My opinion. It makes sense to only allow a limited number of plugins to launch a single application. It is the same reasoning behind it, when it makes sense to use not just one CPU but multiple CPU’s.
One should not inflate a single application too much, one should think modular.
Cubase 10 … Would it be possible to modularize the tracks?
If there were stand-alone Cubase track modules that could be optionally run on different computers, many of these problems could be solved.
If a program requires more than 64 plugins, then the size of the entire object alone speaks in favor of modularization.
Good idea, but that would be difficult to code imo.
What if when the limit is reached the extra plugins are redirected outside Cubase app? An additional app/exe that would contain those extra plugins
Haven’t tried a recent version but remember previous versions had big problems with automation. Anyway, all crutches away - this simply should work out-of-the-box!
Specfication for this “Patchwork” Plugin from BlueCat: Configurable VST, VST3 or Audio Unit plug-ins rack: host up to 64 third party plug-ins or instruments in series or parallel.
I think Bluecat has same Limit ( 128 Plugin), ( 64 slots reserved for own plugins “built-in effects”.
I feel it won’t solve the problem and take an additional slot or 2
But because you can Patchwork load into Patchwork self ! (new version), Bluecat has allready modularized his Plugin now .
Bluecat has modularized its tool into several instances, as I suggested for the tracks of Cubase.
But because you can Patchwork load into Patchwork self ! (new version), Bluecat has allready modularized his Plugin now .
Bluecat has modularized its tool into several instances, as I suggested for the tracks of Cubase.
I genuinely hope for a solution. If someone who owns Patchwork can confirm this?
It’s not about the ability to load a plugin. In Cubase theoretically you can load unlimited plugins.
Its about this Windows limitation. ie the maximum dlls allowed within an app/exe/Cubase
Unless it works outside Cubase like JBridge
Actually Fabio told me last year the programmers were looking into this idea os spawning new processes once the limit is reached. Jbridge is one way around it but its not tidy!
IIRC, I was listing some of the (theoretically) possible approaches. But I later confirmed we were moving to dynamic linking for Cubase.
While I’m at it, expect to be able to load a few more instances with 9.5.10 already. The change won’t be applied immediately application-wide - meaning this first change will be marginal, but will gradually be introduced in different modules in order to be able to monitor the behaviour and get feedback from you. This will raise the limitation once complete, hopefully to the point some users won’t even reach it, but as discussed previously to fully resolve the problem needs action on the VST devs side, too.
I don’t expect MS to do anything to change the limitation - I have discussed at length with engineering over here and what I got from them is that the limitation makes total sense from an architectural point of view (system stability and performance).
Thanks Fabio I hadn’t heard about the shift in strategy about moving to dynamic linking. Hopefully in time that sorts this out whilst not disimproving application stability! Great news that a way forward has been decided and improvements are starting to happen.
Any ballpark on a 9.5.10 then?
Do you have a list of main 3rd party vst developers who worst affect this limitation so that we all can lodge requests for a fix? I know UAD are one.
Well, that’s weird. I can’t load more than 11 UAD plugins in a project I have. CPU usage not even at 20%. This is in 9.5; I switch over to 8.5 and it seems like I can add plugins until I’m blue in the face. Everything else on my system works great so UAD problem seems a bit random…
Strange things happend in my project :
I have project 70-80% loaded
And i trying to add some plugins to master channel, and they not load(but not all, some plugins)
I know about this problem, and guess if i freeze all my Audio,midi, instruments… i free up some space for others plugins.
I freeze everything! except 3 Send channels (2 Reverb,1 delay)
and i still cant add plugins to master channel!
I mean there no difference if i freeze everyting in project, and if i open fully loaded preject (load goes down from 80% to 20% with freezes)
Sometimes, if i reboot my PC, and open same project again, i can add some new plugins. BUT, if i save project with new plugins, and re-open again, they wont load.
@djgraver
Since freezing tracks makes no difference try rendering some tracks (with channel settings) and then delete the original tracks. To be safe you can save your project as a different version.
You could also replace plugins used once or twice with different plugins used more times. You can find them easily on VST Plug-in Manager - VST Effects tab, clicking on last column - Instances sorts the plugins on how many times used. Same goes for VST Instruments
@djgraver: I will ask, but I think it’s unlikely that this makes it to Cubase 9.0.
sounds very much like plug-ins not releasing the slots, which require to restart Cubase in order to free them up (usually it’s not required to restart the system, though).
@mart: In 9.5.10 the difference will be small, 4-5 more slots available.
Still no list of affected devs, I’m afraid, I’ll check into that again.
Stability should not be affected, but gradually introducing this is meant to monitor any unexpected behaviour that should come up.
Thanks for the update Fabio. If there are known plugin manufacturers who do not use Static linking then it’d be good to name and shame so we can as users try and increase numbers of complaints on their forums/customer support.
