What is the behavior if you open in Safe Mode, check no VSTs and uncheck your user preferences?
No changes in safe mode with user preferences disabled
And I assume you disabled 3rd party plugs as well when using Safe Mode?
What is your interface and what is the buffer size, input and output latency?
Keep Constrained Delay Compensation off.
That’s all I can think of. However with this additional information, hopefully someone else can contribute.
Yes I disabled 3rd party plugins in safe mode. Used factory settings in safe mode.
I use cubase without audio interface at home and with rme Fireface UCX in my studio. It just behave the same way in both. Attaching my settings and latency . Buffer size is 64 samples in control panel.
Constrained Delay Compensation is off. I tried both - on and off
You are correct, it’s not 0.5 seconds, I measured it at about 7 frames (out of 30fps) which is about 0.23 seconds delay from pressing play to transport beginning to move. No pre-roll function activated. ASIO guard turned off. 64 sample buffer. 0.23 seconds may not sound like a lot, but it’s very noticeable when coming from other DAWs that run instantly with no delay.
As far as I know Cubase’s audio engine internally uses a prefetch buffer. The delay is most likely caused by Cubase filling up this prefetch buffer before it can actually begin with playback of data.
Why Cubase uses this technique and others don’t, or rather why Cubase’s prefetch buffer is bigger than the one from other DAWs is way beyond my knowledge.
Isn’t that the ASIO Guard?
I have a hunch that there is an additional prefetch buffer at work but I have no proof for it. Just a feeling.