Breitenbach
kaganbreitenbach.com
My first DAW, as a teen making awful pop songs, was garage band, then Logic was the obvious next step. I used it for many years on several films, other music projects, and voice over production. It’s an amazing DAW, and if I need to write anything super fast form a blank session I still use it. Also, the stock plugins are fabulous, and I still prefer it for live tracking and audio editing.
However, last year I was convinced by a fellow composer to give Cubase a try, and I’m glad I did. When I first moved over, I made a list of gripes, and posted them here. Some of which you folks helped me with (thank you!), some of which were fixed in Cubase 9.5 (automation curves), others I fixed by using third party software (video slave), and a few others I’m still dying for Steinberg to add (key signature track, SCROLL ZOOMING!!!).
Anyway, I promised a year ago I’d post my top Cubase features, so here it is. For Cubase veterans, this will probably won’t be helpful at all. In fact, you’ll laugh that these features seem new to me, but it might be helpful for anyone trying to decide whether to give Cubase a try.
—
10. VST Rack
Just something small and simple, but with a big template using VEP- it’s extremely helpful to just have the few VST plugins I have quickly and easily accessible when trouble shooting network issues or making new outputs.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z_WNMVF_6_qxq4paQd71ewS5ZYanPucS/view?usp=sharing (IMAGE)
9.Toggle Time-base
I have a love hate relationship with this feature because I’ve nearly ruined a couple movies with my lack of understanding of it. My understanding is that there is nothing like this in Logic. I don’t completely understand it still, and I’d love to know what other people do with it. My main use is this: If I have an instrument that is processor heavy playing during a passage with lots of tempo changes it creates lots of clicks and pops (I’m looking at you Stephenson Steam Band), I just toggle that instrument from music to linear and the clicks and pops vanish instantly. My understanding is that the instrument is no longer following the tempo curves. It’s playing independently, so its processing needs are significantly less. When this used to happen overloading happened in Logic, I’d have to print some of these processing heavy pads in flat tempo areas and slide the audio files into place. I don’t have to worry about that anymore! Please educate me more on this feature.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DTeB4mFPJWUXQfrhYt9LM7Wba1z2ySdx/view?usp=sharing (IMAGE)
8. Key Commands Galore
No contest here. Cubase has way more key commands stock than Logic. Is more always better?… no, but in this case it is! Attached is a picture just of the stock midi editing key commands in Logic 10.4.1 and Cubase 9.5.0. I know Logic has MIDI environment, which is nice, but I’m talking about plain and simple midi editing key commands. Logic having no key command for something like “fixed lengths” or “fixed velocities” is inexcusable. This is just the tip of the ice berg for my number 1 lower down the page.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18loVyza0SL4d1TJSZiyPiUrGXW4oK1fj/view?usp=sharing (<b>IMAGE</b>)
7. Exporting Groups & Multi-Tracks
Another feature I could not live without. Routing in Cubase is simple, and if you have a friend and mentor that helps you set everything up properly like I did, you can give beautiful printing groups. You can check what you want to print including FX channels. I know something similar is possible in logic, but this is so much simpler and eloquent. It totally takes the stress out of printing and delivering dry stems with separate reverbs.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rt4_gByhPfCO7hADISfvImcf3Wwrkd4u/view?usp=sharing (<b>IMAGE</b>)
6. Time Warp
Now granted, I never completely figured out an optimal way to tempo map in Logic, even after several years of trying, but no matter what method I tried, I found it to be clunky. The time warp tool is incredibly easy to use. It’s so intuitive and precise that I never want to tempo map in Logic again.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fvcSHLkaIcSdXwvwEn0i55gAa_EDK8nD/view?usp=sharing (IMAGE)
5. Visibility
There’s nothing like this in Logic at all. Basically in logic, you can toggle the “H” button on each track to hide it. This whole visibility panel in Cubase is incredible. I use it constantly. When working with a big template, you don’t want to see all tracks all the time. Being able to reduce 600 tracks down to just the 30 your using for a cue is invaluable. I have the different visibility toggles set to buttons on an external device, so if I just want to see data between locators- hit the button and bam. That same operation in Logic would have taken several minutes compared to about 1 second in Cubase.
4. Find Track/Channel
No explanation needed here, but I can’t tell you how long I dreamed of something like this in Logic. The first time I saw my fellow composer do this, I about fell on the floor. I’ve wasted hours of my life digging through sessions without this feature. This is such a simple concept too. I just searched the web again, and it still doesn’t exist in Logic. Why!? When you have a large template, this is mandatory.
3. Intuitive MIDI editing
If I have to midi edit in Logic now, I get frustrated. There are a lot of similarities on the surface between the two DAWS midi editors. However, try velocity editing in cubase just once and you’ll see how superior it is. The nodes that allow you to “scale vertically”, “tilt left/right”, and “scale around absolute center” are incredibly useful, fast, and easy. Not to mention, all of those editing features are available on other controller lanes too, not just velocity. Logic has something similar to the line and pencil tool functionally, but they don’t work nearly as easily as the same features in cubase. Once I paired these features Cubase with C-Brains on an iPad, I found I could edit midi much faster and far more efficiently than in Logic.
2. Folders, Folders, Folders, Folders, Folders
In Logic X you can make 1 folder, and within that you can make 1 summing stack (special kind of folder). That’s 2 levels of folder… that’s it… It has infuriated me for years. I don’t have a huge template, like 600ish tracks, but this has always been frustrating. In Cubase you can go nuts with folders. When my template is fully compressed there are just six lovely folders, but then I can open them to reveal organized sections i.e. (Strings>Traditional>Violin 1>Violin 1 Long). If Logic would have added this the many times I requested it over the years, I may have stayed committed to Logic. Organization is huge to me, and Cubase wins this one big time.
1. Logical Editors & Macros
This alone makes Cubase worth it. Is there a key command you want that isn’t in the presets? Easy, just make it yourself. Holy cow this blew my mind! Basically, if you can dream an operation in Cubase, you can custom design it using the Logical Editors and Macros. You are only limited by your imagination. The logical editors are also easy to use. I do actually have a background in programming, but it wasn’t necessary. I’ve made some pretty cool custom operations using logical editors and macros. It’s an empowering experience. I love Logic X, but this feature puts Logic to shame.
—
I’m not trying to rag on Logic, just like I wasn’t trying to rag on Cubase in my last post. There are still things in Cubase I don’t like… trust me, but I want to hear about the cool features that the rest of you use that I may not know about. Also, Logic users, if there’s something in Logic I am mis-representing or not understanding, please let me know!
However, last year I was convinced by a fellow composer to give Cubase a try, and I’m glad I did. When I first moved over, I made a list of gripes, and posted them here. Some of which you folks helped me with (thank you!), some of which were fixed in Cubase 9.5 (automation curves), others I fixed by using third party software (video slave), and a few others I’m still dying for Steinberg to add (key signature track, SCROLL ZOOMING!!!).
Anyway, I promised a year ago I’d post my top Cubase features, so here it is. For Cubase veterans, this will probably won’t be helpful at all. In fact, you’ll laugh that these features seem new to me, but it might be helpful for anyone trying to decide whether to give Cubase a try.
—
10. VST Rack
Just something small and simple, but with a big template using VEP- it’s extremely helpful to just have the few VST plugins I have quickly and easily accessible when trouble shooting network issues or making new outputs.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z_WNMVF_6_qxq4paQd71ewS5ZYanPucS/view?usp=sharing (IMAGE)
9.Toggle Time-base
I have a love hate relationship with this feature because I’ve nearly ruined a couple movies with my lack of understanding of it. My understanding is that there is nothing like this in Logic. I don’t completely understand it still, and I’d love to know what other people do with it. My main use is this: If I have an instrument that is processor heavy playing during a passage with lots of tempo changes it creates lots of clicks and pops (I’m looking at you Stephenson Steam Band), I just toggle that instrument from music to linear and the clicks and pops vanish instantly. My understanding is that the instrument is no longer following the tempo curves. It’s playing independently, so its processing needs are significantly less. When this used to happen overloading happened in Logic, I’d have to print some of these processing heavy pads in flat tempo areas and slide the audio files into place. I don’t have to worry about that anymore! Please educate me more on this feature.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DTeB4mFPJWUXQfrhYt9LM7Wba1z2ySdx/view?usp=sharing (IMAGE)
8. Key Commands Galore
No contest here. Cubase has way more key commands stock than Logic. Is more always better?… no, but in this case it is! Attached is a picture just of the stock midi editing key commands in Logic 10.4.1 and Cubase 9.5.0. I know Logic has MIDI environment, which is nice, but I’m talking about plain and simple midi editing key commands. Logic having no key command for something like “fixed lengths” or “fixed velocities” is inexcusable. This is just the tip of the ice berg for my number 1 lower down the page.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18loVyza0SL4d1TJSZiyPiUrGXW4oK1fj/view?usp=sharing (<b>IMAGE</b>)
7. Exporting Groups & Multi-Tracks
Another feature I could not live without. Routing in Cubase is simple, and if you have a friend and mentor that helps you set everything up properly like I did, you can give beautiful printing groups. You can check what you want to print including FX channels. I know something similar is possible in logic, but this is so much simpler and eloquent. It totally takes the stress out of printing and delivering dry stems with separate reverbs.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rt4_gByhPfCO7hADISfvImcf3Wwrkd4u/view?usp=sharing (<b>IMAGE</b>)
6. Time Warp
Now granted, I never completely figured out an optimal way to tempo map in Logic, even after several years of trying, but no matter what method I tried, I found it to be clunky. The time warp tool is incredibly easy to use. It’s so intuitive and precise that I never want to tempo map in Logic again.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fvcSHLkaIcSdXwvwEn0i55gAa_EDK8nD/view?usp=sharing (IMAGE)
5. Visibility
There’s nothing like this in Logic at all. Basically in logic, you can toggle the “H” button on each track to hide it. This whole visibility panel in Cubase is incredible. I use it constantly. When working with a big template, you don’t want to see all tracks all the time. Being able to reduce 600 tracks down to just the 30 your using for a cue is invaluable. I have the different visibility toggles set to buttons on an external device, so if I just want to see data between locators- hit the button and bam. That same operation in Logic would have taken several minutes compared to about 1 second in Cubase.
4. Find Track/Channel
No explanation needed here, but I can’t tell you how long I dreamed of something like this in Logic. The first time I saw my fellow composer do this, I about fell on the floor. I’ve wasted hours of my life digging through sessions without this feature. This is such a simple concept too. I just searched the web again, and it still doesn’t exist in Logic. Why!? When you have a large template, this is mandatory.
3. Intuitive MIDI editing
If I have to midi edit in Logic now, I get frustrated. There are a lot of similarities on the surface between the two DAWS midi editors. However, try velocity editing in cubase just once and you’ll see how superior it is. The nodes that allow you to “scale vertically”, “tilt left/right”, and “scale around absolute center” are incredibly useful, fast, and easy. Not to mention, all of those editing features are available on other controller lanes too, not just velocity. Logic has something similar to the line and pencil tool functionally, but they don’t work nearly as easily as the same features in cubase. Once I paired these features Cubase with C-Brains on an iPad, I found I could edit midi much faster and far more efficiently than in Logic.
2. Folders, Folders, Folders, Folders, Folders
In Logic X you can make 1 folder, and within that you can make 1 summing stack (special kind of folder). That’s 2 levels of folder… that’s it… It has infuriated me for years. I don’t have a huge template, like 600ish tracks, but this has always been frustrating. In Cubase you can go nuts with folders. When my template is fully compressed there are just six lovely folders, but then I can open them to reveal organized sections i.e. (Strings>Traditional>Violin 1>Violin 1 Long). If Logic would have added this the many times I requested it over the years, I may have stayed committed to Logic. Organization is huge to me, and Cubase wins this one big time.
1. Logical Editors & Macros
This alone makes Cubase worth it. Is there a key command you want that isn’t in the presets? Easy, just make it yourself. Holy cow this blew my mind! Basically, if you can dream an operation in Cubase, you can custom design it using the Logical Editors and Macros. You are only limited by your imagination. The logical editors are also easy to use. I do actually have a background in programming, but it wasn’t necessary. I’ve made some pretty cool custom operations using logical editors and macros. It’s an empowering experience. I love Logic X, but this feature puts Logic to shame.
—
I’m not trying to rag on Logic, just like I wasn’t trying to rag on Cubase in my last post. There are still things in Cubase I don’t like… trust me, but I want to hear about the cool features that the rest of you use that I may not know about. Also, Logic users, if there’s something in Logic I am mis-representing or not understanding, please let me know!