Audio files are there, marker plays but NO audio playback.

Hello,

I looked throughout the internet for a solution for my problem but couldn’t find anything on it… so here goes nothing:

I’m running Cubase 6.02 64 bit on a Windows 7 Professional 64 bit system with a RME Fireface 400 (more details at the bottom of this post), for mixing/mastering I use mainly UAD-2 plugins through the Cubase bridge and some other plugins like the Tone Projects Beatpuncher and the DrMS through the J-Bridge (since the Cubase bridge won’t work on them), and for producing I use VST’s as Omnisphere, Trillian and Massive.

My problem: I start a multi-track, let’s say mixing a band (some guitars, drums, bass, vocals etc)… Everything goes fine, but when I open that same set a day later (or so) everything is there, I press play the marker goes through the song, but I don’t hear any audio… I don’t see audio coming in through my channels in Cubase or my RME interface either. When I load the same audio files from my hard-drive into the set, they play and audio is coming through. Sometimes when I open the same set, but let’s say a save from a couple of days earlier and open the set that wasn’t working before again, the audio miraculously plays again.

This doesn’t happen all the time, sometimes it just does… This morning I had 3 simple audio-tracks loaded with some UAD and again the same problem. I checked my audio-device, switched it with the generic one and back etc… but it doesn’t seem to help (and sometimes even results in crashing). Another note, I had this same problem when running Cubase on 32 bit (with the UAD plugins running ‘natively’).

Here some more specs on my PC:
Processor: Int Core i7-960 3200 1366
Motherboard: Asus Rampage III Extreme X58 WD
HDD: 2x 1,5TB WD1502FYPS (Raid 0 Config.)
RAM: Corsair Dominator 12GB DDR3-1600
Case: Cooler Master COSMOS Pure Black
Power-supply: Cooler Master 1000W Silent Pro Gold
Video: Sapphire 1GB HD5770
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64b

NOTE 1: I installed Cubase on my system-C Drive, I run my projects/audio-files etc from my D-drive.

NOTE 2: I haven’t done any tweaking to Windows, just turned down my Screensaver, Sounds, Hibernation, User Account Control… The very very basics.



I really really hope some of you can help me out, it’s getting frustrating to open a set I’m working and getting anxious everytime if the audio-files I see will play at all…

Thanks A LOT in advance!

Kindest regards,
Jørgen

I have seen this behaviour (no audio - may crash on driver change) mostly because of a specific problem plug-in.

Rename your vstplugins folder(s) & see if the same project loads & audio plays.

Thank you for your reply!

A question though: do you mean give with another name, rename “VST Plugins” to VSTplugins"? And then just startup Cubase again and update the Plugin Information?

Thanks!

Both names you used are the same??..Just add XX so it says “vstpluginsXX”

Then start Cubase & open the project…don’t need to update plug-in info as this is done during every Cubase boot.

If this runs you can close Cubase & create a new empty folder “vstplugins” & move over batches of plugs from the vstpluginsxx folder, opening & running the project until it fails.
This hopefully gradually narrows it down till you find the dodgy plug & then you can check if there are any updates or other reports of problems.

Thanks a lot! I’ll do so!

It seems that when I restart my computer once it happens I have no problems at all… Was about to try out the VST-folder tip, but it kinda solved itself - not very satisfying since I really wanted to get to the bottom of the trouble, although a quick restart now and then isn’t a very annoying thing to do…