Direct monitoring for OSX users

Dear Steinberg, I’ve been a Cubase user since this program was born.
The last 10 years I turned to mac platform working with several other DAWs.
After this period I decided to back Home and stay - I purchased Cubase Pro 10 and I was very happy for everything it covers for the professional recording, composing and arranging.
Everything, except one feature which is very important for my daily works in my studio.
Direct monitoring is greyed and cannot be used. I searched all the topics about and I see that this is a problem only with Mac OS X.
With the other DAWs I used to work(Reaper, Logic, Studio One), that was not a problem, but as I mentioned before, I came back to Cubase and I want to stay here. But to not be able to have the monitoring of my channels on while playback, on a recording session, this is a mess in my workflow.
I know that I’m not alone in this, I’ve seen many mac users asking for a solution, so I hope for a good one in the near future.

Im curious how you are getting Direct Monitoring in Reaper, Logic and Studio One, I dont see that as an option here in those apps. I can get Direct Monitoring in Cubase with my MR816X ONLY if I have the Steinberg Extension App installed, without that driver I use the MR Console Software to get Direct with them all. Same as using your TotalMix app

Hi shanabit!
What I mean is than in Reaper, Logic and Studio One 4, when I have a recording session and have armed the tracks of the musicians, I can hear the sources during recording and during playback. So, for example when I want to punch in at at a point the singer, he can sing some bars before during the playback, in order to he feel better and prepare his voice, for the desired point of the punch in.
At the other DAWs I mentioned, there is no need for a special direct monitoring option in order to achieve this, it is there by default.
Now, at Cubase 10 on my mac OS X system, and with the option greyed(unavailable), during the playback of the track, I cannot listen(neither the singer) the incoming signal of the recording room - only when I punch in to record, then it comes on.
(I did a lot of search and I see that this is an issue with Cubase on Mac OS X)

I think you may have a little confusion there.

Go to Preferences/VST and at the bottom of the page and change Auto Monitoring to TAPE MACHINE STYLE.
There is no need for Direct Monitoring for what you are wanting and Logic nor Reaper have this here either from what I can see, when they are monitor enabled I get delay as it is going through the DAW verses Direct Monitoring which basically sends the signal back to your interface before being recorded.

I don’t know if I miss something else but TAPE MACHINE STYLE is what I have selected.
However, when I have record armed the track and press “play” instead of “record”, the track doesn’t monitor the input signal.

  1. You are correct with Tape Machine monitoring, the monitor button will turn OFF when you hit PLAY

  2. Change it to While Record Enabled and you should be good. **I checked this with my MR Console Faders all muted and monitoring THROUGH Cubase using the monitor button on the track.

  3. Your other option is to simply monitor using the TotalMix software with its fader up then change the monitoring to MANUAL in Cubase and click the monitor button OFF, this gives you the SAME effect BUT you can use the plugins in the TotalMix whilst monitoring your input signal

  4. Here is how I have mine setup BTW, I use the monitoring in the MR Software Console here so the signal is going through there and I have Cubase in MANUAL, this allows me to hear PLAYBACK and gives me pretty close to latency free monitoring as well since Im monitoring off the MR CONSOLE software and not THROUGH Cubase as I just keep the MONITOR Button TURNED OFF . When you hit playback in Cubase you hear everything

Hope this help ya

Hey shanabit, first of all, thank you very much for your kindness and for your suggestions.
The “While Record Enabled” option, activates the input indeed but unfortunately it cancels the playback.
The other option to use the TotalMix software, is a solution that works but so, I will miss the Cubase’s cue monitor functionality which is very nice and keep me away from using 2 different mixer windows (Cubase + Total mix).
As I first mentioned, I did a research and I see that this is a problem of Cubase on the Mac platform (where the “direct monitoring” is greyed and deactivated) and unless this resolved from the developers, I will have to back to my previous Daws or to build a new computer and start to use Windows where there this issue doesn’t exist. And to move on Windows, is a big nightmare…(the money I have to spend to build a very good machine but most of all the long period that I will need to download and install all of my software tools - where are quite a lot!
Anyway, thanks again and I hope someone from Steinberg is reading these lines and responds if they have in their plans a solution for mac users.

I have DIRECT MONITORING available with my MR 816X BTW, I can click the Direct Monitoring button inside Cubase. I think this is manufacturer dependent? I feel ya though.

THIS is why we have mixer software for our interfaces IMO, I know its a PITA but it is what it is I guess.

Send me your RME 802 and I swap ya for this one HAHA

hehe! I think now I have to keep my 802 and start to keep money for a slow transition to Windows and a powerful machine.
cheers!

Wow! I just show at your signature that you are on mac OS X as well…
Now I understand… Then the conclusion is that RME doesn’t support “direct monitoring” on mac os x…
Ok… at least you helped me to figure out what is the problem!
I’m going to send a support ticket to RME
cheers again!

RME is a WINDOWS company IMO, dont expect anything. I will transition to PC when this Mac dies BTW.
Cubase runs better on PC and RME is tight on PC as well as others. OSX doesn’t get much love anymore

My DAWS have to be BiPlatform here so Logic is going bye byes. I will never buy Protools again after losing my jazz on a DIGI002 Rack and Protools 8. 9073 errors still in 12, no thanks.

Good luck with your quest

RME is dual platform Mac OS X and Windows for almost all their products. Many recent RME interfaces also have a Class Compliant mode for use with iOS (officially) and recent versions of Android and Linux (unofficially). The only exception to the dual platform nature of current RME interfaces that I am aware of is the Digiface AVB, which is currently Windows only though I believe they plan to offer OS X drivers in the future.

Yes I know they are on OSX as well. Let us know when they have Direct Monitoring in OSX .
RME have the BEST drivers on Windows. RME drivers are better on OSX than Steinberg’s Im sure