Problems using VT's Midi Sync...

[J.Wajer]

I am trying to sync a second PC running sequencer software through Midi using the Virtual Transport Midi Sync Application. I have connected two Midi interfaces on on each PC. A number of problems occur:

• Whenever I startup the Midi Sync App VT pops up with the dialog: "Mykerinos timer in use" and the Midi Sync app goes offline (not responding). If I click away the dialog the Midi sync app goes online...
• Opening the additional Client settings (the wrench) reveals the Midi routing and generating options. I set the Midi sync to "Generate MidiClock", so far so good.
• But the slave apps on the second PC only respond to start/stop commands, no song position pointers (SPP) seem to be transmitted? I have tried this with both Cubase and Ableton.
• Setting the Midisync app to "Generate MTC" does not invoke any reaction on the slave PC. No MTC seems to arrive.

Since I have been using Midi to sync apps for ages and have never run into any problems with Cubase nor Ableton I am inclined to believe there is something wrong with the Midisync app...but I could be wrong off course.

My question: is there anyone around using the Midisync to sync more PC's and if so, how do you set up this route?

[allemano bernard@neuf.fr]

Hi,
the message "Mykerinos timer in use" is normal you click OK and it's good.
for connecting your PC's, you can use midiyoke it's very sure and usefull (I use it very day an it work very find).
In your Pyramix settings/timecode settings page, you have to select external timecode and VTC.
And to conclude, don't touch anything in the VTC client control panel, let it work in "default" settings, and it would be working good !
Best, and good luck
bernard

[J.Wajer]

Well, the problem is a little more complicated than this. I am not trying to chain two applications inside one PC, I am trying to use the MIDISync's MTC to sync another PC, so Yoke is not the solution.

Since I have been using Midi to sync apps for ages and have never run into any problems with Cubase nor Ableton I am inclined to believe there is something wrong with the Midisync app...but I could be wrong off course.

Question is still valid: Is there anyone out there that uses MIDISync's MIDI TimeCode to sync to another PC?

[bodo.biber]

Hi Jo,
I still do use the very old PC-Version of Emagics Logic 4.9 on a second PC, but my setup is different to yours, since I´m using the Unitor 8 as a MIDI Interface and this has got an additional SMPTE In and Out. My way to have a reliable Timecode on both PCs is getting the SMPTE signal coming from Pyramix right into the Unitor 8 Interface. The restriciton I have is - but I can live with - that Pyramix has to be the timecode master. I do a lot of Film music and have the Video grabbed and running with the DS player along with pyramix. I use the markers and locators in Pyramix a lot for easy spotting since I can always see the position of the video.
I am still on a quite old Pyramix Version (4.3) that I know very well and that covers my basic needs. But I hope that some day there will come out a new version with reliable TC offset handling and some features film guys like we are looking for.... But in order to stay compatible with my older projects I have to stick to the old version for another while.
I know this doesn´t help you any further with your problem, but I just dropped in my lines to let you know you are not the only one using Midi....

regards,
bodo.biber

[J.Wajer]

After hours of trying out different interfaces and different settings, I think I can safely assume that the MIDI Sync is not functioning properly.

• 1. When setting MIDI Sync as Slave using MIDI Clock only the SPP's are recieved. So MIDI sync wont run, just jump to the corresponding TC when stop is pressed. I am sure I have my clocksettings right.
• 2. When setting MIDI Sync as Slave using MIDI Time Code, nothing is recieved @ VT, except for locating events.
• 3. When setting MIDI Sync as Master generating MIDI Time Code, "something MIDI" is generated, but it is certainly not valid MTC since no app reacts to whatever it is that VT is generating.
• 4. When setting MIDI Sync as Master generating MIDI Clock, no SPP's are recieved at the output, only Start and Stop.

I would be very happy if someone @ Merging would find the time to dive into the matter and help me with this.

[Blair Ashby]

Hello All,

I have the same problem with midi clock. Additionally, when I have VT set to transmit midi clock and I run the "midi clock" into Bidule or Cantabile, both Bidule and Cantabile show a tempo which ranges from 20 to over 250 BPM out of line with the tempo set in Pyramix. In other words, when Pyramix is set to 100 BPM, Bidule reads as high as 365 BPM coming from VT.

[Ricardo Ryan]

Hi,

I would be very happy if someone @ Merging would find the time to dive into the matter and help me with this.

It's in our list to very the VT points above and in a near future to provide you with an updated VT version.

Thanks,
Ricardo

[J.Wajer]

After hours of trying out different interfaces and different settings, I think I can safely assume that the MIDI Sync is not functioning properly.

• 1. When setting MIDI Sync as Slave using MIDI Clock only the SPP's are recieved. So MIDI sync wont run, just jump to the corresponding TC when stop is pressed. I am sure I have my clocksettings right.
• 2. When setting MIDI Sync as Slave using MIDI Time Code, nothing is recieved @ VT, except for locating events.
• 3. When setting MIDI Sync as Master generating MIDI Time Code, "something MIDI" is generated, but it is certainly not valid MTC since no app reacts to whatever it is that VT is generating.
• 4. When setting MIDI Sync as Master generating MIDI Clock, no SPP's are recieved at the output, only Start and Stop.

I would be very happy if someone @ Merging would find the time to dive into the matter and help me with this.

*Cough* *Cough* its been 10 months now.....and I still cant sync any app on my second PC using MIDI. Please???

[Paulo M]

*Cough* *Cough* its been 10 months now.....and I still cant sync any app on my second PC using MIDI. Please???

Yes, It´s about time MIDI gets the proper attention IMO. I respect that Merging does not want to implement VSTi suport in Pyramix, but at least we could have a good MIDI sync implementation to run other apps in sync, be it on the same PC or in diferent PC´s.

[MIDI69]

Hi all,

are you using a native or a card-based version of PMX? I´ve encoutered a similar problem, but only on a Mykerinos-system. My native system generates proper timecode and midi-clock. My pmx-dealer guessed that it would be a hardware - problem on the Myk-card as it would generate all timecode-based functions on the card. The native version would use the PC´s clock for that. So if possible, give it a try with a native version.

Best regards!
M.

[J.Wajer]

It is on a Mykerinos system indeed. It been over a year now and I still can not sync my PMX to my Cubase with VT 's MIDI Sync.

[Ricardo Ryan]

Hello,

Can't you use in the meantime Pyramix's LTC generator to synchronize them?

Regards,
Ricardo