Cubase 10 Pro vs Studio One Pro 4: Ready? Fight!

[Rickter]

No longer in a band, I want to concentrate on committing my songwriting/composition ideas to recordings. I am primarily looking to record things in the rock/metal/industrial genres. I have had Reaper for a while on Win10 with a Focusrite Scarlet interface, but I've never really bonded with it. I find myself researching "the Reaper way" of doing things and trying to change the interface theme more than being productive.

For this reason, I have been contemplating moving to Cubase, as I've long been drawn to its more intuitive interface. Verging on pulling the trigger on Cubase 9.5 Pro, version 10 was released and someone pointed me toward Presonus Studio One 4 Pro, as it had a similar intuitiveness and feel, but cost a bit less.

My main goal is to find out pros & cons/strengths & weaknesses about Cubase 9.5/10 Artist/Professional versus Studio One 4 Professional from experienced owners/users. Have heard that Cubase is buggy and not stable. Have heard that Studio One has a dedicated following, but doesn't have the extensiveness/support that Cubase does. Things of this nature are what I am trying to find out.

As always, thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience.

 

[Aloe]

well, with Cubase you can use the DAW on only one computer at one time. you also need a USB token to be plugged in, so it can verify you're not a pirate. also be prepared to give them 100 euros each year if you want updates.

Studio One can be used on up to 5 computers (albeit, Melodyne only will run at two with one license) and does not require any dongles. Melodyne integration is great as well.

I've used both and I would say that Cubase out of the box has better virtual instruments (and supports some advanced MIDI stuff that S1 does not). however, I liked Studio One's UX and easiness of use much more.

nobody knows, what will be the best for you, but you can grab a demo of them both and use them for one month to decide.

 

[Badwater]

I've only used the Studio One DAW from Studio One 3. With windows 7. I never had a crash or problem with the function. Presonus has free updates every so often now it's at 4. I stopped upgrading at 3.2 because I didn't need the extra features. It covers everything I need from built in drums, synth, and other Midi insturments. And is easy to work with and get complex tasks done with simplicity via the windows interface of mouse buttons clicks. The DAW has a lot of headroom and the 44VSL interface has good preamps that make recording high quality easy. That's my take on Presonus Studio One, and it works for me. And, there are other DAWs out there that work for others just fine. So, the best for you will depend on what you like, and that will come with getting your hands on it to test out.