Mack
While it is admirable for MakeMusic to get out an update quickly, they as a company are not good at informing their customers what is going on. They should be sending emails out to all registered customers informing them of the update (with instructions of how to update.). A big alert should be posted on their forum page. Yes, they do have a blog, Facebook and Twitter page, but they don't appear to carry the same information.
I don't look forward to having to download and install the whole program again.

 They are terrible at this.

It seemed appropriate for me to eat a little humble pie.
I have made some mistakes in my recent posts about the GPO5.01 update released on the 1st of April.
Mea culpa.
My sincere apologies to one and all, including MM, Gary and his employees and contractors.

After considerable extra hunting around the sfz files, I have discovered a lot more about what has been done in the upgrade. Several of the sfz files have been renamed with a 'b' suffix, but in many cases the older files are still present.
So I became confused. Closer attention to detail on my behalf was definitely required.
Excuse = I'm fairly new to this.
Response = then you shouldn't shoot your mouth off, you idiot!

As far as I can see, the 'stereo stage' controls have been inserted into the sfz files for the SAM brass instruments.
So if you are sending cc#103 on or off messages, or cc#36 depth messages, they will be responded to, it appears.
At least, the code is there now within the newly written files.

However, what fooled me (yea, I know, it doesn't take much!), is that the corresponding xml files, which govern the appearance of the controls within the ARIA user interface are not present.

So, although ARIA will respond to the MIDI controllers (it appears), one is unable at this time to affect control from within the ARIA window. My altered GUI would achieve that. So I must set to and complete that.

I am still of the opinion that no changes were made to the samples, and various exchanges of PMs would appear to confirm that.

So ...

If you would like to do the upgrade without re-downloading the whole four and a half gigabytes then, providing that you have the original zip file OR the unzipped files within a separate library (NO, not the installed samples) I can provide you with the "WIN_Garritan_Personal_Orchestra_5.01.exe" file that does the upgrade for Windows.
The file is about 44 megabytes in size.
Sorry I don't have the file for Mac.

Running this file will do the ARIA upgrade and various other bits and pieces PLUS insert the new xml and sfz files BUT it will also reinstall all the samples from the original sample set, a long winded process. It will, at least, save you the download time of the 'complete' library.

The file needs to be unzipped and placed alongside (NOT within) the SamplesData folder/directory usually found within a folder named "Garritan_Personal_Orchestra_5" but NOT the one within the Program Files folder/directory.
It replaces the original GPO5 dot exe file.
 
If you're unclear please PM me.

If you want the file please PM me.

Sadly, if you don't have the original GPO5 SamplesData directory, then you'll have to download it all again. So sorry.

Again, my apologies to all if I misled you.

Regards,
John.

Please note:
E&OE.
You do the upgrade at your own risk.
I am NOT responsible for any upgrades that you may do as a result of this post.

For anyone interested, the ARIA 1.872 player is now available via the MM/Garritan support web site.
Enjoy!

Fleer,
This morning I decided to rewrite the xml files for the SAM brass. They're now completed.
I'm just about to post a screen shot over there.
 
It affects just three files "brass.xml", "brass_legato.xml" and a new one called "toggle_mute_new.xml" replacing "toggle_mute.xml".
This moves the MUTE on/off control over to the instrument controls section, and inserts the Stereo Stage back where it should be under the equalizer. I think you've seen my contribution over on the NS forum?
The trouble is I don't know whether my files will work on the Mac.
Can you look within the GUI folder, if you have one, and see whether you can find these three files, or elsewhere if not, within GPO5? I don't even know whether the Mac uses xml. I suppose it does?
Regards,
John.

Sorry to hear that, Fleer. My sincere condolences.
Anything to do with recent events?
 
Of course I can wait, good of you to participate.
Kind regards,
John.
 

SysExJohn,
 
Is it possible to make the Aria Player scaleable? Some of us older users find it a bit hard to read. It would be great if we could make it larger.
 
Just a thought.

SysExJohn
Sorry to hear that, Fleer. My sincere condolences.
Anything to do with recent events?
 

No, a father of a good friend. Natural causes at almost ninety. Thanks for asking. Will look into the xml stuff tomorrow.

michael diemer
The design looks fine to me, John. One thing I noticed with this new Aria, specifically the new way to navigate to an instrument: Sometimes when I have used the new drop-down list, I somehow get the instrument I've chosen on all the open slots! So I've gone back to the old way. Has anyone else had this happen? Is it a bug?

 
Thanks for the feedback, Michael.
No, I can't say that I've ever had that problem.
Whether I use drag and drop or double click it seems, so far, to perform okay.
It sounds like you have a unique bug.
 
I must say, looking at the sfz code, the next part looks a lot more daunting, in areas with which I am much less familiar. But, nothing ventured ...
 
Regards,
John.

Cheers, John.
The three files "brass.xml", "brass_legato.xml" and "toggle_mute.xml" are indeed in the GUI folder (under Library > Application Support > Garritan > Garritan Personal Orchestra 5 > GUI).

SysExJohn
Excellent, Fleer, a good start.
And do you have a 'Banks' library at the same level as 'GUI' and within that a library called 'Standard' and another called 'Notation' (if you installed the notation)?
As well as those, also at the same level as 'GUI' do you have another called 'Instruments'?

Exactly as you described, John, all there.

Sure John, no prob.

Cheers, will send you the files tomorrow.

Just thought I'd post a quick update.
 
All of the SAM brass has now been 'Stereo Staged'.
Work is well in progress with all the new GOS library, with the stereo stage inserted into the sfz files. XML next.
The new Choir is in a similar state to GOS.
I became briefly sidetracked when I realised that the new 'Custom Organ' didn't have a stereo stage.
There was a minor problem there in that cc36 was being used for the left most 'organ stop' to adjust the level.
So I had to move them all up by one (missing cc38 for some reason) to release the depth control.
Here's the resultant controls GUI. I had to move the Instrument Controls up a little.
It's a little crammed on the right hand side, but I think it works.
 

 
I'd be interested in comments.
Regards,
John.

Thanks for the feedback, Fleer.
(Quietly I'm quite pleased with the new interface.)
 
This morning I decided to start investigating installation programs.
MakeMSI from David Barnes, at first glance, looks like a great free program.
If I can create an installation program using MakeMSI that makes a backup of the original xml and sfz files, and that also sets up a 'revert' program to be invoked if needed, I think that will smooth most people's path into using the updates.
Only problem is that I'll have to learn yet another language.
Oh well.
Regards,
John.

I'm running Windows 10 and have found the standalone version of the latest Aria Player does not open. GPO 5 works okay in Sonar.
Any thoughts?

Grum.