Steinberg Cubasis 3.8

Cubasis 3.8’s impressive feature list now includes a full virtual guitar rig plug‑in in Amp Sim.

Steinberg’s mobile DAW gets ever closer to the desktop experience.

The possibilities for music production on mobile devices have come a heck of a long way since the first music apps started appearing on Apple’s App Store around 2008. While the app development environment — whether for iOS or Android — has encouraged lots of indie software teams (and generated lots of original software ideas), some established developers from the desktop music software world also saw the potential. Steinberg were (and still are) one such developer and Cubasis — a compact adaptation of the Cubase workflow for mobile music‑making — has built a significant user base since it first launched in 2013 (see the SOS review in the March 2013 issue). And, impressively, they have maintained that development commitment. As a consequence, we have now reached Cubasis 3.8. So, just how capable is Steinberg’s flagship mobile DAW and what’s new in this release?

Real DAW Deal?

Before digging into what’s new in 3.8, for those who have never used Cubasis, some context might be useful. At its heart, the Cubasis experience — particularly under iOS — is something that any Cubase user will find familiar. That starts with the visual design but, more importantly, means that you get a slick and well‑featured audio+MIDI recording and editing platform, a very solid mixing environment with group channels and automation, an impressive collection of virtual instrument sounds, and a suite of stock corrective and creative effects plug‑ins.

Both instruments and effects are drawn from familiar desktop versions, while you can also access a number of in‑app purchase options that can expand the effects and virtual instrument capabilities if you wish. Those working under iOS are perhaps better served here compared to Android because of support for third‑party virtual instruments and effects via AU and IAA.

As a result, don’t be in any doubt; paired with a suitable audio interface and/or MIDI keyboard/controller, which could be selected for their compact format, Cubasis on your iPad, iPhone or Android device lets you get some seriously good recording, editing, arranging and mixing work done on a highly mobile system.

The Sims

Cubasis already included stock Amp Sim and Overdrive effects but an obvious highlight of the v3.8 release — and a welcome sight to the guitar player within me — is the inclusion of the new Amp Rack and Bass Amp plug‑ins. As with many of Cubasis’ other stock effects, these draw on the similar plug‑ins found in the desktop versions of Cubase and, while the cosmetics have been adjusted somewhat to best accommodate the Cubasis UI, the essential concept — and the core options available — are very much in the same ballpark.

In essence, that means you get a full modelled guitar‑rig simulation with options for pre‑effects, amp and cabinet options (including mic choice/placement), post‑effects, a three‑band master EQ for additional tone‑shaping, and a built‑in tuner. For the Amp Rack, the amp/cab options cover a broad range of styles, from the super‑cleans of the Fender‑esq Blackface model, through more clean‑to‑crunch options such as the Tweed and Plexi models, and off into hard rock/metal with the Diamond model. The effects span all the typical guitar‑friendly stompbox options such as overdrive, fuzz, modulation and tremolo as well as various delays and reverbs. The UI makes editing your signal chain very easy, especially as you have touchscreen access to the full control set.

Bassists are also catered for with the new Bass Amp plug‑in.

Bass Amp provides a very similar configuration and, indeed, shares some of the stompbox effects options. However, the amp and cab models do, of course, provide a more bass‑centric selection. The coverage is also suitably broad, going from pristine cleans through to various stages of overdriven, rock‑friendly tones. I particularly liked the GreenT, although I’m not sure your average mobile device’s speakers can do it full justice; best appreciated with studio headphones.

While there are high‑end guitar‑rig sims on the desktop that perhaps offer a more responsive experience for the player (on the desktop at least), in terms of the actual sound within a mix, both Amp Rack and Bass Amp do a very impressive job. Given the additional convenience of having them ‘built in’, they represent a welcome step forward in making Cubasis’ feature set all you might need for a guitar‑based project.

Keep Time

Steinberg added the Global Track feature in Cubasis 3.7 (see the review in the March 2025 issue) and this provided support for both tempo and time signature lanes within your projects. For a DAW on a mobile platform, this was, in itself, a pretty big deal from a technical perspective. However, amongst some other MIDI refinements in 3.8, support has now been added for both import and export of tempo and time signature data within MIDI files.

This will be particularly useful for those that regularly move between mobile and desktop environments and, in exchanging projects between my iPad and macOS desktop system via the DAWProject file format, tempo and time signature data from my Cubasis project was perfectly restored within Cubase.

Ported Pianos

The other obvious highlights of this release are Etude and Verve, two new piano instruments that are available either as in‑app‑purchases or as standalone instruments (a single purchase of either provides both formats). Both of these are ports from their desktop equivalents. Etude provides a grand piano sampled from a Yamaha C3X grand. I’ve not used the desktop version but this mobile version, albeit somewhat more compact in terms of its sample base, is rather impressive. Played via a suitable MIDI keyboard, it responds to performance dynamics smoothly but, equally, it is still a very satisfactory experience played with Cubasis’ internal virtual keyboard or the Chord Pads. The UI includes plenty of options for customising the sound of the piano, with options for controlling the performance dynamics, key release and pedal noise, EQ, compression and reverb. Etude sounds great even when fully exposed within a mix.

With versions of both Verve (shown here) and Etude available as IAPs, Cubasis can now provide some seriously good piano‑based sound options.

As on the desktop, Verve blends the sound of a felt piano with a textural sound layer, while also adding some creative reverb and delay options. Verve is a personal favourite in its desktop form, and the mobile version doesn’t disappoint. The collection of supplied textures is pretty extensive, spanning various types of strings, a range of different synth‑based sounds, and all sorts of sustain‑friendly soundscapes. These make a great way to add an additional element to your piano parts and work especially well with sustained chords or long melodic notes. You can easily adjust (and automate) the blend between the piano and the selected texture to add a sense of sonic movement. Whether it’s for a pop ballad, an ambient soundscape or a cinematic/scoring application, Verve is a great addition. Both IAPs are also sensibly priced given what they offer.

Pinch Me

While the above represent the highlights of the Cubasis 3.8 update, there are a number of other improvements including, for example, support for portrait mode operation. Yes, the new instrument options are paid‑for IAPs, but the app update itself is free to all Cubasis 3 owners, so it is a no‑brainer download.

Cubasis 3.8 provides a slick and powerful platform for recording your musical ideas.

Music production on a mobile platform has come a long way over the last 10 years and the evolution of Cubasis over that time is a clear example of that. Hats off to Steinberg for staying the course. The results speak for themselves; Cubasis 3.8 provides a slick and powerful platform for recording your musical ideas and, via a broad selection of instrument and effects IAPs that you can add to the impressive core features, it can be a ‘pinch me!’ experience every time you open the app. Cubasis 3.8 is a great solution for anyone wanting a desktop‑style DAW experience but in a mobile format.