PODxt + Studioware = Locked Solid

Qwerty

Qwerty

New member
Anyone have any clues on how to troubleshoot this?

I am attempting to hook up my PODxt via it's USB midi capabilities and use the Line 6 PODv2.Studioware panel that comes with Sonar 3.

I can load the studioware panel and map the parameters back to my POD. Everything works correctly, but after maybe four or five twiddles on any particular knob, the computer locks solid requiring a hard reset to restore control.

I can quite happily record using the USB audio connection and all of the Line 6 editor software works using the USB connection for MIDI.

I have disabled all other sound cards and MIDI ports from Sonar.

I have set the MIDI screen in the POD to respond to channel 1, the MIDI PGM option is turned ON and the MIDI port is set to THRU. I get the same result if I set the MIDI PGM to OFF and/or the MIDI PORT is set to ON or OFF.

I have downloaded two other studioware panels for the PODxt and both do exactly the same thing, so I am suspecting it is something in my Sonar configuration.

Any ideas on where to start looking?

Thanks,

:) Q.
 
I've been in the same situation with my Johnson J-station.

You could be getting a midi loop via the pods thru and Sonars software thru.
Try turning the thru off on the pod. I don't have Sonar 3, in 1 and 2 you could only turn the programs midi thru (actually called Echo) off for one port called the "Local on".
If the pod is in a "thru" chain with other midi gear, make it the last device so it doesn't have to have midi thru on.
 
I second the "thru" thing.I had the same problem syncing up a drum machine and it went away when I shut off "midi thru".
 
Okey-dokey.........

I have changed the MIDI setup properties on the PODxt so that it is sending on Channel #1, using PGM ON (meaning the POD can be programmed), and MIDI OUTPUT I have now set to just OUT.

Same thing happens :(

I don't appear to have input monitoring enabled on either the MIDI or audio track in Sonar's track view. Is there something else that I need to have a look at?

Thanks,

Q.
 
The midi echo control is in Options/Project Options, Midi in tab. Try setting echo to "None" (at least it is in S2). Or, if you figure out which midi in your pod is feeding by number, enter that number in the "Local On" port. sonar will not echo from just that input.

What may matter here is whether the Pod splits its controls so they only send to midi out and then relies on the software echoing back to its midi in, so the control takes effect (Local off): OR, if it directly controls itself and also sends the controllers out to midi (Local on), in which case, if Sonar is also echoing the controls back, the pod is getting another "echoed" control which it then sends back out and Sonar sends it back again... etc...

I would also uncheck "Zero controllers when play stops" on the Midi out tab. If the Pod is anything like my J-station, it uses midi CC for control. I was really annoyed when Sonar kept switching the noise gate and wah off everytime I stopped it!
 
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Jim Y said:
I've been in the same situation with my Johnson J-station.

Does that mean you can get J-Station to work directly with Sonar?

I use the program that came with J-Station to store patches for specific recordings. Works okay. But if I could store the settings in Sonar so that it was there if I need to redo a recording that would be better. No need to keep track what guitar used what patch then. Can it be done?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
tombuur said:
Does that mean you can get J-Station to work directly with Sonar?

I use the program that came with J-Station to store patches for specific recordings. Works okay. But if I could store the settings in Sonar so that it was there if I need to redo a recording that would be better. No need to keep track what guitar used what patch then. Can it be done?
Click to expand...

I think so -- at least that is where I am trying to get with the PODxt....

Ciao,

Q.
 
I've tried controlling my J with both the J-Edit program and a Studioware panel.
With J-Edit, it can appear in Sonars Tools menu - BUT, you will have to use a midi port that is "multiclient", as Sonar will not release midi ports as it can with audio ports using the "share drivers..." option. Originally, I used a rather complex thru chain with other gear from my M-audio Audiophiles midi i/o but this midi port is NOT multiclient, so using J-Edit within Sonar was out. I did get it working with the Studioware panel but the one supplied only works in Track1.
Since then, I got an Evolution UC33 controller, which also provides an extra midi i/o and this IS multiclient, so now I can use J-Edit in Sonar from the Tools menu.

All this hassle was all very interesting, but I wasted a lot of time sorting it out. Interfacing with other gear is something that manuals, help files and books; fear to tackle. In my opinion, Sonar is actually very badly equiped for anything beyond the basic 'midi keyboard in/synth module out' scheme. There are all sorts of "gotchas", including the "zero controllers..." thing I mentioned earlier.

The multiclient midi port driver issue took some hacking. Neither forums nor support e-mails could confirm or deny if it was even possible with midi. All I wanted to know was if it was possible and which midi i/o could!
Cakewalk support informed me that there was no share drivers option for midi ports. Fair enough, but I bet that fact is still absent from any documentation.
M-audio said they had passed the issue to their "testing" department and that's the last I heard of that. Despite advertising that their Delta range has multiclient drivers, I can assure anyone that although that is true for the Audio ports, it is not so for the Midi.
 
Thanks again, Jim -- some really cool information.

I have now got it to the point where if I just use the normal audio output from the POD and plug them into my soundcard, everything works correctly..... (That was the 'zero controllers' option).

If I use the USB connection for audio, and my Aardvark's MIDI ports, then I get about two to five minutes of operation before it dies.

If I use just the USB connection for audio and midi, then it dies straight away.

I'm still fiddling with a couple of things so I will let you know how I go.

Thanks again,

Q.
 
Well, the J-Station I bought real cheap at least gives me S/PDIF quality, and J-Edit works fine through midi. So I can always save patches for a certain recording using names like "My Song - Lead Guitar".

The midi port, however, is on the onboard soundcard, so perhaps that is the cause of my latency problem with the Delta 66 I otherwise use.
 
MIDI shouldn't be the cause of latency and it shouldn't matter which interface you use...

I'm using the onboard MPU-401 interface togheter with an M-Audio Midisport 2x2 USB interface without problems (as long as I don't connect any of the the MIDI in/outs to my V-Amp and run the V-Amp software. That will freeze computer)

:)
 
Seems like Qwerty could have an interface problem. When you have a mix of audio interfaces, check in Sonar/Options/Audio and have a look at the buffers tab and see which device has the largest buffer at your project sample rate. Make that the record and playback timing master.

Have you installed a driver for the Pod USB? You probably should or it could be using Windows own "Generic WDM audio device driver".

Personally, I would keep it simple and just use normal midi connections to your soundcard and connect the audio to the card too (by s/pdif if you like).
Disable the Pod USB in Sonars driver list and make very sure it isn't any of the timing masters.
 
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