Tweaking Preferences after upgrade

Cubase
1

Everytime I upgrade, I spend a lot of time re-tweaking the interface to make it work the way I’m used to. Sure would be nice in installation included an option to keep preferences from the previous version, but since that feature request has been repeated and ignored for as long as I’ve been using Cubase/Nuendo (about 12 years), I won’t hold my breath.

So, rather than having to re-invent the wheel with every upgrade, last time I started taking notes. This time I found my notes and added to them. I know everyone doesn’t share my preferences, but for anyone who does and may be trying to find an obscure setting in preferences, here are some that are important to me.

First, some preferences (but not all, as far as I’ve been able to tell) can be brought forward by simply copying the appropriate files, if you can figure out which they are, from

%appdata%/Steinberg\Cubase 8.5_64

to

%appdata%/Steinberg\Cubase 9_64

(see https://www.steinberg.net/en/support/knowledgebase_new/show_details/kb_show/cubase-and-nuendo-program-preferences-files-in-detail/ for more information)

I specifically copied the following:
• Defaults.xml
• Presets\RAMPresets.xml, and
• Presets\KeyCommands* (entire contents of folder)

The following needed to be re-set manually:

Turn Off Steinberg Hub
• Preferences > General
• un-tick “Use Steinberg Hub”

Turn Off Automatic Record-Enable on Selected Track
• Preferences → Editing → Project & MixConsole
• Enable Record on Selected Audio / MIDI Track.

Auto-monitor when Record Enabled
• Preferences > VST
• Auto Monitoring
• select “While Record Enabled”

Solo Track Follows Selection
• Preferences > Editing > Project & Mixconsole
• tick “Enable Solo on Selected Track”

Set Linear (vs Musical) Time Mode as default
• Preferences > Editing
• Default Track Time Type
• select “Time Linear”

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a setting to “Widen” the horizontal scroll bar, or to restore the end nodes that allow you to “Bump” it left/right. I will be cursing this oversight frequently until I get used to using Shift-MouseWheel instead.

Hope some of this helps someone. It’ll probably help me to find it here next time I upgrade. (If there’s an easier way to do any of this please enlighten me.)

2

Cubase does this AFAIK

3

Cubase attempts to transfer prefs…doesn’t always work. Lots of different permissions issues to deal with I guess.

But there is no need to be searching specific files…You can just pull across the entire folder to get the same preferences you had in previous version. Anything that doesn’t transfer between versions will be rebuilt on first start.

4

You could use the profile manager to export your settings before upgrade.
Then use the profile manager again and import settings on the upgraded version.
I have not have to do that as Cubase always takes over old settings when upgrading, and has done so for as long as I can remember.

5

Maybe I’m missing something, but why don’t you just save your prefs as a preset? I do that with every new version, updating them as I tweak for new settings - so I have all previous versions and even alternates available going back to C6 I think, available in each new upgrade as they are automatcally imported to the new prefs folder. Isn’t that what you want?

6

My prefs always transfer during upgrades. But even when migrating to new hardware I just copy the folder like Grim suggests. Pretty easy & it works fine.

7

Strange. I have done several upgrades (since version 6 I think, when I switched from Nuendo 4 to Cubase), but I’ve never had any of my prefs automatically carried forward. I’ve posted inquiries about this before, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention the “profile manager” before. Wish I’d known about this before I upgraded.

Copying prefs files worked fairly well, but did NOT include everything (such as Auto-record-enable on selected track, and Auto-monitor when record enabled), unless I just missed which prefs file covers these (I didn’t see it in Steinberg’s “preference files in detail” page).

Soooo… how do you GET TO the “profile manager”? I’ve found several articles on what it does, but none so far that say where to find it (this seems to me a common problem with Steinberg’s documentation)

Oh wait… there it is, under the “File” menu, never noticed it before.

8

That’s because it’s new with 9.

9

No the profile manager is not new to C9 !

10

Sorry. Was it 8.5 then? Please don’t tell me it’s been there since 6 or something, I couldn’t handle that.

11

I don’t remember if it was C8 or C8.5 so pretty new, very handy when working on different computers.
Or just as a settings backup.