Hey!/Latency Problem

[joshwills1]

Hi everyone, I'm currently studying music technology at college in the UK and I'm just finishing my first year, I also play drums. I stumbled upon this site and saw that it had some really good advice so I thought someone on the forum may be able to help me out.

I've got cubase 4 which I run on windows XP, the sound card is the stock one but it is ASIO compatible. Everything was going fine and I didn't have any problems with latency at first when using an m-audio controller keyboard. However, when I tried using my electronic drum kit as a MIDI controller I began to have a lot of latency problems, not only that but the sounds don't trigger unless I leave a gap of about a second before hitting the pad again. The kit functions normally when its not connected to my PC, but it basically means that its completely useless as a MIDI controller at the moment.

If theres anyone out there that might know what to do I would appreciate the help alot.

Thanks, Josh.

[richiebee]

How does it connect to your computer?

[joshwills1]

Originally Posted by richiebee

How does it connect to your computer?

Via a USB 2.0 Midi interface thing.

[richiebee]

So, its midi out of the kit to midi in of the interface then USB connection to the computer? Do you use the same interface with the keyboard? If not, try it and see if you get the same kind of latency.

Have you checked for updated drivers for the USB MIDI interface?

Does the interface have a visible indicator that MIDI data is being sent? The whole wait a second before hitting again sounds like it could be some kind of data overload - I wonder if your drum kit is sending a lot more than simple note on data, and something in the chain can't keep up. Does the Cubase track indicate that any controllers are being sent in addition to note data? Have a look in the Grid Editor to see the complete picture of what is being sent...

[joshwills1]

Originally Posted by richiebee

So, its midi out of the kit to midi in of the interface then USB connection to the computer?

Yep.

Originally Posted by richiebee

Do you use the same interface with the keyboard?

Yeah, I do.

Originally Posted by richiebee

The whole wait a second before hitting again sounds like it could be some kind of data overload - I wonder if your drum kit is sending a lot more than simple note on data, and something in the chain can't keep up. Does the Cubase track indicate that any controllers are being sent in addition to note data? Have a look in the Grid Editor to see the complete picture of what is being sent...

Thanks Richiebee. I did that and it seems as if the kit is sending controller and program change messages as well as note on/off. This is probably whats slowing everything down, but I don't have any idea how to change that. If you have any more advice it would be greatly appeciated because I'm kind of stuck on what to do here.

[richiebee]

You can probably set filters on the drum kit. I would think you can also set MIDI input filters in Cubase. Its such a long time since I've done this (Cubase 5 -probably 2001ish), I can't remember how to do it.

If its not a constant stream of controller data its unlikely to be the problem, but definitely deserves to be investigated. What is the model/manufacturer of your drum kit?

[joshwills1]

Originally Posted by richiebee

What is the model/manufacturer of your drum kit?

Its a Yamaha DTXpress IV. Do you think that the problem may be related to this particular kit?

[stick]

Picked up on this thread as I also have trouble getting even basic trigger notes from my DTXpress II into the PC correctly. I use a USB Midi cable that worked perfectly at a friend's place.

Checking MIDI activity using MidiMon (Midi Monitor), I discovered that the hi-hat control seems to be "blocking" it all: if I close or release the hi-hat (any pedal activtiy at all, it seems), it "re-activates" normal MIDI operation and the next note I send (kick, snare or whatever) comes into the PC correctly. However, then MIDI operation seems to "freeze", until I activate the hi-hat pedal again.

Is the DTXpress IV problem at the origin of this thread similar? Anyone found a solution yet? My DTXpress II allows me to configure the hi-hat control for MIDI: in UT MIDI SETUP, Send HH Ctrl = on / off. On or off does not seem to have any influence at all.

[Chinthaka]

open our ASIO control panel. move the seek bar (i think calls Buffer or audio buffer) this will lose play back quality but latency will lost.

off da cubase midi latency (in nuendo little colck on up-right side of da window ( i think cubase also same) )

else last way is play da drum muting it (only hearing metronome) then ajust midi latency from cubasa midi track or midi editor [may b you'll think that this is joke but i have try it]

[stick]

Thanks

Turns out that my problem was linked to the USB<>MIDI i'face I bought off e-bay (came out of Hong-Kong) -- I thought "it's digital, it either works or it doesn't, so the cheapest that works will be fine"

Well, wrong: with a friend's E-MU interface, everything works perfectly!