Does anyone else noticed a problem with MASSIVE and Renoise, when using MASSIVE’s “Performer”?
I have created a small arpeggiated instrument with the performer, and it is usually in sync with Renoise, but sometimes, it loses sync by about 1 or two sub ticks, which is really annoying.
Of course the External Sync in Global is checked (by default), and the Performer is set to Mono.
My imagination? Or did I miss some checkbox?
EDIT:
It seems like Renoise’s Panic button seems to resolve it.
Is the Panic sending anything special to its plugins?
Looks like Massive doesn’t always pick up at the exact relative point it should pick up. If a panic resolves it means that something more gets reset in Massive than when it plainly receives a play command.
Perhaps some extra option in the instrument properties of Massive that improves the situation?
Yes, sounds about right.
I think I covered all the bases in MASSIVE:
External Sync on
Monophonic voicing selected
1 voice only selected
Mono on the performer (same oscillation for all voices)
CPU is well on the safe side (so its not a performance issue)
If my ears do not deceive me, I think that MASSIVE starts the arpeggiated sequence early by one sub tick.
I am trying to investigate more with slower sequences, was wondering if anyone else has noticed it, since I understand MASSIVE is popular here.
It is quite reproducible on my end. Just create a simple default size pattern, and put a note at wide spaces to let the small arpeggio play its course.
I have also placed two small MP3s inside the ZIP, one that shows how it should sound when synced ok, and one that shows the problem.
I used 135BPM but I am guessing it will be the same on others.
I think I can say with a high degree of certainty that something is not right with Renoise in regards to syncing with VST plugins.
I have played with another synth, and the same thing happens. The plugin is getting out of sync.
This time, I was even unable to “fix” it with the panic button.
Here is a way that I believe will reproduce it on any synth that has a stepper or arpeggiator or any other mean of making a sound that is distinctively synced with the host.
Adventus
I will go and try to reproduce with some other synths, would love to hear from someone if this is a bug or a misuse on my part.
I love arps and steppers… I miss step sequencing a little… (have an MC-505 groovebox)
You have the external sync turned on… this is one of the more important options to be sure that the plugin synchronizes to the host and does not perform its own kind of internal tempo.
We might have to investigate this, however this can also be related to the fact that Renoise currently does not support plugin delay compensation.
Interesting that you mention this delay compensation. I was unaware of such an issue and it sounds like a highly probable cause.
The out of syncage is very tiny - I am guessing about 1 sub tick, 2 at the most - and it seem to happen on heavy presets only. I was trying to reproduce the problem with some other, lighter VST arps with no success.
Okay, but if the timing itself may remain at the same bpm, but it is just shifted, then this may be a PDC issue.
Perhaps when mangling with the NeedsStaticBuffer setting in the CachedVsts.xml you can gain some improvement or increase the audio-device buffer size.
Though this will also increase latency.