WL 9.5.25 Immediate Crash using 3rd party plug-ins.

WaveLab
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Wavelab 9.5.25

If I choose to use any 3rd party plugin - Wavelab throws up the following error:

A serious error has occurred inside the plug-in ‘Driver’. [ or any 3rd party plugin ]
WaveLab Pro could control it, but it would be best to save your work and restart WaveLab Pro.

At which point I have to start the task manager and force Wavelab to quit.

Steinberg Cubase 9.5 Plugins - WHERE? & Why Not??

Ideally I’d like to use Quadrafuzz and other Cubase Plugins - why are these not available?

For such a’ PRO’ marketed editor - it is still incredibly compromised.

And still no Media-Bay - how many years has it been requested for?
Why are you not ‘on-it’ Steinberg?

This latest iteration of Wavelab is simply lacking - and not Pro in my opinion - which counts as I’m the customer!

No wonder you are having to discount by 40% -

Why don’t you just give customers what they want and need in an audio editor?

I no longer know why I’ve been stupidly buying the updates for the last few years when the actual usability of the program doesn’t improve.
It changes - but then we have to re-learn the interface - only to find that the program hasn’t moved forward in any way.

I want Media-Bay in there.
I want to use my Cubase plug-ins
I want the Batch processor to work.
I want to easily audition plug-ins on audio files.

Steinberg: You have failed to put in the necessary work in to get this program up to ‘PRO’ standard.
It’s simply lacking.

Either pull your finger out and get it working for the user - or just drop it as a product.

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Most Cubase plugins are already integrated to WaveLab.
Batch processor has no known problem. What is your problem?

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Most Cubase Plugins are not integrated. Please don’t suggest otherwise.
E.G. Distortion - there is ‘1’ - that’s right: ONE distortion effect from Steinberg.

The Batch processor doesn’t work because any 3rd party effect kills Wavelab in exactly the same way mentioned in the original post.
This can not be considered ‘PRO’

This morning - to get everything that Wavelab should have as standard - I loaded hundreds of audio files in Cubase - and rendered out every single file over several hours - because the batch processor can’t use the same 3rd party effects that Wavelab can’t use either.

I am wasting my time - and I can’t help but berate myself for buying the latest update.

I feel I have been sold a product under false pretenses - because - I have.

Using 3rd party plug-ins - especially from Native Instruments - should work - shouldn’t it?

You are afterall - Steinberg!!
Cubase works!!!
Why can’t essential features that work in Cubase - that are also essential in a Wave Editor such as Wavelab - break?

It is now beyond belief. it really is!

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It doesn’t do that here. Which plugin causes you this problem?

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Hi Stingray

Thank you for your reply

Native Instruments Driver
I tried several other plugins too (at least 8 ) - and all reported the same error upon playback ( see initial post )
At which point the computer locks up for a while - and Wavelab needs closing via the task manager to free the computer.

I did get Trash 2 to work - but that’s a complicated ( but great ) plugin and too long winded for the simple task I needed to complete.

I could have tried a convolution impulse to do the waveshaping - however: no native convolution in Wavelab

So I pulled Guitar Rig 5 in - so I can use Reflector

Which got the same error:
A serious error has occurred inside the plug-in ‘Guitar Rig 5’.
WaveLab Pro could control it, but it would be best to save your work and restart WaveLab Pro.

I can’t even remove the pluging - as Wavelab has reached the point of no recovery.

These are all the same FX that run without problem in Cubase 9.5.

Simple sound design tasks are made impossible when using Wavelab.
They either can’t be done because the program lacks basic fundamental tools
Or it can’t be done because it refuses to work with 3rd party tools.

Again - these all work - or are available - within Cubase Pro 9.5
Cubase 9.5 does work - but has no Batch Processing

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I’m no expert but it seems at this point you may need to delete your preferences folder and start fresh, that might at least allow you to make some progress.

Also, “It works in Cubase” isn’t a valid argument if the plugin developers haven’t tested and qualified their plugins to work in WaveLab.

Over the years we’ve learned they are two very different apps. Thankfully, with a little bit of work and communication with some plugin developers I’ve been able to get pretty much all the plugins I want to use in WaveLab working.

In a perfect world plugin behavior would be the same across all Steinberg products but it’s not a perfect world I guess.

It’s true that WaveLab has had a notable amount of 3rd party plugin issues but usually I’ve found that it’s because the plugin developer hasn’t tested WaveLab and the fix must be performed on the plugin side.

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Hi David, please try uninstalling the Wavelab 9.5.25 update (Programs and Features → Installed Updates). If you upgraded today, this will revert your Wavelab to 9.5.15, otherwise, please download the update here:

Windows: http://download.steinberg.net/downloads_software/WaveLab_Pro_9.5/9.5.15/WaveLab_Pro_9.5.15_Update_win.exe
Mac: http://download.steinberg.net/downloads_software/WaveLab_Pro_9.5/9.5.15/WaveLab_Pro_9.5.15_Update_mac.dmg

It seems that there’s something about the way NI plugins report themselves to the host that’s not playing well with the features introduced in Wavelab 9.5.20. NI plugins are very rarely used during mastering, so this was probably missed during testing (that’s also why you’re not seeing a lot of people complaining about it). Hopefully this will be fixed soon.

Do you know of any audio editor/mastering DAW that offers an advanced media browser similar to Cubase’s MediaBay? It could be useful as a reference for Philippe.

Which kinds of fundamental tools are missing from Wavelab for you?

1 Like
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The plugins you are trying to use seem not well suited to WL. They seem more suited for Cubase which is a recording and mixing application. WL is mostly a mastering or post production application. FWIW

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Wavelab is also very commonly used for editing samples for games and sample libraries, but it’s indeed true that a very large portion of the current userbase uses it primarily for mastering and/or preparing audio for broadcasting.

Now that we have Cubase and Nuendo integration, it definitely makes more sense than ever to try to further improve Wavelab’s capabilities as a sound design tool.

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I was thinking this too. It’s not surprising that the developer of Guitar Rig wouldn’t test it out in WaveLab for example.

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by Thomas W. Bethel » 18 Apr 2018 12:21
The plugins you are trying to use seem not well suited to WL. They seem more suited for Cubase which is a recording and mixing application. WL is mostly a mastering or post production application. FWIW

Thanks for your insight Thomas. I’ve used Cubase and Wavelab for many years - just so you know.

Cubase doesn’t not have a Batch Processor - and is therefore unsuitable for processing multiple files.

FWIW

So Wavelab should be more suited to the task at hand. - Was that condescending enough?


Cubase does not have a Batch processor - although if it now does - I’d be overjoyed to hear about it.

However:
I was applying an effect in Wavelab - in this instance - a distortion / waveshaping effect - to a bunch of samples.

So - I was trying to use a Steinberg plug-in; Quadrafuzz [ It’s the same company: Steinberg ] within Wavelab
The distortion in Wavelab is too basic for this particular task.

Now it’s only my opinion [ but lets not forget where it’s coming from ]
But Wavelab:
It’s a Wave editor
And the Batch editor is perfect for processing a bunch of audio files

And it may be radical to some - but adding subtle distortion / Waveshaping is a great way of adding grit and weight to a sound or completely changing it’s character.

Another way to do this is to use a convolution effect. Wavelab annoyingly doesn’t have one of these either.
For creative sound-design - check out Diego Stocco : http://www.diegostocco.com
Which is why I was attempting to use Guitar Rig - which happens to have a decent Convolution Effect

by Romantique Tp » 18 Apr 2018 13:13
Wavelab is also very commonly used for editing samples for games and sample libraries, but it’s indeed true that a very large portion of the current userbase uses it primarily for mastering and/or preparing audio for broadcasting.

Now that we have Cubase and Nuendo integration, it definitely makes more sense than ever to try to further improve Wavelab’s capabilities as a sound design tool.

I completely agree.
And having MediaBay in Wavelab - is probably a lot more use than in Cubase. Although it’s great to have it in Cubase too.
I can use MediaBay within Cubase and transfer these sounds over to Wavelab in an open session - but this is adding a layer of inconvenient aggravation.

Anyone who makes games is going to need decent access to thousands of sounds.
Therefore - MediaBay would make a huge amount of sense in Wavelab for the many thousands of sound designers world wide.

And whilst we’re on games:
Steinberg have just spent whole bunch of money over at the Games Developers Conference in San Francisco.
Demonstrating Steinberg’s integration with AudioKinetic’s WWise Audio tool.

So Steinberg do see the value of the Video Game Market.
It would be great as an end user if Wavelab were also part of that equation.
Wavelab could so easily be perfect - it’s frustrating that it’s so fundamentally compromised,

Or maybe Cubase could just add a Batch Processor?

For now - I’ll reacquaint myself with Awave by FMJ-soft
Which does have a batch processor - and does allow comprehensive 3rd party vst plugin.
Sadly - it doesn’t have Media-Bay.

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Did you try the workaround I mentioned a few posts above? The Native Instruments plugins are working fine in Wavelab 9.5.15 for me.

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Many thanks Romantique Tp - appreciate your help.

WL 9.5.15 is working as expected.
Both Driver and Guitar Rig [ Fab Sound Design Tool ] adding some nice creative post FX

Batch working too.

DW

1 Like
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WaveLab, has a tendency to have all types of issues when using any third Party plug-in. Especially on my part when using iZotope plug-ins for restoration. The more 3rd Party plug-ins that you have loaded in the Master Section the more WaveLab does stupid things. Like the sound disappears, it skips sections of audio and unless you’re aware of what you’re listening to when doing dialogue you don’t notice because it does a perfect edit. It doesn’t play though the audio it skips it just jumps from one point to another.

WaveLab also goes on a go slow when using 3rd Party plug-ins. All these and many other issues all go away the moment that you select bypass in the Master Section, but come straight back when you take it off. Sometimes quit out and reload will fix the issue, other times a reboot, but then it all comes back eventually. WaveLab is sadly about the best there is in it’s price range, others come with too many 3rd Party plugins for my liking. They are included in their basic form, of which if you’re serious you will already have the advanced versions.

It just adds to the cost and is a waste of money. I refer to Sound Forge 12 as the worst for that, ever since Magix took it over from Sony, it sank like a stone in my personal opinion. It was my go too before WaveLab, but it fell behind and I had crossed over before Sound Forge 12 was released. Now though, I wouldn’t go back!

Sadly as with Cubase, Steinberg are slow to respond and to either implement or fix anything and it’s never their product that is at fault. Even when in my case the crash dump files say it is and windows error report agrees. WaveLab could be a great product if Steinberg were to get it right!

WaveLab, also doesn’t find all your VST plug-ins and you have to manually add them. Which is what I did in order to get my Native Instrument plugins into WaveLab. I also, like David Wise, wanted to use in creating sound samples. Mine work just fine, in fact I would say that Native Instruments has about the most stable plug-ins around.

However, knowing Steinberg I would never have expected any Cubase plug-in to work in WaveLab,even if I’d thought of it, which I didn’t. Nice thinking out of the box David!
Other than that there isn’t a 3rd Party plug-in that I haven’t been able to use in WaveLab. Normally if it isn’t a type of plug-in that Wavelab is capable of using, it won’t even look at it.

It’s time Steinberg pulled it’s finger out on all of it’s products and before adding any new features, fixed the ones that don’t work!
I like most use WaveLab for Mastering and Post Production and more recently for Restoration work. Like most Pro Software it doesn’t come with everything, only what it’s best at as you’re expected to have the best from the best for what it’s not. WaveLab though does seriously fall down in the areas that it’s expected to be the best. Please enable 3rd Party plugins to work within WaveLab that would be a great step forward, especially the ones from companies like iZotope, which one would expect to work flawlessly.

Soulmansblue