X1c/Superior Drummer 2 notes play wrong velocity

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rmfluzon
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2011/10/10 20:28:45 (permalink)

X1c/Superior Drummer 2 notes play wrong velocity

This is a weird one. Haven't yet tested all the possible variables and it is not entirely consistent, but here's what I did.
 
1.Started a new project in Sonar. I was using a custom template, but pretty straightforward, 8 audio and 8 Midi tracks with a couple of FX busses and screensets configured the way I like.
 
2. Added Superior Drummer 2.
 
3.Configured an existing MIDI track to output to a drum map (downloaded from Toontrack) which outputs to SD, configured an existing audio track to recieve from SD.
 
4. Programmed a simple beat in the drum grid of PRV.
 
5. Played back a few times, then changed the tempo from 120 to 90 BPM.
 
6. Suddenly some hihat notes were way louder than they should be. Sounded like they were at full velocity.
 
I tried lowering the velocity of the notes (as far down as velocity 1) and they still played at max velocity (by the sound of it, anyway). I checked the drum map and the note properties for any velocity scaling or whatnot, everything seemed normal. I tried moving the note to other notes (snare, kick, open hat, etc.), still played at full velocity.
 
But here's the weird part. If I changed the tempo back to 120, or any other tempo I tried, the notes now sounded with the proper velocity. Or, if I shifted the note even 1 tick off the exact grid (1/8 notes was the smallest division in the beat, btw), the notes sounded with the correct velocity. Then I tried setting the tempo to 180 (exactly double 90, obviously), and the problem reoccured.
 
Anyone have any experience similiar to this? Any suggestions about what I might be missing? I'll try to troubleshoot more later (try a different drum map, different template, etc.). I already started a new project and used the same steps and it the problem was repeatable (though it doesn't always happen immediately). I tried Session Drummer and couldn't get it to repeat. I'm at a bit of a loss now, but I just continued working on my project with a tempo of 91 BPM instead of 90 and it seems fine...
 
Mysterious and vexing...

If I wasn't doing this I'd just be doing something else...

Robert Fegley at ReverbNation
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    Dave Modisette
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    Re:X1c/Superior Drummer 2 notes play wrong velocity 2011/10/11 08:57:40 (permalink)
    rmfluzon


    This is a weird one. Haven't yet tested all the possible variables and it is not entirely consistent, but here's what I did.
     
    1.Started a new project in Sonar. I was using a custom template, but pretty straightforward, 8 audio and 8 Midi tracks with a couple of FX busses and screensets configured the way I like.
     
    2. Added Superior Drummer 2.
     
    3.Configured an existing MIDI track to output to a drum map (downloaded from Toontrack) which outputs to SD, configured an existing audio track to recieve from SD.
     
    4. Programmed a simple beat in the drum grid of PRV.
     
    5. Played back a few times, then changed the tempo from 120 to 90 BPM.
     
    6. Suddenly some hihat notes were way louder than they should be. Sounded like they were at full velocity.
     
    I tried lowering the velocity of the notes (as far down as velocity 1) and they still played at max velocity (by the sound of it, anyway). I checked the drum map and the note properties for any velocity scaling or whatnot, everything seemed normal. I tried moving the note to other notes (snare, kick, open hat, etc.), still played at full velocity.
     
    But here's the weird part. If I changed the tempo back to 120, or any other tempo I tried, the notes now sounded with the proper velocity. Or, if I shifted the note even 1 tick off the exact grid (1/8 notes was the smallest division in the beat, btw), the notes sounded with the correct velocity. Then I tried setting the tempo to 180 (exactly double 90, obviously), and the problem reoccured.
     
    Anyone have any experience similiar to this? Any suggestions about what I might be missing? I'll try to troubleshoot more later (try a different drum map, different template, etc.). I already started a new project and used the same steps and it the problem was repeatable (though it doesn't always happen immediately). I tried Session Drummer and couldn't get it to repeat. I'm at a bit of a loss now, but I just continued working on my project with a tempo of 91 BPM instead of 90 and it seems fine...
     
    Mysterious and vexing...
    Saw another Toontrack/SONAR X1 user in the Toontrack forum who was having a similar issue with EZdrummer.  His was the opposite, though.  He was getting low volume out of one particular EZX from his midi keyboard.  I had a hunch that the issue was velocity and drum map related.  I must check back to see if he answered my questions concerning the use of drum maps.
     
    Can you repeat the issue without the use of a drum map?  I think the issue may lie there.

    Dave Modisette ... rocks a Purrrfect Audio Studio Pro rig.
    http://www.gatortraks.com 
    My music.
    ... And of course, the Facebook page. 
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    rmfluzon
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    Re:X1c/Superior Drummer 2 notes play wrong velocity 2011/10/11 14:55:36 (permalink)
    Mod Bod


     
    Can you repeat the issue without the use of a drum map?  I think the issue may lie there.

    Yeah, I tried it without a drum map, same thing. However, I was apparently mistaken about it occurring with drums other than hihat. Today it's only occuring with hihat, but with any articulation, mapped to any MIDI note.
     
    There's a lot in the SD manual about hihat mapping with reference to MIDI input from drum controllers (some mapping features don't seem to be fully explained in the manual). I'm going to post over at the TT forums about this also.
     
    I just can't figure out out why the tempo or grid position would affect it this way...

    If I wasn't doing this I'd just be doing something else...

    Robert Fegley at ReverbNation
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    rmfluzon
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    Re:X1c/Superior Drummer 2 notes play wrong velocity 2011/10/11 16:01:32 (permalink)
    OK, tested some more, figured out that the NY Vol. 2 Allaire kit was the only one exhibiting this behavior. Then I tried disabling some of the randomization settings, disabling semi-seq fixed it (semi-seq causes more randomization of mid-level velocity notes, choosing samples from adjacent layers sometimes). Then I noticed that a number of the hihat articulations in the Allaire kit have only two mid-level layers enabled by default, which I assume was causing the sem-seq feature to sometimes select a sample from the hard hit layer. It still seems like even with the hard level sample playing, it would be playing at the mapped velocity. Perhaps it actually was, but the sample itself is higher amplitude, or just the sound of a hard hit on a hihat was naturally sounding louder to me (it certainly sounded out of place).

    I still have no idea what the project tempo has to do with it, maybe I'll test this in FL Studio later to see if the behavior is  the same in a different host. In any case, disabling semi-seq, or better, adding a couple of more velocity layers to the Allaire hihat articulations fixes things.

    If I wasn't doing this I'd just be doing something else...

    Robert Fegley at ReverbNation
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