Ability To Disable Pre-Enabled EQ? Share Your Opinion!

Cubase
21

​​Yes, I understand you can bypass the plugin (Steinberg EQ), but what I want is the ability to directly remove it, like completely.

I can however remove all Steinberg plugins from Cubase by going into the data folder, but when I remove it, and open a project it states EQ errors on every track. For whatever reason, every track gets saved with EQ data.

What I want with this request is to be able to not have Steinberg’s EQ saves with my project. I do know I wrote that I wanted to be able to disable the EQ, because that will achieve both goals if implemented.

I’m sure that Steinberg developers are fully aware that it’s implemented in this way, so me saying disable, means turn it off by default, which basically means not save with the project.

This is, however, guessing that this EQ behavior is intentional. I could have found a bug, and not know of it.

When you remove the Steinberg plugins on a newly created track, Cubase will state that the EQ is missing. It will continue to load the project showing it’s not necessary to function, but the fact remains that the EQ saves with the project, even with no settings adjusted. That’s what I’m really trying to get changed.

If I get the ability to disable the EQ, I basically get the ability to remove all Steinberg plugins from the data folder with no worry of an error (small edit here).

22

​Thanks for that.

After my issues with the EQ always on (before I knew of Q-Link) I deleted my project (converted from Pro Tools) and remade it. The first track I went through and disabled everything I could, just so everyone created after was a copy. I even saved the state as default as well.

Thanks again though for sharing.

23

​Hello,

N​ope, I’m asking to be able to disable the EQ so it doesn’t save the project.

Currently if create a new project with 1 audio track (example), save, quit. Go into the Cubase data folder and move the VST3 folder, and open that saved session, you should see an error stating EQ is missing.

The EQ for whatever reason saves with the project no matter the setting.

If I can get the ability to disable the EQ from a setting, I can remove the data plugins that come pre-installed without fear I will save with an error.

That’s basically the whole point. It might seem like I only want some small EQ disabled, but there’s a bigger picture.

I don’t plan on using Steinberg’s plugins, but I can’t safely remove them and save them if I get an error, as that could cause the project to be corrupted.

24

If you did it would be effectively the exact same thing as just hiding it.

Scenario 1: You are able to “directly remove it”. Result - you don’t see it.
Scenario 2: You are only able to hide it. Result - you don’t see it.

What’s the difference?

I think it is a reasonable guess that the reason for the error is that the EQ is effectively acting as a permanent insert, except you do not have the option of not having it instantiated.

Therefore when you throw away the plugin in the finder/explorer Cubase is still trying to load it because it is still instantiated. Exactly as if you had instantiated a third-party plugin yourself and then deleted the software.

So it’s not so much the EQ settings that are being saved with your project as it is the default inserts in the channel strip.

Another guess of mine is that this will never ever change. Why? Because surely that’s going to be relatively big surgery by the programmers, and there are far, far bigger things to deal with.

Why would you do this though?

In all my years of experience working as an engineer (25 years now) and having managed a few computers in a studio the one thing I’ve learned is that if a software comes with stuff installed it’s generally best practice to leave that installed, because we never know exactly what dependencies lurk inside the code.

Even with operating systems it’s not a good idea to go nuking apps and processes without knowing exactly what they do and other items depend on them.

From a more practical user standpoint the other thing is (again) what difference it makes. Sure, loading up a bunch of plugins takes time, I get that. I’m not sure that the included plugins that are in the channel strip add that much though. I’m guessing not that much.

1 Like
25

Well, it sounds like you’re asking to remove it, not disable it. Logically, you can’t “disable” something if it doesn’t exist in the first place. I understand what end result you’re trying to get to, and the reason you’re getting so many different replies is that you continue to use the word “disable.”

Cubase tracks have a default channel strip. That default channel strip actually has several effects built-into it, not just EQ. They have gate, compression, saturation, limiters, etc. These are ALL disabled by default.

These effects are provided by way of built-in VSTs. The built-in VSTs , being part of the default channel-strip, are saved with the track configuration in the project file.

The words you’re using are saying (to me, anyway) that you want to just uninstall the built-in VSTs that are saved as part of the track’s channels strip, or at least the EQ. Since you haven’t talked about the other VSTs that are also built in, I’m confused why you think those are OK (or you just didn’t know they were there). Regardless, since you manually forced the deletion of the built-in VST, the project gives you an error when it tries to load. So you want the default channel-strip uninstalled along with the VSTs, and you want the track to stop referencing them.

You’ve already put in the feature request. I have an opinion about what will be done with that request, but my opinion doesn’t matter. As you wait for this feature request to be processed, my advice to you is to just leave the default VSTs alone, as they are DISABLED by default. They have no effect on your audio or project. Just to be clear, what you originally said was “On a personal opinion, EQ’s should never be enabled by default.” They’re not.

You then said “but I do know it starts to phase shift quite quickly for something disabled once you start adding nodes.” That’s because it’s what I said about - you add the node, and that ENABLES the EQ. It’s not “phase shifting something that is disabled.” You enabled it, and it’s doing what you asked. Don’t enable it, and you won’t have to worry about asking it to be disabled by default. Because it already is.

But you do you. If you choose to delete the VSTs, your project will complain. The “solution” as you wait for Cubase to alter their entire track configuration so that you can disable something that is already disabled it to just “not do anything in the first place” and you’re good to go.

Good luck out there!

26

100%, never ever :slight_smile:

27

@PWNAO Hi! Are you thinking that the EQ is acting like an All-Pass Filter causing the signal to be out of phase? As far as the channel strip, I think it is awesome to have easy access to an EQ and also several mainly dynamic effects. We get this for “free” on every channel. Most systems I have used have EQs as standards on the channels. EQs are my best friend as far as mixing/mastering :slightly_smiling_face:. I’ve accidentally clicked on the gains before, but I’ve had to learn not to do that :rofl:. The EQs are nice and useful, but you are free to use any other EQ that you may choose. I respect your thoughts and opinions. I am neither for nor against anything. :slightly_smiling_face:

28

Hello (ello ello) do you hear me. haha

I’m more surprised at how many people say this is a small (not happening) request, yet seem to really like to post on the subject (I did post to Reddit, and it’s up to 806 views, so might have caused the extra publicity)…

I look at the ability not to disable something (that I can already do it myself by deleting the folder) while people say it wouldn’t be added, directly odd.

If something like this (simple unbiased request) can’t be removed, what does anyone coming into the Cubase ecosystem have at suggesting truly remarkable ideas? Like something wild, like (what for it) video wallpapers, BAM! (I’d tell that person to run before 100 forum ninjas attack). Don’t judge me.

Jason Joshua once said something along the lines, “If you’re in the room, and no one is taking your ideas seriously, why are you still in the room?” Just leave the room, like seriously. The point is, if no one is listening, leave and find the environment that will listen.

If this is the welcome I received from something as simple (and unbiased) as being able to disable an EQ, I can just imagine someone asking for something really creative. A court hearing, tried as a witch?

Sometimes software needs to go back, to go forward.

​​I do, however, thank you for your posts. You still took the time to post. Thanks. Also, not to overlook your comment. Yes, I know it would also remove the over plugins. You must have overlooked it in my last comment for you. Near the bottom.

I mainly wanted the EQ as it’s the only one that gives errors when you remove the plugins from the data folder.

29

Hello,

Nope, I just wanted the ability to disable it, so I can end up removing the included Steinberg plugins without errors. It might sound confusing, but to be as short as possible, it’s more or less a personal grip.

Also, I don’t know your level of expertise, but EQ can cause a ton of issues you might not know you’re adding. I would strongly suggest looking up the subject. I’m not trying to scare you out of using EQ as the only thing that matters is how the end results sound, but just trying to help.

I thank you for your comment.

30

You did ask for people to share opinions and that is what is happening. I can’t see the change ever happening but you never know.

1 Like
32

​Hello,

Why yes, why do you think I don’t want opinions? I’m new to Cubase, but I have a ton of DAWs. I’m not a brand loyalist (like someone biased about a brand). I try to soak up information and see if I like and/ or dislike anything about it.

So for one example, I remember when I did some trailer music inside of Studio One, but Presonus kept updating (I know, never updating during a session, my fault) to where it would break my focus, I took to the forums.

Up to that point I never used the forums myself, as I didn’t have issues. After about 15 minutes I noticed very quickly that there were tons of biased people that only wanted to talk about how good Studio One was. Any discussions about what someone didn’t like, met with instance attacks.

Now, Presonus doesn’t have a forum and is owned/ co-owned by Fender. People in a majority can lose focus on what really matters.

So understand, when I say I don’t like something I truly don’t like it, but that doesn’t mean I won’t listen to arguments about someone else’s point of view on the subject.

In no way am I upset, and/ or trying to be mean. I welcome all open and/ or productive discourse. I’m the same in music. I would rather hear someone play music though, than to listen to them speak HAHA.

I never really liked forums after my really bad experience with Presonus. Before I posted here I did a few things.

I disabled mostly every setting I could on here. Second I used an ad-blocker to remove everything else, like likes and what not. I’m not here to play the forums for social likes to boost my ability to agree with the majority.

I’m truly only here to see if I can get a feature request from Steinberg/ Yamaha to better help me get a more personalized workflow. ​While I do say I try to be unbiased as I can, I am still human. Things can slip when I write them.

33

My opinion: there are a lot of issues with Cubase, this isn’t one of them. You can hide the EQ from the mixer, you can easily bypass all of them via QLink, or bypass them in your template. Done, nothing there anymore, nothing in the signal chain.
If you are really annoyed by a DAW providing a default channel EQ, then this DAW perhaps isn’t for you. I share the opinion of others here that the probability of the channel EQ being completely removed is zero.
I would also advise against removing anything from the Steinberg installation folders.

1 Like
34

Hello, Nice to meet you.

Why it’s true I don’t like any of the stock plugins, I am however still working on music (I never stop). My main DAW isn’t Cubase, but Pro Tools (mixing) and Bitwig (for everything else).

Also, I’ve now gone and made sure they were all disabled and then hid them. One thing I can’t tell if possible. If I open the leftmost window, there is an EQ screen at the top. Anyway to remove that?

Like, if I disable the EQ, I still see it.

35

The EQ is the only part that is enabled by default. But if no bands are enabled, it doesn’t alter the sound. Bring it out of sight, as @MattiasNYC already suggested, and there is no problem.
And you can bypass it in the channel strip and save that as the default EQ preset.

All other discussions are esoteric bla bla.

The error could be a hint to something. These plugins are used on different places, not only the channel strip.

So why do you need to change the standard behaviour of Cubase? Just to have a silly discussion?

2 Likes
36

To be pedantic, only the “pre” is actually “enabled” by default. The instantiated EQ instance is “active” but since no bands are enabled, the “EQ” itself is disabled. Maybe a semantic distinction, but since “Equalization of the signal is disabled by default” I think saying “only the EQ part is enabled” may be logically confusing. At the end of the day, saying “The channel-strip EQ is disabled by default” is an accurate statement both technically and logically.

At this point, it certainly seems a bit “trollish” given the other responses, but I think you’re spot on here.

37

Normally, that would be my part… but you got it.

1 Like
38

Right click in empty space an choose the highlighted part:

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image268×780 13.5 KB

Then you’ll see this:

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image305×881 22.4 KB

1 Like
39

Thanks!