Comprehensive Guide: Rescanning Plugins in Cubase on macOS and Windows

If your UJAM plugins or other VST plugins are not showing up in Cubase, this guide provides clear instructions on how to force Cubase to rescan them. This method addresses plugin visibility issues due to file caches, incorrect installation paths, or plugin blacklisting.

Why Plugins May Not Show Up

Before troubleshooting, check if:

• Your plugin is in a compatible format (VST2 or VST3) for Cubase. Recently, Cubase has shifted towards VST3 only.
• You’ve installed the plugin in the correct system folder.
• Cubase has blacklisted or failed to scan the plugin.

Rescanning Plugins in Cubase on macOS

Method 1: Rescanning from the VST Plugin Manager

1. Open Cubase and go to Studio > VST Plug-in Manager.
2. Click the gear icon (bottom left) to access settings.
3. Select Rescan All to have Cubase perform a thorough check of all plugin folders.

This simple re-scan will often restore the missing plugins to your list. 

Important Note:

In case some plug-ins may have been blacklisted at some point, make sure to check the “Blocklist” tab.

If you find any plug-in here you’d like to use, make sure to select the plugin and then click on “Reactivate”.

Method 2: Clear the Plugin Cache Manually

For VST2 Plugins

1. Close Cubase if it’s open.
2. Open Finder and navigate to ~/Library/Preferences/Cubase **/. (where ** is your version)
3. Locate and delete:
   • Vst2xBlacklist Cubase.xml (removes blacklisted VST2 plugins)
   • Vst2xPlugins Cubase (x86_64).xml (forces a rescan of VST2 plugins)

For VST3 Plugins

1. In Finder, go to ~/Library/Preferences/Cubase **/Cubase Pro VST3 Cache/. (where ** is your version)
2. Delete:
   • vst3blacklist.xml (removes blacklisted VST3 plugins)
   • vst3plugins.xml (forces a full rescan of VST3 plugins)
3. Restart Cubase, which will automatically rescan your plugins upon launch.

Method 3: Reset Cubase Preferences

1. Close Cubase.
2. In Finder, go to ~/Library/Preferences/ and rename the Cubase ** folder to Cubase **_old (where ** is your version).
3. Restart Cubase. A fresh set of preferences will be created, prompting Cubase to rescan all plugins.

Rescanning Plugins in Cubase on Windows

Method 1: Rescan Using Plugin Manager

1. Open Cubase and select Studio > VST Plug-in Manager.
2. Click the gear icon to open settings.  

If the plugin was installed in a location that is not being shown in the Plugin Path settings, click on the “Plus” icon and add the folder (path) where the plugin is installed.

3. Click Rescan All to refresh all plugin folders.

Important Note:

In case some plug-ins may have been blacklisted at some point, make sure to check the “Blocklist” tab:.

If you find any plug-in here you’d like to use, make sure to select the plugin and then click on “Reactivate”.

Method 2: Clear the Plugin Cache Manually

For VST2 Plugins

1. Close Cubase.
2. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog and type:
   C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\Cubase **_64\ (where ** is your version) and then Enter.
3. Delete:
   • Vst2xBlacklist Cubase.xml
   • Vst2xPlugins Cubase (x86_64).xml

For VST3 Plugins

1. Within the same folder, go to Cubase Pro VST3 Cache\.
2. Delete:
   • vst3blacklist.xml
   • vst3plugins.xml
3. Restart Cubase to allow a full rescan.

Method 3: Reinstall Plugins and Reset Preferences

1. Uninstall the problematic plugin(s) and remove all associated files from the plugin directory.
2. Reinstall the plugin(s) and ensure they’re in the correct VST folder.
3. If the plugins still don’t show, reset Cubase preferences:
   • Rename C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\Cubase **_64\ to Cubase **_64_old. (where ** is your version)
   • Restart Cubase, which will now generate a new preferences folder and rescan plugins.

Additional Tips

1. Add Custom Plugin Paths: For plugins in custom folders, add these paths manually in VST Plug-in Manager.
   • Select Add under settings, locate your plugin folder, and click Select Folder.
   • Click Rescan after adding the path.
2. Reactivate Blacklisted Plugins: Some plugins might be on the “Blocklist” in VST Plug-in Manager.
   • Go to Blocklist, select the plugin, and click Reactivate.
3. Please check Cubase FAQ

4. To re-install your plug-in, here are the ► Download links

Following these steps should restore the missing plugins in Cubase. Always make sure to restart Cubase after any manual cache clearing or folder modification. If issues persist, reinstalling the plugin and resetting Cubase preferences can resolve deeper configuration conflicts.