Possible bug when freezing tracks with multiple versions?

Cubase
,
#1

First off must say congrats to Steinberg, I really like the 10 update! I’ve been using for a few days and I am really enjoying it.
Thanks for the great software over the years :slight_smile:

I thought I would post here as I may have found a bug?

I have found when freezing a track, if it has multiple versions, it freezes to null (silence) in Cubase 10.

I found that odd when recently freezing in a project, but when I tested with a duplicate track with no versions, it rendered a freeze file no problem.
I checked the manual (in case I was wrong in thinking that you cannot by default freeze tracks with multiple versions anyways) but it does not seem to be the case. Or maybe I am getting that wrong?
Cheers!

#2

Hi and welcome,

Do you freeze an Audio track or an Instrument track, please? What is the Freeze settings?

#3

Hi Martin,
In this case it was mono audio tracks.
I haven’t tested with a soft synth (I would now but I am not at the studio) but I suspect with a problem like this it is not due to my system.
Multiple versions and freezing = silence (but no errors or crashing just the same frozen “look” but no audio)
Single version = frozen track and working audio.

I guess that a freeze is just a bounce with a different front end visual for the user in the coding correct? A great piece of coding though as I am a big fan of freezing tracks :slight_smile:

Setting: I used just a standard freeze setting. I didn’t test freeze settings at the time. An interesting test would be to see if the “top of the list” version file works in a multiple freeze list (I am pretty sure I tried that though but maybe I didn’t)
Maybe test it on your rig Martin to see if it is happening to everyone? Or if anyone else reads this give it a go on your rigs.
If it’s just my system then no problem I’ll do more thorough checks with a variety of options on my system and put them up here (that makes it easy will be my problem and everyone won’t need to worry!)

Cheers

#4

Hi,

I tried to reproduce it, but it works as expected here on my system. The track is frozen, the events are locked, I can see the waveform and I can hear the sound.

After the freezing, there should be a dedicated folder (Freeze) in your project folder, at the same level, as Audio folder is. Could you please check, if this folder is created, and if you can see a file in it? Can you playback the sound of this file?

#5

Hi Martin,
I am back at the studio and did some tests, here is what I can make out:

  1. I opened a new instance of cubase 10. I then opened the project where there was the freeze issue and ran a freeze on the mono kick channel. It bounced to no sound. I opened the freeze folder and it had created a freeze file called kick. A very small file though at 92 bytes in size. I was able to reimport that file by drag and drop but all it does is create a channel with nothing to see of course, but doesn’t say that it is corrupted or anything like that on import. It offers a 32bit to 24 bit conversion on import of the file as I suspect freeze files are 32 bit by default (my project files are 24 bit) I have stashed that 92 byte wav file to my desktop.
  2. I then tested by bouncing that kick channel in cubase (it was originally a bunch of events in a single lane) and then freezing that one. Result was a frozen channel all working perfectly.
  3. I went to snare, same process happened…So I bounced and it worked.
  4. I went to stereo overheads. That one froze with no issues at all and there was no need to bounce all of the regions or lanes to get a working freeze file.

All I can think is that (maybe?) bouncing an initial startup projects mono files (project created in 9.5 on win 10 opened in cubase 10) can cause freeze issues? Who knows might be just me!

I Will leave this with Steinberg. What I can see though is it doesn’t care about track versions etc what I initially thought might have been the problem.

I am happy here though as I can duplicate my versions, do a bounce (I should be bouncing every time anyways) and I can keep the lane takes on an alternate version (that’s how I normally work) and everything is working fine so I am happy moving on. I really like Cubase 10.

This could of course be a file permissions thing or some other weird thing here on my system, a plugin…who knows. Hopefully no one else has the problem but if you do it is easily fixed.
So if anyone see’s odd behaviour on a (possibly mono only) freeze attempt, try bouncing.
Thanks for answering and investigating Martin!

OK! I am back to the song at hand and will leave it solved at my end, over and out :slight_smile:

#6

Im back again Martin with a final discovery on my system just made then.
Hit freeze on a mono file once = silent freeze file.
Unfreeze, discard file and hit freeze again on the same track = a working freeze file and frozen track.
Tested on another track with no bouncing involved and no plugins.

So on my system, I need to “hit freeze twice” or I get a 92 byte file on the first attempt.

This time over and out!
Cheers

#7

Hi,

What sample rate is your project?

You said the frozen file is corrupted only for the very first time. Does it mean it’s for the very first time for every single file? Or does it mean, it’s the only very first freeze after opening Cubase 9.5 project, and then all other freezes are OK?