MIDI hung notes and weirdness

[ahonoe]

Hey gang. I've been experiencing a problem with RC11 .068 where MIDI note-ons from my controller (Linnstrument) are hanging. I'm also getting random chords every once in a while, even when I'm playing monophonically.

I reached out to the manufacturer (Roger Linn) and asked if I might have a defective controller and he suggested that it could be a latency issue with my DAW (hh in this case). I tested the controller with stand-alone soft synths and I don't hear any problems so I'm assuming he's is correct. He suggested increasing the size of my MIDI input buffers on the port. Is this a setting I can adjust in hh and, if so, where would I find the setting?

Thanks.

[nay-seven]

Latency issues can create hang notes but chords, I'm not sure about that
there's no Midi buffer in Usine but have you try to reduce the block size in the setup/audio tab ?
can you reproduce this issue with another midi keyboard ?

Be also careful to not use any usb Hub for this test

[ceasless]

It would be a super-bummer if the Linnstrument would have issues.

And ahanoe, you lucky person! How is the thing? As cool as it seems?

[shawnb]

Hung notes can be a problem with all DAWs in certain circumstances.

The first cause can be too much info on the MIDI bus for the DAW to properly process with allotted resources. Often fixed by increasing the input midi buffer, so the DAW can buffer messages & "catch up". This is a much bigger issue with PCs with slower CPUs or less memory. I'm a little surprised there is no buffer setting in HH, I think HH assumes you won't give it too much to handle.

The second possible source is that HH1 had a bug a while back. With all the changes, a possible reintroduction may have occurred. HH's Midi processing used to get easily overloaded causing hung notes & erratic midi behavior. Workaround for this is to NOT send input to 'Midi to Usine', use MIDI buses instead. I do not see this behavior in HH2, but it's worth a shot to try if you're really stuck.

Things to try:
- Reduce midi input... There are some very high volume messages that sometimes need to be disabled - e.g., midi clock and active sensing. If they are being generated by the controller, turn them off.
- Reduce midi input... Disconnect any other midi input devices for the time being, if you have any
- Don't run ANYTHING on that pc but HH for diagnostic purposes - ESPECIALLY anything audio related. Close all other windows, browsers, music players, etc.
- If the controller is sending midi clock, and you want to use it, make sure the device is configured as the source of the clock in HH
- Another thing to try - In the input midi device patchlet, you'll see a connection from the "from midi device" module to the "midi to usine" module. Disconnect that. Instead send the midi traffic from the "from midi device" to a MIDI bus. Use that MIDI bus in your patches. If this fixes your problem, file a bug report for HH.

[shawnb]

A couple of freebie latency checkers are out there. These will tell you if your system is being overworked, which may cause dropped MIDI traffic (eg dropping a Note OFF results in a hung note). I'm a PC user, these two are for PCs:

DPC Latency checker - quick yes or no:
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

LatencyMon - more depth, helps you ID potential software conflicts that may be causing issues on your system.
http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon

If you see a bunch of red, you need to look closely at what else is running on your system. Or, depending on how old your system is, consider an upgrade.

[ahonoe]

Thanks for the very practical suggestions shawb. I'm looking into the latency of that computer. It's a 3 year old i7 so I'm not thinking it's old hardware related. Most likely inadequate MIDI buffers in hh for the volume of CCs that the Linstrument is outputting - 14 bit pitch + pressure + a cc for X axis and another for Y. The Linnstrument does not exhibit the issue when connected to a single softsynth running in standalone mode. FWIW I'm already using "send to MIDI bus" however your suggestion of routing MIDI into hh via a virtual MIDI port is interesting.

Ceasless, all I can tell you about the Linnstrument at the moment is that it is sturdy and pretty straightforward to use. The 14-bit pitch bend is highly expressive and challenging to control. Overall it is a "real" musical instrument both expressive and capable. Like all instruments it will take time and practise to master.

One gripe I have is with the control surface which is a continuous silicone mat with raised "buttons" over each trigger/controller. While the "buttons" do help to find notes, the friction caused by the silicone and the buttons' profile is unpleasant to my fingers (much like frets on a guitar). It inhibits smooth, continuous performance gestures like glissandi. I wonder if the control surfaces of other current generation controllers like the soundplane show this kind of friction.