External Sync timing fluctuates

[ops74]

Hello, please help!

We want to use two laptops to play over 1 master clock but somehow the timing fluctuates as if one setup is trying to catch up with the other. We can't seem to get the external sync to stay consistent making it impossible to play together

We are using Live 7.0.1 on 2 Intel Macbooks with OSX Leopard 10.5.1
The laptops are synced through a session using the MIDI Network Setup from Leopard. They are connected by ethernet cable, but we also tested this with Airport. The configuration seems to be fine because the slave laptop plays, stops and reacts to tempo changes when triggerd by the master laptop.

However, there is a delay on the master or slave laptop which causes the tempo to go out of sync. It sometimes goes back into sync but randomly jumps out again, it's very inconsistent. I also noticed on the slave laptop that the BPM would automatically jump by +/- 1 BPM for a few milliseconds as if it's trying to catch up with the master clock.

When we were using OSX Tiger the external sync was very stable and we never had this issue but since we upgraded to Leopard the problem started. It there a solution to this? Many thanks for your help!

[verstaerker]

i have something similar going on here on WinXP

i have a machinedrum synced to Live - with version 6 it was fluctuating usually +/- 0.5bpm - i could live with that

now with L7 it sometimes goes crazy and fluctuates +/-5 bpm !!! If i restart L7 everything is working fine

Also i wonder what that new setting in the Midi-Clock options MME/Directmusic is
- i only know that from Audio Driver

What is the difference and what is better?

[jamief]

Hello, please help!

We want to use two laptops to play over 1 master clock but somehow the timing fluctuates as if one setup is trying to catch up with the other. We can't seem to get the external sync to stay consistent making it impossible to play together

We are using Live 7.0.1 on 2 Intel Macbooks with OSX Leopard 10.5.1
The laptops are synced through a session using the MIDI Network Setup from Leopard. They are connected by ethernet cable, but we also tested this with Airport. The configuration seems to be fine because the slave laptop plays, stops and reacts to tempo changes when triggerd by the master laptop.

However, there is a delay on the master or slave laptop which causes the tempo to go out of sync. It sometimes goes back into sync but randomly jumps out again, it's very inconsistent. I also noticed on the slave laptop that the BPM would automatically jump by +/- 1 BPM for a few milliseconds as if it's trying to catch up with the master clock.

When we were using OSX Tiger the external sync was very stable and we never had this issue but since we upgraded to Leopard the problem started. It there a solution to this? Many thanks for your help!

ive has had this issue since way back vesion 2 or 3 cant remeber. Its never been comfortablefrom my expereince is syncing with ext midi either as mater or slave.

But my atari could be leftfor 4 hours running a 909 and 303 and a sampler unit with clock and it would sit tight

[Timur]

Also i wonder what that new setting in the Midi-Clock options MME/Directmusic is
- i only know that from Audio Driver

What is the difference and what is better?

Look here, fourth post:

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=78881

[verstaerker]

Also i wonder what that new setting in the Midi-Clock options MME/Directmusic is
- i only know that from Audio Driver

What is the difference and what is better?

Look here, fourth post:

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=78881

thx! that explains why i'm running with MME much better than direct music

so if my midi interface would support direct music i'd get better performance (less jitter)

maybe i'll try with my sound cards interface

[verstaerker]

double post

[Timur]

Onboard MPU-401 usually also comes with native DirectMusic drivers. Make sure to set the IRQ to 10 in Bios, it has higher priority than IRQ 5 and Windows does not change it afterwards. My Audiophile 24/96 Midi interface is less reliable (produces errors in a loopback test) than the onboard one, but comes with native DirectMusic drivers, too. All USB Midi devices seem to come with MME drivers only (including the standard Microsoft "USB Audio" drivers), I have got three of those and all use MME.