Massive CPU issues. Can anyone help?

Cubase
1

Hello,

I’ll try and keep this concise.

I had my Macbook Pro 2015 2.5Ghz i7 running Sierra, Cubase 9, Logic Pro and Addictive Drums and a handful of plug ins. Nothing much and nothing obscure.

I would start a project with generally one guitar track, input monitored and one instrument track of AD2. In Cubase I was getting absurd CPU usage in Activity monitor. Like 60-120% depending on things like if AD2 GUI was open or mixer window in Cubase etc.

Logic ran relative high with the AD2 GUI open, at about 70%, but once that was closed everything was fine with the one guitar and one VST drum track. Running around 20-30%.

So I obviously felt Cubase was the problem. Also in Sierra with Cubase I lost the double click function of my mouse so I decided to clean install back to OS X El Capitan.

So now I’ve done a complete wipe of my Mac’s SSD and clean install of OS X El Capitan 10.11.6. Complete fresh install of Cubase 9.0.0. I tested Cubase without installing my RME Babyface drivers first just incase they were somehow responsible. No fix. So I then installed the RME Babyface drivers. This is all I have installed on the machine. No other plug ins or software whatsoever.

Below is a Cubase project. 256 Buffer setting(yes I tried lowering the buffer all the way and it made a slight improvement but not a fix and not useable at 1024 buffer setting in real life). I tried ASIO on and off and deactivating multi threading. I tried Apple energy saver settings and all the suggestions. I also tried safe mode booting Cubase. Nothing works. I haven’t even installed Addictive Drums so they aren’t responsible and as I said no other plug ins installed at all.

So first attachment is one instrument track (Groove Agent SE - Brothers in need kit) with a midi track inserted from media bay (Alt Rock Drums Verse B).

As if that isn’t bad enough. The next attachment is the same instrument track but this time I just put the midi track on it’s own track and had that play to the instrument track.

Can anyone help me I don’t know where to look now? Could anything else be causing this? I just want it to be working as it should so I can concentrate on making music. But this CPU usage is so high. Oh and the above CPU usage isn’t spikes. That’s constant hovering around those levels while things are playing. I’m trying to learn more about Logic but I wanted to stick with Cubase but this is horrible I may have to just switch.

Thanks guys. Any help will be extremely appreciated.

81.5.jpg
81.5.jpg2556×1034 423 KB

103.jpg
103.jpg2048×832 248 KB

2

Not sure if it can be the problem…
Have you check in Cubase midi option, and look if the “all midi” don’t have to much association.
Maybe it can be a midi circle that make your midi track over process, try to disable the “rec” (red bouton) of your midi track to see if it change something.

Sorry my english is not good enought to make it clear.

3

Hi,

Your English is perfectly clear. Thank you for responding. I disabled the rec button on the midi track and it still using similar CPU usage. About 90%.

Thanks.

4

Having the same issue. I actually put a post up about it here:

I did everything you did and more. Never had this issue before with cubase. Still not resolution and its been difficult to work.

5

I have similar specs to the OP, and Groove Agent has been absolutely unusable. Even when it’s the only track I have, with no other apps open, buffer setting, and every other little trick i’ve figured out over time. Makes me wish I didn’t get the Absolute Collection, although I can use it elsewhere. I’m just fed up and probably just making idle threats in my frustration for the 14th-15th time, and will continue to take it; but I feel your pain. This is ridiculous, and it may just take migrating to a different DAW, as there’s no excuse for why my specs and settings should be peaking with a high buffer setting, and zero other tracks or plugins to complement using Groove Agent.

6

It all seems to get worse with each new version too. I am back on 8.0.40 now and AD2 is usable. 9 terrible. Groove Agent on 8 is bad 8.5 worse and 9 atrocious. I have sent all my screenshots and info by email to Australia’s Steinberg rep who tells me he is passing it to Steinberg. Hopefully they do get back to me. I was looking at the Absolute Collection too, obviously not going to bother at this rate.