Midi notes cutting out when triggering plug-ins from Pro Tools/sequencing on MPC

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Hi All,

I've got a problem I have not been able to fix after several attempts. For some reason when playing a melody together with chords some notes cut off.

I've got several virtual instruments installed (like Ivory and kontakt 5) and I'm triggering them from Pro Tools HD 9 while sequencing on the Akai MPC 4000. So i'm basically using Pro Tools as a sound module. I've got the MPC's Midi OUT D connected to a USB Midi interface connected to the computer. I'm using a Yamaha Motif XS 8 to play these sounds. I've got the Motif's Midi IN & OUT connected to the MPC's Midi IN & OUT aswell. Also have Default Thru Instrument in Preferences/Midi turned to None.

When I trigger sounds from the Motif and sequence them on the MPC there is no problem. Also when I record the midi from the MPC into pro tools and then let Ivory play this midi inside Pro Tools there is no problem.

I'm running Pro Tools HD 9.0.3. (which is the version which runs stable with my Apogee Converters and Magma Chasis, higher versions don't recognize my Pro Tools cards inside the Magma for some reason) and MAC OSX 10.6.8

I'm made some sound clips of the problem. Which you can listen to here

Problem Audio - Using Ivory inside Pro Tools while playing midi notes from MPC 4000
http://yourlisten.com/channel/conten...n=il36w6rolslc

Normal audio - Using Motif piano sound while playing midi notes from MPC 4000
http://yourlisten.com/channel/conten...n=dcp9h46ywoao

[iplaydat]

I listened to you clips. I am not certain, but it reminds me of a problem I had once when I had a MIDI loop happening. My exact setup at the time escapes me, but as I recall notes were going through my interface and back out the MIDI out, and somehow they were getting triggered twice. The notes were cutting off, like the note release command was triggering early(or a second time). Have you tried playing back the notes with just the MIDI out from the interface connected to the playback gear? Just a thought.

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Hi Iplaydat

Thank you so much for your reply!

I've tried out what you said. What I did was unplugging every midi cable from my MPC. The only connection I had from my computer with Pro Tools to the MPC was. MPC Midi OUT to computer Midi IN.

Still the same problem. This would eliminate the midi loop solution?

Do you have any other suggestions?

[iplaydat]

Is there a way for you to create some sort of drawing of how everything is connected? It is a bit difficult to image what is going where, and I work better with connection drawings. Even a hand drawn sketch would be ok.

[KMcK]

Just going by listening to your file, it sounds to me more like a problem with sustain pedal control data, like either it's not there (can the MPC send/receive sustain controller data?), or it's getting a "sustain off" message when it shouldn't be.

Then again, you could have zero sustain control data present and I'm way off base. Without seeing the actual MIDI data it's just a guess.

[Refresh]

Originally Posted by iplaydat

Is there a way for you to create some sort of drawing of how everything is connected? It is a bit difficult to image what is going where, and I work better with connection drawings. Even a hand drawn sketch would be ok.

Pretty much you can say this:

Akai MPC 4000 MIDI OUT > Pro Tools Midi IN (through a USB to To midi cable) > Instrument inside Pro Tools like Ivory or Kontakt 5.

The problem is still there without anything else connected so I think we can just simplify it like this?

[Refresh]

Originally Posted by KMcK

Just going by listening to your file, it sounds to me more like a problem with sustain pedal control data, like either it's not there (can the MPC send/receive sustain controller data?), or it's getting a "sustain off" message when it shouldn't be.

Then again, you could have zero sustain control data present and I'm way off base. Without seeing the actual MIDI data it's just a guess.

Yeah that was my first guess as well. But I deleted every data besides the notes it sellf (so I erased all the sustain information) and the problem is still there.

Thank you so much for your responses! hopefully we can fix this together

[iplaydat]

Can you supply two project files with the same tune - one that works and the one that does not? We could try both files on our MIDI gear and see what we get.