Lack of Channels HELP!!!

Discussion of playback and midi issues go here.
TheBandNerd
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:05 pm
Sibelius Version: 8.4.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by TheBandNerd » Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:31 pm

Hello,
I'm running 8.4.2 on Windows, and the other day I got a message saying that I was almost out of disk space, and it asked me if I would like to switch to General MIDI and reduce the number of channels. Not realizing what a channel was, I clicked yes. I am writing a large concert band piece, and now the tenor and bari sax have an alto sax setting, flute sounds like a piccolo, etc. If I go to the play menu and click "Setup", and then "Manual Sound Sets", the option to change the number of channels is grayed out as is a lot of other options. Please help!!!


P.S. If I go into the mixer and try and change the instrument playback (for example, if I tried to switch the piccolo sound coming from the flute back to flute 1 sound), it does not work and will still continue playing as a piccolo.


andyg
Posts: 1727
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:55 pm
Sibelius Version: 7.1.3 and 6.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by andyg » Sat Oct 01, 2016 4:36 pm

'Disk space' should have nothing to do with the issue you describe. Lack of RAM does. Install more RAM! Or perhaps upgrade the computer?

And you haven't said what sounds you're using. Sibelius's own supplied sounds or third party? Sibelius has a 'lite' sound set and this will help when resources are low.

You shouldn't have to mess around with manual soundsets, unless you're using third party sounds that don;t have a Sibelius soundset written for them.

A bit more info please. PC specs, amount of RAM, Operating system, audio hardware etc.

TheBandNerd
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:05 pm
Sibelius Version: 8.4.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by TheBandNerd » Sat Oct 01, 2016 5:49 pm

Oops I didn't mean disk space, I meant Ram. Im running Sibelius Sounds and I have like 4 gigs of RAM currently running on my CP. I think it's on the primary sound driver right now (DS). I was originally trying to fix a stuttering playback issue so I found on this forum that changing the manual playback helped. It did, however, I need to have all my sounds work. Suggestions? Where do I find the option to change the amount of channels that are playing back? Is there a reset sounds button?

TheBandNerd
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:05 pm
Sibelius Version: 8.4.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by TheBandNerd » Sat Oct 01, 2016 5:59 pm

Never mind I figured it out. I just went to File, Preferences, Playback, and at the bottom on the left there is a drop down menu to change maximum number of MIDI channels.

andyg
Posts: 1727
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:55 pm
Sibelius Version: 7.1.3 and 6.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by andyg » Sun Oct 02, 2016 8:57 am

4 GB is not enough, try installing 8 minimum or even 16, assuming you're on a 64 bit OS.

If you don't have a proper soundcard in your system, then put one in! Or try installing ASIO4ALL and use that as your sound driver for better performance. Not a universal solution but it does usually help with latency, stuttering etc (a different issue to the RAM problem).

In the meantime, switch to the Lite version of Sibelius Sounds, you should have an easier ride!

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