Post by Henry on Oct 9, 2018 17:43:49 GMT
One of the great things about the SOL-based sequencers, is that you can safely install and run them on any computer with Windows XP or newer. This way, you can enjoy the great benefits of the older XGworks versions, and then some, in a more modern computer environment. Unlike XGworks (v1-v4), no hard-to-find compatibility patches or hacked files are needed (the SOL2 and XGworks ST installers will require a valid serial number, of course, while the SQ01 installer doesn't). The screenshots shown here are all taken from my PC running 64-bit Windows 7, and it all works just fine.
Two important issues should be mentioned right away:
- A couple of precursory steps are needed for proper function when installing SOL on a system with Windows Vista or later.
- The installer dialogues for SOL are in Japanese, regardless of the operating system.
(There's also the fact that the documentation included with SOL and XGworks ST is also in Japanese, but we're dealing with that in another thread!)
1: Compatibility Mode
Many have gone through the installation process, only to find that SOL (or SQ01/XGworks ST) displays an empty list of MIDI devices, despite the fact that they have installed the correct device drivers, and that these are visible and working within other software applications. There's hardly any point in having such a powerful sequencer, if it can't make your MIDI keyboards or sound modules make a sound, right? There's an easy solution to this, if you have some time to spare, which involves a tool that is included with all modern Windows versions: The Compatibility Mode.
Compatibility Mode is not some sort of software that you run in order to fix things, but actually more like a set of "ground rules" that can be applied to individual applications. It is specified and enabled on a per-programme basis, and in this case, it has to be done before the actual installation. Hence, you'll have to start by uninstalling SOL first. When you're ready to start over, apply these precursory steps before installing again:
- Navigate the SOL software CD and find the folder named "Sol_". Inside this folder lies the main Setup.exe installer file.
- Right-click the Setup.exe file and select “Properties”.
- In the window that appears, open the “Compatibility” tab.
- Tick the “Compatibility mode” checkbox, and select [Windows XP (Service Pack 3)] from the drop-down menu below it.
- Also, tick the “Privilege level” checkbox, to allow the installer administrative privileges.
- Click “Apply” and "OK" to close the window.
When the above is done and you're ready, simply run the Setup.exe installer again by double-clicking it.
By applying the above, we're effectively letting the computer emulate an older operating system, so that the installer can "have its way" and work as designed. Although I don't know much about the details, I'm guessing that the process involves running some legacy system drivers and subroutines in the background, that in this case were standard for Windows XP, but have been removed or updated in later operating systems. This procedure provides the software with access to the system-level handles it needs and expects, in order to "talk" to the rest of the system. This will in most cases allow SOL to correctly detect the MIDI devices that are already installed.
If the above procedure alone doesn't help, it is sometimes necessary to perform those same steps on the installed executable files too. To do this, you'll have to navigate to the folder on your hard drive where SOL was installed, locate the *.exe files and repeat the drill there.
2: Japanese installation dialogue
When running the installer, you'll quickly notice that the dialogue is not in English. If - like me- you're not able to read Japanese signs, you may be forgiven for thinking that this is impossible to overcome. Still, there's a rather bulletproof way, in which you can get through the installation without reading any of the dialogue at all:
Like most installers, the SOL installer allows the user to decide on certain preferences, such as what hard drive folder to install into, which components to install, etc. Nothing new here. Any properly made installer will also have a default set of preferences, that are designed to fit most cases, and that are actually used unless you manually change them. The SOL installer follows this design too. With that in mind, take notice that at the bottom of each dialogue step, a button is always highlighted by default: These are the "OK" and "Next" buttons, that will take you through each of the steps. By ignoring everything else, and always clicking the default button (or pressing the Enter key), SOL is installed with the default preferences. Easy as that!
The default installation preferences will work just fine for most people. If, on the other hand, you want/need to change some of the installation settings, I'll update this post with details on each step later.
- H -