MOTUnation.com

Hi Gang-

I have posted in the past about my ongoing stuck note issues. This weekend I took an internal hard drive that was housing DP files and installed Leopard 5.7 on it. So along with my Tiger 4.11 formatted drive, and both DP 5.13 and 6.02, I have every current combo.

And STILL stuck notes. In all scenerios. This goes back to Panther and DP 4, from the moment I upgraded to OSX. Never had it in OS9.

I have changed computers, MIDI interface and audio interfaces and upgraded from the earlier versions of OSX and DP. What else can I possibly try?!

Its just ridiculous. I am so tired of this. I guess the next step is to try another sequencer. But I really like DP!

Hi Bruce:

Just curious, what keyboard are you using to input your MIDI data?

Also, do you ever send MIDI program change messages in your MIDI stream?

I have never had stuck notes, but recently I swapped out my XP80 for a different keyboard, which I'm testing temporarily, and while stepping through and auditioning patches, I'm getting stuck notes all over the place. My working hypothesis is that some keyboards transmit more complex sysex for program changes and the reason why some systems get stuck notes and others don't has to do with they keyboard used to input the MIDI data...

FWIW.... This is my only first hand experience with the stuck notes issue. It has been a mystery for years why some people get it and others don't. There has to be something different about the workflow on some systems. Also, I think that different people get it in different ways. That's why it is very helpful to post as much detail as possible about how it happens for you, what you are doing when it happens. Just saying "stuck notes" .... it doesn't mean the same thing to everyone, and some of us who have never experienced may not know exactly what is meant by "stuck notes."

""I have changed computers, MIDI interface and audio interfaces and upgraded from the earlier versions of OSX and DP. What else can I possibly try?!""

Is there anything that you HAVEN'T changed on all those systems? Did you always use the same keyboard?


Best,
Babz

Thanks Babz-

Now that I think about it, I have been using a Kurzweil PC3 for a long while. But how can that be the culprit when most of my stuck notes happen during playback, quite often when there are no tracks even playing back MIDI info from that controller.

I have been scanning other forums and the stuck note issue seems to be a problem in many other platforms, DAWs, etc. Maybe something in OSX itself. But where to look?....

Bruce wrote:Thanks Babz-

Now that I think about it, I have been using a Kurzweil PC3 for a long while. But how can that be the culprit when most of my stuck notes happen during playback, quite often when there are no tracks even playing back MIDI info from that controller.

I have been scanning other forums and the stuck note issue seems to be a problem in many other platforms, DAWs, etc. Maybe something in OSX itself. But where to look?....

It could be that the information gets embedded in the MIDI data when the track is recorded. If all of your tracks have always been played in using the same controller, it could have something to do with it. Just a guess. But this idea recently occurred to me when reflecting on the fact that certain people seem to have stuck notes despite changing systems, OS, etc. while others never experience it.

Also, I have noticed two very reproducible MIDI bugs in DP that have persisted through both DP 5 and 6. Sometimes when I first boot up, and I play a MIDI note on my controller it doesn't sound the first time; MIDI starts working after the second note and continues to work after that. (But what happened to that first note? Maybe it gets saved in the stream and then comes back to haunt you later.)

The other thing I have found is that when stepping through presets on my keyboard DP sounds a double note. And if I happen to be playing a note while I change MIDI programs, I get a stuck note, almost every time. (Command-1 stops the stuck note.) So it is clear that there are some bugs in DPs MIDI involving notes and program change commands. It is possible that if this type of stored up information gets recorded into a track, it could mess things up on playback, even though you're not playing the keyboard live anymore. That's my theory. I hope MOTU is reading this.

Best,
Babz

Your observation about the first note of a sequence getting left off is somehow related to all this. If I am having a stuck note-free day, I can always tell when they are going to start. It's when DP drops my first note. Always happens. If the first note is dropped I will get stuck notes when I stop the seq.

I will sometimes try to avoid this by backing up my counter by a few frames before hitting the start button.. This will usually help the first note dropping out. But it is a time waster.

I have performed this scenerio for Motu tech on the phone several times, and they can't figure it out.

I have had this as well. Here are a couple of things that helped. I found that for me it was one certain note in a MIDI file that was the culprit. I deleted that note and penciled in a new one. The second was turning off the speaker in the sequence editor as I was editing. That way I could drag the wiper and not get the stuck notes. The track would still play and I could still edit just not hear the sound of the note I was moving. So far no more stuck notes. Hope this helps.

I see you are using an MTPAV.
I had an issue with a feedback loop in the routing of my MTPAV that was causing the errant stuck MIDI note.
Probably not your solution.
Just another possibility.

I actually went and bought a midisport just to take the MTYPAV out of the "loop" so to speak. I was so excited becuase I didn't get stuck notes for as couple days....but alsas, then they returned.

I have given up on this ever getting fixed in Dp. Command1 is part of my routine whenever I stop play. I have noticed that clicking in the timeline to snap the wiper to a new location makes the stuck notes stop. It seems like a MIDI instrument needs to get a note off command when play is stopped when it is still during the time of a played note. Keep posting any ideas on this. Thanks

I have a feeling stuck notes do not sound as bad on Maui! I lived in Hawaii for a few years and loved my trips to Maui.

Pretty sad though when you have to "live with" a bug this big and do not expect any solutions. Just curious, what is your controller?

I was using a Kurzweil K2500 for 10 years and I got a Yamaha S90 ES 2 years ago. The yamaha does MIDI through USB. I use a motu MIDI express USB interface. Before that I was using DP on OS9 with an Opcode Studio 4 interface. I never had stuck note issues with my old Opcode Studio Vision Pro sequencer using the Kurzweil and Studio 4 interface.

So it seems your stuck note problems, like mine, started acting up when you made the shift from OS9 to OSX.