Steinberg Cubase Pro 16 Upgrade from Artist 12-15

Make it sound like you.

Steinberg Cubase Pro 16 is a professional digital audio workstation for producers, composers, songwriters, and engineers who want the freedom to take an idea all the way to a finished production. Compose, record, edit, mix, score, and master in one complete environment, with advanced MIDI and audio tools, inspiring instruments, and professional effects.

Start with a chord progression, build a beat, capture a vocal, or develop a full orchestral arrangement. From electronic music and songwriting to band recording and film and television scoring, Cubase Pro adapts to your music and the way you work.

New in Cubase Pro 16

Instrument Stacks and fresh creative sounds

Layer multiple instruments inside a single playable Instrument Stack, with per-layer filtering and unified control. Explore the Module FM Library with more than 200 new HALion Sonic presets for modern FM-based production, plus five new sample packs to spark ideas. Omnivocal Basic offers a lightweight way to quickly develop vocal ideas.

Stem Separation 2, VocalTouch, and DrumChain

Stem Separation 2 delivers enhanced separation quality and adds piano and guitar extraction. Shape vocals quickly with VocalTouch, or give drums more punch, clarity, and low-end weight with DrumChain. New technical and genre-based mastering FX presets help you move toward a finished sound faster.

More expressive MIDI editing

Add natural timing and feel to programmed chords with Key Editor Strum, and stretch melodies, basslines, and chord progressions to the length you need with Key Editor Stretch. Add and edit lyrics directly alongside MIDI notes using fast step entry and pronunciation controls. Rename Controller replaces generic MIDI controller message names with labels that match your instruments and hardware.

Expanded MIDI 2.0 support brings support for MIDI 2.0 expressions for expressive performances and orchestral articulation. On Windows 11, the latest Windows MIDI platform provides a foundation for next-generation MIDI technologies.

Advanced audio manipulation and tighter timing

Spectral AudioWarp enables extreme time-stretching and pitch-shifting with outstanding sound quality. A redesigned Tempo Detection workflow makes tempo matching faster and more reliable, while pitch detection and phase inversion in Sampler Track and Drum Machine help speed up sample tuning and tighten drum layering.

A more streamlined production workflow

Searchable, redesigned Settings bring setup and customization together in one non-modal window. Quick Help delivers context-aware guidance in the Left Zone or a floating window, and Guided Tours offer a friendlier introduction for new users. A redesigned Audio Pool simplifies media management, while faster insert handling and more flexible drag-and-drop keep everyday tasks moving.

Set up external instruments and effects with audio, MIDI, and synchronization in one streamlined External Connections workflow. Extended ASIO-Guard provides more processing headroom for large projects and CPU-intensive plug-ins. Expanded routing offers 16 sends and 8 cue sends, while multiple video outputs let you send video to more than one display destination. AAC and M4A import extend audio file compatibility, and Ableton Link makes synchronization with other compatible music applications easier.

A complete environment for composing and recording

Cubase Pro combines MIDI composition, audio recording and editing, mixing, scoring, and mastering tools in a single production environment. Unlimited audio, MIDI, and instrument tracks give you room to develop demanding arrangements, with 256 group channels and support for up to 256 physical inputs and outputs. The audio engine offers 64-bit floating-point processing and sample rates up to 192 kHz.

ASIO-Guard, multi-core processing, plug-in delay compensation, and scalable project architecture support productions with large track and plug-in counts. Build your preferred performances from multiple takes with comping, then refine recordings using audio warping and alignment tools.

Deep MIDI tools and musical inspiration

Detailed Key and Drum Editors, controller editing, MIDI plug-ins, expression workflows, and precise quantization give you extensive control over MIDI-heavy productions. Chord Pads provide chord suggestions and real-time performance features, while Chord Track and Scale Assistant help you explore harmonies, develop melodies, and keep performances in scale.

Program beats with the Pattern Sequencer, or create evolving melodies and musical patterns with the step-based Melodic Pattern Sequencer. Add movement with intuitive modulators, and integrate your MIDI hardware with customizable MIDI Remote mapping.

Precision audio editing and vocal correction

VariAudio gives you detailed control over vocal pitch, timing, and intonation. Audio Alignment helps synchronize multiple recordings, while audio warping lets you reshape performances with precision. ARA support integrates compatible third-party plug-ins such as SpectraLayers into your audio-editing workflow.

Professional mixing, routing, and monitoring

MixConsole brings together a professional channel strip, flexible routing, effects, automation, and comprehensive mixing tools. Use up to 16 insert effects per channel and up to 64 track-independent VST instruments. The included suite of 96 audio effects provides extensive sound-shaping options.

Compare and adjust overlapping frequency content with Spectral Comparison EQ, shape frequencies with the Frequency 2 dynamic EQ and side-chaining, create complex echoes with MultiTap Delay, and explore dynamic modulation with FX Modulator. SuperVision supplies advanced metering and analysis for detailed monitoring.

Control Room provides a dedicated recording and monitoring environment for managing multiple cue mixes and monitor setups. Advanced Audio Export supports simultaneous export to multiple formats, stems, and batch processing.

Instruments, drums, and sounds included

Get started with over 3,000 sounds and 18 sample and loop packs, alongside a broad selection of instruments and creative tools. HALion Sonic with Sonic Selection covers a wide range of production sounds, while Groove Agent SE supplies drum sounds and patterns. Retrologue brings classic analog-style and modern synthesizer tones, and Padshop offers granular synthesis for complex, evolving soundscapes.

Compose with the orchestral sounds of Iconica Sketch, explore the songwriting-focused Writing Room Synths collection, or add warm, intimate felt-piano tones with Verve. Sampler Track turns audio into playable sampler instruments with editing and modulation options. Drum Track and Drum Machine support custom drum sound design and sample import from MediaBay, with Drum Machine combining drum synthesis and sampling capabilities.

Scoring and immersive audio

Write for film, television, and orchestral ensembles with comprehensive scoring and notation tools. The Score Editor uses Dorico technology to produce clear, legible performance material. Native Dolby Atmos support includes 7.1.4 and 5.1.4 speaker layouts, alongside surround formats including 5.1, 7.1, and Ambisonics for spatial audio production.

VST integration and a workflow that fits you

Built by the company behind VST, Cubase offers deep VST 3 integration for third-party instruments and effects. Customize the production environment around your experience, ambitions, and working style, whether you are developing your first idea or finishing a complex studio project.