ESX-8MD Clock Issue

[MARCHEAL]

Hi,

I am using ES3 / ES5 / ESX-8MD with Logic Pro X and when the 8MD works, it's great. Rock solid timing. However, as often as not, when I press start on the DAW, the MIDI clock output from the ESX goes crazy - it spits the clock out at c. double tempo. It doesn't always happen, but often enough to really break creative flow.

If I have a loop set up in Logic, the clock usually settles down once the loop has runs round itself once - but then will occur again next time i restart. There's no apparent change in the DAW tempo and Logic doesn't have this issue if I take MIDI directly out of USB, so the issue must be caused by some communication with the ESX. Turning everything on and off makes no difference.

Any ideas please? Like i say, when it works, it's great. I can't figure out why it's so erratic.

Thanks,

Marc

[os]

Do you have the ES-5 Controller's virtual MIDI port enabled, and if so, is Logic sending MIDI clock to it? That would explain the double tempo.

[MARCHEAL]

So, should MIDI out be disabled on the ES-5 with the clock? I've done that, thanks. Seems to help so far on the tempo issue (but what makes this issue difficult is that it's not consistent).

There's something else, even more disruptive. When I highlight a midi track track on Logic set up to (e.g.) ES-5 / 8MD output 6/1 then the other ES-5 tracks set up on different ESX-8MD ports cut out. So if I highlight the midi track track on ES-5 / 8MD output 6/2 on Logic, the ESX-8MD will triggers it again - but now I lose the 6/1 track. Again - it's intermittent but persistent and makes working very difficult.

Thanks,

Marc

[MARCHEAL]

Here is a screenshot of the basic set-up. I am running clock to a drum machine and midi to two hardware synths. You can see the ES-5 for the drum machine and one of the synths. Thanks.

(The muted clock is something different, not midi)

[MARCHEAL]

Very rough video showing the issue.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/178Oo0v ... sp=sharing

Thanks.

[os]

So, should MIDI out be disabled on the ES-5 with the clock?

The plug-in's Clock button should be enabled, but you don't want Logic sending MIDI clock into it as well.

All your ES-5 Controllers need to be on the same track.

[MARCHEAL]

How can I edit or record with more than one unit if all controllers have to use the same track?

If I have say three synthesizers running, all their parts will all be interwoven within one track.

[os]

You want three separate tracks of MIDI, all of which send that MIDI into plug-ins on a single track.

Logic has pretty limited routing - possibly it doesn't allow you to do that.

[MARCHEAL]

But the ES-5 is an instrument on a channel / track. You only have one instrument per channel in Logic.

If the ES-5 can only handle only one track at a time that effectively means it can only handle one hardware synth at a time in Logic. Is that right? I'm sure you must have encountered this before, if that's true. Or is there a way to work around? Thanks.

[os]

The ES-5 Controller can also be an insert effect, not an instrument. Can you not pass MIDI to insert effects in Logic?

[MARCHEAL]

I have the option of setting up an ES-5 as an effect on an instrument channel, yes. But I'm not sure of my channel set-up then. What is the instrument on the channel? It has to be turned on or no midi is passed on to the inserts.

I don't get why I can't just run different instances of ES-5 off different channels? Why does it just switch off (sometimes)?

Is there a resource I can go to about this please? The are millions of Logic users, surely I can't be alone? Thanks.

[MARCHEAL]

Or can you recommend someone I could go to? I'm at the point where I don't mind paying for some help with this. Thanks.

[os]

Most of the users I come across use Live.

You could try the other forum, which is much more active: https://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=35

[MARCHEAL]

But even if I found a way of doing what you suggest, the key point is that the moment I highlight ANY other track in Logic, the ES-3 / ESX-8M cuts out. Why should that be? Other software or hardware doesn't behave like that in Logic.

It basically makes the ESX-8MD unusable with the first or second most popular DAW . Thanks.

[MARCHEAL]

And after looking on the MW page I find this from you in 2017, dealing with someone with a similar issue.

"The ESX-8MD would be my preferred solution *except* in Logic, which is too inflexible in its routing to set it up properly."

But if you knew there was a compatibility issue with Logic and the ESX-8MD three years ago, why isn't there any warning on the website, or anywhere else? Please let other people know before they waste as much time as I have. Thanks.