Using EastWest Hollywood Orchestra in Ardour on Windows

Installation & Configuration Windows
#1

Just wanted to share what I learned getting the EastWest Hollywood Orchestra working in Ardour on Windows.

  1. The latest Play software (that’s the sampler engine) only comes in 64 bit. Make sure you are using 64 bit version of Ardour.
  2. It comes with two VST versions of the Play plugin. Since Ardour only supports VST up to 2.4 (as of this writing), make sure you point to the VST 2.4 version (probably installed at C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins) when you add the path to Ardour (Edit > Preferences > Plugins > VST).
  3. As of this writing Ardour doesn’t recognize Play plugin as an instrument, so just add the the MIDI track or bus with no instrument plugin and manually add the Play plugin to the mixer for that track or bus. Be sure to add Play above the fader.
  4. As of this writing Ardour doesn’t automatically recognize the audio ports, so you need to add the audio port manually. In the mixer on your track/bus with Play click on the Input menu (top of mixer, just below track name and to left of the MIDI plug icon), and choose Add audio port.
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#2

Audio is now working for me I updated the top post with instructions.

–Below is my original post. I got help on IRC from rgh—

The part I’m hung up on now it getting sound. Ardour does not seem to recognize the VST plugin as a MIDI instrument.

  • I can add the Play plugin to a track but then I can only route that track out to other MIDI tracks or buses. I can’t route to the Master audio.
  • When I create a new MIDI track it doesn’t list Play in the instrument options.

Here’s a screenshot of a Horn track with the Play plugin added. Notice that I can’t route to Master at the bottom: https://imgur.com/a/MxMXSdi

#3

Here are a couple of the latest things I’m struggling with:

  • When I change an instrument in the Play plugin, it doesn’t change in Ardour until I restart Ardour
  • The Play plugin appears to output stereo, but Ardour seems to only get mono (at least using the method outlined above).