By elektrik_muz
Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:56 pm
Well... midi does suck but too often it gets blamed for issues with other technology that it has to work through -- tech that most people are clueless about.
There's problems with comparing computer midi to dedicated hardware midi because of all the interfacing midi has to go through to get into a computer. You have to convert things though a bunch of different software and hardware standards before the midi reaches the DAW's sequencer. The only way to assure proper timing with a computer is to use a midi interface with a timestamping function that works with the DAW. Without that it's just tossing it up to chance, even if you're sending it through PCI or firewire. I know someone with an RME fireface who gets midi timing problems -- he has to compensate in the DAW settings because the midi gets there too soon. His timestamp-enabled MTP AV with it's much less impressive USB 1.1 interface doesn't have this problem -- it's always dead on (thou I would never recommend USB midi without timestamping for any timing critical stuff).
Dedicated hardware doesn't have to work through all the silt so this stuff shouldn't be much of an issue. The only time I've noticed latency problems with the MPC midi inputs is when it gets hit with too many notes at the very start of a recording. I just space things out (extra bar in front that I dispose of later etc) and I can't say I've had any serious latency issues with it.
Maybe I'll do some tests just to see if I can dredge anything up but otherwise I haven't heard many complaints on here about MPC midi input latency.
There's problems with comparing computer midi to dedicated hardware midi because of all the interfacing midi has to go through to get into a computer. You have to convert things though a bunch of different software and hardware standards before the midi reaches the DAW's sequencer. The only way to assure proper timing with a computer is to use a midi interface with a timestamping function that works with the DAW. Without that it's just tossing it up to chance, even if you're sending it through PCI or firewire. I know someone with an RME fireface who gets midi timing problems -- he has to compensate in the DAW settings because the midi gets there too soon. His timestamp-enabled MTP AV with it's much less impressive USB 1.1 interface doesn't have this problem -- it's always dead on (thou I would never recommend USB midi without timestamping for any timing critical stuff).
Dedicated hardware doesn't have to work through all the silt so this stuff shouldn't be much of an issue. The only time I've noticed latency problems with the MPC midi inputs is when it gets hit with too many notes at the very start of a recording. I just space things out (extra bar in front that I dispose of later etc) and I can't say I've had any serious latency issues with it.
Maybe I'll do some tests just to see if I can dredge anything up but otherwise I haven't heard many complaints on here about MPC midi input latency.