How to use Oxide in Cubase

By Will Barratt, who builds Oxide · Updated 8 November 2026

Short answer: add Oxide (VST3 or CLAP) as the first insert on the stem’s channel, run a scan, listen to what was removed, then render in place before compressors and de-essers.

Cubase is built for stem sessions: one track per part, inserts on the channel, then a mix. When the stems come from Suno or another AI tool, a metallic top end often shows up as soon as you start compressing.

This guide is the Cubase workflow using Oxide as VST3 or CLAP. Plugins are in beta; if Cubase does not list Oxide after a rescan, clean the files in the standalone Oxide app and import the WAVs so the session still moves.

For install basics, see How to set up Oxide in your DAW. For the listening method, see How to clean Suno stems.

Try Oxide Lite free. Pro unlocks everything.

Import stems into a Cubase project

1. Set the project sample rate to match the files.
2. Import the stems onto separate audio tracks, one part per track.
3. Place them at the same start point so the session stays aligned.
4. Name the tracks for easy soloing.

Check the gaps between phrases. Leakage from another part is a split problem, not a cleanup problem.

Add Oxide as an insert

1. Install Oxide from oxide.battleship.me for macOS or Windows.
2. In Cubase, open the plugin manager and rescan VST3 or CLAP if Oxide is missing.
3. Add Oxide as an insert on the stem’s channel, before compressors and de-essers.
4. If you work in a Control Room or lower-latency setup, start with the plugin on individual stems rather than the stereo output.

Inspect and clean

1. Solo the channel and listen.
2. Run a scan.
3. Listen to what was removed. Residue belongs there; musical body does not.
4. Render in place, or replace the clip with a WAV from the Oxide app (WAV export is part of Pro), then continue your Cubase mix.

Batch Triage in Lite checks up to 3 stems; batch folder render is part of Pro. Oxide Pro and Oxide Studio unlock 24-bit WAV export, the 5-band breakdown, and folder rendering.

Try Oxide Lite

Try Oxide on the Cubase stem that will not sit in the mix. Try Oxide Lite free. Pro unlocks everything.

Related: How to use the Oxide app · How to set up Oxide in your DAW · How to clean Suno stems · How to clean Suno vocals · Why does Suno sound metallic? · How to clean up an AI song

Other DAWs: REAPER · Ableton Live · Logic Pro · FL Studio · Pro Tools

Common questions

Which plugin format should I load in Cubase?

VST3 or CLAP, depending on what your Cubase version is set to scan.

The plugin does not appear.

Rescan, restart Cubase, or use the standalone app and import the cleaned files. Plugins are in beta.

Should I process the stereo mix or the stems?

Clean the stem that sounds wrong. Use the full mix only when that is all you have — see How to clean up an AI song.

Which stems should I clean first?

Usually the vocal and the hats or cymbals. Bass and kick rarely need anything. Clean the parts that bother you and leave the rest.