Weird problem with Cubase 12

[keyman_sam]

Midi input won’t play the active instrument live but only play if recorded. Basically I can’t hear any midi instrument live. Any ideas? I haven’t opened Cuba’s in a really long time.

[Trancit]

Midi input won’t play the active instrument live but only play if recorded. Basically I can’t hear any midi instrument live. Any ideas? I haven’t opened Cuba’s in a really long time.

Sounds to me as if you wouldn´t have activated the monitor button on that track...

[keyman_sam]

Midi input won’t play the active instrument live but only play if recorded. Basically I can’t hear any midi instrument live. Any ideas? I haven’t opened Cuba’s in a really long time.

Sounds to me as if you wouldn´t have activated the monitor button on that track...

I have activated it, there’s no sound though. I’ve been using Cubase since 7.5 and this is the first time I’m running into this issue.

[keyman_sam]

Ok I found it, thanks to ChatGPT. Settings->Midi->Midi thru active was set to 'Off' (no idea why).

Now midi monitoring is working, phew. The only other problem now is there's an infinitesimal delay right after I hit the space bar before audio playback starts. This wasn't there in C7.5.

[Trancit]

Glad you found it!

[PAK]

The only other problem now is there's an infinitesimal delay right after I hit the space bar before audio playback starts. This wasn't there in C7.5.

That might be from higher ASIO guard settings (it pre-buffers). So check your ASIO Guard / disk preload settings. Could be anything from that to not enough ram in the computer and everything in between (audio device latency, storage latency etc)

[keyman_sam]

The only other problem now is there's an infinitesimal delay right after I hit the space bar before audio playback starts. This wasn't there in C7.5.

That might be from higher ASIO guard settings (it pre-buffers). So check your ASIO Guard / disk preload settings. Could be anything from that to not enough ram in the computer and everything in between (audio device latency, storage latency etc)

Spot on. I think it's the ASIO guard. After disabling, the latency between spacebar and playing has reduced significantly, but it's still not as snappy as logic or live or reaper.

Can't complain, it's close enough. Just that I don't think I had this issue on the PC? Or maybe I didn't notice it then.

[PAK]

Spot on. I think it's the ASIO guard. After disabling, the latency between spacebar and playing has reduced significantly, but it's still not as snappy as logic or live or reaper.

Can't complain, it's close enough. Just that I don't think I had this issue on the PC? Or maybe I didn't notice it then.

Dunno. Using an AS Mac here (Sonoma with Cubase 13), and the delay's about a quarter of a second using the middle "normal" ASIO Guard setting from a Bluetooth keyboard. Setting AG to lowest seems to shave about a third off the time (roughly). I actually thought it was quicker to respond until you mentioned it

[keyman_sam]

Spot on. I think it's the ASIO guard. After disabling, the latency between spacebar and playing has reduced significantly, but it's still not as snappy as logic or live or reaper.

Can't complain, it's close enough. Just that I don't think I had this issue on the PC? Or maybe I didn't notice it then.

Dunno. Using an AS Mac here (Sonoma with Cubase 13), and the delay's about a quarter of a second using the middle "normal" ASIO Guard setting from a Bluetooth keyboard. Setting AG to lowest seems to shave about a third off the time (roughly). I actually thought it was quicker to respond until you mentioned it

Yeah even with AG fully disabled the delay is quite annoying, especially when you immediately switch over from Logic.

Believe it or not, I actually bought Cubase 12 Pro thinking I'll switch from Logic last year but once I ran into this issue, I just went back to Logic. I'm now using Cubase a year after I actually upgraded it due to (almost) a necessity.

And my pet peeves about Cubase are coming back (no way to monitor and record at the same time). It's funny how temporarily switching DAWs gives you perspective on the things you take for granted.

[_leras]

And my pet peeves about Cubase are coming back (no way to monitor and record at the same time).

This has to be user error... or you're not describing the problem precisely.

You can definitely hear what you are recording in cubase. Depending on your sound card you can even monitor directly from the sound card without our going to cubase to avoid any latency.

[keyman_sam]

And my pet peeves about Cubase are coming back (no way to monitor and record at the same time).

This has to be user error... or you're not describing the problem precisely.

You can definitely hear what you are recording in cubase. Depending on your sound card you can even monitor directly from the sound card without our going to cubase to avoid any latency.

What I mean is on the same track you can't have monitoring on and record a part. When you play the part, it'll be muted until you turn off monitoring. The monitoring behavior is not like, say, Logic, where you can hear what you're recording and record at the same on the same track, and play it back while monitoring is still on. And yeah, I've tried all monitoring modes for this.

The workaround is to have a separate monitoring track and separate recording track. Just that the recording track can have different fx which means the monitoring track has to match it.

[lfm]

What I mean is on the same track you can't have monitoring on and record a part. When you play the part, it'll be muted until you turn off monitoring. The monitoring behavior is not like, say, Logic, where you can hear what you're recording and record at the same on the same track, and play it back while monitoring is still on. And yeah, I've tried all monitoring modes for this.

The workaround is to have a separate monitoring track and separate recording track. Just that the recording track can have different fx which means the monitoring track has to match it.

There is something called "tape style monitoring" or similar name.

When there is something on the track to play back, monitoring is muted, as I remember it.

See to that monitoring style is manual, then your own setting will work better I think.

Then there are various "automatic arm selected track" and these kind of options, whether the active track is armed or monitored etc.

It's just confusing, and usually turn off all "automatic" anything.

Some daws have even more options, to always mute playback on the track monitored etc.

[_leras]

What I mean is on the same track you can't have monitoring on and record a part. When you play the part, it'll be muted until you turn off monitoring. The monitoring behavior is not like, say, Logic, where you can hear what you're recording and record at the same on the same track, and play it back while monitoring is still on. And yeah, I've tried all monitoring modes for this.

The workaround is to have a separate monitoring track and separate recording track. Just that the recording track can have different fx which means the monitoring track has to match it.

I'm sure you just need to dig a bit deeper in the settings.

iirc you can even play a part and have it switch to record between the markers.

Perhaps you can reset your cubase pretences. That sometimes helps.

[keyman_sam]

What I mean is on the same track you can't have monitoring on and record a part. When you play the part, it'll be muted until you turn off monitoring. The monitoring behavior is not like, say, Logic, where you can hear what you're recording and record at the same on the same track, and play it back while monitoring is still on. And yeah, I've tried all monitoring modes for this.

The workaround is to have a separate monitoring track and separate recording track. Just that the recording track can have different fx which means the monitoring track has to match it.

There is something called "tape style monitoring" or similar name.

When there is something on the track to play back, monitoring is muted, as I remember it.

See to that monitoring style is manual, then your own setting will work better I think.

Then there are various "automatic arm selected track" and these kind of options, whether the active track is armed or monitored etc.

It's just confusing, and usually turn off all "automatic" anything.

Some daws have even more options, to always mute playback on the track monitored etc.

Correct, but none of them do what Logic/Live does, which is simply being able to monitor regardless of what's playing or not playing on a track. And hence the workaround.

I don't have a big issue with it, just that these familiar gripes and workarounds are coming back to memory.

[keyman_sam]

What I mean is on the same track you can't have monitoring on and record a part. When you play the part, it'll be muted until you turn off monitoring. The monitoring behavior is not like, say, Logic, where you can hear what you're recording and record at the same on the same track, and play it back while monitoring is still on. And yeah, I've tried all monitoring modes for this.

The workaround is to have a separate monitoring track and separate recording track. Just that the recording track can have different fx which means the monitoring track has to match it.

I'm sure you just need to dig a bit deeper in the settings.

iirc you can even play a part and have it switch to record between the markers.

Perhaps you can reset your cubase pretences. That sometimes helps.

Nah, I've played with all the monitoring settings. Others have confirmed online that C12 doesn't have support for this yet (Logic/reaper/live has). What you're talking about is auto punch-in for recording which is a different feature. I remember this initially stumped me when I switched from Reaper where I was initially in disbelief. After a few years of using Cubase I've become accustomed to its various nitpicks. I'm digging getting back to it after a long break.