Help? Toggling Track Monitoring off causes Mac Cubase 9.0.40 to crash with an audio stutter/freeze

Hello!

I’ve noticed that Cubase crashes with an audio stutter/freeze under these conditions:

  1. Mono audio track has a SEND (any plug-in, even if deactivated) and has OUTPUT ROUTING set to a GROUP.

  2. Audio buffer is set to 1024 or lower at any point during the session

  3. Track has monitoring toggled on, then toggled off

  4. Audio stutters (previous 200ms or so of last output); cursor and UI still responsive but audio playback is hijacked by stutter

*Can’t quit, can only Force Quit

*If the project was opened with the audio buffer set to 2048 and never adjusted, then toggling off track monitoring does NOT result in the same crash.

*If the OUTPUT ROUTING is returned to the STEREO OUT, then the problem is also circumvented.

*Problem persists even if I switch drivers to Built-In Audio.

I know my rig is ancient and my issue irrelevant to most, but I am hoping someone somewhere has a fix that will restore my Cubase experience to its former dependability. Wondering if it’s a macOS x Cubase interaction, and if updating OS will help. Thank you.

I am running:
MBP Mid-2014
2.5 GHz Intel i7
16 Gb 1600 Mhz DDR3
macOS Sierra 10.12.6 (Didn’t encounter this issue while running El Capitan)
Cubase 9.0.40
Focusrite Clarett 8Pre Thunderbolt (Control 3.5.0.1754)

Hi,

Could you try to reproduce this in Cubase Safe Start Modes, please? Once try to disable preferences. Does it work? For the second time try to start without 3rd party plug-ins in the Cubase Safe Start Mode, please. In the Send use Steinberg plug-in, please. Does it work?