If you’re interested in Cubase, but have a more pressing need for a small interface, you’re in luck. For producers/composers/musicians there are musical genre-based templates that open with a drum loop ready to go when you hit play. For engineers there are time-saving templates with preset channels and routing for a quick start in a range of typical recording scenarios. The other part of the Hub is the Project section, and as well as your recent projects, there are template options for starting new projects. You can turn it off but it’s a handy way to keep in touch with Steinberg and will no doubt be their future access point to subscription-based or cloud services. Once installed, Cubase Pro 8 opens with an introductory page called Steinberg Hub where you can check the latest news from Steinberg, or access tutorials, help and links to the user forum.

Installation on both PC (Windows 7) and Mac (OS X Yosemite) was easy enough with the now familiar registration/activation process. I’ve been exploring Cubase Pro 8’s new features in combination with Steinberg’s UR242 USB audio interface.

Some of the numbers are impressive: unlimited tracks, up to 256 physical inputs, 32-bit/192k audio, 256 group channels, eight virtual instruments, 3000 preset sounds and 73 audio plug-ins. Cubase Pro 8 is the top version of the latest range and it’s aimed at professional studios and producers. Over time Nuendo has outgrown stereo music and embraced multimedia mega-production while Cubase has evolved into a specialist music-making environment par excellence. Steinberg has been there from the beginning and Nuendo has been a worthy contender in the professional DAW stakes since Cubase was a MIDI sequencer.

Nuendo 11 review