Slow reaction from controller?

[Tim Walther]

Hi,

I''m trying to recreate the problem and thus far I've had no succes (or failure ). I tried mapping some faders (8 of 'em actually) to each of the layer's opacity. Using composition Midi Mapping. On a comp. with 8 layers. On win7 and osx10.8. I've tried a number of controllers, amongst them the novation remote 25sl and the akai mpc40.

I'm starting to think that this might be some USB-bandwith issue.. Although it's strange that this behavior is "new" to 4.1.1. Are you guys using any other USB-periphals when it happens? How about HD-activity, does it happen as well when playing no clips?

Mac users (I think a pc won't like it): what happens when you yank out the usb-lead and reconnect it, without quitting Avenue / Arena? (if the device doesn't respont, hit refresh in the midi preferences)

Any other system info is really appreciated!

Thanks,

Tim

[cosmowe]

(I'm on Win7)

Hey Tim,
to answer your questions:

I'm using my icon icontrolls on a USB 3.0 Plug with no other usb stuff plugged or hubbed to this port. And yes, the fader SloMo behaviour still exists when resolume does not playback any clips.

My HD activity is minimal. Because of a SSD Raid-0 configuration.

yank out the usb-lead and reconnect it doesn't repair this issue. tried it already.

Extra info:
I only have this slomo issue with faders. and not with knobs.


Greetz
cosmowe

[bildwerk]

same here,
allthough i didn't was able to test it right now,
when it last occured we had just connected a matrox triplehead 2 go, mouse, keyboard.
hdd activity is minimal.

i cannot say on which usb port the controller was connected. i will try it out asap.

yanking out and pushing back in didnt solve the problem aswell.

best

[gbravetti]

Workaround:

Remove the file: contextualMIDIShortcuts.xml from the user/Documents/Resolume/preferences

Just ignore the next:
WORKAROUND:

When you get in to slow motion, just find which CC is causing it and change its MIDI channel (or avoid to use that CC on that channel)


Explanation and testings procedures:
(Controlling Resolume's parameters with Ableton and max (cycling74))

It seems that the slow motion response is not related to MIDI controllers but to some particular CC's they selfs.

I found that some CC are more susceptible than others to get in to Slow-Motion and those particular CC while present could create a bottleneck for the other CCs also.

I tested this in 3 apple computers, Air, iMac and the new MacBook Pro with retina display, Snow Leopard and Lion so I'm sure is not something related to a particular computer/os


The Test.

For this test you need:

- Resolume, Arena or Avenue
- Ableton Live or Max (cycling74), demo versions will work perfectly.
- A virtual MIDI device, I'm using IAC driver that is part of OSX.
- Configure Ableton Live/Max so they can send MIDI through you virtual MIDI device.
- Configure Resolume so it can receive MIDI through your virtual MIDI device.


Procedure:

1) In Ableton create a MIDI clip with a 1 BAR ramp up MIDI envelope assigned to MIDI CC 30.
2) Be sure this track is set to send through MIDI channel 1.(MIDI to)
3) Now press play on live and turn METRO on, so you can easily see/here how it is going.
4) Now in Resolume create a clip with the source Lines on it.
5) Assign the incoming MIDI CC30 ch1 to control for example: Line Width.
6) Leave Mapping mode and see what happens.

As you can see/hear, Line Width is behaving in slow motion.

7) Now duplicate that clip 7 times in the same layer.

Now slow motion is even more noticeable, and if you stop Ableton now, you'll see activity on Line Width for several seconds.

8) Now duplicate the track in Ableton and set the new track to send through channel 2
9) Mute or stop the other Track/Clip (ch1), so now we are receiving just CC30 ch2
10) In Resolume clear all the clips but 1.
11) On the remaining clip in Resolume, assign CC30 ch2 to another Line parameter, for example Rotation, and go out from mapping mode.
11) In Live press play just on the Clip that is sending trough channel 2, be sure the other clip is stopped or CH1 track is muted.

You'll see that all works normally in Resolume, parameter automation response is just perfect.

This proves that is not something related to MIDI CC data rate.


12) Now for the end of the test, in Ableton Live just press play (or un-mute) the other clip and...


Shazzam! bottleneck! Now all is behaving slow motion again.

If you stop/mute CC30 ch1, after a while, all becomes normal again.

To be sure this is not something related to Ableton Live, I created the same envelope in Max (0 to 127 in aprox 2 seconds with a data output rate of 5ms) and Resolume seems to behave the same.


WORKAROUND:
when you get in to slow motion, just find which CC is causing it and change its MIDI channel, remap, done!
(I hope)


Well, I hope this info would help you to solve this issue, looking forward for some good new on the fix.

Developers, if you need some help testing/stressing feel free to contact me to my personal email.

Best!


PS. Sorry about my English, I speak Spanish

[cosmowe]

Nice description! It could really be that Tim Walther & Co would find this very helpful to track this bug.


Greetz
cosmowe

[cosmowe]

Hey resolumes....I've send you a video via mail i've made with this issue.

For all the others who what to check if their issue is the same...DL Link >> CLICK!


Greetz
cosmowe

[gbravetti]

Cosmowe,

Did you try to change that slider to send same CC but through a different MIDI channel, then re-assign to the same params?

[cosmowe]

Yes I did. And it works fine....totally randomly. First it works.... and then after time x it falls back to this slomo behaviour. Its a really strange bug.


Greetz
cosmowe

[gbravetti]

UPDATE

A problematic CC/Chan has not to be assigned to create a bottle neck for all the assigned controllers.

i.e.
Sending CC30 Chan 1 to Resolume will make others controls start behaving in Slow Motion, even if CC30 Chan 1 is not mapped to anything.

We are creating a list of problematic CC/Chan, I'll post soon.

[cosmowe]

...lady's and gents... we have a pro over here!