Cubase asio spikes

[Downtuned]

Do any Cubase users here have problems with asio spikes in their projects?

I'm normally a bedroom noodler and just use cubase to get down ideas but i'd like to record a full album but I get so far into a project and the asio meter keeps jumping and causing small crackles. This seems to be in the same places of the project and I can't get rid of it.

I've unloaded all plugins in the project and although it eases the load the asio still jumps at the same point (although without the vsts it doesn't max out and crackle) so it's not a plugin issue, although I did discover voxengo curveeq on the guitar bus caused audio dropout but that's an unrelated event.

I've tried all the different buffer settings to no avail, I've disabled any unnecessary devices, disabled speedstep in bios, ensured that my computer is running at high performance, tried experimenting with audio priority options in device setup in cubase, disabled all antivirus and internet and I'm still getting the spikes. I ran DPC latency checker and it said everything was fine and didn't report anything strange even when I played my project with it monitoring alongside.

I'm really not sure what to do. I only know Cubase and I'm comfy with it I gave reaper a go but I spent more time trying to figure out how to do what I did in Cubase rather than make music so I'd rather stick with it. I contacted Steinberg twice but they gave me the most half arsed replys and obviously hadn't read my emails properly.

I hope someone can help me, the SOS forum tried but I haven't had a reply recently and I can't log on to the steinberg forum even though I have a mysteinberg account. My specs are below

Computer -
Asus Quad Core 2.50Ghz desktop PC
4GB Ram
Windows 7 Home 64 bit
Cubase 5

Interface -
M-Audio Projectmix i/o

Thanks all.

 

[tenebre]

hmm That usually is buffer related.

Do you have the latest audio drivers for your M-Audio? are your drivers 64 or 32 bit?

Do you have the latest Cubase 5 patch set? are you running cubase 64 or 32?

 

[Downtuned]

Thanks for the reply.

Yep I have the latest patches and I updated my M-Audio driver to the latest one yesterday which is 64bit SP1. No change.

According to other forums people with versions 4 through to 6 are having this problem (PC and Mac) and Steinberg don't seem to be addressing the issue (I didn't find anything on their knowledge base about it!)

With regards to the buffer I can get it sort of working if I increase it to 4096 (maximum) and take off ALL my plugins, but I really shouldn't have to be doing this.

I've tried a reinstall as well and that was unsuccessful. Still stumped.

 

[tenebre]

I am running Cubase 6.0.2 64bit.

I have seen the ASIO spike problem.

The only way i can recreate it is by using a 32bit plugin through a bridge (cubase or jbridge). I need to use the SAME plugin through a bridge on multiple tracks. This seems to cause the problem.

With everything 64bit native I have never encountered the issue.


I had the same problem with my Echo Layla and my Current Lynx so I certainly agree its a cubase issue.

Are you bridging 32bit plugs?

 

[FIXXXER]

try to set the widows power management options to "high performance"
windows has "power saver" as default which kinda chokes the power of your machine.

if it does not help use the DPC latency checker tool

http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

cheers
S.

 

[Downtuned]

Are you bridging 32bit plugs?

I'm not sure if I am or not, I don't know what jbridge is, or bridging for that matter, could you explain further about it please?

@Soultrash Thanks for the reply but my Computer is already running at High Performance and I have used DPC latency checker while cubase is playing the projects with the glitches and it doesn't budge beyond the safe zone and says the computer is fine. Interestingly when I mute the midi track of Superior Drummer 2 the problem goes away and stays when I delete everything but the midi of S20. But I thought S20 was a quality product and wouldn't cause such problems, especially as so many people here use it.

I'm glad others think it's a cubase problem because I'm sure it isn't anything else and hopefully a solution can be found because it's a great piece of software bar this issue, but music software is no good if you can't record music on it!

 

[tenebre]

You cubase is 64 bit right?

The plugins you are using (aside from the built in cubase ones) those are either in 32 bit or 64bit format.

what plugins do you use in the sessions you are having trouble with?

 

[t-rave]

try to set the widows power management options to "high performance"
windows has "power saver" as default which kinda chokes the power of your machine.

try this.. I ignored doing this for ages but I just recently did it and now I can run amplitube 3 in the highest quality mode at much lower buffer settings! I was getting random pops every where in hi quality mode before...

I also set the proccessor to " background services" this may have helped

heres some more tips

http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase/en/article.php?id=1071

 

[Downtuned]

My Cubase is 64bit yes. I tried setting to background services but no change.

The only plugins I use in projects are stock Cubase compressors, waves, Izotope trash for guitars, some lepou amps & lecab2 & amplitube 2 for bass tracks & Superior Drummer 2 (metal foundry w. Sneap presets) and I activate the outputs of SD2 in cubase and use drumagog on the snare and kick tracks to blend.

I'll chuck a vintage warmer on the master bus now and again but that's about it.

I usually get as far as 1 midi track and 4 audio tracks before things start going a bit Judy Finnigan with the asio but to me it's only the bare bones of a project with a lot more to do.

How do I tell what plugins are 32bit and which are 64bit and do I need to put these in seperate folders or something? If so can someone take me through the process of what to do?

Thanks once again for all the help guys, it's a bastard of a problem but I feel I'm getting closer.

BTW I just did a fresh re-install of Cubase, cleaned out the previous muk with ccleaner, checked my computer with hijack this and I'm still getting the spikes.

Stumped!

 

[tenebre]

Ok I know for a fact that all WAVES plugs are only available in 32 bit. So its possible this is your issue.

Do this:
Copy your project
remove all 3rd party plugins
close out cubase and reopen
See if the static goes away.

If it DOES then you need to go through the process of adding them back one by one to find the offender. In some cases the latest version of the plug may work better. In worst cases you need to find an alternate VST.

Superior Drummer is available in a 64bit version now. Honestly I am unsure how you tell. I always install them to separate directories myself. The cubase bit bridge (this is used to run 32 bit plugs) isnt that great. So if thats the issue using jbridge might fix your problem. The next more extreme step is converting to all 64bit plugs.

 

[Downtuned]

I've never had any issue with waves plugins before but I'll certainly try what you said. I usually just stick every plugin in my vst plugins folder but I guess I'll need to do some thinking.

I've done another reinstall of Cubase, trashed all preferences and deleted all old projects and made new ones with the midi drum files I kept.

I've managed to record 2 guitar tracks and 2 bass tracks (well one but doubled and then one thick and one distorted) and I'm not getting glitches during playback now even with group tracks setup.

It's still early but the only thing I have done different is not activate the outputs on Sd2 yet and the master bus is clear apart from an L2 which I like to have on.

I've looked at the asio meter and it still jumps at the same point, even in a fresh project but it's not maxing out so I think the solution may be to keep all plugins to an absolute minimum until all tracking is completed and then whack the buffer to maximum and freeze tracks like crazy, which isn't the best for mixing but it may just be a workaround.

I'll try all the suggestions as well and I'll keep going with my project and report back to this thread if anything works/doesn't work in case anyone else is having these problems.

Feel free to keep the suggestions coming though if you think of anything!

Cheers guys!

 

[tenebre]

another option is to install Cubase 32bit and see if you have any problems.

 

[Downtuned]

Hey guys, just to say I'm closing this thread, for me anyway.

I thought I had it licked with what I was doing but my whole project crashed when I tried to change the buffer settings and I lost everything, plus I had a small spike as well just before it happened and there was virtually nothing in the project.

I've had enough with Cubase and Steinberg. I've done everything I can and wasted months looking for a solution and I just want to get back to recording music rather than fixing faults and trawling forums reading about PC settings, so I've decided to unregister and sell my copy of Cubase and buy a copy of Pro-Tools 9 instead. It'll put me back a bit having to learn a whole new DAW but I can't keep wasting my time trying to fix what I have.

I really hope (but doubt) someone from Steinberg addresses this issue, not only because I never hear of any other DAW having this bother but because it has just lost them a loyal customer.

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who replied to me on this thread. You were all a big help.

I'll be back on in a few months once I've worked my way around pro-tools so see you's all then!

Cheers!

 

[FIXXXER]

i still do not think that it is a cubase problem,
i run cubase 5 in 32 and 64 bin incl. varoius plugns and i do not have any problems.
sure, tehre are 32bit plugins that fuck up everything when run in 64bit cubase but this
is a plugin related problem. i also run superior2 in 32 and 64bit, works fine.

maybe your pc is just not fast enough, or its a messed up windows, viruses, could be so much...

 

[Downtuned]

I guarantee you my computer is virus free and is more than powerful enough. I'm sure there is a solution but I just can't be bothered finding out anymore.

It's about time I tried some other DAWs anyway for a change. Interestingly enough I gave Reaper a go again and was getting into it but when I went to activate Superior Drummer's outputs to reaper channels it crashed every single time.

So I'm thinking it's Superior Drummer 2 itself because if I recall correctly, isn't v 2.2.2 32bit and the 64bit versions start at 2.2.3? I still have the f2.2.2. Either that or it is some sort of Ram issue.

I do recall I bought 8GB of ram when I built this machine but something wasn't compatible or it wasn't on my motherboards compatible list so it only used 4GB of the 8 that's installed and some sort of conflict there might be causing crashes and problems. I just forgot about that and remembered it there.

Definitely things I'll need to check out but if it is sd2 or the ram I may just stick with Reaper anyway because it is really growing on me!

 

[FIXXXER]

have you all the drum samples loaded or are you in cache mode?
cache mode gives me dropouts and stuff.

you machine is powerful or at least it should be powerful but it's not like
i bought a fast PC and now IT IS fast. everythighas to match, and the RAM thing
makes me go on thinking that the prooblem is not cubase. do you have the other
4GB outside or is it still placed on the motherboard?

 

[Downtuned]

Well it looks like it was indeed Superior Drummer that was the problem. I installed the 2.2.3 update (which I should have done in the first place) and the asio meter is now quite steady and this is at 256 samples.

Bit of a shame because I was quite enjoying Reaper but it still crashes everytime I try to activate multichannel of SD2 to Reapers mixer, even with the SD 2.2.3 update!

I'll still look into the ram thing but for now I'll try and get the project as big as I can and see what happens and report back here either way.

Cheers!