Continuing to have all kinds of troubles since I updated all my systems... Today one of my orchestra scores started crashing randomly during playback. It sputters to a halt, sustaining one note or chord and then a box comes up giving you a choice to close or restart. It autosaves the score but nevertheless can erase a few beats in the process! I have version 7.5, a brand new Ultrabook laptop PC, Windows 8, 64-bit system, 4GB of memory. My score uses around 20 instruments; I'm using a playback configuration with GPO4 sounds playing on two instances of Aria player plus one instance of Sibelius Sounds. (I have assigned each instrument to play on a particular device in 'preferred sounds.') I use ASIO4all to eliminate latency when inputting notes or playing my midi keyboard.
Any ideas about what might be going on?
Here's the score, attached.
Thanks!
Ben
I spoke to a technician at Sibelius. He seemed convinced that my using ASIO4all had something to do with Sibelius crashing during playback (though he said he couldn't offer me support regarding any issues with it). I've used ASIO for many years on Sibelius with no problems. But maybe upgrading somehow made ASIO act up suddenly? The technician did suggest I get something called an MBox ASIO driver. Can anyone tell me what that is exactly, where to find it, and if you think it might solve my problems? (I do know that without ASIO the latency is intolerable.)
Thanks!
Ben
The MBox drivers are, AFAIK, specific to MBox sound cards. ASIO4All is ok, but if you have an external sound card with its own specific drivers that will perform better.
I can't remember where I've seen it, but there do appear to be issues with Windows 8.x. I'm waiting for Windows 9 before I upgrade!
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1.6GHz Intel i7 Quad core, Win 7 Pro (x64), 8GB, 7TB HDD, SD-20, Scarlett 6i6, Sib 6.2, 7.1.3 EWQLSO Plat, Miroslav Phil, NotePerformer, Harmony Asst, EWQLSC, GPO, COMB2
Si me castigare vis, necesse est me intellexisse.
I do not know why you are looking for Mbox ASIO drivers if you do not have an Mbox sound card. If you do not have Mbox hardware, you should drop this line of enquiry. Maybe the person you were speaking to was suggesting that you purchase an Mbox.
In relation to ASIO4ALL, use only the latest version, currently 2.11 beta 2 from June 2013. http://www.asio4all.com/
Likewise, do not use old versions of ARIA Player and ARIA Engine that would be installed with GPO4. Use only the latest versions, from:
https://store.makemusic.com/Downloads/
It's generally best, with a brand new PC running a later version of Windows that you had before, to refresh all software with the latest download versions, rather than re-installing older versions.
I worry slightly that an Ultrabook, sold for light-weight and small size, might not be up to the task of running highly demanding applications such as Sibelius and GPO4. In particular, the built-in audio chip will be a consumer-grade item that is not suitable for the demands of Sibelius playback.
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Sibelius 7.5/7.1.3/6.2/5.2.5, PhotoScore Ult 7.0.2, Dolet 6.3 for Sibelius, Windows 7 32-bit SP1, 4GB RAM
The technician was suggesting you purchased an external audio interface for your computer, rather than relying on the internal audio system, even with the assistence of ASIO4ALL. As he works for Avid, he suggested an MBox, an Avid product.
As I write, I'm loading your score on this Asus Aspire V3-571 laptop. A mid-range computer, with Windows 8.1, an i5 processor and 8GB of RAM. Playback is handled by the onboard sound chip plus ASIO4ALL.
Ah, the sounds have finished loading. Playback with Sibelius 7 Sounds seems fine. I don't have GPO on this computer though - your hybrid playback setup would doubtless be more demanding. (Don't know why Bob couldn't get playback on his iMac? Of course, Macs aren't as good as PCs at audio...:-)
I suggest your first move should be to double your computer's RAM to 8GB. 4GB really is the rock-bottom spec. for a 64-bit computer. Or maybe the best advice is to take the whole thing back and swap it for something a bit more "workhorse", a bit less "slim & lightweight". Sorry :-) What model computer IS it, exactly?
As always, it would be good to be hands-on with this computer. it's so often the detail we're NOT told that matters!
Maybe the buffers in ASIO4ALL have been tweaked too low in order to minimise latency? Latency only really matters in Flexitime input anyway, could they be set higher? Maybe ASIO4ALL has been installed but not activated in Sibelius?
Strange that the iMac can't cope with the score though.
Thanks for all the advice! My IT guy (also a musician) is going to try to sort through this for me. Probably not till Monday. I'll report back.
(Just so you know, the score I attached is a work-in-progress and the bottom piano part is not meant to be part of the score - it's there temporarily for reference...)
Okay, following up... I had a guy work on my computer earlier today. He told me my computer settings were such that the machine was not using its full resources all the time (energy saving feature, I guess). I don't know what he did but it hasn't crashed since...who knew?!
I-11 full score (3-14) (march)6.sib