Logic weird timing and quantize??

I don't think it's a Logic problem... There's a possibility that your parts are getting quantized but you just don't realize it...

When you click on a blank area of the Arrange page (either intentionally or by accident) and set any of the real-time playback parameters (quantization, transpose, etc.), these settings become applied to whatever you record next (talking MIDI tracks, naturally). These are referred to as the "thru" realtime parameters. So maybe, just maybe, there's a chance that you have some default values set for quantization that end up being automatically applied to the drum parts you record.

The sure way to tell is to open the Event or Matrix editors. If your notes are all nice and lined up, you are quantizing! So you'll want to check the aforementioned "thru" parameters.

You may also want to check your Extended paramaters. There may be something set in there that's causing your parts to become quantized as well.

Hmmm... OK, time to get out the power equipment and dig a little deeper...

By chance are you working at a particularly slow tempo?

Here's a "grasping at straws" one... Is you EXS instrument set up in a way such that you're not getting maximum polyphony from it? (voice stealing can sometimes sound like a change in timing). Check the "voices" settings on the EXS to see that the value isn't set too low, and also check the individual Groups to see if the number of voices is set to anything less than "max".

I'm pulling my feathers out trying to figure out what else it could be... The only other thing I can think to suggest is that you make a simultaneous audio recording of your live playing while also recording the MIDI tracks. When you're done, play them both back. Normally the timing between a virtual instrument and the audio recording should be very tight. If you hear lots of slapping/flamming, though, something else is going on...

HTH...

-=iS=-

OK, well, the EXS #-of-voices thing was a total shot in the dark...

How to record audio and MIDI simultaneously will depend on your system. In my studio I'd do it by board-bussing the live audio back to Logic. Audio and MIDI tracks can be simultaneously recorded by putting those tracks into record and using shift+click to select those tracks simultaneously.

If you're not using an outboard mixer, you could directly patch the outputs of your interface back into some inputs (watch out for feedback loops tho --- output on 1/2 and record on inputs 3/4, etc.)

Or perhaps you could use Soundflower (or similar) to route audio out and back in to Logic. (That's a suggestion based on what I've read here ---- haven't tried that myself).

HTH and that you can resolve this problem.

-=iS=-

One other thing... are you playing samples out of RAM, or, using EXS's virtual memory feature (stream from disk)?

-=iS=-

Hi RP,

Scholar? More like "scalliwag"! : - )

I don't know one way or the other if re-installing Logic will solve the problem you're having. Really can't say...

There have been a few occasions over the years where I've played in a part and thought, hmmm... that's not what I played... but it's a pretty rare occurance, and as such I don't want to jump to what might be a very unfair conclusion that this is a regular "thing" with Logic.

I think the simultaneous audio/MIDI recording will be your acid test. If that proves a bust, then maybe trash prefs and test one more time before considering a re-install? I dunno...

[thinking out loud] Can't be anything with the Environment (because there's nothing that can alter the timing of what you input other than arpeggiators)... Errant tempo events that are screwing up the timing?... [/thinking]

Hmmm... I'm stumped!

-=iS=-