Cubase 14 Release Notes

Cubase 14

November 6th, 2024 – We are excited to announce the immediate release of Cubase 14.

Cubase 14 is a major update that includes numerous improvements across various areas of the sequencer. You can find comprehensive information on the new features and enhancements on our product pages, along with a series of in-depth videos by Steinberg product specialist Dom Sigalas.

For those who want to explore further, additional detailed information on all new features is available in the official user manual.

We would also like to inform you about some important changes that are not included on the product page.

Improvement and changes in Cubase 14

Performance

We have updated key data structures in our code base to optimize memory allocation. This is positively impacting overall performance, especially in areas where large amounts of data are handled—such as start-up time, loading and saving large projects, and moving a significant number of events at once.

Single Installer for Pro, Artist, Elements, AI, and LE

All Cubase versions are now available through a single installer. Whe

ther you’re installing Cubase Elements or Cubase Pro, the same installer applies, with the version that opens determined solely by your license. Upgrading from Elements to Cubase Pro no longer requires a reinstall.

The new Score Editor built upon Dorico technology

Cubase 14 introduces a completely revamped Score Editor powered by Dorico, our renowned music notation and composition software. This new Dorico-based Score Editor replaces the previous version, bringing numerous enhancements and a refined focus.

The new Score Editor is designed to provide a powerful and intuitive notation-based MIDI editor. It allows you to quickly and easily view and edit your music in notation form, producing clear and legible parts ideal for simple live recording projects.

You can now export your Cubase projects directly to Dorico, enabling you to leverage Dorico’s advanced music formatting and layout features when needed.

Utilizing Dorico’s sophisticated quantization and transcription algorithms, the new Score Editor automatically splits music into independent polyphonic voices and applies publisher-quality music spacing and layout algorithms, resulting in more beautiful and readable notation both on screen and on paper.

While the new Score Editor incorporates some of Dorico’s features, it is designed to look and feel consistent with other MIDI editors in Cubase. This ensures a seamless experience whether or not you are familiar with Dorico.

If you found the previous Score Editor challenging to produce legible results, we encourage you to try the new version. It significantly reduces the time and effort required to achieve professional-looking notation.

Still, there are some limitations you should be aware of:

• MusicXML import is not supported yet, but it will be implemented in the future.
• Some score symbols, such as Arpeggio, Glissandi, or Octave lines, are not available yet.
• Since the technology behind the new Score Editor is completely new, importing scores from projects created with the previous Score Editor is only partially possible. We have created a Steinberg Help Article that documents the limitations in detail.

Cubase 14 marks the beginning of a new era in integrating our leading DAW with our music notation software. We are committed to extending the functionality of the new Score Editor and developing additional features to further integrate Cubase and Dorico in future updates.

To learn more about the story behind the development of the new Score Editor, check out this blog article by Daniel Spreadbury (https://blog.dorico.com/2024/11/cubase-14-score-editor/).

DAWproject Support

We are excited to introduce support for DAWproject files in Cubase 14. DAWproject is an open file format enabling seamless project transfers between DAWs, offering users greater flexibility and efficiency. This format allows you to transfer entire projects with the full structure—tracks, channels, and groups—preserved, eliminating the need to export individual stems and reducing time and effort.

When importing a DAWproject file into another DAW, all elements remain intact, including tracks, groups, colors, markers, events, fades, MIDI, and plug-in settings. This facilitates smooth collaboration, easier transitions between music software, and a greater focus on creativity over technical tasks.

We collaborated closely with the Bitwig team to integrate DAWproject support in Cubase, and we’re thrilled about the benefits this will bring to customers working across multiple DAWs. While automation and crossfades are not fully supported in this initial Cubase 14 release, we plan to expand these features in upcoming maintenance updates.

Project compatibility

Cubase 14 introduces two major changes affecting forward compatibility with older Cubase versions, meaning that not all previous versions will be able to open projects created in Cubase 14. However, the backward compatibility of Cubase 14 is not impacted—you can still open projects from previous versions in Cubase 14.

With a complete redesign of event volume curve technology, Cubase 14 projects have limited forward compatibility in versions before Cubase 13.0.50. Event volume curves created in Cubase 14 can only be correctly reproduced in Cubase 13.0.50 or later. In earlier versions, these curves will reflect incorrect volume levels.

This applies to:

• Cubase 14 projects
• Tracks from Cubase 14 projects
• Cubase 14 track archives with event volume curves

Older version event volume curves remain compatible in Cubase 14. For versions 13.0.50 and later, a converter is included to ensure correct reproduction of Cubase 14 event volumes. Additionally, in the Export Track Archive function (exporting selected tracks), there is a new compatibility option to support earlier versions.

Cubase 14 also introduces a 64-bit project file format, enabling project files larger than 2 GB. This improvement addresses limitations encountered with audio extensions and certain third-party instruments that store data directly within project files. Projects saved in Cubase 14 will default to this 64-bit “RIF2” format, compatible only with Cubase and Nuendo versions 13.0.30 or newer. Projects saved in the older 32-bit format will remain in that format unless specific conditions are met, as detailed in the Help Center article.

End of VST 2 Compatibility Support

As previously announced, Cubase 14 marks the end of official compatibility support for VST 2 plug-ins. By default, the VST 2 plug-in scan is disabled in the VST Plug-in Manager, with only the VST 3 plug-in folder being scanned.

VST 2 plug-ins can still be loaded (except on native Apple Silicon) if the VST 2 plug-in scanner is manually enabled in the VST Plug-in Manager. However, Steinberg will no longer provide support for any issues related to VST 2.

Grace Period Update

The Grace Period for Cubase 14 began on October 9, 2024. This means that anyone who has redeemed a Cubase DAC since this date is eligible for a free update to Cubase 14. Detailed instructions for updating within the Grace Period can be found in our  Steinberg Helpcenter.