Spectra v1.01 Public Beta

[pethu]

I have tried to use Spectra in different hosts (I have Tracktion 2 and Sonar 5) and found really strange behaviour. In Sonar 5 it doesn't react to sustain pedal when played in real time, but if I record a track with some pedal usage and then play it back, it would react to pedal messages correctly. It's even more strange in Tracktion 2: pedal doesn't work in real-time, and when I try to record some playing, it just won't record sustain pedal messages on a track with Spectra! If I add these messages manually to a track, it then plays it back correctly.

He's on to something! Fails when playing "live" in Tracktion 2, regardless of whether sequencer clock is running or not. But works on playback - only difference to Megakazbek is that my sustain pedal events actually gets recorded normally, and works when playing back without further messing around.

Since I am not so used to the eXT sequencer, I'll have to mess around with it some more. Currently, I haven't been able to get sustain to work on playback there.

[Markleford]

I have tried to use Spectra in different hosts (I have Tracktion 2 and Sonar 5) and found really strange behaviour. In Sonar 5 it doesn't react to sustain pedal when played in real time, but if I record a track with some pedal usage and then play it back, it would react to pedal messages correctly.

Again, this sounds like a CC#123 message is at work here. SONAR will respond to it, but will *not* record it into the track, which is why it will play back correctly after it's recorded (the CC#123 message is filtered out).

Megakazbek, download my TenCrazy.com MFX SustainFix plugin: it offers up serveral solutions for sustain pedal problems, including ignoring CC#123 messages. Only problem is that it won't work in non-MFX hosts like Tracktion!

If I had time I'd download and test it myself, but I'm moving cross-country in 1.5 weeks!

- m

[pethu]

I have tried to use Spectra in different hosts (I have Tracktion 2 and Sonar 5) and found really strange behaviour. In Sonar 5 it doesn't react to sustain pedal when played in real time, but if I record a track with some pedal usage and then play it back, it would react to pedal messages correctly.

Again, this sounds like a CC#123 message is at work here. SONAR will respond to it, but will *not* record it into the track, which is why it will play back correctly after it's recorded (the CC#123 message is filtered out).

Megakazbek, download my TenCrazy.com MFX SustainFix plugin: it offers up serveral solutions for sustain pedal problems, including ignoring CC#123 messages. Only problem is that it won't work in non-MFX hosts like Tracktion!

If I had time I'd download and test it myself, but I'm moving cross-country in 1.5 weeks!

- m

No CC 123's involved -- not in my hosts or keyboards, anyway. Also, note what has worked for years in my rig:

All of NIs stuff

Arturia stuff

Synthedit stuff

gMedias stuff

etc., etc. This is the ONLY synth who has ever displayed a similar problem...

[fgimian]

I have tried to use Spectra in different hosts (I have Tracktion 2 and Sonar 5) and found really strange behaviour. In Sonar 5 it doesn't react to sustain pedal when played in real time, but if I record a track with some pedal usage and then play it back, it would react to pedal messages correctly. It's even more strange in Tracktion 2: pedal doesn't work in real-time, and when I try to record some playing, it just won't record sustain pedal messages on a track with Spectra! If I add these messages manually to a track, it then plays it back correctly.

I can confirm this in Cubase too. When playing the instrument using MIDI in, the sustain pedal does not work. But after playing back a recorded MIDI part that DOES use the sustain pedal, it does work.

Some previous posters make some excellent points which should be considered about controller 123. I can't say that I'm heavily into MIDI spec so it's good we have some people that are.

Also I have noticed that passages recorded without the sustain pedal play back differently, some of the notes in the passage are sustained for a long time, while others play correctly. Something bizarre seems to be going on.

Cheers
Fots

[Markleford]

No CC 123's involved -- not in my hosts or keyboards, anyway.

Actually, very few keyboards send a CC#123 these days, but my 1987 Kawai K1 does!

At any rate, my MFX SustainFix will also allow you to entirely *fake* sustain pedal functionality on any synth that doesn't have it (or does it with "quirks"). So anyone having such difficulty (and can use MFX) can still give it a go.

Looks like I should try this out on my keyboard before I pack it in for the move...

- m

[fgimian]

The other problem I've noticed (that does not occur in v1.0, only in the beta), is that if I record a passage without the sustain pedal and hit play, random notes are added to the passage at the beginning. Here's an example...

Spectra Version 1.0 (This is playing correctly, after recording)

http://www.users.on.net/~djbros/Spectral100.mp3

Spectra Beta Version from this thread (Adds additional notes, when I playback through Cubase it's actually a lot worse than this, it adds many notes that weren't in the original passage)

http://www.users.on.net/~djbros/SpectraBeta.mp3

An easy way to see this strange behavior is ...

Add an Arpache 5 to the MIDI track of Spectra and watch it go insane. Meanwhile, switch to version 1.0, and all works perfectly.

Cheers
Fots

[pethu]

I can also mention that all my keyboards now do MIDI via USB. (Although I refuse to believe that this can be the cause -- until proven wrong )

Fatar SL-880 coming in via evolution UC-33's MIDI interface.

M-audio keystations using their built-in MIDI-USB interfaces.


OS: Windows XP SP2


There is much strangeness in this world...

[Markleford]

The other problem I've noticed (that does not occur in v1.0, only in the beta), is that if I record a passage without the sustain pedal and hit play, random notes are added to the passage at the beginning.

I made the time to try v101pb2 and also experienced the random notes issue. Also confirmed that the sustain problems aren't due to CC#123! (tried on my Edirol PCR-30 USB)

- m

[Torben]

The other problem I've noticed (that does not occur in v1.0, only in the beta), is that if I record a passage without the sustain pedal and hit play, random notes are added to the passage at the beginning. Here's an example...

Spectra Version 1.0 (This is playing correctly, after recording)

http://www.users.on.net/~djbros/Spectral100.mp3

Spectra Beta Version from this thread (Adds additional notes, when I playback through Cubase it's actually a lot worse than this, it adds many notes that weren't in the original passage)

http://www.users.on.net/~djbros/SpectraBeta.mp3

An easy way to see this strange behavior is ...

Add an Arpache 5 to the MIDI track of Spectra and watch it go insane. Meanwhile, switch to version 1.0, and all works perfectly.

Cheers
Fots

I can not recreate any of the problems you discribe no matter how hard I try. Could you please mail me a project where this happens for you?

Thanks
Torben

[fgimian]

to be honest, it's any project I make. I'll give you the steps I used to create the issue...

1. Start a new Project
2. Add a Spectra, set Waveform = Sawtooth
3. Go to start of song, hit record
4. Play some notes with my midi keyboard (dont use sustain pedal)
5. Press stop
6. Move to beginning of song
7. Press Play

All that was in that project was a Spectra as I was testing it further. It seems that Markleford is experiencing the issue too.

If you still can't reproduce it with the steps I have outlined above, I'll be happy to send over a project file Torben

Cheers
Fots

[Torben]

to be honest, it's any project I make. I'll give you the steps I used to create the issue...

1. Start a new Project
2. Add a Spectra, set Waveform = Sawtooth
3. Go to start of song, hit record
4. Play some notes with my midi keyboard (dont use sustain pedal)
5. Press stop
6. Move to beginning of song
7. Press Play

All that was in that project was a Spectra as I was testing it further. It seems that Markleford is experiencing the issue too.

If you still can't reproduce it with the steps I have outlined above, I'll be happy to send over a project file Torben

Cheers
Fots

I have tried this now and it works like a charm. I feel I have been on a wild goose chase for more than a working day now. It seems to be a rare problem that must be related to host / host setting and / or hardware. I can not recreate the problem and I can not fully picture the problem you describe; when you say there are random notes do you mean something visible on the MIDI track or just some additional notes you hear that are not present on the MIDI track? I need a project to be able to see if you got some setting that are causing the problem.

Torben

[pethu]

OK, I've done some more testing re the sustain pedal problem. Here's the status on my machine:

* Tobybear's MiniHost 1.64: Sustain works!!

* Tracktion 2.0.2.8: Does not work "live" (i.e. playing from keyboard with end-to-end enabled), but works when playing back the exact same data from the sequencer.

* energyXT 1.3.0: Does not work, neither live nor played from sequencer.

[Markleford]

Okay, here is an odd find...

I am on SONAR 5 and have experienced the random notes via the steps soundpalace wrote. However, here is the very strange part:

The random notes are only generated BEFORE YOU SAVE THE PROJECT! After the project is saved, the same sequence played back will do so correctly!

- m

[ugo]

not sure if this has been mentioned yet, and i havent tried the beta yet either, but in v1.0 the bpm division knob for the delay is setup in the reverse of the other bpm division controls.

on the delay, left is fast and right is slow. on everything else, its the opposite. it works fine and displays correctly, its just an inconsistancy i noticed.

-ugo

[TotcProductions]

* energyXT 1.3.0: Does not work, neither live nor played from sequencer.

You should update to the latest version of energyXT before posting issues spectra has in ext. the latest fully released version is 1.3.6.