DAW / instrument plugins / libraries oddities

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DAW / instrument plugins / libraries oddities

Post by 3Seas » Wed Sep 14, 2022 11:25 am

I can't be the only one who experiences odd, unexpected, probably shouldn't happen, oddities in DAW, instrument plugins, and libraries, combinations. So I'm posting this topic.

Cubase 12 pro, buffer 1024 with Arturia Spark2 midi out only feeding UVI Falcon with "Quarda muted and harmonic" with 4 different quad sets all set to midi channel 1. Empty but looped Cubase falcon track.

Hit play, sounds like crap (overdriven crackling) until shortly after it loops first time, then falcon ignores what spark is sending it and starts its own thing. You can hit Cubase transport stop but falcon continue to play like it has one trigger key stuck. The specific sparks pattern and specific Quadra sets of quad instruments may be relevant. But it only does this, ignoring Spark2 and doing its own thing when the buffer size is 1024. Best I can tell at this time

It takes time to figure out such oddity, why it happens. learning software idiosyncrasies (or discovering bugs) is annoying and gets in the way of learning what I should be able to expect.

Anyway, I can't be the only one and this is certainly not the first nor do I believe the last one I'll discover, trip over.

Does anyone have oddities they may like to share?

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Re: DAW / instrument plugins / libraries oddities

Post by 3Seas » Sat Sep 17, 2022 5:32 pm

Using A Cubase included VST plugin Retrologue2 I lost some settings I had so went to an earlier backup with the idea of saving its presets and then loading them into the newer version of the project.

Discovered Cubase included VST plugins on my system does not allow saving user presets. It's a problem some experience with Cubase, and this problem has existed for over ten years, my investigation has learned,

I have also not been able to find even a hint from Steinberg addressing the issue online in their forum. The best I saw was some mention of starting Cubase up in some sort of Cubase safe mode, but the link given on it is a dead link.

I use the free Nanohost from http://tone2.com so I can load VSTs as though they are stand-alone applications when they are not. Mostly just to check out VSTs. So I went to load the VST, which brought the problem to my attention, into Nanohost only to not be able to find it anywhere I would expect it to be, i.e. vstplugin directories. So I went online to download a trial version, NOT through Steinberg Download Assistant. Uninstalled the installed version and installed the trial. Then I was able to find it where I would expect it to be. I loaded it into Nanohost to see if I could save a custom preset. Not a problem at all and it used a typical, NON-Steinberg Cubase file manager. But this does me no good with my project in Cubase as I can't load custom preset either, in Cubase.

In pursuing production music, where you develop shortcuts, and streamline your process, VST custom presets are a part of doing so. This 10+ year problem, as basic as a file manager, very strongly indicates Cubase is not a production system, regardless of all its wonderful bells and whistles. Why Steinberg persists with a Cubase convoluted file structure I have no idea.

I have sent a support email about it to Steinberg and even if they respond Monday, I am unfortunately going to miss another TAXI listing deadline tonight. Such software unreliability also concerns me in regard to the potential timely support of library or beyond requests.

I am a newbie here in pursuing income-producing music production and there is a lot to learn about it, but silly software fails should not be a factor. It's enough to sort through the software DAW, plugins, and libraries to find and pull together the elements of sound and compose it all fitting of a listing and make the deadline. Not to forget documentation. I have yet to do that the first time. but regardless of missing the deadline, I'm going to finish the piece. It was meant to be for September 17th, 2022. TAXI # S220917FT -EMOTIONAL ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTALS

BTW, I eventually found that I could copy the VST preset from the backup and paste it to the new version of the project's VST, if I have both loaded into Cubase (does not use the windows copy buffer). You will not find this mentioned in any Steinberg documentation nor did I see it mentioned anywhere. Though it allows me to finish the piece, being able to save custom presets is important going forward.

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Re: DAW / instrument plugins / libraries oddities

Post by cassmcentee » Sat Sep 17, 2022 6:45 pm

Cubase Clubhouse Live on YouTube is very helpful, you can ask questions in the Comment section and they will respond.
Just keep your questions sharp and to the point... and be patient.
They have helped me.
Cheers,
Cass
Robert "Cass" McEntee
"Making music on a spinning ball of Magma"
https://soundcloud.com/robert-cass-mcentee
https://www.taxi.com/members/DosPalmasRecordings

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Re: DAW / instrument plugins / libraries oddities

Post by 3Seas » Thu Nov 10, 2022 6:33 pm

cassmcentee wrote:
Sat Sep 17, 2022 6:45 pm
Cubase Clubhouse Live on YouTube is very helpful, you can ask questions in the Comment section and they will respond.
Just keep your questions sharp and to the point... and be patient.
They have helped me.
Cheers,
Cass
Yes, I have come across them. and the recorded events 4 hours long (gratefully with a time index in the description!.)
I haven't made use of them yet.

I did solve some of the issues I've had with Cubase. The failure to save user presets was due to many years ago having a small C: drive SSD and moving the default Documents directory to D: drive and forgetting it as C Drive still had its Documents directory. Anyway, Cubase insists, not during installation but in use, that the user's document directory is on C: but then you can make a user preset direct anywhere, even on the moon if you had accessible storage there.

In my efforts to resolve this matter, not knowing why I then discovered I broke all my iLok activations. So I had to go through the contact companies and explain what happened to get activations back. Then discovered I lost my two traditional 5-pin midi port pairs of my old Soundblaster Audigy 2Zs platinum Unless I selected Cubase Studio setup to use WinRT Midi. But none of my standalone applications use WinRT Midi. Finally, after much unsuccessful effort, I removed all Creative Audigy software and drivers and cleaned the windows registry after removing the card then reinstalled it and upon booting up, the midi ports were back. My background in electronics and computers is a good bit above the adverage person and I could kick myself for not first trying the uninstall/re-install path.

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Re: DAW / instrument plugins / libraries oddities

Post by 3Seas » Sun Nov 13, 2022 10:42 pm

After watching the first Road Rally Sequel video I decided to get a Korg nanoKONTROL2 for the sliders

plugged it in, started up Cubase 12 and selected it in midi remote. Up and running with transport control. I understood that installing the Korg midi driver would make it more stable.
Hadn't used it enough to see anything unstable so I installed the Korg midi driver and it did make it more stable, like definitely not showing up, and it even stole the settings for my other midi controller and made it vanish too.

Can't be more stable than dead, not there!

...shrug...

So I removed the Korg Midi driver and uninstalled it. And now nanoKONTROL2 shows up alive and so does my other MIDI controller.

I don't know whether to feel Jesus-like or something unstable. Sometimes I find myself talking like I'm mentally handicapped because of silly tech and my efforts to understand it.

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