Problem : Live 6 Sync Hardware

[Amaury]

Hi Amaury, thanks for the quick reply..

1:

i have just gone to the machine today and it seems ok
sorry, i dont know why, but i tried it last night at it was not synced... but if i have any more problems in this area i will let you know

2:

They do sync but Reaktor falls behind. When I use a patch with an internal sequencer, and i begin to adjust the latency in Live to compensate for my hardware, reaktor becomes slightly delayed. when i solo reaktor and turn on the metronome, this indicates the same result.

I would like to note that this only begins to happens when im am above 50 - 60 % CPU usage, (using about 7 or 8 audio/midi tracks).


edit: forgot to mention im using an ESP 1010 soundcard, with buffer settings at 512 samples

Hi,

So for 1. you don't have any sync problems? Live stays in sync with your external gear? Do you run sequencers? What machines exactly?

for 2., I think it relates to our plugin department, I'll send them a mail now, let's see if they can get the same result.

Regards,
Amaury

[Steveo]

Hi

Im using Live 6 - but I am doing beats on my MPC2000XL - having the MPC as Master and Live as the slave, but using the drum sounds from Reason fed into Live through Rewire.

But I just cant seem to get Live in time with the MPC - always seems slightly out no matter what I do.

Am I suffering from the external gear MIDI problem spoken about here

OR

the Reason Rewire delay problem discussed in the main forum...

OR

a mixture of both?


Its becoming painful - spending ages trying to get everything in time.


Im using a MIDISPORT 4x4



Any ideas?


Cheers

S.

[Amaury]

Hi

Im using Live 6 - but I am doing beats on my MPC2000XL - having the MPC as Master and Live as the slave, but using the drum sounds from Reason fed into Live through Rewire.

But I just cant seem to get Live in time with the MPC - always seems slightly out no matter what I do.

Am I suffering from the external gear MIDI problem spoken about here

OR

the Reason Rewire delay problem discussed in the main forum...

OR

a mixture of both?


Its becoming painful - spending ages trying to get everything in time.


Im using a MIDISPORT 4x4



Any ideas?


Cheers

S.

Hi,

In your case, I would start trouble shooting with only the MPC and Live. See if you have a constant delay between the two, in which case you can adjust the 'MIDI clock delay' in the Sync input section of the MIDI Preferences.

Try it with the MPC playing its ownsamples using its own sequencer, and with Live playing its own beats and its own sequencer. No Rewire.

Also, what computer are you using?

Kind regards,
Amaury

[Steveo]

Hi

Im using Live 6 - but I am doing beats on my MPC2000XL - having the MPC as Master and Live as the slave, but using the drum sounds from Reason fed into Live through Rewire.

But I just cant seem to get Live in time with the MPC - always seems slightly out no matter what I do.

Am I suffering from the external gear MIDI problem spoken about here

OR

the Reason Rewire delay problem discussed in the main forum...

OR

a mixture of both?


Its becoming painful - spending ages trying to get everything in time.


Im using a MIDISPORT 4x4



Any ideas?


Cheers

S.

Hi,

In your case, I would start trouble shooting with only the MPC and Live. See if you have a constant delay between the two, in which case you can adjust the 'MIDI clock delay' in the Sync input section of the MIDI Preferences.

Try it with the MPC playing its ownsamples using its own sequencer, and with Live playing its own beats and its own sequencer. No Rewire.

Also, what computer are you using?

Kind regards,
Amaury

Thanks Amaury

I will give that a shot.

For your info, I am using a brand new HP Pavilion Core Duo Laptop


I just love using all the beats in Reason on my MPC as it saves hours of sampling up!

I really hope these MIDI issues get put to bed soon as Live is an incredible product - I havent touched my Mac and Logic Pro since I put this on my Laptop.



Steveo

[The III Man]

Hi Amaury


I thought I would put the details of my syncing issues to see if you can recommend anything.

I have Live 6 running it on a PC with an Edirol FA 66. I then run an Electribe MX in slave mode. In this case the syncing starts on time and generally stays in time however if I have step sequenced the hihats (as an example) they dont stay exactly in time but have a random swing effect - ie they dont come regularly on every 1/16th.

I discussed the potentila problems with you before getting the Electribe and you suggested that the problem was potentially more of an issue with the soundcard - does anyone eles have these problems with the FA 66 or an Electribe?

thanks

toby

[EddieJ]

I have the problem, but it's not the interface's or the EMX's fault. If the EMX is your only bit of external gear, then I recommend salving Ableton Live to the EMX rather than letting the 'puter generate your clock. If you have more gear that needs clock, see my earlier posted solution about using MIDIOX to transmit clock and Ableton Live to transmit notes. If Ableton Live isn't playing notes and your just trying to sync samples and softsynths to hardware sequencers, make Ableton the last stop in the clock train.

[Amaury]

Hi Amaury


I thought I would put the details of my syncing issues to see if you can recommend anything.

I have Live 6 running it on a PC with an Edirol FA 66. I then run an Electribe MX in slave mode. In this case the syncing starts on time and generally stays in time however if I have step sequenced the hihats (as an example) they dont stay exactly in time but have a random swing effect - ie they dont come regularly on every 1/16th.

I discussed the potentila problems with you before getting the Electribe and you suggested that the problem was potentially more of an issue with the soundcard - does anyone eles have these problems with the FA 66 or an Electribe?

thanks

toby

Hi,

Do you have any chance to try using another card? Via a friend maybe? Something like RME or so, I would be curious about the results.

Regards,
Amaury

[Amaury]

I have the problem, but it's not the interface's or the EMX's fault. If the EMX is your only bit of external gear, then I recommend salving Ableton Live to the EMX rather than letting the 'puter generate your clock. If you have more gear that needs clock, see my earlier posted solution about using MIDIOX to transmit clock and Ableton Live to transmit notes. If Ableton Live isn't playing notes and your just trying to sync samples and softsynths to hardware sequencers, make Ableton the last stop in the clock train.

Hi,

Can I ask you (again?) what is your sound card or MIDI interface, in case it is a separate one?

Not blaming external hardware particularly, but still, it is interesting to know.

Regards,
Amaury

[EddieJ]

I use the M-Audio MIDISport 4x4 as my MIDI interface.
I don't use any audio from my computer, I use Live purely as a MIDI sequencer.

I posted that information when I first posted the MIDIOX solution I'm currently using.

[The III Man]

Amaury - I thought I would update you on the problems I have with the Ableton syncing. (Unfortunately I dont know anyone who has a different sound card who I can compare this with easily).

Using my set up I can program drums in 2 ways

1, use a midi clip to send a drum pattern and just use the electribe as an audio unit
2, Have ableton act as the master midi timing devise and sync the electribe but have the actual patterns entered on the step sequencer on the Electribe.

In both these cases I get the same problem - every odd number beat is fine i.e 1,3,5,7,9 ....15, so for 4x4 beats the kick and snare are okay but I get problems if I try to put anything on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ... etc in a line becuase it isnt perfectly in time.

Hope this helps you narrow down the problems cos Ive got to say it means I cant use my electibre live at the moment which is a real shame.

I will search the forum, but does anyoine have an electribe and ableton 6 and not have this problem? Is it an edirol FA 66 problem?

thanks for your help

toby

[The III Man]

Also eddie j, I have thought about syncing from the electribe and it will probably come to this - i really dont want to have to though becuase it makes life far less flexible in terms of djing with the electribe etc..

cheers

[nicogrubert]

me too, my electribe start a little time afetr live and all my patern are wrong

If this problem does not have a solution I will not buy live and will remain under cubase

Same here so in Live's MIDI Preferences I have set the MIDI clock of the MIDI Out sending the clock to extern to "-20 ms".

Works perfect now...

[taximouse]

I finally had a chance to install the 6.0.5 update and it solved the problem of Live crashing when opening files while set to external sync.

thank you very much Ableton team.

p.s. Is there an automatic announcement email for updates? I didn't know about 6.0.5 until I checked in on this forum.

[stjohn]

Hi Amaury, thanks for the quick reply..

1:

i have just gone to the machine today and it seems ok
sorry, i dont know why, but i tried it last night at it was not synced... but if i have any more problems in this area i will let you know

2:

They do sync but Reaktor falls behind. When I use a patch with an internal sequencer, and i begin to adjust the latency in Live to compensate for my hardware, reaktor becomes slightly delayed. when i solo reaktor and turn on the metronome, this indicates the same result.

I would like to note that this only begins to happens when im am above 50 - 60 % CPU usage, (using about 7 or 8 audio/midi tracks).


edit: forgot to mention im using an ESP 1010 soundcard, with buffer settings at 512 samples

Hi,

So for 1. you don't have any sync problems? Live stays in sync with your external gear? Do you run sequencers? What machines exactly?

for 2., I think it relates to our plugin department, I'll send them a mail now, let's see if they can get the same result.

Regards,
Amaury

IM BAAAAACK!!!

the sync problem just started again....

Machinedrum -> MIDI thru to ELectribe ESX1 and Live 605
if i just listen from my soundcard panel (esi esp 1010) everything is sync... only when the audio is routed using live is there a delay between the machindrum signal and electribe!!

I dont understand it at all

possibly something to do with the latency compensation??? but everything is on the same midi signal coming form the MD.

any help is greatly appreciated

[stjohn]

sorry i just realised i am routing it through VST effects.... would that be it?

yes i put a VST EQ and frequency analyser after for fun... and the signal seems to match a bit more...