Why did my instr tracks get converted to midi tracks?

Cubase
1

I was shocked to find that when I open up my old Cubase projects in Cubase 15, my instrument tracks have been converted to MIDI tracks without my permission. This creates a whole new problem for me, because now the inspector shows a whole bunch of MIDI controls that I couldn’t give a poughkeepsie about and do not need.

All I want is my audio DB slider in the inspector, as I always have on my instrument tracks, and now I have a MIDI volume control that goes from 0 to 127 that doesn’t even change the volume of my instruments! Same with Pan. I hope I’m wrong about this, but it looks like Steinberg engineers took the liberty to convert my instrument tracks to MIDI tracks and replace the inspector with MIDI controls instead of audio controls.

before you answer, yes, I know that I can add a “fader” to the inspector. But I don’t want a vertical fader. I want my top left to right slider in the inspector control the volume of the instrument as it always has. I have no need for MIDI volume. I want my audio volume there. Tell me there is an easy way to convert this track back to an instrument track. This is absolutely maddening, and it is so not right

2

Instruments are midi tracks. There is no audio in the parts.

3

What version of Cubase were these old Projects? Perhaps you don’t properly recall what was actually in them. I’ve never heard one single report of Cubase ‘converting’ one Track type into another. There are no commands in Cubase to convert a Track into some other Track type. Can you post a screenshot so we can see what you are talking about.

EDIT

Instrument Tracks were first introduced in Cubase 4 in 2006. Prior to that the only option was a MIDI Track.

4

How old is your project? Did you just open the project like normal? I have opened Nuendo 4 projects in Cubase 13 and there was no such behavior present.

5

The OP isn’t talking about Audio capabilities in any “Parts” - they are referring to the Track itself. And Instrument Tracks definitely have both MIDI and Audio components.

6

Thanks Raino! Exactly right. Instrument track has audio volume at the top of the inspector on the left. It literally says 0.0 dB on that slider. Well, it used to. By the way, this is I think a Cubase 9 or 10 project. I know I set this track up as an instrument track. It is now a MIDI track with MIDI controls on it

7

Question remains, how can I convert this BACK to an instrument track

8

Open a new instrument track ..use the same VST instrument that you had originally.
Move the midi parts to the newly created instrument track.

9

Once again, for clarity, in what version of Cubase were the old project created?
You should see it in the Title bar:

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You could try creating a new project and importing tracks from the old.