To export Cubase (up to 8.5 Pro) tracks to Ableton there seems to be no simple solution... so I'm exporting the midi easily enough and then copying the VSTi's and VST inserts by hand, which is a nightmare. I wondered if anybody can see an easier way of doing this?

On my first track I saved the setting for every plugin - took several hours - and wrote a list of the order of the plugins on each synth, which I numbered 1, 2, 3 etc with their names... about the most logical thing I could think of. It works but it just takes forever. I can see a few time-saving tweaks such as adding all the Echoboy settings to all relevant tracks at once for example, which saves a few VST menu clicks, but its not really shaving hours off.

It would be nice to open both programs at once, but Ableton doesn't access the VST folder whilst its open inside Cubase, so its not possible to copy paste settings. Does anybody know a way to make this possible? I have dual screens so that would be ideal.

 

coincidently, I was wondering the same thing yesterday about exporting some of my Ableton sessions into logic, but it seems that until now, the only option is to import your midi / audio as stems and recall your saved VSTi presets

there's the rewire option, or the "link" function of Ableton, but that's not what we're looking for.

I guess the next coding-guy who comes with a software which allows to bridge and import sessions between DAWs will make money ..

otherwise :

are you sure about that ?

anybody with suggestions is welcome indeed

 

It is easier to export every track to Wave, it works in every DAW

 

Actually I was wrong. I just figured it out. You have to open Ableton first so that it doesn't rewire. I have both programs open right now on dual screens. This saves some massive headaches. I can't find a simpler solution for less than £200.

I just found another headache inside Ableton though. Cubase has a copy paste function, but those boxes don't show up in Ableton to easily paste the presets, so it looks like I still have to save presets in Cubase and load them in Ableton. Would have been nice to just copy paste settings I created without having to save them as presets first.

There might be a software solution for you as you wanted, but Logic was a bit naff from what I remember reading. I think its software called AA Translator, that translates most tracks. Translator costs £200 in some cases. You will have to read up on it. Seems like Ableton plays well but not so much Logic. There isn't a proper demo for you to try. They will do a translation for you as a test, which I wouldn't be happy giving someone my unfinished tracks.

 

Even if everything was just audio loops, there are times that you want to export the vst effect settings so that its non-destructive and you can carry on where you left off.

For example, I want to use Ableton's layering ability inside of Ableton, so I can't layer those in advance as audio files if I haven't created the layers yet. I want to export the VSTi settings and carry on working inside of Ableton. I also want to add effects after those layers, which isn't possible if I've already destroyed the first layer with effects... the list goes on...

Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

Check if the OMF option works for you.. dont know how Ableton handles it (Probarly not the best). If not you can always open either as slave and then manualy lift track by track over for easy view on what goes where, settings etc..

 

Thanks. OMF only exports the audio settings. I have to still try that with an audio track so that should be fun... :D

I am doing like you suggested. Its miles better than I was using yesterday but the lack of copy paste is a bummer. Ableton allows copy paste but there's a failure between Cubase and Ableton's access to the clipboard. Doesn't seem to recognise the same data, so there must be something inside the handling on each DAW. Waves has already accommodated this feature if that's any use to anybody. Maybe some others have as well and I'll find those as I go. As it stands it looks like I just have to save each setting as a preset and open in the other window.

 

i searching for this a while, but the best software seem to be this http://www.aatranslator.com.au/

it just put audios and midis, and some automation, but no inserts ands vsts, i still have to buy it to test, but i don't have shure if will fits to my needs.

 

Its a lot of money if it doesn't work. The offer to do a test for you doesn't prove anything, they could do what I'm doing and translate your track by hand or just fix anything that didn't translate properly.

 

yes thats why i didn't buy yet

would be good if it appears on the sister site

but i believe it will be like transfer from cubase to studio one, witch you have the option to export xml from cubase and import in studio one without inserts, this is completely possible to do, so i think it work.

for transfering from daws, what i always do, is save the preset from inserts with the name "1" and save at desktop, always replace with new presets, and import in other daw. when using pro-q for example i just save preset on their menu and it's easier to open on other projects. a software that do this for me is a dream

 

Last edited: Mar 21, 2018

It would be nice to open both programs at once, but Ableton doesn't access the VST folder whilst its open inside Cubase, so its not possible to copy paste settings. Does anybody know a way to make this possible? I have dual screens so that would be ideal.[/QUOTE]

you have to open ableton first, and it will not open in rewire mode, than you access the same vst folder as cubase

 

If you do not want to render the plugins to WAV, then this should come in handy (Disclaimer : It's OMF, as previously mentioned) :

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/transferring-projects-between-different-daws#para6

Cheers.

 

Thanks for the link. It says you can't transfer midi so you have to convert to audio first and its pretty useless at doing it anyway - hit and miss according to reports. My Cubase only allows the audio channels, which is true to what the article says, and it won't even let you transfer the insert fx - which could have been a great alternative by exporting midi, bouncing the channels to audio and then drag and drop the fx from audio to midi channels if it worked. Would take half an hour or so like that. Unfortunately OMF is pretty naff in general.

From the article... "there's still no provision for transferring information about level and pan automation, or any information relating to plug‑in instruments or effects, or MIDI".

Appreciate the input. Thank you.

 

Thanks. Found that eventually and it works like you said.

 

I think you are right. I tried doing something with that option in Cubase and Ableton didn't know what it was, so no joy there. Makes me think the whole package would be a waste of £200... or even worse, starting at £60 and then convinced to buy the £140 upgrade which 'might work', followed by two fingers and silence. Haha. I'm not trying it that's for sure.

This is similar to what I've been doing, or rather what I'm realising I've screwed up on the first attempt, modified on the second and then have plans to correct a bit better on my third. The key seems to be having each load and save folder default to a dedicated save folder for the track. Still not easy and lots of work but its becoming familiar now. I'd had enough at the end of the night last night, I almost couldn't be bothered finishing the one I'd started. Its very draining. Something we all need studio juniors for... any volunteers??? :D

Would be nice if it was on sister site true, but I don't think enough people would be interested for them to bother with it. Think it might need a USB key as well - something did that I was looking at last night, but that might have been Pro Convert. It was on sale on Ebay or something for about £60 and its not even up to date, so a waste of money in my mind.

 

Using something like a plugin chainer, ie: NYRV Agent http://nyrvaudio.com/ , can save lots of time (and do other neat tricks too) when you have long chains of effects. Just save a user preset for every chain you have in Agent and then open it in any daw via Agent.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I can't see how this will work any faster. It will take me a week to learn how to use it and I'll have half of my tracks converted by then :D ... Doesn't seem to let you drag and drop the plugins into it as I would hope. I liked the idea if it would let you just drag the instrument or VST effect into it with its settings and then drag them over into Ableton. That would be cool. Or even just do that automatically per track would be amazing. That might be something for a developer to look into, because a simple folder like that would let studios translate the midi, audio and plugins as 3 simple processes.

 

Well yeah, you are right, there's the catch you gotta open those plugs from within the Agent chainer in order to be able to save universal settings etc. So no, it won't save you time for the tracks you have already. On the long run though, for example, using Agent for all my fx has saved me loads of time, because i move projects around from Sonar to Cubase and sometimes to Ableton Live and Acid Pro. Setting a default template in your daw just so every time you make a new track it has Agent on the "insert" is easy, learning how to use it takes no more than 20 mins i guess... But hey that drag 'n' drop would be sweet alright. Most likely it can't be done because it enumerates and databases vst fx just like a daw does, so after a new plug has been installed it has to rescan your vst folder in order for it to be functional inside Agent.
Ahhh wth, i'm holding hope for future development
Cheers mate

 

it costs 59USD, the 200USD version is to use with pro tools, i will buy someday, i already transfered more than 200 projects with 100 tracks minimum. my dream is a program that convert the inserts and automation. i think i have a old version of this software cracked, but it doesn't support new daws or something like this, i will search my pc and see what it can do.
I already tried all the racks and plugins chains in the world, but the workflow on them is pretty bad when they aren't integrated with the daw.

well, i email them a while ago and ask them what the software actualy do and they send me this

"Which daw to which daw
No midi no fx some automation"

so, no midi
so, i don't know if i will buy it anymore

 

You have the Blue cat patchwork as a plugin chainer.