Problem
A large project cannot be loaded again after being saved in Cubase/Nuendo.
In some cases, Cubase and Nuendo may become unresponsive while the project file is being saved. After forcing Cubase/Nuendo to quit, the project file may have a significantly smaller size.
When trying to open the saved project, one of the following error messages may appear:
- Project "Project Name.cpr" was created by Cubase 1.x. This program version cannot load it.
- Invalid project file "Project Name.cpr" !
Background
This serious error can occur with project files from a size of 2 GB created by Cubase/Nuendo versions older than 13.0.30.
The original specifications of the project file format (*.cpr and *.npr) were not conceived for project files larger than 2 GB. Therefore, project files that exceed this size limit may get corrupted when they are saved.
⚠️ Project files damaged in this way cannot be repaired.
The problem does not necessarily occur immediately, as soon as a project file larger than 2 GB is saved. But beyond this limit, there is a fundamental risk that the project file will be irrevocably damaged the next time it is saved.
Reasons for an exceptional size of project files can be VST plug-ins, but particularly ARA plug-ins (for instance, SpectraLayers, WaveLab, or Melodyne), which save large amounts of WAV or XML data within the project file.
The issue arose gradually due to the ever-increasing size of project files as a result of technical progress, for example ARA support. In practice, the issue still occurs rarely.
Workarounds
If you are working with a Cubase/Nuendo version older than 13.0.30 on a larger project, please monitor the file size of your project and keep it smaller than 2 GB. When the file size approaches the 2 GB limit, it is good practice to save projects with a manually altered file name, for example, by adding an increasing version number.
Furthermore, make sure you have back-up strategies in place, which is, in general, recommendable.
Here are ways to minimize the size of a Cubase/Nuendo project:
Back up the complete project
Since downsizing a project requires tracks to be removed, always create a complete back-up of your project first (File > Back up Project...).
Make Track Extensions Permanent
Suitable for Audio Tracks with ARA plug-ins only
If your project includes many tracks with data-hungry ARA plug-ins/extensions enabled, use the "Make Track Extension Permanent" function (Audio > Extensions > Make Extension Permanent). This will render the audio data on the track and unload the extension, which will decrease the project file size significantly.
However, unfortunately, "Make Track Extensions Permanent" cannot be undone, so you might want to save an alternate version of your project with the extensions enabled to keep flexibility. In this way, whenever you require changing audio on the tracks made permanent, you can refer to the alternate project, export the changed audio tracks and import it into your downsized project.
Render in Place
Suitable for
• Instrument Tracks
• MIDI Tracks with VST Instrument output
• Audio Tracks with ARA plug-ins
Use the "Render in Place" function (Edit > Render in Place) to create audio tracks based on Instrument Tracks, MIDI Tracks with VST Instruments as output, or audio tracks with ARA plug-ins within the project.
After rendering in place, the original tracks must be deleted so that the plug-in data is no longer saved in the project file.
Before removing original tracks(s), please make sure you have backed up your work properly.
Export Audio
Suitable for
• Instrument Tracks
• MIDI Tracks with VST Instrument output
• Audio Tracks with ARA plug-ins
Mix down tracks (File > Export > Audio Mixdown...) and re-import the created audio file(s) into your project.
After creating the mixdown, the original tracks must be deleted so that the plug-in data is no longer saved in the project file.
Before removing original tracks(s), please make sure you have backed up your work properly.
Back up as Track Archive
Suitable for
• Instrument Tracks
• MIDI Tracks with VST Instrument output
By exporting some or all tracks (File > Export > Selected Tracks...) as a Track Archive, you can then re-import some of them into a new project.
After creating a Track Archive, the original tracks must be deleted so that the plug-in data is no longer saved in the project file.
Before removing original tracks(s), please make sure you have backed up your work properly.
⚠️ Track Archives are not suitable for tracks with ARA plug-ins, as ARA data is not exported in Track Archives.
Backing up tracks to be removed
In general, we recommend to simply keep a complete back-up of the project you need to downsize. In this way, you don't need to think about which strategy is suitable for which track you have to remove.
However, it might also make sense to combine back-up methods, for example, by keeping the complete project untouched while working dynamically with track-specific exports of your work.
In this case, please note the following for the different track types: :
Audio Track with ARA plug-in
You need to keep a copy of the project, including the original track, to have a back-up of all ARA settings on the track.
Instrument Track
A Track Archive (File > Export > Selected Tracks...) includes all MIDI data as well as VST Instrument settings.
MIDI Track with VST Instrument
A Track Archive (File > Export > Selected Tracks...) includes all MIDI data and all settings of the MIDI Track, but not the settings of the VST Instrument selected as output. So you need to save the VST Instrument settings additionally.
Permanent solution
In Cubase/Nuendo versions newer than 13.0.20, the project file size is not limited anymore. This is the corresponding information taken from the Release Notes:
With Cubase/Nuendo 13.0.30 we introduced a change to the project file format to support much larger file sizes. Cubase/Nuendo will now detect automatically whether to use the previous (32-bit) format or the new (64-bit) project file format. When the project file size requires the 64-bit format to be used, you will be informed via a dialogue.
64-bit project files will only be compatible with Cubase/Nuendo 13.0.30 or higher. It will not be possible to open 64-bit projects in earlier versions (i.e., 13.0.20) or generations (i.e., Cubase/Nuendo 12). Once a project file is saved in 64-bit format, it cannot be converted back to 32-bit.