Editing midi while playback causes audio dropouts

In fact it's so bad now that you cannot do any midi editing on the fly, doesn't matter if it's in step sequencer or piano roll.
 
To reproduce:

• Open a semi-demanding project with VSTis (my CPU / latency meter is below 8% - you can even notice the slowdown in an empty project)
• Click play
• Open the step sequencer for one VSTi track (that track can even be muted)
• Click slowly, fast or click&drag in the step sequencer to activate notes, also try ctrl+left click-drag to connect notes
• Dropouts all over the place, plus noticeable slowdowns of the interface

For comparison: In FL Studio 12 midi editing while playback is smooth as butter.
 
Yes, I tried to uncheck "non-destructive midi editing", adjusting buffers, toggling UWP / MME etc. without any effect.
 
BTW as someone mentioned before: The problem reporter link is dead.
 
I won't post additional details about my system because I'm sure everyone can reproduce the problem.

Hi Occide, 

Have you opened up a case with support yet in regards to these issues?

The problem reporter process is having an overhaul. We're encouraging all users to get in touch with support directly. There our reps can try and verify the issue, get projects/crash files, and then escalate it to engineering if required. 
 
Too many users were using the problem reporter as a point of support contact, when it wasn't organized as such, and got left hanging.

Seth Kellogg [Cakewalk]
Hi Occide, 

Have you opened up a case with support yet in regards to these issues?

The problem reporter process is having an overhaul. We're encouraging all users to get in touch with support directly. There our reps can try and verify the issue, get projects/crash files, and then escalate it to engineering if required. 
 
Too many users were using the problem reporter as a point of support contact, when it wasn't organized as such, and got left hanging.

Thanks for writing back.
 
No I haven't because I wasn't able to find the route, obviously searching in the wrong place. You should definitely leave a note somewhere around that problem reporter link or it's old url.
 
For this particular problem, I'm sure I'm it can be reproduced on any system. Do developers of Cakewalk look into the forums or is the only way to their hearts through the support line?
 

pwalpwal

Seth Kellogg [Cakewalk]
Too many users were using the problem reporter

yeah i'm not sure removing the current/old form without leaving at least some explanatory text there is a good idea? right now it just redirects to the support homepage

 
We had this warning on the reporter prior:

Fault ReporterFilling out this form will not put you in direct contact with Product Support or a human of any kind. If you are seeking support for your Cakewalk product please see our support contact information page to get in touch with the right person who can assist you. Additionally, consider visiting our FAQ as well as product support pages first to ensure that what you are experiencing is not a configuration problem or setting that could easily be corrected.

 
We've moved to having users contact support first, which was always the recommended step, but now it's more enforced.

bvideo
Thanks for acknowledging this. I have some investment in writing the reproduction steps in a recent problem report. What is going to happen with those?

 
All the data is there, but there is no public facing portal. The system is entirely automated and gets parsed and assigned to devs on the content of the dumps themselves. If you submitted information there, without letting support know, it probably has not had any direct eyes on it. 
 
If you're looking for a response to any case or to bring it to our attention. Please contact support directly at this time. www.cakewalk.com/support/
 

occide
Thanks for writing back.
 
No I haven't because I wasn't able to find the route, obviously searching in the wrong place. You should definitely leave a note somewhere around that problem reporter link or it's old url.
 
For this particular problem, I'm sure I'm it can be reproduced on any system. Do developers of Cakewalk look into the forums or is the only way to their hearts through the support line?

 
Developers lurk and post occasionally, but their main duties do not involve monitoring the forum. 
 
Contacting support, including all the relevant details and optionally linking them to a post here is the best way going forward to bring cases to our attention. Support is there to verify reported cases and to pass it on to Development.  

occide
You can even bring the GUI to a full halt (infinitely) if you pop-out the step sequencer window, press play, then click&drag some notes but move your mouse out of the step sequencer window (holding on to the mouse button). The GUI will freeze until you let go off the mouse button.

Yes, Step Sequencer can stop GUI of the whole solar when you manipulate it with mouse, but I do not find that disturbing on its own, till it influence the sound.
 

occide
I won't post additional details about my system because I'm sure everyone can reproduce the problem.

No, I can not. GUI/mouse produce no audio dropouts on my system.
 
And that is the point. You can not claim "everyone" at least till someone else can confirm.
 
The problem with audio is somewhere in your computer, setup, project. There can be many reasons you observe it. From bad drivers and unfortunate USB connections till particular plug-in bug, which has not decoupled audio (real time) thread and GUI updates (Sonar in general does that right). That is why there is support which can guide your throw troubleshooting and at least pinpoint the problem.
 

occide
I'm not sure how it could have been "overlooked" for such a long time or why it's low priority. But again, I don't have time for going through a long process with the support each time, nor for waiting some more years to get this fixed. I'm considering to cancel my subscription and buy Studio One or another alternative that works. "Considering" because cancelling also means I throw money away.

So, what are you waiting for? You can find many threads about "other DAWs are better". And some people are happy after switching (many return, with lowered attitude...). You can demo many daws or get entry version for cheap. But with your approach, I predict you will likely hit some other problem, with high probability even the same....

BTW: Couple of users confirming they cannot reproduce the issue and then drawing the conclusion it's a single client's issue is methodologically wrong. But it happens constantly in this forum.
 
It's like saying you have a genetic disposition if you got sick from the flue, because we have 5 people around here that didn't.
 
Cakewalk may want to consider this from an affected customer's perspective. I've criticised this couple of times and other companies do not do this, for good reason.

azslow3

occide
You can even bring the GUI to a full halt (infinitely) if you pop-out the step sequencer window, press play, then click&drag some notes but move your mouse out of the step sequencer window (holding on to the mouse button). The GUI will freeze until you let go off the mouse button.

Yes, Step Sequencer can stop GUI of the whole solar when you manipulate it with mouse, but I do not find that disturbing on its own, till it influence the sound.

 
We have a potential fix for this in the 07.2017 update. I'm waiting for it to come back from Development to test. This month's update focuses on UI performance optimizations, so it was a perfect time to address this.

Re: any additional Drop Outs and Freezes in Step Sequencer, we're going to need some better recipes and/or the specific 3rd Party VST's to replicate and address any issue(s).  We haven't been able to track down the type of behavior Occide is experiencing.