This week, CBP 13 has crashed several times. I analyzed the latest crash dump with WinDbg and ran the result through Google Gemini. For now, I’ll try reinstalling CBP, however other error analysis pointed to a faulty audio driver among other issues. I’ve run extensive hardware and software error tests. No problems found. Ideas welcome. Here’s the Gemini result:
Analysis of the Error:
The error report indicates a NULL_CLASS_PTR_READ access violation in Cubase13.exe. This means the program tried to read data from a memory location (0x00000000000000b0) that was expected to contain a valid object or class pointer, but instead found a null pointer (a pointer with a value of zero).
In simpler terms, imagine you’re following a treasure map, and the map tells you to dig at a specific spot marked with an “X”. When you get there, there’s no “X”, just empty ground. The program encountered a similar situation, expecting data to be present at a certain memory address but finding nothing.
Possible Causes:
- Software Bug: There might be an error within Cubase13.exe itself, leading it to incorrectly handle memory or object pointers.
- Corrupted Data: Some data used by Cubase could have become corrupted, causing it to reference invalid memory locations.
- Conflicting Software: In some cases, conflicts with other software running on your system, such as drivers or plugins, can interfere with Cubase’s memory management.
- Hardware Issues: Though less common, faulty hardware like RAM can sometimes cause memory errors.
Troubleshooting Steps:
- Update Cubase: Ensure you have the latest version of Cubase 13 installed. Updates often include bug fixes that could address the issue.
- Reinstall Cubase: If updating doesn’t help, consider reinstalling Cubase completely. This can help eliminate potential issues with corrupted installation files.
- Update Drivers and Plugins: Make sure all your audio drivers, graphics drivers, and Cubase plugins are up to date. Outdated drivers or plugins can sometimes cause compatibility problems.
- Check for Conflicting Software: If you recently installed new software, try temporarily disabling or uninstalling it to see if it resolves the issue.
- Run Memory Diagnostics: Use Windows’ built-in Memory Diagnostic tool to check for any hardware-related memory problems.
- Contact Steinberg Support: If the problem persists, reach out to Steinberg’s technical support. They can provide more specific assistance and may be aware of known issues.
Important Note:
The error report also mentions a specific memory address (0x00000000000000b0) and a failure bucket ID (NULL_CLASS_PTR_READ_c0000005_Cubase13.exe!Unknown ). If you need to contact Steinberg support, providing them with this information can help them diagnose the problem more effectively.
Remember: Always back up your important projects and data before making major changes to your system or software.
Have you installed the latest version of Cubase 13? It is 13.0.41 for PC.
If so please attach one or several crash dump files to the forum. Please attach the raw .dmp files. Only this way we or the developers can make a deeper analysis of the issue.
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That is no analysis, Gemini is just another useless AI (like ChatGPT, OpenAI, xAI, etc) , that copies all kind of useless information together and has no idea about the real information. Sorry to say this, but all these AIs are just crawlers that can mix information into some nicely formatted output.
As @Johnny_Moneto already said, upload the crash dump so that we can have a look at the information in it that has some real value.
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Thanks to both of you for responding so quickly.
Yes, I agree re: AIs are little more than glorified string searchers that tend to be of little use. So far, Gemini is the worst for me. They’ve lately put substantial filters barring anything political.
e.g. Gemini refused to show me the Gettysburg Address and the political views of Plato because such things are too politicially sensitive or some such rubbish! Occasionally though, they can save a bit of time here and there. Artificial Stupidity is a much more suitable name for them. 
Oh wow, there is rather limited information in this file.
Can you recall what was the last thing you did before the crash?
@Martin.Jirsak : The crash is in cubase.exe, there is only one entry for the stack. Maybe the devs can see more?
Hi,
More interesting info from the user is, when did the crash happen, please?
I can see, it’s in the Score Editor, while editing Voices. Is it possible, please?
If I recall correctly, I was composing in CB with Halion 7 and opened the score editor which ran for a few minutes and then CB completely froze, necessitating an end task. No other software was running at the time except perhaps for Chrome which is usually on the Steinberg.net website and the CB online manual.
CB froze twice again, 2 days earlier, with this result each time:
IMAGE_NAME: wdmaud.drv
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: BREAKPOINT_80000003_wdmaud.drv!CMIDIOutDevice::WriteEvent
Logs were sent to Steinberg.
Windows is fully up to date and all software is 100% legit.
| Edition |
Windows 11 Pro |
| Version |
22H2 |
| Installed on |
12/29/2022 |
| OS build |
22621.4169 |
| Experience |
Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22700.1034.0 |
Thanks again!
Cubase 13.0.41 64bit 2024.9.11 23.46.56.879-freezedump.dmp (1.2 MB)
Cubase 13.0.41 64bit 2024.9.11 23.47.57.772-freezedump.dmp (1.2 MB)
These are the other 2 crashes which referenced the wdmaud.drv driver.
So, in total there were 3 recent crashes. Two on Sept 11 (wow, that’s really weird now that I think about it) and one on Sept 13. After the 3rd crash, I reinstalled CB, used chkdsk /r then sfc /scannow and so far, no crashes.
I hope this is useful info.
Thanks Martin and Johnny
The more specific you can be about your last actions before the freeze the better.
Something like: Selected pencil tool, drew a note in score editor → freeze.
Or: opened menu xy, dialog {name} opened → freeze.
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Hi,
This points to the bug in the old Microsoft WDM MIDI Driver. Use WinRT instead, please. You can switch it in the Studio > Studio Setup > MIDI Ports Setup.
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I imported a midi file from an idea I wrote in Halion 7 standalone using Tales, into Cubase and did a few minutes of editing in the Cubase midi editor with the same Tales pad.
I inserted a chord track and an H7 string pad to express the chords. As the song (5 min in length) played from the beginning, I opened a score window and simply observed. No tweaks or input were made. Roughly 2 minutes later, Cubase froze.
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Interesting. I use a Motu M4 with USB C end to end to the motherboard (not PCIE card) set to 9600 samples and 2046k buffer for all my audio i/o. However from time to time, I’ve noticed various Steinberg software eg standalone Halion 7, The Grand or Groove Agent can’t be heard even with the Motu drivers selected.
So I restart the software or restart the Motu and that often sets things right. This makes me wonder if I’m missing an important setup detail?
Thanks Martin, I’ll recheck my drivers.