Haven’t seen this issue, and would be grateful for suggestions. I’ve managed to install Dorico 5 on a new MS Surface 7G laptop, but when I open the program I get a message that 2 playback elements are missing (HALion Sonic 7 & Groove SE 5). However, they are present as standalone items, with functional desktop shortcut icons right next to Dorico’s; Dorico just isn’t recognizing them, apparently. Been through multiple installs and resets, which are tortuous in themselves, but no luck. Without them, no playback! Help!?
Welcom to the forum @kdmsooboy .
Try following: Go to Edit > Preferences and choose the VST Plug-ins tab on the left side. Then on the right side scroll all the way down where there is the Clear Audio Engine Cache button. Click on that and restart Dorico, does still that message pop-up? If so, then please do from the menu Help > Create Diagnostic Report and post the corresponding zip file here. Thanks
Is it a Snapdragon model?
Finally had the chance to try this. Did not resolve problem; diagnostic attached.
TY!
Dorico Diagnostics.zip (342.2 KB)
Yes, it is.
What processor is it exactly?
Groove Agent and HALion Sonic still get blocklisted because of unsupported architecture Arm_64ec.
To be honest, I don’t know about Surface and running in compatible mode. Did you get options during installation of those plugs?
And did you read this article? Do you meet the requirements and also have the right versions?
Here’s the info on the processor:
Device name LAPTOP-SG91B6KM
Processor Snapdragon(R) X 10-core X1P64100 @ 3.40 GHz 3.42 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.6 GB usable)
…
System type 64-bit operating system, ARM-based processor
Never saw that article before, and having read it now, I’m not altogether clear whether I meet all the requirements or not–though my initial impression is that probably I do.
But I feel like we’re going down the wrong rabbit hole; Dorico works, except that it doesn’t recognize the two VST items, and they both seem to work as standalones (apart from my unfamiliarity with using them in standalone mode.) There is something specific that’s not connecting correctly–not a system incompatibility.
Oh, I didn’t answer about the options. No, I didn’t get any options from the Download manager. I have tried different paths for VST plug-ins in the preferences window that you steered me to. Unfortunately, that didn’t resolve the issue, either.
Hmmm, the article says that VST2 isn’t supported, yet the Dorico preferences pane seems to presuppose VST2–not the supported VST3. ???
It’s a compatibility issue. What exact model of processor does your Surface have?
That’s the SDX Plus (the lower tier SDX).
Your processor does not have efficiency cores, but Groove Agent and HALion in their latest version need to be run on snapdragons with efficiency core(s). How about the if you install the VST3 pendants for intel architecture and run them in x86 emulation modus? Obviously that will eat up a bit of your processing power, but it is definitely worth trying.
Deep thanks for your suggestions on this, Ulf! I really appreciate it.
Right now I’m still evaluating whether I want to return this device or not; there are other negatives. But what would be involved in downloading those “pendants”? I’ve looked but haven’t found any other information on that. It looks as though running in emulation mode should be automatic; is that correct, or is there something you need to set to achieve that?
To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t have a Win on ARM machine, so my guessing is just a projection from Mac on ATM (I do have a Apple Silicon M1 and know how it works on that platform.
We have some people here at Steinberg that have WoA machines. I will ask them, but due to Labour Day that will most likely need to wait until Monday. Thanks for your patience.
Thank you once again, Ulf, but hold off. I’m going to return the device & will upgrade to one that has the higher tier core. If you are right, then that should solve the problem.
Although now we’ve started this topic, I suppose we could help out future users, too, so that would be good! Anyway, happy May Day (as we call it here.)
Kevin
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If by higher tier you mean the SDX Elite, then I fear that the problem will persist, because the Elite does not have efficiency cores either.
Right now the only up-to-date options within the Surface range that will handle music applications without restrictions are the Intel Lunar Lake models, which are sold to business clients. Depending on where you live, those models may also be available to regular consumers, here in Germany this is the case - but brace yourself, the extra Microsoft charges for those is beyond ludicrous. There are some vendors who do sell them for at least a little less painful price though.
Well, damn. But thanks for the warning. I guess I’ll have to try Ulf’s solution when I get the Elite–which I’ve just nicely finished ordering, damn it! Or maybe Yamaha support will have something constructive to offer, although they haven’t exactly inspired confidence so far.
Kevin
If you should decide to cancel the order, this review might be helpful for you:
After all, the situation with Windows is much different than with macOS, both from Microsoft’s and application developers’ perspectives. Apple offers everything out of one hand, hardware and OS, and they closed their walled garden long ago. In such a position - and with their stable user base especially in the professional music business - Apple could afford making that huge shift from x86 to self-developed ARM SoCs and not looking back, the software companies just had to adapt. At the same time, Apple’s absolute control over hardware and OS made it significantly easier for them to provide a working emulation layer with Rosetta 2.
Windows on the other hand runs on a much more diverse range of configurations, so Microsoft needs to keep this in mind and is much less flexible when it comes to larger architecture shifts. (I just remember the backlash they received for daring to require TPM 2.0 for Windows 11, making almost all pre-8th-gen Core-i Intel machines obsolete by W10’s end of life from upcoming October…) With Intel having difficulties in keeping up with technological advancements of ARM and AI, MS of course attempts to push Windows on ARM, which is probably why they charge so much extra for Lunar Lake Surfaces.
I can imagine that the situation is not that easy for developers as well. (Please correct me if my assumptions are incorrect, @Ulf.) Noone knows at this point where Windows on ARM is heading. I suppose it is here to stay, but in the music software business, where there are a lot of widely beloved legacy plugins and such around among other factors, and stability and reliability reign supreme as the number one requirements for any new (and also legacy) functions, the cost-benefit ratio of adapting to Windows on ARM is probably immensely difficult to assess.
For us users who do not want to switch to Apple, the situation is unsatisfactory as well. As I see it, music professionals on Windows should stick to x86 for the time being, I expect it to be a few years before we can see where all this is going.