Trying to convert a Cubase Pro 13(Windows version) song to VST Live. This song contains several miditracks running to a single Halion Sonic as VST instrument and a audio track.
In Cubase I did VST Live “export project”. This creates .vlsprj file, which cannot be opened by VST Live but only imported, strange enough(only loads . vlprj)
Once opened the song sounds terrible in VSTLive;
the audio doesn’t sync to the tempo anymore because audiowarps are are not exported from Cubase!
the miditracks are not working because they are not connected to a VSTLive Layer
Once connected all miditracks hand-by-hand to my Halion Sonic in layer 1, all settings from Halion Sonic in Cubase are put back to default
For some reason all instruments in the Halion Sonic layer are half a note flat, so I have to set the mastertune to 453Hz to get it in tune with the audio
When saving the VST Live project and loading it back in, some of the miditracks play with the pitchbend full up, others are ok
As a 30years+ user of Cubase, I am really disappointed by Steinberg. Why is importing from Cubase so shitty organised in VST Live?
Do other users encounter these problems? Tips are welcome!
Cheers..
The simple answer is that VSTL doesn’t do everything that Cubase does, it’s a playback app not a recording app. That means you may have to do a bit more prep in Cubase before exporting,
VSTL does not do time warp or stretching (yet? - I think I saw reference to it being incorporated at some stage) - I suggest you export your tracks as WAVS
I’m guessing that the exported sample rate in Cubase is different to VSTLs which would result in a pitch shift. If I’m right then it’s not your MIDI instruments that are out of tune.
Why are you exporting MIDI tracks? If they always play the same I suggest you export them as WAV and save the resources.
I realise I’ve been saying WAV but VSTL will cope with MP3 - personal preference.
I agree with you that the import/export system doesn’t work properly. I started with VSTL at V1 so maybe my workflow is arcane - but it works for me. Perhaps there should warnings during the export from Cubase about which features will not be transferred. The Devs are aware that there are shortcomings and are working on it from what I have seen in other topics.
what and how to export to midi or wav, file everyone will decide for themselves, but if the developer declares that the functions of exporting a project from Cubase work, then they should work! period! Wait for fixes, no problem, but it should work! and not like now…
I ran into similar issues with audio tracks from Cubase exports. I found that if I bounce the track and select replace the export and import works just fine.
I find that VST Live isn’t quite ready for prime time use.
I think it’s useful enough for the price tag (It’s very inexpensive), and as good or better than the few others in that price range, but as it currently stands, I’d rather just make some adjustments (namely a bunch of custom LOGICAL EDITOR presets and Macros) to the big boy Cubase Pro (since I already own it) and use that. Note, Cubase Pro, as well as viable competitors are easily more than four times the price I paid for VST Live 2.
With Cubase I’ve figured out ways to manage ‘play lists’ from a single project (Logical Editors and Macros that move the cursor about). For stuff that there’s no track type to automate in Cubase, I’ve discovered that I can do a virtual MIDI port loop-back and get it done through the Remote System (Including transport controls, popping plugin UIs open/shut, and more). Even found ways to pull up specific songs with a simple program change from my MIDI controller.
So far my biggest beefs with Live 2 are:
MIDI import is terrible. The tempo track is totally ignored? Half the time they won’t work (program changes and such don’t broadcast as they should, particularly over physical MIDI devices).
I can’t figure out how to import Cubase projects…same gripes as you’ve already made here.
Other than that, I think it’s pretty cool software. I only paid like $60 for it (some sale/promotion?), and it’s useful enough if I don’t need program change events from imported MIDI files over external MIDI devices, and I build the entire performance set in Live itself (not trying to import stuff).
There are some interesting things Live can do that Cubase cannot…like the lyrics broadcasting and such, easy to get video and such broadcast. Great ideas…I’m enjoying watching this software ‘evolve’.
In my case I have an opposite opinion. I never used the import function. I created all songs directly in VSTL But I barely use MIDI tracks, cause I play the keyboards live. I own also Cubase pro, but with that one I had much more latency issues than with VSTL and changing songs could be very time consuming. With preloaded songs in VSTL I had less stress between two songs.
With the setup I use, my last crash was with VSTL1, so months ago. Of courses, there were some issues in the past, but the developer fix them very fast, so that I never feared using it live on stage and I would never return to Cubase for live performance.
Yes, I use it more over time if I’m setting up a complete gig from scratch, and keep the sounds ‘in the box’ (virtual plugin instruments). If I play with a ‘group’ and don’t need a lot of backing tracks and such, it is an ideal host. It has many attractive and unique qualities that can help glue a live performance together. Thing is, if you have years worth of sets in other formats to port over or rework, or use much classic/legacy outboard gear…there are still significant issues.
I did read VERY carefully. Also the section that said “and if you have another DAW you can import…” I hadn’t seen this, thanks for the info!
Clearly the import from CuBase doesn’t work properly, and I DID agree with you on this - if you read my posts carefully. But there are ways around the issue, as I and others have commented. That doesn’t make your problem invalid, but it also doesn’t make it a show stopper.
Maybe you’re banging your head against marketing versus reality - I don’t think Steinberg would deliberately mislead but perhaps they got ahead of themselves on this but I’m sure they made this assertion in good faith. Happens all the time, and I have faith that they will fix it.
I also hope that this will be fixed, because I see that the developers are trying to fix errors and improve VST Live as quickly as possible, and a lot of new things have been added and already improved.
It didn’t work and it still doesn’t work, some additional notes appear, the duration of the notes is incorrect. Here is a simple example and this is even with a fixed tempo
I sent all the project files to a private message Spork
And all the same problems with simple export to VT Live
I really appreciate your desire to help.
Don’t be misled, don’t confuse the grid size with quantization, all the source files of both the project and the export have been sent to the developer, let’s wait for his opinion, it will be more competent, and take it and experiment with your projects yourself and make a report, not empty advice
Sorry, but your opinion, guesses that you watched there or didn’t watch, I personally don’t care, can you prove the opposite? Just not with words but with an example, like a project, you made it export and it turned out the same as in Cubase or it didn’t. Otherwise, this is just empty talk, stop it
