Steinberg couldn't fix my problems on OSX

Cubase
#1

I’m a long time Cubase and Steinberg user. And I don’t mean since version 6 or something, I go all the way back to version 1.0.
I’ve had many problems with Cubase Pro 8 and 8.5 on Mac OSX, and after over 8 months, and loads of error reports, projects and data sent to Steinberg, nothing they’ve suggested has fixed the problems, in other words, they couldn’t fix them.
I have even updated to El Capitan which I prefer not to do because it caused issues with other software I use, However the problems are even worse with El Capitan.

Some of the problems I’ve been having:

  • The dreaded, unsolved “video engine not responding” error
  • Processor spikes when using very few plug ins even with Asio Guard active and a high buffer, spikes cause sudden huge latency until audio engine is reset.
  • crashes on Cubase quit and long delay on file open when program is first launched (around a minute after launching the program when selecting File>Open
  • sudden muting of all audio, no meters working, but other software can play audio fine.
  • when selecting ‘offline processing’ the application crashes in certain projects
  • general program performance issues, even with no 3rd party plug ins running and no other software running on my Mac

I’ve eliminated 32 bit plug ins and re created the preferences, run on a new fresh user account etc.
i am now re creating old templates as there has been mention of that causing issues with Cubase 8.5
These are unlikely to be driver or hardware related issues as I use RME interfaces with a Mac Pro

At this point the software is barely usable in a professional situation as mine, what would you do?
I have none of these problems in the trial of Nuendo 7, but Steinberg says the engines are the same, so they can’t explain it. I think this is because Cubase 8.5 (and probably 9) is riddled with bugs that they can’t be bothered to solve. What would you do? I spent a lot of money on this and now I am screwed here.
I am NOT interested in spending more to beta test C 9, I have already spent a year doing that with 8.

#2

For what it’s worth I’m using Yosemite with Cubase 8.04. It’s pretty Stable.
I do occasionally get the video engine warning but it hasn’t been a show stopper. I work with video pretty often.
I also get the “dead meters” from time to time. I quit and re-open the song and the meters are restored… I haven’t had the CPU spikes or crashes that you’re getting.

I’ve been reluctant to upgrade both Yosemite and Cubase for fear that something might go wrong. But most people seem to be reporting stable systems.

I usually partition my Hard Drive as soon as I get a new computer so I can install newer OS’s and versions of my software. Something I’ll be doing very soon. But I’ll have my Yosemite volume with CB8 as a fallback JIC.

Like you, I’ve also been using Cubase on Mac for a long, long time. 9 times out of 10 symptoms like yours have something to do with either incompatible plugs or system modifications.

What I would recommend is a clean install without altering Cubase or your OS. Run it in it’s native state for a while to see if you get any crashes. Then start introducing the 3rd party stuff one at a time testing each as you go. It’s a PITA but it’s probably your only option.

Best of luck to you.

#3

I did run 8.04 on Yosemite before this OS and 8.5 and it was better.
Well coded software shouldn’t require you to only run it on a fresh new computer with newly installed OS, that just isn’t practical in a professional setting, maybe for a home user. I guess the message here is that Cubase Pro is not really for Pro’s but for home studios that are not doing mission critical work.
I mean, who uses Cubase Pro with only the built in plug ins? Steinberg plug ins are terrible.

There must be a better way to get a stable working DAW, particularly from Steinberg on OSX.
Most of the users on this forum use PC with Windoze, I guess Steinberg products just don’t do well on Apple anymore?
Wondering wether this is also an Apple issue, seems Apple systems have a lot of issues lately, although I don’t have problems with any other applications and I am using a lot of other audio applications on this system with no crashes or problems. Only with Steinberg products which includes Wavelab which also crashes.
I check the crash logs, these are not crashes related to plug ins…

#4

This I don’t agree with, this is exactly what you expect from a pro user, a home user uses it’s computer for everything and the kitchen sink… But I agree you should not have problems either way. That said, you could consider me a home user in that way and I work from my home indeed, but it is a daw only machine. But I do like to streamline and experiment with my windows PC and on occasion I do manage to cripple it or even completely render it useless, but I always have a working backup to restore to. Last occasion I was working with a firewall. For some reason this slowed down file opening at startup of cubase, it was not unworkable but it shouldn’t do that. So I went back to my image before that.

If your problem is not a common problem, It is either the hardware or your software or a setting causing it (maybe in combination). Sometimes the cause is impossible to find.
I am not sure if you want a solution or are complaining (both are fine, I would be unhappy too), but have you considered installing bootcamp and windows. If you do go for win7 64 bit. Windows performance has always been better on the same hardware.

#5

I understand your point with this, but what I am talking about is running all the tools for work, not the kitchen sink. I doubt many pro users here use one DAW with some plugins, we have a lot more tools that are required for different projects and clients if your a commercial studio.

I am definitely not interested in just complaining, that is pointless, I want to get feedback from users who also had these problems. But it seems many of the problems I’m having if you search the boards have never been solved even though many users have them.
Seems there are a lot less users like me on OSX though, and these days people are used to fighting with bugs, and since there are work arounds to these problems, they live with it, but to me, then your being cheated by Steinberg, it’s not professional software.