DP7 MIDI notes skipping, jumping, etc...

[jacey714]

I'm using a Intel Unibody Macbook Pro 13" 2.55 DualCore, 4GB RAM, OS 10.6.2 with Traveler mk3...and when I'm programming MIDI...I hear MIDI notes skipping and sometimes just random notes flying out middle of nowhere, etc. For example, when I select a random bar and push record...the first note would be missing...and then while the sequencer is playing...that first missing note will come flying back out randomly during the playback. Also, the overall MIDI operation feels very sluggish...After all types of testing, I realized when I turn the Audio mode "off" to "MIDI only" mode, the problem disappears...However, I still need the audio mode for softsynths, samplers, etc...The processor and RAM on this computer should be more than enough to handle the task...I had this problem with DP7.02...and the problem still exists on DP7.1. Is anybody having the same problem? More importantly a possible solution?

Thanks...

[keybored0]

So it's still happening in 7? I'm staying with 5.13. Yes... it happens, in a MIDI only setup too. I resolved the duplicate notes by filtering them externally. The clunkiness you refer to I don't get often, but cannot I solve it either. I think you just lightened the load by turning off audio. I have a periodic collapse of MIDI activity meters in the mixer too.

[jacey714]

I really wanted to get MachFive2...That would suck if my MIDI side will suffer from the audio. Shouldn't DP should be at a level now where it just works? Believe it or not...I just upgraded to DP7 from DP3...and encountered more problems than solved...My computer should be more than enough to handle the task...

[Shooshie]

What the heck? I've never heard of any of this. "Still happening?" When did it ever happen?

No, that's not normal DP behavior. Nor do I have a clue how to troubleshoot your system, but make sure your drivers are the latest ones for both MIDI and audio.

Considering the huge leap you just took from DP 3 to DP 7, there are significant changes that you're going to have to get used to. Half of what we have now didn't exist in DP3. (maybe not literally half, but more than I could even begin to describe here) I suggest going through the "Getting Started" manual (the small one) very carefully before continuing. Many of the major changes are documented there, and some of them may affect your setup.

I really don't know what else to tell you, except, no... I've never had that problem that I know of.

Shooshie

[adriano]

Hello jacey714 and forum.
Sorry to hear about your troubles, jacey714.
I have not had any MIDI related issues or anything close of what you've described in DP 7, 7.02 and 7.1.
Have you installed/dowloaded the latest drivers?
Trashed preferences, Repair Permissions?

Adriano

[HCMarkus]

I, too, have not experienced the symptoms described. Sometimes a fresh OS HD/partition and Clean Install can work wonders! Once you get things working perfectly (hope springs eternal) clone your system as a disk image and save it for a rainy day.

[jacey714]

I have DP7.1 and Virtual Synths installed on the same C drive...Could this be the problem? I ran the Disk Utility and the disk seems to be fine...I bought this computer just a month ago...but I did see the "wait cursor" aka "Pizza of death" come on frequently during iTunes operation...so maybe there is something wrong with the disk...

My question...Should DP operate normal even if DP7, virtual instruments, sample data, etc. are on the same C drive? I'm not using DP7 to record audio or to play back recorded audio...just for virtual instruments...

Thanks...

[Shooshie]

Well, it's POSSIBLE that's the problem. It depends on what virtual instruments you've got running, and how many instances, how many notes, etc. MacBook Pro's usually have 5400 RPM drives, don't they? If so, and if you're running a lot of VI's or a lot of tracks on even a single VI, then yes, you might be experiencing overload for one drive. More RAM might help, but only if the VI's are capable of running outside of DP's RAM-space. Maybe if you got an external drive you'd find it to free things up a bit.

On a Mac Pro quad 2.66, I have 13 drives connected (not all of them are always turned on). The ones that run all the time hold my VI's distributed in such a way that no two are being asked to access more than one VI at a time. My DP file is located on a separate drive from the VI's, and the System and applications are on yet another drive. In other words, I avoid installing instruments or saving DP projects to my system drive.

Some of my drives run off the main Firewire bus. Others run off a PCI firewire card, again to divide up the load across separate busses.

But if you're just running a couple of instances of one of the MOTU bundled synths, along with a few audio tracks in DP, you should not be getting any skips at all.

If you are running an older version of DP which is having to load via Rosetta, then you certainly could be getting skips and timing problems. But DP 7 in Snow Leopard should be running like a gazelle.

Shooshie

[jacey714]

Right now I'm just running I'm just running Sylenth1...and I want to run MachFive 2. Even if I don't use any VIs...if I have DP7.1 with Audio mode "On"...I still get the skips, lag, etc.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I have the "wait for note" function ON...and when I have it "OFF" then I don't have this problem...But "wait for note" is something I use on a regular basis for sequencing and it's absolutely essential in my work process...

Can everyone reading this test out the "external" MIDI devices with the "wait for note" ON and select random bars and tap the Enter (PLAY) quickly and see what happens?

Is there somewhere where I can set the MIDI buffer for DP?

[jacey714]

Reinstalling the OS now...Trying to see if this solves the problem...

[charlesparente]

Please try using Built-In Audio instead of any 3rd party audio interface.
I've had occasional weird playback/timing problems over the years and sometimes switching to Built-In Audio will eliminate the problem, which of course points to my audio interface as the source of the problem.

And are you using the Traveler MIDI input port?
In earlier years I had problems with using a single interface for both audio playback and MIDI input. Just some things to try.

[jacey714]

I'm using Traveler mk3 for audio only. I'm using MIDI Timepiece AV and XT for MIDI.

[jacey714]

I just reinstalled the OS...and the problem still exists...Can someone test it and post the results? I want to figure out whether it's a hardware or software problem. Thanks...

[jacey714]

Yesterday and I went and replaced my HD with a 7200rpm drive...then reinstalled my OS and started fresh...and the problem still exists...Are all of you trying this test with the "wait for note" function ON? Here are the steps once again...

1. Turn Audio Mode ON in DP7.
2. Program some drums using external MIDI device...
3. Turn "wait for note" function ON in the transport window.
4. Pick random bars quickly and push "Enter" on the number pad quickly. If you repeat this over and over few times you will often hear the first note of the bar missing...and then have that note come flying back randomly during play or even when you stop the sequencer...

You will notice the problem goes away when Audio Mode is turned off (MIDI only mode). Also, when "wait for note" function is turned OFF.

I'm accustomed to working very fast on the number pad...and this whole thing is slowing me down...Can everyone please try this out?

Thanks in advance!

[jacey714]

HELLO...IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? Can someone reading this please run the test above and post the results?