Hi Folks, BIG PROBLEM!!! Just installed the latest Ilok update, now when I launch C14 pro it just hangs on initializing and scanning VST 3 plugins. I have launched it with “deactivating all third party plugins” and it boots up. When I disabled program preferences it still hung on initializing vst 3s. I have tried C12 pro and that loaded up okay.
I’m on Windows 10 64 and this is a nightmare as I have a track to finish!!!???
It’s obviously one of your plugins then, not Cubase. Do you have some plugin path set for C14 that’s not in C12?
Thanks for your input. I did think about trying rollback. I don’t think C14 loads any Vst 2 stuff and you are right, I think there are other files C12 looks at. I have reinstalled the latest Cubase update again to see if that shakes anything loose, but the circle of doom is still spinning!!!
This kind of thing has happened to me a few times, and it’s annoying. I’ve noticed that when Cubase has trouble initializing the VST3 folder, it’s often related to plugins that use iLok License Manager, like Softube, Soundtoys, and UAD. These are the ones I use (there’s also Waves, but that’s another story). It often happens during plugin updates or updates using centralized services like Softube Central.
Whether the problem is really related to this is something I don’t know. It might just be a coincidence, but these coincidences are repetitive.
Recently, there was a major update to Softube’s centralized services and plugins, which caused Cubase to take a considerable amount of time to start up (whether it’s related or not). Well, usually after a Windows startup, things settle down, but not always.
Is Cubase really the problem, or are these companies’ servers acting up during license checks?
This kind of thing seems to be happening more and more frequently, and it’s annoying, if not unpleasant, to say the least.
A timeout would be welcome. When there’s a problem connecting to the servers used by certain plugins, Cubase should say, ‘Okay, you’re taking way too long to perform your license checks, man. You’ll pass your turn. Bye until the next one.’ and simply continue with those that are interested in working.
At least we could work with the functional plugins.
As much as I agree with an option to opt out it should be up to the user to decide whether or not to skip a particular plugin. Sometimes, a plugin might be essential to an existing project or the workflow.
I have recently experienced trouble with Waves and Ilok related plugin loadtimes, too. Now that the Ilok2 dongle broke I have to wait for Ilok to free my licenses for a minimal fee of just 50$. That’s what I call a bargain…
UAD is a different story altogether - @Thor.HOG ?
The latest 14.0.32 update now includes a vstscannermaster.log file which contains a log of VST3s scanned, cache disposition, and load times for non-cache scans.
Though I get the feeling the user’s issue is VST2 related (I don’t know) that won’t help, but if it is a VST3 then the log file could be valuable.
On macOS it’s in the ~/Library/Preferences/Cubase /Cubase Pro VST3 Cache/ folder, and probably in the AppData hierarchy on Windows.
I don’t use any of the UAD plugins at all on my main rig anymore; and only the UAD2’s on my “experimental” rig. UAD has lost my business permanently 
I also go through and delete all VST3, AU, VST, etc plugins after [being forced] to update UA Connect, etc so that they never get scanned by Cubendo in the first place since they don’t allow you to specify what you want installed.
On Windows, vstscannermaster.log for Cubase 14 is in:
%APPDATA%\Steinberg\Cubase 14_64\Cubase [edition] VST3 CacheHi Rene, yup, I think this is where I am. Not sure what to do really, unless I nuke my preferences and start again? When I enabled the VST2 button I had a bunch of plug-ins populate, but these days I tend not to install any VST2s.
I wonder if what you’re seeing is the same thing as I reported in the following thread:
If it is, in my case, if I kill Cubase with Task Manager, then start it again, it starts just fine and doesn’t hang. I do have the latest iLok Manager since this is a new PC build. The hang on VST3 scanning has only occurred twice thus far, once on my first Cubase startup (on Monday) and once on Wednesday.
Most of my iLok authorizations (and, I think, all my non-iLok authorizations) are activated to the local system. However, UAD Spark plugins have to use iLok Cloud, so my thinking at this point is maybe there was some temporary biip with iLok on my system being able to connect to the iLok Cloud server on the two times when it hung. Of course, that is if the hang actually did relate to iLok.
I resolved a similar issue after upgrading iLok by logging into the iLok license manager first. In my case, the iLok mgr had expired my password and I needed to reenter it for iLOK to properly recognize my licenses. This iLOK error/issue did not percolate up to Cubase. This was C14 Pro on Win10.
Thanks for the input guys…..in desperation, I opened the track I needed to finish in C12 and everything worked fine. I’m thinking a complete fresh install of C14 is the next move?
G
FWIW, I just also updated now to the latest version of the iLok License Manager (5.10.2 GM), and thankfully didn’t have any problems with any of my Steinberg products or third party plugins.
But didn’t you already try that? I think your next move should be to look at the file
vstscannermaster.log
in the Cubase 14 folder
%APPDATA%\Steinberg\Cubase 14_64\Cubase [edition] VST3 Cache
(where “[edition]” means Pro, Artist etc., depending on what you have; Win+R and type that in)
That file might hopefully tell you which plugin is causing the scan to hang.
I sincerely believe the problem isn’t Cubase.
This morning, I wanted to check if there were any updates for my Softube plugins. Softube Central never managed to complete its startup process, telling me I needed to relink to my iLok account.
iLok Manager started without a problem; all my licenses are active. I went to my Softube account and it indicated that my iLok account is linked, but Softube Central refused. I was able to start Cubase without a problem, however. The only downside is that all the Softube plugins are inaccessible.
One crappy central is Waves; one out of two, it indicates that the plugins are installed, but not activated. And yet, they’ve been installed for quite a while, and I’ve never deactivated them. Like the Softube plugins, they were unusable in Cubase.
On the other hand, all my UAD plugins were perfectly functional. In fact, since they’re no longer connected to the iLok Cloud, everything works like a charm, and they’ve greatly improved UA Connect.
So, this morning, I deduce the troublemakers, in my case, are: Softube Central and Waves Central.
At least for me, this hanging with the VST3 scan status showing only happens a minority of times when I start Cubase. It’s only happened 3 times since my first Cubase start on the new system (on Monday – second time was Wednesday, then again once yesterday), but I’ve started Cubase numerous times over the last 5 days.
I need to remember that next time the hang happens on my system. I’d seen the note on the log file prior to my last hang on start, but I totally forgot about it at that point, and, from my look at it when I saw the original note, it looks like it is started fresh on each start as I wasn’t seeing anything resembled multiple starts, nor any sort of error-type entry.
You didn’t by any chance change your network interface (e.g. disabling a device)? I had a similar thing happen with Waves on my old system when I disabled the Wi-Fi interface because an ISP change allowed me to have my router in my studio and connect via Ethernet. Waves Central has a once-a-year function to allow you to recover your licenses (I don’t recall where specifically it lives in Waves Central at this point), and that allowed me to recover the licenses, but I contacted Waves support after I’d done that, and they let me know that the activations were tied to hardware network interfaces (maybe MMAC???), so it was my disabling the Wi-Fi that caused the problem. The “proper” procedure would have been to deactivate the plugins, then make the NIC change, then reactivate. Needless to say, I was very careful to do the equivalent for moving to my new Windows 11 system.
Softube Central seems to get worse every time they update it.
Not here. It’s pretty seamless all the time. I like last week’s update….works great and has the nice blue gui look now instead of the old green.
Morning……….well, I updated to the latest version of C14, but wondered if I was to completely remove it first it may get rid of the buggy code? Just seems odd that C12 is working fine. I had a look in the cache folder and nothing really flagged. I have UA hardware manager trying to update, but have no UA hardware…..I still have Waveshell, but fell out of love with Waves long ago due to their update rip off. The only other manufacturer to update lately is Slate. I have all the other usual suspects like Soft tube. Is removing C14 via the App manager advisable?
No, the installer will overwrite everything from the previous version.