Cubase 16: New Features and Edition Differences

Cubase 16, the latest version of Steinberg’s music production software, adds Instrument Stacks for combining multiple instruments, new plugins for quickly processing vocals and drums, and new MIDI editing features.
There are improvements at every stage of production, from the first idea to the final mix.

Four highlights of Cubase 16 are:

Instrument Stacks: combine and layer multiple instruments in a single folder
Stem separation: piano and guitar have been added, for six stem types
Key Editor: strum chords, stretch phrases, and enter lyrics
VocalTouch and DrumChain: new plugins for quickly processing vocals and drums

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A unified Settings window (Pro / Artist / Elements)

One change existing users should know about is the unified Settings window.
Device settings for audio interfaces and other hardware, keyboard shortcuts, and preferences, previously in separate windows, are now combined in a single Settings window.

Pay particular attention to the frequently used audio device settings.
They are no longer opened from the Studio menu; instead, use the Settings window.

Select Audio in the list on the left and configure the audio driver.

Project settings, MIDI, and plugin management can also be accessed from the list on the left.
You can also use the search field at the top to find a setting.

Six-part stem separation (Pro only)

Stem separation, which divides a song into individual parts, has improved in accuracy.

Select an audio event, then choose Separate Stems… from the Audio menu.

Check the instruments you want and click Separate Selected Stems.

Previously there were four categories—vocals, drums, bass, and other—but piano and guitar have been added, making six in total.
Separation takes longer than before, but the audio quality of the separated stems has improved.
For reference, separating a song of about 2 minutes 50 seconds took about 10 seconds in Cubase 15 and about 2 minutes 20 seconds in Cubase 16. Processing time varies with the computer.

The separated stems are created together in a folder.

In our tests, rhythmic transients remained clear even in dense arrangements, and piano and guitar were separated to a usable level.

Layer instruments with Instrument Stacks (Pro / Artist)

Instrument Stacks makes it convenient to layer instruments.
It is useful when combining different sounds, for example to add weight or sparkle to a bass.
In addition to VST instruments, Sampler Tracks and Drum Tracks can be grouped.

Create new instruments to layer

You can specify the instruments to layer together in the Add Track window.

Click Instrument Stack in the Add Instrument Track window.

Use + to add slots and choose each instrument to layer.

The instruments are created together in a folder.

Then enter MIDI on the folder timeline.

Create an event on the folder timeline and enter MIDI.

MIDI entered in the folder plays all of the instruments inside together.

Layer onto existing tracks

You can use the same window when you want to layer a sound onto an existing track during production.

Choose the instrument to add, enable Instrument Stack, and add the track.

Put the original track in the folder and move its MIDI to the folder timeline.

The original track and the new instrument now play the same MIDI.

Module: a new FM library

The new Module FM synth library added to HALion Sonic can also be used for layering.

Use Category to filter by instrument type and choose a preset.

It includes more than 200 presets, making it easy to find a sound you like by browsing them.
In our tests, the selection sounded better than we had expected.

Adjust volume and effects

Adjust the volume of each layered instrument individually to shape the sound.

Select an instrument track inside the folder and adjust its volume in the Inspector.

Adjust the overall level on the folder.

This lets you raise or lower the overall level while maintaining the balance between the instruments.

To apply an effect to the whole stack, insert it on the folder.

Effects inserted in the folder’s Inserts section apply to all instruments inside.

Key Editor features that add expression to MIDI (Pro / Artist / Elements)

The Key Editor gains tools for adding expression to programmed MIDI and changing phrase lengths.

Strum

Strum adds expression by offsetting the timing of notes in a chord.
It is useful when a chord starts too precisely together and feels uninteresting.

Move Amount in the opposite direction to offset the notes from high to low.

Use the middle slider to adjust the distribution of the offsets and the lower slider to adjust the overall start position.

It lets you add rich expression with a small adjustment.
It works well on electric piano, guitar, and synth plucks.

Stretch selection

You can now lengthen or shorten phrases inside the Key Editor.

Select the notes and drag the edge to the desired length.

For example, stretching a drum phrase to twice its length creates a half-tempo pattern.
Conversely, shortening it can double the tempo.
What previously required cutting out and time-stretching an event can now be done inside the Key Editor.

Omnivocal: create vocals from MIDI and enter lyrics (Pro / Artist / Elements)

Yamaha’s Omnivocal singing voice software, introduced in beta with Cubase 15, is now included as a full release in Cubase 16.
You can create a vocal track simply by preparing MIDI notes.

The included Omnivocal Basic provides one female and one male singer. Singers marked Pro require purchase of the Pro version of Omnivocal.

Enter lyrics

Another Omnivocal feature is the ability to assign lyrics to MIDI notes for the voice to sing.
Enter lyrics in the Key Editor.

Right-click a note and choose Lyrics → Edit Lyrics.

Enter a lyric and press `Space` to move to the next note.

Pressing Enter finishes editing, so you would need to reopen the menu on the next note. We recommend using Space to move forward.
You can assign multiple Japanese characters, such as ka followed by a small tsu, to a single note, and use the full-width Japanese long vowel mark to extend a sound.

Lyrics can also be viewed and entered in a controller lane.

Click the controller lane name and select Lyrics.

Copy lyrics selected in the lane with ⌘ + C on Mac or Ctrl + C on Windows, and paste with ⌘ + V on Mac or Ctrl + V on Windows.
This is useful when repeating the same lyrics, such as in a chorus.

Entered lyrics are also displayed in the Score Editor.

New plugins for quickly processing vocals and drums

There are dedicated new plugins for vocals and drums.

VocalTouch (Pro / Artist / Elements)

VocalTouch brings vocal processing effects together in a single plugin.
It provides easy control of compression to even out volume, EQ, reverb, delay, and saturation to add grit and help the vocal sit in the mix.

Choose a preset with STYLE and adjust the knobs.

In our tests, simply inserting it produced a noticeably polished sound.
If distortion or reverb feels too strong, you can adjust each independently.
VocalTouch is also included in Cubase LE 16.

DrumChain (Pro / Artist)

DrumChain is a multi-effect dedicated to drums.
Combine and apply compression, saturation, EQ, spatial effects, and more.

Turn sections on or off and adjust their intensity.

Choose a preset and adjust volume with OUT. Sections can be reordered by dragging.

As with VocalTouch, there are many presets.
Presets have very different characters, so compare them by ear and choose one that suits the song.

Other new features

There are also improvements for everyday production.
The main additions are:

Spectral AudioWarp: improved audio quality when stretching audio or changing pitch (Pro)
Tempo detection: redesigned for better results in less time
Windows MIDI and MIDI 2.0: support for the latest Windows 11 MIDI platform and MIDI 2.0 extensions
Ableton Link: smoother synchronization with compatible apps and devices
Quick Help and Guided Tours: contextual explanations and on-screen guidance
Waves Illugen integration: connects with Waves’ Illugen sample generation tool

Cubase 16 users are provided with a two-month Waves Illugen subscription voucher in their Steinberg account.

Edition differences

Cubase 16 is available in three editions: Pro, Artist, and Elements.
All offer the same sound quality and ease of use; choose according to the scale of your work and the features you need.

Feature	Pro 16	Artist 16	Elements 16
Track count	Unlimited	Unlimited	Limited
Instruments and libraries	11	11	7
Effects	96	73	45
Samples and loops	20 GB or more	20 GB or more	20 GB or more
Sidechain	Yes	Yes	Yes
Drum Machine & Pattern Sequencer	Yes	Yes	No
VariAudio pitch correction	Yes	Yes	No
Control Room	Yes	No	No
Modulators	Yes	No	No
Stem separation	Yes	No	No

The main new features covered in this article are available in the following editions:

New feature	Pro 16	Artist 16	Elements 16
Unified Settings window	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stem separation (six types)	Yes	No	No
Instrument Stacks	Yes	Yes	No
Module (FM library)	Yes	Yes	No
Key Editor (strum, stretch, lyrics)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Omnivocal Basic	Yes	Yes	Yes
VocalTouch	Yes	Yes	Yes
DrumChain	Yes	Yes	No
Spectral AudioWarp	Yes	No	No
Redesigned tempo detection	Yes	Yes	Yes
Waves Illugen integration	Yes	Yes	Yes

Cubase LE 15 licenses are automatically updated to Cubase LE 16.

System requirements

Windows
OS: 64-bit Windows 11 (25H2 or later), Windows 10 (22H2 or later)
CPU: Intel Core i5 (8th generation), AMD Ryzen 3000 series, or Windows on Arm
Graphics: Windows 10 native-compatible card (Microsoft Basic Display Driver is not recommended)
Recommended graphics: AMD R/RX series or later, or NVIDIA 700 series or later

Mac
OS: macOS Golden Gate (27), Tahoe (26), or Sequoia (15)
CPU: Intel Core i5 (2018 or later) or Apple silicon
Apple silicon Macs: native application or Rosetta 2 application
Graphics: Metal-compatible graphics card

Common requirements
CPU: at least 4 cores
Memory: at least 16 GB
Storage: 89 GB free (full installation) / 15 GB free (core)
Display resolution: at least 1440 × 900 at 100% UI scaling
GPU memory: at least 4 GB for 4K displays
Audio hardware: an OS-compatible device is required; ASIO-compatible hardware is recommended for low-latency operation
Other: internet connection required for activation, account setup, and user/product registration; installation requires a download
VST 2: not officially supported; plugins may load if the VST 2 scanner is enabled in VST Plug-in Manager, except on native Apple silicon

Updates and trial

If you activated an eligible Cubase 15 or earlier product on or after October 7, 2026, you can update to Cubase 16 free of charge.
Upgrades from Cubase LE and crossgrades from other DAWs are also available.

Elements 16 includes many new features such as VocalTouch and the Key Editor additions.
Instrument Stacks and DrumChain are available in Pro 16 and Artist 16.
A trial is also available, so you can try the features yourself.

Cubase 16: New Features and Edition Differences