Windows MIDI Issue

[DonaldM]

I'm going to report this here because I think its as much a Windows issue as it is a MIDI issue.



A very strange issue has cropped up over the past month or so. If I'm working on a session, then leave it for a while (ie, leave my studio to go upstairs to grab a sandwich or something), when I come back, PT no longer gets MIDI info from my controller (my Yamaha Motif XS8). This happens about 60% of the time if I leave a session open and walk away for a while, like 30-60 minutes. When I come back, the MIDI is gone. I can no longer play any VI's or record on MIDI tracks, even though not one thing has changed.



But wait there's more: The same thing happens if I close the session and just leave the PC on. Let's say I was working on a session, all MIDI works fine. I stop, close the session, but leave the PC on while I go do something else for a bit. I come back and hour or so later, and reboot PT, and no MIDI, even though I changed nothing!



This is just weird. I have to reboot my PC completely, and then everything works fine.



This issue happens if I boot up my PC, but don't do anything for a while. Then after 30-45 min I boot up PT, and NO midi, even though it was there when I booted up the PC. I know it was, because I can check that using my Motif Editor program. If I boot that and it sees my motif, then I know all the MIDI is working normally.


As I said, this just began about a month or so ago. I have no idea what's changed! Any thoughts? I don't even know where to begin to look.

[albee1952]

There's a good possibility that its Windows Power Management at work. It's one of the standard tweaks to run that feature off on all USB ports(aka USB Root Hub in Device Manager). You may have even done that long ago, but several of the recent Windows 10 updates have re-enabled it here, so its worth a look

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by albee1952

There's a good possibility that its Windows Power Management at work. It's one of the standard tweaks to run that feature off on all USB ports(aka USB Root Hub in Device Manager). You may have even done that long ago, but several of the recent Windows 10 updates have re-enabled it here, so its worth a look

Thanks, I'll take a look at that. Geesh. You spend hours making sure everything in your system is idealized for audio production and Pro Tools, and one update from Windows and all your tweaking...whoosh! Gone! Its ridiculous.

[DonaldM]

Well, that's not it. All my USB hubs how the power mgt off as they should be. And the problem happened again! I left my PC on, but PT closed for about 45 minutes while I ate lunch. Come back...no MIDI..AGAIN!



My MIDI connection is not USB, but Firewire. I don't see any power mgt option for the firewire connection though in Windows Device Manager.



As I said, this is a new one. Never had this problem before.

[albee1952]

Hmmm, out of curiosity, I checked mine and SOME of my USB3 ports had power management back on You say your midi connection is firewire....is that directly from the Motif? I used a Motif es8(2 generations older than yours) and always used midi cables thru either a DIGI003 or a MOTU Fastlane USB(2x2). Both connections were always rock-solid. I know its easy for me to spend YOUR money but maybe its time to try a different connection?

If you decide to try another connection, I can highly recommend the MOTU box and can highly NOT recommend the iConnect boxes

It may also be worth checking for updates for the firewire controller(inside Device Manager)

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Hmmm, out of curiosity, I checked mine and SOME of my USB3 ports had power management back on You say your midi connection is firewire....is that directly from the Motif? I used a Motif es8(2 generations older than yours) and always used midi cables thru either a DIGI003 or a MOTU Fastlane USB(2x2). Both connections were always rock-solid. I know its easy for me to spend YOUR money but maybe its time to try a different connection?

If you decide to try another connection, I can highly recommend the MOTU box and can highly NOT recommend the iConnect boxes

It may also be worth checking for updates for the firewire controller(inside Device Manager)

My FW controller is right up to date. So that's not it. Yes, its direct from the back of the Motif XS to the PC. Its been my set up since day one and I've no issues with this set up. My guess is that something in the last Win-10 update changed something, but I just can't see what that might be. Everything appears to be configured correctly.



What's more baffling is that when I first boot up the PC and open PT, everything works just fine, as per usual. Its only when I stop and just let things sit there for a bit, unused, that something causes it to drop off. Its not just the MIDI connection to PT I lose. I lose it altogether. I checked that by closing PT, and then opening my Motif XS Editor. No MIDI there either. Which tells me that whatever is shutting off, is doing so at the Windows level, and not just in PT. So, I reboot the PC, and we're back in business. Also, if I boot up the PC, and then don't do anything for a while, including NOT opening PT, then come back to start working on something. MIDI is gone. For example, I booted up this morning first thing. I checked the MIDI connection using the MOtif editor, all fine. Then, had to take a call, and that led to other distractions, so it was an hour or so before I got back and opened PT. And....NO MIDI. So, even without me doing a damn thing, it disappears if the PC is idle for a bit.



Its a head scratcher! Also annoying as hell!

[albee1952]

For sure! In any case, assuming the FW port is built onto the motherboard, maybe a new FW card in an open slot could be another solution

[EGS]

Try a new FW cord? Spray good quality electrical contact cleaner onto all connections & ports? Roll-back to an earlier boot drive image?

[DonaldM]

Has to be some way to test all this before I start randomly replacing stuff? I know that Firewire cable is high end, so I seriously doubt that's suddenly become the issue.

[DonaldM]

This is turning into a case worthy of Sherlock Holmes. My MIDI signal from my MIDI controller, a Yamaha Motif XS8 connected via Firewire, continues to randomly disappear for no apparent reason. Internal MIDI, say playing a VI from a MIDI track inside Pro Tools, isn't affected at all. It appears to be the Firewire MIDI.


When I first turn on the PC, all MIDI is fine.

If I leave the PC idle for a while, and come back, the MIDI connection seems to have disappeared and the only way to get it back is to reboot the PC.


I've triple checked that I have installed the latest FW driver, including uninstalling and reinstalling it.

Checked all cable connections
Made sure all PC sleep/hibernate modes were off (Win-10)


It is not necessarily Pro Tools related as the problem will occur whether or not I'm using Pro Tools.



A new twist popped up last night. All the MIDI was working fine. I created a MIDI track in Pro Tools and then wanted that track to play a patch on the Motif which I recorded onto a PT audio track. No problem. All worked per normal. Then, I spent about 1/2 hour doing some mixing/arranging with the session which didn't involve me using the MIDI controller at all. Then I wanted to use the controller to play a new part on a PT instrument track and the MIDI was gone again. Just, poof...gone! Can't use controller to play a VI and there's no MIDI out from PT to the controller either.



I'm at a complete loss here as to what to check, look for, try or anything else. Suggestions? Ideas? Should I call a priest?