Another application (like Google Chrome, Spotify, or Discord) has taken exclusive control of your audio interface sample rate.

If you want to fine-tune your specific studio setup, let me know: What are you using?

Set the buffer size to 128 or 256 samples . This reduces lag so you can record vocals or MIDI instruments in real time without a distracting delay.

Locate the drop-down menu at the top of the right-hand panel.

Open your driver's Control Panel and increase the buffer size. Alternatively, go to Devices > Device Setup > VST Audio System and ensure "Activate Steinberg Audio Power Scheme" is checked. This forces your CPU to run at maximum performance mode while Cubase is open. Issue: No Sound Output, But Meters Are Moving