How do you keep from going insane?

[arkjack]

Well you would think that if you follow all the instructions that come with gear and software that it would 'just work'. You would think that, but its never the reality. So I thought I'd just share my misery FWIW. I would figure after 15 years that the midi standards and related software codes would be pretty well figured out. The whole idea of a standard is that hardware maker A and B and software maker C and D all make products that will communicate with one another seamlessly. So if A says I'm the king and everyone should run to the right, B, C and D would follow the directions and run to the right in perfect lockstep with A and with each other.Well, I'm trying to integrate my Boss products with Cubase software. Its like having a room full of children. I had the Boss children all under control and playing nice together. I introduced them to the Cubase child and its like someone came in the room and gave all the children a box of sugar and now they're all running around the room wildly and screaming at each other in hyperactive tantrums. I like children, but this scenario I think describes adequately how an adult in this situation would feel.... I'm going insane.I double check all the connections and make sure my instructions to each individual child are clear. Then I say, A .... tell the group to walk to the right. Well A and C walk to the right, but B and D are running, then stopping, then yelling at each other that one of them made a mistake..... then A and C go into a hissy fit.... All in all there are six children in the room. So the question is, does anyone out there share my pain, and have any ideas how to deal with it? Most of the problems are latency problems with execution of midi and clock control instructions.... Start a great weekend now.ArkJack

[Casey H]

Quote:Well you would think that if you follow all the instructions that come with gear and software that it would 'just work'. You would think that, but its never the reality. So I thought I'd just share my misery FWIW. I would figure after 15 years that the midi standards and related software codes would be pretty well figured out. The whole idea of a standard is that hardware maker A and B and software maker C and D all make products that will communicate with one another seamlessly. So if A says I'm the king and everyone should run to the right, B, C and D would follow the directions and run to the right in perfect lockstep with A and with each other.Well, I'm trying to integrate my Boss products with Cubase software. Its like having a room full of children. I had the Boss children all under control and playing nice together. I introduced them to the Cubase child and its like someone came in the room and gave all the children a box of sugar and now they're all running around the room wildly and screaming at each other in hyperactive tantrums. I like children, but this scenario I think describes adequately how an adult in this situation would feel.... I'm going insane.I double check all the connections and make sure my instructions to each individual child are clear. Then I say, A .... tell the group to walk to the right. Well A and C walk to the right, but B and D are running, then stopping, then yelling at each other that one of them made a mistake..... then A and C go into a hissy fit.... All in all there are six children in the room. So the question is, does anyone out there share my pain, and have any ideas how to deal with it? Most of the problems are latency problems with execution of midi and clock control instructions.... Start a great weekend now.ArkJackSometimes it's very easy to miss the days of the cheap tape recorder... Maybe you need to strip things down to the mininum and build up to see what's causing the problems? Can you get Cubase to record at all?

[arkjack]

Cubase plays nice by itself, its when you ask it to be nice to the other children that it wants to do its own thing....

[sgs4u]

start by connecting one device at a time with cubase. reboot liberallysee what happens...Quote:Cubase plays nice by itself, its when you ask it to be nice to the other children that it wants to do its own thing....

[gatorjj]

Jack it sounds like you need to go fishing...that usually cures a lot of things! I'd try Steve's route and see which of the kiddies is misbehaving. It sounds like one of them thinks he's the king before King Cubase gets on the scene.

[og]

I have absolutely nothing constructive to say except that I usually deal with problems like that by pushing buttons until something I understand breaks, then go from there. The main reason I posted was to give kudos for the grand way you presented your problem. I've been there, and you nailed it, ArkJack. Wonderful metaphor. Oh, and I second the fishing cure. Works for me...

[mazz]

It sounds like you're trying to get all the slaves to see the MIDI clock and start/stop/locate information.If you're chaining MIDI cables by using the MIDI thru ports in the hardware devices, then make sure, if they don't have a dedicated thru port, that the out port you're using has been configured as a thru. I had a Boss device once that had a mode where it could be a master or a slave depending on whether you were using it's buttons or not, kind of a dual mode. I'd see if this might be the case and try to make it either master or slave but not both. I feel your pain trying to navigate those shi##y Roland/Boss Japanglish manuals!!Try getting the devices to work one at a time, that's a very good place to start, Then add them one at a time. It's a good idea to draw a picture of your setup as you go and then when you get it to work, notate on the drawing next to each device how it needs to be set so in case one of those things decides to reset itself back to factory default, you can get back up and running quickly. I guarantee you won't remember all the settings 3 months from now after you've got the kinks worked out (I'm not saying it's going to take 3 months!)!!To take a glass half full approach: if you take this as a learning experience then the upside is you'll know your gear and your studio very well after this and if you document your settings, etc., you'll be ahead of the game next time you need to troubleshoot. And there will be a next time!!!You'll get it!!Mazz

[mewman]

Hey Arkjack,I completely understand your pain. I used to have a rig with a lot of outboard gear that I tried to coordinate via a PC running cakewalk. I kept a log book of all my settings and channel assignments, etc, but after a while the whole process of dealing with it all wore me down. By the time I turned everything on, opened my log books and set everything up for a tune I was composing, I got frustrated and just practiced my solo piano stuff. I wrote a lot of tunes on paper, but didn't get much done with my MIDI setup. Finally, I stripped everything down to an imac running Logic Audio, an audio interface, and my keyboard controller. No more hastle with coordinating all that outboard gear has translated into higher output for me. I realize that you have a big investment in your stuff and want to get it to work. In that way, Mazz's advice is way more practical. But I just thought I would let you know that I do share your pain. Stick with it, and good luck!Mewman

[ginstl]

If you're still using the Celeron OS, that could give you lots of problems since Cubase requires XP (service pack 1) according to their website.Greg.

[edteja]

To take a glass half full approach: I recommend it be half full of a good scotch!I feel for you--yes it should be simple. But just ask Dave or any of the others about even putting a system together with new versions of stuff you thought you knew.