Strange things happening here…

I’m busy composing a song with Cubase and my Moxf. I use about 16 tracks. One of these I use with the “standard hyper kit” (Moxf). This rhythm track appears to have hiccups. On (almost) every first count it sounds like I used a 64th or 128th quantize function which I didn’t of course.

This occurs randomly but mostly on the first or the fourth bar-count. I compared it separately with other tracks ánd compared the rest of these tracks to each other. All these tracks are perfectly on time.

It sounds like an LP record on a pickup that you hold for a split second.

I also tried to use another track for this drum part but the problem remains. I didn’t use effects or tempo-changes.

I don’t think the midi data is overloaded in this part of the song cause it is not that complicated.
I think I can also rule-out other running programs because Cubase is the only program running.

Tips and suggestions are welcome ;-)

Greets,

Ed

Hi Ed,

I’ve read your post a few times and I’m not sure I understand it, but I have a few questions:

1 - Are you saying that even if the notes look visually in time on your drum edit page, they still sound out of time?

2 - Are you saying that the notes both look and sound out of time.

3 - Are you saying that they just won’t go in time, even with a suitable quantize value?

4 - Does “bar count” mean the particular beat of a bar or measure? As in you see this problem on the first beat or fourth beat of any given bar? (or measure).

5 - Have you tried a different kit for the same notes on the same track and channel?

Hi Phil,

1- Yes. Even when I zoom-inn the notes are spot-on the position they should be.

2- No. The notes sound out of time. I’m aware this sometimes can be caused by filling in “missing notes” automatically (on the wrong time). This happened to me in the past when 2 different rhythms got in each-others way.

3- Yes. I re-recorded the track several times and double checked the quantize settings. Even when I simplified the count (1/8) the first bar beat sounded stuck.

4- Not quite sure if I understand what you mean, but the ‘off beat’ occurs at the first count.

5- Yes. When I use another Moxf-Kit the problem remains.
When I use a HALion-kit the problem is solved and the same notes copied to that HALion-track playback perfectly.

Note: I just found out that when I ‘solo’ the drum-track it replays perfectly.
This would mean the problem can be caused by another track (I think). I’m going to try to activate every single track together with the drumtrack to see when (which track) the problem occurs.

I’ll post my findings tomorrow.

What happens if you temporarily delete some of your other 15 tracks, or even all of them apart from the problematic one?

Does it still glitch?

HI Phil,

I did exactly what you suggested. I isolated the drumtrack and re-played it together with every other track in my composition.

To my surprise the problem occurred when I selected an empty (unused) track and activated it together with the drumtrack. The only thing I can think of is I used that track (and maybe effects or quantization) at the beginning of this composition. When I decided not to use this track I must have deleted the track-data (music). It could be the quantization data or changed in tempo I made ware left on this track. My guess is as good as yours.

Anyway the problem seems to be solved although the cause remains a mystery.

If you factor in something like Auto Quantize being on, there’s certainly room for some annoying and confusing outcomes of a similar nature.  I’d have gone with that as the cause of your problems, but I think it’s something else after taking all your findings into consideration.

I can’t honestly say what the cause is, but I’m happy that you can solve it.

Nothing as silly as a MIDI loop, two tracks sharing channel, or thw track with the drums listening to all channels?

Sometimes it’s the simplest things.. ;-)

I had one more thought zpink, but you’ll need to tell me if it still exists.

I believe on the inspector panel, there used to be a kind of ‘midi track delay’ function?

if it was on, even a little, it could make notes sound out of time, even if they look in time visually.

philwoodmusic - 10 October 2018 01:04 PM

I had one more thought zpink, but you’ll need to tell me if it still exists.

I believe on the inspector panel, there used to be a kind of ‘midi track delay’ function?

if it was on, even a little, it could make notes sound out of time, even if they look in time visually.

Yeah, it’s still there.
I don’t know what it’s called (Cubase not running ATM) but it’s a time nudge thing. Both audio and MIDI tracks have it.
It’ll push all the notes equally though, but I guess it could possibly push the very first one to before the track starts.

Some of Elektron’s gear have this oddity with notes on the very first step in their sequencer, if you don’t nudge it a little bit late, it may not play.
LOL not that my last comment has anything to do with OP’s problem!