Macbook Pro 2018 Audio Output selection

Cubase
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1

I’m demoing Cubase Elemennts 10 and purchased Cubase Pro 10.

I have the latest revision Macbook Pro 2018 and Apple changed the audio configuration so that when you plug in headphones it creates a new Sound device instead of internally routing the Speaker out to the headphones port.

This article from Rogue Amoeba describes it better than I can

But as this relates to Cubase, when I start cubase and have my headphones plugged in I have a choice of two Built-In Audio devices

The 2nd Built-In audio seems to be the headphone port but it’s always a guess. Hopefully that is an easy fix

2

Hi and welcome,

This is an known compatibility issue between the current Macs and Cubase. Unfortunately Cubase doesn’t handle this use case well sofar.

3

Hopefully they will have some type of fix for this in the next maintenance?

I have Cubase Pro 10 now and seem to have gotten myself into a spot that know matter which of the Built-In Audio outputs I select it’s always using the Macbook Pro Speaker and not the headphone port.

I’m traveling right now for work so I don’t have access to my regular audio interface so it’s an annoying problem.

Thankfully I do have a license to Loopback - Rogue Amoeba | Loopback: Cable-Free Audio Routing - so I was able to create a new audio device and route the audio that way. It works a viable workaround for now until this is fixed.

4

Thankfully I do have a license to Loopback - Rogue Amoeba | Loopback: Cable-Free Audio Routing - so I was able to create a new audio device and route the audio that way. It works a viable workaround for now until this is fixed.
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Hi,could you please explain me how you did that? I have the same issue and installed loopback, but after choosing it as the audio output, the same thing happens: no sound through the headphones… :neutral_face:

5

Hi guys, I have the same issue. Cubase LE AI Element 10 with MacBook Pro, 10.14.3.

6

Hi,
Here the link to the Steinberg Support Cubase support page:

If the link doesn’t works try to search “Mac: Unable to switch between speaker and headphone outputs”.

Also, see Apple workaround : “Combine multiple audio interfaces by creating an Aggregate Device”

It WORKS !

7

Just updated to 10.0.20 which is supposed to fix this issue but now I can’t select Built In Audio at all in the Audio Connections window, nor the aggregate device I had created. When I click in the field under Audio Device for Stereo Out the drop down menu appears but when I select “Built In Audio” nothing happens. I can’t get audio out of Cubase on my MacBook now. Did restart and power down. I need a 10.0.15 update installer. Possibly will try full installer.

8

Hi,

Try also Cubase Safe Start Mode, please.

9

Thank you for suggesting this. Started Cubase with program prefs disabled, still unable to select Built In Audio as the stereo out bus in Audio Connections (on 2018 Macbook Pro with Mojave 10.14.4). Using Apollo Twin external work fine.

Deleted Cubase and preferences, restarted and ran full 10.0.20 installer, still cannot select Built In Audio

again deleted app and prefs, installed 10.0.15 full installer and now can select built in audio

10

Did this ever get fixed? I just bought a new MBP and can’t seem to get any sound out of the built in outputs…

Audio interface works fine but for taking this thing on the move it’s a PITA.

11

This is a flaw in the 2018 MacBook, (brdigOS which runs the T2 chip specifically). I’ve had this issue in every DAW, even Logic. To be clear this is NOT hardware related, it’s due to a driver Apple either omitted from macOS, or more likely a driver Apple failed to port over. Since the T2 chip handles all audio on the machine this could easily be patched with a software update. Sadly Apple support has not taken any interest, and probably will continue not to unless more people complain…

I’ve tried to report this to Apple, suggest anyone else this is a headache for do the same… It’s an absolute PITA and this has basically killed any interest in buying another MacBook in the future unless they sort this out.