SOLVED ! (extremely) Inconsistent Midi timing Between plugin

Cubase
,
1

this not the first time that i encounter this kind of behaviour, but first time that i take time to report it >

i’ve been trying GA se as a midi pattern player, the set up is extremely simple :
GA playing midi files / pattern ( 1 to 3 bars ) only one pitch ( rhythmic part )
i have a hi hat sample in GA to check in audio that it is playing OK

than another plugin ( retrologue ) receiving midi from GA midi out ( midi in from GA, midi monitor ON )

Retrologue is playing, but the timing is so messed up you can’t even recognise the original rhythm
( i mean it is not just a tiny groove or delay problem )

i first tried that in my big work template.
than make an empty project ( only 2 tracks ), same problem.

i tried two ways :
transport = stop
playing GA, retrologue monitoring on

or

record a midi part on GA track ( just notes triggering the patterns )
Retrologue monitoring on

both ways are total chaos… unusable.

i have to say i have short and fast notes ( think trap hi hat kind of part / in fact more flamenco guitar strum rhythm type of pattern )
but nothing that a human hand can’t do, i could play this kind of patterns on a pad.

Other test >>
if i drag the pattern from GA to the retrologue track ( mini monitor = off ), it plays fine

it seems like midi between two vst is badly buffered / got no timing reference ?

if it is not a bug, how can we overcome this behaviour…
this an absolute nonsense to me and a total workflow breaker on the project i’m writing music for actually…



Settings :
i use a rme fireface
64bits processing
multi process active
asio guard = low
audio priority = boost
steinberg power scheme = on
disk preload 4 sec
adjust for record latency = on
record shift = 0

system timestamp for windows midi input = off
use device direct music = off

2

Lower your device driver buffer on the RME in Cubase

How are you routing the MIDI from one to the other exactly?

******* I have :

  1. Groove Agent running a Techno MIDI loop here output the midi to Retrologe (Both in the Rack Instruments section).
  2. It is in TIME here, synced fine
3

hey thanks for the quick answer !

( btw : i used instrument track for the test )

I run my RME Buffer @ 1024, lowering the buffers @ 256 or below get it working properly in my very simple 2 tracks test project and in my big work template.

thank you very much !

i’ll edit the thread as SOLVED

4

That MIDI buffer is tied to the AUDIO buffer, don’t let anyone tell you any different as you have just seen.
Im not FOS here, it is a real thing. I do ALL midi at lowest I can, then dump to audio, THEN raise the buffer up for mixing