List of Working/Non Working Class Compliant USB Interfaces

Neodymium wrote:Ok, I have the LXR-02 going into the Inputs 1and 2 on the UMC1820, going to the MPC on an audio track set to Monitor In. No crackles.

2 Questions,

1. How frequent are your crackles?
2. Are any of your synths USB powered?

All right, interesting...
The crackles happens every first play of a sequence and then on all sequence changes.
Then there are few random crackles here and there during the sequence play through. Sometimes one in 10 seconds, sometimes 2 crackles in the same time span.

I have one synth that is usb powered, but this is not powered through the MPC.

I usually have an Akai Mini Play Plus connected to and powered through the second usb port on the MPC. But I have also tried removing this and only having the UMC connected to the MPC. No difference.

Do you have more gear to test simultaneously?

Is this with an empty project? Is the same true in a "regular project" in that case, where you have more going on?

Like I think I mentioned my issues are in a project with 50% memory utilization and 30-40% CPU usage.
I use all my inputs on the UMC and and extra stereo in via ADAT (note: removing the ADAT completely doesn't do any difference in my case...).

MPC One into a project with samples, and 5 plug in loaded.

I had all sorts of noise problems with USB. The only USB cables I use are to communicate with Soundcard interfaces and devices that don't make a sound. SO I have my MPC running into a UMC1820 and that that runs into a Scarlet connected to my DAW. The UMC1820 has a ADA8200 connected with ADAT. I initially got that to run my synths into plus a Lexicon on SPDIF, but although there are 16 inputs, it's 8 tracks, so really only 8 devices mono or stereo. The non sound making devices on USB are 2 Launch controls that share a USB Hub with the UMC going into the Akai, and Launch pad, and occasionally a Reface CP, but not used for audio. Then everything midi that makes a sound is talking with Midi Din cables and a Midi splitter, with some things daisy chained, but only a max of one device daisy chaining of another.

I really suggest ruling out USB cables being the issue, otherwise you'll be chasing you tail spending and testing interfaces.

I'll plug in my Hydrasynth and Taiga in tomorrow (well tomorrow your time), they've both been neglected so I should play them anyways. I also have 2 more outs on the LXR-02 so it's easy to plug them into an input and a track each. That should make 2 stereo tracks and 3 mono.

Neodymium wrote:MPC One into a project with samples, and 5 plug in loaded.

I had all sorts of noise problems with USB. The only USB cables I use are to communicate with Soundcard interfaces and devices that don't make a sound. SO I have my MPC running into a UMC1820 and that that runs into a Scarlet connected to my DAW. The UMC1820 has a ADA8200 connected with ADAT. I initially got that to run my synths into plus a Lexicon on SPDIF, but although there are 16 inputs, it's 8 tracks, so really only 8 devices mono or stereo. The non sound making devices on USB are 2 Launch controls that share a USB Hub with the UMC going into the Akai, and Launch pad, and occasionally a Reface CP, but not used for audio. Then everything midi that makes a sound is talking with Midi Din cables and a Midi splitter, with some things daisy chained, but only a max of one device daisy chaining of another.

I really suggest ruling out USB cables being the issue, otherwise you'll be chasing you tail spending and testing interfaces.

I'll plug in my Hydrasynth and Taiga in tomorrow (well tomorrow your time), they've both been neglected so I should play them anyways. I also have 2 more outs on the LXR-02 so it's easy to plug them into an input and a track each. That should make 2 stereo tracks and 3 mono.

Thanks, looking forward to your test results
The thing is that I have already tried like 5 usb cables. The original one that came with the UMC (the one with a ferret bead) and others I have without ferret beads. I'm currently using the usb cable that came with my Digitone. From what I gather the Elektron usb cables are considered high quality usb cables, and should be my best choice...

No usb hubs used in my case with the MPC.
But I read somewhere that someone had better results with actually plugging in their audio interface into a powered usb hub of high quality.
And that was also pretty abstract. What is even a high quality usb hub? Do I need to buy 5 usb hubs to trial and error if I managed to find a high quality one..?
I've already tried with a powered usb 3 hub I have at home, but there is no change in crackles/pops

I'm saying zero USB cables for synths. send midi on midi din cables only, power on PSUs.

The UMC uses USB, midi controllers on USB, everything else on midi din.

(just cleaning dried up cat sick off my taiga synth, and will then hook everything up)

Neodymium wrote:I'm saying zero USB cables for synths. send midi on midi din cables only, power on PSUs.

The UMC uses USB, midi controllers on USB, everything else on midi din.

(just cleaning dried up cat sick off my taiga synth, and will then hook everything up)

But I do need to use usb for powering my MicroMonsta2, it is the only way to power it
But it is, and has always been, powered by a separate usb charger, never going into the MPC for audio or power.

That should be fine if it's a just sending power, and the midi and audio are separated.

It should be easy to rule out. Disconnect all the USB from the synths, and just leave the power and the audio connected, and If you have any midi cables, connect them up, and play. If the crackles stop, that's an indication it's the USBs. You should need audio playing, just connected to see if USB is the culprit.

I'm not saying I'm right, but just rule it out before buying anything else.

MPC One and UMC1820 with ADAT from ADA8200

LXR-02 1 Stereo Track and 2 Monos
Hydrasynth Stereo Track
Taiga 1 Mono Track
So 2 stereo, 3 mono tracks on 7 inputs all set to monitor In.

Sample track and Jura. plus so effects to ramp up the CPU, pro Delay and reverb. CPU hitting 39%

No crackles

Neodymium wrote:MPC One and UMC1820 with ADAT from ADA8200

LXR-02 1 Stereo Track and 2 Monos
Hydrasynth Stereo Track
Taiga 1 Mono Track
So 2 stereo, 3 mono tracks on 7 inputs all set to monitor In.

Sample track and Jura. plus so effects to ramp up the CPU, pro Delay and reverb. CPU hitting 39%

No crackles

Hmm, all right! Good and bad news then. Either there is something going on with my cabling/power/usb connections. Or there is inconsistencies between devices even when using the same gear
Even when changing between two sequences back an forth? If you make a copy of the sequence and take out a few part between the sequences so they are not identical.

Sorry, all shut down now, so unable to check if that would break it.

Let me know how you get on with my USB cable theory.

Neodymium wrote:Sorry, all shut down now, so unable to check if that would break it.

Let me know how you get on with my USB cable theory.

So now I have done thorough testing... And the issue is still the same for me.

What I have done:

- Removed every device one by one to test if any of them is causing it.
- I've tested 3 more usb cables with my UMC.
- Tested both USB ports on the MPC in combination with above.
- Removed my ADAT interface, unplugged its power supply and any cables to it.
- Tested different outlets.
- Removed anything USB powered in the chain.

Nothing makes a difference in my case...

My only remaining options are that there is something hardware related, either on my MPC Live or the UMC.
I bought the UMC brand new like a month ago. I've only used it in combination with my MPC so far (apart from testing that there are no issues with it when connecting it to the PC...)
I have a really hard time thinking that my unit could be defective, but cannot rule it out.

Can the USB ports on the MPC be worn from unplugging/plugging things through the years? Can these kinds of crackles/pops come from this?
Or is there something internal wearing out?

And you are telling me you have it working with an MPC One? From what I gather the internals should be the same between the MPC Live and MPC One? But could there actually be some component that have been updated on the MPC One. And unluckily that component is actually what makes the difference?

Yeah, MPC One (Black version). I don't think it will be the USB cable to from the UMC to the MPC, as I have mine running into a cheap 4 way hub , with my 2 Launch controls hooked up too.

So If you have just the UMC connected to the MPC, with a USB cable, and nothing else, no synths, just the MPC and the UMC, do you get crackling?

Neodymium wrote:Yeah, MPC One (Black version). I don't think it will be the USB cable to from the UMC to the MPC, as I have mine running into a cheap 4 way hub , with my 2 Launch controls hooked up too.

So If you have just the UMC connected to the MPC, with a USB cable, and nothing else, no synths, just the MPC and the UMC, do you get crackling?

All right, I will also borrow a friend's XR18 and test if that has the same issues when connecting to my MPC...

Playback through the UMC using the MPC works well. It is as soon as I use Audio tracks with Monitor In that the issues appear. This is what I need it for, so unfortunately beats the purpose to not have my synths connected to it

Here is an audio example of what I'm experiencing btw:

- There is a noticeable crackle like every 5 restart of a sequence.
- There is always a big crackle on every sequence change (masked by the kick when the drums come in, but still there).
- And also randomly in the middle of a sequence (a lot quieter, but still there and would sound shit on a PA at high volume).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XnSVHq ... p=drivesdk

horisonten wrote:Playback through the UMC using the MPC works well. It is as soon as I use Audio tracks with Monitor In that the issues appear. This is what I need it for, so unfortunately beats the purpose to not have my synths connected to it

But did you test it with absolutely nothing connected to it? I'm not suggesting you use the UMC with nothing connected, but just testing and running through steps to isolate the cause. Does crackling occur when you only have the MPC connected to the UMC and nothing else? Turn monitor In on but do not connected a synth (it doesn't know there are no synths connected).

Neodymium wrote:But did you test it with absolutely nothing connected to it? I'm not suggesting you use the UMC with nothing connected, but just testing and running through steps to isolate the cause. Does crackling occur when you only have the MPC connected to the UMC and nothing else? Turn monitor In on but do not connected a synth (it doesn't know there are no synths connected).

So in my desperate search for crackle free operation I started a new test project.
Loaded like 4 plugins, a drum program and a drum program with only risers.
And it started well. Memory usage was 50% and cpu like 17-20%. And at first it was crackle free.

But then when routing like I usually do, out 5/6 from the UMC to my Octatrack Input A and B, and out 7/8 to Octatrack Input C and D, there was a few crackles again.
Then my Main Out and Que Out out of my Octatrack comes into the UMC 1/2 and 3/4, these are then sent directly to Main Out 1/2 (to the PA/Speakers).

I want to route everything thru my Octatrack for live mangling and effects. And I'm starting to suspect that this routing is causing some kind of strain on the MPC/UMC combo

I also need to check if Disk Streaming can be affecting things. I have my risers set to Disk Streaming since these only are triggered and does not have any effects applied apart from send to a reverb.

So I will need to keep investigating later...

horisonten wrote:So in my desperate search for crackle free operation I started a new test project.
Loaded like 4 plugins, a drum program and a drum program with only risers.
And it started well. Memory usage was 50% and cpu like 17-20%. And at first it was crackle free.

So it started to crackle? Nothing else was connected, just the UMC, no Octatrack, nothing, just the UMC?, Just MPC, UMC, Speakers