AKAI has a systemic MIDI issue - for many years now

I need help: I experience that the arpeggiator is NEVER starting with the first beat!
- I started completely fresh - without a template or else - still the same.
- whatever setting I have tried on the MPCX - the arpeggiator ALWAYS starts with the "off-beat"
- for all of you doing pumping off-beat sound (dum-thing, dum-thing, dum-thing, dum-thing) fantastic - but for on-beat people like me this is a USELESS situation (why not having a timeshift option???)
- Is it just me????

While hunting through threads finding solutions for MIDI timing issues I realized that AKAI Pro tools must have a systemic (basic) problem with their MIDI implementation - since years. Now I read that Force owners are running into the same problems.

I have used the Yamaha RS7000 for 11 years or so, NEVER EVER an issue with synchronizing anything. Not that the RS7K was perfect, but at this point it was steady and reliable.
AKAI, a perfect MIDI implementation is nowadays a minimum requirement.

I like the features and the workflow is highly adjustable to individual needs.
On the other hand: Finding out why a certain passage will never work, due to floating and imprecise MIDI, takes literally hours, before giving up and doing another solution.

Have you tried playing just ahead of the first beat?

Moho wrote:Have you tried playing just ahead of the first beat?

Interessting question...
I am a musician and I play the way it should be. Why should I do this. I bought a Professional instrument!

Imagine: The neck of a Stradivari for $1.5m is slightly bend - it will be impossible to play for a professional musician - even so it is possible to equalize the mistune by moving the fingers a little off the point. The instrument needs a fix - don't you agree???
For me, this is missing respect to us musicians (customers...).

Interesting question: Is AKAI ISO 9001:2015 certified??? If so, the auditors should give them a systemic non-conformity for ignoring customer needs and withdraw their certificate. As you can read: I am a bit p****-off, as I was again struggling with the box while trying to be constructive.

i`ve worked a lot in tech support, some of the time for music companies... and people just love it when somebody is "a professional"...

here is a professional explanation:

the arp starts when the metronome hits the 1st beat, if you press start and then, *slightly after that* you start playing your arp (or if the sequence plays and you just missed the beat), the arp will play from the next tick.

i don`t think this is the MP`s fault, somehow i think this is how it was designed... maybe try turning off the quantization?

rageone wrote:i`ve worked a lot in tech support, some of the time for music companies... and people just love it when somebody is "a professional"...

here is a professional explanation:

the arp starts when the metronome hits the 1st beat, if you press start and then, *slightly after that* you start playing your arp (or if the sequence plays and you just missed the beat), the arp will play from the next tick.

i don`t think this is the MP`s fault, somehow i think this is how it was designed... maybe try turning off the quantization?

Yes - "the arp starts when the metronome hits the 1st beat" (MIDI Machine Control command) - that's how it should be - and maybe the MPC is trying to do so. But fact is (quant on or off) it misses the first beat.
To my understanding of how the MPC works: it will catch the first beat if "Preference/Sequencer/Place Events Recorded During Count-In at Start Point" is turned on "...during the recording’s pre-count will record that note event at the start of the recording" - but, not with the internal arp - at least my experience - maybe I am doing something wrong - would be great to find out what....

btw.: Playing around with the quantization is a helper I use sometimes AFTER recording, but should be "watertight" if people use it during recording. Sometime I forget to switch it off - result is as expected on the quant divider and better, as it removes duplicate notes.

Edit: Interesting fact is, that if I record an external sequencer (my M3 KARMA), having quant switched off in my MPCX, no issue with the first beat and all running smoothly. The M3 sends a constant MIDI Clock. That's why I am sure that the MPCs have a MIDI implementation issue!!!!
But due to other limitations of the MPC (e.g. audio recording only with internal MPC Midi clock), I need constantly switch my M3 between Master/Slave.

Edit 2: Just for analysis: If the MPC is Master - no arpeggiator of the connected instruments are running before hitting the Start button of the MPC. If my M3 or my Virus is the Clock Master all connected instruments are synchronized BEFORE starting a sequence - for recording or play-back.
Result if the MPC is Master: A slight shift in timing (recognized by many users since generations of MPs) - and for the above issue even for the internal arp (maybe... or maybe a different cause)