Playback - change from NotePerformer 5 to the Steinberg default for Dorico 6 Pro

[stephen.bashforth]

Hi,

nearly always I use NotePerformer 5 for playback, but I wanted to switch to the Steinberg / Dorico default HALion set. I tried Dorico>Preferences> play> and then selected HALion Sonic Sel and got an error saying I had not got access to HALion 6. (I tried Iconica sketch, HALion Sonic Sea, Olympus, GASE first, thinking these were the default set that comes with Dorico 6 pro - and got the same error.)

One error message told me to update eLicenser Control Centre - even though its use is discontinued.

So - should I delete my elicenser Control Centre app?

why do I get an error about HALion 6 when I’m not intentionally trying to use it?

How do I switch from NotePerformer 5 back to the Steinberg/ Dorico default playback template.

Thanks

Stephen

[kasky1]

Maybe apply the Silence playback template so that all references to anything go away. Go to Play and remove all the VST/MIDI setups so that your score cannot connect to anything. Save and close. Reopen and apply whichever playback template closest matches what you have installed (Steinberg Download Assistant can help you determine what is installed).

If that still doesn’t work, apply silence again. Remove any VST/MIDI devices in play, then set up a VST to Halion Sonic and manually connect your instruments.

I would also make sure that everything is updated through Steinberg Download Assistant that may not be.

[benwiggy]

@stephen.bashforth

why do I get an error about HALion 6 when I’m not intentionally trying to use it?

HALion (without “Sonic” or any other suffix) is the Pro version of the app, which has a separate licence (that needs buying).
If you installed HALion, rather than HALion Sonic, then it might complain that you don’t have a licence when Dorico tries to use it.

You can select which version of HALion you want to use in Dorico’s preferences, but I’d make sure that you uninstall it, too.

The current version of HALion and HALion Sonic is 7. Dorico 6 should install HALion Sonic 7.

[Ulf]

Benwiggy is right.

[stephen.bashforth]

Thanks Ulf and Benwiggy,

I have (not sure how or why) got a folder called “Content HALion” in MacBook Pro/Users/stephenbashforth/Downloads/Steinberg/OSX . Does this relate to HALion Sonic or to “full” HALiuon 6? What should I do about this folder?

If I look at my Applications I have HALion Sonic.app and HALion Sonic SE.app, but no HALion.

If I look in Steinberg Download Assistant I have these:

None is HALion 6 or HALion 7.

When I try to use Dorico>preferences> and switch from NotePerformer to HALIon Sonic , I still get the error message saying I don’t have a license for HALion 6.

Please, what should I do to not get the error message - and importantly, be able to use the standard Steinberg VST libraries that come with Dorico 6. Should I uninstall Dorico and re-install? - and it is not at all obvious how I would achieve this.

Thanks

[kasky1]

That is a version of Halion Sonic 7, just 7.5.0. Just out of curiosity, does Cubase use Halion 6, is that why you have v. 6? (I don’t use Cubase so I don’t rightly know.). When I look in my applications, I only see Halion Sonic as an option. So you might want to uninstall any other version of Halion as has been mentioned prior.

[benwiggy]

@stephen.bashforth

I have (not sure how or why) got a folder called “Content HALion” in MacBook Pro/Users/stephenbashforth/Downloads/Steinberg/OSX . Does this relate to HALion Sonic or to “full” HALiuon 6? What should I do about this folder?

The Download Assistant saves everything into ~/Downloads/Steinberg. You can keep or delete anything in there, once it’s installed, which it usually does immediately. “Content HALion” refers to instruments that HALion uses.

I’d suggest setting the application Preferences, under Play, as follows:

However, you may also need to check the subfolders of /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/ for old versions of HALion Sonic. (E.g. Components, VST, VST3.)

Then you could try reinstalling “HALionSonic 7.5.0 - Instrument”.

Otherwise, create a Diagnostic Report from the Help menu, and upload it here, as that may provide more information about what Dorico is loading and wanting.

Cubase 15 is the latest version so should be installing the same thing; but Cubase 11 might install something earlier.

[stephen.bashforth]

I have made SOME progress.

To remove the possibility of problems from older versions of Dorico I went

Applications> and used move to bin on Dorico 3.5 folder, Dorico 4 folder, Dorico 5 folder.

I then went Finder>Go>Go To Folder and input

/Library/Application Support / Steinberg

there were folders for Content , Dorico 2, Dorico 3, Dorico 3.5, Dorico 4, Dorico 5, and Dorico 6, HALion and HALion Sonic SE

I used “move to bin” on Dorico 2, Dorico 3, Dorico 3.5, Dorico 4, Dorico 5, and the HALion folders.

I shut down the MacBook Pro and restarted

I then got a message

"Dorico’s automatic playback template makes optimal use of the supported sound content, including automatically configuring new sounds when they are installed.

Do you want to use this playback template by default in new projects?"

I chose Use Auto Playback Template.

When I opened Dorico >Preferences it had HALion showing which I changed to HALion Sonic.

It was looking good - until I tried playing back a test project (just something short and simple)

The project has Flute, Piccolo, A. Sax, B.Sax, Bassoon, Fr Horn, Piano, Violin, Viola.

No sounds except from Fr Horn.

The end point map is attached above.

So - First obvious question - was it a mistake to delete the HALiuon folder ? and if so how do I restore it?

Second question - if the lack of sounds is not associated with deleting the HALion folder (and I note I do not get any errors about HALion 6), what is the cause of no sound - and please, what to do to make the instruments sound?

UPDATE - when I look Play > select Alto Sax > I see CC11 - where I was expecting some ref to a sound.

Thanks

[Ulf]

From your last screenshot it looks like you have HALion Sonic loaded. I can’t say what version, but that is not so important at the moment. More important is, what of the sound content files are around on your machine. Therefore, while that project is loaded, please do from the Dorico menu Help > Create Diagnostic Report and attach the corresponding zip file to a reply in this thread. From the contained logs and data I can give further advice.

[stephen.bashforth]

Hi Ulf,

Thank you - here is the diagnostic report

Dorico Diagnostics.zip (1.4 MB)

and here is the Dorico file

Test Nov2025.dorico (1.5 MB)

I hope these help diagnose what has happened / what I have done

thanks

[Ulf]

Hi Stephen,

it does not look that bad.

First, you have HALion Sonic SE 3.5, HALion 6 and HALion Sonic 7.5 installed, of which you only need HALion Sonic, the other 2 you could uninstall, but that’s up to you.

A lot of sound content is recognized by Dorico, but you are missing the Etude Elements library. That one is quite new and provides new high quality piano sounds. So please go to the Steinberg Download Assistant and install again the Etude Elements item.

After that restart Dorico, and I expect it to make sound, latest if you apply the Auto playback template.

[Ulf]

Here also a little explanation what might have happened. Probably you had at some stage a HALion 6 together with a trial license installed. Though license expired, Dorico will still try to load in that plug-in, but then later it falls over because on loading HALion checks by itself on a valid license. In your case it can’t find one any more (expired) and thus the error message.

But then there is no instrument plug-in loaded that can read all the sound content data and thus everything stays mute.

That’s why use HALion Sonic 7.5, because the license for that one is included in the Dorico license, and that one can equally play all the installed sound content, it only can’t edit them or create new sound content.

[stephen.bashforth]

Hi Ulf,

Thank you for all the time you have put in responding. I went to Steinberg Download Assistant - and through the Etude Elements was installed - the bar was green , I reinstalled.

The playback template is automatic and HALion Sonic as shown viz:

When I play back I have no sound

even though the sound library is pointing at Steinberg sound libraries.

This is the diagnostic file

Dorico Diagnostics.zip (1.4 MB)

You mentioned removing HALion Sonic SE 3.5, HALion Sonic 6. I do not know where these are to remove - please advise.

The only sound is that from French Horn - everything else remains silent.

Thanks

[TonH]

@stephen.bashforth

The only sound is that from French Horn - everything else remains silent

Just a wild guess, based on only reading the quote above:

Could it be the French Horn is set to solo?

Muting/Soloing tracks - Dorico Pro - 6.2

[Janus]

@stephen.bashforth

The playback template is automatic and HALion Sonic as shown viz:

That setting only applies when you first create the file.

What happens if you force Dorico to reapply the template ?
(Go to Play>Playback Templates… make sure Auto is selected and hit Apply & Close)
This will unload and reload all sounds.

[Ulf]

Very good point from Janus, so please do that @stephen.bashforth .

And if still no sound, please open the HALion Sonic editor window by clicking the e-button

Are there any sounds loaded in the 16 slots? Hightlight one of the slots and then click with the mouse on the virtual keyboard at the bottom, does it generate sound then. Especially try with the slot that has the piano sound.

[Ulf]

And the HALion plug-ins are to be found under

/Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/VST3/Steinberg

Just delete them from there (except for HALion Sonic).

[Ulf]

And I had a look at your latest diagnostics and according to that Dorico has still a problem with the Etude Elements sound library.

What if you select from Dorico’s menu Play > Playback Template? In that dialog, click on the Show all Factory button. Which templates are there in the list then?