First of all, I’m very grateful for any help, trying to figure this out before I buy the full version.
Set-up:
PC - I7 Dell laptop, 8Gs RAM, CPU load doesn’t budge from 3-4%
Digitakt connected by Midi USB → sound out to speakers No audio processing through Renoise - solely using it as a sequencer and for CC control
Still on the Demo version - using DirectSound, but as mentioned, no audio processing going on in Renoise
Have set up a Instr Midi Control FX for the CCs
Problem:
When sending a fast chain of Note + Midi CC commands (in this case, 1/8th Notes at 155bpm), the Midi CC applies incredibly late - I have to set the Midi command a whole two steps early to get it to apply to the right note.
I can understand setting the Command a line early, as in the Midi screen you can see that note events are sent before CCs, but even a line above isn’t enough - it is still applied one note late.
The problem goes away if I run the sequencer at half speed.
Questions:
Firstly, is this something asio will fix? As I’ve mentioned, there’s no audio being processed by Renoise, and so I fail to see how reduced audio buffer size is going to improve Midi latency when I can’t even pair Note triggers with CC commands: then again, I’m no expert.
Secondly, is there a way, for convenience, to specify a Midi CC command and have it apply to the same step, despite Note events being apparently sent before CC’s?
If I can’t fix this, I’m not going to o be using Renoise, which is a shame because I really like tracker workflows…
Are you using the " *Instr. MIDI Control " device to automate the CC’s?
Here I’m driving several midi channels on a Volca Drum, Notes and CC’s moving all over the place; you can see that with 12 ticks per line resolution, automation provides massive control opportunities between line 0 and 1:
As mentioned in my post, yes I am using a Midi Instr Control Device to control the Digitakt.
However to be perfectly honest I’m not sure this comment really answers my question regarding latency: I’m aware how the Midi Instr Control Device works, as well as its potential, but if I’m getting latency like this it’s not going to be worth much.
In any case thanks again for the reply, if you’ve got any ideas regarding the latency I’m all ears!
The Ext. MIDI Mode adds audio latency as an extra delay to all MIDI events in order to synchronise the audio generated by Renoise with the MIDI signals generated by external synths, assuming the external synths don’t produce extra latency.
If you are only using Renoise as a MIDI generator, using Line In-Ret (which is badly named in this case) will avoid this extra latency.
Yes, using WASAPI or ASIO instead of DirectSound is recommended to get better MIDI timing under Windows. If you don’t have a registered version of Renoise, try using WASAPI instead.
Thanks a lot for answering, very grateful for the help.
Indeed Miri CC is late vs Notes. See below for details. They may both be late as well, but given I’m not synching it with anything it’s not a huge problem.
On the Digitakt, Midi CC 20 controls slice select (nice as it allows you to manipulate slice tune without bouncing it to a separate sample). I’m incrementing the Instr Midi Control parameter per step the move through the sample. There may be a better way to do this, but it isn’t important for the problem
There is a notable bass note on Slice 5, which I should hear on the 5th note played.
However, this bass note always lands on the 6th note: this is even if, looking into the midi, the command is sent before the note - this is how I’ve come to the conclusion that the Midi CCs specifically are sent/processed late versus Notes
As such, I’m not sure if ASIO would help, given that we’re talking about delay of a specific kind of Midi command.
I will try WASAPI tonight I would appreciate any further advice.
Perhaps it is the order of events that is the problem here:
If notes and CC commands are on the same line, in the same track, notes will be sent before CCs. In general, things are processed and sent from left to right.
So try placing the CCs commands in a separate track to the left of the track where the notes are.
As mentioned in my original post, Even putting the commands a line before the Note command wasn’t enough, I’ve had to put them a whole two lines before to get the intended results.
