Tunnel sound when recording MIDI? Please Help!

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Tunnel sound when recording MIDI? Please Help!

I am writing a new song, and using several software instruments on separate tracks of course. Everything sounded fine up until I got into track 4 or 5 of the software instruments. I started to record some violin and it sounded fine when I recorded it, but sounded like it had some weird tunnel effect on it when I played it back. There are no effects or eq's on it that are making it sound like that. I was wondering why this was happening and how to solve it. Do I need to convert my midi files into audio? If so how do I do that? I was under the impression I could have as many software instrument tracks as I wanted without affecting the overall sound.

IMac, Mac OS X (10.5.4)

Posted on Aug 21, 2008 11:01 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 22, 2008 3:42 AM in response to autumnseyes

When you use the word "tunnel" to describe the sound, I can only assume that there's some comb filtering happening. That's when the sound is playing twice, and selected frequencies are being cancelled.

My first thought is that somehow the MIDI data is being doubled up. What keyboard controller are you using? Is there are "dual" mode, or "layer" mode that accidentally got activated?

As a test, open the piano roll on that violin track. select one note, and then delete it. If it still remains, then you just deleted one of two notes that was playing, confirming that the MIDI note-on data is being recorded twice.

Let's start there...

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Answer 2

Eriksimon

Level 6

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Aug 22, 2008 4:37 AM in response to Jim Frazier

Yep, 'tunnel' effect is indicative of double notes. Double notes are even easier to spot in the right sidebar event list: same pitch, same point in time.

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Answer 3

autumnseyes Author

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Aug 22, 2008 7:56 AM in response to Jim Frazier

I really appreciate the help and fast response, thank you. I checked the Piano Roll and deleted a note and boom there was another one under it. So it is in fact being doubled up, makes sense now when I listen to it.

Im using an M-Audio Keystation 49e for a controller. It very well could have been the octave I was switching on the controller, though I have never had a problem with that before in Sonar or Acid Pro. Is there some setting I can tweak in Logic to solve this?

Thank you again for all your help!

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Answer 4

Aug 22, 2008 10:00 AM in response to autumnseyes

autumnseyes wrote:
Im using an M-Audio Keystation 49e for a controller. It very well could have been the octave I was switching on the controller, though I have never had a problem with that before in Sonar or Acid Pro. Is there some setting I can tweak in Logic to solve this?

I'm not familiar with that controller, but if something did get switched on or activated by accident, try turning it off and then back on (unless it remembers the settings after it's powered down, which in that case, it's time to pull out it's manual...)

As far as anything in Logic... nothing's coming to my mind initially, that would be causing this. My first course of action though, would be to go to your MIDI preferences, and hit the "Reset ALL MIDI Drivers" button, and see if that shakes anything loose...

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Answer 5

autumnseyes Author

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Aug 22, 2008 10:03 AM in response to Jim Frazier

I will give it a shot, thank you very much. Your advice and solutions were very helpful 🙂

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Answer 6

autumnseyes Author

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Aug 22, 2008 12:14 PM in response to Jim Frazier

I tried resetting the MIDI drivers and it did nothing. I just figured out that all of my MIDI is being double when recorded, not just specific tracks. Ive been digging around trying to find a solution with settings, but am coming up empty handed.

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Answer 7

autumnseyes Author

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Aug 22, 2008 12:28 PM in response to autumnseyes

I actually just solved it! I figured out that I was routing the MIDI controller twice into my computer. Once through a MIDI cable, and then I was getting power from USB connected to my computer. When I checked the Audio MIDI Setup in OSX I realized I had two MIDI controllers running at once. So I removed the USB power and stuck to 9v.

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Answer 8

Pancenter

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Aug 22, 2008 3:55 PM in response to autumnseyes

autumnseyes wrote:
I actually just solved it! I figured out that I was routing the MIDI controller twice into my computer. Once through a MIDI cable, and then I was getting power from USB connected to my computer. When I checked the Audio MIDI Setup in OSX I realized I had two MIDI controllers running at once. So I removed the USB power and stuck to 9v.

Nice one, figured out your own problem.

Since the USB connection is both a power and MIDI interface you could have just as easily removed the MIDI cable.

pancenter-

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Answer 9

Aug 22, 2008 4:07 PM in response to Pancenter

Also to add that without the USB connection you cannot use the Enigma software with your controller. At least thats how it was with my trigger finger.

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