Ableton Forum

I Always have problems with midi timing when playing external hardware, it plays random offset, it's CRAZY and unprofessional, i tried with different setups, macbook-ultralite/macbook-firebox.

I will really appreciate help

Have you tried using the external plugin?

What do you mean with external plugin?

thanks

abakua wrote:What do you mean with external plugin?

thanks

It's a new instrument in the library.I've tried and although timing is better it still isn't perfect and the external instrument deosn't seem to make a difference unless i'm not setting it up right.I am using Reason instead which aint a bad substitute.I don't know how much depends on the hardware but i have a good midi interface and my is soundcard is a good one.

If it works will you let me know and what settings you used?

Well, I only have Reason 2.5 but it worked fine in Live 6 and continues to work fine in Live 7...

MAny people have noted improvements using the External Device plugin in Live 7.

well, think you are talking about different things, external audio fx alows you to use external hardware to process audio in live,that it's a cool thing, but not resolve the problem, I play midi clips to external synths and they plays offset, if I resolve the problem with track delay, every time i start live they plays with different offset.....and every externalmiditrack have different offset, I think it's a internal Midi clock problem

abakua wrote:well, think you are talking about different things, external audio fx alows you to use external hardware to process audio in live,that it's a cool thing, but not resolve the problem, I play midi clips to external synths and they plays offset, if I resolve the problem with track delay, every time i start live they plays with different offset.....and every externalmiditrack have different offset, I think it's a internal Midi clock problem

Hi,

How are you monitoring the sound coming out of the synth? I guess it happens through Live, i.e. you use an audio track with monitor set to IN, as to hear the synth? In that case, the new "External Instrument" is your friend: with one device, on one MIDI track, you can send MIDI to the synth, and receive audio from it (from one pair of inputs from your soundcard). And because it happens all in one track, Live can take care of additional latency caused by the hardware.

Regards,
Amaury

Amaury wrote:

abakua wrote:well, think you are talking about different things, external audio fx alows you to use external hardware to process audio in live,that it's a cool thing, but not resolve the problem, I play midi clips to external synths and they plays offset, if I resolve the problem with track delay, every time i start live they plays with different offset.....and every externalmiditrack have different offset, I think it's a internal Midi clock problem

Hi,

How are you monitoring the sound coming out of the synth? I guess it happens through Live, i.e. you use an audio track with monitor set to IN, as to hear the synth? In that case, the new "External Instrument" is your friend: with one device, on one MIDI track, you can send MIDI to the synth, and receive audio from it (from one pair of inputs from your soundcard). And because it happens all in one track, Live can take care of additional latency caused by the hardware.

Regards,
Amaury

I have gotten good timing with the external instrument and tdc,good enough so that i can record parts i've sequenced from my RS7000 into live and quantize.I have left midi sync delay alone in prefs as that would improve timing but it would still be offset and i may connect other hardware in so i leave them at 0.Using external instrument and adjusting tdc is working well, though the higher the midi track the higher the latency which i think has something to do with the RS.

On Windows there is a program called Miditest that lets you check for latency and jitter of your Midi interface via a loopback. Don't know if Mac OS offers this, too.

Timur wrote:On Windows there is a program called Miditest that lets you check for latency and jitter of your Midi interface via a loopback. Don't know if Mac OS offers this, too.

Thanks!Now means i can badger Ableton with my test results

Are you using Mac OS or Windows on your Macbook?

abakua wrote:...I think it's a internal Midi clock problem

Same here, I have 10000 Euros of hardware synths...but my Macbook pro C2D's MIDI CLOCK is so BAD!!!! I don't think it is a Ableton Live problem, it is more about getting a stable midi clock out of a COMPUTER... Maybe I should sell my Mac and Live to buy a MPC500 or something..

A solution will be to synchro Live and Hardware synth from an external Midi Clock.

robopop13 wrote:

abakua wrote:...I think it's a internal Midi clock problem

Same here, I have 10000 Euros of hardware synths...but my Macbook pro C2D's MIDI CLOCK is so BAD!!!! I don't think it is a Ableton Live problem, it is more about getting a stable midi clock out of a COMPUTER... Maybe I should sell my Mac and Live to buy a MPC500 or something..

A solution will be to synchro Live and Hardware synth from an external Midi Clock.

I am happy to report that i now have good timing.

Gear:RS7000 and a emx with Live as master,the RS is connected to my soundcard and the emx is connected to a remote zero.Both stay in sync.No midi sync delay compensation and no external instrument used

So a definite improvement.Nice one Ableton!

abakua wrote:well, think you are talking about different things, external audio fx alows you to use external hardware to process audio in live,that it's a cool thing, but not resolve the problem, I play midi clips to external synths and they plays offset, if I resolve the problem with track delay, every time i start live they plays with different offset.....and every externalmiditrack have different offset, I think it's a internal Midi clock problem

Yes, I encountered the same problem on different machines with different audio/midi interfaces (acer notebook with m-audio fw410; core 2 duo pc with rme hdsp 9632). the external midi hardware delays about 10..15 ms (no constant delay, always jittering!). That's not groovy, that's bullshit
live 6 and also cubase sx 3 worked fine instead! ABLETON, DO SOMETHING!!!

maybe stupid, but don't forget to turn on quantize, the notes will then drop nicely into place....otherwise you're fucked any way...

i know its a basic detail, but i've had it once, so...