This is a bit strange.
 
 I am using Play 4.3.2, now but it was an issue on the previous version too.
 
I insert an instance of Play and add a couple of instruments each driven by a MIDI track. Everything is fine and behaves as expected.
 
THEN suddenly there is no sound from Play. Restarting Sonar does not help. Play does not sound from the midi track, from external MIDI input or from its own virtual keyboard. It seems the problem can only be cured by reloading the instruments in Play.
 
Looking at the streaming settings in Play when the problem occurs I see:
Free System Memory 29476 MB
Max voices 512
Sample memory 289 MB
Samples Loaded 115
Active Streaming Voices 0
Clicking Plays "Reset Engine" button has no effect.
 
 
Other VSTi's still sound so the problem seems to be specific to Play, but does not seem to occur in the stand alone version.
 
I may have found a clue overload protection was enabled and the CPU load limit is 80%. I have disabled protection it and it seems to be more stable, however as there is a degree of randomness I can't be certain its fixed.
EDIT - Added an extra instrument to play and it stopped sounding, so its not the load limit.
 
Has anyone else run into this issue?
 

Try pushing the MOD wheel up while playing. Does the sound come back?  If yes, then the patch is expecting mod wheel data to act as expression/volume, and there isn't any.  Simply record mod wheel movements over the top.
 
If that is not the issue, then I don't know. I've had no issues with recent Play versions and Platinum.
 
Regards,
Dan

For sure, this is the mod wheel.

I experience the same thing with Play as well as Ivory Pianos.

Thanks guys, it was the mod wheel.

Was this Hollywood Strings?  I find that library very confusing since volume is controlled different ways on different patches, and velocity and mod wheel do different things on different patches.  I'm not saying it's bad--just confusing.
 

konradh
Was this Hollywood Strings?  I find that library very confusing since volume is controlled different ways on different patches, and velocity and mod wheel do different things on different patches.  I'm not saying it's bad--just confusing.
 

Not sure which library the OP was using, but yes, agreed it is confusing. Too bad they sound so darned good...
 
I've noticed that the newer version of Play have changed the way older libraries like EWQLSO responds to mod wheel data as well. Not on every patch, but some now work with the mod wheel...unless I'm imagining it...
 
Regards,
Dan

So, this is a work-around? Just record mod wheel movements that are tied to nothing? Sonar deficiency, or known problem with the Play engine?
 

Resonant Serpent
So, this is a work-around? Just record mod wheel movements that are tied to nothing? Sonar deficiency, or known problem with the Play engine?
 

It's by design in these libraries. For example, in Hollywood Orchestra, rather than have several tracks with different articulations, you use the mod wheel to switch from articulation to articulation, as well as raise and lower the volume. It's pretty smart what EastWest has done...
 
Regards,
Dan

The OP didn't specify the library and patch in use as far as I see. Different libraries and patches hosted in Play use varying techniques for controlling volume, etc. For example Hollywood strings patches named something like 1st violin sus NV NV VB MV use the modulation (CC1) to control both volume and vibrato. Patches named like 1st violin sus RR 6 use CC1 to control the vibrato and CC11 to control volume. 
 
What this means:
Each track must send an initial value that controls volume to the instrument. If not, the volume may be set to zero.