Mod and Pitch Bend Cause Buzzing

[scotteh]

Hi!

I have just noticed a strange problem. I control my Voyager RME with an M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 through Sonar X1 and I've just noticed that when I move the Mod wheel I hear a buzzing as I'm turning it. Same happens with the pitch bend wheel if the pitch is being bent more than a minor third or so. It's sorta like a quantizing sound and only happens while the wheel is moving. Any ideas what's causing it and how to fix it?

Thanks!
Scott

[Just Me]

Zippering. Caused by low resolution somewhere in your setup. Check to make sure that the settings are correct on the RME for MIDI CC's MSB&LSB.

[till]

Some keyboards do not send out pitchbend MIDI data in all it full bandwidth of 14 bit. I got here a Korg one, that send out only 7 bit data (128 values per full range move). Pitchbend MIDI data don't use MSB & LSB data that are user selectable. So if there are step audible although the 14 bit resolution gives you 16384 values per pitchbend min to max range, there might be two thinks:

* most controllers filter out individual data words of fast changing values to trim the MIDI data load. Otherwise a fast pitchbend would overload MIDI easily.
* some synths do a kind of smoothing from one received MIDI pitchbend value to the next. Think of a small lag/glide added. While this reduce zipper noise, it also changes the overall response time.
* Beware of MIDI loops. This is often a source for strange behavior to pitchbend and MIDI CCs.

BTW: even the Voyager itself is unable to send a continues stream of full 14 bit of pitchbend data, even if you move the wheel as slow as possible. But all my other synths have the very same problem. Just use a MIDI monitor to check this. So pitchbend is most often not transmitted as optimized as it should be.