Audio/MIDI Setup Problems Continue

[buzzsmith]

After months of no problems with Audio/MIDI, now it's reverting back to what it used to do when I had 2 interfaces. All of the active connected MIDI modules are now shown in italics in my DP template and, therefore, inaccessible. In the past, when I had an older MTP networked to the MTP-AV, I'd find that the MTP would display this maybe weekly, but never the MTP-AV. It is hooked to a hub that has not given me any problems in the past 5 years, and all of the other USB devices connected to it are working fine.

Since I redid the studio 8 months ago, I'm now using just the one MTP-AV.

I spent over an hour yesterday rebuilding another MIDI set-up, and all was fine. However, when starting up this AM, same problem! The configuration from yesterday and the previous one show the inactive MIDI Timepiece AV (muted color) with all of the modules attached and yet another "MIDI Timepiece AV #2" which has nothing connected to it, but appears active and ready to be connected to.

I can't delete the "new" one, but I do have the option to delete the "old" one. Maybe I'll rewire to the "new" one and delete the muted one and see what happens.

Is this a preferences issue, perhaps?

I don't understand what has changed seemingly overnight. I don't think I've downloaded anything audio or MIDI related recently that might be interfering with DP correctly recognizing the correct MIDI set-up.

Any and all suggestions welcome!

I did do a permissions repair (found nothing).

Thanks in advance MotuMasters! (Details in sig)

Buzzy

[James Steele]

I would strongly suggest replacing the battery in your MTP/AV. Mine was flakey like this for a while and replacing the battery fixed it for me.

[buzzsmith]

I would strongly suggest replacing the battery in your MTP/AV. Mine was flakey like this for a while and replacing the battery fixed it for me.

Thanks, James...after posting, I also noticed on the actual MTP-AV display, the "BASE SETUP" display has a 2nd line that has a few "gibberish" symbols.

I'll have to dig out the manual for locating the battery and the correct battery at that.

Definitely worth a shot.

Thanks!

Buzzy

[James Steele]

I would strongly suggest replacing the battery in your MTP/AV. Mine was flakey like this for a while and replacing the battery fixed it for me.

Thanks, James...after posting, I also noticed on the actual MTP-AV display, the "BASE SETUP" display has a 2nd line that has a few "gibberish" symbols.

I'll have to dig out the manual for locating the battery and the correct battery at that.

Definitely worth a shot.

Thanks!

Buzzy

Just open up the unit and it's easy to see the battery. It's a little silver disc "watch" type batter. Pop it out and take it down to your nearest Radio Shack or CVS etc they should stock the replacement. I think it's relatively common.

[James Steele]

Here's a MOTU techlink:

http://www.motu.com/techsupport/technot ... 5046010606

[buzzsmith]

James...thanks for the link.

I did the battery test and seem to be OK, but I'm gonna open it up and get a fresh one in anyway.

I have nothing stored in the MTP-AV, so I did a hard reset, which cleared the gibberish, and so far after 3 restarts, it seems to be OK.

We'll see if it survives the 24 hour "off" test with a reawakening tomorrow!

Buzzy

[James Steele]

I have nothing stored in the MTP-AV, so I did a hard reset, which cleared the gibberish, and so far after 3 restarts, it seems to be OK.

Ahhh... that's good! Maybe that's all you needed to do?

[magicd]

When AudioMIDI Setup first detects an MTP AV or networked MTPs, AMS checks for a pre-assigned device ID. If AMS does not detect an assigned device ID, AMS sends a device ID message to the interface. The interface remembers that device ID bite with the help of it's internal battery.

The next time AMS sees the interface, it sees the assigned ID. That's how AMS can tell different interfaces apart in a multi-interface setup.

If the battery in the interface goes dead, the interface resets to factory defaults when it is powered down. If there had been an assigned device ID in the interface, that ID is zeroed out if the battery is dead and you power the unit off.
Therefore the next time you connect the interface to AMS, AMS thinks this is a new interface in your system. AMS does not delete the previously configured interface. What it does is reassign a device ID to the interface and now you have two interface icons in AMS - one that is active and one that is grayed out.
If you turn off the interface and it resets again because of the dead battery, you will then get a third interface showing up in AMS the next time the interface is plugged in.

I think you may need a new battery James.

Dave

[Shooshie]

BTW: the battery is a CR-2032. That happens to be among the most common of all batteries for music/MIDI devices, as well as many other things. I have a drawer full of those in my little hardware cabinet (one with all those little clear plastic drawers), and I find myself reaching in there every few months. When your equipment is old, those batteries go dead. I just replaced the Kurzweil 2600's battery a couple of months ago, and I've done a MIDI Time Piece in the past (but it's been a long time... probably almost time for another). The CR-2032 seems to be the new AAA battery, for devices that don't take much current, and which need the battery to last a long time. So, when you pick one up, get several. You'll probably use them. Amazingly, I've got Yamaha devices 18 years old that still have not required replacement of the battery. Yamaha's CR-2032's have a wire soldered to them in most cases. You can pick those up on eBay if you're afraid to solder a wire to a battery.

Shooshie

[James Steele]

I think you may need a new battery James.

Ummm... no... that would be "buzzsmith" who needs a new battery. My MTP/AV is fine!

[mhschmieder]

This is normal behaviour for AMS with my RME FireFace 800, but only since OS X 10.4.11 (or maybe 10.4.9 -- whichever came out in March 2007 that set many of us up for months of instability). But it hadn't occurred to me that it might be a battery problem in the FireFace.

I no longer bother setting up my MIDI connections in AMS since it resets so frequently; I just do them piecemeal per session now on an as-needed basis. My understanding was that Apple may have fixed the problem at their end, but only for Intel Macs, as AMS for PPC hasn't been receiving updates.

Based on this thread, it sounds like there's several factors possibly at work.

[buzzsmith]

I think you may need a new battery James.

Ummm... no... that would be "buzzsmith" who needs a new battery. My MTP/AV is fine!

Buzz Smith here...it still showed up with the ghost interface this morning, so I went to Radio Shack and picked up a new battery in spite of the "battery test" procedure in the MTP-AV indicating that it's internal battery was "Okay".

Got a session in just a little while (NO MIDI, thank Goodness!), so I'll dismantle the MTP-AV mañana and replace the old CR-2032 with the new one.

Man, this has just been one of those weeks where multiple unrelated technologies have decided to show their dark side to an innocent, trusting end user!!!

Board went "Rice Krispies" on me, AMS screwy, dirt on my D-SLR sensor (or as Nikon calls it: the "low pass filter"...thought that was somehow appropriate for a synthesist!)

And there was something else, but I forget!...Got time for maybe 1 or 2 small glasses of Napa's finest before the session...4 performing children and the ad guy and the client! I don't think even social alcohol consumption, no matter how refined, is an option for a couple hours this evening!

More later...Thanks for the tips and comments...

Buzzy

[James Steele]

Let us know if the battery swap cures what ails your MTP/AV! I have a sneaky suspicion that it will.

[buzzsmith]

James, I will report back in tomorrow!

Buzzy

[buzzsmith]

Let us know if the battery swap cures what ails your MTP/AV! I have a sneaky suspicion that it will.

Well, it survived the 24 hour test after the battery replacement. All seems well in Smithville.

Sneaky suspicion confirmed.

Thanks for the help...

Buzzy