Moog Music Forum

K, so this is my first piece of analogue hardware, I know it has downsides as well as upsides, but this particular thing is really bugging me and I almost start to regret spending 800 euro's on it.

Using Windows 7, Ableton Suite 8.2, SlimPhatty OS 3.03, midi over USB. When I create a clip in Ableton and draw in my midi automation using the envelope editor in clipmode the Phatty sometimes completely ignores the automation or makes up it's own version of it, or sometimes it even looks like it randomly changes some parameter values, not joking around here! I made some simple LFO automations switching between the synced LFO ratio's, automating the cutoff, automating the LFO amount, and automating the volume release. Things that sometimes happend: The phatty ignored the jumps in my LFO rate automation, couldn't keep track of the LFO amount automation, ignored the cutoff automation, didn't reset to the starting automation and some more random weird things...

The Phatty is plugged in my M-AUDIO pro and I use the Phatty using Ableton's External instrument.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is this normal behaviour? Kinda stressing out here! The main reason I bought the Phatty is because it has USB midi and unfortunately I am not a keyboard whizz so I need to draw all my midi clips.

:'-(

GREAT...

I saved my preset, saved the ableton file, powercycled the Phatty, restarted Ableton, reopend project... and it ignores ALL the automations... great just great.



*edit*

to make it even better, it ignores A LOT of automations, but some still work, like the volume release... why is it ignoring the other automations?

*edit*

kinda fixed it by playing the clip in clipview with the arm switch enabled, but looks like the LFO is dead... does nothing at all, no matter what setting (internal or midi clock)

*edit*

LFO is dead... restored factory settings no luck, LFO won't work on factory patches either, the LFO indicator blinks at the LFO rate, the LFO amount is turned on, destination = Filter, LFO source at wave form, no matter what I try, it just won't work...

*edit*

Oh, looks like the complete modulation section doesn't work...

HELP?

try using the midi ports instead of the USB port on the Phatty.

Silly question, but is the mod wheel all the way up?

wow... yes... thanks.

Haha, oh man, I feel embarrassed! THANKS!



Ok, solves the LFO/Modulation problem, any idea why the midi sometimes goes rogue?

Happens all the time mate I freaked out when I got my mopho kb and it was just the mod wheel.

I hate to say it but it looks like MIDI automation is flaky in the latest Ableton Live.
I ran some tests over the weekend and was getting very similar-sounding issues to what you have...
I set up some (granted, slightly complex) modulation automation in a MIDI clip in Live, played it out to some gear, and then streamed it back into Live so I could record it on another track... and what came back in was NOT the same as I had programmed in the original clip! Live had messed it up.

I ran the same test in Cubase (MIDI automation out, through the same gear, then back into the DAW recorded on a new track) and it was perfect, no problems.

For what it's worth, I had slightly fewer problems using standard (DIN) MIDI output, and more problems using USB MIDI... it makes me mad though because I love Live and I want it not to be buggy.

I heard they are re-writing the whole software from the ground up for version 9... let's hope they get serious about the MIDI performance this time!

Hi Amos, thanks for the info! I know about Live and it's quirky behaviour, I still love Ableton and it's workflow/capabilities, I do hope they will fix/patch 8 because Ableton knowing they probably charge a lot for 9 upgrades and you'll still be beta tester for 6 months

I'm going to get some midi cables this weekend and also gonna try to hook my phatty up in Renoise via rewire.

Cheers!



(btw, is there a site/forum where people trade soundbanks? Can't really find anything via Google)

i'm having the same problem with live and the phatty - some midi information recorded in clips is not being sent to the phatty (e.g. octave changes) - but some is (e.g. volume, filter is fine)...

so maddening