Automation Gets Stuck in Write Position

Posting here for a solution to a similar but not exactly the same issue. My issue was that when trying to add a point in an automation lane with write off, it would not add the point and the track would flash red. I could drag the mouse and it would behave like it was still in write mode. This affected every automation lane in the project, not just the one that was causing the issue. The bug was specific to a single project, but any project I opened that had the problematic track in (previous recent versions) would still have this issue present.
Anyway, disable track/enable didnt work. Restarting project/cubase/mac didnt work.

What worked for me was disabling the track where I first saw the problem, then importantly, adding a point to another automation lane on another track. Then I re-enabled the problematic track and I can add points again, bug gone.

This bug is still here on Jan 9 2026, Cubase 15 Pro 15.0.6

Disabling/re-enabling the track fixes it.

I’ve had this bug since forever. I found two workarounds :

  • Write automation in touch mode (not always practical)
  • I assigned a key command to “Punch out of latch automation”. If I press that key command when stuck in red, it comes back to normal

Hope it helps.

If this actually works you may have finally found the bug! Will try this next time I run into it.

Disabling and re-enabling is NOT a workaround as the issue just comes back when you start automating again. Moreover, you can’t disable VCA’s or AUX’s, so if you get it there you’re also stuck.

The issue doesn’t disappear per se, but the tracks gets back to normal. Haven’t tried with AUX + VCA

Works here for groups + VCA + FX

Can you describe in more detail what you mean when you say the issue “doesn’t dissapear per se?”

The reason this workaround strikes me as important is because it may actually point Steinberg dev’s to where the bug is in the automation system (the latch component).

I mean that if I record a new automation, it gets stuck once again, and I have to press my key command to “unstuck” it. Also, the workaround is not perfect because “punch out of latch auto” command actually inserts an automation point at the cursor. Not a big deal, but still not perfect.

Does Write get unstuck if you change the automation mode to Touch afterwards? or do you have to use Touch before writing automation?

In touch mode the automation doesn’t get stuck at all as far as I know. I have to check but I think changing to touch afterwards actually fixes it also

Just for the record, in Nuendo whenever I encountered this problem I had to save, close, quit, restart and reopen the project. I was never able to continue working with confidence when this happened. So I would recommend restarting the DAW when it happens.

This has happened on Nuendo versions through 12 at least, maybe 13 though I can’t recall, and my controller is the Avid s1, all on Windows.

PS: I didn’t read this entire thread.