Cubase LE 4

Without a doubt Steinberg Cubase has made a significant impact in the recording world to major artists all over the world. You’ll find Cubase in the largest of professional studios and of course in the bedrooms of musicians who are keen to jump into the producers seat.

And, with many home recording fanatics there is real quality recording, mastering and tweaking going on! The days of recording your hit in the studio and paying out lots of bucks has now been replaced with inexpensive home recording computer systems, mixers, fx and a surplus of high quality sounds and samples.

Steinberg on a Budget

For those who have splashed out many dollars for the latest edition of Cubase – Currently Cubase 6. There is of course room for lesser expensive editions of Cubase – namely Cubase LE 4. Albeit, with less bells and whistles. I thought I would cover some of the features of this little brother software package – maybe it’s all you need!

Minimum System Requirements

PC
Pentium III 500 MHz or AMD K7 (Pentium III / Athlon 1 GHz or faster recommended)
256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)
Windows 2000, Windows XP Home or XP Professional
Windows MME compatible audio hardware (ASIO compatible audio hardware recommended)
1 GB of free disk space

Mac

Power Mac G4 450 MHz
256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)
OS X Version 10.2 or higher
CoreAudio compatible audio hardware
1 GB of free disk space

Cubase LE 4 Spec

• 48 audio tracks and 64 MIDI tracks
• Professional 24-bit/96 kHz audio resolution
• Supports up to 8 VST instruments
• 2 insert effects and 4 send effects per channel
• VST System Link compatible
• Includes complete set of audio and midi effect plugins
• Fully upwards compatible to Cubase 4, Studio 4, and Essential 4
• Drum Editor
• HALionOne Sample Player included – Additional Sounds Can be Downloaded.
• Windows and Mac OS X Universal Binary

Okay, it has a pretty impressive spec…I mean 48 audio tracks – that’s plenty to make a good audio recording and of course MIDI tracks aplenty.

Actually, I’m surprised the spec is so high with this version.  But, Steinberg have omitted a comprehensive audio editor and cut down some of the automation parameters. Cubase LE 4 or any other Light Edition only ships with other purchased goods.  However, if you’re willing to get it at the cheapest price then buy it with a MIDI book. Here’s a company that supplies Cubase LE 4 along with a MIDI Sequencing book and tutorial movies - Cubase LE 4 – MIDI Sequencing made easy for a reasonable price.

Common Questions regarding Cubase LE 4

Can I import audio directly from a regular audio CD?

You cannot import audio from CD’s inside Cubase LE 4 – Audio must be converted to WAV, AIFF or MP3 format first.

After I upgrade to Cubase LE 4 from older versions I cannot hear my audio playback, why is that?

You might have to reconfigure your audio setup in Cubase LE 4 – Go to the Devices menu / Device Setup / VST Audio System change to the ASIO audio drivers of your sound device from the drop down menu.