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What is Audiobus?Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.

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Cubasis 3 vs. Zenbeats

edited August 2020 in General App Discussion

I only own Cubasis 2 and I wonder what do you guys think over these 2 daws. Pros...Cons

How is for example automation midi recording in Cubasis 3 using an external controller ?

Is it precise? I know Zenbeats has issues with that. You kinda need to draw your automation if you want to be precise with starting/ending points of that automation.

On the other hand, using Live on desktop, I do like the clips in Zenbeats

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Comments

  • I bought Cubasis 3 and it's turning out to be a good idea for the iPhone option. But I'm doing a collaboration with someone and still need Cubasis 2. Cubasis 3 read read the project but only for a final mix. For what I do I have seen the big changes yet because I'm an AUM addict.

  • I see...

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  • Thank you!

  • Zenbeats needs some work but for my way of working it beats everything else.

    I’ve always preferred the control of drawing in my automation. NanoStudio is the king there but Roland is working on ZB automation.

    I much prefer the ZB drum machine to Slate as I generally find it quicker and easier to work with.

    Obsidian is better than any of the ZB synths but they have taken me on some different paths that a traditional synth typically wouldn’t. Besides, the AUv3’s I prefer to use work fine in ZB.

    ZB has audio tracks that do pretty much everything I need with Auditor and Audioshare for prep.

    I’ve used most of the other “DAW’s” and Zenbeats gets the nod. Whatever few things it can’t do are not dealbreakers and what it can do is get things done for me.

    Of course YMMV. We’re all different. 😎👍🏼

  • Yes, I kinda felt the same ... I don’t use Cubasis 2 anymore. Zenbeats library is huge (especially if zenology will port over)
    I do regret not being able to use Nave or Animoog though

  • @Sergiu said:
    Yes, I kinda felt the same ... I don’t use Cubasis 2 anymore. Zenbeats library is huge (especially if zenology will port over)
    I do regret not being able to use Nave or Animoog though

    I’m pretty sure some form of Zenology will come to iOS. I have Zenology Lite on my Mac and it’s got tons of great stuff. Every time I’ve asked them about it I get that “nudge nudge wink wink” feeling from their answer! 😆

  • Well yeah, I use Roland Cloud too and it’s a great thing...at least for my use.

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  • Well yeah, zenology will follow and maybe even roland cloud

  • wimwim
    edited August 2020

    @ehehehe said:
    The built-in stuff in ZB didn’t impress me too much compared to an old-ass Integra or even a XV-5080. Maybe okay compared to other apps, but not to legacy Roland-stuff. If this improves greatly it might become more interesting.

    The built-in stuff was from Stagelight, pre-Roland days.

  • @wim said:

    @ehehehe said:
    The built-in stuff in ZB didn’t impress me too much compared to an old-ass Integra or even a XV-5080. Maybe okay compared to other apps, but not to legacy Roland-stuff. If this improves greatly it might become more interesting.

    The built-in stuff was from Starlight, pre-Roland days.

    I was told ElectroSynth is approaching EOL and I’d imagine that’s true of the others except I think SampleVerse is being updated. We’ll see! With SampleVerse and some form of Zenology plus AUv3 there’d be an awful lot to choose from. The Zenology version of SH-101 on desktop is pretty nice.

  • I have Stagelight...but cannot update to ZenBeats in my location...not available...

    ZenBeats excellent interface...not impressed by sounds though.....

  • edited August 2020

    @anickt said

    I never got to be a close friend of Cubasis, but found both NS2 and ZB much more enjoyable and easier to work with.

    (With Zenbeats containing Zenology for iOS or Zenology as an AUv3, a good wavetable synth and a good non-Roland analog emulation IMHO I would be pretty covered synthwise to be fair. Might throw in Pure AcId there just for fun. I could throw out my FA-06 workstation, get a Novation LK61 Mk3 and be completely iPad based.)

    But let’s not forget the MUSIC that is supposed to be the end result of all this app/DAW/effects/whatever mangling....

    /DMfan🇸🇪😊

  • Equal usage for me.

    Zenbeats - I like the loopbuilder mode, the drum machine and the quirky things you find by long pressing on stuff. Works great on my android phone as well (song transfer is good from ios). Dont like the supplied cheesy hiphop electronic sounds and no IAA(big disapointment).

    Cubase 3 - great supplied sounds, IAA, nice UI and workflow for timeline based daw. Dedicated forum as well. Just wish it had loopbuilder mode like zenbeats or garageband.

  • I agree Sirt...
    Cubasis needs more included sounds of quality though....

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  • @ehehehe said:

    @IOSSOS said:
    I agree Sirt...
    Cubasis needs more included sounds of quality though....

    Why? Personally I always delete included samples. If it was added to fund further development of C3 through IAPs it would be okay though.

    Their classic machines samples are lacking pretty hard.

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  • @ehehehe said:

    Yeah, I agree. Steinberg should keep their focus on software development and not providing samples that can be gotten from elsewhere.

    Ditto, factory sounds as optional download and more as IAPs to keep the app bundle size down to a minimum.
    Additional sound packs as IAPs seems to be a money maker for some developers.

    Most sounds can be heavily processed considering the original boxes some of the samples come from.
    So with a bit of EQ and transient shaping they are completely different :)

    We'll have to see where both Cubasis and Zenbeats go but being able to 'clear out the slack' could be a handy feature.
    (I had to uninstall & re-install Zenbeats to get rid of some of the 'VIP Sound Packs' since they can not be deleted inside the app for some strange reason and to avoid having them 'auto download' I had to kill the wifi before first launch and disable auto download in the settings).

    But yeah, I'm all in for 'bare bones app downloads' without factory 'content' to keep the app sizes down...

  • I find ZB very easy to use with the drum machine and easy loop recording.

  • edited August 2020

    Is there any form of an adsr connected to drum parts? On Cubasis or Zenbeats? How much control over adsr you have in drum parts on both daws? With Zenbeats if you don’t use sample verse, there is pretty minimal control

  • @ehehehe said:

    @DukeWonder said:

    @ehehehe said:

    @IOSSOS said:
    I agree Sirt...
    Cubasis needs more included sounds of quality though....

    Why? Personally I always delete included samples. If it was added to fund further development of C3 through IAPs it would be okay though.

    Their classic machines samples are lacking pretty hard.

    Yeah, I agree. Steinberg should keep their focus on software development and not providing samples that can be gotten from elsewhere.

    Built-in bundled sounds (and effects) are important when you're collaborating with others who may or may not have the same synths or other plugins though...

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  • One option here would be to include all samples and sounds when exporting the project for sharing.

    This way even if the receiver doesn’t have all the sounds the project would still work.
    I know Logic has this option to include all samples and audio files, even ‘factory content’.
    MPC Beats just copies all the samples into the project folder so when sharing a project the reciever doesn’t have to have the soundpacks the sounds come from...

    A more sophisticated approach would be to download the missing content when needed.

    Also when using plug-ins the session file should include the plug-in name and id so the user could download or re-download any missing plug-ins.

    Oh well, there are just too many WTF’s when it comes to omitted functionality since everyone seems to be too focused on locking the customer to their own sandboxed app and making app to app sharing a pita...

    Cheers!

  • I just don’t like the UI of Zenbeats. It feels shoddy, and very non-iOS. Non-Mac-like, even. It makes it hard to use, for me.

    On the other hand, it does a lot of cool stuff.

  • @ehehehe said:

    @charalew said:

    @ehehehe said:

    @DukeWonder said:

    @ehehehe said:

    @IOSSOS said:
    I agree Sirt...
    Cubasis needs more included sounds of quality though....

    Why? Personally I always delete included samples. If it was added to fund further development of C3 through IAPs it would be okay though.

    Their classic machines samples are lacking pretty hard.

    Yeah, I agree. Steinberg should keep their focus on software development and not providing samples that can be gotten from elsewhere.

    Built-in bundled sounds (and effects) are important when you're collaborating with others who may or may not have the same synths or other plugins though...

    Are they really important? It's easy enough to Airdrop share samples or stems. Ableton Link would be massively more useful for this IMO. Just don't get why you would need stale sounds everybody has. I checked the recommended music apps in app store and there was a lot of this kind of drag-and-drop loopbuilders available. A better sampler would also be way more useful to me.

    Depends on your collaborative workflow I guess but we want to be able to maintain the ability to edit the MIDI for all individual tracks so stems etc don't work for us. It's a shared song writing sketchpad. Sound quality isn't as important as us all having the same sounds so that the Projects actually work when we share them. We're using ZenBeats because it's cross platform. Some of us are iOS, some Windows and some Android so we can't necessarily run the same plugins even if we're all prepared to pay for them. So yes, in that context have the same core factory sounds is important - it all depends on your use case...

  • I can understand factory sounds to some extent but I have no understanding for including 4-16 bar 'audio drum & instrument loops' that could equally well be generated by a synth plug-in and a midi pattern, waste of disk-space big time.

    Yes, I'm looking at the lame audio loop content provided with ZenBeats that is practically useless, at least for me.

    Why provide 'audio loops' when single shots drum samples with patterns and plug-in synths with midi-patters would be way more flexible and at the same time teach users how it's done?!

    Oops no included 106 or 303 emulation yet so we'll bombard the users with pre-baked loops, that is just silly!

    Time will tell where things go...

  • @Samu said:
    I can understand factory sounds to some extent but I have no understanding for including 4-16 bar 'audio drum & instrument loops' that could equally well be generated by a synth plug-in and a midi pattern, waste of disk-space big time.

    Yes, I'm looking at the lame audio loop content provided with ZenBeats that is practically useless, at least for me.

    Why provide 'audio loops' when single shots drum samples with patterns and plug-in synths with midi-patters would be way more flexible and at the same time teach users how it's done?!

    Oops no included 106 or 303 emulation yet so we'll bombard the users with pre-baked loops, that is just silly!

    Time will tell where things go...

    Yeah never use the loops personally. Maybe if you're 'just' a guitarist/singer though and don't want to have to 'roll your own'?

  • @charalew said:

    Yeah never use the loops personally. Maybe if you're 'just' a guitarist/singer though and don't want to have to 'roll your own'?

    But even then midi-loops and plug-ins for drums and synths would give everyone more flexibility if there's a note or two that needs adjustment or one drum sound in wrong place in the drum loops etc.

    I do admit that when I'm lazy I just grab a few Apple Loops and use the pre-made Programs in MPC Beats but I just enjoy the sampling process too much to fully ignore it. I have no real intentions of 'producing' anything just enjoying the sounds and noodling around is enough for me most fo the time :)

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