Steinberg Cubase & Nuendo Audio Waveform Peak Files (.pk)

Bottom Line: It is 100% safe to delete .pk (peak) files. Steinberg Cubase and Nuendo digital audio workstations generate .pk files alongside .wav audio tracks to render visual waveforms in the project window.

Why Do Cubase .pk Peak Files Exist?

When importing or recording audio tracks in Cubase, the audio engine parses the raw .wav file and writes a lightweight .pk waveform image cache file.

• Primary Purpose: Fast graphical rendering of audio waveforms in the project timeline.
• Storage Growth: Large music production sessions with hundreds of audio takes accumulate 500 MB to 5 GB of .pk files.

What Happens If You Delete .pk Peak Files?

• System & Session Safety: ✅ 100% Safe to Delete. Original high-resolution WAV/AIFF recording files are untouched.
• Automatic Re-generation: Cubase automatically regenerates .pk waveform files when opening the project session.
• Reclaimed Storage: Reclaims 500 MB to 5 GB of storage space.

How to Clear Cubase Peak Files

# Delete .pk waveform cache files in audio project folders
Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\CubaseProjects" -Include *.pk -Recurse | Remove-Item -Force

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why are audio waveforms missing in my Cubase project timeline?

If .pk files become corrupt, waveforms fail to display. Deleting .pk files forces Cubase to re-calculate clean waveform graphics on next project load.