2020.3 MIDI input not triggering instruments

[swethington]

Hoping someone can give me some troubleshooting tips for this new MIDI problem I've been having the last few days.

I'm running Pro Tools 2020.3 on macOS Catalina (10.15.4), and currently using an Arturia Keystep for MIDI input. I started working on a song last week and had no problem recording a track using Kontakt on an instrument track. When I reopened the session yesterday to add another instrument track I'm suddenly not getting MIDI input *to the track.* (not to the original Kontakt track or the new one I'd created). Pro Tools is showing MIDI input in the display (near the main counter in the edit window, it shows when I'm inputing a chord for example) but no MIDI seems to be making it to the instrument. Here's what I've tried so far....

-confirmed MIDI is being transmitted from the Keystep by opening Audio MIDI Setup and using the Test MIDI function. Works fine.
-Created a session in Logic with an instrument track and everything works as expected, so the problem seems to be isolated to Pro Tools.
-Created a new Pro Tools session with just a single instrument track with one instance of Kontakt, confirmed that the instrument loaded in Kontakt was set to omni mode, confirmed that the instrument track in Pro Tools was set to have input from all devices (the Keystep shows up there) and output to Kontakt. If I click on the 'keyboard' in Kontakt I get audio but still no response from MIDI input.
-Tried using other instruments (built in Avid stuff like the piano, the B-3 thing, etc), no luck there.
-Tried the old school way of using instruments by creating a MIDI track and an Aux input, with MIDI routed to go from the Keystep to the instrument inserted on the Aux, no luck there either.
-Double checked the MIDI Input Filter setting in Pro Tools, all looks fine there. Also checked the MIDI preferences and there's nothing there that seems like it would be causing this, at least not as far as I can tell.
-I recently got an Avid S1 and although that isn't connected now (and I don't believe it was when I started working on this song a week ago) I also tried quitting the Eucon app on my Mac in case it was creating some sort of communication issue but that didn't make a difference.

Does anyone have any tips on additional troubleshooting measures I could take?
thanks!

[peterle]

did you checked "midi through" (options tab) ?

[swethington]

Well that did the trick! Is that turned on by default as far as you know? If so I'm not sure how it would've been turned off (maybe I accidentally hit some combinations of keys on my computer keyboard that triggered a key command or something, who knows?). THANK YOU!

[mimic2402]

This saved my life today. MIDI THRU took me 24 hours to solve. Thank you so much.

[epik]

Three years later but I am having the same problem on Pro Tools 2022.10 and Midi Thru is already enabled. Does anybody have any other ideas?

Thank you in advance and if I figure it out myself I will share!

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by epik

Three years later but I am having the same problem on Pro Tools 2022.10 and Midi Thru is already enabled. Does anybody have any other ideas?

Thank you in advance and if I figure it out myself I will share!

Install a MIDI monitor app like Snoize MIDI monitor and see if it is seeing MIDI from your keyboard.

Most MIDI VI problems are caused by user mistakes… like not record arming VI tracks, not selecting MIDI Thru, not having the correct MIDI channel or “all” selected. Enable the “Instrument” panel in the Edit or Mix window views and see if there is data arriving to the VI (meter in the instrument panel moves). This panel should always be used when working with VIs, it is bad design in Pro Tools that it is not automatically made visible. See if you can play the VI using the soft keyboard at Windows>MIDI Keyboard, not a keyboard in the VI itself. Repeat all tests with Mini Grand VI. Trash Prefs.

There is a bug in Pro Tools where the VI can lose MIDI input, if everything else seems OK, try removing/reinserting the Vi and/or reassigning the MIDI input channels and/or and/or restarting Pro Tools.

[epik]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Most MIDI VI problems are caused by user mistakes… like not record arming VI tracks, not selecting MIDI Thru, not having the correct MIDI channel or “all” selected. Enable the “Instrument” panel in the Edit or Mix window views and see if there is data arriving to the VI (meter in the instrument panel moves). This panel should always be used when working with VIs, it is bad design in Pro Tools that it is not automatically made visible. See if you can play the VI using the soft keyboard at Windows>MIDI Keyboard, not a keyboard in the VI itself. Repeat all tests with Mini Grand VI. Trash Prefs.

Thank you! Yes I am assuming that it is a user (me) mistake, but I do have my track record armed, an active Inputs it goes to and when I click on the keyboard on the Mini Grand, the sound comes through.
Pro Tools can see my MIDI keyboard, as it shows me which chords I am playing. MIDI Thru is enabled.

There is no data arriving to the VI, neither with the MIDI keyboard nor with the soft keyboard. Trashing the Preferences didn't change it.

My current workaround is to use Kontakt outside of Pro Tools and record it via Audio Bridge, but if someone knows which setting I might have wrong, I am be very glad about input!

[Darryl Ramm]

OK but there was a bit more to my suggestions.

What exactly do you see in the Instruments pane? Do you see MIDI events making the instruments pane meter move?

What are the Instrument pane "IO selectors" set to? Input is All? And output is correctly to the VI? As I suggested: Try setting them all different and back again. Try removing and reinserting the VI. Try restating Pro Tools. Also try adding a new instumenrts track and see if that works. Post a screenshot of your instrument track mix window view. Like mine attached.

By "Shows me what chords are playing" what exactly do you mean? You mean you get MIDI notes recorded on the instrument track as you play the keyboard?

[epik]

By MIDI events, do you mean with my external MIDI keyboard?

I posted my question quite late yesterday, I had already tried different instruments, tried putting the instrument in and output differently, I am certain that there is something I'm overlooking but I can't figure out what it is.

I attached a screenshot of where I see that Pro Tools sees my MIDI input. I used to have the same problem but then it was because I didn't have MIDI Thru selected. This time I have but there is still nothing going to the instrument track.

The other screenshot I attached is of the instrument track mix windows view.
(Yes, I have the input set to all and the out to the instrument, and when I watch it in the Edit Window I don't see anything moving when I press the keyboard)

[epik]

By MIDI events do you mean me trying to input via MIDI keyboard? If yes, there is nothing going into the track via that.
However, if I draw the MIDI in, I can hear something (and see that there is something going trough my tracks).

The Instrument track Input is All and output is to the instrument, I tried different versions of this and also tried different instruments.
I'm attaching you a screenshot of my instrument track mix window view.

The other screenshot shows that Pro Tools does get my MIDI inputs as it shows correctly, which notes or chords I am playing in the MIDI Input Display.

In the meantime I was trying with different versions of Pro Tools but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the solution either.
I really don't know what I'm missing, but at least I found a way to still work on it.