Cubasis 3 review

Cubasis 3 is the pick for producers who want a complete DAW on iPad but will not pay monthly. Steinberg sells it for $49.99 once on the US App Store. The listing promises unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, a 32-bit floating-point audio engine, audio I/O up to 24-bit/96 kHz and 24 assignable physical inputs and outputs, which makes it a real multitrack recorder with the right interface. Each track gets a studio-grade channel strip, and effects run in 8 insert and 8 send slots with sidechain support. Real-time time-stretching and pitch-shifting use zplane's élastique 3, MIDI editing runs at 960 PPQN, and Mackie Control and HUI support let you use hardware controllers. Bundled instruments include Micrologue with 126 presets, MicroSonic with over 120 sounds and MiniSampler, plus 550+ loops. Projects export to Cubase on the desktop. Add-ons such as HALion Sonic Selection ($19.99) and the Waves Plug-in Bundle ($19.99) raise the total.

Who it is for

musicians who want a pro DAW without a subscription

Price

$49.99 one-time on the US App Store; free Cubasis LE 3 exists.

Cubasis 3 - DAW & Music Studio Music Production & Recording $49.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 14, 2026.

Key features

• Unlimited audio and MIDI tracks
• 24 assignable physical inputs and outputs, up to 24-bit/96 kHz
• Mixer with a channel strip per track, 8 insert and 8 send effects
• Real-time time-stretching and pitch-shifting with zplane élastique 3
• Exports to Cubase, iCloud Drive, Dropbox and external drives

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: No subscription: $49.99 once
• Strength: Unlimited tracks and 960 PPQN MIDI resolution
• Strength: Mackie Control, HUI and MIDI over Bluetooth LE support
• Weakness: Highest upfront price on this list
• Weakness: Extra instruments and Waves plug-ins cost $4.99 to $19.99 each
• Weakness: Fewer AI tools than Logic Pro or BandLab

Key facts

• Price: $49.99 one-time
• Tracks: Unlimited audio and MIDI
• Audio I/O: Up to 24-bit/96 kHz
• Devices: iPhone, iPad

Where it ranks

Cubasis 3 is No. 5 in our Best Music Production Apps for iPad verdict.