They say all their plugins will be VST3 by the end of April. First plug is the CL-1B which is available now.
Just a heads up.
Nice news!!
Hi,
I downloaded my CL1B 1.1.1 update yesterday. It works well. It’s really nice having the ability to run it side-chained the VST3 way.
One word of warning. It installs itself in the VSTPlugins\Softube folder by default and appears in the Softube sub-menu in Cubase. Loading it from there, it seems to run as a VST 2.x plug (no side-chain button). Which is where I initially ran it from ('cause that’s where I’m used to finding it). It also appears in the Dynamics sub-menu as a VST 3.x plug. When loaded from there you get the side-chain option. Had me scratching my head for about 15 seconds.
Mark
Just to add the latest VST version is v1.1.2
They delivered a v1.1.1 version and very quickly updated it. The release notes say it fixes a VST3 crash.
Hi,
Yes, I just came back here to recant my ‘It works well’ statement. Apologies 
I’ve spotted two problems with 1.1.1 so far.
The first is, if I left an instance of CL-1B bypassed on saving and closing a project, it would be un-bypassed when I re-opened the project.
The second is, if I set up an instance side-chained, after saving, closing and re-opening the side-chain link totally disappeared! It wasn’t even listed as a side-chain option on the mixers context menu anymore.
I’ll download 1.1.2 and see how that fairs and post back.
Mark
Hi,
Ok, strueth, where to start.
I now have version CL-1B 1.1.2 installed in Cubase 5.5.3.
The problem ignoring bypass status is still there. I also loaded Steinbergs Compressor (VST3) and a UAD SSL Channel
Strip and bypassed them to make sure there wasn’t a general problem. They both remained bypassed.
The side-chain problem is getting more confusing. First I tested by removing all CL-1B instances (3), saved, closed
and re-opened the project. I then loaded a CL-1B (on a bass channel) and clicked the side-chain button then connected a bass drum channel send to it. After saving, closing and re-opening the project, the side-chain set-up seemed ok.
I then loaded 2 more instances of CL-1B on different channels and bypassed them thinking maybe that was causing problems. I saved, closed and re-opened the project. The CL-1B’s were un-bypassed again. The side-chain set-up was still there but when I clicked on the send on the bass drum channel, the one side-chained, there were 3 side-chain entries all greyed out, all pointing to the wrong CL-1B instance which wasn’t even side-chain activated! When I clicked on an empty send slot there were no side-chain options.
I hope that wasn’t too hard follow. I’ve actually seen more strangness but trying to explain it now is doing my head in.
A couple of points:
There was a thread a while back demonstrating a side-chain bug which I helped confirm. Link:
But I’m getting the feeling that CL-1B is adding its own problems rather than it’s all Cubase’s fault.
And, the project I’m testing in was started in SX3 and ported to 5 then up through the patches. Which may not help the situation.
So later, maybe tomorrow (I’ve had enough for the moment!), I’ll do some more testing in a new project to get rid of posibility that it may be the project causing problems.
So far though, it seems a bit of a mess.
Mark
I’ll see if I get time later to try and test some of these bugs.
Obviously Softube and/or Steinberg might need informing about this.
Hi,
I’ve carried out more tests but this time using newly created projects.
Using CL-1B 1.1.2 and Cubase 5.5.3. See sig. for full specs.
First the bypass status problem:
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Create a new project.
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Create an audio track and insert CL-1B (VST3).
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Bypass the CL-1B.
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Save and exit Cubase.
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Open Cubase and reload the project.
Result: The CL-1B is not bypassed when it should be. No other plugin I’ve tried behaves the same. In other words, it’s the CL-1B causing the problem and not Cubase.
Now the side-chain problem:
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Create a new project.
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Create an audio track (with quarter note, same velocity bass drum hits).
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Create a second audio track (with 8th note/16th duration, same velocity bass stabs).
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Add an CL-1B to insert 1 on the second audio track (bass) and click the side-chain button. Set the threshold to -30 and side-chain bus select to ext.
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On track 1 (bass drum), send 1 select the side-chain link set up in step 4 and set the send value to 0Db.
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Play the project. It works (for me at least).
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Save and exit Cubase.
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Open Cubase and load the project. All seems ok. The side-chain link is still there and the side-chain menu item still points to the same place.
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Add a third audio track and add another CL-1B to insert 3.
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Save and exit Cubase.
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Open Cubase and load the project. Still all seems ok.
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Set track 1 (bass drum), send 1 to ‘No Bus’ (IOW, delete the side-chain link) and turn off the side-chain button for the CL-1B on track 2 insert 1.
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Copy the bass event on track 2 to track 3.
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Turn the side-chain button on for the CL-1B on track 3 insert 3 and set its threshold to -30 and side-chain bus select to ext.
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On track 1 (bass drum), send 1 select the side-chain link set up in step 14 and set the send value to 0Db.
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Play the project. For me, the CL-1B on track 3 is not responding, it should be.
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Save and exit Cubase.
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Open Cubase and load the project. For me, still not working.
I then repeated the test but using Steinbergs VST3 Compressor. It worked perfectly.
Following that, I exited Cubase, opened it again then reloaded the CL-1B test. It still didn’t work. I bypassed the CL-1B on track 3 and unbypassed it again, it started working again. It maybe that the bypass problem has something to do with side-chain problem.
Result: There is definately (here at least) a problem with side-chaining the CL-1B. I’m still not entirely convinced that it’s all down to the CL-1B but think it’s probably the main cause. I do not feel I can trust using CL-1B side-chained at the moment.
I will send all of this off to Softube and see what they say.
Is there anyone that can test this using Cubase 6? I’m interested to see what Richard finds, if anything.
Sorry for the long boring post!
Mark
Hi,
Ok just tested this to best of my abilities on my system. Please bear in mind these tests were done on OSX 10.6.6 using Cubase 6.01.
I can confirm the bypass issue on my system, after a save and Cubase restart the bypass state is not saved.
I can’t confirm the sidechain issue. I followed your instructions to the letter Mark and the compressor is still behaving as it should before and after a save and restart.
Hope this helps.
Herb
Hi Richard,
Sorry for the delay in getting back, real life getting in the way again!
Thanks for giving it a go. Pleased (sort of) that you could recreate the bypass issue. Re the side-chain problem, I suppose it’s possible that the difference in OS has a bearing but much more likely I would think, is the Cubase version difference. I’ve gone through the steps for the side-chain problem four more times today and it fails every time for me.
I received a reply from Softube which said they need to do some debugging but are all at Musikmesse in Frankfurt and will have a look when they get back. Tomorrow onwards, I suppose.
I’m hoping that if they squash the bypass problem the side-chain problem may magically disappear.
Thanks again,
Mark
Hi,
Softube sent me an updated CL-1B (1.1.3) to test this morning. Both the bypass and side-chain problems outlined earlier are fixed.
I just checked online and the update is available there.
Mark
Hi,
Just downloaded them. Thanks for the update Mark.
Herb
And now all their plugs have VST3…
Now it’s time to go to 64bits… I think they’re working on it…
The bypass problem seems to be created by the plugin coders, as some do have bypass yet others do not.
Others I know of with no soft bypass include the WaveLab Sonnox plugs & the SSL Duende Native VST3 plugs - I am sure there are others too.
Sidechaining apart - how is the surround handling please? Is it global, or are there options to group channels or control independently? Is surround even catered for?