Disable ASIO Latency compensation on the MIDI Channel you’re Recording into. Or, turn it on if it’s off. This function actually moves the notes, trying to compensate for current latency.
This has plagued Cubase since version SX3, but it was allegedly fixed in C7 with the inclusion of a new control on the MIDI track you are recording onto.
When you record MIDI in a situation where the audio feedback of your playing has some latency in it (eg a VST synth), you as a musician naturally compensate by subconsciously playing slightly ahead. Trouble is, Cubase records the MIDI note event at the timecode where the key press was detected, and not where the monitored feedback sound hit your ears a short while later. So, it sounds fine during recording, but early during playback.
I’m still on C6.5, so I can’t personally verify if they ever fixed it.
The workaround is to manually move all you MIDI to the right a few ticks after recording it.
I’m also experiencing serious timing issues with MIDI recording including early, late and missed notes. I’m using Cubase Pro 8 with Windows 8.1. I’m really unimpressed by this and wish someone could fix or at the very least acknowledge the obvious shortcoming in the software’s communication mechanisms. Btw this is only using internal MIDI, which you’d think would give great timing.
I use Studio One to record critical midi, and then transfer it to Cubase as midi file. Not a perfect solution, but it works really good. You could use any other daw of choice to capture midi, like Reaper or Ableton or Sonar or any other, none of them have midi problem like Cubase, so you are good with any of them. Then you just save midi as midi file and import it into Cubase, and all is good.
In fact i have also an accuracy problem, even with 32 sized buffer I get an offset between 100 and 500 samples from what i played.
I tried in ableton live and i got an offset of 0 sample, ie recorded midi match 100% what i played.
So for me the only solution is to record midi in ableton.
I realize this thread quieted down a few months back, but for what it’s worth, I’ve had the same, exact problem with MIDI timing since I first bought Cubase nearly three years ago. I’ve checked and unchecked every possible thing there is to check and uncheck, but the MIDI is consistently recording a fraction of a second early. I record extensively with virtual instruments, so a lot of cumulative studio time is burned up manually sliding recorded MIDI parts.
I hate to admit this, but I’ve become rather adept at playing behind the beat. This is especially helpful when you need to punch into a track that you’ve already slid over. It’s not the most convenient solution, but it helps.
Recording MIDI with Cubase kind of reminds me of my Toyota. My Toyota’s speedometer reads about 5% too fast, so I’ve grown accustomed to reading it about a quarter-inch to the left of the needle.
My understanding is that Steinberg is officially aware of this issue now, so hopefully it will be addressed shortly.
It’s fairly easy to test. Quantize some quarter notes and output the midi track to the input of another midi track. In Cubase the notes recorded in the destination track will usually be ahead of the beat. Time travelling midi! My results in 8.5 have improved a bit, but most notes are still early. I ran the same test in Logic and Digital Performer and only DP was spot on.
I notice you didn’t mention any VSTi to impart a lot of latency? Do I just need to increase the buffer size to notice this “early printed MIDI” effect?
My music has not been the type where I would notice 2-12 msec differences in timing (100-500 samples at 44.1), but I am getting more into drum VSTi’s lately, where I guess I need to look out for that now.