I give up. Something in the song makes the whole song sound off beat, something is not tight. I tried muting everything and unmute one track at the time, but I just can’t locate the sound making the song sound untight. Maybe it is a bunch of sounds together making it all sound untight. I give up. Did you try having the same annoying problem? I just have to let it go and start on a new song. Please calm my soul and let me know, that I am not the only one…
You’re not alone. I won’t get into the problem, as Steinberg won’t address that this issue has been here since SX2 and up. I will give you a workaround…
Try exporting all tracks into a new project with Track FX and any other plugs. Then go to the first driving tracks bass and drums etc… to line them up together using the tracks delay (in the inspector) to offset anything sounding not spot on. I have not found any other solution. Hope this helps.
Do you mean open a new project, import tracks from project?
If your projects are using a combination of audio and instrument tracks you could have the issue where dropped in midi is recorded late. Some even describe it as the live audio or midi is recorded early. It happens to me when I record my audio and instument tracks live using the Cubase “click”, then drop midi type files (like for drums) onto it’s track.
Trying to explain further…
For me the issue is usually on a drum track when I do not record the midi live. Usually, my drums are added and dragged in to the project after I record most of the live audio and instruments using the Cubase click. I use EZdrummer 2. The files are dragged in and are snapped into place. When I zoom in closer I can see that these drum files are on the beat but, when I compare them to the other audio or midi tracks that I have recorded live I see that they are slightly late (or the other tracks have all been recorded early?).
How do I fix it…
I have become accustomed to drop the first few midi drum files then take off the snap function, zoom in and move them slightly to the left so that they will play earlier. It’s not much. maybe 4 to 6ms. Then I change the snap function to “Grid + Events + Cursor” and place the remaining drum files so that they are snapping to the correctly positioned “event”.
I (and others) have asked about this “phenomena” for years and, to date, I have not found a good answer. For me, this has happened for years using different PCs and different audio interfaces. So over the years my workflow has adapted.
The other way to fix or prevent this is to drop in your drum files first or record your click live and use that as the click to record the remaining live tracks.
So… that’s how I do it but I somewhat expect that this thread might create some discussion (again) on this topic.
This situation is a PIA for sure but I don’t worry too much about it while I am having fun creating music. 
Also… I might as well add here that I have this exact same issue when I use Studio One (v 1, 2, or 3) as my DAW. So… who knows.
Regards 
So don’t you use the delay function in the inspector?
You definitely can use the delay function to correct the concern I described. But, the reason I don’t use it is because I like to have the midi notes on the drum track line up with the live recorded midi track notes and the live recorded audio wave. An adjustment using the delay function will play the late notes in the correct adjusted time but, the last time I checked (probably a few years ago), it does not actually move the midi notes. Just my preference but, because of your thought, I am going to check it out again to see if it moves the notes.
I have always found this to be a weird phenomenon that makes me think that I play early when using the Cubase click. But, others have complained too so I guess I am not the only one.
So back to your issue… Can the delay function help you?
Regards
I will try using the delay feature next time, because I did not know about it before KDEF2004 mentioned it here…
Are you side chaining? Are you swinging vs no swing. Sometimes you can get that off beat sensation if you are not careful about those things.
Assuming that it’s not a system issue (and in my experience it usually isn’t - though not saying that’s impossible) Then there are two areas that regularly come into my studio and both can be tricky to spot, but leave a sensation of being leaden and lacking groove.
The first common issue is with drums - usually the internal division of a bar, like snare or hats late or early with regard to kicks, that kind of thing. Or indeed whole drum tracks late with regard to other instruments.
The second is very common here. This is when vocals have been sung elsewhere to the backing music and dropped in. They quite often are not in perfect sync - usually late by say 20 milliseconds. That’s not enough to be very obviously wrong, but when the vocals lag by that much, everything drags - it sounds depressing almost, without any obvious timing error.
There will be lots of other scenarios I am sure, but these two are what I come across most.
No side chaining, no swing and I am all vsti, so all data is internal
Try some very gentle side chaining with a channel strip compressor to the kick to a few group tracks to the tighten the mix. Maybe that will help.