Instrument Tracks Insert Broken when Constrain Delay Compensation is Activated

Cubase
1

EDIT: Not broken, just misunderstood, as below.:

Repro:

  1. Open a project, insert an instrument track (Use Dom Sigalas’ demo project downloaded from Steinberg’s Download Assistant after noticing the problem in one of my own projects)

  2. Click on an Instrument Track

  3. In left zone or on mixer - insert a plug in (I used Steinberg Compressor)

  4. Play the project - all works normally

  5. Hit stop so the project stops playing

  6. Activate the Constrain Delay Compensation button at the lower left

  7. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 above

Results:

  1. The plugin window opens, but now the power and bypass buttons in that window are grayed out.
  2. If you click the X to close the plug in window, it is unresponsive in the insert panel of the Instrument Track - clicking does nothing at all, can’t reopen it, delete it, etc.

Anyone else?

W10 Pro, C14 Pro

2

Disabling plugin is the intended function of constrain delay compensation?
If you want to power the plugin on (that has latency over the threshold) then you must turn off the feature.

1 Like
3

That would make sense to me if Cubase indeed disabled plugins across the program when CDC is activated.

But why only in Instrument Tracks, not in audio tracks?

EDITs: Trouble with quoting

4

It is also in audio tracks…at least it should be.

5

I can see how the bolded part could be true … but in my system it’s not (my project, and Cubase Demo Project, as above).

Maybe the “issue” is that when CDC is activated, the plugins are only disabled in Instrument Tracks but not audio tracks? :laughing:

6

In your system is the same as mine I’m sure…A quick test shows that disabling of audio tracks works dynamically with record enabling.

7

Thanks for that useful info, @Grim !

Yes and no, on my system.

New info here (zero msec chosen in VST Preferences for Delay Compensation threshold in all cases):

AUDIO TRACKS:

  1. No, with CDC on - the plugin in the insert rack doesn’t always work dynamically with record enable - for some plugins (Fab Filter’s ProQ-3, or Oeksound Soothe 2, e.g.) the behavior of the plugin in the insert rack is completely normal whether the track is record enabled or not .

  2. However with other plugins, such as Steinberg’s Compressor, the behavior you describe is accurate on my system:

  • If record is not enabled, the behavior of the plugin in the insert rack is normal even if CDC is clicked on;
  • If record is enabled, the behavior of the plugin in the insert rack becomes unresponsive when CDC is clicked on .

INSTRUMENT TRACKS
Instrument Tracks with CDC clicked on behave somewhat differently than Audio Tracks on my system - the behavior of the plugin in the insert rack is always unresponsive, whether the track is record enabled or not.

So, I’m not sure - is this an “issue” because when CDC is enabled (zero msec chosen in VST Preferences for Delay Compensation threshold) Instrument Tracks behave differently than Audio Tracks?

  • Record-armed Instrument Tracks always have unresponsive plugins in the insert rack,
  • Whereas some plugins in the insert rack of Audio Tracks, like Fab Filter’s ProQ-3, or Oeksound Soothe 2, e.g., remain fully responsive whether the track is record-armed or not

Or is this an issue because when CDC is enabled, the plugin behavior in the Insert Rack of Audio Tracks varies by plugin (in all cases, zero msec chosen in VST Preferences for Delay Compensation threshold):

  • Cubase’s Compressor plugin becomes unresponsive when placed in the Insert Rack of a record-armed Audio Track, while
  • Other plugins like Fab Filter’s ProQ-3, or Oeksound Soothe 2, e.g., remain fully responsive when placed in the Insert Rack of Audio Tracks, whether the track is record-armed or not?

Cubase’s behavior here is inconsistent IMO, I guess knowing about it means there doesn’t have to be a fix, still it took a lot of time to work through.

I hope this helps someone else coming along with questions down the road!

Thanks -

8

Inconsistent…or designed that way because they know better than you how this should work?

Instrument track doesn’t have to be record armed to receive midi and you always want to hear the resulting instrument audio (which is being monitored through those plugs) with the low latency (that’s why you turn on constrain dc after all)

Audio tracks can only monitor live input when record armed so Cubase is trying to maintain your mix as much as possible until you actually arm a track and are monitoring through it.

Pro-Q default is zero latency unless you change the phase so why would it need to be turned off? Set it to linear phase and see what happens.

Can’t help you with Oeksound as I don’t have it…but with everything else working as it should I’m going to assume there is probably good reason that’s also not disabling.

9

It only dissable plugins tha have LATENCY… so plugins with no latency will still be active.

Works perfectly here, as inteneded.

M

10

OK, thanks very much guys, that makes sense and happy to have learned something new. I’ve removed “issue” tag!

I would never have predicted that Soothe 2 would have zero latency as it does a lot of processing . Hmm, I suspect I may have that concept wrong also!:grinning:

:smiley:

11

Actually, I think you’re completely right about Soothe having latency.
Can’t find a completely satisfactory reason for this one not working but have a suspicion it’s connected to the sidechain functionality.