New Volume Surge Survey

[Frodo]

1. Is anyone who's experiencing these surges NOT using MOTU interfaces and drivers?

It doesn't matter what version of DP you are using, but listing your audio driver version would help.

*****

2. If anyone is NOT experiencing these surges, what interfaces AND driver versions *are* you using? It doesn't matter if it's a MOTU interface or not.

Thanks mucho!

[Mr_Clifford]

2. If anyone is NOT experiencing these surges, what interfaces AND driver versions *are* you using? It doesn't matter if it's a MOTU interface or not.

Never experienced one of these surges, in either external MIDI devices or VI's (or Reason via Re-Wire).

MOTU MIDI Express 128. RME Fireface 800.

I very rarely automate the volume (CC#7) in my MIDI tracks. Don't know if that has anything to do with it.

[cbergm7210]

2. If anyone is NOT experiencing these surges, what interfaces AND driver versions *are* you using? It doesn't matter if it's a MOTU interface or not.

Never experienced one of these surges, in either external MIDI devices or VI's (or Reason via Re-Wire).

MOTU MIDI Express 128. RME Fireface 800.

I very rarely automate the volume (CC#7) in my MIDI tracks. Don't know if that has anything to do with it.

Funny. I DO have the volume surges with the same setup. RME Fireface 800 and MOTU MIDIEXPRESS 128. And, I also don't use MIDI volume for automation, I automate the VI's fader.

[homebilly]

sadly, i am still getting them

[monkey man]

All MOTU hardware here (audio and MIDI). Phased volume surge has been issue for me since DP 5.0.

[Robbie_2327]

Okay, call me stupid, but I'm trying to figure out if I understand this volume surge issue. I tried to search for an explanation but couldn't find one. Let me explain what happens to me and them somebody please tell me if this is the same issue.

I start playing a sequence somewhere in the middle of the song and DP doesn't seem to recognize the MIDI controller info and just plays the instrument at max volume. If I remeber correctly if I hit the '1' and than start it again from where ever I have the transport start set it can 'see' the volume changes again. But I have to do this like everytime I press play. Is this what you guys are reffering to as the 'volum burst' issue?

[monkey man]

No, it's not Robbie.

There's good news for you though - set DP to chase events (MIDI event chasing?). This way, it'll scan backwards in all your tracks for the most recent of each controller value when you relocate and hit play. Works for sustain events too, which can be helpful if you've any very long notes in the sequence.

[Robbie_2327]

No, it's not Robbie.

There's good news for you though - set DP to chase events (MIDI event chasing?). This way, it'll scan backwards in all your tracks for the most recent of each controller value when you relocate and hit play. Works for sustain events too, which can be helpful if you've any very long notes in the sequence.

Yes, I'm aware of event chasing and I have it turned on yet this still occurs. BTW event chasing was a huge plus for me considering that I upgraded to DP5.13 from P4. They didn't have event chasing then.

Ok, so what is this volume issue?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Not getting surges in MIDI or audio.

MIDI interface - MIDI Express 128 - current driver.
Audio interface MAudio FW410 - current driver (FireWire_OSX_1.8.3-8.dmg)

[dix]

Ok, so what is this volume issue?

Oye vey. This: http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... ight=surge

Homebilly, is your i/o and MIDI interface in your sig? It's not clear to me.

Monkeyman, your specs are clear, but are you having the volume surge issue?

This survey is a good idea Frodo, but may be too complicated for us

[Mr. Quimper]

I've always had this issue in v5. Don't have 6 yet.

I was beginning to think it was an NI issue, but seeing other developer's VIs mentioned makes me think it is a DP issue. I don't own any MOTU hardware, but for what its worth, I've had this issue just using the standard built-in audio driver.

I've had this happen while just doing a playback and even when trying to record MIDI overdubs (existing tracks will "burst" while I'm recording -- very annoying!). It is, of course, unrepeatable and seemingly random.

[Robbie_2327]

Not getting surges in MIDI or audio.

MIDI interface - MIDI Express 128 - current driver.
Audio interface MAudio FW410 - current driver (FireWire_OSX_1.8.3-8.dmg)

Getting surges in my brain.

Current brain software: homo sapien ver. 1.0
Body interface: Italian-American male (well nourished...)
Driver: self

Hey isn't that picture from Monkey Man's family reunion?

[Frodo]

This survey is a good idea Frodo, but may be too complicated for us

After 2 years of pursuing this issue, it's probably closer to the truth that the problem itself is more complicated than the survey!

The issue is twofold--

MIDI bursts-- aka: The DP Sneeze. Hit the space bar and tons of MIDI note data that has built up in the buffers barks out at once.

Volume surges-- aka: The Audio Blurt. Playback goes along just fine until it suddenly pops out twice as a loud with no indication of this happening on the meters.

I've figured out that this only happens with DP-- at least on my system.

I've been wondering if this only happens with MOTU interfaces and drivers. Clearly, those who don't have MOTU audio interfaces seem to be experiencing the issue less on the MIDI side these days. The audio is still up in the air where it doesn't seem to matter what brand interface is being used. The only conclusion is that this is not unique to MOTU interfaces

My motivation for this poll was the result of another nagging and unpredictable issue in which a real instrument patched into the audio interface on Analog 1 is omni on without DP running. With DP running, the "omni" signal is still sent out the main outs along with DP audio-- including the dry signal again plus the fx.

What's most interesting is that it's just as unpredictable as the surges on DP playback. What's different is that it lasts longer-- and suddenly it will stop.

Here's the kicker:

1. I plugged in a guitar via a pre-amp into Analog input 1 on my 2408. Instant sound without DP or CueMix running

2. Open DP and route the input channels. Meters are showing modest output, but volume levels are near deafening.

3. I'd dumped prefs, reinstalled drivers, rebuilt bundles with only 1 mono input and 1 stereo output, reconfigured PCI Console settings with only Bank A in and out 1-2 active, and rebuilt audio-MIDI settings. I also reset the interfaces themselves. No luck.

So, I'm noodling around on the guitar for the heck of it. Suddenly, the level drops about by about -30dB or so.

The curiosity with the 2408 driver is that there's an odd feature that requires one bank of the 2408 to be "mirrored" on Bank A. There is no "none" option. I confess that I never understood the mirroring thing. You put audio into specific places and you send audio out specific places. Right?

But there's little explanation about mirroring-- only that it duplicates a bank of audio of your choice on Bank A. The mirrored bank's settings are supposed to be overridden, but I getting the feeling that this is not happening. It feels like an audio leak or audio block (depending on time of day and day of the week). I've never been able to run more than 16 channels of audio in DP at a time. One Bank of 8 channels always goes dead. This only happens in DP. And, it's been an odd thing that has happened with 4 different Macs and 6 different operating systems.

The volume surges during DP playback are much more recent (since DP4.5), they are shorter lived seem to be a microcosm of the same issue.

Mirroring aside, I'm not getting the surges in Logic 8. Audio routed to specific places actually *go* to their assigned locations. Imagine that! With Logic running, any *omni* audio goes away and only Logic's audio is heard. Again, sounds like a leak.

So, if this is not exclusive to MOTU audio interfaces and drivers, then I don't know what it is other than a bus leak in DP. This *could* yet again point to something with the MAS Audio Bundle which has been a problem for some DP6 users, but honestly I have no idea what's up with this. DP is the only element that filters through all the troubleshooting equations which I've not yet been able to eliminate from the list of suspects.

[PeterMcCStrat]

Well,
I had some projects in DP 5 that gave me what you call the "DP MIDI sneeze"

Apogee ensemble/Midisport.

I believe it to be a MIDI throughput issue, the MIDI resolution is so high that sometimes particularly when there was a decent amount of CC data in the sequence, it freaked out (overloaded) and coughed up blood for a second, then resumed.
odd,. It never happened when I had no cc data in the sequence.

I haven't experienced this in DP 6 yet,

PM

[EMRR]

Tangential, but maybe in the vein of Frodo's real instrument input issue:

In DP5.13 somewhat frequently I will have a playback output on the 24I/O de-assign itself and quit outputting audio. The first several times I wasted time hunting for hardware patchbay or cable failures. Sure enough, one output pair is de-assigned when I look at the hardware window. I never had this issue with 4.61.