Sync MIDI drum machine to run as slave

[milescoolin71]

Hello all.

I am trying to run my Alesis HR-16 MIDI capable drum machine as a slave to Pro Tools 11. I have connected the MIDI cables to the appropriate ports on the drum machine and have configured it to send and receive MIDI signals. The MIDI cables are connected to my Mbox Pro through the breakout cable MIDI ports.

In Pro Tools MIDI beat clock my device does not show so I select Mbox Pro, External. The other two options are Addictive Drums 2.1 and Mbox Pro, Control.

I created a Instrument track and inserted Addictive Drums 2.1. I am not able to select an input. I am not sure if that matters.

I am able to assign Addictive Drums samples to the pads on my drum machine. When I record enable the track and start recording my drum machine actually starts playing and recording to the track. However, the beat does not completely line up. The beat runs correctly for the most part but every once in a while a drum sample is not placed correctly.

It does not seem to be a lag problem as the beats following an incorrectly placed beat continue to line up correctly until the next "mistake".

I have tried tinkering with the metronome but to no avail. I also made sure the quantizing on the drum machine and Pro Tools are the same.

Is there a way to get the beat and grid to line up perfectly?

I really appreciate any help here.

Thanks

Mike

[cwsand]

Originally Posted by milescoolin71

Hello all.

I am trying to run my Alesis HR-16 MIDI capable drum machine as a slave to Pro Tools 11. I have connected the MIDI cables to the appropriate ports on the drum machine and have configured it to send and receive MIDI signals. The MIDI cables are connected to my Mbox Pro through the breakout cable MIDI ports.

In Pro Tools MIDI beat clock my device does not show so I select Mbox Pro, External. The other two options are Addictive Drums 2.1 and Mbox Pro, Control.

I created a Instrument track and inserted Addictive Drums 2.1. I am not able to select an input. I am not sure if that matters.

I am able to assign Addictive Drums samples to the pads on my drum machine. When I record enable the track and start recording my drum machine actually starts playing and recording to the track. However, the beat does not completely line up. The beat runs correctly for the most part but every once in a while a drum sample is not placed correctly.

It does not seem to be a lag problem as the beats following an incorrectly placed beat continue to line up correctly until the next "mistake".

I have tried tinkering with the metronome but to no avail. I also made sure the quantizing on the drum machine and Pro Tools are the same.

Is there a way to get the beat and grid to line up perfectly?

I really appreciate any help here.

Thanks

Mike

Hi, I'm not clear on exactly what you're trying to do - what is the end result you're going for? Are you recording MIDI in Pro Tools or on your drum machine? Are you using MTC (MIDI Time Code) and if so, what is generating it?

[milescoolin71]

Hello Chris. Thanks for your reply.

My drum machine has its own memory and controls functions. So I can program a whole song in the drum machine. I build a tune in the drum machine and then want to transfer it to Pro Tools.

It is connected to my Mbox Pro via midi cables. I create an instrument track and activate record enable on the track. I can then push the pads on the drum machine and see them active in the track.

I use midi beat clock in Pro Tools and select Mbox Pro, External (my drum machine is not an option to select). When I hit record in the transport window it controls the drum machine and starts recording my preprogrammed tune from the drum machine. That is great.

The problem is that it is not being recorded 100% correctly. Most beats line up to the grid but every so often a beat is recorded late. It will then track and record the beat correctly for some time until the next misalignment.

I should mention that I have an insert in the instrument track. That insert is Addictive Drums 2. I am using the drum sounds from that program and am assigning them to the pads on the drum machine.

I have matched the grid quantization to the drum machine but it seems not to matter.

Any ideas? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

[milescoolin71]

I forget to mention that I am not familiar with MTC.

[milescoolin71]

Any help here? Anyone?

[milescoolin71]

Originally Posted by milescoolin71

Hello Chris. Thanks for your reply.

My drum machine has its own memory and controls functions. So I can program a whole song in the drum machine. I build a tune (drums only obviously) in the drum machine and then want to transfer it to Pro Tools.

It is connected to my Mbox Pro via midi cables. I create an instrument track and activate record enable on the track. I can then push the pads on the drum machine and see them active in the track.

I use midi beat clock in Pro Tools and select Mbox Pro, External (my drum machine is not an option to select). When I hit record in the transport window it controls the drum machine and starts recording my preprogrammed tune from the drum machine. That is great.

The problem is that it is not being recorded 100% correctly. Most beats line up to the grid but every so often a beat is recorded late. It will then track and record the beat correctly for some time until the next misalignment.

I should mention that I have an insert in the instrument track. That insert is Addictive Drums 2. I am using the drum sounds from that program and am assigning them to the pads on the drum machine.

I have matched the grid quantization to the drum machine but it seems not to matter.

Any ideas? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

Hello Chris. Thanks for your reply.

My drum machine has its own memory and controls functions. So I can program a whole song in the drum machine. I build a tune in the drum machine and then want to transfer it to Pro Tools.

It is connected to my Mbox Pro via midi cables. I create an instrument track and activate record enable on the track. I can then push the pads on the drum machine and see them active in the track.

I use midi beat clock in Pro Tools and select Mbox Pro, External (my drum machine is not an option to select). When I hit record in the transport window it controls the drum machine and starts recording my preprogrammed tune from the drum machine. That is great.

The problem is that it is not being recorded 100% correctly. Most beats line up to the grid but every so often a beat is recorded late. It will then track and record the beat correctly for some time until the next misalignment.

I should mention that I have an insert in the instrument track. That insert is Addictive Drums 2. I am using the drum sounds from that program and am assigning them to the pads on the drum machine.

I have matched the grid quantization to the drum machine but it seems not to matter.

Any ideas? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

[cwsand]

I'm not sure why that's happening, sounds like some kind of MIDI communication problem between Pro Tools, your interface and drum machine where the info for those late notes is getting delayed for some reason. While it would be great to figure out the problem, it could be counterproductive to spend loads of time while getting nowhere. Couldn't you quantize the MIDI data afterwards in Pro Tools? I haven't set up Pro Tools to work the way you have, but I do use a MIDI keyboard controller and eDrums and spend time quantizing and editing each performance to make it work, which involves listening to the entire performance afterwards to make sure it's right.

[milescoolin71]

Originally Posted by cwsand

I'm not sure why that's happening, sounds like some kind of MIDI communication problem between Pro Tools, your interface and drum machine where the info for those late notes is getting delayed for some reason. While it would be great to figure out the problem, it could be counterproductive to spend loads of time while getting nowhere. Couldn't you quantize the MIDI data afterwards in Pro Tools? I haven't set up Pro Tools to work the way you have, but I do use a MIDI keyboard controller and eDrums and spend time quantizing and editing each performance to make it work, which involves listening to the entire performance afterwards to make sure it's right.

Thanks Chris.

I have no idea why it's not working either. I suppose I could go back in and line up the midi data manually. I was just hoping not to have to do that. The drum machine is such a great tool for manipulating and creating. I am wondering if the age of the drum machine has something to do with it. I believe it was designed in the late 80's. Thanks for your input. Hopefully I will come back with some information regarding a solution. Thanks again.

[djmichaelwenz]

I would imagine send midi clock OUT of PT IN to the drum machine and set the drum machine to slave.

[milescoolin71]

Just an update for anyone having the same issue.

I suspected the issue might have been the MBox Pro 3 interpreting the incoming MIDI signal. For example I thought it could be a bad breakout cable or the MBox drivers/software....etc. fyi, I tested the MIDI cables I was using and the drum machine. They both worked fine.

I purchased a M-Audio Uno cable. This cable has MIDI in/out on one end and USB on the other. I connected it, downloaded the driver and BOOM! . It detected it as an input in Pro Tools 11 on an instrument track. It is now recording all the MIDI data accurately from the drum machine.

I hope someone finds this helpful and thanks to anyone that tried to help.