Hi, I noticed a problem a few times since upgrading to C13 (on a Win10 PC): after working on a project for a certain amount of time, Cubase suddenly stops reading automation for tracks. For example, I’ll manually move a fader and it won’t snap back to the automated position upon playback. I’m pretty sure the automation suspend function is not on when this happens.
The only workaround I’ve found so far is to close and re-open the project.
I never had this problem on previous versions. Has anyone else noticed something similar since updating to 13? Is this a new weird preference or “feature” that I haven’t set properly?
Update: it seems that using a fader to write at least one node of automation (not drawing it with the mouse), then switching the track back to read mode brings the project back to its normal read behaviour.
Very strange glitch… it’s as if the “automation suspend” gets activated randomly.
If you could create a step-by-step reproduction, assuming it’s not intermittent, that would help so others could try to duplicate this same behavior. Also your system specs would be important.
If you are able to create a reproduction, make sure you go to the automation settings, and give the setting information that controls the number of nodes being created. (sorry I’m out of town and can’t remember the setting.)
Sorry for the late reply… the problem is hard to isolate/duplicate because it has mostly been happening on projects that are already rather busy. This is what I’ve got so far:
Select a track on which no automation has been recorded yet. (It seems to happen on those tracks in particular.)
In STOP mode (when project is not playing back) Manually draw one automation node (with the mouse… I often do that when I want to set a default starting volume for a track, for example). (the bug also sometimes happens when manually adding automation nodes during playback but it’s not as predictable).
At this point the fader stops responding to automation (including the node that’s just been added).
The only way to resolve this problem is to set the channel to write and record an actual fader movement (with fader or control surface). As a result I then get a chopped off automation curve (as shown in the image):
Then I can delete this additional “placeholder” automation, set the track back to read and the fader now responds again to automation.
It’s not a huge problem, especially know that I know this workaround, but it seems quite convoluted compared to my previous experience with Cubase.
Here are screenshots of my automation settings (I’ll admit I still find the different modes a bit confusing, even after many years of using Cubase) (also I’m not sure what you mean exactly by “the setting information that controls the number of nodes being created.”, sorry):
SYSTEM SPECS:
|Processor|Intel(R) Core™ i7-8700 CPU @ 3.20GHz 3.19 GHz|
|Installed RAM|16.0 GB
|Edition|Windows 10 Home|
|Version|22H2|
|OS build|19045.3693|
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
Cubase 13.0.10
I’m also currently using a Behringer X-Touch One surface.
Unfortunately, the whole automation thing in Cubase becomes worse with every new update. The only “fast” way (I personally found) to not have to deal with erratic “touch” mode (I’m experiencing the same problem you’re describing with C13) is to use the range selection tool – select (in the automation “lane” ) the whole song duration from start to finish and click with the mouse the small scaling central point . The result is two automatically generated automation points (@ start - end). Doing so “corrects” all the unexpected behaviours … except of course when you’ll enter the “trim” mode. (Where you just have to manually place an automation point after the part you want to automate) … What a “professional” way to work!! … … Please don’t misunderstand me here. I’m a Steinberg user since the Pre-Cubase PRO24 Atari version. I just can not understand why we Cubase users must always find a “workaround” for one of the most basic (and truly important at the same time) function like “Touch Automation”. Curious why it’s not “a big issue” out there and mostly curious why Nuendo works like a charm!!! – I truly wish I’m wrong and there is something I’m missing but I’m afraid that’s the way it is at least for now. Hope I helped !
It is pretty bad. I ‘lose’ automation each time I do the following: I have an Instrument (or other) track that I want to render (onto another track, mostly to have a ‘copy’ of the waveform in case I lose settings in the instrument etc); I always first open the Volume automation track and ‘write’ the actual volume of the track by setting one automation point (1 click) at the very end of the track. This way I can then unable automation, CTRL+click on the fader (sets it to 0dB) and then ‘Render with current settings’, then turn back on automation to read the original level (yes I want the fader on 0dB on ‘render export’). Only that since Cubase 13 it will not read any Volume setting after that. It’s not cool, very frustrating.
Funny enough I found a workaround just now: If you disable the track with the ‘lost’ automation, and then enable the track again, the automation works again too.
so, this issue is still there - quite frustrating. In version 10 I never encountered this.
Disabling and activating the track works, yes, but when the issue occurs on an FX bus, you are screwed, as those cannot be disabled. I just lost another 30 minutes of work.
BTW, even closing the entire application and restarting doesn’t help.
Yeah, this is making me mad. Just last night, I had a song mixed perfectly. Then, the balance of everything suddenly got thrown way off. I’m basically having to remix the damn song again. Years ago, after production in Cubase, I started mixing my songs in Pro Tools because the automation there is always top-notch. I really don’t want to have to do that again so Steinberg please fix this bug.
To continue with my previous post, I have a project where ever time I’ve closed Cubase and reopen it, the balances in the mix are thrown off. I;ve automated VCA channels and those don’t seem to work at all. Once VCA group may be way lounder than it was and another much lower. So now what I’ve had to do is automate by using clip-gain on the events which is rather limiting as that’s only good to adjust volume in different parts of the song. It of course is useless if you want to do a build up like lets say on a snare. I hope there will be a fix for this.
