| Feature |
Cubase Essential 4 |
Cubase Studio 4 |
Cubase 4 |
| Simultaneous playback of audio tracks |
64 |
unlimited |
unlimited |
| MIDI Tracks |
unlimited |
unlimited |
unlimited |
| Physical Inputs/Outputs |
16 |
128 |
256 |
| Inserts |
8 |
8 |
8 |
| Group channels |
256 |
256 |
256 |
| FX Send channels |
8 |
8 |
8 |
| FX Return Channels |
8 |
64 |
64 |
| Instrument Tracks |
unlimited |
unlimited |
unlimited |
| VST Instrument Slots |
16 |
32 |
64 |
| MIDI Insert plugins |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| Number of mixer views |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Control Room |
no |
no |
yes |
| Extended Channel EQ (VST3 Studio EQ) |
no |
no |
yes |
| Extended Mixer view |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Automation modes |
touch fader |
touch fader |
touch fader, x-over, autolatch, trim, overwrite |
| VST 3 plug-in support |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Sidechain Inputs |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Recording from Busses |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Mac OS X Universal Binary |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Multi Processing Support |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Surround: True Multichannel Audio Path |
no |
no |
yes |
| Unlimited Undo and Redo functions |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Offline Process History |
single undo |
for built-in audio |
for built-in audio and all plug-ins |
| MediaBay |
limited* |
limited* |
full |
| Track Presets |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Studio Connections |
Recall |
Recall |
Recall + Audio |
| External FX |
no |
no |
yes |
| External Instruments |
no |
no |
yes |
| Workspaces (virtual desktops) |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Project Browser |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Recording Modes: Mix, Overwrite, Normal, Merge, Stacked |
excl. Stacked |
yes |
yes |
| Editors: Key, List, Basic Score |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Drum Editor |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Logical Editor |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Project Logical Editor |
no |
no |
yes |
| Inplace Editor (MIDI Editing in Project Window) |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Advanced Options in Tempo Editor |
no |
no |
yes |
| Volume Envelopes |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Extended Track Inspector (shows VSTi channel for MIDI Tracks) |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| MIDI Devices (Device Maps and Editors) |
no |
no |
yes |
| Professional Score layout and printing functions (incl. MusicXML Import + Export) |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Arranger Track |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Global Transpose Track |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Audio Warp (Realtime Timestretching + PitchShifting) |
playback only |
yes |
yes |
| Time Warp Tool |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Pitch Shifting/Time Stretching algorithm |
Realtime |
Realtime + MPEX |
Realtime + MPEX |
| Dithering |
Apogee UV22HR |
Apogee UV22HR |
Apogee UV22HR |
| Key Command Macros |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Pool Import and Export |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Rewire Support |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Track Archives |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Extended Freeze for VST Instruments and Audio Tracks |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Hardware Controller Support |
Only Houston, Generic + Tascam US-428/224, Mackie Universal and HUI |
yes |
yes |
| Track Quick Controls |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Full MP3 Fraunhofer Encoding |
available as update |
available as update |
yes |
| Windows Media WMA Pro Encoding |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Sequel Project Import |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Number of VST MIDI effect plug-ins included |
15 |
16 |
16 |
| Number of VST audio effect plug-ins included |
31 |
37 |
55 |
| Number of VST instruments included |
1 |
2 |
6 |
| Number of instrument sounds included |
135 |
600+ |
1000+ |
| Full printed Operations Manual |
no |
no |
yes |
