An Update - Cubase 14 Is Virtually Unusable

Cubase
1

Hi,

Two days ago I posted the post I have attached at the end. There were some helpful responses - after which I decided to pause my frustration and criticism and check through my system. I have spent the past two days updating everything and still fine my workflow interrupted by constant and random crashes. Approx 8 already today and I have been attempting to work for about 2-3 hours. I will post crash log -

So far today I have had two crashes when attempting to disable tracks. Two crashed when attempting to open Analog Labs (all up-to-date) and at least one when attempting to insert a send plugin. All very standard tasks.

Believe my, returning to Cubase a few years ago from decades of Pro Tools use was like the scene in Wizard of Oz when it goes from sepia to colour. I have had nothing but good things to say about my experience with both Cubase and Steinberg support, but I have never has a DAW crash so much trouble with a DAW as with Cubase 14.

I am an experienced composer and producer, but I am not hugely into computer tech outside that so I would love nothing more than someone to be able to say “Change this” or “Update that” to fix this problem but I am out of ideas - not that any update/upgrade should ever present such challenges.

Thank you in advance for your help and advice.

I will post crash logs. If the format is wrong please let me know.

Regards,

JJ

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Here are the last 2 Crash Logs - 1 initiating Analog Labs instrument tracks and 1 inserting send effects. All within two hours - including taking a lunch break.

Thank you.
Cubase 14-2025-01-30-135250.ips (248.2 KB)
Cubase 14-2025-01-30-143212.ips (204.4 KB)

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For Context - Here was my original post from Tuesday before I deleted it and decided to review my system. Post review I am still in the same position -

I am a professional composer who works with DAWs everyday. I set this out because I have tried and experimented with find answers or the root of the problem and there appears to be none.

Cubase 14 simply crashes as random and this can be 20-30 times in a working day. The number is only kept this low because as a user I avoid repeating the actions that caused a previous crash, even though they should be simple and available actions.

Cubase 14 crashes when you disable some tracks, but will happily disable others - I have tried this with blank audio tracks with not plugins and you get a random response.

Cubase 14 crashes sometimes when you scroll.

Cubase 14 will crashes sometimes when you delete or create a track.

Cubase 14 will crash during auto-save, even though I have disabled auto-save it re-engages after certain crashes.

Cubase 14 quantize snap grid keeps randomly defaulting to shuffle.

After being a Pro Tools user for 3 decades I went back to Cubase about 6 years ago and have always been a huge flag waver for it as a DAW.

The most frustrating think about this that all of these problems have been reported in previous releases but resolved, then a new program arrives with most of the same bugs. It’s a cycle and the failure to address this by Steinberg is frustrating.

I did not upgrade from 12 to 13 until fairly recently and the trade off for new features in 13 over possible bugs at the outset was not worth it IMO. I upgraded to 14 in December, during a break from work, as 14 offered a lot of appealing features but I regret it MASSIVELY. We are now a quarter of a year into the release of 14 and the cycle of Cubase updates and using this program is one of the most anxiety inducing experiences ever. It is like trying to be creative and productive whilst tip-toeing through a minefield.

The lack of response to this multitude of bugs by Steinberg is shocking, especially from a company I had always previously stated was very pro-active in supporting customer issues. All the above issues are mentioned by other in forum posts with no answer. Mostly it’s users trying to help other users and the understandable focus of the conversation is examining crash report and looking for consistent trigger. The are none. I have tried to recreate crashes and failed and had other actions that crash in isolation. Cubase 14 is currently a deeply unstable and unreliable platform.

Then why do I bother creating another post? Because I am deeply frustrated on a day where I am under pressure and I am dealing with my fourth crash of the day , when performing simple tasks that Cubase 12 carried out with stability.

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Just an update - At bit of a loss I decided the DAW “fix all” of trashing preferences and it seems to have started to behave and those crashes that I could trigger to repeat have gone - for now - fingers crossed.

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Hi JJ I suggest you state your setup details, hardware and software, to gauge a bit if it is similar to other people’s issues.
I had some crashes in recent weeks but pretty much all gone now ~ I wiped clean Waves (including ProgData and Users Waves plugins folders, ask me if you need details) and that same process fixed it for Arturia Analog Labs too. My post is here for reference:

Keep at it and once it is smooth you will love it, and remember to come back here help some others too :wink:

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…is the first step! (After backing up, of course!)

My “go to” is to reinstall everything - I wipe the C: drive and start from scratch. I can install it all in about 10 hours (Windows, drivers, Cubase, vst plugins, Painter, Rebelle, VEGAS, PaintShopPro, Visual Studio, and a bunch of accessories (Vivaldi, 7zip, etc. I have most of the installers on a separate partition.).
Then I set up as I go.
Contrast this with spending days, if not weeks of frustration.
But I’m retired and have plenty of time…

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Thank you. I am hoping this may have been the final step - and following you advice I will sweep through other pref and prog data.

I cannot explain how much a working Cubase is part of my whole creative process and it may be back.

I will absolutely be back to share experience. I have read this forum for years and usually find an answer without have to post.

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Hi,

Unfortunately both of the crashes were in Cubase.

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You’re absolutely spot on. It was my first step… but I think it my case (hopefully) it seems like it also needed to be the the last. I think the problem ultimately comes down to the fact that usually I never update until I have a free calendar but mid-December a project forced me too and had no break, so I think there were things I could have cleaned, reinstalled and updated. For instance I realised that my OSX had fallen one behind the published supported.

I spent the last two days sorting that, and reinstalling, and as I was sat here I considered that preferences may still be holding some corruption (or whatever the appropriate term is) and returned to the beginning. In the overwhelm I forgot basics for a moment.

Thank you again for your help.

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I do complete clean reinstalls of everything on new, larger ssd drives every 18mos or so. Relegating old zapped drives to extra storage.

In the case of the op…if I were experiencing crashing gremlins (which I never do but is irrelevant :slight_smile: ), I’d do a clean install of Win11, let that settle & update itself…
then install Cubendo ONLY.

Then test…as a test for a few days.

Before installing the rest of the zillions of terabytes of other stuff.

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JJ, the thing is this: Steinberg is a trash company. They will hem and haw about caring, but when it comes to actually doing something about it, they cannot. They are incompetent.

This has been my honest experience. I just bought a $6000 MacBook Pro M4 Max and the situation is no better: still crashes, still unreliable as poopies, still overloads the VST meter when it very, very likely should not.

There is no safe haven with this company.

It kills me, too, because Cubase is very, very powerful, very feature-packed, so switching to Ableton has been exceptionally hard for me: I keep missing various features.

But it’s like I have to do it, like I really have no choice at this point, because if I don’t, I will be endlessly fighting with this PoS software that simply does not work right and very likely will not ever.

YMMV, but that’s my take after putting up with YEARS of this crap. Many, many years. The situation really just is not improving if you track at 24/96 and hope to have a reasonable latency for your audio interface (I use RME).

I just can’t take it anymore and I will be moving on this year to save what’s left of my sanity. I have to.

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Sadly I cannot disagree.

Two weeks on - delaying work in the hope of a fix - complete system rebuild and reinstall and still at least a crash every half an hour. I am incredibly disappointed.

I understand the concept that as users we may miss deep computer settings we should have changed or updated, but equally I don’t think anyone should have to be an IT specialist to be able to use an update to a program they have used for years.

All over the internet are report in the last few months of crashes and people asking for help. Steinberg has a report feature but clearly is it ignored because we have not see any updates or fixes in months.

Cubase still randomly crashes when disabling tracks, inserting a plugin in you may have just inserted without a crash and crashes when activating send. It’s one of the most anxiety inducing user experiences you could imagine. Fortunately I do not work client facing at the moment or else I would probably die of embarrassment as half a session was dedicated to restarting Cubase.

The most disappointing aspect is that I had a functioning and streamlined system using a combination of a UR816c and Line 6 Helix - believing same manufacturer integration was a good thing. Now any time the Helix is activated (or deactivated in older sessions) BOOM, there goes another crash.

My partner is pushing for us to return to Pro Tools and whilst I hate the subscription model I am very close to deciding it is the only option. The lack. of response to so many similar issues by Steinberg has really damaged my belief in a company I respected deeply.

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Very, very well said. I’m in complete agreement and have little to add.

The Pavlovian response I have to even opening Cubase is actually psychological pain. It’s infecting the rest of my life, and I have come to deeply resent the incompetents at Steinberg who are doing nothing to remedy this situation: just adding new features to the pipeline manically.

German Engineering, my as$!

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You’re absolutely right and it may seem ridiculous to some but the impact is big.

I am an incredibly motivated worker, I work to tight deadlines and always hit them. No matter how much it may seem impossible or the stress I might feel if I looked at the magnitude of the task I keep going and back myself to get it done.

I had two days to finish a track last week. Normally, with what I had I would feel comfortable that I could get it done and be satisfied I had covered everything, including rendering every element to future proof the session. On day one (Monday) I had so many crashes I managed approximately 2 hours work, stop/start and got done what would normally take me half an hour in the whole day. On day two I stupidly thought I might try and solve the issue and avoid working in a DAW mine field. The rabbit hole of unsuccessfully trying to get Cubase to function properly, coupled with more crashes meant I had 2 hours to finish the track, having to present it in just over 3. My wife was worried and upset but really supportive saying she believed if anyone could do it I could. I “finished” the track and presented it, client loved it but I was fried, and incredibly stressed. I also now have to find time to go back and render everything for the future.

I am absolutely burnt out at the minute and Cubase is a large part of it.

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Good luck and remember to take care of your health !
If Pro Tools does not excite you, maybe see if you can do some work say in a free daw like Waveform, for a few weeks until you manage to sort Cubase out?
I would never say Steinberg is a trash company, this is a ridiculous statement. Whilst there may be serious issues, Cubase is an amazing program. And I do believe with some resilience and with technical clarity, it can be fixed.
Otherwise, feel free to move on to another daw. But health first :smiley:

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Why do you keep writing this stuff, this is a forum where friendly people and some Steinberg techs try help people.
Nobody will want to help you if you are negative like this.
I love Cubase and what you write make me wanna spank your angry butt hahaha !
Drop the computer and go do something, go for a run, go hug your wife and kids, also go help someone else, good karma always helps :wink:

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Expressed anger is the only way some things ever change.

You should learn that.

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Only if it is informed, controlled, and with a plan. Yours lack in all aspects.
You should learn that.
You see you’re not the only smart ass in town hahaha :slight_smile:
And I say all this tongue in cheek, I only wish you success, even if I give you a bit of a rough time, which you do need in order to improve your communication and chances.

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Well, it has been: look over my post history if you’re curious about all the suggestions I’ve made over the years, some of them quite detailed and substantive.

Either way, I appreciate the well-wishes. I’m going to try and transition to Ableton as my primary DAW with certain more complex edits still in Cubase. Need to somehow get my musical ambition back, so I think I’m going to channel this frustration into something intense with heaps of distortion.

Maybe my bar for modern music technology is just too high, but I don’t think it is. Features aren’t really useful if the DAW is mostly unusable–which is something that’s plaguing a significant percentage of users, I’d be willing to wager.

I think this is a big part of why Ableton creeps along so slowly: I think they’re really sensitive to issues that may affect actual live performance, as well they should be. Steinberg naturally doesn’t have that worry, but I wish they did. I wish these CPU spikes would be properly handled. Really doesn’t seem like they had any idea how to properly engineer around P-cores & E-cores. I can’t prove that (because there are no proper diagnostic tools available), but I strongly suspect it based on the tools that are available.