A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data

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Glyn Barnes
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2016/01/13 15:12:26 (permalink)

A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data

My A-Pro 800 has started spitting out midi controller data. It happens at random and it can be different CCs.

On occasions the Midi input "meter" on the Sonar MIDI track is flickering when the keyboard is untouched.

Any ideas would be appreciated. My fear is the Keyboard has a fault.
post edited by Glyn Barnes - 2016/01/13 15:26:11

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    mesayre
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/13 20:58:43 (permalink)
    Just a couple troubleshooting questions:
    Do you have an expression or other pedals attached?
    Are you using MIDI merge/thru with any other devices?
    Are you still using the same Control template? If you have accidentally switched to one that uses encoder simulation, that will send CC data whenever the pots aren't dead center. Super irritating. You can also use the A-Pro editor to see if encoder simulation is being used on your current template.
     
    I believe it's possible to re-flash the firmware. It's downloadable from Roland's website. You could try that if none of these other ideas bear fruit.
     
     

    Mike Sayre
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    robert_e_bone
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/14 09:34:12 (permalink)
    I have this issue on occasion with an Axiom Pro 61 controller, and it is quite annoying.  Seems to generate random mod wheel events all on its own.
     
    Bob Bone

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/14 12:13:56 (permalink)
    mesayre
    Just a couple troubleshooting questions:
    Do you have an expression or other pedals attached?
    Are you using MIDI merge/thru with any other devices?
     

    Thanks. I disconnected every thing. Connected the A-PRO Worked fine. I then connected the hold and expression pedals. Worked OK. Turned on the old XP10 connected through the MIDI port of my Quadcapture. Still OK. I will keep it like this for a couple of seasons and see if it reoccurs.

    I have yet to connect a AKAI Lp25 mini keyboard, It will be tomorrow before I try that.

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/14 15:58:48 (permalink)
    I spoke too soon. Its back, its always been radom in any case so there have been trouble free periods.
     
    I left Sonar recording unattended for a couple of hours and got 53 events (CC77 ad CC66) which is less frequent than previously observed.
     
    Incidentally I notice the effects using some VSTi in standalone, particularly EW Play when a parameter chances for no apparent reason.
     
    I can't see firmware on the website, only drivers and I have the latest WIN 10 driver. I have opened a support ticket with Roland to see what they suggest.
     

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/15 05:29:25 (permalink)
    A case of blindness last night. I found the firmware here http://roland.com/support/article/?q=downloads&p=A-500PRO&id=62152876
     
    I will wait until this evening to see if there is any response from Roland before trying the update. 
    post edited by Glyn Barnes - 2016/01/15 05:42:44

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/15 11:22:46 (permalink)
    A quick response from Roland, who said as the board is over 3 years old I need to refer it to a third party engineer, they provided contacts for the closest to me.
     
    So I reloaded the firmware, a much newer version than it was running. But its still the same. Looks like its going to cost money, given the age (6 years) I wonder if a replacment is a better option?
     

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    azslow3
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/15 12:07:00 (permalink)
    Could you identify which controls are assigned to that CCs? If that are "not important" controls, you can filter them out using MIDI FX or other methods.

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/15 14:49:05 (permalink)
    Well it had mostly been throwing out CC 65 (Portmento) and CC 77 (Vibrato Depth), but i have just seen some CC 76 (Vibrato depth). In the past there have been others. I have a feeling that CC 7 (volume) or some other CC that affects volume is also being randomly transmitted as i have had unexplained changes in volume both in Sonar and stand alone VSTi's
     
    I think filtering is going to be a long shot!  Best work around to date is to put up with it and edit out the spurious events after the fact.
    post edited by Glyn Barnes - 2016/01/15 15:04:53

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/16 10:02:17 (permalink)
    A bit more on this - I changed the driver setting "Midi In" to "Light Load". The help file or manual does not specify what this does, only that you would not normally use it. But so far I have not seen spurious data blip since making the change.
     
    I did find this definition of Light Load in UA20 documentation.

    while the Light Load tick box for the MIDI In lowers the polling frequency at the expense of a slightly higher MIDI latency.

     
    I don't see how latency settings would result in spurious data but I have my fingers crossed!

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    mesayre
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/20 11:15:05 (permalink)
    Hey Glyn,
      Hmm. Did you check to see if your control map has any of its pots set to Encoder Simulate? That's about the only idea I have left.
     
    Mike

    Mike Sayre
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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/20 13:20:52 (permalink)
    mesayre
    Hey Glyn,
      Hmm. Did you check to see if your control map has any of its pots set to Encoder Simulate? That's about the only idea I have left.
     
    Mike


    Nothing like that. Also when I upgraded the firmware I went back to factory defaults.
    Changing the driver mode to "Light Load" seems to have almost eliminated the problem. I have only seen two single spikes of spurious data (each a single event) since I changed and I have been using MIDI a lot.
     
    I suspect some of the pots are generating electronic noise and the lower the poling rate means its getting picked up less frequently, someone had also suggested sensitivity may be changed with the driver mode. I started another thread in the main Sonar forum in the hope of geting more people to see it . http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3353606

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/29 07:21:13 (permalink)
    Well after a trouble free week last night I had several instances of spurious data. I am becoming convinced its a hardware fault. I need to decide now if.
    1. I just put up with it.
    2. Call the engineer suggested by Roland. I can't see a fix is going to be cheap.
    3. Look for a replacment. NI Komplete Kontrol look good because of the keyswitch light guide. There is a lot out there but nothing meets all my requirments.

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    mesayre
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/29 11:19:01 (permalink)
    Oof. Bummer. I've never tried taking the apro apart, but is it possible to clean the contacts on the pots?

    Mike Sayre
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    azslow3
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/29 13:46:53 (permalink)
    Cheep old StudioMix I have got on eBay, while looks brilliant, sends spurious data all the time and it is sending wrong events from controls. I have tried to deal with that in my software and I also think I should open it one day. But let be serious, there is a better place for failed hardware then our gear...

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: A-Pro 800 spurious MIDI data 2016/01/29 15:09:39 (permalink)
    mesayre
    Oof. Bummer. I've never tried taking the apro apart, but is it possible to clean the contacts on the pots?


    It looks like it would come apart, plenty of screws on the back, but I am a bit wary of taking things apart, I have had some bad experiences. I assume the engineer recomended by Roland would do that and either clean or replace the offending components.

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