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Top 10 Cubase Features New to a Logic X Composer

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!
 
Hey! Great post. Not at all starting a DAW war, but when you return to Logic for the odd job..
I think point 5 has been addressed with "Hide Groups" and point 6 might have been addressed with the smart tempo tools, both introduced with a recent Logic update. Although that last one is more aimed at audio. YMMV etc etc, but might be useful info if you continue to switch between DAWs.

Enjoy your new home!
A
 
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Hey! Great post. Not at all starting a DAW war, but when you return to Logic for the odd job..
I think point 5 has been addressed with "Hide Groups" and point 6 might have been addressed with the smart tempo tools, both introduced with a recent Logic update. Although that last one is more aimed at audio. YMMV etc etc, but might be useful info if you continue to switch between DAWs.

Enjoy your new home!
A

Thanks so much Alex! Interesting, I'll look in to hide groups. I'm sure lots of other Logic users smarter than I am have figured out things that I haven't. I've actually found smart tempo tools to be a bit of a hinderance. I've messed up a few songs trying to get it to work properly.
 
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>)
Great post.

Unless I've misunderstood exporting groups, I don't see how you'd export for example 'Keys', which might contain both a hall reverb and room reverb send, without other tracks' send be included in the export?

I basically always end up muting all groups apart from the one I'm exporting. And exporting 1 group at a time, which takes forever.

It makes sense if every group has it's own send but when making Pop or Rock for example, that doesn't really work, as you might want parts of a group (eg. drums) up close and other parts further away.

Do you know if there's an easier and faster way to do this?
 
Great post.

Unless I've misunderstood exporting groups, I don't see how you'd export for example 'Keys', which might contain both a hall reverb and room reverb send, without other tracks' send be included in the export?

I basically always end up muting all groups apart from the one I'm exporting. And exporting 1 group at a time, which takes forever.

It makes sense if every group has it's own send but when making Pop or Rock for example, that doesn't really work, as you might want parts of a group (eg. drums) up close and other parts further away.

Do you know if there's an easier and faster way to do this?

Hey R. Soul, so for this to work, the routing has to be setup right. I had a friend a lot smarter than I am give me routing tips, so I'm just regurgitating that info here.

For me, I’m doing orchestral film music, so I have 2 reverb sends for every group. I’ve attached a simplified picture of routing for one of my groups.

——
Picture explanation:

My piccolo, flute, clarinet, and oboe are going to 3 places:
-Woodwinds High Group
-WW Verb Front
-WW Verb Rear

Then the two reverb sends are going into the high group. (these reverbs are wet signal only, don’t want to duplicate any dry signal here, otherwise it makes it louder through the group output). This makes it so the dry signal and the verbs are routing in separately.

Then finally the whole woodwinds group is sent out the main output. This gives me the ability to print the woodwinds high group wet, or I can print just the reverbs individually. Then if I want to print the woodwind group dry, I can just bypass or mute the two reverb sends.

——

If you wanted to do the same in your case for a pop/rock template, you’d have to have a couple different reverbs for each group. So groups could be drums, guitars, keys, vocals, et., and then two reverbs for each of them (i.e. guitar verb hall, guitar verb room, drum verb hall, drum verb room, etc.), then the respective reverbs are routed back in through your groups. That way you can print your groups wet, fx channels separately or dry by bypassing/muting verbs.Is that helpful?
 

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Hey R. Soul, so for this to work, the routing has to be setup right. I had a friend a lot smarter than I am give me routing tips, so I'm just regurgitating that info here.

For me, I’m doing orchestral film music, so I have 2 reverb sends for every group. I’ve attached a simplified picture of routing for one of my groups.

——
Picture explanation:

My piccolo, flute, clarinet, and oboe are going to 3 places:
-Woodwinds High Group
-WW Verb Front
-WW Verb Rear

Then the two reverb sends are going into the high group. (these reverbs are wet signal only, don’t want to duplicate any dry signal here, otherwise it makes it louder through the group output). This makes it so the dry signal and the verbs are routing in separately.

Then finally the whole woodwinds group is sent out the main output. This gives me the ability to print the woodwinds high group wet, or I can print just the reverbs individually. Then if I want to print the woodwind group dry, I can just bypass or mute the two reverb sends.

——

If you wanted to do the same in your case for a pop/rock template, you’d have to have a couple different reverbs for each group. So groups could be drums, guitars, keys, vocals, et., and then two reverbs for each of them (i.e. guitar verb hall, guitar verb room, drum verb hall, drum verb room, etc.), then the respective reverbs are routed back in through your groups. That way you can print your groups wet, fx channels separately or dry by bypassing/muting verbs.Is that helpful?
I might give that a try.
My only issue is, that I would have to use a lot more reverbs than I do now, and therefore a lot more resources. Unfortunately CPU is something my projects can consume a lot of, when you often end up with 4+ fx on each track.
But it would be a great time saver, if I was able to do a Batch export instead of the very time consuming way I'm doing it now.
 
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.


Interesting how time base fixes your issue, I can't argue with that =) Is your issue that you reached CPU limits? or was the virtual instrument just not handling tempo changes gracefully?

If it's just CPU problems, there's a feature in Cubase called "render in place" - it allows you to print selected parts to a new audio track, but you don't have to do extra work to reposition the audio or to load the rendered audio into an empty place on a track. It just plops the audio version of what you had selected into a new audio track. It does just fine with preexisting tempo changes, though once it's rendered, it wouldn't follow new tempo changes. Options to configure the feature are really nice, too - render each selected part to separate audio tracks or to one combined track, configure the rendered audio to use the entire FX chain all the way to master output, or to skip some of the FX chain, and you can configure it to automatically mute (or not) the original parts that are being rendered.

This feature quite literally liberated me. I initially used it since I was running out of CPU in a few places. But then I gradually realized what I was missing without it. I was stopping myself from making mixer changes that I knew would help make my songs better, because I only wanted to affect a small part of a track and not mess up the rest of the track. But automation in that case is painful too - setting up dozen of parameters just to have a different mix snapshot for one brief part of the entire track is too much work. Or if I had to modify many tracks with the same mixing decisions, even less pleasant. "Render in Place" filled this hole nicely - it's a quick and easy way to group arbitrary parts into a new audio track so that I can tweak them without messing up anything else.
 
Some thoughts that crossed my mind-

In Logic you can use ‘hide unused tracks’ which is kinda tha same as Cubase’s show tracks with data.

Logic’s transformer can set notes to fixed length and/or velocity and is remotely keystroke accessible. It can do other things like scale cc data and more.

Logic allows for objects to populate the environment but not populate the arrange. No other app allows this. You can also have the same object on multiple arrange tracks. Same object, not a duplicate. I see this as a feature, and no other daw does this. The topmost arrange track of the same object has play priority, so you can use it to comp stuff without cutting.

The old school Logic folder can be nested, but it can also be that stuff in a folder is only in that folder, which means that it’s not visible at the top level when all folders are open. This can get confusing, but it’s really slick when you leverage this to keep your arrange area neat and clean.

Logic has an export selected tracks option. Works well, but I wish it allowed to export from aux objects. Cubase is better in this regard.

Logic’s way of dealing with upscaling tracks from mono to n channels is really useful. You can make a mono channel stereo by slapping up a mono to stereo plugin. You can also go from mono to 5.1. The one plugin instance allows you to set up how you control all the channels, individually or controlled by one set of controls for all channels. Very elegant. In Cubase, if you want to go from mono to surround, you need to either put a mono audio file unto a surround track, or bus it to one. I really don’t care for the way Cubase deals with stereo plugins on surround tracks. you need to slap up three stereo plugs to get all channels going. Forget about compresser plugins unless they are surround to begin with, no way to link the channels. So I guess most guys working in surround are mixing in Protools.

just some thoughts
 
There are many threads comparing Logic and Cubase out there, and your post is interesting - but I'm not sure if the comparison is quite fair. I totally agree with those who say that Logic has been lagging behind in terms of development for MIDI composers for many years (there are some improvements in 10.4.*), but what you wrote here, for instance isn't entirely correct:
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…
You could have folders in folders in folders since version 1 I think, and you don't need a summing stack for that.

Here are, btw, some of the other threads comparing the two, in case you are interested:
https://vi-control.net/community/th...d-cubase-for-use-with-sample-libraries.61884/
https://vi-control.net/community/th...ers-any-issues-share-experiences.59354/page-2
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mus...tter-composing-logic-better-song-writing.html
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mus...would-i-miss-if-i-ditched-logic-cubase-2.html

Regarding key commands - how many key commands does Cubase actually have?
Re "I never completely figured out an optimal way to tempo map in Logic". IMO the Beat Mapping function in Logic is excellent, and easy to use.

Re. this:
"“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."
Sounds interesting. I have Cubase actually, but there has been too many things I miss from Logic for me to really get started learning/using it properly.

And, if I'm not mistaken, Cubase's Logical Editor is a copy of Logic's good old Transform window.... but Logic needs a built in and super easy way way to create macros and assign key commands to them - AND more MIDI/composing related key commands.
 
Logic has an export selected tracks option
Since Logic doesn't have something similar to the Sibelius Ideas Hub for user ideas, I really miss a way to select a few tracks in Logic and save them as a new project, as a workaround. Are you saying that this is possible?

ETA: regarding the top 10 list above, the thing I miss the most in Logic - which Cubase has - is a way to Freeze and disable tracks (and also just disable them without freezing). That would free up a lot of sample memory (and other memory); important for those who need more than 32 gb. Also great because even after the firmware update, the new MBPs can't be cooled down enough to using their own potential fully.

Disabling tracks is also an important function for those who work with many sample libraries and who want to be based around a MacBook Pro. It's great that they now come in 32 gb versions, but it is overpriced (especially for some of us Europeans who has seen a massive dollar rate rise), if you have hundreds of gigabytes of sample libraries, 32 isn't enough either. In such cases, track disabling would be very handy.


And... this image isn't really fair, is it?

Logic has a lot more MIDI related key commands than those listed as piano roll key commands. Ideally, as many KCs as possible be shoud the same for all editors, so seeing how many key commands that are specific for a certain window doesn't necessarily tell much.

You can, btw, assign key commands to functions in the Transform ("Logical Editor") window in Logic (up to 30) - from the KC window.

It's still hard to understand why basic KCs are still missing in Logic - like KCs to give a note a specific length. Or to add a note a certain diatonic (within the current scale) interval above the selected note(s). Or a simple KC which inserts a note at the current position. Or some of the KCs discussed in the threads I linked to.
 
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I've also moved from Logic to Cubase some time ago and the two features that would prevent me to go back to Logic are "disable track" (800ish disabled tracks template in Cubase) and the Chord Track.
 
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Some thoughts that crossed my mind-

In Logic you can use ‘hide unused tracks’ which is kinda tha same as Cubase’s show tracks with data.

Logic’s transformer can set notes to fixed length and/or velocity and is remotely keystroke accessible. It can do other things like scale cc data and more.

Logic allows for objects to populate the environment but not populate the arrange. No other app allows this. You can also have the same object on multiple arrange tracks. Same object, not a duplicate. I see this as a feature, and no other daw does this. The topmost arrange track of the same object has play priority, so you can use it to comp stuff without cutting.

The old school Logic folder can be nested, but it can also be that stuff in a folder is only in that folder, which means that it’s not visible at the top level when all folders are open. This can get confusing, but it’s really slick when you leverage this to keep your arrange area neat and clean.

Logic has an export selected tracks option. Works well, but I wish it allowed to export from aux objects. Cubase is better in this regard.

Logic’s way of dealing with upscaling tracks from mono to n channels is really useful. You can make a mono channel stereo by slapping up a mono to stereo plugin. You can also go from mono to 5.1. The one plugin instance allows you to set up how you control all the channels, individually or controlled by one set of controls for all channels. Very elegant. In Cubase, if you want to go from mono to surround, you need to either put a mono audio file unto a surround track, or bus it to one. I really don’t care for the way Cubase deals with stereo plugins on surround tracks. you need to slap up three stereo plugs to get all channels going. Forget about compresser plugins unless they are surround to begin with, no way to link the channels. So I guess most guys working in surround are mixing in Protools.

just some thoughts

Logic can export from aux.
 
Logic can export from aux.

If the aux object is part of a multiout instrument, ie output 3-4 of an instrument, then yes, it will output audio when exporting, and also recieve midi as an instrument object would.

But I can’t get any love trying to export from an aux if it’s an fx return being fed from a bus. I seem to have to bus that aux to an audio track and activate the input monitor, THEN I can output the sound. Freakin bummer. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but the LUG forum had a discussion about this and that’s what I read there as well. Show me the error of my ways, I’d be delighted to be be wrong :)
 
Since Logic doesn't have something similar to the Sibelius Ideas Hub for user ideas, I really miss a way to select a few tracks in Logic and save them as a new project, as a workaround. Are you saying that this is possible?

ETA: regarding the top 10 list above, the thing I miss the most in Logic - which Cubase has - is a way to Freeze and disable tracks (and also just disable them without freezing). That would free up a lot of sample memory (and other memory); important for those who need more than 32 gb. Also great because even after the firmware update, the new MBPs can't be cooled down enough to using their own potential fully.

You can send a few tracks to a new project by either ‘export selected tracks’, then create a new project and import those.

You could also open both the original project and the new one, then copy/paste the audio from the older project to the newer one.

You could also just do a track import from the media window on the right hand side. Create a new project, then import the sync settings from the older session FIRST, then import the global settings and the audio tracks from the media bay on the right hand side.

As far as track disable, the best I can come up with is to turn off the track. But I’m not sure this reduces memory.

Two incredibly powerfull apps that have cool features. Truth be told, I just love the way Cubase looks. :)
 
Cubase's strength is definitely in building & managing large templates which I have since moved away from. Funny thing is, I'm pining for Logic because of that...
 
My biggest issue still is and likely will always be that Cubase just does not perform as well as Logic Pro X on Apple systems. Again and again I have tested this and have the exact same results.

I would not mind sticking with Windows if setting up MIDI Ports was as simple as in macOS, since I have two iPads
 
Interesting how time base fixes your issue, I can't argue with that =) Is your issue that you reached CPU limits? or was the virtual instrument just not handling tempo changes gracefully?

If it's just CPU problems, there's a feature in Cubase called "render in place" - it allows you to print selected parts to a new audio track, but you don't have to do extra work to reposition the audio or to load the rendered audio into an empty place on a track. It just plops the audio version of what you had selected into a new audio track. It does just fine with preexisting tempo changes, though once it's rendered, it wouldn't follow new tempo changes. Options to configure the feature are really nice, too - render each selected part to separate audio tracks or to one combined track, configure the rendered audio to use the entire FX chain all the way to master output, or to skip some of the FX chain, and you can configure it to automatically mute (or not) the original parts that are being rendered.

This feature quite literally liberated me. I initially used it since I was running out of CPU in a few places. But then I gradually realized what I was missing without it. I was stopping myself from making mixer changes that I knew would help make my songs better, because I only wanted to affect a small part of a track and not mess up the rest of the track. But automation in that case is painful too - setting up dozen of parameters just to have a different mix snapshot for one brief part of the entire track is too much work. Or if I had to modify many tracks with the same mixing decisions, even less pleasant. "Render in Place" filled this hole nicely - it's a quick and easy way to group arbitrary parts into a new audio track so that I can tweak them without messing up anything else.

Wow interesting! Yeah, Logic actually has a "bounce in place" aka "render in place" feature too. I've never completely understood why, but even when I'm just trying to render in place a single track, clicks and pops would still occur at tempo changes. I haven't experimented with that in Cubase, so I'm not sure if the same thing would happen.

I have had to assume that it's a CPU issue because it's worst when working with ramping tempos. With the tempo data changing literally on every frame, some of these samples seem to self destruct when they are in music mode.
 
Some thoughts that crossed my mind-

In Logic you can use ‘hide unused tracks’ which is kinda tha same as Cubase’s show tracks with data.

Logic’s transformer can set notes to fixed length and/or velocity and is remotely keystroke accessible. It can do other things like scale cc data and more.

Logic allows for objects to populate the environment but not populate the arrange. No other app allows this. You can also have the same object on multiple arrange tracks. Same object, not a duplicate. I see this as a feature, and no other daw does this. The topmost arrange track of the same object has play priority, so you can use it to comp stuff without cutting.

The old school Logic folder can be nested, but it can also be that stuff in a folder is only in that folder, which means that it’s not visible at the top level when all folders are open. This can get confusing, but it’s really slick when you leverage this to keep your arrange area neat and clean.

Logic has an export selected tracks option. Works well, but I wish it allowed to export from aux objects. Cubase is better in this regard.

Logic’s way of dealing with upscaling tracks from mono to n channels is really useful. You can make a mono channel stereo by slapping up a mono to stereo plugin. You can also go from mono to 5.1. The one plugin instance allows you to set up how you control all the channels, individually or controlled by one set of controls for all channels. Very elegant. In Cubase, if you want to go from mono to surround, you need to either put a mono audio file unto a surround track, or bus it to one. I really don’t care for the way Cubase deals with stereo plugins on surround tracks. you need to slap up three stereo plugs to get all channels going. Forget about compresser plugins unless they are surround to begin with, no way to link the channels. So I guess most guys working in surround are mixing in Protools.

just some thoughts

Hey wow this is good stuff!!! I had no idea there was a way to have keystrokes alter those midi attributes.

What do you mean when you say "Logic allows for objects to populate the environment but not populate the arrange". I guess I'm greener in Logic than I thought.

I'd love to see a screen shot of what you've figured out with folder nesting because I've struggled with that for a long time.
 
There are many threads comparing Logic and Cubase out there, and your post is interesting - but I'm not sure if the comparison is quite fair. I totally agree with those who say that Logic has been lagging behind in terms of development for MIDI composers for many years (there are some improvements in 10.4.*), but what you wrote here, for instance isn't entirely correct:

You could have folders in folders in folders since version 1 I think, and you don't need a summing stack for that.

Here are, btw, some of the other threads comparing the two, in case you are interested:
https://vi-control.net/community/th...d-cubase-for-use-with-sample-libraries.61884/
https://vi-control.net/community/th...ers-any-issues-share-experiences.59354/page-2
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mus...tter-composing-logic-better-song-writing.html
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mus...would-i-miss-if-i-ditched-logic-cubase-2.html

Regarding key commands - how many key commands does Cubase actually have?
Re "I never completely figured out an optimal way to tempo map in Logic". IMO the Beat Mapping function in Logic is excellent, and easy to use.

Re. this:
"“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."
Sounds interesting. I have Cubase actually, but there has been too many things I miss from Logic for me to really get started learning/using it properly.

And, if I'm not mistaken, Cubase's Logical Editor is a copy of Logic's good old Transform window.... but Logic needs a built in and super easy way way to create macros and assign key commands to them - AND more MIDI/composing related key commands.

I should probably apologize for some of the tone I used in this post sounding very "versus". I think I just got enthusiast because I discovered things in Cubase that solved problems I had in Logic. I actually LOVE Logic, and I don't think I'll ever leave it completely. It still has features that Cubase doesn't.

And man... this folder thing. You're the second person to say that you can nest folders, but I've never figured it out. I researched it a LOT! If you can, would you mind posting a screen shot of nested folders. I've only ever managed to have. Parent Folder>Summing Stack>Instrument/Audio/MIDI track.

Thanks for the other thread references!
 
Since Logic doesn't have something similar to the Sibelius Ideas Hub for user ideas, I really miss a way to select a few tracks in Logic and save them as a new project, as a workaround. Are you saying that this is possible?

ETA: regarding the top 10 list above, the thing I miss the most in Logic - which Cubase has - is a way to Freeze and disable tracks (and also just disable them without freezing). That would free up a lot of sample memory (and other memory); important for those who need more than 32 gb. Also great because even after the firmware update, the new MBPs can't be cooled down enough to using their own potential fully.

Disabling tracks is also an important function for those who work with many sample libraries and who want to be based around a MacBook Pro. It's great that they now come in 32 gb versions, but it is overpriced (especially for some of us Europeans who has seen a massive dollar rate rise), if you have hundreds of gigabytes of sample libraries, 32 isn't enough either. In such cases, track disabling would be very handy.


And... this image isn't really fair, is it?

Logic has a lot more MIDI related key commands than those listed as piano roll key commands. Ideally, as many KCs as possible be shoud the same for all editors, so seeing how many key commands that are specific for a certain window doesn't necessarily tell much.

You can, btw, assign key commands to functions in the Transform ("Logical Editor") window in Logic (up to 30) - from the KC window.

It's still hard to understand why basic KCs are still missing in Logic - like KCs to give a note a specific length. Or to add a note a certain diatonic (within the current scale) interval above the selected note(s). Or a simple KC which inserts a note at the current position. Or some of the KCs discussed in the threads I linked to.


First, yes your'e right on the image. There are a lot more MIDI key commands in Logic than what is shown in that screen shot. The midi environments key commands alone are more than the basic Cubase key commands. However, I wanted to mainly focus on the basic editor/piano roll commands. There are certain very basic repetitive MIDI editing operations that really should be stock key commands in all DAWS IMHO. My point should have been less pointed at sheer number, and more directed toward Cubase having these basic operations already setup. My mistake for sure. I think things like: fixed note length, quantize ends, fixed velocity, etc. would be awesome to have as stock key commands in Logic.

And definitely, the freezing/disable is an awesome feature! It wasn't part of my regular workflow, but it's a fantastic feature to have when sessions start becoming unwieldy processor hogs.
 
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