8.5 Pro Unusable for Me - Constant Crashes (Mac)

Hi,

I’m a long-term Cubase user since 1995. I recently upgraded to 8.5 Pro. I’m on a Mac running El Capitan OS X 10.11.6.

Whenever I try to load an old project that I have been working on in Cubase 6, I get no sound. If I solo 1 audio track and hit play the playback cursor moves but there is no sound. If open the Pool and try to play an audio file it hangs again. If I try to change the VST Connections or adjust the VST Audio System settings it hangs (spinning squashed beach ball). I have to force quit.

Sometimes it opens and tells me that the VST Bridge Connection was lost. The same projects open and run without glitch in Cubase 6 and Cubase 7. Even just closing a project causes it to hang. I’m getting a bit fed up with it to be honest.

This isn’t a problem with 1 particular project - it happens with others too.

However, if I create a knew empty project from scratch and load a few VSTi synths it works. But, as I have some existing projects I need to work on, it’s not much use.

At the moment I’m wondering if I can either get a refund or perhaps there is some magic button or setting I can use that will enable me to make good use of my purchase.

Thank you,
Darren

System:-
Model: Mac mini Server (Mid 2011)
OS version: OS X 10.11.6 (El Capitan)
Cubase version: 8.5.20 Pro
Processor: Quad Core 2 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory: 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB
Storage: 250GB Flash (System HD), 750 internal SATA HD, 1TB external SATA, 2TB external USB HD, 5TB external USB HD
MOTU 828 mkII FW audio interface
MOTU MIDI Express 128 MIDI interface
Lots of VSTs.

It’s most likely a plug or a few plugs that are no longer compatible or need an update.

As the bridge is also throwing errors you are presumably still running 32bit plugs which may be the first place to look.

I know on PC you can hide the plugin folder by renaming to see if projects open and run ok without plugs…I guess the same applies to Mac? If that works well then you add back in bunches of plugs at a time until you eventually trace the culprit/s.

Sorry to hear you’re having problems loading older projects into the newer edition… FWIW, I have had lots of success doing this, many times - even from C5 projects. But, ok - I am on Windows; maybe that’s important…

Sometimes, its a simple memory overhead that will cause the crashes; perfectly ok projects from an earlier version require more memory in the newer version (fact of life). If you can be bothered, you could try experimenting by removing VST’s one by one, to see when the project loads into 8.5 ok…

Anyhow, some other ideas I thought of in the meantime:-

Continue and finish those existing projects in 6; start new projects in 8.5 as you move forward. If you need to bring stuff over from a v6 project into a v8.5 project, try moving one thing at a time (use Track archives/presets or export the Midi files).

Or, render-in-place as audio and import into the newer project. Or, mixdown as stems; then import those.

Hope some of that helps.
Bob

EDIT [other good points from @Grim I see…! :slight_smile: ]

Hi,

Thank you very much to the both of you for replying. You’ve been a great help.

I decided to remove all the VSTi’s and reload them one by one. What I didn’t realise, is that I do have some more up-to-date versions installed alongside the older ones. I just loaded the newer versions and reconnected all my tracks. I also reinstated any effects I had.

At least I can now play my project in Cubase 8.5.

Although, I still get problems where the sound will just suddenly die - the meters are showing throughput of sound, yet there is no sound. Weird. If I quite Cubase and reload the project it plays again.