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Cubase seems quite complicated

I've been using FL Studio for 2 years and I love it. But I thought I'd give Cubase a 'trial' To see if I'd like to buy it someday. It seemed like a logical next step to check it out since I know FL very well and am starting to produce some ok stuff.

So I thought Cubase should be intuitive enough to figure out pretty quickly if you had a good foundation of music and technical knowldge.
However, I find that things don't make much sense to me and it seems overly complicated just to do simple things. I work with MIDI only (and a midi keyboard).

I'm completely lost though and the Getting Started guide really doesn't do things in a logical order in my opinion. For instance, I know how to setup a midi track and insert a VST, but I can't seem to find out in any logical way or in any of the tutorials how to just open the piano roll (key editor) and start entering notes by hand. I have to record a note from my midi keyboard to get a midi clip to appear and then double click that to open the key editor... There must be some other way to do this but it's not obvious and I think it should be... Strange application.

Do you find it took you a long time to learn the app enough just to be able to make a basic song? Even still, if you have used other apps such as FL Studio, do you find you can work in those other apps more quickly?

I wonder is it really worth the seemingly high learning curve...

Thanks for your comments or help
-Heather

I switched from Fruity to Cubase just a couple months ago. I believe the answer to your question is- YES, it is worth figuring out.

Even those who love Fruity admit that there are things that are simply easier to do in Cubase. Cubase is a great program.

Oh, to answer your question about VSTs-

Go to devices- VST instruments. Click on one of the empty slots and select the VST you want.

Then, make a new MIDI channel. As the OUT of that channel specify the VST you just added.

As you work with Cubase more and more you'll understand why they did things certain ways- it's mostly to maximize your control in a variety of settings (from multi-mixer studio to internal soundcard).

I'm in love with Cubase now and I only use Fruity for its plugins (I sacked the Fruity folder of its DLLs and put them in Cubase's VST folder).

I now work faster than I ever did in Fruity, partly as a result of how easy it is to quantize (I do a lot of weird beat stuff.)

Thanks for your reply. But my question wasn't how to hook up a vst - it's how to open the key editor once I've got a midi track and a vst hooked up to the output of that track.

It's good to hear you think it is worth learning. It's crazy to me you think it is faster but perhaps I will find it that way too if I take the time to learn it. I hate reading manuals though. I wish I could find some videos for basic concepts. Thanks.

your question about the piano roll-- you have to go to the tools boxes and instead of the pointer, click the pencil. Now go to the midi track you want to start on and dbl click and draw in a box like thing. That's your active midi- you can move and resize with the pointer, double click on the box you just drew and you're in the piano roll. You'll figure out you can draw notes for infin. in the piano roll, but anything that lies outside the box in the main screen will be muted. Sounds like a long explaination but Cubase is really easy. You might have to ask a few questions.

quote:

Even those who love Fruity admit that there are things that are simply easier to do in Cubase. Cubase is a great program.

Do you have some examples? Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by greenskydj your question about the piano roll-- you have to go to the tools boxes and instead of the pointer, click the pencil. Now go to the midi track you want to start on and dbl click and draw in a box like thing. That's your active midi- you can move and resize with the pointer, double click on the box you just drew and you're in the piano roll.

Aha! Thanks.

heather....

may i suggest the Cubase SX ED SX3 Tutorial DVDs.....there are 3 levels and HOURS of video tutorials on cubase...i personally havent had time to even get through one of them, but it looks like youre more disciplined than i am

Thank you. I'll have a look at those.

its not that complicated, but, however you NEED to know how to do things.. (captain obvious) i know..

i suggest u talk to someone who knows how to work around the program, either IRL, or through IM..

its fairly easy as long as u understand the basics of it..

Re: Cubase seems quite complicated

quote:

Originally posted by 4am I know how to setup a midi track and insert a VST, but I can't seem to find out in any logical way or in any of the tutorials how to just open the piano roll (key editor) and start entering notes by hand.

Hold down ALT and just drag the cursor along a blank spot within the MIDI track. Or use the pencil tool. Now that wasn't so complicated was it?

It's actually a lot more intuitive than FL (FLS users don't throw a hissy fit because of this) because you're looking at an entire part at once, not just an order of patterns which each contain parts. And if your brain is still stuck in pattern mode you can always hit Ctrl-D to repeat the part, or Alt-drag it somewhere else to make a copy.

Cubase certainly does have a learning curve when it comes to the advanced features, but simply composing and arranging music with MIDI and VST instruments should be extremely easy as long as you aren't hard-conditioned into the workflow of a different sequencer.

Diginut,

Can I contact you about a few basic questions? I'm having trouble just doing some basic things (like sending the signal from two mixer channels to one to compress two instruments together?).

Honestly, I think the biggest downfall of this software so far is the manual. I can not ever find what I want to know.

A lot of it is just knowing the terminology and knowing what to look for in the manual... it's really very similar to Logic, Digital Performer, ProTools, etc. Once you get a handle on that, the rest should fall into place very easily.

But sure, go ahead and add my MSN/ICQ if you like.

4am you are brave to take on cubase. It seems much less intuitive than FL. FL is designed to be so user friendly, we are all spoiled I guess. The only thing that makes me want to try cubase is what is being said about it here. If I could do everything I do in FL, but faster, it's worth considering. Keep us informed with your cubase progress 4am. Let us know what you think of it, and how it compares to good 'ol FL.

I can honestly say that after using Cubase for about 6 months, I don't find FLS user-friendly at all anymore.

Producing newbies who started on FLS and are used to FLS always say it's easier to use, but most other producers (including people who produced with hardware for many years before the software explosion) dont like it at all.

Please note: I am not saying that FLS is a bad program, or even that it's less intuitive than Cubase. All I'm saying is that it's "more user-friendly" because you're used to it.

In terms of out of the box ease of use, im gonna have to agree the FLS is easier to pick up. At least it was for me. Im by no means good with any of the programs but ive tried quite a few of them and FLS was the second most easy to start off with imo. I found reason to be the easiest. 3rd would be Abelton and then Cubase.
Everyone is different.

Though the overall ability of Cubase is greater compared to fls.

I found FLS much more complicated and fiddly than cubase. FLS uses a non-standard windows gui and the buttons and windows gave me eye strain (although it does look pretty). Cubase interface is much easier for me to work in.

I been using Cubase for a few years now and I' still finding new features and ways of doing things.

For a quick and easy midi clip creation I do the following:

Set the locator bars in the ruler to 3 or 4 bars or whatever
then just double click on a midi track. It will automatically create
a midi clip key-event for that length.

but I'm now going to use Diginuts alt-drag method now I know his method.

Some encouragement,

I've been using cubase exclusively since the version 3.xx VST series (hardware only back then).
There are several ways to do the same thing , as you can see by the examples given before, think they've summed up any way i've done it before.

I gave FLStudio a try some time ago, since everyone on this forum was raving about it.
But i found it too complicated to get a VST running.
This prevented me from investigating it further.
Did enjoy the gui, it's eye candy, also a few direct accessible buttons, like reverse sample & L->R sweeps (friggin' impossible to do in cubase, without using automation) could be handy in cubase also.

The midi implementation of cubase is considered one of the most extensive, so if you're going to use hardware synths, this is the way to go - aah back in the day , when you needed sysex. messages to control any parameter of a synth, creating your own midi maps with buttons & faders to emulate the control surface of your synths ... that was fun ... haven't actually checked if this is still possible in the new SX series ...

I must admin even after all these years i haven't discovered all the features in cubase. It's always fun to explore new things in a program you've been using or years.

Stick with it , it'll be rewarding in the end.

if some of you have problems with cubase i recommend just to be patient, get the training videos recommended and experiment.

i used to be a reason user in the earlier days, becuase i was scared off by cubase and thought reason was so much easier. Sure reason is esaier, but easier usually means 'limitied.' cubase has very little limitation (non-that have effected me anyways, or at least that i can think of right now)

that being said, reason is now completely abandoned from my setup as its become useless for me. i once looked at FL and personally did not like it at all and thought it looked messy. mainly because cubase is very clean and straightforward. sometimes it can actually be harder to learn something that 'should' be easier i guess becasue its not 'standard.' i couldn't imagine using any other progs to produce now, i don't really have any desire to look into other progs, no need to fix what aint broken.

Cubase can be daunting at first. But if there is anything I could suggest, it would be to get yourself the Ask Video Cubase SX 3 Tutorial DVD set. There are 3 DVDs, levels 1 thorugh 3, with 1 being beginner and 3 being advanced. I've been using Cubase for a pretty long time and thought I knew my shit but wow after watching these vids, the incredible depth and power of Cubase is realized. Defintely get ahold of these and you'll not be sorry. They are very well made.

Thanks for all the replies. It's only been a couple of days and I've already got most of the knowledge I need to complete a song. I'm getting the videos as suggested. I love this app so far. Thanks!

switching out of fruity isn't completely necessary as many non "beginner" users still use it. Luke Terry, Icone, and Octagen, for example are all FL Studio users


switch only if you see the necessity to, don't do it because of the undeserving reputation FL has earned itself

How about just using whichever software is best suited to one's workflow?

Hi there..

I'm a cubase user since version 1.. but to the point.. If you're learning cubase check out videos like the guys said earlier in the posts. But I think the easiest way is to find somebody who accually knows cubase and go over there and see him work for fiew hours. Recently a friend of my picked up cubase (he was using fl before) and basically not knowing anything about how cubase works he spend fiew hours at my place. So first day he was able to record, vst, audio, and using hardware synths with cubase. I showed him how to so the most important stuff: like adding fx, automation, recording vst and hardware synths, key editor, group tracks, for compressing more than one audio channel.. He still has some questions but I can tell you this..He told me that in one day he learned how to do more, and get nicer resoults than he learned in fl in 6 months.. Casue in FL he was learning on his own.. So if you have a chance hook up with someone who has cubase and ask for a little tutorial It will help you so much, that you should be doing all the most important stuff in matter of hours

quote:

Originally posted by EtherealSL switching out of fruity isn't completely necessary as many non "beginner" users still use it. Luke Terry, Icone, and Octagen, for example are all FL Studio users switch only if you see the necessity to, don't do it because of the undeserving reputation FL has earned itself

I've used FL for 2 years and have been wanting to break out of it for something different. I have problems with Atmosphere VST and the Korg Legacy Collection synths with FL. I also hate the way the VST's are handled and especially presets but I didn't realize that until I gave Cubase a try. I had this image of Cubase built up in my mind that it was a huge, horrible, overly complex monster. LOL. But it's a joy to work with. There's nothing wrong with FL. But I'm glad I'm learning Cubase because I really do like it better.

Only complaint I have with Cubase is CPU. I am getting popping/clicking with only 1 instance of battery and 2 instances of V-Station and 1 bar of midi data on the three tracks. The CPU meter says 50%! This is crazy - with the same exact amount of VST's and patterns in FL, I get abou 15% CPU used. Tried adjusting my ASIO4ALL buffer but it doesn't make any difference. This is my only gripe.
-Heather

quote:

Originally posted by 4am Only complaint I have with Cubase is CPU. I am getting popping/clicking with only 1 instance of battery and 2 instances of V-Station and 1 bar of midi data on the three tracks. The CPU meter says 50%! This is crazy - with the same exact amount of VST's and patterns in FL, I get abou 15% CPU used. Tried adjusting my ASIO4ALL buffer but it doesn't make any difference. This is my only gripe. -Heather

Have you actually configured it to use your ASIO driver?

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