This new thread is to draw more attention to this gigantic issue- Cubase deciding to hang when trying to open a project.
Please address this issue.
Something so fundamental as opening a project, made with plugins that work fine on other DAWs and have never been suspect before.
We have seen enough users experience this on the other thread.
Some people’s income depends on this, not to much to ask to be able to open your project???
Sorry, but I think anyone will agree here? We will need some more information on your definition of ‘not being able to open projects’?
Is it a new project? Is it an old project you try to start again? Or is it a new project that you just saved?
Common Zooterman…you should know the drill by now? Tell us what doesn’t work? Don’t expect us to wave our magic wand here and make you live happily ever after?
I for one have no issues opening new, old or ancient project? So it must be something with your setup? So please tell us the details?
Sorry I did not offer more information. It was an emotional post. I thought I fixed the issue on this particular project (existing project started just 3 days ago) but today again it hangs when trying to open (so it went from hanging/crashing, to opening fine after I opened it inactive state and re-saving under a different name, to hanging/crashing again). Hence the frustration.
(there is much more info about this issue on the other thread doing the rounds now). Cubase crashes while trying to load a project - Cubase - Steinberg Forums
It’s a simple problem but a disastrous one at that. I wish I could offer more information, but my steps to reproduce are:
For me it hangs at the time the window pop-up that tells me one of my connections is missing comes up - this window pop-up is not the concern as one of my devices is disconnected, but that’s where it hangs every time. Colorful spinny wheel thingy for ages and then crash. The pop-up message comes up for other projects as well which open fine.
EDIT: I just tried opening it again (after 4 failed attemps), and voila - it opened without a hitch. It’s just all a bit concerning, that’s all. I’ve heard previously it can be a bad plugin, but why did it decide to open this time?
Unfortunately, and I know this isn’t any help to your problem, but I’m running 9.5.21 in MacOS Sierra and Cubase always opens just fine for me running a really large template (2000+ tracks). However, 9.5.30 did have the issue with not opening if using Sonarworks.
So my thinking is it’s probably a 3rd party plugin causing your issue. And if that’s the case, you need to contact the developer instead of asking Steinberg to fix it. Try going to Macintosh HD / Library / Audio / Plugins and move all your .vst and .vst3 files out of their folders, then open the same project and see if it works. If so, then you know it’s a plugin. You can add them back in one by one (at least the plugins you know you’re using) until you find the culprit.
The other thing to look at is your audio interface driver. Is it up to date? Is it compatible with your OS version? Try opening Cubase alone and switch to Built In Audio, then open your project.
Have you tried running Onyx or C0cktail (the forum changes the actual word to “rock”) and/or Etrecheck to clean and/or find problem drivers or files?
If none of the above works, then, yeah - possibly Cubase could be the problem. I know there are a number of ridiculous bugs in Cubase which Steinberg (for some reason) completely ignores, but unable to open a project hasn’t ever been an issue for me (again, except with 9.5.30 and Sonarworks).
Thanks for the input and information.
Every bit of software is up to date.
It makes no sense - project hangs at multiple attempts to open it, and then it opens on a different go.
(Re Sonarworks, Apparently the Sonarworks update fixed the crash with Cubase 9.5.30)
Besides this issue that seems to have been solved now?..But I still wonder how people can end up with projects of, in your case 2000+ tracks? I can imagine 300-500 tracks for large orchestral works of Mahler or Bartok, soloists and orchestral groups. But how do you end up using 2000+ tracks in one project!!! How is this still relevant to the music you’re producing?
Just curious?
Note that they say a template of 2000 tracks. Not a project of 2000 tracks. 1900 of them could remain disabled.
Well, personally, I still am not updating to 9.5.30 because of the Audio Pool not trashing unused audio files. I use Render-in-place a lot, and when you have multiple outputs coming from VE Pro, then you delete the unneeded audio files RIP creates, 9.5.30 doesn’t let you trash those files. It tells you they are used in another project.
I used to think and wonder the same thing when I was starting out. I work in film/TV and I like having lots of different instruments loaded all the time so that I can quickly access them. It’s also about having different sounding sample libraries loaded for different scenes. For example, I have Cinematic Studio Strings loaded (which is a warm sounding library) for softer, slower scenes. But when I get to an action scene, CSS some times isn’t as crisp as I’d like, so I have Adventure Strings or Hollywood Strings loaded (which are brighter sounding), as well as a few other string libraries in case I want an even different sound than those. The same goes for brass, woodwinds, choirs, etc. I also have lots of different percussion instruments loaded, lots of different sound effect instruments, lots of ethnic instruments, and lots of various synths.
My point is when you’re working on a TV show and quickness is key, you don’t have time to search through a billion sample libraries or synth patches to find what you’re looking for. You load up all the core instruments you know you’re going to end up using, then add one or two here and there when you need it. Also, these are all mostly MIDI tracks coming from VE Pro on a couple PC slaves. I don’t have some super-computer running 2000+ instrument tracks (though I’d love to have one that powerful). 
Nope, I don’t disable any. I like to keep things “ready to go”.
I see, thanks for the info. I always choose to not pre-load tracks in Cubase so I usually stay below 100 tracks or so? Actually almost all of my work is related to Kontakt. My point is always, why load stuff into Cubase when not actually using it ?
So I made a searchable database for this. I can search for terms like “happy” or “sad” or “weird” and click on link(s) to load them into Cubase. That way I don’t need to overload the asio system by pre-loading stuff I won’t be using in that particular project?
Who needs happy tracks preloaded in Cubase when you’re composing for sad?
fyi- Since this topic is not discussing the OP, and there’s already another thread on that topic, I’ll move this to the lounge soon.
Fair enough.
Bottom line is: Projects are randomly hanging when trying to open. Then they open after some attempts. There is proof that other users are experiencing this. Therefore is an issue, and because it’s something that prevents users from accessing their work, I thought it’s worthy of drawing attention to it.