EZ Drummer 2 Problems in Pro Tools 11.1.3 (Windows 7)

[DavoBali]

Hi There ,


Ive been having some weird results ....., using the new EZ Drummer2 - Version; 2.0.1 ...., in Pro Tools Version; 11.1.3. (on a Windows 7 PC)



After I have pieced together a song in EZD2's SONG CREATOR from using selected " MIDI BLOCKS "

The New song / Midi file will not play back correctly when the follow host button in EZD2.0.1 is checked ,



What happens Exactly is .....,

When I play back the Midi file (ie; when " following host button" in EZD2.0.1 is selected )


....., is a Fast , crazy, random machine gun fire type beat ...., instead of the smooth playing MIDI BLOCKS that I carefully constructed in the MIDI Window of EZD2.



Note # 1 ..., If I press "PLAY" inside of EZD2 ..., then the song / Midi Blocks will play back correctly as expected - but will then go crazy when I press play in Pro tools ( and follow host is checked) ..., also unchecking "follow host" does no changes either .
Note # 2 ..., My chosen tempo in Pro Tools and EXD2 are showing the same tempo.
Note # 3 ...., All Pro Tools and EZD2 updates have been installed.



In another attempt to use the new Song/ Midi File I created ( ie; in EZD2's "Song creator" )

...., and ...,

Have it play along correctly in time with my Pro Tools and my other recorded tracks ...............................,



- I tried to Export , and Save my Newly created Song / Midi File from EZD2 as a " EXPORTED MIDI FILE" ,
......, and then RE-LOAD that midi file back into a New Stereo Instrument track in Pro Tools ,


..., and this time I Opened up SUPERIOR DRUMMER 2 ( instead of EZD2) to play back the loaded Midi file . ( just to make sure there was no conflicts between EZD2 & SD2 .., and also the made EZD2 inactive on its original instrument track)



- Upon playback of that MIDI FILE ..., I noticed it also was NOT the nice clean Drum Track / Song / Midi blocks that I had built earlier up using the EZD2 "Song Creator feature"

..., but was instead the same "crazy machine gun fast" drums I described at the beginning of this post



I am wondering if anyone else has had this issue in Pro Tools ..., Or knows what might be causing it ???


Cheers


PS; OTHER RELATED NOTES WORTH MENTIONING ;

Along with the exported MIDI file of the song created in EZD2's SONG CREATOR ..., I also exported a WAV file (24bit)


......, This EXPORTED WAV FILE , when re-imported back into a stereo Pro Tools " Audio Track " - Will Playback CORRECTLY .....,

( but the MIDI file does NOT )

[DavoBali]

Problem Recap ......,

......, The main original problem is the midi blocks /song loaded up in EZD2 sequencer will only play back correctly when the PLAY BUTTON is pushed directly within the EZD2 plug-in itself ... ,

but ..., will NOT play back correctly when following the host (ie;pro tools 11.1.3 windows) .., and the PLAY BUTTON in pro tools is pressed ..., ( even though follow host in EZD2 is checked ) ?

- A midi file exported from EZD2 (song creator) will also play back incorrectly upon playback (compared to the original that is loaded up in EZD2's sequencer ...., This Is another problem that is escalating from the original problem (see OP for fine details)


OTHER RELATED NOTES WORTH MENTIONING ;

Along with the exported MIDI file of the song created in EZD2's SONG CREATOR ..., I also exported a WAV file (24bit)


......, This EXPORTED WAV FILE , when re-imported back into a stereo Pro Tools " Audio Track " - Will Playback CORRECTLY .....,

( but the MIDI file does NOT )

[PatriotsBiker]

I've only got a couple of thoughts on this. The VI is too simplistic to have all that much to look at. First, I apologize if I forgot anything as I was not going to read all of that twice. :)

The MIDI misbehaves when you try running it against Superior Drummer, but works just fine inside EZD2's song MIDI creation window. That is interesting. In the spirit of looking at simplest things and some one off thoughts that may not appear to matter......

#1: Does the exported MIDI look a any more active, so to speak, than the MIDI in the bottom pane of EZ2?

#2: Is the track/channel containing the exported MIDI in your PT session muted or active? (Also, Could there be any other MIDI tracks sending MIDI to the EZD2 Inst track?)

#3: Have you tried to make everything else in the Session inactive (not just muted)? (This won't fix anything, but if something changes and sounds normal, a one by one activation of tracks until problem occurs could lead to determine which track(s) contribute to issue.)

#4: Related to #1, did you export your MIDI via click commands within EZD2 or drag and drop from EZD2 to PT? (The more known, the merrier....)

#5: Is the "Preview Original Tempo" light on in the browser or search window?

#6: Is there some sort of automation tempo map thing going on in yout PT Session?

#7: Does the timing signature match? (4/4 or whatever in both?)

#8: This one is really a stab, but the weird problems don't follow rules. Have you been trying out the change tempo feature in the pop-up menu on the top right of the bottom EZD2 MIDI pane? It changes the MIDI, so it definitely should not have any differences between the two. Just trying to think of everything.

[DavoBali]

Cheers for the reply Patriot Biker ...

Today I opened a new test project , and imported the midi file that went bonkers in the old project mentioned in the op .

Results were ;
- It played back fine ..., and all other further testing of EZD2 , like creating a new song in song creator and playback following host were all working fine also .

Im stumped why the previous pro tools session with EZD2 went nuts ??? ...,

But to answer your questions Patriot biker re; the Original pro tools project in (ie; described in the opening post) where EZD2 went haywire.

1; the midi looked like a shorter file (like it was compressed)

2; track was active , and any other tracks containing EZD2 were made inactive ..., I made sure there was no apps doubling up etc

3; No , just muted , and these were a mono guitar track , and a mono vocal track ..., instrument tracks were made inactive

4; i used click commands from within EZD2 to export the midi file , and saved it to my desktop ...., where I later dragged and dropped the midi file from the desktop into a newly created pro tools stereo instrument track

5; preview original tempo light was off ( as should be)

6; no automation tempo maps , just a straight 4/4 78bpm set in pro tools , and confirmed in ezd2

7; timing signatures the same

8; Im not sure , maybe buy the end( after an hour trying to figure whats going on , but definatly not before the problems had already begun .


???????? Im dumbfounded what went wrong ????? ..., but now - in a new project , everything seems to be going fine ..., I just hope it remains like that. .

The only thing I can think of is there have been a huge amount of Hindu ceremonies here in Bali the last few days ...., maybe all the mass praying has scared away all the evil gremlins

again ..., cheers

[PatriotsBiker]

That "compressed" looking file could have been the result of a subsequent tempo changing. However, you mentioned that you exported that MIDI and imported it into an entirely new PT and subsequent EZD session and it worked. Maybe just the timeline scale shrunk to half-measures in the MISI window, or whatever.

That it worked under that condition and not when you opened up an instance of Superior Drummer in the original PT session suggests that it's probably some small, stupid setting in some session-level definition file Toontrack uses. Project or Session specific, in other words.

The EZD2 product is quite the system of algorithms based on settings and base-line MIDI files. While nifty in design, applications like this can get crossed up once in a while. it'd take a develop sitting in front of their source code with a really thorough application log to get to the bottom of more obscure issues. Based on everything you've said, I'd bet that it is both obscure and something to not worry about if it happens again. It could always be something in a PT setting that Toontrack didn't expect to see. Maybe the MIDI drivers. My 11R gets an imaginary friend once in a while and I have to un-check a couple of emulated MIDI drivers in the MIDI settings. (just as an example of flakiness....)

[DavoBali]

Cheers P.Biker

[petergabrielbyrne]

Sounds like you may have had the tempo in your daw session at a very fast tempo?