EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV) on MacOS

[Dplestin]

Subject: Cubase 15.0.6 - Scandalous performance on M2 Max Pro / Urgent Refund or Fix Required

Message:
I am writing this to express my absolute outrage regarding the Cubase 15.0.6.139 update. I paid 100 EUR for an update that is practically unusable on a high-end M2 Max Pro (macOS 14.8.3).

1. EXPORT SCANDAL: Even with ALL inserts suspended (black/deactivated), NO control room, NO external instruments, and NO MIDI sync, a simple MIDI track export takes 2 minutes and 50 seconds (the exact length of the song). The offline export engine is completely broken and stuck in real-time. This is happening on a machine that should render this in 5 seconds.

2. CRASHES: I am constantly getting EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV) at address 0x8 in the BAIOS thread during “Render in Place”. Your memory management on ARM architecture is defective.

3. FAILURE OF PRODUCT: I have followed every technical step, cleared preferences, and checked routing. The issue is in your code.

I did not pay 100 EUR to be a beta tester and be forced to go back to Cubase 14. I expect an immediate explanation, a hotfix for the M-series export bug, or a refund for this non-functional product. This is unacceptable for a professional DAW.

---

[XLColdJ]

@Dplestin

Subject: Cubase 15.0.6 - Scandalous performance on M2 Max Pro / Urgent Refund or Fix Required

Do you know how to open a support case? This is the users’ forum.

@Dplestin

an update that is practically unusable on a high-end M2 Max Pro (macOS 14.8.3)

• Are you running any 3rd-party audio/video software while Cubase is running?

• What audio interface are you using?

• Have you ensured that your audio interface drivers and any 3rd-party plugins are updated?

@Dplestin

The offline export engine is completely broken and stuck in real-time.

It’s not.

@Dplestin

I am constantly getting EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV) at address 0x8 in the BAIOS thread during “Render in Place”. Your memory management on ARM architecture is defective.

• What VST(s) are you using?

• Can you reproduce the issue starting with an empty project?

• Do you have any .ips files from the crashes?

@Dplestin

FAILURE OF PRODUCT: I have followed every technical step, cleared preferences, and checked routing. The issue is in your code.

It’s hard to tell from the information in this post what troubleshooting steps you’ve taken. If you’re sure the issue is in the code, open a support case and describe the steps to reproduce.

@Dplestin

I expect an immediate explanation, a hotfix for the M-series export bug, or a refund for this non-functional product.

It’s not likely that you’ll get an immediate explanation or a hotfix unless it’s a general known-issue.

[dream]

Hi Diplestin,

Sorry to hear about the trouble.

For reference, I’m running an M2 Ultra on Sonoma 14.8.2. I’m working with a very heavy template that includes all available groups, direct routing, all FX tracks, nested VCAs, and a couple of controllers. I’m also using an iPad and iPhone over Wi-Fi for control and metering, plus a second (older) Mac Pro to offload processing via AudioGridder.

Under these conditions, offline rendering works reliably and completes faster than the song length. With simpler sessions—even when mounted on the same heavy template—it’s significantly faster.

Please let me know if you’re able to identify the culprit on your end.

[Dplestin]

This also happend todey while trying to render inplace simple midi track

Title: Cubase 15.0.6 Crash & Real-Time Export Bug on Mac M2 Max (BAIOS Thread / SIGSEGV 0x8)

Description:
I am experiencing a critical issue with Cubase 15.0.6.139 on a Mac Studio M2 Max (macOS 14.8.3) with an RME UCX II.

1. The Crash (Render in Place):
Cubase consistently crashes when using “Render in Place” on VST instrument tracks (specifically Kontakt 8 / Studio Drummer). The crash occurs in the BAIOS thread.

• Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)

• Exception Code: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000008

• Thread: 359 BAIOS
  This looks like a null pointer dereference in the audio engine during the transition to offline rendering.

2. The Export Bug (Real-Time Forced):
Even when “Real-Time Export” is unchecked, Cubase forces a 1:1 real-time export speed (e.g., a 2:50 min song takes exactly 2:50 min to export).

• This happens even on a “Dry” export of a single MIDI track with no plugins on the Master/Mix bus.

• The “Deactivate External MIDI Inputs” checkbox in the Export window is greyed out and inactive.

• Crucial Detail: This behavior is tied to my Default Template. A completely empty project renders in 5 seconds, but as soon as my template structure (Groups, FX Busses, VST Rack) is present, the engine locks into real-time mode.

System Specs:

• CPU: Apple M2 Max Pro

• OS: macOS 14.8.3

• Audio Interface: RME UCX II (Latest Drivers, Internal Clock)

• Cubase Version: 15.0.6.139 (Native ARM)

Troubleshooting performed:

• Disabled Control Room (completely via Audio Connections).

• Removed all External Instruments/FX.

• Disabled all MIDI Clock/Timecode Destinations.

• Toggled GPU Acceleration (On/Off) - no change.

• Tested in Cubase 14 - same real-time export behavior with this template.

It seems the Cubase 15 audio engine is detecting a “false positive” feedback loop or external dependency in complex templates on Apple Silicon, forcing a real-time sync that cannot be overridden.

Attachment: [Insert your full crash report here]

[Dplestin]

crash report…

Cubase 15 Crash Report (Summary for Developers)

System Information:

• Process: Cubase 15 [877]

• Path: /Applications/Cubase 15.app/Contents/MacOS/Cubase 15

• Identifier: com.steinberg.cubase15

• Version: 15.0.6.139 (15.0.6.139)

• Code Type: ARM-64 (Native)

• OS Version: macOS 14.8.3 (23J220)

• Device: Mac Studio / MacBook Pro (M2 Max)

• Audio Interface: RME UCX II (Latest Drivers)

Exception Details:

• Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)

• Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000008

• Termination Reason: Namespace SIGNAL, Code 11 Segmentation fault: 11

• Crashed Thread: 359 BAIOS

[Dplestin]

Crashed Thread (BAIOS) Backtrace:

text

Thread 359 Crashed::  BAIOS
0   com.steinberg.cubase15        0x1029b1a48 0x10201c000 + 10050120
1   com.steinberg.cubase15        0x104b5001c 0x10201c000 + 45301788
2   com.steinberg.cubase15        0x104b476c8 0x10201c000 + 45266632
3   Cubase Plug-in Set            0x168e847c8 0x16854c000 + 9668552
4   Cubase Plug-in Set            0x168cd3f40 0x16854c000 + 7896896
5   Cubase Plug-in Set            0x168cd66c8 0x16854c000 + 7907016
6   com.steinberg.cubase15        0x10245f2ac 0x10201c000 + 4469420
7   com.steinberg.cubase15        0x103ef6590 0x10201c000 + 32351632
8   com.steinberg.cubase15        0x103e94508 0x10201c000 + 31950088
9   com.steinberg.cubase15        0x103e6e080 0x10201c000 + 31793280
10  com.steinberg.cubase15        0x103e85998 0x10201c000 + 31889816
11  com.steinberg.cubase15        0x103e7f918 0x10201c000 + 31865112




Thread 0 (Main Thread) State at Crash:
text
Thread 0:: Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
40  AppKit                        0x19060e11c -[NSApplication(NSResponder) sendAction:to:from:] + 460
41  com.steinberg.cubase15        0x10419d470 0x10201c000 + 35132528
42  AppKit                        0x1906d81a8 -[NSMenuItem _corePerformAction] + 372
43  AppKit                        0x190c885bc _NSMenuPerformActionWithHighlighting + 152
44  AppKit                        0x190710950 -[NSMenu performActionForItemAtIndex:] + 200

[Norbury_Brook]

@Dplestin

Crucial Detail: This behavior is tied to my Default Template. A completely empty project renders in 5 seconds, but as soon as my template structure (Groups, FX Busses, VST Rack) is present, the engine locks into real-time mode.

I think this is the issue here. You’re using an old template I suspect from a previous version of Cubase.

May i suggest you make a new template in C15 and see if that solves your problems.

I know it will take you some time to recreate your template , however in the long run I’ve a feeling it will be worth it.

I’ running an M1 Max and an M3 studio Ultra with UFX III and have zero issues with either render in place of virtual instruments or Exporting mix downs.

I’m currently running Mac OS 15.72 and it’s stable and working well with C15

M

[mlib]

@Norbury_Brook

I think this is the issue here. You’re using an old template I suspect from a previous version of Cubase.

If that’s the case, that is a pretty major issue. Templates are basically regular projects so you wouldn’t be able to work on projects created in previous versions either if this was the case.

[Dplestin]

TECHNICAL PROOF FOR STEINBERG DEVELOPERS (EXPORT DELAY & CRASH)

1. Project Data (Proving Low Load):

• Total Plug-in Instances: Very Low (~50 active FX, only 36 Instruments).

• Architecture: 100% VST3 / Native ARM-64. No VST2 bridging, no Rosetta.

• Resource Usage: On an Apple M2 Max (12 Cores), this load is negligible (<5% CPU), yet export is throttled to 1:1 speed (2:50 min).

2. The Smoking Gun (Audio Engine Lock):

• Realtime Blocksize: 1024

• Prefetch Blocksize: 1024

• The Issue: Cubase 15 has locked the ASIO-Guard (Prefetch) to the hardware buffer size. Even though ASIO-Guard is enabled, it is not scaling. This forces the engine to stay in synchronous Real-Time mode during export, ignoring the “Offline” command.

3. Crash Context (SIGSEGV 0x8):

• Crashed Thread: 359 BAIOS

• Error: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000008

• Analysis: This is a null pointer dereference. The engine is crashing because it’s trying to switch to offline processing while the internal scheduler is stuck in real-time sync with the RME UCX II hardware.

[Dplestin]

@Norbury_Brook

using an old template I suspect from a previous version of Cubase.

im using an old template from a previous version of Cubase??? Cubase 14 latest before 15

[Dplestin]

How can i upload plugin report ?

[steve]

@Dplestin

upload plugin report

Forum Guide, Uploads

[Dplestin]

Plug-in report.pdf (223.5 KB)

here is a plugin report

[Norbury_Brook]

@mlib

If that’s the case, that is a pretty major issue. Templates are basically regular projects so you wouldn’t be able to work on projects created in previous versions either if this was the case.

having been around these forums for 30 odd years this comes up now and again so I thought it was worth asking the OP to try, along with trashing prefs, old project templates ‘can’ and it[s rare, cause issues when upgrading to a new version.

Running an old project, is not the same as starting a new project from a template created in an older version. Sometimes… and again…. rare… when installing the new version , something can get corrupted when it transfers all your ‘old’ templates/preferences to the new version.

As i said, I ‘m runing a similar setup without seeing any of these issues.

[Dplestin]

report2.pdf (311.2 KB)

here is a plugin report in pdf

[mlib]

@Norbury_Brook

Running an old project, is not the same as starting a new project from a template created in an older version

What are the differences? I’m genuinely interested.

[Norbury_Brook]

@mlib

What are the differences? I’m genuinely interested.

you can open an old cubase project without having imported your preferences and templates from a new version. So basically your new version is ‘clean’ .

If you import your preferences and templates from an older version you’re not starting from a clean slate and on the odd occasion, corruptions can occur ands you have issues.

I’ve seen it a few times with people with large templates who have performance issues after updating to a new Cubase version and when they start from a newly made template it all suddenly works as excpeted.

M

[XLColdJ]

@Norbury_Brook

I’ve seen it a few times with people with large templates who have performance issues after updating to a new Cubase version and when they start from a newly made template it all suddenly works as excpeted.

I haven’t directly tested it (and probably won’t), but I suspect that the user-created template .cpr files aren’t automatically updated when the version is updated. When I get a new Cubase version, I usually open my templates and either overwrite the existing versions, or create new ones using “Save As Template.”

[Norbury_Brook]

@XLColdJ

I haven’t directly tested it (and probably won’t), but I suspect that the user-created template .cpr files aren’t automatically updated when the version is updated. When I get a new Cubase version, I usually open my templates and either overwrite the existing versions, or create new ones using “Save As Template.”

maybe not, all I know is I’ve seen issues in the past with templates from older versions causing issues with new versions so i htought it was worth mentioning to the OP.

M

[mlib]

@Norbury_Brook

you can open an old cubase project without having imported your preferences and templates from a new version. So basically your new version is ‘clean’ .

Perhaps my memory is a little fuzzy, but I thought for sure preferences and templates etc. automatically gets copied over from an older install on first run.

But my question was more specifically the difference between opening a template vs a project from a previous version.
I know there are minute differences in a file saved as a template .cpr vs a project .cpr, but the differences appear slight and you can always open a template .cpr file as a project and vice versa.