The Cubase Freeze function is great in theory but it’s not working for me all the time. I load a mix of VST’s into the synth rack that includes some VSL Ensemble Pro hosts as well as Kontakt 5’s, Omnispheres, Massives. Some of my Kontakts freeze fine, and other don’t (my Alicias Keys, for example, always gives me silence) Some of my VSL’s freeze, others give me silence.
I cannot for the life of me find a pattern here. Anyone else encountering issues?
Hello,
I’m not sure, the freezing works with the Vienna Ensemble Pro. I can check it tomorrow. But I think, this is more complicated, because the VEPro is external app.
Thanks Martin. I can understand there being difficulty with VSL but I’m even having issues freezing instruments that are loaded into cubase; i.e, my aforementioned instance of Kontakt 5 running Alicias Keys Piano.
Oh, I see. I will try this tomorrow in the studio on my Mac. 
Hello,
I’m sorry, I’ trying it now, I have had no free time before.
I have no problem here. Freezing of NI Kontakt 5 (stereo out), with Alicia’s Keys sound, in the Cubase 6.5 (32-bit mode), and running Vienna Ensemble Pro (on second computer). It just works.
So, sorry, I can’t help.
Best,
it’s something that has been happening to me for years with cubase - on different versions, computers, audio hardware. it’s just something that some of us have gotten used to. what i recommend is that every time you start to freeze an instrument, cancel the freeze, then start the freeze again. this seems to avoid the silence.
Thanks for the follow-up guys. Martin, one big difference between you and I is I’m running the 64-bit version. I’ll try 32 bit for a while and see if the issues diminish.
Bonus - been happening for years, and no response from Cubase? Seems like a pretty fundamental feature to be going awry. Perhaps it’s time we found a pattern and sent some bug reports?
I’ve figured out the bug. Freeze is broken if midi data is recorded into a session, and then a time code offset is applied. Example:
Repro, Part 1
1.) Start a new project. Insert a VST into the VST rack (i’m using Kontakt 5, Alicia’s Keys piano)
2.) Select Project-Project Setup. Make sure your session starts at Time code 00.00.00.00 and has a bar offset of 0.
3.) Record some midi data into bars 2 and 3.
4.)Select Project - Project Setup. Change your Star to 00.00.02.00 IMPORTANT: When prompted “Do you want to keep the project content at its current position?” be sure to select “YES.” Your data should shift earlier (left).
5.) Freeze the track, then play it back. You’ll hear it play back at the wrong place. (at the “original” position).
6.) Unfreeze the track; play back your original data. It will play at the correct position.
7.) Freeze the track; it will STILL play at the wrong position. (confirms that re-freezing does not fix the problem)
8.) Unfreeze the track; move the region you recorded 4 bars later.
9.) Freeze the track; it will play in the right position.
It seems Cubase will not know the position of midi data until after it’s been edited or moved within a session that has had a timecode offset applied to it, AFTER that data has been recorded.
Pretty specific bug, I know, but I was running into it over and over again because I would change the length or bar offset of a session after I’d played it in to a film project.
Interesting. But actually I think that’s a different bug. What we experience is complete silence. What happens to me is that if I start Cubase fresh and open a project (can be new or 4 months old), then try to freeze an audio channel or VST, the freeze recording is muted - no sound whatsoever. If I unfreeze and freeze again, all is as it should be. If I start Cubase fresh, then try to freeze a channel, then quickly stop the freeze process as soon as the progress meter gets going, then freeze again - all is well.
Let’s say I want to freeze 3 instruments one after another. What I need to do is freeze 1st, cancel once started, freeze again; freeze 2nd, cancel once started, freeze again; freeze 3rd, cancel once started, freeze again. That’s been the deal for me since Cubase SX3.
Sometimes freeze works without that process, but most of the time the freeze is muted unless I do that.
It seems to me that needing to use a start time other than 0 is pretty rare. I never use Time offset, but Bar offset is always set to 1 on every project. My projects always start at 0 instead of 1 and I’ve never had it play frozen tracks one bar too early…