Cubasis 3 - DAW & Music Studio
Overview
Cubasis 3 is Steinberg’s professional digital audio workstation (DAW) designed specifically for mobile devices, tablets, and Chromebooks. Mirroring the operational workflow, spatial architecture, and signal processing capabilities of desktop Cubase, Cubasis 3 delivers a complete studio environment for multi-track audio recording, MIDI editing, beat production, and sound mixing. The application is powered by a 32-bit floating-point audio engine supporting audio I/O sampling resolutions up to 24-bit/48 kHz, providing pristine dynamic headroom and high-fidelity sound capture directly on mobile chipsets.
The application contains an exhaustive feature set. Cubasis 3 supports an unlimited number of audio and MIDI tracks, audio time-stretching and pitch-shifting in real time, full track automation curves, eight insert effects and eight send effects per channel, and track grouping. Included virtual instruments encompass MicroSonic (powered by HALion Sonic sound sets), MiniSampler for custom instrument creation, and the HALion Sonic Play workstation plugin. For mixing and mastering, the app integrates the Master Strip Suite alongside parametric equalizers and dynamic processors. MIDI workflows are supported by interactive chord pads, virtual keyboards with configurable note repeat, auto-quantization, and a full MIDI CC editor.
Interoperability and hardware integration represent major engineering milestones for Cubasis 3. The DAW natively supports Ableton Link for wireless tempo alignment across multi-device setups, alongside hardware control surface protocols like Mackie Control (MCU) and HUI. Projects crafted within Cubasis 3 can be exported directly into desktop Cubase, allowing producers to track audio stems on location and transfer them into full studio mixing environments. However, mobile producers must consider platform constraints: USB class-compliant driver performance varies across Android processor hardware, and Android Scoped Storage mandates specific file workflows to import external audio sample libraries.
Pros & Cons
Professional 32-bit floating-point audio engine supporting studio-grade recording and editing.
Unlimited audio and MIDI track capacity paired with advanced automation curves and group channel routing.
Direct session export compatibility translating mobile arrangements into desktop Steinberg Cubase projects.
Comprehensive virtual instrument and effect bundle including HALion Sonic Play, MicroSonic, and Master Strip.
Native support for external protocols including Ableton Link, Mackie Control (MCU), and HUI control mapping.
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USB audio interface driver latency and hardware stability vary based on Android device processor specifications.
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High track counts and heavy insert plugin processing can cause CPU thermal throttling on mid-tier hardware.
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Android Scoped Storage guidelines restrict direct file manager folder access to internal media storage locations.
Download
Get it on Google Play 
Get it on App Store FAQs
Can mobile projects created inside Cubasis 3 be opened in desktop Cubase?
Yes, Cubasis 3 exports native project files and archive folders that open directly inside desktop versions of Steinberg Cubase.
How do Android Scoped Storage rules affect file transfers within Cubasis 3?
Files reside inside isolated directories (/Android/data/com.steinberg.cubasis3/files/Cubasis 3). Accessing these folders requires third-party file managers or the MediaBay Import tool.
What hardware interfaces and MIDI controllers are supported on Android?
Cubasis 3 supports class-compliant USB audio interfaces and USB/Bluetooth MIDI hardware, though performance relies on host device audio implementation.
Is a free trial version available to evaluate audio interface performance before buying?
Yes, Steinberg offers "Cubasis LE 3 Trial," a demo application running in a restartable 30-minute test mode to evaluate system performance.
Hot Reviews
Summarized from Google Play reviews and community discussions.
Audio creators praise the software for capturing crisp vocals and instrument tracks on location, highlighting its intuitive interface and reliable stem export options.
User reviews note that while small projects run smoothly, sessions exceeding complex track thresholds with active effect plugins can suffer performance drops on unoptimized processors.
Producers highlight the MediaBay file browser as a standout feature, praising its simple arrangement layout, sample organization, and tempo-matching capabilities.
Musicians express high satisfaction with the export pipeline, noting that tracking ideas on mobile devices and transferring them into desktop Cubase is fast and reliable.