Hi, I’m hoping someone can help me here. I’ve got a MIDI setup that is working with one exception: my Arturia MicroFreak is starting it’s Arpeggiator 1 beat late.
The central hub is my RetroKits RK006, everything goes through it. The devices attached are:
- 1010BlackBox (sending MIDI + MIDI Clock; receiving MIDI)
- Morningstar MC6 Pro (sending MIDI)
- Arturia MicroFreak (receiving MIDI + MIDI Clock)
- Chase Bliss Pedals (receiving MIDI + MIDI Clock)
- various outboard gear (receiving MIDI)
- Arturia Keylab 49 (sending MIDI)
The Morningstar is simply sending MIDI PC msgs to change settings for each song. All of the devices are receiving and switching appropriately after receiving MIDI PC. The 1010BlackBox has a different BPM for each song, and is successfully sending MIDI Clock to all of the devices. It is also successfully sending MIDI notes out to the MicroFreak.
Here’s the problem in detail… Sometimes I need an Arp preset on the MicroFreak, and I send MIDI notes to the MF from the 1010BlackBox. Mostly works. The tempo is correct, the notes played by the Arp are correct, but the MF Arp starts 1 beat late. Imagine that I press Start on the 1010BB, when the 1 beat hits a kick drums plays on the 1010BB. That should also be where the first note of the Arp plays, but it doesn’t start until beat 2. It still plays 4 beats per measure, but it’s shifted 1 beat late.
I’ve confirmed that the MicroFreak needs Start Transport msgs to sync up, and I’ve also confirmed that the 1010BB does send Start Transport msgs. I just need to sort out the delay, or see what the RK006 might be able to do to help the situation. Thanks!
[quote=“smsnkaty, post:1, topic:3790”]
RetroKits RK006
[/quote] webpage has a line that jumped out at me:
Per-port Clock shifting and Clock Processing
Now, I am completely clueless about so much of what you are up to; it is fascinating as I am still mostly a 5 pin din guy, not USB. I think you are not using a DAW or sequencer? Because the other thing that occurred to me was that if you are triggering a sequence, the trick might be to have a “dummy” first measure that does nothing but allow you to send the midi for the arpeggiator sync on the last tick of the “dummy” measure.
Does this happen consistently, or is it working sometimes and not others? If the latter, it also occurs to me that it might be due to the timing of when you stop the previous song or sequence. If you power cycle the Microfreak, does it still exhibit the problem on the next start?
The 1010BlackBox is determining the BPM; what if the RetroKits was the master clock? (especially with its purported ability to shift the clock per port). (I know, probably messy to coordinate the BPM for each song…)
Take this with a big grain of salt from someone who has a weird talent of seeing root causes of problems that he has an extremely tenuous understanding of!
Looking at all of your gear has been an eye opener for me, really interesting new stuff that I have never before heard of before!
Thanks for the reply. This is a DAWless setup. No computer, no USB, everything is just talking through the RK006 with 5-pin and TRS MIDI. I do have my Keylab connected with USB through a USB Hub & the RK006’s splitter to use with Hubs. I went ahead and bypassed that, plugging the RK006 directly to power with the same delayed results.
Also… when I trigger a Sequence on the MicroFreak, it syncs perfectly. The issue is only with Arpeggios . Even more, the Arpeggio delay is consistently 1 beat. If I switch the MF’s Clock Sync to Internal, there is still a delay, but it fluctuates. Meaning, it feels like the MF clock is persistent, and the Arpeggio just starts on the next available click after you hit start. This is different than when MF’s Clock Sync is set to External MIDI and it’s sync’d with the 1010BB. That delay is steady at 1 beat late, no fluctuation.
I get the “dummy” suggestion. I do that in Logic sometimes. Since, the sequences are working, it seems to be related more to the Arpeggio specifically.
It’s really consistent. I don’t believe I’ve ever had the Arpeggio sync correctly when triggered from external MIDI. Power cycling, restarting… none of that changes it. Again, no delay on Sequences, or normal MIDI notes.
Thanks again for your suggestions. This is a synth/sampler rig, connected to a DI rack along with bass, guitar and vocals. Two-man band.
DAWless… I get that… no computer… brain explodes 
Since sequencer works as expected I’m thinking that there is some weirdness with arpeggiator. Arturia needs to investigate this.
So you’re not located anywhere near Los Angeles are you?
Also, what is Hubs?
More info:
I went through and tried a lot of different scenarios. Here is what I found:
SPOILER ALERT: The issue is only seems to be occurring when I have the MF set to Arp, and I send MIDI notes from an external 1010blackbox using a Start Transit.
MIDI NOTES
- If I turn OFF Arp & Seq on the MF, and just play notes on the MF, there is NO delay
- If I turn OFF Arp & Seq on the MF, and just play notes on an external MIDI keyboard, sending MIDI notes to the MF, there is NO delay
- If I turn OFF Arp & Seq on the MF, and just send MIDI notes from an external MIDI controller (1010blackbox) with a Start Transit, there is NO delay
SEQUENCES
- If I turn ON Seq on the MF, and just play notes on the MF, there is NO delay, and the Seq starts as soon as I touch the key
- If I turn ON Seq on the MF, and just play notes on an external MIDI keyboard, there is NO delay, and the Seq starts as soon as I touch the key
- If I turn ON Seq on the MF, and just send MIDI notes from an external MIDI controller (1010blackbox) with a Start Transit, there is NO delay, and the Seq starts as soon as I touch the Start pad
ARPEGGIATOR
- If I turn ON Arp on the MF, and just play notes on the MF, there is NO delay, and the Arp starts as soon as I touch the key
- If I turn ON Arp on the MF, and just play notes on an external MIDI keyboard, there is NO delay, and the Arp starts as soon as I touch the key
- If I turn ON Arp on the MF, and hold one note on a MIDI keyboard & one note on the MF keyboard, then press Start Transit on the 1010blackbox to send Clock (but not MIDI notes), there is NO delay
- If I turn ON Arp on the MF, and just send MIDI notes from an external MIDI controller (1010blackbox) with a Start Transit, THERE IS A DELAY
SOURCE SETTINGS
- If I have MIDI>Global>Sync>Source: set to either MIDI or Auto. All of the above is the same. In both cases, I hit start on the 1010blackbox, there what feels like a half-beat delay, and then the Arp starts. It is extremely consistent with NO variation in the delay. The tempo is in line with the Clock, but it is late by that half-beat.
- If I have MIDI>Global>Sync>Source: set to Clock, there is a delay sometimes, but it varies. Sometimes it even starts in sync. This feels like coincidence. Overall, this setting feels like the Clock is persistent, and if I happen to hit Start in line with the Clock, then it will line up, if I’m 100ms early, then there is a 100ms delay until the first click comes, and the Arp latches on at that point.
- If I have MIDI>Global>Sync>Source: set to Internal, the Arp will start on the 1 beat every single time, without variation. However, the tempo is not in sync with the external clock, as it is syncing to the MF’s bpm setting.