Cubase 5 Vs. Nuendo 4: Picking the Right DAW
How to Choose Between Steinberg's Top Digital Audio Workstations
Jul 21, 2009
Unlike most pro audio software manufacturers, Steinberg has two separate professional digital audio workstation flagships – Nuendo 4 and Cubase 5.
Priced at almost $1800 USD, Nuendo 4 is three times more expensive than Cubase 5. Not surprisingly, this huge discrepancy in price prompts many potential Steinberg users to ponder the differences between the two programs.
The dilemma becomes even more confusing due to the fact that both DAWs use the same core audio engine – meaning they both offer the same professional audio quality.
However, a look back at the histories and development of the two programs will make the differences between Cubase and Nuendo very clear.
The Development of Steinberg’s Cubase DAW
Having been around since the 1980s, Cubase is the older of the two programs by a long shot. Originally designed as a MIDI sequencing and editing program, Cubase evolved into a full-featured digital audio workstation over the course of the next decade and a half.
The last few versions of Cubase have become increasingly more focused on efficient ways to create and produce music. Cubase 5 is no exception as it is boasts a new feature set especially for beat creation, vocal editing and loop manipulation.
The Development of Steinberg’s Nuendo DAW
Nuendo was first conceived in the late 1990s and was initially very hard to distinguish from Cubase. In 2005, Nuendo grew into its own as a post-production flagship DAW with the release of Nuendo 3.
Nuendo 3 shared many core features with Cubase SX but added an extensive set of post-production features and networking capabilities that went miles beyond what was available in the Cubase DAW. This focus on audio post and live recording continued with the release of Nuendo 4
Cubase 5 or Nuendo 4?
Almost all the major differences between Cubase and Nuendo have to do with how each program handles "audio to picture" applications. While it is quite possible to score a picture in Cubase 5, the Cubase DAW is geared towards music creation and production. Conversely, Nuendo 4 is specifically designed to excel in professional audio post-production environments thanks to the inclusion of dozens of specialized features unavailable in Cubase.
Any users trying to decide between Cubase 5 and Nuendo 4 should pick Nuendo if they plan to be working with visual media in strict environments that require very specific professional formats. For example, Nuendo has the ability to work in 10.2 surround at 192 kHz with options for syncing to various video devices.
Cubase 5 is the obvious choice for musicians, composers and producers who have little need for the post-production features of Nuendo. In other words, it makes no sense to spend three times the money for features that are not going to be used.
Another downside to Nuendo 4 for music composers is that some of the important music creation features found in Cubase have been removed from the basic Nuendo 4 program only to be offered as an ‘Expansion Kit’ for an additional $300 USD.
Despite the obvious price difference, picking between Nuendo 4 and Cubase 5 is as simple as considering how often the DAW will be used for professional post-production work verses how often it will be used for composing and producing music.
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