I'm running an Avalon synth through an analog compressor, into an A&H MixWizard, with a send into an FX chain comprised of Strymon Mobius, Big Sky, and Timeline (sequential). Return is through the mixer into a MOTU 828x.
MIDI master in my project is Maschine, hooked up via MIDI cable to a MOTU MIDI Express XT, which routes MIDI to all the above units (except the mixer). Avalon responds fine to transport and program change.
The odd bahavior is this:
As the pattern plays on the Avalon the sequence start point is slowly drifting out of sync and keeps drifting to return back into sync (compared to the kick, running on the Rytm). Latency, so I thought, would lead to a noticeable delay, but a constant one. It seems that each time the pattern (16 beats) restarts it seems to move by some increment.
I am sequencing my gear from Maschine and I observed this issue during looping a scene, which means that every 4 bars the program change signal is re-sent. However, the Avalon is set up to respond to a pattern change only upon playing the previous pattern to the end.
I've used the FX chain without a problem before. I've also used Maschine in this manner before, albeit without the Avalon. Also, running the rig hardware only (using an Octatrack as master) gives no latency whatsoever, so I don't think it's the FX chain.
As per the manual's suggestion I set the time code to internal on the MOTU MIDI Express as this is claimed to be more stable. Still, I routed MTC and MMC from Maschine to the MOTU to slave the MIDI interface, and MTC and MMC are routed to all hardware units from the MOTU, as are all MIDI signals. Not sure MMC is implemented in Maschine, so that part of the setup may not do anything. As I set it up, I thought this should do the trick. It's not clear to me why it would only be one unit that experiences this weird sync issue.
Furthermore, when using a separate MIDI port on Maschine and connecting it directly to the Avalon no drift is seen that way.
Setup:
Maschine Studio, Maschine v2.50
MBP mid 2012 running OS X Sierra
Elektron Rytm, Analog 4, and Octatrack
Abstrakt Instruments Avalon Bassline Synth
