An exported Media Project file from VSL is not imported by Cubase 11 Elements, hanging that application. The smallest VST Live Media Project export that causes this contains only a single track and a single Layer.
You need Cubase 11 Elements to try this, as well as a type 1 MIDI file containing a single instrument for import into VST Live using File > Import MIDI File, and a MIDI controller. I don’t know if this issue occurs with any other recent editions of Cubase.
What I am doing here is adding a bass guitar to play live, while a keyboard track will be running on a track.
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You want to create a New Project, using the buttom at the lower right, but before you do: Select the MIDI Inputs you are going to need, as this is your last chance to do so.
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Use File > Import MIDI File to import your single instrument MIDI file. Mine is a Type 1 file containing a single line of keyboard generated MIDI.
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On the Tracks project window, your file content will be depicted. Delete any empty track(s) that may be named after a song title or whatever from the Track list, using Cut.
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Select the remaining track and configure it in the Inspector: Choose Halion Sonic from the instrument tree and then press the [-> Channel Output to bring up the Halion Sonic VST and choose a preset. For a Keyboard, I chose “Echoing Wurli” from the HS SE Artist library. Tap the Halion Sonic UI keyboard to make sure you get sound.
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Close the Channel Output [->. Choose the channel you want in the Inspector, instead of leaving it set to Any. I chose 3 becuase a live split keyboard may be using both 1 and 2.
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Choose Layers from the Main toolbar. Create a Layer and immediately set the Controls to MIDI and the volume slider to the right. Choose the correct MIDI INPUT and both Channel selectors to 1. Again, choose the Instrument as Halion Sonic, then press the VST Instrument Editor to bring up the Halion Sonic VST and choose a preset. For a Bass, I chose “SR Smooth Bass” from the HS SE Artist library. Tap the Halion Sonic UI keyboard to see if you’ve got sound, but don’t worry yet if you don’t. Next, you’ll create a track to redirect its MIDI input to this Layer.
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Return to the Tracks project window and add a track named Bass, so that you can record or audition the bass while running the keyboard track. Create a new MIDI track. In the Inspector, set the input source to your controller. Next, set the Channel Output to the Layer you already created, Part 1 - Layer 1. Then, set the Channel to channel 1 assuming that is the output channel for your controller.
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Enable the monitor on the Bass track, and play your controller to check for sound.
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Save the project file. Then, choose File > Export Media Project. (Notice that no Media Projects appear in the Common File Save dialog here, even if you’rve already done this before. Instead it indicates “No items match your search”.) Save the file somewhere you can find it, perhaps after adding a new “export” folder if you like.
IN CUBASE
A. Start Cubase 11 Elements and choose Create Empty (Mastering) project, although the project type should not matter. Choose a project location, if not already set to default.
B. Choose File > VST Live > Import Media Project, navigate to your file and load it.
Below is the Cubase 11 Elements exception dialog, which occurs before any import begins. Following the error, you must End Task in Task Manager and then OK the “Safe Mode” dialog when you re-start Cubase.
Observations
If the export only has tracks, the bug doesn’t happen. Therefore, it might be the Layer content or archive file that is not being properly ignored. Stacks and DMX should alse be checked. Cubase at least presents an exception dialog, however it should not receive a user generated import on the Main UI thread, but instead use a seperate thread or AppDomain so the app isn’t locked up on failure and can recover and present better information about the failure. VST Live may want to make sure it does likewise for all its imports, where needed.
I have several projects that cause the error, but this is the most simple case. I didn’t realize VST Live won’t export audio mixdown, so I was looking at staring over in Cubase by using the VST Live Media Project export when I encountered this problem.