Cubase 14 hangs on VST3 scan: SSL plugins + active iLok on macOS Tahoe 26

Cubase
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1

Cubase 14 hangs permanently at the “Scanning VST3 Plug-ins” phase on startup when SSL Native plugins are installed and an active SSL Complete Access subscription is present in iLok License Manager. Cubase 15 starts normally under identical conditions.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Run macOS 26 Tahoe (tested on build 25F71)

  2. Install SSL Native plugins (any combination – reproduced with ~38 SSL plugins including SSL Native Channel Strip 2, SSL Native X-Phase v6, SSL 4K series, etc.)

  3. Activate an SSL Complete Access subscription in iLok License Manager

  4. Launch Cubase 14

-> Result: Cubase 14 hangs indefinitely at “Initializing: Scanning VST3 Plug-ins”. Apple generates .hang diagnostic reports. Force quit is required.

-> Expected: Cubase 14 starts normally, as it does with the same plugin set under the same OS when the SSL subscription is not active in iLok.

Additional observations

  • The hang occurs specifically on SSL plugins that require a fresh scan (i.e. not yet in the VST3 cache). Once a plugin is cached, it is skipped and no hang occurs.

  • Inspecting ~/Library/Preferences/Cubase 14/Cubase Pro VST3 Cache (arm64)/vstscannermaster.log shows the scan stopping mid-entry on an SSL plugin with no “OK” logged.

  • Apple’s .hang diagnostic reports (in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/) show the main thread blocked on a synchronous XPC call to launchservicesd, originating from within the SSL plugin’s __Pace_Eden.bundle (PACE/iLok license protection) during initialization.

  • The Cubase 14 VST3 scanner appears to have no timeout – it waits indefinitely. Cubase 15’s scanner handles the same situation without hanging.

  • Workaround: Copying the SSL plugin entries from a complete Cubase 15 VST3 cache (vst3plugins.xml) into Cubase 14’s cache file allows Cubase 14 to start, as it treats the plugins as already scanned.

System information

  • Hardware: Mac Studio (Mac14,13), Apple Silicon arm64, 32 GB RAM

  • macOS: 26.5 Tahoe beta (Build 25F71)

  • Cubase 14 Pro: 14.0.41.374

  • Cubase 15 Pro: works correctly under same conditions

  • Third-party plugins involved: SSL Native plugins (all versions using __Pace_Eden.bundle), iLok License Manager / PACE Eden license protection

Who should fix what

This appears to involve three parties: Apple (potential launchservicesd regression in Tahoe), SSL/PACE (synchronous Launch Services calls during license verification), and Steinberg (no timeout in Cubase 14’s VST scanner – Cubase 15 appears to handle this gracefully).

2

For a completely smooth workflow, Steinberg officially recommends upgrading to Cubase 15, which fully optimizes the DAW for macOS Tahoe. If you are relying on older drivers or legacy third-party plugins, it is also recommended to check the plugin manufacturer’s compatibility list before doing any major OS updates.

there are many known problems with Cubase 14 running on Tahoe. so get the final 26.5 version Tahoe OS and Cubase 15, you should be fine. I am running many SSL plugins, no issues what so ever. In general, there was scanning issues all over v13 and v14 of Cubase.