Mono panning issue - v12 bug?

Cubase
1

I have been using Cubase for years, created tons of songs with it, and just upgraded to Cubase Pro 12.
I am also loosing my mind, slowly, but I don’t think that’s behind my current problem. Maybe?

Setup:
I created four mono audio tracks and routed them to a stereo group track. I actually have four sets of these, and the four group tracks route to yet another group track. I recorded from a mono input to each of the mono audio tracks. All of this holds a chorus of voices (one voice per mono track) that I want to pan individually. No effects… yet - had some but have disabled them all trying to figure this out.
None of the group tracks are panned - they are left at C. I’ve created similar arrangements several times before, but like I said, my mind is slipping.

Here’s my Audio Connections (I’m using Mono 1)…

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And my tracks…

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And my mix console…

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Problem: All of the audio, before I pan anything (everything is at C) seems to sit at about R50. If I pan any of the mono channels R100, they sound hard right. If I pan them to L100, they sound C. I cannot pan anything to sound hard left let alone past C. I have a number of instrument tracks and all of them sound correct; centered on C and spreading L&R appropriately if they’re outputting stereo.

Aaaaand I just noticed a problem that just popped up! On the MixConsole, you can see track “Vox A1” has its pan control blacked out! Also on the Channel Settings screen…

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It was there and working just before I created this topic.

I have already reboot my PC. I’ll try it again to see if it brings back my pan control on “Vox A1”. (Windows wants to force an update reboot anyway.)

2

I comment on the last picture, that’s the easiest one…
No routing target defined, so no panner available.

On the other problems I can’t make a suggestion. Can you provide pictures of the routings? And maybe pictures with signals…

3

You are right st10ss. I didn’t notice that…

Unless my alter ego clicked on the output routing box and selected No Bus, instead of turning the Show Output Chain button on/off. I don’t know - because that’s what I thought I was doing. No reason to change the Output routing. But that’s two clicks, not one. I thought I had the routing chain showing when I took the screenshot, but I wasn’t looking to make sure it was showing. They are right next to each other, so I must have fat-fingered that?

However, new problem: In trying to figure out how that routing changed, I purposely set the Output to No Bus, and Cubase locked up. I let Cubase send its report on that one. Nothing we can do on that.

BUT, I found the solution to my original problem. There’s a bug.

The Vox> bus has been there for awhile and I was doing some experimentation vocal tracks that I deleted before creating the current tracks and structure. All the audio tracks and their immediate group tracks are all new. The Vox> group track has some plug-ins. One is the PS22 XSplit Mono/Stereo effect from Waves.

However, here’s the problem: IT WAS TURNED OFF! BUT RUNNING!

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As you can see, it’s turned OFF in the Inserts list in the Channel Settings window AND THE MixConsole, but turned ON in the plugin window! The plugin is throwing the panning off, because that’s what it can do. but Cubase showed it off when it’s actually on!

(I turn it off from its window and Cubase locks up… again.)

I think I’ve seen this a few times recently. As I could swear that I turn effects on and off, but their status is shown opposite between the effect’s window and Cubase’s displays. Plus Cubase keeps locking up on me.

So that’s two bugs!

4

It looks to me like the plug-in is just bypassed not technically off.

5

I can’t see much in the pictures, too small on my system…

But the PS22 X-Split is bypassed… that’s different from deactivated.

6

Have you tried changing the plug in you are using to stereo (rather than the mono/stereo version) on the grouped stereo track?
Using the mono/ stereo plug in on a stereo group track throws off the stereo balancing from the incoming mono tracks

7

I have a hunch that this topic has been resolved as we haven’t heard from OP for six months.

A remark for anybody reading this: I think the problem would not have happened if OP did not use mono audio tracks. You don’t need to use mono audio tracks just because you have a mono source for input.

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8

Sorry about not finishing this up. I got the problem solved, but I can’t remember what happened.

As far as Cubase crashing: I think I probably went back in to Cubase after it crashed and told it to disable all plugins and then removed that PS22 X-Split from the effects list of that channel and re-saved the project. Lately, I’ve been having plugins from several different companies crashing Cubase - very frustrating! Anymore, I’m now just trying to use Cubase plugins first, if possible.

Blockquote
the plug-in is just bypassed not technically off.

@Wickham_Sky - You were right on that - I used the wrong term. It was just bypassed, not deactivated - but I don’t understand how it would matter which state it was in. Either way, if its bypassed or disabled, the effect to the audio flow should be the same; around the plugin, not through it. So I don’t think this was the answer.

Blockquote
Have you tried changing the plug in you are using to stereo (rather than the mono/stereo version) on the grouped stereo track?

@Matt_Loft - That makes sense. I think I was thinking that since the source tracks were mono, I would want to choose the mono/stereo version. But the group channels feeding it are all stereo, so you’re right.

Solution: Don’t use Wave’s PS22 Split Mono/Stereo effect on a stereo channel. Use the Stereo version. (Sounds obvious now.) I just tested this with both versions and the Stereo version keeps the stereo balance correct. (Though I don’t know why the Mono/Stereo version would throw things off.)

@Johnny_Moneto - Nope, not the problem. In the end, I have 16 mono tracks, panned and mixed into 4 stereo group tracks, mixed into a master group track, and if I use the Stereo version of the plugin (instead of the mono/stereo version I was using, even in spite of it being bypassed) on that last stereo channel, panning works correctly.

I started off mentioning that I was loosing my mind. I thought I was developing dementia in my mid 50s. Turns out I have untreated ADHD (in addition to being an Autistic)! Apparently, not having enough dopamine in your prefrontal cortex for decades can start to look like dementia. Seeing my doctor Monday to see about getting “doped up” on Adderall or something.

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