# Cubase 9.5 - Output extremely quiet?



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

Hi all,

Still trying to get my head around this program, Logic lad that I am.

Here's my current problem:

Everything in Cubase seems at least 20 dB quieter than it should be. Meters are visually hitting more-or-less proper levels, dim switch is not engaged, control room monitor knob is at unity, stereo buss fader is at unity... and I'm struggling to hear things at _*ff*_, much less lower dynamics. 

When I go to Logic, DP, or even Spotify or iTunes, everything else is "as it should be," so this has to be a gain staging issue or something in Cubase.

Why in the world would things be so much quieter here?


----------



## playz123 (Jan 9, 2018)

I'm not sure, but I don't have that problem at all when I move between Logic and Cubase. Possibly something not right with your audio interface settings/driver?? What interface are you using? Have you tried bypassing the Control Room and just feeding the audio output directly to your interface?


----------



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

Yes, regardless of whether it's through CR or merely though the standard stereo output, things are just quieter.

I've got a first-generation SPL Crimson as my interface and have never experienced anything along these lines before.


----------



## zvenx (Jan 9, 2018)

Are you using control room?
If so can we see the setup of control room?
If you hit F4 and show us your Audio Connections, specifically your control room tab and also your control room settings.

rsp


----------



## zvenx (Jan 9, 2018)

Sent mine before I realised you were using cr... please send us a screen shot of your control room settings.
rsp


----------



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

Like this?


----------



## Patrick de Caumette (Jan 9, 2018)

Are you doing mostly orchestral stuff?
Cause libraries such as Spitfire Audio are outputting at levels that are consistent with recordings and that are dynamically hitting at low levels.
If you use VSTs such as Spectrasonics and the output is low, then you should check your sound card stages...


----------



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

Patrick de Caumette said:


> Are you doing mostly orchestral stuff?
> Cause libraries such as Spitfire Audio are outputting at levels that are consistent with recordings and that are dynamically hitting at low levels.
> If you use VSTs such as Spectrasonics and the output is low, then you should check your sound card stages...


Yes I am, but the meters are more or less what I expect after using the same instruments in Logic and DP (and PT for that matter).

To me, this is a matter of Cubase just literally not outputting the same volume level as other DAWs for whatever reason.


----------



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

So, like, digital 0 in Cubase seems to be about 20 dB (rough guess) lower than the digital 0 the rest of my system, DAWs and music-listening apps alike, is using.


----------



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

I've got an external analog attenuator which is roughly this amount lower; when I crank it to unity, Cubase then sounds at the correct level, but every other program is grossly distorted.


----------



## zvenx (Jan 9, 2018)

in my image I had hilited two areas the one you sent and the actual Control Room settings, could you please send the control room settings image.
thanks
rsp


----------



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

zvenx said:


> in my image I had hilited two areas the one you sent and the actual Control Room settings, could you please send the control room settings image.
> thanks
> rsp


Oops! Here you go.


----------



## zvenx (Jan 9, 2018)

Thanks....hmmm nothing is obviously jumping out incorrect at me. sorry.
rsp


----------



## zvenx (Jan 9, 2018)

On a hunch, could you reselect your asio driver to the spl...
rsp


----------



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

That doesn’t seem to be changing anything. What do you suspect I should be seeing after I do this?


----------



## zvenx (Jan 9, 2018)

well just in case there was some corruption in some cache that may have cleared it up......is it your only audio card on your system?
rsp


----------



## Kent (Jan 9, 2018)

I’m on a Mac, so I’ve got whatever my internal core audio driver is and my SPL Crimson external interface.


----------



## zvenx (Jan 9, 2018)

Ok and same thing happens if you use the built in audio correct?
and you don't have any weird insert on your output bus right?
rsp

your level is at 0 per arrow, you dont' have anything in your channel strip (not shown as I dont' use channel strips) and no insert on your post fader setting (the yellow rectangle on the left)

rsp


----------



## Breaker (Jan 10, 2018)

Are your monitor meters (main / phones) showing similar readings to your Stereo Out meter? Some insert in the monitor channel(s) might be the culprit.


----------



## Kent (Jan 10, 2018)

No, I had no inserts or anything, and it was the same relative volume regardless of sound card or interface.

I ended up just going through my template and making everything louder articulation by articulation. Everything seems to be working okay now, though I'm still not exactly sure why it was doing what it was doing. Thanks!


----------



## Breaker (Jan 10, 2018)

How can you compensate 20 dB by turning everything louder if your Stereo Out is "hitting more-or-less proper levels" (say peaking around -6 dB)?
I would still try to test this, for example by rendering pure sine wave to wav and playing it through iTunes, Logic and DP.


----------

