Solo Instruments Don't Have Sound

Solo Instrument Sounds Not Playing in Dorico

Hi everyone,

I’m 16 and have been using Dorico for about a year now, so I’m still learning the ropes. I recently got a new computer and installed Dorico on it. Everything seems to work fine except for one issue: my solo instruments aren’t producing sound.

After doing some troubleshooting, I noticed that in the Play section, when I click on Edit Instrument, I can assign sounds, but for some reason, it’s not accessing the solo instrument sounds. Instead, it only offers the “section player” sounds such as Violin 1 but not Solo Violin, so I can’t assign the proper solo violin sound (or any solo instrument sound).

To double-check, I looked at my C drive, and the files for the solo instrument sounds were installed. I’ve been trying to figure this out, but I’m stumped.

Does anyone know what might be causing this or how I can fix it? Any help would be appreciated!

Hi !
In Setup mode, have you created a solo player (shift-P) or a section player? With a solo player that holds a violin, Dorico certainly gives me a solo player sound…
Which library are you using? I don’t think Iconica Sketch has solo violin, but Halion Sonic has it :wink:

Thanks @MarcLarcher
I have created a solo player in Setup mode, but the problem is that Iconica Sketch is the only library that is showing up even though I have the Halion Symphonic Orchestra library and others installed. I don’t know if this is a Halion Sonic problem or something else.

Have you tried using another playback template? That would be in Play mode, Play menu>Playback Template. Choose one that offers Iconica Sketch and Halion Sonic Orchestra. Apply and close :wink:

I have tried changing the playback template, and I am using one that offers both Iconica Sketch and HSO as well as others but it didn’t fix the problem. I think that the issue has to do with the Halion Symphonic Orchestra library because it doesn’t show up under my edit instrument option when I go to assign an instrument to that player in the Play mode. I have tried reinstalling all of my libraries but the only one that shows up is still Iconica Sketch.

Could you upload the project so we can see your settings?

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Open the Library Manager to check on your Halion Sonic Orchestra sounds? It’s a different app, not in Dorico.

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This is the screenshot of my library showing that I have HSO. It seems like I should be able to access it from Dorico.

Here is the project file @Janus
2025-01-26 12-49-07_String Orchestra.dorico (1.2 MB)

When I first open the file, it tells me it uses a playback template that I don’t have (you are probably experimenting with a custom Playback Template). Halion loads with an empty slot for the Solo Violin.

If I do Play>Playback Templates…. and choose the Iconica Sketch, HSO… factory template it loads the HSO Solo violin and playback is correct.

(You should check you can see the HSO icon in the media bay at the right side of the Halion GUI)

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Thanks, @Janus I am doing the same thing, opening the Playback Template and choosing the Iconica Sketch, Hso… option and it is not showing HSO in the media bay. Do you think it has to do with something other than the Playback Template? I’m stumped!

Halion doesn’t appear to be finding the sounds other than Iconica.
I think this is a case for the experts. You should do Help>Create Diagnostics Report and upload the Dorico Diagnostics zip that appears on your desktop. Hopefully @Ulf will pick it up (though it’s Sunday, so a little patience may be needed).

From the picture, it looks like the HALion player doesn’t have the other libraries listed. Compare with mine:

Click on “Details” in the Library Manager, which should show you where the files are installed to.

Yes, it looks like several sound libraries are or were not installed (properly).
If you go to the Download Assistant does it show all Dorico components as installed (i.e. the button is green and shows the text “Instal again”?)

To check file permissions on the contents files, please follow my instructions from posting No sound after new Dorico installation - #14 by Ulf