VI Master Volume Level Moves By Itself Randomly (CC7 Issue?)

[Spoil the Child]

Hi, Everyone

I had been searching the web for solutions to my problem but always come back empty-handed. I found some posts which do air the same issue, but the solutions weren't quite applicable to me. So, I hope I can find some answers here.

Here is my issue (on Pro Tools 10.0, iMac 10.7.3):

When recording with any VI on an instrument track, the VI's master volume (on the plugin interface itself, not the PT track) keeps moving randomly, all by itself, resulting in the VI volume moving about. This happened to all my VIs suddenly, just yesterday.

This is the first time it happened in all the 6 years I've been on PT 10.0. I've had no PT or other VI software upgrade or anything since then. And this random volume movement happens:
-even when there's no playback
-even when there's no recording
-even when there are no CC7 messages/data on the event list
-even when there are no automation points on the VI track's MIDI Volume lane (even after I select and clear the MIDI volume lane anyway because I wanted to pay safe)
-even when controller's power is "off"
-even when I've re-inserted by MIDI cables and restarted my iMac
-even when the sustain pedal is not connected
-even when I manually try to set the volume using the VI's PT track MIDI Volume Indicator (which I've never really tampered with)

My hope is that there is a way to get rid of this issue.

It's frustrating when technical issues become the major concern for the day (week) despite a looming deadline within the same week.

I really hope someone can help enlighten me regarding this.


Thank you!
Gino

[musicman691]

Try using just one track with the vi on it and see what happens.

[Spoil the Child]

Originally Posted by musicman691

Try using just one track with the vi on it and see what happens.

Hi, Jack musicman691

Thank you for your reply.

I tried your suggestion and created a new session with a single track containing a single VI. The same issue occurs, sadly.

In the MIDI Events List, sometimes, CC7 data randomly appear from nowhere, never on the same spot. But whether or not CC7 data appear in the MIDI Events List, the master volume on the VI always still moves by itself randomly, out from nowhere, as if someone else is moving the slider.

Would you possibly have other suggestions?

I appreciate your help.

Thank you!

[DetroitT]

" messages/data on the event list"

What do you see when you filter notes?
i.e. Seeing all but notes in the MIDI Event List.

Which specific Instruments? Garrison and others use the Mod wheel for volume dynamics.

How many MIDI controllers? Try just one input controller instead of the default "All"

[Spoil the Child]

Originally Posted by DetroitT

" messages/data on the event list"

What do you see when you filter notes?
i.e. Seeing all but notes in the MIDI Event List.

Which specific Instruments? Garrison and others use the Mod wheel for volume dynamics.

How many MIDI controllers? Try just one input controller instead of the default "All"

Hi, DetroitT

Thanks for your reply.

I have tried different filters in the View Filter (like notes only, volume only, etc.) but most of the time, during the error, only notes appear (no CC7 or anything else). Sometimes, the CC7 data appear in the event list. But, regardless of whether or not the CC7 data appear, the VI volume slider still mysteriously just moves all by itself.

I only have 1 MIDI controller, and I have also already tried using just my Roland controller in the sole MIDI Input Selector (instead of ALL). Still, the problem persists.

In the "Predefined" row in the MIDI Input Selector drop-down, though , aside from my single Roland keyboard controller, there are also two choices for 2 IAC Driver types (I don't remember how, but I did "register" Hypercylic and Xronomorph in the IAC set-up). Could this be a factor?

This issue is driving me crazy. I cannot record without the hitches every 15 seconds.

Hope to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your patience.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Spoil the Child

Hi, Jack musicman691

Thank you for your reply.

I tried your suggestion and created a new session with a single track containing a single VI. The same issue occurs, sadly.

In the MIDI Events List, sometimes, CC7 data randomly appear from nowhere, never on the same spot. But whether or not CC7 data appear in the MIDI Events List, the master volume on the VI always still moves by itself randomly, out from nowhere, as if someone else is moving the slider.

Would you possibly have other suggestions?

I appreciate your help.

Thank you!

I'm taking a leap here and guessing that you have an external MIDI keyboard to play in notes, etc. If so do this: get the MIDI monitor program from snoize here: http://www.snoize.com/
Without PT running bring up this program and see what messages your keyboard is spitting out. When snoize comes up more likely than not if your keyboard is working okay you'll see a whole bunch of messages; those are clock messages. Go to the preferences page IIRC and filter out those message and things should quiet down. Without doing anything to your keyboard you should see nothing. If you do then something's not right. A MIDI cc number will give you what controller is sending out the message and what that message is. As you may know cc7 is volume. If something is randomnly sending that out snoize will tell you.

Here's a link to a web page that has the various MIDI messages: http://web.archive.org/web/200707021...ntrollers.html

[Spoil the Child]

Originally Posted by musicman691

I'm taking a leap here and guessing that you have an external MIDI keyboard to play in notes, etc. If so do this: get the MIDI monitor program from snoize here: http://www.snoize.com/
Without PT running bring up this program and see what messages your keyboard is spitting out. When snoize comes up more likely than not if your keyboard is working okay you'll see a whole bunch of messages; those are clock messages. Go to the preferences page IIRC and filter out those message and things should quiet down. Without doing anything to your keyboard you should see nothing. If you do then something's not right. A MIDI cc number will give you what controller is sending out the message and what that message is. As you may know cc7 is volume. If something is randomnly sending that out snoize will tell you.

Here's a link to a web page that has the various MIDI messages: http://web.archive.org/web/200707021...ntrollers.html

Hi, Jack

Thanks for your suggestions and for your patience.

You are right. I am using a Roland A-33 Keyboard Controller.


I used the MIDI Monitor (thank you for this!) as you had suggested, with PT off and without me playing on my keyboard controller. Here are the results (with photos attached):

> The CLOCK messages do display continuously (Photo 1), but, as you had pointed out, disappear when it is filtered out (Photo 2).

> Another thing that shows up is ACTIVE SENSE. I don't know what that is, but, like CLOCK, it also disappears after it is filtered out. (I did read somewhere just now that Active Sense informs you that midi and/or device/source is online/present?)

> No MIDI CC numbers appear at all.


Given this, what are my possible courses of action?

Thanks for helping me out here. I do hope I'm not at a dead end.

.

[DonaldM]

Have you compared MIDI notes played in off your MIDI controller versus just drawing them in? I'd try unplugging your controller and then just draw in some notes on an instrument track and see if the problem persists. If not, then your controller may be sneaking CC7 messages onto the tracks somehow. If it does persist...then, I have no idea!

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by DonaldM

Have you compared MIDI notes played in off your MIDI controller versus just drawing them in? I'd try unplugging your controller and then just draw in some notes on an instrument track and see if the problem persists. If not, then your controller may be sneaking CC7 messages onto the tracks somehow. If it does persist...then, I have no idea!

Manually entering notes with the keyboard disconnected would be the ticket. This would also back up trying the snoize MIDI monitor utility to see what messages the keyboard is actually sending out.

[Spoil the Child]

Originally Posted by musicman691

I'm taking a leap here and guessing that you have an external MIDI keyboard to play in notes, etc. If so do this: get the MIDI monitor program from snoize here: http://www.snoize.com/
Without PT running bring up this program and see what messages your keyboard is spitting out. When snoize comes up more likely than not if your keyboard is working okay you'll see a whole bunch of messages; those are clock messages. Go to the preferences page IIRC and filter out those message and things should quiet down. Without doing anything to your keyboard you should see nothing. If you do then something's not right. A MIDI cc number will give you what controller is sending out the message and what that message is. As you may know cc7 is volume. If something is randomnly sending that out snoize will tell you.

Here's a link to a web page that has the various MIDI messages: http://web.archive.org/web/200707021...ntrollers.html

Hi, Jack musicman691

Thanks for your reply. Sorry for the late reply as I was in the middle of a deadline rush.

You are right. I am music an external MIDI keyboard controller. I tried Snoize as you had recommended (thank you!). With PT running and with the filtering of the items you had mentioned, there were, indeed, no messages.

As I was in the middle of a project that I had to submit just some days after my post here, I wasn't able to open (yet) an entirely PT new session to test and see if the weird random volume fader movements in the plugin was just confined to that particular session I was in. But I shall try that and shall update this thread with the results.


SORT OF UNRELATED UPDATE:

I'd have to add, though, that, as I had also read somewhere where someone went through the same issue, I also tried "shorting out" (I don't know the exact technical word) the Expression jack slot behind my keyboard with a jack adapter lying around, just in case I had accidentally plugged my Sustain Pedal there when I was cleaning some days prior to my experience (sorry, I failed to mention this earlier). Lo and behold, somehow, the faders stopped randomly moving. I don't know if it also helped that the electricity also got cut off due to the storm here (although I had also done a series of restarts and resets previously but to no avail).

However, I would still have to try opening a fresh PT session and confirm that my issue has indeed been resolved.


Thank you, again, for all your help, Jack. I appreciate your patience.