The latest version of the industry-leading music production DAW.

Cubase 16 is the latest version of Steinberg’s music production software. It brings faster workflows and new creative tools to every stage of production, from writing and recording through to editing, mixing and mastering.

Highlights include Instrument Stacks for layering sounds, improved Stem Separation with dedicated piano and guitar extraction, new Spectral AudioWarp modes, Strum and Stretch tools in the Key Editor, and two new plug-ins in DrumChain and VocalTouch.

Key New Features:

Instrument Stacks

Combine several VST instruments, sampler tracks and drum tracks into one stack that plays from a single track. Each layer can be filtered on its own, and the whole stack is controlled from one place, so building layered sounds takes far less time.

Stem Separation 2

Stem Separation now produces higher quality results and adds dedicated piano and guitar stems alongside vocals, drums, bass and other. This gives you more freedom when editing, sampling or remixing existing audio.

Spectral AudioWarp

New Spectral AudioWarp modes allow extreme time-stretching and pitch-shifting of vocals, instruments, drums and full mixes. There are universal, complex, solo, ensemble and tape modes, each with a formant option.

Key Editor Strum, Stretch and Lyrics

Strum adds natural timing variation to programmed chords, from a subtle spread to a full strummed feel. Stretch lets you resize melodies, basslines and chord progressions to fit your song, and add accelerandos and ritardandos with one gesture. You can also now add and edit lyrics directly alongside MIDI notes, with step entry and controls for pronunciation and language.

DrumChain and VocalTouch

DrumChain is a multi-effects processor for drums, combining compression, saturation, transient shaping, EQ, room and sub enhancement to add punch and weight. VocalTouch keeps vocal processing simple, with style presets and quick controls for dynamics, EQ, reverb, delay and saturation.

Redesigned Settings

Preferences, key commands, project setup and audio connections now live in one searchable window. Changes apply instantly, and the window can stay open while you work.

Tempo Detection

The tempo detection workflow has been redesigned to give more reliable results in less time, making it easier to match imported songs and recordings to your project.

New Sounds and Vocal Tools

The Module FM library adds more than 200 HALion Sonic presets for leads, keys, basses and textures. Five new sample packs cover Afro House, Beats & Breaks, K-Pop, Latin Vibes and Organic Sessions. Yamaha’s Omnivocal Basic lets you sketch vocal ideas quickly while writing.

Waves Illugen Integration

Cubase now connects with Waves Illugen, a sample generator for creating and importing custom samples without leaving your project. Cubase 16 users receive a two-month Illugen subscription voucher in their Steinberg account.