In this article Tom Lowe gives in to curiosity and downloads Nuendo to see whether it is a potential alternative to Pro Tools for him in his work in immersive audio.

At the end of 2020 Steinberg released the latest update of Nuendo, their flagship DAW, with version 11. I was aware of this release, but as a user of Pro Tools for the best part of the last 20 years didn’t pay it that much attention. Then a few weeks ago, I received an email about an online seminar hosted by Netflix discussing Nuendo 11 and how it can be used for delivering immersive mixes using Dolby Atmos for Netflix content. This made me think it might be worth taking a further look at, but after visiting the website again didn’t go any further.

What finally made me decide to download the demo version this week was the article posted on Production Expert, which asks the question Is Steinberg Nuendo 11 The Solution For Dolby Atmos? After reading the article I decided I have nothing to lose by downloading the demo and seeing what I think of it.

I had demoed Nuendo before, when they released version 5.5, which was around the same time that Avid released Pro Tools 9 (if I remember correctly), so it’s been quite a while since I’ve even had Nuendo on my Mac, let alone actually use it. Luckily, I had an eLicenser key (Steinberg’s equivalent of an iLok) from when I previously demoed Nuendo, so didn’t need to buy one to demo version 11. Unlike products that use iLok, there’s no option for machine or cloud authorisation, so a physical USB key is required if you want to try out the demo.

What Features In Nuendo Make It Suitable For Immersive Workflows?

So, that’s the preamble out of the way. Here are some of the features that Nuendo 11 features (some of which were added in previous versions) that I thought would be worth checking out:

• Fully integrated ADM Authoring for Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment mixes

• Integrated re-conforming tools when working with picture changes during a production along with Video Cut Detection

• Integrated tools such as panners and decoders for working with Ambisonics mixes (released with Nuendo 10)

• Integrated Intelligibility Meter

Downloading And Installing Nuendo 11

This process was pretty straightforward. First of all you have to register for a download with Steinberg, who then send you an activation code. You enter this in to the Steinberg Download Assistant, choose the software you want to download (this also lets you download other software such as SpectraLayers and add-ons for Nuendo) all in one place. My first impression was thinking how much better this is than Avid Connect, although I haven’t tried the version released with Pro Tools 2021.6 - so I can only compare this to previous releases. The whole process was quick an efficient, and after activating the license on the eLicenser I was ready to go.

First Impressions And Unexpected Features

When I first launched Nuendo 11, I was amazed at how quickly the application opened. I’m used to opening Pro Tools for the first time after a new installation, and it always feels like a rather sluggish process as it loads all its features and analyses your plug-ins folder. This couldn’t be further from that. It feels light, fast and modern. The opening speed of Pro Tools isn’t really something that bothers me, as once it’s open for the day that’s usually it, but seeing Nuendo in comparison is definitely something that immediately stood out for me.

The first window you’re presented with is the Steinberg Hub, where you can create new projects, open existing ones, access user manuals, support and the Nuendo forum. This is all well and good, however the left-hand section called “news and tutorials” seems more like a big advert for Steinberg and their other products. I know Adobe do something similar, but that does seem to be focussed on learning new things, whereas this has the feel of being an advert. Again, not something that affects day-to-day usage of the software, but if I had bought Nuendo, I’m not sure I’d appreciate having adverts in my face every time I launch the software.

Nuendo In Use

So, first thing was to create a new session and find my way around. I thought the best thing to do would be use it on a real-life job, which wasn’t time-critical so I had time to learn and figure things out, but have carry out the same tasks that I usually would in Pro Tools, so I could get a sense of how it works.

The job was taking a few audio clips that require some audio restoration. Not a huge job, but something I do a lot in Pro Tools, so thought it would be a great way to compare the two. After importing audio, the first thing I usually do is a first pass using the plug-in version of Absentia DX from Todd-AO. Unfortunately, this is only available as AAX, and not VST or VST3. OK, not Steinberg’s fault, but this would mean any audio I want to process in this way in future would have to be done externally before importing it into Nuendo. A small change to make, but still a change to my workflow. The next job was opening up the audio in iZotope RX via the RX Connect plug-in. 

The RX8 plug-in works in a very similar way to in Pro Tools, although there is a bug that iZotope are aware of where the processed audio doesn’t always render when you click “Apply”. It was frustrating to say the least, but not something I can make a fair comparison to Pro Tools on until it’s fixed. The alternative to using RX 8 connect would be to use SpectraLayers from Steinberg through ARA 2 integration and perform clean-up tasks that way. Right now, that would be too much of a workflow change and learning process, but something I may investigate in the future. Of course, what would be ideal is if iZotope develop ARA2 integration in their own software. Fingers crossed!

The rest of the workflow was very similar, and one feature I discovered which I wasn’t expecting in the integrated Channel Strip. This includes an EQ, compressor, de-esser, saturation, and limiter on each and every channel, and doesn’t require the use of any insert slots. It’s certainly not any thing too fancy, but reminds me of a large format analog console which would have a compressor and EQ on every channel, and is certainly a nice feature to have. The other unexpected feature was the ability to choose a point on the Insert list where all plug-ins after that point are post-fader. Having this feature on Pro Tools has been on a lot of people’s wishlist for a long time, so it’s nice to see it implemented here.

The last feature which I wasn’t expecting to see, but really impressed me, is the option to choose your panner on a track-by-track basis in the Mix window. If you want to work in Ambisonics in Pro Tools, you have to use an Ambisonics-compatible panner, such as dearVR Pro or the FB360 workstation panner in one of your Insert slots. This obviously reduces the number of plug-ins you are able to use. In Nuendo, you can simply right-click in the panner of any given track and you’re presented with a drop-down list showing you the available plug-ins that have been recognised as being capable of being used as a panner.  There were a couple of ones I didn’t expect such as bx_control and bx_stereomaker - but the fact the option exists to use other plug-ins as the main panner is great, and I’m especially looking forward to being able to use DearVR Pro in this way.

So, having used Nuendo for about 4 days now, these are the things have have struck me the most, but I’m certainly going to delve deeper in to the features Nuendo 11 offers. It’s too early to say whether any improvements to my workflow will enough to justify moving all future projects to Nuendo, or whether the learning curve and adapting my workflow will be more of a hindrance and sticking with Pro Tools is my best option. Only time will tell!

Would I Switch From Pro Tools To Nuendo?

So the million, or should I say thousand dollar question is would I make the move from Pro Tools to Nuendo? Rather than make a sweeping statement, here are my pros and cons;

Pros:

• Channel strip & EQ included on every channel, which doesn’t eat up insert slots

• Multiple configurations for the MixConsole which can be saved and recalled easily

• Inserts can be pre or post-fader

• Easy to send channel outputs to various destinations and these can be fully automated

• Very flexible Export window makes creating multiple deliverables very straightforward

• Export Selected Events makes exporting certain clips individually with various levels of processing applied very easy

Cons:

• iZotope RX8 connect doesn’t work as intended 100% of the time. Hopefully this is fixed soon.

• Clip Gain works differently to in Pro Tools, and will take a bit of time to get used to it and make changes to my workflow

• Most of the post-production world uses Pro Tools. Ensuring this doesn’t become a potential sticking point and easily be able to exchange sessions with Pro Tools is essential. I’ve tested this a little so far, but needs further testing

• To edit the type or shape of a fade you have to open the Fade editor. This can’t be done by simply dragging the fade to change it’s shape, or right-clicking to change its type as in Pro Tools