Their first software released back in 1984 – Pro16 – which I believe was for the Commodore 64! Who still has one? Hands up! This simple multi-track midi sequencer (and let’s remember midi was brand new at this time also) opened up a whole world of possibilities, but it is with the next version – Pro 24- on the still legendary Atari ST, that it made the biggest impact. Some company’s come and go but with their flagships Cubase and Wavelab, Steinberg have sat comfortably on the cutting edge for most of their existence. There are plenty of hardware manufacturers who are proven and long in the tooth but – the world of software is the world of new inventions and is full of pioneering souls. Remaining relevant through three decades of great change in the music business is no mean feat. Founded by Manfred Rürup and Karl “Charlie” Steinberg back in 1983, arguably one of the most influential software companies in the studio world. We will look at one of the best in this Blog – Steinberg’s Wavelab – one of the leaders in the field.

When it comes to mastering software though, there are many superior tools which fit the philosophy of the mastering engineer way better than your DAW. That’s not to say there is no crossover between mixing and mastering – that’s often why you find people using their DAW to get the job done. In many ways it is a completely different way of thinking than that which is needed to master track and often that is best served by a different set of tools. Working as a mastering engineer, over time, you pick up some really handy skills, skills that are totally separate to those you might need during mixing and writing.

Wavelab 7 vs wavelab elements