Bloody TR-8 latency!!! Please help.

[Kid Blast]

I am running Ableton Live 9 on a Macbook Pro with OS X 10.9.5, 2.8GHz and 16GB ram.

I have a Roland TR-8 which I bought about a month ago, and I’m running it through a powered USB hub into the computer.

When I run the TR-8 as a USB audio interface, the latency is almost half a beat. I would love to run it over USB but it is just a total waste of time, as the latency makes it unusable.

When I run the TR-8 via midi with the audio outputs going into my MOTU Ultralite, and input it through the External Device Rack, there is latency of 1/256th of a second, which in some cases gives a nice swing to tracks, but in other cases throws the groove of a track right out.

I understand I can program the TR-8 and then record each part in and warp to suit the song, but that is not going to happen, as I like a fast workflow. It is really annoying, because I want to be able to incorporate the TR-8 into my songs in realtime, alongside other drum sounds from Maschine , so they are all playing in time at the same time. I have played with the latency compensation on the External Device Rack but it doesn’t change anything.

Is there some really simple thing that I am overlooking to make this work? I have looked at forums all over the internet, and watched every Youtube video I can find on the TR-8, but I’m getting nowhere.

Please help or I’m just going to get rid of the bloody thing, which I really don’t want to do.

Thanks.

[Kid Blast]

I have also tried using it as an aggregate device in OS X but that didn't work either.

[Sonic Revolutions]

I have the same setup and never use the USB mode, indeed too much latency.
When I run the TR-8 thu midi and back into my Ultralite the only thing I had to adjust is midi clock out delay compensation to -60ms to sync it nicely.
No need for a external device rack, just audio tracks for the TR8's outputs...
See i that helps for you.

[Kid Blast]

Thanks very much for that.

Quick question though - how do you adjust the midi clock out compensation? Never come across it before, so I don't know where to start.

[pepe castillio]

the problem is , Abletons midi clock sync is an afterthought to its audio abilities, therefore midi sync is not a priority. second, USB midi by default is very jittery , never consistent as many other interrupt processes reside on usb busses..so 2 major humps independently screwing timing...yet there are 2 options as fixes : get a specialized sync box that locks to an audio output and provides sample accurate midi clock or use important rhythm defining elements such as kick and claps within daw(maschine in your case) and have percussion and hats play from tr-8 as its more accepted to swing and be lose.

[Kid Blast]

Thing is I've got the TR-8 midi'd up through the MOTU Ultralite, so you think it would be solid. Just need to figure out how to adjust the midi clock out compensation, as I've never done it before and have no idea where it would be.

[pepe castillio]

Thing is I've got the TR-8 midi'd up through the MOTU Ultralite, so you think it would be solid. Just need to figure out how to adjust the midi clock out compensation, as I've never done it before and have no idea where it would be.

in preferences go into midi sync tab, theres a delay setting under Tr-8 midi output bar. initiate Abeltons metronome and preferably a metronome of the tr-8 and adjust that delay setting until they sound as one .

[Kid Blast]

You know that only went and BLOODY WORKED!!!

Thanks very much!

[Sonic Revolutions]

Good to hear!

[colulizard]

You know that only went and BLOODY WORKED!!!

Thanks very much!

You know what... I have seen the same thing with my TB-3. I'm now going to give this a whirl on that. Hopefully that'll work as well

[Stromkraft]

Novation Bass Station, Korg Electribe, Analog 4 and Miniogue timing is alright in the session rig I'm sitting with now. 2 TR-8s are about 80ms late and worst of all the first beat of a recording is off even when compensated in one of them. It would seem Roland decided to mimic also the some issues of their older machines ( though I certainly don't remember this issue from older machines).

Finally got lucky with different settings of MIDI Clock Sync Delay depending on audio over USB or via the outputs. -30 to -80ms solved it. 2 machines had different needs. USB directly connected.