Strange random MIDI timing issue with SX3

[Nomy]

Hello all.

Sorry to dive straight in with a question after joining, but this little glitch is driving me mad.

I am very new to all things Midi and PC. I have just set up my little studio and I have:

XP Pro running on 2GB Ram, 6600 Dual core.

M-Audio 2496 soundcard
Triton LE keyboard used as Midi keyboard and use of it's sounds
Cubase SX3

Now, I managed to get everything talking fine. I was shocked to be honest! I've put down about 4 audio tracks and my first MIDI track for the bass guitar went without a hitch.

Now I'm trying to record the drums and this is where I am getting the 'glitch'. I am not using the drum editor, I am just recording a 4 bar loop in the track window. I recorded the bass drum, no problem. I then recorded the snare and hi hat, again no problem. But then for no apparent reason, I noticed that when I hit a key on the Triton, there was about 1/4 second delay before I heard any sound during play. As soon as I stop play, the sound is accurate again. restart, and the problem is there again. keep pressing start/stop a few times and eventually it falls into time again. That's why I describe it as a glitch, because there is nothing in particular that I do that cures it. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't! If I look at the Midi in activity meter, it would certainly seem that the data is coming in on time, but somewhere along the line of Midi out, it gets screwed up. The pre-recorded Midi data is fine, so that's going to and from my Triton ok. It's only when I am playing along side it.

Just for your info, I have local note off on the Triton set to 'off', I am recording the Midi data via the Triton, the Midi then comes out of Cubase back into the Triton, the sound from the Triton drum program then goes to my mixer and out to the monitors.

I do have another problem that may or may not be related. If I start to record a Midi loop from Bar 1, the sound will cut out about 1/2 second before the end of the loop, but then restart as it loops from the beginning. if I set it as non loop, it plays fine. I get round this simply by leaving a couple of bars at the start. As I say, it may not be related and there is some rule somewhere that says not to loop Midi from bar 1, but the tutorial DVD I have for SX shows creating a loop at bar 1.

Sorry to waffle on and on, but I wanted to give you as clear a picture as possible.

Any ideas would be most welcomed!

<edit> I just noticed that if I knock off the loop and set it to play before the recorded data, then I can play along with the music fine, until it comes to the four bars of Midi drums, then it plays out of sink, but is fine afterwards! But again, it will sometimes respond all ok....ARGH!

[richiebee]

Is it writing the MIDI data in Cubase accurately?

If its only a monitoring issue, I would turn off the monitoring of the track you're recording (you can do this in the track inspector), and be done with it. If its not writing the data correctly in Cubase, you need to take it further.

Have you tried re-starting your computer/Cubase and try starting a new project?

Is it a desktop or laptop computer? Do you know how fast the hard drive spins? I don't suspect that has anything to do with your problem here, but its handy to know.

[Nomy]

Originally Posted by richiebee

Is it writing the MIDI data in Cubase accurately?

If its only a monitoring issue, I would turn off the monitoring of the track you're recording (you can do this in the track inspector), and be done with it. If its not writing the data correctly in Cubase, you need to take it further.

Have you tried re-starting your computer/Cubase and try starting a new project?

Is it a desktop or laptop computer? Do you know how fast the hard drive spins? I don't suspect that has anything to do with your problem here, but its handy to know.

Thanks for your reply.

Ok, the way I'm monitoring is the line out from my keyboard is going into the mixer then straight out to my monitors without any sound going into Cubase (unless I press Alt 3-4 for recording)

I followed your advice and shut down Cubase, opened it up and started a new project. I started a loop again and the problem soon showed itself. I tried my best to ignore the delay and hit some beats, these recorded fine and in the right place. So the Midi in is fine, it's the Midi out triggering the sound on the Triton that's late. The problem with that is why does pre recorded Midi out events trigger the sounds in the Triton ok? It's only the live keyboard presses that are late. A problem somewhere with the settings of my Triton maybe? But I've checked everything I can think of. Besides, it's one of those confusing intermittent faults. Sometimes it's fine.

I thought of a dodgy Midi cable, but there again, the midi out from Cubase carries the pre recorded data fine....always.

This hurts my brain, I hate intermittent problems!

My PC is a desktop, and my HD are 7200rpm.

Many thanks.

[Nomy]

Just a further point of interest:

I recorded a simple single beat over a bar. It took me several stop/starts of the transport to get the problem to surface, but eventually it did. What I can clearly say now is that when the problem is apparent, it will delay when I add a beat on top of an existing beat. If I add a beat in space, it sounds fine! But as I say, this is intermittent.

Maybe this has nothing to do with Cubase, and is some kind of issue with the keyboard. Hmm...

[brandondrury]

I had this problem about 1.5 years ago in Cubase SX3. I want to say that upgrading to the latest / last version of Cubase SX3 fixed it, but honestly it may have been a setting in Cubase that fixed it.

Brandon

[Nomy]

I have the latest version: SX 3.1.1.944.

I really hope you can remember some magical setting Any ideas about what I could try?

I think I really did waffle too much before, but the real confusion about this is that Cubase appears to be sending and receiving Midi data ok with no timing issues and the keyboard's audio out is responding fine. The problem is how either Cubase OR my Triton is dealing with additional Midi data 'on the fly'....sometimes!

[Nomy]

Well, I've spent all day searching the web for info, and I can't find anything that cures it. There are several issues about midi timing problems in Cubase, but most seem to be about latency issues when triggering audio. I don't have that at all. Just a duplicate note problem whilst the keyboard is responding to incoming Midi data.

Ho-hum.

Really don't know what to do. I've rattled off an email to Steinberg, so I'll have to wait and see unless anyone else has ideas?

I do still cling to the hope that it's a silly stupid setup error on my part because of my noobie status, but I don't think so.

[brandondrury]

Just a duplicate note problem whilst the keyboard is responding to incoming Midi data.

There is a setting that disables this. I can't remember how I solved it. I want to say that disabling "MIDI Thru" somewhere will fix it. Sorry I'm not much help, but I'm rusty on all of this.

Brandon

[Nomy]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

There is a setting that disables this. I can't remember how I solved it. I want to say that disabling "MIDI Thru" somewhere will fix it. Sorry I'm not much help, but I'm rusty on all of this.

Brandon

Well, you claim to be rusty, but you cured my problem, it was just a simple act of disabling MIDI Thru.

I briefly thought of this before, but reading the manual it clearly states: "The only case where MIDI Thru should be deactivated is if you use Cubase with only one keyboard instrument which cannot be set to local off" So that threw me, because mine does have local off, which was selected. So I forgot about that solution before I even tried it.

Anyway, I won't think about it too much, because it suites my set up and it all works a treat....until the next problem!

Many, many thanks!

[brandondrury]

I'm glad my rusty guess paid off for you!

Brandon