Nuendo 8 Crossgrade from Cubase

The crossgrade replaces your Cubase license with a Nuendo license, and you’ll no longer be able to run Cubase unless you buy Cubase again.

Nuendo is a post-production tool and isn’t intended to be a “Cubase+”. If you primarily make music, I would strongly recommend you to stick with Cubase unless you can’t live without Nuendo’s additional features. It’s definitely a good idea to download the trial version first.

Thank you so much!

I´d recommend installing the trial, because if you jump the pond, over to the Nuendo side, you will have to wait for a lot of new functions that are released exclusively for Cubase (at least at the beggining).

Cubase is updated to a new “.5” or full version every year, so owning Cubase is almost a guarantee that you´re in line for the newest cool stuff, that later almost always gets included in Nuendo, but the update cycles for Nuendo are much more far inbetween.

If you don´t really work on audio postprod for audiovisual projects, I wouldn´t recommend you go crossgrading to Nuendo.

FYI - This pattern is supposed to change – Timo has indicated that they are trying to synchronize the development calendars for both Cubase and Nuendo so this lag time between cool Cubase features and Nuendo updates will be theoretically reduced or eventually eliminated. Yes, it might still be a little while before they are synchronized, but this appears to be Steinberg’s goal. It’s a long time coming IMO.

Hi,

just to be clear on that: yes we’re trying to better synchronize the dev schedules, but we’re not going
to release both major DAWs at the same time. That wouldn’t be possible from a resources point of view.
So Cubase will stay where it is, but Nuendo will be “closer” to every Cubase launch. For more information, please
read my initial post.

Thanks,
Timo

Thanks, Timo! —CUT— I completely misread Timo’s response… I think I get it now…

I don’t think it is possible to release both Cubase & Nuendo at the same time.


Fredo

Right, I misread what Timo said… amazing what a cup of coffee can do to get the brain working again!

Without coffee society would collapse :slight_smile:

Since there are alco check devices for cars, maybe there could be coffee check devices for internet forums?
If there’s no smell of coffee in ones breath, one cannot post in the forum :laughing:

I have a burning question.

If I buy the crossgrade now, I but not activate it, will my Cubase continue to work until Nuendo 10 comes and then I activate the version 10 for free?

Or, will the shopping immediately stop Cubase license?

I ask because, for example, Variaudio 3 does not seem to be in version 8 of Nuendo. So, my current Cubase projects may not open/work properly in version 8.

You are good till you register the license to your eLicenser…then your Cubase license becomes a Nuendo license.

Not register- activate and download the license. Licenses are not registered, the USB elicenser key is what’s registered.

Thank you.

Is there a list that details the difference in functions between Cubase 10 and Nuendo?

I haven’t seen an up to date list (an old thread is around here in the forum somewhere), but it will be out of date even more once Nuendo 10 is released.

But basically Nuendo 8.3 = Cubase 9.5 plus extra post production and game audio features.

The comparison is more clouded since the release of Cubase 10, since Cubase 10 added several features that were once exclusive to Nuendo 8.3, plus Cubase 10 leapfrogged over Nuendo 8.3 in some very key areas like interface, variaudio 3, etc… so unless someone has been maintaining the comparison list, it will be very out of date by now.

However, when Nuendo 10 is released soon, the comparison will look like this: Nuendo 10 = Cubase 10 + extra post production and game audio features. Hopefully at that time, Steinberg will release a very clear updated comparison page to make it easy for people to understand.

And going forward, Steinberg has indicated that the gap between Cubase and Nuendo release cycles will be greatly reduced, so we won’t have as much of an issue. Previously, it took many months for Nuendo to get some of the newest Cubase features, contributing to a “lag” or “leapfrog” effect, but that is going to be changing.

Hope that helps a little – perhaps someone can find that old comparison thread for more info if you want to dig into the details, and then you can extrapolate with the latest news. Bottom line though, is that if you want the more advanced surround support and more advanced post production and game audio tools, then you’ll want to move over to Nuendo.

Thanks!

IMHO The reply above is accurate.

I made a list comparing Cubase 9 to Nuendo 8, and the most outstanding exclusive features that Nuendo offers (which I can remember right now) are:

  1. Extra Routing options for surround configurations and control room functionality.
  2. The Automation panel is bigger and specialized in postproduction for surround soundtrack mixing
  3. Extra plugins, again focused in surround production. To name a few, Bass Manager, used for crossover management; a kickass surround panner called IOSONO Anymix, and “post filter” which features several notch bands for noise removal.
  4. Panner for Dolby Atmos mixing (speakers on ceiling)
  5. Features for movie postproduction: audio Reconform and ADR recording. These two, along with AnyMix are worth the price difference between Cubase and Nuendo.
  6. Export feature for Videogame asset production
  7. Network Menu, non existing in Cubase.
  8. Some extra formats for import and export, including AAF, OMF, OpenTL, and EDL (this last one is for the Reconform functions)
  9. The “loudness track”: Shows a loudness report of your whole project. Very nice.
  10. Advanced marker management

This is what I can remember out of the top of my head. Some of these might already be part of Cubase 10. I haven´t checked thoroughly.

So, in short. If you work a lot with surround and audio post for audiovisual projects, then upgrading to Nuendo makes sense. Otherwise, if you work more in the music or audio production sector, I´d recommend using the same money to get Wavelab. You´ll get waaaay more value (that Master Rig is just awesome!) and even have some money left afterwards.

Hello guys,

here is a summarised list of some Nuendo only features:

For Post Production:

  • Field Recorder Audio Import (new in N10)
  • Video Cut Detection (new in N10)
  • Video rendering (later in N10)
  • Cue Sheet export (later in N10)
  • Film-mixing style automation
  • ReConforming
  • Automated Dialog Replacement (ADR) system, including:
  • Video overlay, take lists and script editing
  • Countdown and swipes
  • Free mode
  • Support for Foley recording
  • Extra panning features, including:
  • VST MultiPanner with support up to 22.2
  • Auro-3D support
  • Dolby Atmos Support
  • Anymix Pro
  • MixConvert
  • Audio Post specific plug-ins, including:
  • Bass Manager
  • Pitch Driver
  • Post Filter
  • Loudness measurement and processing
  • Loudness curve
  • Pro Sound Effects Library
  • Clip Packages
  • Extended format support, including:
  • MXF (audio)
  • AES31
  • ADM (new in N10)
  • Networking features
  • Nuendo SyncStation Support

For Game Audio:

  • Game Audio Connect
  • Create a Nuendo project from Wwise
  • Recall a Nuendo project from Wwise
  • Version control by Perforce
  • Sound Randomizer
  • Export Selected Events (AKA Render Export)
  • Integration with Perforce version control system
  • Rename events from list

For VR:

  • dearVR Spatial Connect support (new in N10)
  • Front Focus Setting for the AmbiDecoder (new in N10)
  • Stereo Speaker Mode (new in N10)

For Sound Design:

  • Doppler effect plug-in (new in N10)
  • VoiceDesigner (new in N10)
  • Randomizer

Not to mention many other workflow goodies for specific uses cases, and some other features that are also part of Cubase but work differently in Nuendo.

There will be a detailed comparison between Cubase and Nuendo on the Nuendo website after the release of Nuendo 10.

All the best,

Great! Thanks for the update! BTW, are you guys going to post some video of the GDC presentation?

New CB user…excuse my ignorance… :fearful:

25+ year user of Pro Tools who has become snake-bitten and curious of the possibilities of a DAW with a better MIDI programming workflow (and whatever else I can be surprised by!)

But…I don’t quite understand the idea of the Nuendo crossgrade. Why must I give up my Cubase license and $400 to switch to a post-friendly DAW… What exactly is Steinberg gaining here by my giving up my Cubase license? I see more what I’m losing…but don’t really understand the concept of trading in my license for a similar/but different product… What is the precedent in the marketplace for a request like this?

ie. I’d be happy to pay the $400 crossgrade fee have access to a new program to see what it offers me…But have no desires to lose my Cubase license in the process…and I simply can’t see what they gain by requesting such a trade? Please enlighten me! :cowboy_hat_face: