UltraLite AVB AudioCore connectivity and sticking MIDI note

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timlanders
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UltraLite AVB AudioCore connectivity and sticking MIDI note

Post by timlanders »

I'm finally upgrading my 2006 MacPro intel with a new robust iMac and I am now forced to replace my trusty and long-in-the-tooth MOTU firewire and PCI-E interfaces (2408mk3 w/ 424 PCI-E card and 24 i/o) with a new UltraLite AVB.
I'm pretty excited about the networking and routing possibilities but right now I just want it to do the basic jobs I really need it for, which is writing, recording and mixing. So far I can't fix the incessant stuck MIDI notes and the interface itself is constantly disconnecting from CoreAudio. Before I return it and consider another interface I'm wondering if anyone has dealt with one or both of these problems and possibly found a solution? MOTU is of no help yet. Thanks

btw, it sounds great.
women and rhythm section first!

DP10 - iMac late 2013 3.5ghz i7 quad 32 gb MOTU AVB UltraLite
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timlanders
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Re: UltraLite AVB AudioCore connectivity and sticking MIDI

Post by timlanders »

I know this is a very new piece of gear so I'm not surprised to see no replies yet. In the meantime I've been fussing with the Ultralite AVB and am pretty impressed with a lot of it's features.

Btw, This system is a late 2013 iMac Core i7/Haswell w/32 gb of ram, Digital Performer 8, Yamaha Motif ES6 synth as a controller via MIDI and (temporarily) an M-Audio 88es KeyStation controller via USB

But.... I still can't figure out the MIDI looping problem when using the MIDI ports. I've been able to use USB MIDI through the iMac without problem but that's just a temporary fix. Eventually I will need to use a more complex MIDI setup that is not USB based.

The audio connectivity problem still persists as well. The unit disconnects from AudioCore about every 20 minutes or so. It's easy enough to reset the audio through the DAW (in my case it's DP8 and Logic Pro X) but every plugin has to re-instantiate and virtual instruments have to reload their settings, samplers must reload their samples. In some cases that can take a few minutes depending on how big your sample set is. If you have an orchestral session going this is a real problem for workflow.

It's Monday and I'll reach out to MOTU again. I hope to get an answer soon or it's back to the retail store and returning this hardware.

If anyone has had a similar experience or even better, a fix I'd really like to hear about it!

Thanks - TL
women and rhythm section first!

DP10 - iMac late 2013 3.5ghz i7 quad 32 gb MOTU AVB UltraLite
Shapednoise
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Re: UltraLite AVB AudioCore connectivity and sticking MIDI

Post by Shapednoise »

Yike, thanks for the warning…
perhaps its not ready for PrimeTime yet?  
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Playa
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Re: UltraLite AVB AudioCore connectivity and sticking MIDI

Post by Playa »

Hi,

What firmware version are you running on the unit? I would make sure you are on the latest firmware. Mine is at 1.2.2+134. I have not had any issues like this on my system at all.

I would also try using different USB cables, and ports on your computer. May be related to connectivity. It appears that the unit has USB 2.0 ports so I would recommend going into USB 2.0 ports, or a powered USB 2.0 hub.

Also try performing a factory reset on the unit. You can get there by going into the "Settings" menu on the front panel of the unit, and scrolling down to "Factory Defaults". That has helped me with a few issues I would run into occasionally.
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timlanders
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Re: UltraLite AVB AudioCore connectivity and sticking MIDI

Post by timlanders »

Update on Ultralite AVB - I continue to have relatively minor issues with the unit. I never did solve the sticking MIDI with my older Yamaha Motif - this after numerous fixes and re-installations, clean OS, updated firmware, I even tried using different mac computers, etc. It appears to be a problem between the Motif and the UL AVB with MIDI protocol, so I resorted to using a Nectar USB controller keyboard. The UL AVB seems to like the USB port better than MIDI.

The AudioCore connectivity issue is still there. Sometimes it won't happen for an entire day or throughout a session and other times it'll happen 3 times in an hour. Now the browser interface won't launch although the UL AVB is still working. I just can't make any routing changes right now through Safari. I'm trying to sort that out. Again, I'll say that I mostly like the unit because it does have nice converters and the preamps for the "guitar" inputs are very warm. Like any other new product, I'm sure the next next version of this will have addressed these problems. That's what I get for buying a brand new and not yet consumer-tested piece of gear. of course, it could just be my personal Ultralite AVB and the rest of them are working perfectly. I would recommend it still as a good way to go for a small footprint and portable audio interface.
women and rhythm section first!

DP10 - iMac late 2013 3.5ghz i7 quad 32 gb MOTU AVB UltraLite
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monkey man
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Re: UltraLite AVB AudioCore connectivity and sticking MIDI

Post by monkey man »

Tim, are you connecting the AVB unit to a USB hub? I wouldn't.

If the USB MIDI connection uses the same USB buss as the interface, move it.

I've a replacement system for my PCI-based one on lay-buy (1 x 16A and 2 x 24Ai), and I'll be hooking it up via USB2, so I'd really, really like to think you should be fine with your unit as you're asking a heckava lot less of it than I'll be demanding of mine.

That's all I've got for you, Tim. Sorry if this is no help, and good luck.

Mac 2012 12C Cheese Grater, OSX 10.13.6
MOTU DP8.07, MachFive 3.2.1, MIDI Express XT, 24I/O
Novation, Yamaha & Roland Synths, Guitar & Bass, Kemper Rack

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timlanders
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Re: UltraLite AVB AudioCore connectivity and sticking MIDI

Post by timlanders »

Hi very late response here - like years late but anyways..... no, my AVB interface has always been connected directly to an iMac usb port, never a hub. That doesn't prevent it from not or dis-connecting however. I miss the old PCIx 424 DAYS
women and rhythm section first!

DP10 - iMac late 2013 3.5ghz i7 quad 32 gb MOTU AVB UltraLite
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