So apparently this issue has a distinguished pedigree: Midi Notes early (or audio is played early) - Cubase - Steinberg Forums
I’d record what I’m hearing vs. what I’m supposed to hear (i.e. what Ableton and FL do) but I can’t see how to do that with the free AI version of Cubase I have. I got this with the new audio interface I bought (a Steinberg Ur22mkII), and with the upgrade sale going I thought I’d put Cubase through its paces and see if it really merited a switch. And now I’m dealing with what appears to be a very old and deep bug that affects perhaps the most basic aspect of a DAW’s functionality: playing stuff back with correct timing.
I’d even accept sloppy recording! I have to deal with that in the FL ghetto anyway. But sloppy PLAYBACK? I can’t wrap my head around this.
I suppose I can just stick with the devil I know with FL, or shell out for Ableton since that apparently sucks the least. Cubase is certainly the most complete and feature rich package, but it’s also a minefield, and since electronic music production is just a hobby I really don’t feel like taking time away from work/friends/family/etc to troubleshoot these little niggles.
I don’t think words can fully convey just how badly I do not want to use Ableton. It’s a culture I really truly do not want to be associated with. And I’m entirely too old for FL. Cubase seems like a nice grown up choice. Except that it has been the least rewarding, most hassling experience of all of these. It’s as if it’s positively hostile to hobbyists, like it actively holds us in contempt.
This is the reason threads like this exist:
To whomever is in charge of marketing: “LoopMash” and “Sequel” are not the answer. “Just Works” is. That would be a fantastic feature – one I would pay hundreds of American dollars for.