How to handle Cubase VST plugin problems

In this video I discuss how to handle the situation that your Cubase project does not open anymore due to a VST plugin problem. Always good to know when you run into this!
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Table of Contents:
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00:00 Intro
00:46 The problem
01:09 1 - Startup without 3rd party plugins
03:37 2 - Locate plugin installation paths
05:13 3 - Selectively hide plugins
07:45 Outro
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Relevant Links:
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* Cubase VST plugin management video - • How to manage your VST...
* The end of VST2 - • Steinberg news: Stoppi...
* VST Plugin locations article - helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en...
* Cubase troubleshooting - helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en...
* Cubase audio file locations - • Cubase audio file mana...
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#homerecording #cubase #vstplugins

[@surgerywithoutknives2353]

Great tip with the hidden folder idea .. thanks

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@shawnalove5050]

Thanks! I do have issues with 3rd party plugins crashing lately and will check if the "Constrain..." button is on. I want to say thay I love your Cubase tutorials the BEST! You explain things perfectly and I always learn something helpful. Thanks again!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great to hear and thanks for commenting!

[@mikemccormick1624]

Thank again for a very helpful video!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@PeterBatah]

Another excellent tutorial Maarten. You are a Cubase Swiss army knife. What I like to do very now and then is to export my list of plugins. Especially after either an uninstall or the installation of a new plugin. I save the list as a PDF and save them in a folder that I have created specifically for this purpose. I just thought that I would pass that info along. Have a great day / evening my friend.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks again Peter. And an excellent tip as well, thanks for sharing!

[@azbassclarinet]

Great video, thank you :)

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are very welcome!

[@micwarren21]

Very helpful video

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad to hear that

[@arkdzo]

Hello! Please make the next videos: 1) How to convert the audio output to MIDI notes? For example, any ARP VST sound to MIDI notes 2) How to slice the drum loop in Cubase 12 and then routes each of the parts to the different channels 3) How to use Chord Assistant and other musical tricks 4) How to easily create side-chain and multiband side-chain in Cubase 12 without other VST? 5) Your TOP-20 or TOP-30 useful tricks, hotkeys, and settings in Cubase 12 Pro which you always use.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks for the suggested videos, I'll put them on the list!

[@arkdzo]

@@LanewoodStudios thanks a lot!

[@mystikrebel1089]

After having 3 crashes on cubase 12 just an half an hour ago this video came at good timing

[@LanewoodStudios]

Excellent (not you having crashes ;). Hope you can get it sorted!

[@mystikrebel1089]

@@LanewoodStudios Its driving me crazy as it keeps on happening but i will find a way

[@noronsungukiangani6565]

heel veel bedankt mijnheer💯

[@LanewoodStudios]

Graag gedaan!

[@noronsungukiangani6565]

thanks Im having the same issue in cubase i heve 2 of my songs wich does not open i already solved and im still fighting for the second one. ik zal je video nog voorzichtig volgen en proberen te oplossen. 💯💯💯

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@noronsungukiangani6565 succes!

[@mrbonzobeats]

Very usefull way to find a problematic Plugin!!!! Thanks!!! I have another question out of the topic : When i hit Q to quantize, the events move a little bit an i have to hit Q multiple times in order for the events to quantize all the way to the grid. Is there any Preferencies setting that i messed up? Thanks in advance!!!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks, look up Soft Quantize Mode in the manual. With this it is possible to set quantizing so that your quantized items only move part of the way. I believe it is in the quantize panel. Maybe this is set incorrectly for what you want.

[@mrbonzobeats]

@@LanewoodStudios omg that was in front of me all the time!!!! Thanks!!!

[@mattesrockt8054]

Hi, i have a question. I'm working with Cubase12pro on win10. All the vst3 plugins from any company are in C:// common files. This ssd are ' running' for every Projekt in cubase. But also the win10 system . Vst3 plugins are not copy in ext ssd? ( Backup every day) Best regards from an old musician of Germany

[@LanewoodStudios]

As far as I know, on Windows, the plugin location of VST3 plugins is fixed to the location I show in the video. If you put it anywhere else the plugins will not be recognized. But of course you can back them up from that location. But does that answer your question, because I'm not exactly sure what you are asking.

[@oladeleobadimeji8940]

How can i do this fix on Macbook?

[@LanewoodStudios]

The dialog that you get at startup should work the same? I don’t have MacBook so can’t try it.

[@justaskin8523]

I'm on Cubase 13 Pro and I tried to remove all VST2 folders from the plugin manager. But the plugins still are there when I do the plugin report to a .TXT file. And the VST2 folders are STILL being picked up by Cubase 13 even though I removed them from the plugin manager and did a refresh of all plugins. Not having a crash problem. I'm just trying to remove all VST2 plugins because I am pretty sure that everything I have is available in VST3. And if something doesn't have a VST3 counterpart, then I would like to know so I can go hassle the vendors, lol.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Did you try a rescan? Or a restart? Maybe some plugins are in folder you cannot remove from the scan? I would just shut down Cubase and then remove those plugins from the folders manually (or move them somewhere). Then Cubase should not be able to find them anymore.

[@gravityfreaksmusic]

One thing that does the trick for me is to watch the process as the project is loading. Most of the times, the channel with the faulty plugin stops Cubase from opening the file. Just disable the plugins on that track and start again.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great tip 👍

[@weareallmadeofstars6814]

I wish there was somekind of plugin manager that could locate plugins that needs to be re-installed, upgraded, removed or what so ever. Faulty pluggins just eats up cpu time and when one have like 100 plugins it just take to much time to remove them all and try one by one

[@LanewoodStudios]

Good idea. Unfortunately I don’t think that exists yet. Realistically though,it’s often the last plugin that you changed/installed/updates that usually causes the problem.

[@weareallmadeofstars6814]

@@LanewoodStudios Yes thats gold standard, but with that said, have had several plugins where you had a demo/trialversion, you bought the full package since you liked it, installer did not take away demo/trialversion you think all is hunky dory, demo trial version does its thing and messes all up. And thats just one out of like 10 more possibillities. So when that gold standard do not work, one is #¤"%" again. A proper universal licence manager, that beeps outside of your daw when uppgrades needed, trials exceeded or what so, that would be an hallelulja moment. Most annoying I think are installers that are sneaky and installs your legit vst but as a bonus some extras, and then time goes by and extras that you are not awhare of if you didnt pay 100% attention when installing start to do their things :D

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@weareallmadeofstars6814 yes you make some good points. Especially the hidden sneaky installs can be quite agrevating!

[@weareallmadeofstars6814]

Do you by any chance have a video on Audio Interfaces? My steinberg phanton power has gone bananas and even a fethead cant save it, it goes from no background sound to sounding like a vacuum cleaner, randomly and then back to no background sound again (it has nothing to do with computer since have a totally clean mac with cubase as backup setup for trying as me use that for reference on plugins too), so I am looking for possible upgrade @@LanewoodStudios

[@LanewoodStudios]

Hi@@weareallmadeofstars6814 , no video on audio interfaces yet no. I'm using RME myself but this channel is very good with audio interface reviews: www.youtube.com/@JulianKrause

[@pakipoli4895]

Hi. I have a problem with Nuendo 13. When it's loading it gets to SOUND SYSTEM it crashes! I don't understand what's happening. Maybe problems with the video card (I have an Nvidia Quadra). But it's strange because with another computer at home (with another geforce card) everything is ok!. You know what's loading after SOUND SYSTEM...anyway it's in the final stage before opening...

[@LanewoodStudios]

No I do t know what comes after that. Maybe try the Steinberg forums.