple undos and manually rendering out the audio so it didn't affect other clips, it seemed to be the only way.
> 
> There were other glitches too, this is just one example. In these sorts of things, Cubase doesn't feel anything like as solid as Pro Tools. By and large, I always want to keep my distinction of PT for audio / post work, Cubase for midi work, in both cases playing to each DAWs strengths. The current crossgrade price to Pro from PT (or many other DAWs) is exceptionally good - I'd try the demo first to see how you find it, mind.



I demo'ed Cubase Pro and could see the audio editing differences, but what are the midi differences that make it "night and day" besides track folders and the number of midi tracks possible? I worked in CB Pro 9.5 for a month but couldn't really see any other reason to switch (And I do think PT with eventually have both track folders and infinite midi tracks). Since using VE Pro for my Vi's I haven't had much problem using midi in PT2018, and the editing for me, audio AND midi, seems so much easier. But I'd like to hear reasons to switch, this sale would be the time for me to jump in.


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## ChazC (May 8, 2019)

X-Bassist said:


> I demo'ed Cubase Pro and could see the audio editing differences, but what are the midi differences that make it "night and day" besides track folders and the number of midi tracks possible? I worked in CB Pro 9.5 for a month but couldn't really see any other reason to switch (And I do think PT with eventually have both track folders and infinite midi tracks). Since using VE Pro for my Vi's I haven't had much problem using midi in PT2018, and the editing for me, audio AND midi, seems so much easier. But I'd like to hear reasons to switch, this sale would be the time for me to jump in.



How long have you got?!  I’ll give you the major one straight off the bat - expression maps (worth it for this alone IMO). 

Another - MIDI plugins. 

How about the logical editor? Once you get your head around it (no simple task it has to be said though) it’s absolutely insane what you can do with it - just program up some macros and you’d see just how advanced Cubase is compared to PT in regards to MIDI.

PT with track folders and infinite MIDI tracks won’t even bring it anywhere close to what Cubase can do with MIDI. 

Having said all that, I guess it really depends how much you use MIDI as to what that lot will gain you - as with anything YMMV depending on how you use your DAW. If you mainly record and edit audio then obviously they aren’t going to be as useful to you as someone who composes with VI’s day in day out.

If you do use MIDI however, I strongly suggest you have a look at some YouTube videos of those 3 features if you’re unsure exactly what they can do.

Yeah, night and day IMO. Good luck whatever you decide!


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## cqd (May 8, 2019)

Well..I bought it anyway.. for e170 I said what the hell..I'm setting up a template as we speak.. yeah, I'll have to try get my head around a lot.. just messing around with it, I've an awful urge to close it and load up pt, but I'm sure it will subside..


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## fixxer49 (May 8, 2019)

cqd said:


> Well..I bought it anyway.. for e170 I said what the hell..I'm setting up a template as we speak.. yeah, I'll have to try get my head around a lot.. just messing around with it, I've an awful urge to close it and load up pt, but I'm sure it will subside..


same. long time PT user. seems like a good insurance/risk management, though. avid are worrisome of late.


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## dzilizzi (May 8, 2019)

I find Cubase really frustrating to work with coming from PT. The basic workflow is very different, and I've tried a lot of DAWs. It's the only one I have difficulties with. 

That said, the ability to use midi plugins and the chord track makes it worth it for me. I usually end up in PT for audio, because it is easier. For example, recording with playlists. Cubase does the same thing, but it's called something else and setting it up was a pain. I don't think it allows you to highlight different parts of takes and just play those parts either. And then we get to the manual. I have the English version, but their naming convention is gobbledygook. I type what I think I am looking for in their search box and the results have nothing to do with what I'm looking for. Now I realize this is partially my fault for not knowing the terms. But I go to the Studio One manual, type in the same search and get the answer I'm looking for. Only I didn't need to look because Studio One makes sense to me and I could figure it out without having to look it up. 

And I still use Cubase. I'm hoping someday I will figure it out.


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## cqd (May 8, 2019)

Haha.. yeah.. Some parts of it seem odd.. having to hit the monitor thing to get a track to play..and having to unhit record..
I can't figure out how to set up busses either..
If I have to listen to another "Hey guys" in a YouTube video I think I might hurt someone..


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## jamwerks (May 8, 2019)

Rather than Cubase, maybe Nuendo would be a viable switch from PT? The audio is apparently on par with PT, and you get all of what Cubase has midi-wise.


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## dzilizzi (May 8, 2019)

cqd said:


> Haha.. yeah.. Some parts of it seem odd.. having to hit the monitor thing to get a track to play..and having to unhit record..
> I can't figure out how to set up busses either..
> If I have to listen to another "Hey guys" in a YouTube video I think I might hurt someone..


Groove3 has some good videos on it. I'm still trying to find the "So you never have used Cubase before" one. But they do go over the updated stuff really well.


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## dzilizzi (May 8, 2019)

jamwerks said:


> Rather than Cubase, maybe Nuendo would be a viable switch from PT? The audio is apparently on par with PT, and you get all of what Cubase has midi-wise.


If you are thinking of Nuendo, the best way to buy it is getting the crossgrade to Cubase (Best Services has the cheapest price unless you have to pay VAT) and then upgrading to Nuendo. About $560 compared to the $908 for the full version.


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## jonshamieh (Dec 28, 2019)

This is helpful





Tips for Starting with Nuendo – Stephen Schappler







www.stephenschappler.com


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