Anyone use 896mk3 with vdrums and SD2

[AxE_MaN]

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone else out there is using roland vdrums with the 896mk3? If so, what are your experiences with it?

I'm having a bit of an issue with felt latency that renders it pretty useless.

For all intents and purposes I'm quite happy with the 896mk3(firewire this is not a hybrid) But I want to monitor through toontrack, not the td-20x.

I guess I'm hoping someone out there has a similar setup that they've been successful with, or if I should get it out of my head and breakdown and buy another pcie device.

I don't want to spend the money if I should be able to achieve this with the 896mk3.

My setup is as follows:
Td-20x midithru is off
896mk3 (no hybrid)
Express 128 MIDI
PC i7 with 12gigs ram and ti fire chip. running at 64 buffer (have tried a samplerate of 96 for kicks)
SD2 standalone and cubase 7

I just finished doing a fresh install of 8pro with no ethernet or firewall all updated drivers and packs.

However,the issue occurs with the following as well. Xp pro32, 7pro 64, 7ult 64, and windows 8 pro 64.

I just can't loose this latency... I do want add one more time this is only felt while playing. It is not audible latency.

Should i just breakdown now and buy 2408mk3 with a pcie424 or is there something that I've overlooked?

If anyone can be of help it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance

[torrentg]

I'm slightly confused, and admittedly, probably I'm not understanding right.

Isn't this TD-20x just something you program and not actually do any physical performing on?

This is what is throwing me: "I do want add one more time this is only felt while playing. It is not audible latency."

The word "playing" - playing what, exactly?

My MOTU Traveler never gives any sort of issues whatsoever with latency. I'm into extremely fast music and stuff (guitarist), and I never feel like what I'm hearing is lagging even slightly, monitoring in Cubase or without it.

[kgdrum]

there will always be a lag via MIDI.
thats why edrum kits like the td20 have trigger inputs......
if you're recording, i'd lay down the tracks with vdrum sounds and replace the sounds later.
the problem is not the 896.
as a drummer i always prefer trigger inputs then i replace the vdrum sounds.
thats why all better edrum kits have trigger inputs and don't rely on MIDI for triggering samples.

[AxE_MaN]

@ torrentg -

Sorry, it is a roland vdrum module. I probably should have mentioned while playing the drums . I don't notice any lag on amp modelling software, or even any other virtual instrument for that matter. Although, I don't play jazz keys which I've heard needs to be extremely tight as well.

@ kgdrum -

This is something I've never experienced before I purchased the 896. I know there will always be some lag. There always is. Neither the 24i -324 or the layla 24 experienced the issue to this magnitude. Both were pci though. The layla 24 was a little better than the 24i. But that may have been the uno I was using at the time to get the MIDI into the system as the 24i has no MIDI inputs and the layla does.

More than likely you are absolutely correct and there is nothing wrong with the 896.

Is it possible I've overlooked something within my settings?

Or is this just as close as firewire will get me?

Being a drummer, would you tell me your experiences with pci/pcie? Do you notice any difference than that of firewire with toontrack?

I'm very curious what your observations have been...?

Additionally, this setup isn't for recording purposes, it's specifically for practice.

I'm actually considering pulling my layla out and building an antiquated system around it. I think you can still find mobos with pci's on them. Maybe I would have to go to a pcie device at this point.

At the risk of seeming redundant, thank you very much for your response. It is much appreciated

[AxE_MaN]

Actually that's got me thinking... I have some time today and an old system down there with a pci on it. I won't be able to load the expansions on it or use sd2 at full quality like on this system. But it should at least let me know if I'm disillusioned or not. Maybe I just have a bug in my head about firewire - haha

I'll let you know later today, w/ any luck. Please let me know what your findings have been though. I'm very interested.

[kgdrum]

I am talking about the time it takes MIDI to go back & forth vs trigger input.
I would never try to play and trigger SD2 in real time,because of the MIDI timing issues.
I'd always trigger SD2 after I lay down a drum part.
PCI vs FW should make no difference,this also could be an incorrect preference or setting,ymmv.

[torrentg]

Oh alright, understanding slightly better now from the new info since I've last been in the thread and from now seeing a rear-view picture of the Roland.

I probably won't be able to help very much, but then again, I never say never.

If you're still stuck, perhaps there might be something I can suggest after having looked over the system info, although the chance is probably slim. So, even with that, don't get hopes up!

But if you'd like to, you can upload it someplace and paste a link. To do so, type "msinfo32" without the quotes into the Start menu or a command prompt, and press Enter. Then, click File | Save on the opened screen. The saved file is what I'd need a link to.

In any case, best of luck.