KVR Audio

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 3:56 pm

Thought i'd share these news i just found on Steinberg's website: http://www.steinberg.net/en/newsandeven ... -3778.html

Dear customers,

As announced earlier, we would like to remind you that from next major release onward we’ll only be supporting 64-bit software as this is the current technology guaranteeing the best possible performance and user experience. As a consequence we are discontinuing the Steinberg VST Bridge, which was meant as an aid for the smooth transition from 32-bit to 64-bit.

For all of you interested in using legacy 32-bit products there are third-party products like jBridge that can help. To ensure a stable and optimal system we nevertheless strongly recommend using 64-bit and VST 3 software only. Please contact third-party plug-in developers to learn more about latest product updates and when 64-bit/VST 3 versions will be released, should they still be unavailable.

Tbh, i'm not sad about it. Rather happy, because that means that they can focus on other stuff than compatibility with, IMO, deprecated technology. But, of course, if you still use 32-bit plugins, not so good news. They state though that you can use something like jBridge, of course.

xphen0m · Post by **xphen0m** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 4:28 pm

Can't say I'm surprised nor sad about this. jbridge is a great tool for bridging, so there's that. This was going to happen eventually irregardless, so better now before the next major version. I'm sure other companies will follow suit as time goes on.

ObsoleteAcc99 · Post by **ObsoleteAcc99** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 4:38 pm

[DELETED]

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 4:43 pm

xphen0m wrote:Can't say I'm surprised nor sad about this. jbridge is a great tool for bridging, so there's that. This was going to happen eventually irregardless, so better now before the next major version. I'm sure other companies will follow suit as time goes on.

Yep. And as Steinberg's bridge wasn't said to be the best anyway, i guess it's rather recommendable to use jBridge instead.

Nightpolymath · Post by **Nightpolymath** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 8:40 pm

Good riddance. Never liked Steinberg's bridge to begin with - too many crashes using old 32-bit plugins.

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 8:46 pm

I have the same problem with J Bridge though, at least on Mac I have stopped using it. The only bridges that seem to work well are Bitwig's and Reaper's, I suspect it helps that they both also function as sandboxes.

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 8:56 pm

Not surprised either...

This way they can ignore all questions related to 32bit plugins in the future, and blame it on the developers yet again.

Three future news posts to look out for
1) 32bit versions of Cubase, Nuendo and Wavelab will be dropped once and for all by <date> (which I really hope! Less mess with the installers and updates)
2) Cubase/Nuendo/Wavelab will not support Windows below Windows 8, and Macintosh below OSX 10.10 (Yosemite) if not already 10.11 (El Capitan)
3) the VST4 SDK, but no drop of VST2...

Paranoid much?

Not at all...
I still remember a .5 upgrade that dropped XP and Vista support without announcement. The installer refused to "install" - unless you extracted it or went directly for the installer files. Now that Windows 10 is pretty much out to the masses, with the "freebie deal" ending end of this month, not to mention that OSX "Sierra" (10.12) hits Autumn 2016 as well while Cubase 9 is pretty much on front doors... I kind of expect such a move.

Regarding a possible VST4 SDK - I really hope this will happen and 3rd party developers (both large companies and the indie developers) were part of this SDK... There were plenty of initiatives that said "VST4 needs to be a community project". I hope this came to fruition. I expect this SDK any day now as well actually. Maybe around mid 2017 latest. The VST SDK is currently at v3.6 IIRC, so that time frame could be realistic.

I do expect a continuation of the VST2 technology however. I was told several times that they "might be dropped eventually" (at fairs, etc). But the VST SDK was always backwards compatible... so, yeah.

But the biggest news post I'd actually anticipate would be:
No more paid .5 versions. every other year, but free .1 and .2 versions again...

I can dream....

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 9:15 pm

VST4? Even VST3 isn't fully rooted yet after what... 7 years... That'd be mad.

ThomasHelzle · Post by **ThomasHelzle** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 9:20 pm

EvilDragon wrote:VST4? Even VST3 isn't fully rooted yet after what... 7 years... That'd be mad.

I don't think so. If the VST4 format would solve the issues that made the VST3 format so extremely unpopular with devs, I think it could see very fast adaption actually.
But that of course depends on how much Steinberg learned from the VST3 Desaster...

Cheers,

Tom

sfd · Post by **sfd** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 9:30 pm

Not only 64-bit. But as a matter of fact. Steinberg's DAW Cubase 8 and up is only for non visually impaired people. Should be stated on their website too.

I've been using Cubase since the early 90s. Up to version 6.

I can't use version 8 and up. Becase those version demands me to use a certian windows theme isn't this pretty ridicilous?).

I would love to upgrade to version 6,5 o r7 or 7,5 but that's no longer possible.

Now If I want a more decent DAW I've to look for somehting else. Not that I want to. But Steinberg don't giv eme any choice.

Steinber's policy seems to be that if you want to stay with them you'll have to updgrade every 6th month and you'll have to accept evne what windows theme they decide will only work with their DAW.

Sorry for all the typos. I'm visually impaired (which btw means I've to use a high contra ttheme. That doesnt' work with Cubase 8 and up)

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 11:03 pm

EvilDragon wrote:VST4? Even VST3 isn't fully rooted yet after what... 7 years... That'd be mad.

No, it wouldn't be.

If we look back at the history of the VST3 technology and why it was "created" in the first place (the main two selling points that Steinberg never did themselves, but other hosts handled beautifully - native Sidechaining and RAM unloading - links like micro-pitching with SDK v3.5 came later), it could actually be a revolution again.

There was so much flack for VST3. If VST SDK v4 (therefore introducing VST4) was made with 3rd party devs in tandem, maybe we can get the best of all worlds, while dropping all the bollocks and useless weight that programmers had to "work around "in order to make it possible to use in all hosts.

To me as beta tester for various, this would be a welcome surprise and less frustration. Not to mention that certain tools would finally be "side chain" capable without the forced VST3 BS in CubEndo.

So if there are changes coming up - then please also the VST SDK. We're already on v3.6 (if not higher - I don't have an eye on this myself). And who knows what's happening behind closed doors already again (WL9 for example was over half a year in beta - how do I know this? Somebody leaked it in another beta team I work for).

sfd wrote:Not only 64-bit. But as a matter of fact. Steinberg's DAW Cubase 8 and up is only for non visually impaired people. Should be stated on their website too.

In all honestly, C7.x and C8.0 don't give themselves much GUI wise - and I call this far from "usable only to non visually impaired people". Though it took them AGES to overhaul that in 7.0.3 funked up (on purpose!) Insert handling, to somewhat make it more usable (and slightly reverted to C7.0.2) in C8 again...

sfd wrote:I can't use version 8 and up. Becase those version demands me to use a certian windows theme isn't this pretty ridicilous?).

The only thing that Cubase 8 and up demands, is that you use the unaltered AERO engine, and not a flat "classic" theme. Yes, that is annoying in Windows 7 as I had to do this myself with the C8 LE demo, but you can at least reduce boarders sizes and if you're lucky enough even the transparency or the animations. Then again, this should have been massively improved with Windows 8.1 and up (I've ignored Windows 8, and I'm not on Windows 10 yet - so I can't fully confirm this).

sfd wrote:I would love to upgrade to version 6,5 o r7 or 7,5 but that's no longer possible.

Not wrong, and not quite right either.

Yes, you can only upgrade to the most latest Cubase, but your Elicenser can still access previous Cubase versions. So if you don't want to use Cubase 8 but the old versions, yet don't have the ISO's, you can ask the support for them.

sfd wrote:Sorry for all the typos. I'm visually impaired (which btw means I've to use a high contra ttheme. That doesnt' work with Cubase 8 and up)

Maybe Cubase 9 will go the Wavelab 9 route, where you get different "contrast themes" - which was a welcome feature actually. Or maybe we'll get back a better custom GUI coloring feature that was in Cubase up until C7. We'll just have to wait and see.

sfd wrote:Steinber's policy seems to be that if you want to stay with them you'll have to updgrade every 6th month and you'll have to accept evne what windows theme they decide will only work with their DAW.

The upgrade cycle is once a year.
Example: 2014 was v.0, 2015 was .5, 2016 will be v.0 again (I'm fairly sure of that)

This has been going on since the 90ies with the exception of SX1 and SX2 which had a longer turnaround time and .1 and .2 updates before SX3 hit. Then it was reverted to major upgrades every two years (v.0 to v.0), with interim upgraded in between - starting to be paid with Cubase 4.5 (though SX3.1 and C4.1 was still a thing).

So no, the upgrade cycle is not 6 months. Though the lowest I can remember was 9-10 months for Cubase.

Also - upgrade prices dropped drastically.

To a certain extent, I'd even say that "fence sitters" get better deals than early adopters and regular updater/upgrade users if you consider the upgrade prices.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Sun Jul 03, 2016 11:20 pm

Sorry guys, but, as the thread served its purpose now, to inform about Steinberg's plans to make the next major versions of their software 64-bit only, and everyone had their fair share of expressing their thoughts about it, and i don't want to make this a platform for certain people's (offtopic) general vendetta against the company (thought he was over it by now, but naaaay), i will close this thread now.

And thanks to the KVR admins for giving me the possibility, and act as the final moral instance, which i do in this way by closing my thread. Byez.

Steinberg's products only to support 64-bit from the next major versions