Hi
It’s with great sadness I leave the greatest daw I saw - Cubase Pro.
I try to be constructive as well, not just venting.
#1. Audio stability - what else is a daw to handle
Cubase cause dropouts where no other application does, on my system(specs in signature).
Even Steinberg’s own test application mmcss_test requesting a single thread - make Cubase Pro dropout on normal audio priority.
Nor Sonar, Reaper, StudioOne or PowerDirector videoeditor or players like Foobar2000 playing audio or MPC HC playing video with audio does that - on this very system.
Even Cubase Elements 7 and 8 do a better job - at least half the time they can handle mmcss_test application(single thread).
And the hourly uptime problem I have - making Cubase Pro dropout - no problem ever in Cubase element - so there you go.
I spent the last three weeks trying to get rid of this system event I have, what ever that is - still a mystery.
But found in the end - not a single application care about this event - but Cubase Pro 8.0-9.5 - yes, all of them.
Cubase Pro audio engine is flawed and much to sensitive to some rediculous event - nobody else care about or malfunction over.
Not even Cubase Elements 7 and 8 care about it - in the same system.
#2. New video engine - for me just about cpu use
I get 36% cpu on my system running a single video track, nothing else.
A full hd mp4 with h264 inside.
Running instead a VST plugins, VidPlayVst - I get 16% cpu usage.
Not to mention the time we had to wait for this new video engine to arrive?
Get priorities straight Steinberg.
I can understand agony of people also needing the editing part, writing back audio and stuff - but that was not my biggest concern.
These two most vital parts - making just music or score - Cubase is seriously flawed.
Give programmers a chance to finish their job.
I can sense that they did not have enough time to do their job.
Last evidence of that was 9.5.41 that came rather quickly - after 9.5.40 showing serious symptoms.
As now retired programmer, and with 16 years of my own software business I know a little bit about that.
Steinberg just rush through producing half baked features!!!
I stressed audio with Thread Racer - and doing 100% cpu on all 8 cores - and Cubase runs just fine - no dropouts.
That a good job done there.
But WTF is this mmcss_test doing with a single thread - normal priority - flipping out with dropouts???
Other things worth mentioning
#3. Installer and the joke of download manager they force on us
Tip to Steinberg - look at how Presonus did it - that’s the way to go.
In 30s StudioOne was installed and ready to go - and giving me options to opt in or out - just giving a simple list like every installer since the 90’s have had - InstallShield, Wise, Microsoft msi installers.
Studio One - I all needed was minimum install, no content but did tutorials as well - 2 GB download where tutorial was 1.5 GB.
There are 27 Gb of content is you want it - but that could be done in sections for those that want that.
Since I bought Xbox One two years ago - I opted in and getting 40 GB a month on my 4G internet, from earlier 20 GB. Need to just keep updating patches and stuff.
But new Cubase 10 force us to take half of that amount into a single download - to then opt out on content you never asked for.
Give programmers a chance to do the job right.
It’s all about management and priorities - and Steinberg got it wrong.
#4. Documentation on F1 help key online
I’m never online working in daw - just for install purposes and convenience for that.
StudioOne again - one option was to install documentation locally - just a checkbox and nothing more to it.
But pdf manual in Cubase have improved immensely in the last years - good job there Steinberg.
And naming of stuff start to get right how industry do it - got rid of most beloved “VST” this and that.
What Cubase seriously lack to compete with ProTools - context sensitive help- offline.
#5. Support - it used to be there like 5 years ago - where did it go?
If ticket were not thrown away, I’ve got too many replies after two months of waiting - then asking me to post another ticket if problem still was there.
I mean WTF is that?
And I tell you, I am not ranting, as now, in my tickets - I’m polite as can be expected.
But education of support agent is not that easy. You must get people to realize when things are above their head, and way to technical - and they feel free to raise to next tier of support.
And guess that spreadsheet guys are running this to the ground - looking at what support costs.
On the upside, there are things going on with surveys and stuff - that show some interest in who and what customers are.
I wrote “not a pro” in survey - is that why support is non-existent for me???
Since I don’t need any money for my music making - I’m retired - and do music and film full time - that’s what I do - since music is the greatest thing.
And I’m dead serious as any Pro about gear and tools I use.
#6. Cubase versions unable to keep track of their preferences
I found out just the other day - that saving Boost priority to audio did not stick - next time I started Cubase it was on Normal again.
I trashed preferences - renamed the entire folder for 9.5_x64 - so it created default everywhere.
Then that preference setting could be saved - what is that???
Most common reaction to customers having problem - “trash preferences”???
Why such an inability to merge in what is new and possibly need in new version?
TIP!
What I always did in my software products was to see preferences as an option to what was hardcoded inside program file.
That way nobody had problem with what was default anything.
And not able to save - unless the right preferences - WTF again???
Give programmers the time they need FGS!!!
I tried to keep the default preferences, but transfer my set colors using the selective saving of preferences - it simply does not work.
I cannot get those read into the preferences as the default created.
I gav up after an hour trying back and forth - not having to do recoloring - of every project again, yes that is what is needed.
I opened a project with “faulty preferences” - and tracks and events were colored properly.
Opened same project in “default preferences” - and no colors anywhere but default.
Not even importing from saved partials from “faulty preferences” - just the colors pages.
I gav up…this is f-ked up.
So now I am renaming 6 versions of Cubase folders - from elements 7 till now - so they have their original names - so uninstaller will find and delete them.
That is what I do next - uninstall Cubase and everything Steinberg including the hiddeous Syncrosoft stuff.
And on top of that I get a free usb port, how is that for a reward - not bad.
And I got StudioOne that is the next best thing in daw world - in my world at least - that can actually do audio without interruption.
(I miss some headroom in Sonar, and Reaper did not implement VCA’s that good IMHO)
I will miss some things from Cubase, but what can you do - when daw cannot do audio properly.
All the best and take care - and gold star for reading all the way down here,…
Bye…Lars