Midiexpress XT becomes XT #2 in audiomidi setup...what the?

[Sergievsky]

My setup ends up connected to a greyed out interface, with a new one labled #2 showing up. So I have to connect it all again. This now happens everytime I start up. I had this problem before, not sure what I did. I think I just reinstalled drivers, which I did now, even installed the latest usb drivers but no luck.

Anyone had this problem?

[monkey man]

`
Dang. This has happened to me several times, and I too keep forgetting what the fix is!
Fortunately, I had the sense to make some notes, which I've managed to find:

Problem:

Mac (and DP) think MIDI interface is a 2nd MOTU MIDI Express XT.
AM setup and C'works call it "MOTU MIDI Express XT #2"
I've had this problem a bit with OS 9, but only once on X.
I'd just installed new MIDI drivers (MOTU 1.3), which may be responsible.

After much hooha involving file deletion, AM setup, C'works etc with no success, I went the "whole hog" and it worked!

Solution 1 (The whole hog) :

1. Remove all MIDI drivers except MOTU.
2. Remove C'works and AM prefs in main folder and in "By Host" folder.
3. Replace AM configs with older copies.
4. Uninstall MOTU 1.3 driver.
5. Restart with MIDI interface turned off.
6. Install MOTU 1.2.4d2 driver.
7. Restart with MIDI interface still turned off.
8. Open AM setup and select configuration.
9. Turn MIDI Express XT on.
10. Celebrate!

Or

Solution 2 (Just a pork-chop): (Discovered Later)

1. Open AM Setup.
2. Drag "MIDI Express XT #2" to line up with "MIDI Express XT".
3. Drag new cables to "MIDI Express XT #2", mirroring the existing connections.
4. Delete "MIDI Express XT".
5. Rename "MIDI Express XT #2" as "MIDI Express XT".
6. Back up configuration.
7, 8, 9, and 10. Celebrate!

If "solution 2" needs frequent repeating, which it seems it does for you, I'd go "solution 1".
Of course, my driver numbers are out of date here; I'd go for the latest as a matter of course.
Oh, and be sure to follow "solution 1, point 2" to the letter.

I avoided switching the XT on until the last possible moment for fear it'd make another appear in AM setup.
This had happened before, I believe, although I can't repeat it.

Hope this bears fruit, Sergievsky.

[Sergievsky]

Forgot to thank you. I went the whole hog and manually uninstalled everything motu, except DP of course. It works now...so far. Still a bit of apprehension everytime I open that dang audiomidi setup, fearing another appearance of the evil #2!

[monkey man]

Yay! You did it, Sergievsky!

Glad to help; this kept rearing its ugly head a while back.
I know how frustrating it can be; it doesn't seem to be caused by "user error".

One solution might be to not open AMS unless you have to.
I've a feeling it occurred without my having done this once or twice though.

As I update MOTU's MIDI drivers, I feel this issue is being left ever-further behind.
Touch wood. So far so good.
Don't worry, the apprehension will go away. Until it occurrs again!
No kidding, it seemed that whenever I'd managed to forget about it, it'd appear again!

It has been a while now though, so I'd keep the drivers up to date and touch some wood.

[abiah]

As I update MOTU's MIDI drivers, I feel this issue is being left ever-further behind.
Touch wood. So far so good.
Don't worry, the apprehension will go away. Until it occurrs again!

hello 2007, this is 2013. im sad to say that in the 6 years that passed, motu never got round to fixing this.

i guess they were too busy updating bpm.

[monkey man]

... but as far as I know, the issue hasn't resurfaced for me or anyone else on the board since then; I don't recall any posts to that effect on the board.

I'm sorry to hear this gremlin has returned to haunt you, abiah. I well remember its being frustrating and annoying. I wish I could add to the above "advice", but as I said, this hasn't occurred since 2007 and I'd assumed all this time that MOTU must've fixed something in the MIDI driver.

Bummer. Hopefully someone's encountered and defeated this new, son-of-a-gremlin.

[monkey man]

OK, I've done some searching here and in my "DP manual" notes.

Firstly, there's this thread from 2005 which I've searched for and can't seem to find, but a TextEdit file of which was in my notes; it contains a few possible alternative solutions. I edited out the avatars and sigs:

I searched the archives but had no luck finding any discussion of this. Sorry if this is a repeat topic.

We have two MIDI systems, one with 3 MIDI Express XT USB interfaces and one with 3 MIDI Express 128 USB interfaces. Each system is based around a G4 with OSX and DP4. Occasionally the computer will not find one or more of the MIDI interfaces, but it will find "new" interfaces. We then have to rebuild the MIDI setup to reconnect the MIDI devices to the "new" interfaces.

Apparently, the interfaces are tracked by some temporary USB ID number, and every once in a while that ID number will change, causing the computer to think the interface no longer exists and a new one has been connected. We have tried the simple solutions such as shutdown/restart and delete/reinstall drivers but nothing works except rebuilding the MIDI setup. This is very annoying -- does anyone know of a remedy?

Thanks,
Brad

--------------------

By Rik

I have been having the same problem for YEARS in the MIDI lab at Plymouth State University. We are using ibooks with MOTU Fastlane USB interfaces. For no reason they just start to duplicate. My solution, like yours is to rebuild the MIDI setup. I have told MOTU about this, but no response. It is now part of my MIDI training for my students! At least when they get out in the REAL world, they will know how to take care of this MIDI problem.

I would love to solve this problem!

Peace

--------------------

By Dfab020

Hello

Are you running the latest drivers from the motu website ?? How are you uninstalling the drivers (the best way I have found is to delete the MOTUMIDIdriver.kext file from system > library > extensions). Are you using a USB hub ?? If so, is it powered ?? How often does this happen by the way ?

--Bryan--

--------------------

By Buzz Smith

I, too, have this problem occasionally (see signature for system details).

My work-around, at present, since I'm on a dual boot G4, is to have the "FreeMidi Converter" scan my old OS9 FreeMidi set-up.

This (if I remember correctly), has worked everytime. It's a hassle though, if I add something new, or reconfigure the studio. I'll boot up in OS9, launch FreeMidi, make the changes, Quit, and restart in OSX.

The last FreeMidi file seems to be the one that FreeMidi Converter finds first.

I'll admit, though, that every morning when I launch DP, I'm sitting there for a minute, waiting to see DP finds a complete "studio"!

Hope this helps in some way!

=bz=

--------------------

By lanecam1

Hi, I recently had a similar problem with the Audio MIDI Setup seeing both my MTP AV (usb) and my networked MTP(non usb). What fixed it for me was to manually set the NET PORT = MTP on both units. This is found under the Global Settings menu. The MTP Manual is a little confusing on this. The following is the post from the MOTU site. Hope this keeps you from having to go back into OS 9 to recover.

(from MOTU site)
Networking the MTP/AV USB

Any earlier model MIDI Timepiece can be networked with the MIDI Timepiece AV USB. If you are using Digital Performer, both MIDI Timpeieces will have MTS capabilities when the MTP/AV USB is connected via the USB connection. Follow the instructions below to setup the MTP/AV USB for a network.

On the MTP/AV USB, turn the Window knob until you see GLOBAL HARDWARE SETUP.

Turn the cursor knob to the right until NET PORT=MAC is blinking, and turn the valure knob to set this to NET PORT=MTP.

Make the same settings on the second MTP in the network.

Turn the cursor knob to the right until THIS BOX ID is blinking on the second MTP in the network. Use the value knob to set this to BOX 9-16.

Open FreeMIDI and select Update Interfaces from the Configuration menu. Press the scan button for the port that the network is connected to.

If you experience any problems with FreeMIDI or Audio MIDI Setup recognizing the network, turn off all connected MIDI devices, and reset the MTPs by holding the Panic button in as you turn the power off, and then back on. You will need to repeat the above procedure for networking the MTPs. Please note that you need ROM 2.01 in your MTP/AV USB for networking. You will see the ROM version displayed on the MTP/AV LCD when you first power the unit on. If you have a ROM earlier than 2.01, please cotact MOTU technical support to request the latest ROM.

--------------------

by enc0der

I am having this same problem with a ExpressXT interface, and have been having it for years on every version of OSX that I've used, currently being Tiger.

Once I fixed it by manually editing the XML file read by the audiomidi tool, however, that is a VERY painful process, and I'd rather not do this.

Is there a way to set that information like the Timepiece AV and have it set for good? I am REALLY tired of reconnecting all 20+ connections everytime I boot up and it decides to change who it thinks the single interface I have is.

Thanks

--------------------

Secondly, I found this thread from 05 Sep 2008 in which a battery replacement solved the issue, this being the only one I could find between 2007 and now, so I guess I was wrong in that there's been at least (this) one in the interim:

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... th#p253927

MagicDave's post is priceless:

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

Hopefully one of these solutions does the trick...

[Agent of Random]

As I update MOTU's MIDI drivers, I feel this issue is being left ever-further behind.
Touch wood. So far so good.
Don't worry, the apprehension will go away. Until it occurrs again!

hello 2007, this is 2013. im sad to say that in the 6 years that passed, motu never got round to fixing this.

i guess they were too busy updating bpm.

Actually, the fix for this has been publicly available since as early as 2005:

http://www.motu.com/techsupport/technot ... rm=battery



if you battery is dead, you will get duplicated devices in ams and wiped setups.

[monkey man]

Yes, Agent of Random, I posted MagicDave's explanation of that. Thank you.

Whilst it appears to have been the cause in some cases, it certainly wasn't in mine. I solved the issue, or at least, MOTU or Apple probably did somehow with one of their driver / AMS updates even if it wasn't specifically their aim to do so. It does puzzle me though in that it appears, logically anyway, to be an AMS tagging thing. Perhaps MOTU's older drivers in combination with (older?) versions of AMS manifested it?

Come to think of it, even to this day I never power up just one of my Express XTs; I always use them in tandem for fear of confusing AMS. I haven't been game to "test it" lest I get caught up in trying to solve it for too long. IIRC it was one of those hit-and-miss things one is simply relieved to escape and the immediate after-effect is to want to proceed with kid gloves.

[Agent of Random]

motu's new driver fixed something that caused MIDI devices to duplicate…that's probably what got you fixed. a more recent issue...

that's definitely not the problem the OP had, tho (since this thread is from 2007 afterall)

[monkey man]

C-ripes! I've gone and done a Shooshmeister!

2007, indeed.

EDIT: Hang on... abiah seems to have encountered this now, unless I've missed something...

[Agent of Random]

C-ripes! I've gone and done a Shooshmeister!

2007, indeed.

EDIT: Hang on... abiah seems to have encountered this now, unless I've missed something...

That is correct....so? Maybe you are missing something: the OP is talking about one issue...but you had experienced another one that had a very similar symptom.

[monkey man]

Thank you, AoR; I get it.

Similar symptom, different issue.