MTC and sync problems with Sonar and Akai DPS16

[PhillipT]

Hi,

I have Sonar 4PE and an Akai DPS16 DAW which I'm trying to make work with each other. I use a MOTU micro lite to connect the DPS via the USB port of my PC. I set the DPS to MTC Slave and zero the BBC clocks on both the Sonar sequencer and the DPS. Each time I set Sonar going the DPS leaps forwards on the BBC count and then seems to run in sync. There is also always a certain amount of lag when I stop Sonar. The DPS seems to take about the same half second that it leapt forward at the start when it stops.

I've tried all ways to correct this problem and have contacted Cakewalk, Akai and MOTU but no one seems to have a clue what could cause this glitch and neither do they have any suggestions of how to fix it.

In the MIDI setup I also have a Korg Triton Classic 61 which the Sonar sequencer drives via the MIDI link. This works fine. I've tried using the DPS as master MTC and to a degree it works but the clocks don't finish in sync and I'm wondering if this is to be expected with latency issues etc. There is a margin of error of 002 - 014 on the BBC.

Another problem is that the BBC on the DPS16 only has a resolution of 92 whereas the TC61 and Sonar will run at 192. I want to use this setting for my work and have been wondering if an external controller would solve all my problems. I am relatively new to MIDI and am still wrestling with the configurations but I'm sure that everything in the Sonar options have been set right as it 'almost' works.

Any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated
Kind regards and a very happy Christmas to all
Phillip

[ssscientist]

Instead of using MTC, try driving everything from one midi clock, either from the PC or the DPS. I'd probably choose the one with the higher resolution, but that's up to you.

Welcome to the board + Merry Christmas.

[PhillipT]

Hi,

I'm still trying to resolve this problem and have now begun to suspect the Akai DPS16 as being the actual problem. Whether it may be the OS software or hardware is not so clear as yet. I have used MIDI-OX to send Midi TC and Clock directly to the Akai through a basic setup of an MPU-401 PC MIDI lead and the DPS still jumps at the start. There appears to be no 'sync' at all and the stop signal is not responded to for about a second. RTZ works fine as to as does setting the time to any other value via MIDI-OX instructions.

I have been in touch with Akai and had no help at all and am wondering what to do. I have done so much work on the DPS that I'm loath to part with it but if I can't get it to sync, either driving or being driven by, with my other equipment then I'll have to replace it if it's not going to work but firstly I would like to determine exactly what the problem is.

Any help would be most appreciated as I'm fast running out of ideas. I have thought about buying a MOTU Midi Timepiece or something like this to generate MTC/Clock etc but there seems little point as MIDI-OX seems to do such a good job in producing the same signals and data but I'm not that familiar enough with MIDI to judge. My perspective at the moment is that if the DPS won't work properly in being driven by just MIDI-OX then it isn't going to work with anything else unless Timepiece type equipment can do other things with code conversion ??

Definitely in the dark here.

I would like to know if anyone has had experience of driving something like a DAW with software which will prove whether or not there is a problem. What's added to my confusion is that I have read articles on the net which mention different MIDI standards. I'm wondering if this could be a problem with the Akai DPS16.

Any pointers to helpful sites or people would be MOST appreciated.

Kind regards and best wishes to all for a very happy New Year
Phillip

[ssscientist]

Originally Posted by PhillipT

What's added to my confusion is that I have read articles on the net which mention different MIDI standards. I'm wondering if this could be a problem with the Akai DPS16.

Phillip

Your use of 'BBC' in your first post makes me quite suspicious that you may be confusing SMPTE with MTC --- they are very different syncronization protocols and mixing them may be the source of the problem.

And I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say 'different MIDI standards.' There is only one standard for MIDI and MTC, and from my perspective the simplest one is usually the one to use and in this case that would be midi clock.

Try using both the PC and the Akai in turn as a MIDI CLOCK master and see if one way or the other that doesn't solve your problem. I've had problems in the past with MTC and now use it only when working to video.

SMPTE is an audio code and MTC is a MIDI protocol --- and they are not compatable.