Crash Nightmare

VST Cloud VST Connect
#1

Things were going so well, until a week ago…
Cubase has started crashing randomly, usually when editing but VST Connect is now crashing Cubase so frequently it’s unusable. Every time I try to download the HD files using the manager function Cubase crashes completely, with no warnings or Cubase crash dump being produced. This is 100% repeatable. Windows Event Viewer cites VSTConnect3 as the crashed module.


What I’ve done so far, to no effect:-
Windows 10 fully updated
Checked the Windows installation using SFC and DISM. No errors.
Completely removed Cubase 10.5 and VST Connect and re-installed, latest versions.
Run hardware tests on disks memory and graphics. All good.

Question 1: What to try next?


Worst of all is that I have downloaded the recorded audio files from the remote performer m/c using Teamviewer. However I can’t get them into the project via VST Connect because it immediately crashes Cubase (see above). I have tried reading them via Soundforge and they appear to be corrupt and unusable. I’m worried that this has been a whole session wasted. It’s now happened twice with the same guy…

Point worthy of note: I downloaded the directory from the remote machine that carried the project name we had been working on. However in that (huge) directory were many audio files (some readable, some not) that were from other projects.

I have run a test session from another laptop on my LAN running Performer into an otherwise empty project on the studio machine and the recorded wav files on the laptop are also seen as corrupt by Soundforge, but I am able to import them OK into the main machine project using VST Connect.

Question 2: Can I recover the wav files I downloaded from the remote machine on the real session? I was intending to extract them and import them to the project as normal wavs with VST Connect removed from the project. Is there some sort of decoding required?

#2

hi Alan

Don’t have any real advise or answers but maybe some things to try - I suspect (as you do) that the locally recorded files are at least partially corrupted - or the metadata is screwy. I’m 100% sure it’s not your win10 installation. This would explain the crash in vstconnect when trying to import them.

I find it odd that the “working” vst connect files from your test session don’t open in Soundforge but are ok importing into cubase…I’m 99.99999% certain that the performer files aren’t encoded in any way so they should just open…maybe BWF format or something odd that SF can’t read.

No decoding is required so yes you can pull the files into cubase direct…

Things to try:

  • Try pulling them directly into cubase NOT via vst connect and see what happens - cubase can easily load a wav file.

  • Try transferring the ‘corrupt’ files by another method (not team viewer…wetransfer is good (and free!))

  • My feeling is the problem is (has been) at the performer end - so definitely get them to delete their local VST connect preferences which may have become corrupt. (C:\Users<me>\AppData\Roaming\Steinberg on windows I think?)

  • If you’re using stereo only and not multitrack then bluff and just use the compressed version of the takes you have (!)

  • send me one of the corrupt files and I’ll take a look

#3

“Can I recover the wav files I downloaded from the remote machine on the real session?”
Should be possible. You already downloaded the folder in question, so start you Cubase project with VST Connect, do not log in, then apply “Get Local HD files” pointing to that folder.
You say that the folder contains audio from other projects. This probably means you use the same Cubase project for various songs, that’s not a good idea (every Cubase/Nuendo project has a unique identifier that VST Connect refers to), nevertheless it should work even then.
If Cubase/VST Connect crashes during “Get Local HD files” as well, pls write a PM and we’ll examine that.
Furthermore, the latest VST Connect versions create a crash dump, so the very first step for you would be to go to https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/360012899079 for the latest versions, and some useful information.

#4

Hi,

When Cubase has crashed a crash dump will be saved. Could you please send me the file? (m.spork (at) steinberg.de)
The files are saved here:
C:\Users\YourUserName\Documents\Steinberg\CrashDumps

See you,
Michael.

#5

Thank you Gentlemen for your input and help to date.
I’ve checked a few more things and my findings are below:-

  1. Re. the Audio files from the remote machine:-
    I’ve now examined the files I downloaded from 2 different performer machines and the results are consistent between the two but very odd.
    Each song does have its own project so I expected a folder having the project name to only contain files from that song. This is not the case. Files from every song we have worked on appear in each song folder. Within the ‘audio’ folder there is a sub-directory called ‘consolidated’ which contains some files with duplicate file names to those in the root directory. Most of the files in the sub-directory are empty. Some of the HD files are blank, some of the HD files are full scale noise and others are good audio. @dr: I got the files into Cubase by direct import from the downloaded directories per your suggestion. Thanks. I will put a sample folder on OneDrive and send you a link. The good news is that I think I can salvage most of the takes from the sessions I thought were lost.

  2. Re. Crash Dumps:-
    Cubase is not producing Crash Dumps. It used to but has not generated any since 15th June, despite crashing several times each day. @ Michael: If you can tell me how to fix that I would appreciate it.

  3. Software status: -
    Cubase 10.5.20 build 179, VST Connect Pro 4.0.44.360 on the studio machine, both re-installed. VST Connect Performer 4.0.44.360 on both of the remote machines. Today I will re-install Performer on the remote machines and delete the preferences again.

Thanks

Alan

#6

hi Alan - I’ll take a look at the files you sent - but are you saying that they mostly import ok ? … in that case is there anything specific that you want me to take a look at ?

re: the crash dump - cubase won’t generate one on a BIG crash - you should be able to generate one by:

download procdump - it’s free - and doesn’t permanently install on your system so there is zero risk.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procdump

  1. start cubase

  2. You need to open command prompt as ADMINISTRATOR and run procdump - the command is

procdump64 -e -t Cubase10.5

trigger the crash and procdump should generate the dmp file (I hope!)

edit
and good to know all was not lost :slight_smile:

#7

Re. Procdump: Cheers, I’ll get on it.

Re. the files: No I’ve got what I need from them now thanks. I thought you might find the directory structure interesting though. The directory is 1.6GB so obviously not worth downloading.

Cheers
Alan

#8

might be worth Musicullum / Michael taking a look at those directories - and why they all ended up in the same directories - the xml files should tell them something

out of interest do you have a standard VST connect template to start new projects with - wonder if that makes VST connect ‘think’ it’s the same project ?

#9

I’ll send a PM to both Michael and musi with the link to the directory.

I’ve run Procdump and have a crash dump file which I will send to Michael as requested. All I needed to do to make it crash was open the manager window of VSTConnect in the affected project and wait 5 seconds, not even ask to Get Local Files. Boom.

I do have a VSTConnect template as both guys run the same hardware and general setup but I don’[t always load it. I may have done on the two occasions in question however.

Thanks
Alan

#10

I’m still having this problem. I am just managing to work with it by downloading the HD files using Teamviewer but sorting them out and putting them at the right places in the project is very time consuming. I usually get most of the takes.

Did Michael make anything of the dump files and the cpr file I sent?

The same project crashes Cubase every time I open the VST Connect Manager window.
Thanks
Alan

#11

We did make some progress, thanks for the files. Hope to get the solution to you soon, unfortunately holidays and Corona make it hard to get it through testing.
The ‘consolidated’ folder is a bug, but it doesn’t do any harm.
Did you try “Get Local HD Files” already? Also, the files should have a timestamp so to place them, should you still need to do that manually.
As for multiple files in multiple folders, this can happen if you run various projects but use the same Cubase project. You should create a new Cubase project for each song and user.

#12

When I open the ‘Manager’ tab Cubase crashes before I do anything else so ‘Get Local Files’ is not an option. I’ll look into the timestamp business though as currently I’m having to audition each file and work out where it fits in the project.

All songs do indeed have their own Cubase project file.

We are getting work done, which would otherwise be impossible these days, but sessions would be so much more productive without the issues.

Regards
Alan

#13

Hi Alan,

thank you so much for your input, feedback and sharing your sessions. Sorry that I did not get back to you. So much to do. We could identify and fix some problems in your sessions. The crash-dump was also very helpful!

But a simple click to the Manager and it will crash? Hm. How can I reproduce this one? Was it the first click? Or do you open/close the Manager, open/close the editor and then? Could you please look to the folder …
C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Steinberg\CrashDumps
… and check if there are generated crash dumps when the Manager-crash happened?

Thank you,
Michael.

#14

I had the same problem, as alanharvey:
Crash when i switch to the register “Manager” (with “Get HD Files” etc.).
And to musiculum: I had send my Crash Dump File to the Support in my Ticket (Start at 14.July!).

I remember, when i had a previous session with the performer weeks before, the register “Manager” in VST Connect Pro is empty - has no recorded files…
Now it looks, that the HD files CAN be download normally, but now it crashes every time, i switch to this register!
And thats the reason while i thought, that i have to “delete” this file entries…
But how can i do that?

Today i try ones more to “Get HD Files”, as musiculum describes in his post here.
So i start Cubase empty, start VST Connect Pro, NOT connected to any net and then switch to “Manager”, to get HD Files…
AND CRASH!
Again and again!

IMPORTANT NOTE:
I couln’t find any actual Crash Dump File after this last Crash today!
In Cubase Crash Dump Folder are only older one!
So i mean alanharvey wrote it correct: NO CRASHDUMP!

#15

you can force a dmp file to be written if you use microsoft utility - details are further up this thread

#16

Hello dr,
thanks!
I found it in C:\Users\DVance\AppData\Local\CrashDumps.
Cubase10.5.exe.17916.dmp

Before i looked only in
C:\Users\DVance\Documents\Steinberg\CrashDumps

Here are Cubase crashdumps too, but different i think…
:confused:

#17

hi DVance

you should be able to attach the dump to your post (nothing on the post you posted earlier)

No promises (!) but the devs for vstconnect are very responsive and will probably take a look

#18

Hi dr,
i’m not sure, if i understand your comment correctly…
But in my Ticket to the Hotline, i attached the last crashdump as an ZIP-File.
Nomally, the Hotline response quickly and helpfully every time.
But in my last Ticket, with the crash problems in VST Connect, which i start at 14. July, there comes no response until today.
Yes i know, we have the Covid19 problem and it seems they have much work around…
And i’m sure the answer will come soon…
Or a new update :slight_smile:

#19

you have a better opinion of the hotline than I do !

if you post it here it’s possible the devs will take a look. Your call obviously :slight_smile:

#20

I try to submit the crashdump. (98MB!)
But alway comes an Error: “File too long”
I try to submit as ZIP (12MB)
Also Error “File too long”
How does it works?