# Cubase - Insane GUI Lag. Help!



## Guffy (Jun 25, 2018)

This is a problem that i've had for some time now, and i can't seem to fix it.
I've googled my ass off to no avail.

This is a project with no instruments, audio tracks or FX.
VEP isn't connected. It's pure midi data.

At the laggiest part in the video, there's 17 different midi tracks being triggered, and most of them has from 1 to max 4 types of CC data written in them (Vel, Mod, exp, pitch or cc16).

I have a GTX 1080, and i'm running cubase in 3440x1440p.

I've already tried:
- Reinstalling Cubase (had this issue in Cubase 9.0.4 and it's no better in v9.5)
- Reinstalling Audio interface drivers + software.
- Reinstalling GPU drivers (Also tried rolling back to earlier versions)
- I must have tried to check/uncheck every single option in the cubase preferences by now.
- Disabled all kinds of stuff like Windows Defender.
- Cleaned up PC with CCleaner etc.

I'm out of ideas now.

It's extremely frustrating to work like this.
If it can't handle 17 midi tracks not connected to any instruments, how is it gonna perform with twice that amount?

Anyway.
Do i really have to switch DAW, or is there something i can do to reduce that horrible lag?

Thanks.

Edit: Higher res vid: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q4t7959wywf0i2w/Desktop 2018.06.25 - 16.25.21.02.mp4?dl=0


----------



## colony nofi (Jun 25, 2018)

Hi there,
Have you contacted Steinberg support about this?
Cheers, Brendan.


----------



## Jeremy Spencer (Jun 26, 2018)

Are you by chance using a Nektar controller?


----------



## Guffy (Jun 26, 2018)

colony nofi said:


> Hi there,
> Have you contacted Steinberg support about this?
> Cheers, Brendan.


Yes i have, but if it's anything like my last experience it'll take months before they get back to me.



Wolfie2112 said:


> Are you by chance using a Nektar controller?


Nope


----------



## colony nofi (Jun 26, 2018)

Fugdup said:


> Yes i have, but if it's anything like my last experience it'll take months before they get back to me.
> 
> 
> Nope


Who did you contact / how did you contact? (Where are you located in the world...)
b.


----------



## Guffy (Jun 27, 2018)

colony nofi said:


> Who did you contact / how did you contact? (Where are you located in the world...)
> b.


- Used the MySupport section after logging in.
- Norway


----------



## benatural (Jun 27, 2018)

Try this:

Go into GeForce control panel, turn default graphics settings to Performance. Go to custom application settings in the control panel, find Cubase, and turn off/downall settings to either "off" or "performance mode". 

You'll notice a huge difference.


----------



## Karma (Jun 27, 2018)

I have the exact same issue, with the difference being that I'm using an R9 390 as my GPU. Done tons of research and I'm still unable to get anywhere sadly.


----------



## zolhof (Jun 27, 2018)

I had this issue when 9.0 was released, the piano roll was particularly laggy, but it went away with an update.

I'm using a GTX 1070 with the latest driver and couldn't reproduce your issue with 9.5, nor the visual glitches shown here. I feel for you guys though, dealing with this crap can be really distracting.

I've tried all sorts of worspace configurations (4K and 2K monitors) and couldn't trigger any lag or visual glitches.

Use DDU to perform a clean driver installation (safe mode option) and remove all the bundled crap like 3D Vision, Physx, HD Audio Driver and Geforce Experience when you reinstall.

If you are using a TV or Monitor with onboard audio, make sure to disable it > Device Manager > System Devices > High Definition Audio Controller (right click, disable). Even if you turn it off in the NVIDIA Control Panel (setup digital audio) somehow the driver will creep back in and can mess with your main audio interface. Disabling the controller at the Device Manager is the only way to be sure.

Here are my NCP options, they are pretty much stock:



benatural's tip could help, the only drawback to using Maximum Performance is a bit higher power consumption and heat.

edit: When you contact Steinberg support, send them your DxDiag, it will be easier to troubleshoot. Start > run > dxdiag > Save All Information. Good luck!


----------



## Guffy (Jun 28, 2018)

Tried your suggestions, but there's no improvement unfortunately.
Thanks for your input though!


----------



## Will Blackburn (Oct 18, 2018)

same lag issue here in the audio editor. i've never had the problem before (using same graphics card) until upgrading from 8.5 to 9.5.

0.20 here


----------



## pisskeule (Oct 31, 2018)

Guys, I would strongly suggest that you stay away from high performance graphics boards like the 1080. Their drivers ( nvidia ) are shite, and they are being prioritised by Windows, taking away real time performance from other system processes. 
I dumped my Geforce in favour of a AMD FirePro w5100, and that basically sorted out all my issue regarding DPC latency. In fact, the swap brought it down to 7-20 in LatencyMon. 

Just make sure you're taking a mid range card, that's more than enough for anything Cubase.


----------



## Scott Moran (Oct 31, 2018)

This may not be any help at all, but I had the same kind of issue in Ableton and it was the monitor refresh rate. I had to turn it down from 144hz to 60hz.


----------



## Guffy (Nov 1, 2018)

pisskeule said:


> Guys, I would strongly suggest that you stay away from high performance graphics boards like the 1080. Their drivers ( nvidia ) are shite, and they are being prioritised by Windows, taking away real time performance from other system processes.
> I dumped my Geforce in favour of a AMD FirePro w5100, and that basically sorted out all my issue regarding DPC latency. In fact, the swap brought it down to 7-20 in LatencyMon.
> 
> Just make sure you're taking a mid range card, that's more than enough for anything Cubase.


Interesting.
There are people using nvidia cards without these issues though..
I've sold my 1080, and right now i put an older 560Ti in it's place, but it's just as bad. I suspect my 1st gen scarlett 6i6 might be the culprit here since i notice some improvement if i switch to other audio drivers temporarily installed to check. Changes to graphic settings has made zero difference.



Scott Moran said:


> This may not be any help at all, but I had the same kind of issue in Ableton and it was the monitor refresh rate. I had to turn it down from 144hz to 60hz.


Mine has always been 60


----------



## pisskeule (Nov 16, 2018)

It's the bloody drivers. I suppose its because of NVIDIA's edge in technology, they're way ahead and hence probably don't need to optimise drivers as much as AMD.


----------



## Guffy (Nov 16, 2018)

pisskeule said:


> It's the bloody drivers. I suppose its because of NVIDIA's edge in technology, they're way ahead and hence probably don't need to optimise drivers as much as AMD.


I can't be the only person in here using a Nvidia GTX series card though?
Yet i seem to be in the minority here with this issue.


----------



## zolhof (Nov 16, 2018)

Hey Guffy, have you upgraded to C10? If so, any improvements? I hope so!


----------



## MarcusD (May 2, 2019)

Make sure you turn off G-Sync in the Nvida Control Pannel. Had the same laggy issue in C10. Seems to have solved it (at least for me)


----------



## iMovieShout (Sep 17, 2019)

It seems that since updating to Nuendo 10.0.20 that I have the same glitchy / sticky graphics issues. 
I have two GForce GTX1060's (driving 4 screens of three 4k and one 2k) and have managed to tweak the settings to improve things, but graphics latency seems to be the cause. Most noticeably when hitting the space bar (playback) and watch a now very glitchy cursor move across the screen. It used to be smooth, but now it seems to stick every 2 or 3 pixels. Also when hitting the space bar (to stop playback) again it takes a good minute or so for the cursor to stop moving and Nuendo to become responsive again.

I'm going to try a Radeon AMD WX7100 to see if this fixes it. I've noticed many users reporting that the old AMD FirePro W GFX cards are good for this and also the mid-range Radeon WX cards. 

So fingers crossed.


----------



## iMovieShout (Sep 19, 2019)

jpb007.uk said:


> It seems that since updating to Nuendo 10.0.20 that I have the same glitchy / sticky graphics issues.
> I have two GForce GTX1060's (driving 4 screens of three 4k and one 2k) and have managed to tweak the settings to improve things, but graphics latency seems to be the cause. Most noticeably when hitting the space bar (playback) and watch a now very glitchy cursor move across the screen. It used to be smooth, but now it seems to stick every 2 or 3 pixels. Also when hitting the space bar (to stop playback) again it takes a good minute or so for the cursor to stop moving and Nuendo to become responsive again.
> 
> I'm going to try a Radeon AMD WX7100 to see if this fixes it. I've noticed many users reporting that the old AMD FirePro W GFX cards are good for this and also the mid-range Radeon WX cards.
> ...


So a quick update (2 days later):
I swapped the 2 GeForce GTX1060 Turbo cards for a new Radeon AMD WX7100, and wow the change is amazing. Here are the initial findings (5 Pros and 1 possible con):
1) All graphics, windows animation including scrolling and max/minimizing are so much smoother
2) In Nuendo 10, everything is smooth now. No more jittering cursors, or pausing when I open an editor, and the Nuendo graphics are so much more detailed with finer resolution
3) Rendering in Premiere Pro is about 5 times faster, and again no more jittering video playback
4) The new Radeon WX7100 takes a single slot on my motherboard, freeing up 3 more slots. The GTX1060's require 2 slots each. So I can now do away with the external thunderbolt expansion box and bring my 2 UAD Octos internally, yay!! 
5) The new WX7100 fan is quieter than the GTX1060s, despite various reviews complaining that the fan is fairly noisy (I guess it depends which GFX cards you're comparing to).

I've had one crash so far where all 4 screens went a sort of grey misty colour and the PC froze. I don't know if this is down to the Radeon card or the latest Windows update though.

For info: My PC-workstation is running Windows10, with dual CPU (2696v3), 128GB RAM, and 4 displays (x3 4k and x1 2k).

So, I'll keep the new Radeon card installed for a week and see how things go, but early signs are that the GeForce GTX1060's were not up to the job, despite their spec being overkill for anything I do on my PC.


----------



## Guffy (Sep 22, 2019)

I also swapped my nvidia to a AMD Vega 56 shortly after this thread, and it seemed to fix the problem. If i have massive projects going on, i'll still get some choppyness/lag, but that's most likely related to the CPU crapping out at 100 %.


----------



## benatural (Sep 22, 2019)

I also upgraded to an AMD card and it's a little better, but still very laggy for me.

Steinberg, if you're listening, please help us sort this one out. It makes working with your amazing software very difficult.


----------



## Per K (Oct 16, 2019)

Had this issue start up again after updating the drivers on my RTX2070. Used to have it on my old computer too.
Disabling G-sync fixed it immediately.


----------



## lokotus (Sep 9, 2020)

jpb007.uk said:


> So a quick update (2 days later):
> I swapped the 2 GeForce GTX1060 Turbo cards for a new Radeon AMD WX7100, and wow the change is amazing. Here are the initial findings (5 Pros and 1 possible con):
> 1) All graphics, windows animation including scrolling and max/minimizing are so much smoother
> 2) In Nuendo 10, everything is smooth now. No more jittering cursors, or pausing when I open an editor, and the Nuendo graphics are so much more detailed with finer resolution
> ...


Hi, do you experience fluent despite high ASIO / CPU Load or does it get laggy (less fluent GUI) the heavier the project gets ? Cheers, lokotus


----------



## David Chappell (Sep 9, 2020)

I had a similar problem a few months back, for me it was fixed by disabling ASIO guard in the cubase device manager. No idea how or why or what fixed what but it's working fine for me now at least!


----------



## iMovieShout (Sep 9, 2020)

lokotus said:


> Hi, do you experience fluent despite high ASIO / CPU Load or does it get laggy (less fluent GUI) the heavier the project gets ? Cheers, lokotus


The AMD WX7100 works smoothly and doesn't seem to have any issues, no matter what the load with 4 screens connected (x3 4k and x1 2k).
THe only slight issue is that the AMD driver software occasionally crashes - perhaps once or twice a week. It reloads so not a major issue. 

Hope that helps.


----------



## lokotus (Sep 9, 2020)

jpb007.uk said:


> The AMD WX7100 works smoothly and doesn't seem to have any issues, no matter what the load with 4 screens connected (x3 4k and x1 2k).
> THe only slight issue is that the AMD driver software occasionally crashes - perhaps once or twice a week. It reloads so not a major issue.
> 
> Hope that helps.


great thanks for the feedback


----------



## Davaakhuu (Jan 18, 2021)

Same problem here on Cubase 11, Vienna Ensemble Pro 7, OT Berlin Series & GTX1080ti. very laggy gui during playback. 


Here is video


----------



## scherzo (Jan 19, 2021)

For what it's worth, I've noticed the same problem when using too many VEP ports. It's as if there is some kind of exponential slow-down happening the more midi ports you activate per instance, although curiously it only makes the UI stutter but doesn't seem to affect playback or overall ASIO performance. It looks exactly like in Davaakhuu's video. 

If I set the number of midi ports to ~8 or thereabouts (and spread out the instruments across many more instances of VEP to compensate), it all works fine. It's been a while since I ran any controlled tests so I forget exactly where the slowdown starts to kick in. 16 ports might have been doable, 24 was definitely too much. 

Probably varies between systems though, but something worth experimenting with for those experiencing problems.


----------



## Davaakhuu (Jan 19, 2021)

I tested same project on Presonus Studio One 5! There was no problems. I think it's all related to Steinberg.


----------



## iMovieShout (Jan 19, 2021)

lokotus said:


> great thanks for the feedback


Update: AMD recently updated their firmware and their driver software which has fixed the fan control issue with the WX7100. Never had any performance issues, but sometimes the GPU would hit 79 degrees (Celsius) which is the maximum safe temperature for this GPU. Its now possible to bring the temperature down to around 45 to 55 degrees using their driver software. I've had this new driver for over a month now, and its very reliable (looks pretty slick too), even with all 4 displayports in use on 4k screens.


----------



## Davaakhuu (Jan 20, 2021)

I just tried AMD GPU Today.
Steinberg Cubase 11 has Laggy GUI Graphic Problem on both Intel & AMD GPU
I am on Windows 20H2 &
Tried GPU was Aorus NVIDIA GTX1080ti, AMD RX 5700 XT 50th, AMD RX 570 three GPU
Studio One 5 was no problem on both GPU.

- I tried few Drivers installed using DDU tools via Safe mode
- Disabled HDMI Audio Driver
- Disabled all kinds of stuff like Windows Defender.
- GeForce control panel set to Performance Mode
- Tried all resolution

I'm out of ideas now.

Steinberg must fix this.... or maybe Vienna Ensemble Pro?

I included video


----------

