scook

What sample rate and mixing latency buffer size is the project using? What driver mode?

If you have a license for Platinum it should automatically get activated when installing using the Command Center. If you have a license and did not activate using the Command Center follow the manual activation steps here All content and plug-ins installed with any 64bit version of a Cakewalk DAW may be used with CbB. VST plug-ins must be in the VST scan path. DX plug-ins must be registered with regsvr32.exe (this is normally done by the installer).

Yes, the Cakewalk Command Center link still works. Make sure you are logged in to your account. Platinum not only has plug-ins not in X3, some of the plug-ins have bug fixes. Compare the X3 and Platinum documentation plug-in sections to see the difference.

Drum Replacer is bundled with CbB too.

Is the plug-in installed in the same path on both machines?

Could there be plug-ins missing on computer 2?

Create arranger sections from the markers Set source category in the Export dialog to Arranger Sections

What is the theme setting in Preferences > Customization > Themes

ditto

Yeah, the big push before VCV Rack pisses in all the modular plug-ins cornflakes

Yes, how MIDI data is interpreted is up to the plug-ins.

The exception that proves the rule

yes Except for this one

Yeah, V-Vocal requires a minimal install of the DAW because it is not a regular plug-in and is not on the advanced install pick list. It is part of the SONAR core installer. True Piano Amber is on the advanced install pick list.

I don't recall if there is an advanced install option in 8.5 but my guess is there is. Near the beginning of the install process there should be an option to run an advanced install. The advanced install option provides a checklist of plug-ins to install. Even if there is not an advanced install option, re-running the installer will not hurt anything.

If it opens in safe mode but intermittently fails otherwise, it is likely plug-in related. If the project is hanging (the spinning blue circle) create a hang dump and submit it for analysis. For info on how to do this see If there are any 32bit plug-ins in the project, they are the first things to suspect. Relying on unsupported, unmaintained plug-ins is a bad idea.

My guess is the project is MIDI only routed to the MS GS Wavetable synth. This means the project has no audio to export. The MS GS Wavetable synth is an external hardware synth. The easiest way to create audio in the DAW is use soft synths. One way to setup a project that is general MIDI to use a soft synth is File > Save the project as a MIDI file. Make sure there are no MIDI output devices enabled in Preferences > Midi > Devices File > Open the MIDI file. This will automatically add and setup TTS-1, a GM soft synth, to play the project. From there you can freeze, bounce and export audio because the MIDI tracks will be routed to a soft synth which is routed to an audio track in the project. Of course, one could manually add soft synths and audio tracks too but for now, the method above may be easier, at least until you figure out the basics of MIDI handling in the DAW. It will also give you a good example of how to setup a project. Going forward you may want to Learn how to use the project templates supplied by the DAW. Learn how to add soft synths to a project. This will make creating projects with MIDI data much easier. This is covered in the documentation and there are several video tutorials. One was linked in one of the previous replies. There is an entire section of this forum dedicated to tutorials on how to use this DAW.

For the same reason the freeze option is disabled

https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/35369-audio-from-midi/&tab=comments#comment-289267

One way is keep the track view on the main screen and move the multidock to the second monitor and keep the console view in the multidock.

If you want all the content bundled with X3 uninstall CbB, install X3 and re-install CbB. If you just want the plug-ins bundled with X3, run the X3 installer and select 64bit and the advanced install option. This will give you option to select which plug-ins to install.