I have recently moved to a new setup on a new Macbook Pro with an ARM processor and went through the long process of getting all of my software working on the ARM processor and all appeared to be working correctly.
However, I was working my first session using the new setup and channels were not paning, AT ALL. The meters on the channel, output bus and control room all show the signal has panned correctly, but the signal continues to come out of both speakers.
After much of testing I can replicate this problem on my PreSonus interface and the built in MacBook Pro audio. However, if I move the audio connections to outputs 3 and 4 on my PreSonus interface the signals behave correctly.
I have applied all of the latest patches to OSX and Cubase 15, with my setup as follows:
MacBook Pro M5; macOS Tahoe 26.3.1; Cubase Pro 15.0.10 Build 164 (Apple Silicon)
Is this a known problem? I have not been able to find any mention of it, though I have also found it hard to search for with search results coming up with unrelated issues. My work around of using channels 3 and 4 on the interface is ok, but when I occasionally want to use built in audio when I am away from my studio, I can only get a mono mix through to my headphones.
As I suspect a routing issue with your Presonus interface, could you post screenshots of these :
Cubase Studio > Audio Connections > Outputs panel
the audio connections configuration panel (or equivalent) in your Presonus control software (I guess that there is something related at your disposal in it).
I appreciate the quick response. I am pretty sure it isn’t the Presonus interface as (as stated in the original message) I can replicate it on the built in apple interface and even a random Plantronics USB headset. I have tried with and without the control room configuration. I have even reflashed the firmware on my Presonus (before I worked the built in audio did the same thing).
A couple of other things to note is in Cubase Pro 14 on an Intel Mac and Sonoma 14.7.8 was working fine. I have also been using Cubase for about 30 years so I have a pretty good idea about cubase and interface routing.
Attached below are the requested screenshots (returned to the configuration that doesn’t work). I have also tried the DAW return signals as both stereo and panned mono channels. The screen shot is for stereo configuration. When I took the screen shot I had my test project hard panned to the right. You can see there is auto on the left and right of the return channel coming to the Presonus mixer.
And as stated in the previous post if I do the same with DAW channels 3 and 4 it is fine.
OK. So, how is composed the sound source ? It seems that your screenshot has been done while using an instrument track. Do you get the same issue while playing back a mono source, such as a quick recording of hand clap with a mic, or any other mono source, this, with both configurations ?
Yep, but what I would like to see is precisely the thing missing in your screenshot : what is coming in the DAW1, DAW3 and DAW5 channels in the Presonus control panel ? I ask this, because I don’t get how the DAW channels 3 and 4’ are related to them and the issue is precisely there, I think.
I am using a stereo instrument and it all behaves the same with a mono channel (this is where I first noticed it when I was panning a backing vocal track). As you can see there is nothing on the left side of the stereo bus in cubase, the bus is routed to left = output 1 and right = output 2 (as I have done for years) and signal is appearing on left and right when there should only be a signal coming out of the right.
DAW1 and DAW2 come from outputs 1 and 2 within cubase. DAW3 and DAW4 come from outputs 3 and 4 in cubase. DAW2 and DAW4 disappear when the channels are selected to stereo as shown. I can change them all to MONO if it is easier for you to understand. I can also route to output channels 3 and 4 and show you it working (correct left and right channel separation).
I honestly don’t think this is a Presonus mixer issue as I can get this problem to occur on output channel 1 and 2 the built in audio (except there is no meter to be able to show you in pictures).
My hunch is something has changed in OSX, but I am surprised nobody else has reported the problem if that is the case.
The following test has a single instrument hard panned to the right channel. Presonus mixer has the DAW channels set to mono to make it easier to understand.
Ok, now it’s more clear and thanks for the added screenshots. Indeed, it’s a strange issue that I never experienced with my own audio interface which isn’t a PreSonus. I persist thinking that there is something that is wrong in its configuration : as you have changed your system, I guess that something has been wrongly set at the installation stage.
To see if Cubase could be or not the eventual culprit, could you try the same thing with another easily installable DAW (Reaper, to not name it, or another that you could have at your disposal…) to see if you are experiencing the same issue ? Beside this, I doubt that OSX could have something to do with it : it would have been very well known, already.
EDIT : another thing that could help us grasping the issue, maybe. In Cubase :
Recording a quick part in thr Instrument track.
Panning hard right (or left) the track
With the track still selected, using the Render in place function with Complete Signal Path + Master Effects as option for the Processing parameter.
Seeing the waveform of the result and eventually playing it back with your DAW1/DAW2 outputs.
I have been continuing to investigate from here. There are not many settings (at least at the UI level) so there isn’t a whole load of settings to be wrong or change. Additionally None of my audio devices need a driver.
In OSX from the Audio MIDI Setup App there is the configure speakers page. When you go to the Presonus interface and set the speakers to channel 1 and 2 (and then test them) the left and right both come out both channels. When I switch to channel 3 and 4 it operates as expected.
Now here is the weird bit. When I test built in audio left comes out both channels and so does right. Exactly as I have seen from in Cubase, the channel are merged.
Problem found. Not sure how/when the setting in the accessibility settings got changed as it isn’t the type of setting I normally mess with, but this was it. Evidently only makes channel 1 and 2 go mono, but not channel 3 and 4.
Glad you found the setting. Can you please mark this last post of yours as the “Solution”, so that everybody can see the answer directly underneath the first post?
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