Things I hate about... - Cubase 7

[JorgV]

.... I have one severe issue with the "always on top" feature. Because it doesn't work! That means, it does work - if it's "Cubase bundled" stuff (the E button, the console itself), but not with third party plugins, or plugins in general.

With earlier Cubase versions, I could always have a VU or other metering tool on top of my mixing console. Or have several plugins "on top" of the mixing console to mix, change send levels but still have an eye on both compressor and other used plugins. Not anymore. Press on the console, or somewhere else on Cubase and boom - your "always on top" plugins are gone "behind" the fullscreen mixer.

Very clever!

Unless I'm not understanding you correctly, you can actually do this:
-Right click on an empy spot in the mixer, and make sure no option is selected (always on top/fullscreen), so the mixer is a floating window.
-Maximize the mixer.
-Now you can stack whatever you want on top (if you have the plugin windows "always on top" in preferences), and you can still access the mixer.

Actually, when writing this, I noticed the "maximize" thing is now linked for the mixer and the project window. So you can switch between the project window and mixer without the windows resizing.

[SJ_Digriz]

Unless I'm not understanding you correctly, you can actually do this:
-Right click on an empy spot in the mixer, and make sure no option is selected (always on top/fullscreen), so the mixer is a floating window.
-Maximize the mixer.
-Now you can stack whatever you want on top (if you have the plugin windows "always on top" in preferences), and you can still access the mixer.

Actually, when writing this, I noticed the "maximize" thing is now linked for the mixer and the project window. So you can switch between the project window and mixer without the windows resizing.

None of that works on multi-monitor setup as far as I can tell. When mixer is "always on top" it loses focus and covers all but the currently selected UI.

[JorgV]

not trolling, just interested: what are you trying to do then, exactly? I have a 2-monitor setup, but I use one monitor switching between mixer/project, and one with plugins I would like to keep an eye on (eg ozone on masterbus).

How is your setup?

[DHR53]

Hmmm... how's it working on OSX I wonder? Usually, performance was better on the PC side.

[SJ_Digriz]

I have a 2-monitor setup, but I use one monitor switching between mixer/project, and one with plugins I would like to keep an eye on (eg ozone on masterbus).

How is your setup?

I keep the project on one and the mixer on the monitor 2. When, working with the plugins, I want them OVER the mixer. Give it a try! Also, your controls for the mixer are lost once you click back to the project window, so it's 1 more click ...

[Compyfox]

No, I perfectly get you point, I just got used to download and don't care anymore.

The box also reports something like "To complete the Cubase installation, an additional 500MB download is required" (lower-right corner of the front... at least my box).

Actually, it is. If you look on the box, to the right of the main logo - but in very small letters. IMO it needs to be adressed with a larger label. Like with the update "this one does NOT come with an eLicenser USB key".

It's also not really mentioned on the Steinberg page if you buy it from there. So yes, being "forced" to be online is a major no-go. the installer could at least have been put on the darn DVD. I mean, this box is shipped with the install DVD, Halion Sonic SE content, and IIRC two additional demo DVDs.

So instead of blowing out a half full DVD-9, why not put everything on there?! What's the deal? Do they want to know how many people actually "use" their host?

Is this to prevent Warez? Sorry but this is just too much hassle for the user. For once, I'm feeling I'm being treated both to be an idiot, and an illegal software user.

Compyfox, it could be worth checking your plug-ins - VST SDK2.3 and older are not supported in C7 and MIGHT not work correctly... crashes on initialising could be an outcome of this.

All plugins I use are mostly VST2.3 and 2.4 technology. Some of them already even VST3 (even though I hate the sorting - but heck, he have a search engine now).

So there should not be any crashes. Then again, with every new host release, developers need to offer bugfixes - or only "confirm" that something's wrong with the host - since everything else is running fine.

Whatever.

Sorry for those who feel bad about 7.

Personally, I don't feel bad.I just feel that I'm treated like a guinea pig once again. This is by far the first non-fleshed out Cubase release I've encountered so far. And when was it released? Early December 2012. So after three months, a lot of issues should have been ironed out, and certain features being improved according to user feedback.

But the only "updates" that were released so far, were maintenance stuff.

YMMV - but I expected... more.

I have a 2-monitor setup, but I use one monitor switching between mixer/project, and one with plugins I would like to keep an eye on (eg ozone on masterbus).

How is your setup?

I keep the project on one and the mixer on the monitor 2. When, working with the plugins, I want them OVER the mixer. Give it a try! Also, your controls for the mixer are lost once you click back to the project window, so it's 1 more click ...

I'm pretty much using the same setup, and I can confirm this behavior.

The left screen is my arranger, the right one is the mixer. All my FX and instruments stuff is usually on the right screen, while everything that has to do with automation, MIDI, etc is on the left.

So this is a major issue for me.

If I'd use a triple screen setup, or quadro screen setup, then screen 1 would be the arranger, screen 2 all FX and instruments, screen 3 the mixer and screen 4 the video stuff.

But... I only have room for a dual-screen system, with tendencies to connect a third LCD for voice over stuff.



Then again, I'd also love to see a CPU usage implementation on the mixer, then maybe a section where I can "pin" my Generic Remotes (so that I don't have floating windows) and a different VSTi rack would be nice. But I can dream.

[asnor]

Program Settings, where Auto Save is located as well. You can toggle the hub on/off there and get back your old usability. Meaning, the old "splash screen".

Thanks!

[Compyfox]

Aaaand... I found two other ones.


Apparently, clicking on the "power button" of the insert plugin, doesn't turn off the plugin. It switches it to "bypass". So in order to TURN OFF the plugin - hold down ALT/Option key, click the "power button" logo - off.

This is stupid IMO, but reminds me of Logic. Only that I click on the plugin wherever I want with the Option key and it's off.

I want my old controls back! Period.



And the second one:
HAve the mixer open and in full screen mode, save your project, reload it. What happens? Mixer is gone. Hit F3 - there it is again.

The hell?!



EDIT:
Make that three!!!

After relaunching the project, and the mixer (see point 2), the "vertical settings" for the racks aren't recalled either.

Why the... stupid.... screen presets... ARG!

[SJ_Digriz]

Make that three!!!

When I got to around 25 stupid things I went back to 6.5. Do you know you have to enable quicklink in order to do a multi-channel change, like solo or mute, on the mixer. Not in the project window which works like it should, just if the mixer has focus. Did I mention Q-Link has no hotkey ... So, you have CLICK Q-Link in order to multi-channel mute or solo ... Pure genius (or the opposite really).

[Compyfox]

Actually, quick link is also declared "quick grouping" - at least to one of the videos by AskVideo - so there is a hotkey with either alt/option or CTRL/command to pull that off temporary. Again, at least to the video I saw - don't have the hotkey at hand.

Actually, vertical zooming is stupid as well with hotkeys. But well, I barely ever used "zoom" with hotkeys so far. But since I am sometimes using Logic as well - I kind of miss that fast paced editing. Never bothered to learn all hotkeys for Cubase.


Then again, this QuickLink thing is not a show stopper for me, but that thing with "bypass vs off" certainly is. Especially CPU/ASIO wise. I was trying to create a mastering template for Cubase yesterday (for HD WAV, since Wavelab is still a b*tch for HD-WAV montages), and this is what I encountered on top of what I already experienced.


I think there is a mail to Steinberg due, ask if there is a FR list already where these issues are addressed. I don't go to the boards anymore to be honest. Though I heard rumors by a fellow KVRian that there is a certain sh*tstorm over on the Borgz page already as well.

But, as long as there is no .0.5 or .1 update, we can moan all we want.

[SJ_Digriz]

Actually the quick group is a different function. And although it has a hotkey, it has a stupid dialog box that pops up that requires you to pick what you want to link with the mouse click click click click click. Which is even worse as far as I'm concerned. Not only that, you can't have a track in more than one group, which renders it useless (I think that was like stupid thing 19).

So, they have it backwards ... for quick groups, which requires multiple clicks for selecting which behaviors you want to link, you get a hotkey to bring it up so that you can click click click afterwords. For QLink, which says you want the highlighted items to be auto-linked for any change you make (like it should just f**king be without a QLink), there is no hotkey, so you have to click to use it. So, again you don't have to click to get to a dialog that requires you then to click, and you have to click to enable a function that is bypassing the need for further mouse clicks. yeah, makes perfect sense.

[Compyfox]

Wasn't it, that you could Alt+Mousedrag for several selected channels in the mixer?

And is the capability still there to ALT+Mouseclick several outputs to one particular channel? If not, then this console is REALLY, really dump sh*t.



Speaking of which...
Anybody hit the borgz board and read what's up there? And how they respond to he customer feedback? I don't want to see another half-butted implementation go to waste until Cubase 8.

[SJ_Digriz]

Wasn't it, that you could Alt+Mousedrag for several selected channels in the mixer?

not anymore. You can highlight all you want, but unless you click the QLink button, any action you take will only happen to a single channel. In the project window it works like it should.

And is the capability still there to ALT+Mouseclick several outputs to one particular channel? If not, then this console is REALLY, really dump sh*t.

Actually, this is still there, but it takes more clicks to do it. However, there are some "auto" channel assignment things that are kind of nice if you don't mind clicking all over the place to use the feature.

Speaking of which...
Anybody hit the borgz board and read what's up there? And how they respond to he customer feedback? I don't want to see another half-butted implementation go to waste until Cubase 8.

Basically it's the same shit as usual. People who actually use the software for mixing are pissed off that C7 is useless for mixing. People who only use it for composition and hardly look at the mixer can't figure out why people don't like the mixer. Then two or three people (same people always) are in the you guys are a bunch of cry baby's ... cubase is perfect and you are all losers.

[SJ_Digriz]

This actually reminds me a lot of the change from VST to SX. The first version of Cubase SX was damn near useless. I think it became useable about SX-3. I've been fairly happy with 4,5 and 6. Each seemed to progress without to many of the magical loss of major features the Borgz seem to love throwing into a release. The C7 mixer is basically a shell to hold some features they hope to eventually get round to. Unfortunately, it is ugly and designed for tablets and touch. None of which is usable for actual editing and mixing. Anyhow, it will probably be a couple of full versions before the mixer is passably usable for real mixing. The Nuendo people are more pissed the the Cubase people. For the obvious reason is that it caters to a more professional group.

[schnapsglas]

I want Cubase. It has everything that I could need. But...

Always with the windows. Windows windows windows.

That is one thing that cannot keep me from thinking: "if only I had a mac... then I could use Logic for this!"