I have a legit copy of Cubase SX 3 with an installation serial number. I want to import ALL files from floppy disks. I can install the program ok and enter the serial number but it requires a synchro (?) license which I don’t have. I have my old eLicenser dongle but that doesn’t work. Anyone managed this process and any help appreciated. I’m on Windows 11 Pro though I do have an old XP system in the loft.
What do you mean by synchro license? Normally it needs a license on a USB license key managed by the eLicenser Control Centre software. Did you run the eLicenser Control Centre? If your USB key contains a valid license listed in the eLicenser Control Centre then Cubase SX3 will run on Windows 11. If your USB key doesn’t contain a valid license then of course it won’t run.
Some of the info here might help: https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/115000075750-Converting-Cubase-VST-songs-ALL-ARR-into-CPR-format
It might be that you just need to install the latest eLicenser Control Center for your operating system.
The version included with the original Cubase SX3 installer will not work on Windows 11.
It’s a syncrosoft license control centre - to give it its full name. And it installs itself as part of the SX install. It won’t install if I have the latest eLicenser dongle installed.
I’ll double check as all my licenses show up but SX isn’t on there even though I bought the program on CD and have the installation serial number. It’s an education edition as I bought it when I was studying. Thanks for your help.
- Uninstall the current eLicenser component from your Windows 11 machine
- Download and install the latest eLicenser Control Center for Windows 11
You need to have the latest version for Windows 11 installed in order to be sure. If you then still can’t see the SX3 license, the only other explanation would be that the SX3 license was never activated on the USB eLicenser.
That is more likely an activation code that should have been entered via the eLCC in order to place the SX3 license on the USB eLicenser at the time of purchase. Unfortunately there is no longer any possibility of doing that, as the eLicenser servers have been shut down.
Ok thanks. I recall I had to buy a new dongle and I wonder if the old SX activation didn’t carry across. Pain!
Not unless you actively, manually transferred the SX3 license from the old USB-eLicenser to the new USB-eLicenser. To do that, you would have had to have both attached the the same computer and the transfer would be done using the eLCC.
Do you have a MySteinberg account, and had you registered your USB eLicensers on that account? Even though the eLicenser servers are gone, past registration details are still visible under the “Licensed Devices” tab. If you had registered your old(er) USB-eLicenser, you should be able to see your old SX3 license there. That still won’t help though, as it’s not enough to actually allow SX3 to run, and it’s too old to even qualify for an upgrade discount.
Thanks for your advice. I’m on Cubase 15 Pro anyway so don’t need it to upgrade etc. Just to transfer some 1998 ALL files. Looks like they’re doomed to the floppy disc bin in the sky! Thanks again.
I even dragged out my copy of Windows Cubase 1.04.00 on floppy disc. Don’t fancy goiung down that rabbit hole though. Cheers
If you’ve been able to rescue the files off them, perhaps someone here would be able to convert them for you?
Also, please consider casting a vote for @raino’s feture request:
What worked for me with the current Windows 11 release:
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Make sure to get the latest eLicencer software and install it, making sure the dongle is plugged in, and has a Cubase key on it. I’ve no idea the lowest level of Cubase key that’ll unlock it. I’ve always had a Cubase Pro key and it’s always worked for me to roll back to older versions.
eLicenser Control Center - License Management - Details & Downloads – Steinberg Help Center -
Install SX3. If it gives you an option to skip installing the drivers choose it. In my case the old Asiodxfd drivers got installed, and I got the same problems you did. I was able to get SX started and simply choose a different ASIO driver, but still I got rid of them for the sake of other apps that will try to scan all the installed drivers and then hang up when it hits the old Asiodxfd driver (I.E. Musescore).
If there’s no option to install Cubase SX without the included ASIO driver(s), it’ll get installed, and at some point you’ll be asked if you want to scan and test the driver configuration. Just skip that part, as it’s NOT likely to work. At that point you can probably start SX, and manually change it to use an ASIO driver that’ll work.
Personally I unregistered the drivers (because some apps will try to scan every driver on the system and hang up when they get to the one that shipped with SX):
In an admin level dos prompt: regsvr32 /u “Path to Asiomme.dll”
and regsvr32 /u “Path to Asiodxfd.dll”
In my case the dll files for these drivers were located at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\Asio
Then removed references to them in the system registry.
How to delete old ASIO device entries – Steinberg Help Center
From there no apps know that old driver was ever installed. It no longer shows up in any ASIO device lists. I can use one that works instead.
If you don’t have a device with proper ASIO drivers and need a Steinberg ASIO backend and don’t already have it installed you can find the most recent version here:
Steinberg built-in ASIO Driver: information & download – Steinberg Help Center
From there it should pretty much work with some execptions.
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If there’s a way to get any of the DX based stuff that might show up as existing in Cubase SX, I never got any of the DX stuff working. Even things I know works fine in something like Band In A Box (I.E. the Coyote sound font playing engine). So, the old DX plugins seem to be out? None of this should be a problem in so far as importing old ALL and ARR files.
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You’ll need 32bit plugins if you want them to work in SX. Or, use a bridge of some sort to bridge in 64bit plugins. Personally I’ve used jbridge to get bidule working, then I can use whatever 64bit VST2, VST3, or CLAP plugins I like inside that.
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Disable internal Cubase SX support for multiple CPU cores (Multi-Processing).
Devices/Device Setup/VST Audiobay/Expert/Untick Multi-Processing
It might work fine on your system enabled, but in my case (AMD Ryzen 3900XT, and attempting to run bridged in 64bit plugins) I get much better/cleaner performance if I disable that in SX.
On importing old ALL files. I have run into some that seem corrupted (I think they were made in something even older than Cubase for the ST. Cubits?, SMP32 pro? or something like that?). SX crashes when trying to open some of them while others might import (or partially import).
Usually it works, but I have run into some that simply freeze SX perpetually (I have to task kill it, and the ALL or ARR file I was trying to open gets locked by the OS for several minutes (or until a system reboot).
It would seem that an ALL file with multiple Arrangements inside is more prone to freezing SX during the import.
Occasionally I run into ALL or ARR files that seem to import into SX fine, but if I look at it side by side with the same file open on an ST, some parts have gone missing. It could be that they’re just corrupt from age lurking on floppies or whatever. Maybe they were originally made and saved with a dodgy cracked version, or who knows. Point is, sometimes I find ALL or ARR files that don’t import, or even freeze/crash SX.
In my experience thus far, if SX cannot import it, the best route seems to be using an ST (or an emulation with a Cubase crack, since STeem and other emulators cannot see/use the old Steinberg cart port dongle, and no, the carts cannot be ‘imaged’ to work) to export it as a MIDI file.
Another approach I did some time ago and it worked quite well for me.
Install XP with a Virtual Machine. I went with VMWare since I knew how to make that one easily connect directly to external devices, seemingly bypassing the Host OS and taking over the device(s). You’ll need to get the dongle directly connected. It’ll also perform better if you can get a true ASIO device directly connected.
Of course the easiest and most solid solution…
Grab an old but working XP machine out of the closet and install it on that.
Got it! I was installing things the wrong way. This time I first installed Cubase SX and didn’t install the syncrosoft drivers. (important) I then installed the latest eLicenser which has my Cubase in various versions over the years but hasn’t SX on there. It was your post Brian that mentioned you always had Pro on there and it worked when you rolled back, so why didn’t mine? Turns out it has and I’ve successfully installed and saved some ALL files as CPR! Yay! I must say I did prefer Cubase back then… Really appreciate all your help and patience everyone. Thanks.
USB-eLicenser licenses from SX3 to Cubase 11 Pro will allow Cubase SX3 to run. If you’ve ever upgraded from SX3, then of course the name of the license on the USB-eLicenser will change to reflect the product name of the version you’ve upgraded to.