Steinberg has announced an update to its music production application, Cubase. Cubase 4.1 and Cubase Studio 4.1 offer major new features in a free update for all registered owners. The new features include a redesigned Sample Editor, side chaining for VST3 plug-ins, MusicXML support, compatibility with Sequel project import and support for Windows Vista.

“This update represents a significant extension of Cubase music production functionality,” comments Kazunori Kobayashi, Steinberg’s Managing Director. “Many areas of the program have been reengineered and updated to offer more speed, flexibility and creativity for musicians, producers and composers.”

New features include:

• Redesigned Sample Editor makes editing, stretching and audio manipulation tasks faster through better accessibility with Inspector-style controls
• Sidechaining for VST3 Plug-ins offers easy creation of sidechains in many of the outstanding VST3 effects included in Cubase 4 and Cubase Studio 4
• MusicXML Import & Export provides exchange of musical scores with specialized score layout applications from Cubase projects, including detailed data, graphically rich layout
• Full Sequel Project Import and complete compatibility to Sequel content allows full editing of Sequel projects and instant access to all Sequel content installed on the same system within the advanced MediaBay database
• Free routing and recording from summing objects* enhance recording and routing functionality to offer complete routing flexibility as well as lightning-fast setup for stem recording
• Advanced MediaBay options enhance speed and efficiency working with Steinberg’s revolutionary media database system with new user options
• Track Quick Controls with integrated MIDI Learn provide direct access to any track parameter from the Track Inspector, ideal for easy control of any setting using hardware remote controllers
• Global Transpose Track allows transposition of all audio and MIDI parts within one easy-to-use track for quick and easy experimentation with key and chord changes
• Arranger Track replaces and improves on the Play Order Track to extend the Cubase system for improvising and trying out new song arrangements and provides new features for using Cubase as a live performance tool
• Project Logical Editor is an extraordinarily powerful and unique new project-level editing system that allows automated processing of whole sections and groups of objects within a project, including full mapping to key commands

* Feature available in Cubase 4 only

Cubase 4 is priced at $999 MSRP. Cubase Studio 4 is priced at $399 MSRP. The update to Cubase 4.1 and Cubase Studio 4.1 is available now as a download.