Audio signals bypassing Cubase controls

Hi.Just out of the blue every time i connect a signal to an input on my MOTU 2408 and into Cubase it’s as if the audio signal totally bypasses Cubase and I can’t adjust levels,mute, turn monitoring on/off. Not just on a particular audio channel but even on stereo output. Could I have pressed anything without realising or is it something more complicated? Any tips would be really appreciated. Thanks

First thing I come to think of is - ASIO Direct Monitoring is on - so signal makes a loopback in soundcard.

Have not used it myself yet, so I know where you stumbled on that.

Turn it off in soundcard panel (even outside Cubase) would be the easiest thing, I guess.