I have 100% VSTi projects with many instances of HSSE2 and Groove Agent as well as 32-bit plugins that were created in Cubase 6.5 ca. 2013 . I want to export the individual channels - including plugins - to audio using Cubase 8.5 Pro 32-bit.
All of the Groove Agent presets and all HSSE2 GM presets function correctly. The HSSE2 Macro Pages of the GM presets indicate that they come from “Basic Set”.
None of the non-GM programs will play. The Macro Pages indicate “Artist Library”. None of these appear in the HSSE2 browser when attempting to load one into a fresh instance of HSSE2. When attempting to drag-and-drop one from Media Bay into an HSSE2 slot, the evil circle-slash symbol accompanies the preset name and it will not drop into the slot.
All of these presets DO load into HSSE and play in later versions of Cubase with Macro Page indicating “Sonic Selection”. But, since all of the 32-bit plugins are block-listed, this does not help me.
The directory tree in Media Bay indicates that the “Basic Set” GM content appears in the folder:
HALion Sonic Common Presets Content > Steinberg Media Technologies > HALion Sonic SE > Program
whereas the Artist Library content appears in the folder:
HALion Sonic Common Presets Content > Steinberg Media Technologies
but does not appear in the next level down.
The Library Manager indicates that the “Sonic_Selection” content is in a folder named “Sonic_Selection” on the hard drive. In this folder are 19 FCP_SMT files including these that may be relevant:
076_HSSE_Artist_Instrument_Prests_01.vstsound
078_HSSE_GM_Presets_01.vstsound
081_HSSE_Artist
082_HSSE_Artist_Presets.vstsound
089_HSSE_Basic_Synth_Prests_01.vstsound
090_HSSE_Artist_Synth_Presets_01.vstsound
100_HSSE_Artist_Drum.vstsound
101_HSSE_Artist_Instrument_Prests_02.vstsound
121_HSSE_Artist_Instrument_Prests_03.vstsound
Checking the folder that I believe (pre-Library Manager era) HSSE2 is looking for content
C:\Users<myname>\AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\Content\VSTSound,
all 19 of the Sonic Selection FCP_SMT files are there. (MS Windows 10 OS)
What am I not understanding? I know these products are no longer officially supported, but I’m hoping one of the Forum Gurus will be kind enough to point me in the right direction. Thanks.
Much about HALion/Sonic has changed since then, including the Steinberg Database severs, and the content/libraries themselves.
Do you have more modern versions of Cubase installed as well? Particularly anything version 12 or newer?
My thinking is along these lines.
If you’ve got newer versions of Cubase (12 or newer) installed, then Sonic 7 has taken over and replaced all of the HALion content/libraries with newer releases. There is no such thing as a 32bit version of Sonic/HALion 7. I don’t think HSSE v3 came in 32bit. Going with Cubase 12 or later, or the latest release of Dorico 4 or later…means the Download Assistant has also replaced the background Steinberg Database server with something much newer.
If this is your situation, open the Steinberg Library Manager and delete the HALion and Groove Agent libraries; then uninstall HALion/Sonic 7, and Groove Agent.
Once you are done working with the old 32bit Cubase, launch Steinberg Download Assistant. Reinstall Sonic 7, the latest Groove Agent, etc, as well as the content/libraries. It’ll most likely offer to ‘update’ your HALion/Sonic/Groove Agent content for whatever goes with Sonic/HALion 7 atomically. If not, do it manually through Steinberg Assistant.
Note: Swapping among 64bit editions of Cubase is much less complicated. In those cases, just keep Sonic 7 and those libraries in play. Don’t install the old Sonic SE at all. The 64bit versions will happily use Sonic 7 instead of the old HSSE. It might look a little different, but should still work and sound the same.
I’m using Cubase 14 Pro as my DAW, GA5 for drums and HALion 7 (full version - not Sonic) as my multitimbral player. I have not encountered any problems with Groove Agent or Groove Agent ONE, just HSSE2.
The stuff that’s highlighted in gray confirms what I thought was the case. I tried emptying the AppData folder and having Cubase 8.5 re-install HSSE2 and content, but that made the Library Manager very angry for having 2 copies of vstsound files and it insists that I should remove the duplicates.
What I did not try is what’s highlighted in yellow, so thank you for the suggestion. My one concern regarding this workaround is this. Because my workflow for these older projects is
open the 6.5 project with 8.5, export all wet tracks to audio – close 8.5 2) open the project in 14, import the audio tracks, remove all 32-bit plugins and keep the (muted) instrument tracks for their MIDI data – now the song sounds identical to the original version 4) reinforce the audio tracks with modern sample library VSTi (Spitfire woodwinds, Hollywood percussion etc.) as needed to achieve a new mix that still has elements of the original mix embedded in it but has modern cleaner sounds mixed in.
I would have to implement the workaround every time I update an old project. But, if it works, that’s better than what I have now. I can try it with one project and see what happens.
Ed
P.S. Regarding the note – If I didn’t have all of those obsolete 32-bit plugins in these old projects, none of this diddling around would be necessary! It could be worse. I could be using that other DAW whose initials are PT. And I don’t mean PowerTracks by PG Music.
Yeah, it’s a weird situation. You might try setting up a virtual machine that’d be good enough to export the MULTI VSTPresets from the old Sonic SE player. Performance would be atrocious on a VM, but it should be good enough to at least load up an old project and ‘get information and presets’ from it. I’ve had pretty good luck with VMWare workstation for such tasks (It’ll allow mounting the dongle, and it works).
Another option is to just grab another hard drive, set up a fresh Windows Install on it, install old Cubase. Then you can just swap the entire boot drive (Physically, or in BIOS, or with a Bootmanger) as needed.
At least then, if you pull those old projects into modern Cubase/HALion setups, all you’d need do is ‘reconnect’ the tracks to modern HALion/Sonic 7, and load up the old VSTPresets. I.E. Write a Multi Program for each Sonic instance in the old project…import it later into Modern HALion or Sonic.
One thing that has remained consistent (for backward compatiblity) all the way to HALion/Sonic 7, are the names/locations of the VSTpresets, samples, midi loops, macros, scripts, etc. in the vstsound archives. Even if you take a preset you made umteen years ago, it still works in modern HALion/Sonic, and has the ‘new looking macro editer screens’ in place and functions. Your user-made stuff is easy to move about from computer to computer.
I actually have a decent Windows 10 machine that was recently decommissioned due to lack of Windows 11 compatibility. I could set that up as the 32-bit machine. After I’ve got everything working, I should be able to take it and use the dongle as long as I don’t run the license manager and tell it to phone home, correct?
Thanks again for your time and effort.
If there is a satisfaction survey, I would gladly give you good marks.
Right, the dongle should work just like it did back when 8.5 was brand new. It would work even if you do have the new Licensing system on there too. Use it for anything up to version 11.5. Install the eLicencer software, Cubase, etc…and should be good to go.
I’m just a fellow customer. Thanks for the thanks
Hopefully you’ll stick around and be part of the forum community. Much to learn here, and plenty of opportunities to help others.
Yes, legacy support can be major hassle. I like your idea of maintaining an older machine for the job. Since you have some nice hardware (just missing TPM, and maybe some of the new fangled AI stuff, ugg), it’s the perfect job for that machine
If you didn’t have a spare computer laying around, a system drive swap or dual booting of some type would probably be the way to go if think you’ll need the 32bit versions very often.
Again, rolling back to a 64bit version shouldn’t be an issue at all. You’d just leave all your current version plugins in place, and launch the older version of Cubase (It’ll use whatever plugins you have in place, and Sonic 7 would be used in place of HSSE.
