Audio MIDI Setup is gone and won't reload from backup

[kinnylandrum]

I replied to an old thread about this, but no one has sent a reply, or maybe even noticed.

A few days ago a I started DP and found my Audio MIDI Setup configuration file was gone, or maybe AMS was ignoring it. So I tried to reload the configuration file form a Time Machine backup of only a few weeks ago, when everything was fine. That didn't work and neither did replacing any configuration file on my Time Machine backups.

I must be missing something. If you some one could please tell me how to properly restore my AMS configuration file so I don't have to build it again from scratch I would be extremely grateful.

Thanks,
Kinny Landrum

[Shooshie]

A couple OS's ago, that was happening with fair regularity, but I was always able to reload it from within the app itself, from saved configs. If it's happening again, and if it's not restoring from saved configs, then I have no idea how to help. That app is a black box to me.

You might see if it shows up in the Console, with any messages that might yield a clue as to why it's not loading.

Did you reload the configuration from within the app? Or did you just replace the file? A few years ago, when it was happening, I read some explanation of why it was doing that, which I do not remember now. But wherever I read it may still exist. Maybe someone has posted instructions for resetting it or something. And just maybe Google still has it.

Shooshie

[kinnylandrum]

A couple OS's ago, that was happening with fair regularity, but I was always able to reload it from within the app itself, from saved configs. If it's happening again, and if it's not restoring from saved configs, then I have no idea how to help. That app is a black box to me.

You might see if it shows up in the Console, with any messages that might yield a clue as to why it's not loading.

Did you reload the configuration from within the app? Or did you just replace the file? A few years ago, when it was happening, I read some explanation of why it was doing that, which I do not remember now. But wherever I read it may still exist. Maybe someone has posted instructions for resetting it or something. And just maybe Google still has it.

Shooshie

Hi Shooshie,

Thanks for trying to help. Yes, AMS is black box to me as well. And actually you can't "load" or save a configuration at all, as far as I can see. You can just create a new one or edit an old one.

So I simply tried to use Time Machine to replace the "default" configuration in the proper folder, the only one I had. And it did replace it with the older file, just nothing should up in the MIDI window.

I tried searching on Google, and other than a few not-very-helpful replies in a few Apple forums, nothing came to my rescue. Unless someone tells me how to get my old one back, I'll guess I'll just have to recreate it from scratch. What a lot of work and what a drag. In this day and age this should not be happening.

[Shooshie]

Hi Kinny,

I can still load Audio MIDI Setup configurations in the menu next to the "icon size" slider. It says "configuration" under it.

I have about 6 or 8 configs in there, and when I would lose one, I'd switch to another, and it would come back.

Shooshie

[kinnylandrum]

Yes Shooshie, what I mean is that you can load from the pull down configurations that are already there. You just can't open one from a saved file unless you manually put it in the appropriate folder. There's no "open a file command." And when I try to do that from an old Time Machine backup, it doesn't work, it doesn't load my old configuration. Oh well, I've already recreated it manually. If any one else has anything to add that will help, I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Kinny Landrum

[billf]

So I simply tried to use Time Machine to replace the "default" configuration in the proper folder, the only one I had. And it did replace it with the older file, just nothing should up in the MIDI window.

I'm not sure if this is the cause of your issue, but I was having the same issue. To fix it, I had to replace batteries in my i/o units and MTPAV. Now it works fine again.

[kinnylandrum]

So I simply tried to use Time Machine to replace the "default" configuration in the proper folder, the only one I had. And it did replace it with the older file, just nothing should up in the MIDI window.

I'm not sure if this is the cause of your issue, but I was having the same issue. To fix it, I had to replace batteries in my i/o units and MTPAV. Now it works fine again.

Well that's interesting. I recreated my MIDI configuration from scratch. But I have an old MTP and maybe the battery is a issue. I'll see if this new configuration holds and if not, I'll look into replacing the battery. Thanks.

[billf]

So I simply tried to use Time Machine to replace the "default" configuration in the proper folder, the only one I had. And it did replace it with the older file, just nothing should up in the MIDI window.

I'm not sure if this is the cause of your issue, but I was having the same issue. To fix it, I had to replace batteries in my i/o units and MTPAV. Now it works fine again.

Well that's interesting. I recreated my MIDI configuration from scratch. But I have an old MTP and maybe the battery is a issue. I'll see if this new configuration holds and if not, I'll look into replacing the battery. Thanks.

The MTPAV uses a CR2032 battery, and is very easy to swap out. Before I changed it, my MIDI setups were completely vanishing with each start up. So hopefully it helps.

[Shooshie]

Maybe that's the answer. Seems like I may have actually put a battery in one of my units along about that time, so maybe that was why it was happening. (There's a period from about 4 years ago that my memory is one big vacant hole. There were reasons for that; I won't go into them. But it's severely affected my ability to recall a lot of what we've done on this forum! Thankfully, my memory has gotten much better since certain life circumstances were changed.)

Shooshie

[kinnylandrum]

I replaced the AMS configuration from memory, and it has held for days now, without changing any batteries. It's hard for me to believe that a battery in an outboard piece of gear (MTP) would affect software on the computer, and besides it would be a major job to change the battery (moving the rack to get behind, pulling all MIDI cables, opening it up, removing the batter, putting in a new one, closing it, etc...) So unless I lose my AMS configuration again, I'm not replacing the battery.

Besides, these days the old thing I use AMS and my MTP for is getting MIDI in from my KX88 and sending MIDI (sometimes) to my JV-1080 or Akai s3000. That's about the only outboard MIDI I use, besides backing and loading my Nord which uses USB. So I'll live it with it.

I still wonder why it happened, and more important, why I couldn't simply replace it with an old configuration from a Time Machine backup. Naybe someday I'll figure that out

[Shooshie]

I think Audio/MIDI Setup was cobbled together from remnants of MOTU's FreeMIDI and possibly other interface software of the old age. There is no telling how it is put together, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if it requires certain feedback from the external boxes in order to load properly. It may even store the configurations externally, since some of these boxes are made for use with or without a computer, storing configurations locally in the box, a-la Clockworks. But it's all sheer speculation on my part. I have NO idea what's in that steenkin' thang.

It has not changed since it was created, at least not noticeably, except for updating it to Intel, then 64 bits, etc. That could mean that they got it perfect the first time, or... well... not that.

Shooshie

[billf]

I replaced the AMS configuration from memory, and it has held for days now, without changing any batteries. It's hard for me to believe that a battery in an outboard piece of gear (MTP) would affect software on the computer, and besides it would be a major job to change the battery (moving the rack to get behind, pulling all MIDI cables, opening it up, removing the batter, putting in a new one, closing it, etc...) So unless I lose my AMS configuration again, I'm not replacing the battery.

Besides, these days the old thing I use AMS and my MTP for is getting MIDI in from my KX88 and sending MIDI (sometimes) to my JV-1080 or Akai s3000. That's about the only outboard MIDI I use, besides backing and loading my Nord which uses USB. So I'll live it with it.

I still wonder why it happened, and more important, why I couldn't simply replace it with an old configuration from a Time Machine backup. Naybe someday I'll figure that out

Glad you have it working kinny.

Replacing the MTP AV battery worked for me, and perhaps Clockworks is tied into all this as well. The AMS inner workings are rather arcane and not something I have a reason to dig into with any frequency, so as long as it is working, that's what matter most.

There is a thread somewhere in the forum where Mike Halloran shed some light on this topic, which I can't find at the moment, but the gist of his post was that the MTP AV battery can affect the memory of AMS. I don't recall if he mentioned Clockworks or not. Regardless, it seems that the battery can be a fault in the chain, so keep that in your back pocket should problems reappear.

I also found this thread from a Pro Tools forum that states the same thing:

allen_gibberish
Member

Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 137
Default Re: MTP AV not showing up in my Audio MIDI Setup

Quote:
Originally Posted by lwilliam View Post
Mine seems a bit buggy, too - although it always shows up. Sometimes there is a 2nd or 3rd one created without my assistance and I have to go in an re-patch everything (in audio/MIDI only) and delete the non-existant ones.

Try downloading the latest MTV A/V USB drivers for Leopard from the MOTU site. I don't think the older drivers will work. That did seem to improve things for me.

I hope you already found it out, but it is the MTP battery... that's why it doesn't store the memories and you have to reinitialize it every time... I'm in this condition too, I'm looking to replace it, in the mean time I've saved the configuration and every time I reload it...

[tommymandel]

Hi Kinny, Shooshie, and billf,
99% sure this doesn't pertain but...On my desktop (older) system, with a Motu MicroExpress USB, after I power up, I always have to go to AMS, then click once on Test Setup, and then click once on any of the little black arrowhead icons running along the bottom of the MicroExpress' icon in the window, where you connect devices to it. If I don't do that, no MIDI is detected by the computer. And if I *do* click the little (downward) arrow and there are synths connected, it makes a horrible noise and notes often are left ringing. That part I can understand. Perhaps the need to do this has to do with the order things come online during the powering up booting up process.
That's all I got.
Glad its working again Kinny, and sorry you had to go redo the whole config.