Just trying to get to grips with this software after having used Geniesoft Overture for 15 years! I’ve installed the trial version of Dorico Elements and have imported a MIDI file generated from Overture. Very impressed with the rendering of the imported file (cf Sibelius, which was dreadful). However, I can’t get playback working. I know I’m supposed to download the Sounds Installer, and have tried to do it, but at the end of the download, I get a message ‘The signature of this file is corrupt or invalid’. In Dorico, I have an entry for HALion in the VST Instruments panel, but when I click the ‘e’ button, nothing happens - the HALion window doesn’t open. I guess there’s something wrong, but I’m at the limits of my understanding and would very much appreciate some help!
for a start, please do Help > Create Diagnostics Report from the main menu and post the corresponding zip file here. From the logs I can then give further advice.
But you also definitely need the sounds resp. sounds installer package. Strange that you get that signature error.
Do you download with the Steinberg Download Assistant? Instead you could try a direct download from Dorico 3.5 Updates und Downloads | Steinberg
If you can’t get the big 9GB Dorico Pro Sounds Installer, you could maybe try instead the 3GB sounds installer of Dorico Elements. That won’t give you the HALion Symphonic Orchestra sounds, but better than nothing and it gives you at least some sounds to start with.
You are not only missing the sound files but also HALion Sonic SE as VSTinstrument. I’m not 100% sure which package should install HALion Sonic SE, either the Dorico or the sounds installer.
How did it go with the new download?
Download completed, after many failures and resumes. I’m extracting it now. I presume I just have to run the setup for everything to be correctly installed? And that will provide all the stuff I need?
OK, I’ve installed the sound files, but when I open Dorico with my imported MIDI file, as before, it lists HALion in the VST rack, but clicking the ‘e’ still does nothing. BTW, HALion has double exclamation marks around it. Also in the drop-down for HALion there’s nothing but ‘—’ and DoricoBeep. New diagnostic file attached. Sorry about this, but I’m really working completely in the dark here - I have no idea what I’m doing!
Hi Ed, that was the same diagnostics file like before. But anyway, from what you describe you are still missing HALion Sonic SE. I don’t know why it did not get installed together with Dorico, but you can download it separately from https://www.steinberg.net/index.php?id=downloads_halion_sonic_se_3&L=1
You don’t need an extra license for it (as that page suggests) because it’s already included in the Dorico license. So just download and install and launch Dorico and see what i does then.
I sent the diagnostics file I had just exported - it had the correct datestamp. I downloaded Dorico Pro 3.5 · Sounds Installer (Content) · 8,7 GB, from the link you gave me, and unzipped and installed it. Have I missed something?
I checked again and the contained log files are still the same. But it’s not so important, because from what you describe you are still missing HALion Sonic SE. Please read my previous post, there is a link where you can download it from.
Sorry Ulf, I may not have made it clear. I had already downloaded the file from the link you provided, and the situation I described:
“OK, I’ve installed the sound files, but when I open Dorico with my imported MIDI file, as before, it lists HALion in the VST rack, but clicking the ‘e’ still does nothing. BTW, HALion has double exclamation marks around it. Also in the drop-down for HALion there’s nothing but ‘—’ and DoricoBeep.”
Hi Ed, I provided 2 download links, the second one is solely for the HALion Sonic SE installer which is a download of only about 800MB. Here again the link. So please grab that one as well, let the installer run and after that - I think - you should be all set. Should you still have trouble, please do again Help > Create Diagnostics Report and post the new zip file here. Thanks
Apologies, Ulf - I didn’t realise there were two different links and two downloads! When I run this second download, it asks me if I want to update the software - I presume that’s what I’m supposed to do, although I don’t have anything to update at the moment. There is no option simply to install it.
Anyway - Halleluja! - I now have sound!
Thank you very much for your help with this. I’ve got lots more problems with dynamics and articulations, but I reckon I can probably learn that from online material, now that I’m over this initial hurdle.