Analogue-sequencer

Hi Jesper,

> I'm having trouble syncing the P3 with Cubase (version 3).
> When I play from Cubase the P3 is slowly lagging more and more behind.
> 
> The funny thing is, I have a Korg Electribe connected to the 
> P3 midi out 
> port, and it is running in perfect sync with Cubase.
> And the P3 together with the Electribe (without Cubase) is always in 
> perfect sync, no matter who is the slave.
> 
> If I could I would use the P3 as master, but Cubase cannot 
> sync to external 
> midi clock ;(
> 
> Anyway, ideas, solutions, similar problems?

One reason I can think of for that behaviour is that the clock coming from
your PC may be very irregular.
I've heard of this happening with PCs before - the application is sending
midi clock pulses at a regular rate, but by the time they get through the
layers of OS and driver to the midi output, they can end up appearing in
bursts. The average clock rate is correct, but the instantaneous rate varies
widely.
P3 multiplies the incoming clock rate by two to suit its 48 ppqn resolution.
It should handle fairly wide swings in tempo, but it's possible it may miss
the odd sync pulse in an extreme case. It always passes the midi clock bytes
as they arrive, which could explain the Electribe working OK.
To test this theory, I'd really need to see the clock output from your
Cubase captured on Midi-Ox on another PC.
Is Cubase sending any note data over the same midi bus at the same time ?
Does that make a difference ?
Have you always had this problem ?

Cheers,
Colin f

I'm having trouble syncing the P3 with Cubase (version 3).
When I play from Cubase the P3 is slowly lagging more and more behind.

The funny thing is, I have a Korg Electribe connected to the P3 midi out 
port, and it is running in perfect sync with Cubase.
And the P3 together with the Electribe (without Cubase) is always in 
perfect sync, no matter who is the slave.

If I could I would use the P3 as master, but Cubase cannot sync to external 
midi clock ;(

Anyway, ideas, solutions, similar problems?

Best,
Jesper.

> > I'm having trouble syncing the P3 with Cubase (version 3).

> One reason I can think of for that behaviour is that the clock 
> coming from your PC may be very irregular.

i think that's a cubase thing. if i'm not mistaken it has a 
notoriously irregular clock output. i always have to do quite a bit 
of quantizing to the stuff i record to cubase from the p3's. 
btw cubase does sync to external clock. that's how i record the midi-
output from my p3's. the p3's clock is a lot more stable than 
cubase's..

grtz, Chiel

Hi Chiel,

>i think that's a cubase thing. if i'm not mistaken it has a
>notoriously irregular clock output. i always have to do quite a bit
>of quantizing to the stuff i record to cubase from the p3's.
>btw cubase does sync to external clock. that's how i record the midi-
>output from my p3's. the p3's clock is a lot more stable than
>cubase's..

How do you set that up in Cubase? And what midi-interface do you use?

Thanks,
Jesper.

> I have done some more testing using my Access Virus. You can 
> set the Virus 
> to flash its LFO led everytime a midi clock isn't on time.

Nifty feature...

> Assuming the Virus midi clock test is working fine I get the 
> following.
> Running P3 directly into the Virus produces no flashes, 
> except when all 
> tracks are running and transmitting data, and even then, it 
> is only a rare 
> flash.
> Sending midi clock using midi-ox's Midi sync transport 
> through my midi 
> device produces no flashes.
> Sending midi clock from Cubase almost turns my room into a disco.

So the rumoured poor sync from Cubase seems to be true...
Did you find any way to sync your version of Cubase externally ?

Cheers,
Colin f

Hi Colin,

>Is Cubase sending any note data over the same midi bus at the same time ?
>Does that make a difference ?
>Have you always had this problem ?

No, I was only sending midi clock.
And I am almost sure I have had them running in sync before, but I am not sure.

I have done some more testing using my Access Virus. You can set the Virus 
to flash its LFO led everytime a midi clock isn't on time.
Assuming the Virus midi clock test is working fine I get the following.
Running P3 directly into the Virus produces no flashes, except when all 
tracks are running and transmitting data, and even then, it is only a rare 
flash.
Sending midi clock using midi-ox's Midi sync transport through my midi 
device produces no flashes.
Sending midi clock from Cubase almost turns my room into a disco.

Jesper.

Colin f (03:27 PM 11/24/2004) wrote:

>So the rumoured poor sync from Cubase seems to be true...
>Did you find any way to sync your version of Cubase externally ?

Just to confirm, you guys are talking about Cubase v3 on Windows, right?

Anyone have any thoughts on Cubase VST v5?


I love Cubase... and I'm just about to go back to it on Mac after too long 
of an absence.


Mark

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 15:38:49 -0800, Mark Pulver <mark@midiwall.com>
wrote:

>Anyone have any thoughts on Cubase VST v5?

It's not rock-solid here in terms of timing. Oddly it used to be but
that's PCs for you (and one reason of several I stopped using them).
This may be cos I'm using the last Beta ever and not the production
version, I no longer know or care.
My most stable MIDI output is now from my RME Hammerfall card and not
my MIDEX8. Yet the MIDEX8 is, apart from a sluggish thru, supposedly
the most stable output timing available (its LTB protocol was
developed by Access) with Cubase. I have VST 5.2 as I didn't want to
learn Nuendo (i.e. SX). 

Mac may be better (and even if not, Mac users will swear it is <g>).

Anyway, sod all that stuff, life's too short, I thought. I now get
musicians round, we play, we record direct to DAT and leave the
computer for mastering. Result: work is faster, better and more
enjoyable. Full circle back to the old days... 8-)

Paul

---
Paul Nagle - SoftRoom Music - www.softroom.co.uk
          Bogus Focus Records - www.BogusFocus.com

The P3 sync's wonderfully with Cubase on the Atari... and the other way
around was true as well. But that's the Atari for you. Marvellous little
thing.

The P3 as master also drives Reason very well on my PC too. And that's
also a marvellous thing too. :-)

Tony

> >btw cubase does sync to external clock. that's how i record the 
> >midi-output from my p3's. the p3's clock is a lot more stable than
> >cubase's..
> 
> How do you set that up in Cubase? And what midi-interface do you 
> use?

i use the midi-interface on my sound card, a terratec ewx24/96, a 
simple 1-in/1-out thing. i run the input through midiOX before i 
record it as that somehow seems to make the input more acceptable t 
cubase...in my pc-system, which is starting to act dodgy.
i've been using cubase vst5 for a few years now and to be honest i 
can't really recall how i synced-up in 3. in vst5 i just select the 
tempo clock from the input in the synchronization menu, under options.

hope it helps..

grtz Chiel

>So the rumoured poor sync from Cubase seems to be true...

Well, on my computer at least.

>Did you find any way to sync your version of Cubase externally ?

Yes I did find a way, but not a very good way.
If I set up Cubase to sync to Midi Time Code, I can use the Midi Sync 
Transport and the MTC transport in Midi-OX to control both Midi Time Code 
and Midi Clock. But this means I have to start the sequencers from Midi-OX, 
and I find it hard to work that way.

Anyway, still looking and considering reinstalling Windows to see if that 
helps,
Jesper.