Skipping and Jumping during Recording & Playback

Cubase
#1

Ok, last summer we broke out the recording equipment (Cubase LE5, Tascam 1800) and everything went fine, no problems. Tonight, hubby decided he wants to record tomorrow, so we set up the equipment and I can’t even play back files from last summer.

I open Cubase, open a file and click “Play”. The scrolling indicator (that little line that shows where you are in the track) will not run smoothly. It pauses, jumps, skips – sometimes even stops. You can hear the audio coming through the speakers, but it sounds like a CD skipping.

What I’ve tried:
**Changed the audio performance to lowest latency
**Closed all unnecessary programs through task manager
**Monitored CPU usage - it never goes above 35% even when its skipping
**In the VST Performance window, the AISO usually stays between 10 & 15, occasionally spikes up to 25-ish
**Check the device manager to make sure all drivers are functioning properly

I’m running Vista with a Core 2 Duo, 3 GB RAM. Yep, its not a spring chicken, but it functions properly and it ran Cubase without incident less than a year ago.

I’ve tried everything I know to try – any other ideas??? Pretty please??? :cry:

Thanks

#2

First thing I’d recommend to try is defragmenting the hard drive(s) (particularly the drive where the audio is stored).

That’s typically going to introduce more problems (if we’re talking about the same thing).
Lower latency = lower buffer size = more strain on CPU = more chance for audio glitches

You may want to increase the latency to see if that helps.

#3

I’ve tried every latency setting with no improvement. I’ll let the hard drive defrag overnight and report back in the morning. Thanks!

#4

Have you checked the power settings? If you’re on a laptop especially, you’ll want high performance on. Cubase should start the ‘steinberg power scheme’ when you start it, but that takes the currently active powerscheme and changes some values. Make sure it’s on high performance and then start Cubase.
If you’re on a desktop then this shouldn’t really matter unless you’ve been changing power settings between last summer and now.

#5

My hard drive really needed defraging! I had it set on a weekly schedule, but it stopped running over a year ago for some reason!

I’m beginning to suspect its the Tascam 1800 instead of the computer though. When I unplug Tascam, the scroll bar runs smoothly. The boys are bringing an extra USB cable when they come this morning, hopefully its a bad connection.

#6

Nope. Wasn’t the cable. Grrrr. Calling Tascam.

#7

Are you sure you have the latest Tascam ASIO driver, and it’s selected in device setup?

#8

Good idea. I uninstalled the drivers and reinstalled the latest versions. It is selected in the VST device setup. Still the same problem.

I did realize another symptom. When Tascam is connected there are rythmic static-y clicks coming through the headphones, even when Cubase isn’t playing anything. The computer screen flickers with the clicks. Same thing when I (try to) play a track. Tascam support isn’t operational on weekends. :angry:

I’m considering uninstalling/reinstalling Cubase. Is it as much of a pain in the ass to reinstall as the initial setup was?

#9

Have you done any graphics/video card driver updates since you last had it working properly?

#10

Not intentionally, unless something came through in an automatic update. Everything in Device Manager is showing that its working properly…

The only updates I see are pretty mundane: Adobe, Office, Microsoft.NET Framework, security updates for Windows - nothing for the graphics or video card.

#11

i’m also having the same issue. i’ve written steinberg but no reply yet. i have 4 inputs going into the tascam 1800 interface and they all come out clean on the input, however once going through the program the sound quality cracks. my mixer’s are all set where they shouldn’t clip, i believe so at least although admittedly im new at this. another issue with mine is that for some reason the input into the computer will randomly stop receiving. if i cycle power to the interface it resets and works fine again. i did find out that you have to use 2.0 usb. my computer runs 8 gigs of ram on a 4.0 quadcore so i don’t imagine it’s a pc performance issue, nor a space issue as i have a terabyte hard drive and i don’t use the pc for gaming or videos. i have the latest tascam driver as well…

#12

I’ve got the same thing. Playback and recording it freezes and cuts out. I’ve got the buffer size set to the largest before hitting the 5ms latency mark. My cpu runs Win10 with an AMD 8 core @ 3.5ghz with 16gb ram. Not an i7 but it’s no slouch and I get freezing with only 3 tracks laid.

#13

I experienced skipping during the 2nd set of tracks during a recording session with a local band tonight. I had just made 16 full recordings of different Hair Metal songs (basics: Rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal and background vocal tracks) three days ago, and I had no problems with skipping. When I looked at the local band’s flash drive / memory stick, it was 32GB. My memory stick is a 64GB USB 3.0 drive. Both the same exact high quality brand. When I inserted my drive and ran some demo tracks, I no longer experienced skipping. :blush::metal:t2: