KVR Audio

rexxz · Post by **rexxz** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:15 pm

How long does it usually take for Steinberg to activate your product/username on their site? I signed up to the forum two days ago and it's still not active. I can't even use the customer support option on their site because it asks for your username.

rob_lee · Post by **rob_lee** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:25 pm

rexxz wrote:How long does it usually take for Steinberg to activate your product/username on their site? I signed up to the forum two days ago and it's still not active. I can't even use the customer support option on their site because it asks for your username.

Can be a few days mate..mine took about 5 days a few years back also check your spam filter incase.
rob

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:33 pm

visa tapani wrote:I'd be interested in info about Cubase 5's cross platform behavior... For example, can I open projects done on OSX Cubase on Win Cubase and vice versa? Is the same file format used on both platforms?

Yes on both accounts. Two of the people I work with are on Macs and we exchange files fairly effortlessly (only the 3rd party plug-ins sometimes give us grief).

I'd assume that I can open a Win-Cubase file on OSX-Cubase if I don't use any plugins at all, but what if I use only plugins which I have on both platforms?

One problem we've run into is that the plug-ins are sometimes named differently per platform. For example, Minimonsta is named Minimonsta-win on PC and Minimonsta-mac on Mac (or something like that) which is enough to make them not load. Renaming Minimonsta didn't help the situation. Universal Audio, TC Electronic, Native Instruments, and D16 plug-ins all load up fine cross-platform.

paveloso · Post by **paveloso** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:50 pm

BERFAB wrote:
kritikon wrote:
I agree that when Cubase starts for the first time, it's confusing where to start, they probably should have a little wizard for first run I think.
Wouldn't be a bad idea at all. I remember the last time I moved house - didn't do any music for almost a year, and when I first loaded everything back up, I had to reset everything. I'd forgotten what a head-scratching thing it can be. Every time I set up Cubase I tell myself I must remember how to do it, and note it all down, and every time I forget.

There must be an easier way of setting it all up. I still think Cubase in actual use is one of the most intuitive (i.e. you need to read the manual rarely) but its set up is byzantine. Does the latest version still have that silly file that you have to move one level up to stop midi delays? Steinberg regularly put up stickies in the Cubase.net forum to inform people about it. Year after year they answer multiple questions about the midi delays, and yet all they had to do was modify the installer to place the file on the right folder. Simple, but they didn't fix it version after version. So the user had to find out about this one little file and move it themselves to the right place. Lots of hair-pulling all over the world with that one I should imagine, and yet they manage to produce a DAW that is smooth and easy to use for most users in day to day actual use.
Funny you mention it, but C5 STILL DOES have this problem with the file you have to move. I've had to do this with every version of Cubase since SX 2. I actually have the instructions taped to my studio wall so I don't forget. (I actually installed v. 5 and started getting a MIDI problem, and it took me awhile to figure out what the problem was. I really couldn't believe that this hadn't been addressed yet.)

-B

Shoot... And this folder would be somewhere inside the "Program Files" folder, which is locked in Vista 64-bit?

If it is... man... That's gotta suck, big time! I'm receiving a brand-new 64-bit DAW tomorrow and I just got Cubase 5 to take full advantage of the whole installed RAM!

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:54 am

I missed out, they sold both yesterday (anyone on here buy them from audio midi?) I hate you if you did

Well, at least I'll be sticking to my "resistance"

aaastronomer · Post by **aaastronomer** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:56 pm

BERFAB wrote:
rob_lee wrote:
aaastronomer wrote:so, how's c5 treating you now? i'm thinking about transitioning from sx3 to c5.
I don't klnow if anyone can back me up on this one but since installing Cubase 5.1 iv'e tried overloading it and everything and 4 days now and still no crash..rock solid..
anyone else?
rob
Actually, it's version 5.0.1. And yes, it's rock solid here too. Although I have a recurring problem with just 1 plug. Kitcore keeps crashing the system. Submersible has had similar reports from others and sent me a debug file. They're analyzing it now. Hopefully this will be addressed soon.

Cheers
-B

cool...5.0.1 it is then! cheers!

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:48 pm

Shoot... And this folder would be somewhere inside the "Program Files" folder, which is locked in Vista 64-bit?

Surely not? In XP, the default was that those files were invisible, but you could set it so that they were all accessible. Surely you can access program files in Vista with some setting somewhere - it sounds like others here have done it in Vista? I can see why MS might want to lock off access to the actual Vista files, but I doubt even they would be so stupid as to lock all 3rd party files. There must be a global settings page somewhere to let you into program files...

Chrisbeuermann · Post by **Chrisbeuermann** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:25 am

Hello,

you don't have to move that file anymore since SX3. Please go in Cubase to devices --> device setup.Select here MIDI port setup and check "use system timestamp.

Gr,

Chris

bullshark · Post by **bullshark** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:31 pm

kritikon wrote:
Shoot... And this folder would be somewhere inside the "Program Files" folder, which is locked in Vista 64-bit?
Surely not? In XP, the default was that those files were invisible, but you could set it so that they were all accessible. Surely you can access program files in Vista with some setting somewhere - it sounds like others here have done it in Vista? I can see why MS might want to lock off access to the actual Vista files, but I doubt even they would be so stupid as to lock all 3rd party files. There must be a global settings page somewhere to let you into program files...

Yeah, it's only folders that Window consider system folder that are completely locked, like Movie Maker(sic), the rest is accessible.

paveloso · Post by **paveloso** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:38 pm

bullshark wrote:
kritikon wrote:
Shoot... And this folder would be somewhere inside the "Program Files" folder, which is locked in Vista 64-bit?
Surely not? In XP, the default was that those files were invisible, but you could set it so that they were all accessible. Surely you can access program files in Vista with some setting somewhere - it sounds like others here have done it in Vista? I can see why MS might want to lock off access to the actual Vista files, but I doubt even they would be so stupid as to lock all 3rd party files. There must be a global settings page somewhere to let you into program files...
Yeah, it's only folders that Window consider system folder that are completely locked, like Movie Maker(sic), the rest is accessible.

Good to know it. Still running on XP, so I was not sure. Thanks, guys!

dupont · Post by **dupont** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:41 pm

headquest wrote:
Ubiety wrote:
I'm sure Logic is great and all - ditto Mac computers - just not something my students have or - let's be honest here - need.

HI, I've been I logic 8 user for 1 year now and i can tell it is not so great, don't believe the hype and the music tech magazine.
I had to buy a imac only to run logic and I regret and prefer to run reaper under windows boot camp.

OSX is OK only for the net.

Never buy a mac or you will be a fustrated musician !

Jace-BeOS · Post by **Jace-BeOS** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:22 pm

i am very interested in the deciding factors you folks have between Sonar and Cubase (i own both, but my Cubase is now back at 4.x while my Sonar is up to date). For an practical reason and for an academic reason.

i am most familiar with Sonar, since i started with Cakewalk, then Cakewalk Pro Audio and then Sonar. i think it was the bundling of Cakewalk with a SoundBlaster that started me on that path.

Cakewalk WAS ugly. Sonar was ugly from version 1 through 5. i now have v8 Producer; 8 and 7 (can't remember 6!) are pretty nice looking. Very customizable. Smoother. v8 features included refined scrolling and appearance. Try it out again, maybe?

Yes, the plugins are all of varying design sense; very disparate. Cakewalk need to reign this issue in. The cause is: Cakewalk doesn't remove any plugs that were developed in-house (they do remove third party extras included in various versions for obvious bundling/licensing reasons).

So older plugins look like old Windows apps (like Cakewalk Pro Audio and Sonar used to look). Newer plugins have various design styles. The Roland stuff is designed by Roland, at various times in the Roland development periods, and none of it is designed to fit any one design motif (certainly not to blend in with Sonar).

All the new components and plugins are a little more unified in appearance, especially the stuff developed by RGC Audio. So things are looking up.

Cubase has always used a very consistent design motif (from what i can tell) and they have dumped loads of plugins over the years from previous versions. i think this is unfortunate, or even a pain in the ass, since some of them are curious tools and it makes things difficult when you want to reopen a project file that used the plugins from prior Cubase versions!!

But yes, lots of Sonar plugs look like they are culled from a multitude of sources... because they are! Everything should get a GUI refit!! i like the aesthetic variety in Sonar on one hand (not including the Win3.1 looking stuff!!), but i DO like the feeling of unification in Cubase! Just remember how ugly those first few years of Steinberg VST plugins were!!

Ironically, one of the ugliest things Cakewalk DID remove from Sonar was also one of the most USEFUL MIDI tech tools: Cakewalk StudioWare Panel creation/editing!! With FL Studio adding SynthMaker to its core, with lots of panels for hardware, and lots of new apps and VST plugins coming out designed to integrate external hardware, i would hope that Cakewalk sees the value in resurrecting StudioWare as a full editing environment in Sonar!! i've asked for it in the surveys, but so far nothing. All you can do is use already developed panels, and the editing environment was ripped out between Sonar 2 and 3 (i have Sonar 2 installed along side, just to edit StudioWare and it really is ugly and needs updating).

About Cubase...
Cubase 4 left me with a terrible first impression. The setup of audio... the splitting of similar settings into vastly different areas of the program... the very terminology... Like Headquest said... i feel the same. i don't think it's acceptable, especially after all these years. i also think the menus are, in general, very cluttered and there are a lot of items that can and should be combined into one area (like ALL preferences should be accessed from "Preferences..." including driver/audio/VST setup).

Now for audio glitching... i have Sonar 8 Producer. i've used three types of audio driver on two types of pro audio hardware. (ASIO still shows the best results, despite Vista SP1 and support for its new audio driver model)

Are there glitches and drop outs and engine stops in Sonar? Yes. All the time? No. Sometimes seem mysterious and need system restarts to cure (for a while)? Yeah. It's true.

i have Cubase 4.5.x. Are there glitches and drop outs? YES. Engine stops? No. i almost think engine stops would be preferred because i would know for sure that something i heard was intentional or accidental.

One thing i found was that just MOVING windows around on screen (on Vista, with Aero enabled) caused massive audio glitching.

i have since abandoned Aero on all my Vista machines because it does NOT take advantage of the GPU to save CPU. i have a laptop with a meager NVIDIA 7500 Go chipset and a studio machine with a NVIDIA 8800GTX and in neither case do i see ANY truth to the claim that Aero using the GPU frees up the CPU. It just sucks (CPU).

This might be shared IRQs between audio device and graphics device (anyone??), but i've only two slots to stick the NVIDIA card in my studio machine and NO config change options on the laptop! So it's academic.

Regardless of the cause, Aero is a system hog (memory, too, it's ridiculous) and is clearly an "add-on" process, running on top of existing window management, and it's clearly something that the system runs much smoother without (though less attractive without it). Themes are ok without glitching, but where's the choice other than Luna or Silver??? i leave the WinXP/Vista Luna look enabled so i can have the pretty task bar

- i have a MacBook Pro, also, and i think that the GUI and system performance is much more balanced there since it's been there for about three major revisions of the OS now. Vista... bleh. Aero is pretty but it just feels like running a third party add-on like WindowBlinds: a waste of resources and rather unreliable (i had my video driver crash and restart repeatedly for no known reason with Aero running on the studio machine - driver updates might have cured it, but the performance HIT is not worth the pretty).

Anyway, point is Cubase glitches, too. Just differently.

Sonar and Cubase: intuitiveness...

Can someone discuss where they feel this is lacking in Sonar? i find the window management in Cubase to be VERY frustrating. It repeatedly takes me effort to remember how to open the GUI of my VST plugins AND it drives me nuts that they do not stay on top of the project window without making a change from the default settings (and having to KNOW to change that default setting!!). Sonar has an optional tabbing interface to help with multiple window sets, but i don't feel the compulsion to use it. VST GUIs stay on top where i want them and opening them is as easy as doubleclicking on the plugin in the slot and all editor windows are listed in the Views menu.

Maybe if i understood the reasons you folks who are not happy with Sonar, it might help me become more comfortable with Cubase. i own it and have the printed manual, so i ought to learn to use it. It IS pretty. But i find that the "human interface design" concepts get lost under "surface gloss." Meaning... not intuitive to me. The MediaBay(?) sucked lots of ass on version 4.0.x, but they did improve the GUI behavior since the .5 update (sigh, including 64-bit "preview" support, thank goodness for that update... but it was followed so quickly with a proper 64-bit version 5 that i feel like i was rushed through a short lifespan of version 4 and don't see compelling reasons to upgrade to version 5, especially on my fixed income!!).

i blabbed enough. you might be amused to know that i bought an Atari STE, which came with 2 Steinberg products (i never knew dongles came in joystick socket style!). i am looking forward to repairing my Atari's hard drive (screwed it up in an upgrade attempt) and getting those Steinberg apps installed and in use. i have a budding retro computing studio in the bedroom to throw nostalgia and arcane tech into the mix (my third floor has the studio proper)... Tandy 1000 TL/2, Tandy 2500, Atari STE, Apple IIgs, Amiga 1200, C64... and i hope to make this all functional and *fun* at some point. Knowing i have a MIDI workhorse like the Atari (built-in MIDI ports!!) is nice, especially since i have "Cubeat" and "Steinberg" on hand (as they are called at that point in history).

cheers!

-jace

p.s.: before i lost my job, when i had income, i decided to try all the major DAW products and see if they could all be different pluses to my audio work. so i have Cubase 4.5, Sonar 8 Producer, Live 7, Tracktion 2.2, FL Studio 8.5, Logic Studio (on my Mac)... a billion VSTs... and now i have too many tools that i don't use much at all (though i am most comfortable with Sonar for projects and Tracktion/FL Studio for quickly and easily auditioning the gigabytes of VST plugins i've downloaded per KVR and such...). The more tools you have, the less real productivity you have!!

creativemusicians · Post by **creativemusicians** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:54 am

It is was interesting process of searching for proper DAW. I was using Cubase for over 10 years, and just out of curiocity tryed different DAWs from time to time. May be there is something better or faster

And I think it is time to give up. My last attempt to switch to PT has failed . After reinstaling my whole system (XP SP3, Intel Quad 4, 2.6GHz, 2Gb RAM,2x150Gb 7200 Hd PATA, 260Gb external IEEE 1394, M-audio Delta 1010, Digi 002) began to lay some 4 tracks in PT8 the system couldn't perform without glitches. PT didn't like the speed of the drive or performance of the processors. Even after adjusting buffer size to the max the playback was stopping after 2 bars giving messages about unsufficient resourses of the system. I had two channels with Fab Filter Twin2, BFD 1.5, project was in 24bit 96k. And after I recorded simple audio Bass line the whole thing started. Than I openned my old SX3, transfered whole project there and never had a problemm again.
It is like an age old question: PC or MAC? Same as PT or the rest of the world.I think I know where I am now

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:39 am

That's interesting, because I was close to going for PT8 when it was first announced.

But something about Cubase is just *right* and it is for the most part a pleasure to use. Two weeks in, and still very happy

Alfalfa · Post by **Alfalfa** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:07 pm

creativemusicians,

Interesting experience you've had. When PT8 was announced, I thought I'd get it without even waiting to see what Steinberg cooked up. Then I started reading about problems people were having. Then Cubase 5 was announced with a nice new set of features. I looked at my system, it was working, and I decided if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and stuck with Cubase.

Cubase 5: Why I switched (headquest)