Playback Button Not Working (CS4, Mac OSX 10.4)

Cubase
1

The main issue is that I am getting no sound on playback on some projects, and in other projects, nothing happens when I hit the spacebar and/or Play button in the Transport bar—it doesn’t even start playing. There are other issues, all related to the situation following. Bear with my explanation, maybe you’ll see something in it.

I am using Cubase Studio 4 on a Mac G5 PowerPC running Tiger OSX 10.4.11. The factory hard drive became unstable. I purchased a new Caviar Black 1Tb internal, installed in the second drive bay, made it my startup disk. Note: The operating system has not changed—still running OSX Tiger 10.4.11, fully updated. Basically the ONLY big change was swapping hard drives.

Reinstalled all my software (and Groove Agent 3, HALion Symphonic Orchestra). Reinstalled my TASCAM US-122 software.

My projects are on an external EZQuest Cobra FW drive. (I’ll spare the hassle I went through getting my “new” computer to recognize it).

It has been two years since I last worked in Cubase (life happened, OK?) and I want to review what I’ve done previously. Went to open a file. Told it was version 4.1.0, and CS4 was 4.0.0. Came to the Steinberg site, dld’d the update. Now I’m running Cubase Studio 4.5.2.

I can launch projects. I just either cannot hear playback on some files (seems to affect primarily my one-track MIDI riffs), or I can’t get the play button to “make it go” on other files (seems to affect files comprised of audio and MIDI or audio only, such as a guitar idea).

My head’s about to explode. Ideas as to why this is happening? Yes, I tried checking and unchecking “Playback Toggle triggers Local Preview” in the preferences. No change.

I also can’t seem to get Groove Agent to run, and I’m confused as to whether I should run the HALionOne updater (with the Cubase 4.5.2 update download) even though I have HSO. You know, this could be so much easier, this making music digitally. Though I love the amazing things I can do with VSTs, it’s times like this when I really miss hitting the power button on the four-track, plugging in, and pushing play.

2

Make sure Sync is disabled on the Transport.

3

Nope, that’s not it.

F3 Mixer Stereo Output—not muted (saw this elsewhere on the Forum).

I can hear the click track in a new project that I’ve done nothing to, but not any of my old projects. :cry:

4

If you are getting a clicktrack means your soundcard is working. I’m on Cubase on a PC, and had previous versions of Cubase. I had it once in Cubase 2.2 - and all of my files where corrupt. I think I saved them as open media files, and reimported them. If it are pure audio tracks you can copy the files from your audio folder to a new folder - and import the tracks in a new project. As for midi I wouldn’t know what to do…