I have read all through the documentation on virtual instruments and cannot sort this out.
I am running on Windows 10 (but also have a Mac configuration). I have a Focuswrite 18i20 sound card. All sounds and virtual instruments work perfectly when I use Cubase. When I use Sibelius my midi keyboard shows up as input sound, but output sound only works through the default Microsoft interface. I have tried configuring the 18i20 with manual sounds but even though the sound is shown as playing through the mixer no sound appears on the 18i20 control panel.
I tried adding a Cubae VST folder to the folder list, but it caused various error notices on starting up.
If I switch to the Microsoft default interface I can select virtual instruments and they play using GM. The output shows up notmally through the 18i20 control panel.
Any suggestions? I have never come across a sound system that is so difficult to connect to hardware.
I started having problems with my 6i6 after a recent windows 10 update. My machine kept crashing and Sibelius kept quitting unexpectedly. In the end I solved it by completely uninstalling the focusrite software and drivers, deleting the folders (in both program files and program files(x86)) and reinstalling everything from scratch.
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Win 10 Pro x64, 1.6GHz Intel i7 Quad core, 8GB,7TB 7200rpm HDD, Scarlett 6i6, Sib 6.2,7.5, 8.7.0 NotePerformer, GPO4 & 5, COMB2, EWQLSO Plat, EWQLSC,
Si me castigare vis, necesse est me intellexisse.
I plugged the Focuswrite into my Mac and it worked perfectly, first time, with all the device options showing up and allowing me to create virtual instruments, export MP3 and so on.
I followed the advice above and uninstalled the Windows software, downloaded the latest drivers, re-installed and tried again. I am now completely stuck with Windows because it will not accept the new drivers. Focuswrite is in the process of helping me, so I'll update more when I hear from them. They seem to recognise the problem.
Windows again. When I get the chance I'll migrate everything to my Mac.
With the help of Focuswrite I got the 18i20 working on Windows with the latest software release, having deleted all previous versions.
Music plays normally through the device. Cubase works with it and I can select instruments.
When I open Sibelius with the default (Microsoft) configuation using GM the Focuswrite device is greyed out. At that point I can click 'test' and a piano plays through the 18i20. I can select GM devices and the VST instrument plays.
If I create a new configuration and add the 18i20 as another MIDI device nothing happens when I click 'test' with that device selected. I can choose a GM instrument but whatever I choose there is nom sound, even though the level is showing on the mixer.
The default Microsoft sound works as normal.
I still cannot see how to get sounds to play when choosing the 18i20. There is a Korg 05R/W attached to the 18i20 and it shows up when I connect using my Mac, but not through Windows. This has a bigger range of sounds that I'd like to use.
Screenshots attached of default config. test config shown in next message.
Does the 18i20 have its own MIDI sounds (Like the Roland Soundcanvas cards)? If not, you cannot use it to play MIDI. You should be using it to playback your VSTis (like Sibelius sounds or NotePerformer).
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Win 10 Pro x64, 1.6GHz Intel i7 Quad core, 8GB,7TB 7200rpm HDD, Scarlett 6i6, Sib 6.2,7.5, 8.7.0 NotePerformer, GPO4 & 5, COMB2, EWQLSO Plat, EWQLSC,
Si me castigare vis, necesse est me intellexisse.
I have found the sound library by selecting a sound through the mixer. There are hundreds of sounds there, but most of them sound the same - pretty poor quality. Nevertheless, they do work using the Microsoft MIDI scheme as active and leaving the 18i20 greyed out. The sounds do play back through the 18i20.
So the problem is solved partly through re-installing the Focuswrite software and partly through my own misunderstanding. In all the DAW packages I have used, configuration of the sound interface is much more obvious and intuitive and the supplied sounds more realistic.
My conclusion is that Sibelius is only useful for actually writing and editing the score. Anything else (except for a very rough cut of the sound) has to be done through a DAW. On the other side of the fence the DAW packages generally do not have a very good score editor, so you have to use both. I still think that Sibelius has a strange interface. Even straightforward things like entering a title have to be done in a weird way, but I'll just have to persist.
Thanks for the suggestions and this one is now closed.
It sounds as if you have not actually installed the Sibelius Sounds sample library, and are trying to get by with the Microsoft GM sounds (which are very poor).
You should not need to be meddling with the Sibelius Mixer.
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Sibelius 2018.1/7.5.1/7.1.3/6.2/5.2.5, PhotoScore Ult 8.8.2, Dolet 6.6 for Sibelius, Windows 10 64-bit 16GB. Desktop, and Microsoft Surface Book.
Robin - you are correct, I have not specifically installed any additional sounds. I searched all over the place yesterday and could not find anything that pointed me to a download. There were hundreds of questions from people trying to do the same thing, without success. I thought that at least a part of this library was included with Sibelius First.
The reference manual says that I should be able to choose Sibelius First sounds from the play/setup menu. But there is no mention of Sibelius First sounds anywhere. Ay suggestions?
If you installed Sibelius First from DVD-ROM disks, then the installer for Sibelius First Sounds is on the same DVD-ROM.
If you installed Sibelius First by download from the My Avid site, then the download for the Sounds First Sounds installer is on the same web page as the download for the Sibelius First application installer, for instance:
"Sibelius First Sounds 7.1.3 installer (Win) 6.35 GB"
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Sibelius 2018.1/7.5.1/7.1.3/6.2/5.2.5, PhotoScore Ult 8.8.2, Dolet 6.6 for Sibelius, Windows 10 64-bit 16GB. Desktop, and Microsoft Surface Book.
Sibelius is not and was never intended to be a DAW.
From about version 5 it gained a sound library of its own, so that we didn't have to endure the awful sounds of Microsoft MIDI, but it is still not a DAW. It is an engraving program and a very, very good one - despite Avid - at that. You should not expect Sibelius to work in the same way as a DAW, even though it has accreted some of the trappings. It is primarily about getting music onto a page. Comparing it to a DAW is futile and pointless.
Don't expect the Sibelius sounds library to give you an instant live orchestral sound either. They are really very old now and the sound is 'basic' at best. There are decent sound libraries out there, but they are generally very expensive. They also usually require many hours of tweaking to get anything like realistic sounds.
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Win 10 Pro x64, 1.6GHz Intel i7 Quad core, 8GB,7TB 7200rpm HDD, Scarlett 6i6, Sib 6.2,7.5, 8.7.0 NotePerformer, GPO4 & 5, COMB2, EWQLSO Plat, EWQLSC,
Si me castigare vis, necesse est me intellexisse.
Some would say that a good, old-fashioned General MIDI sound set is very effective at presenting the content of a score.
There's an analogy with visual art. A photograph (recording of a live performance) is almost as good as the real thing. A poster (basic MIDI performance) can effectively convey - even heighten - the essence. A photo-realistic painting takes a lot of trouble...
I found the link from MyAvid, downloaded and installed sounds and found the Sibelius player. Using that as the sound source let me play various not-too-bad sounds to give a general impression of the score. I did not find this link previously because I have Avid Application Manager installed and generally use that as my interface to all downloads and updates. Sound Manager was not included as part of Sibelius First on Avid Application Manager. It would help if Avid made the two ways of downloading and updating the same.
This was not intended to be a general rant about Sibelius First or to compare it with a DAW. I know that it is not a DAW and never intended to use it that way. My disappointment was that I could not even get some basic sounds out of it to carry out the first step before transferring to a DAW. Now that I have solved that problem I have a more reasonable work flow.
I still maintain that Avid/Sibelius is useless at dealing with basic issues such as updating software (as described above) and that, even though the end product of a well produced score is fine the steps to get there are quirky and non-intuitive. But that's just my opinion, and now that I have a complete workflow I'll just get on with it.