M1 - fast midi messages not working properly

[wheatleyb]

Ableton’s MIDI Clock Sync is set to 0.00 ms

[wheatleyb]

I have Ableton’s midi clock sync set to 0.00ms

Do you think I should simply return the M1 MacBook and go with an intel MacBook instead?

[support]

Please wait.
We are still studying this problem.

[support]

Could you please test fast midi on&off messages with this version of our software (check in the "Midi logger" window)
http://download.thelightingcontroller.c ... 22.app.zip
and let us know the result ?

FYI: this version has been compiled under Catalina. This will tell us if the problem comes from Big Sur or not.

[wheatleyb]

I just opened it and checked the midi logger, it's doing the exact same thing as the other version.

[support]

Thank you for this test.

Could you please now try with this new program ?
http://download.thelightingcontroller.com/software/V9/new/TheLightingController_(V9225_P573_Cat).app.zip
(please check in the "About" window that the release number is 9.2.25)

[wheatleyb]

Sorry for the delay, just got home from work. I've downloaded it and verified that it is indeed 9.2.25. Unfortunately, this version is also encountering the same problems as the others.

[support]

Thank you for this new test.
So with the source code of our software, compiled with either Catalina or Big Sur, you observe that.

When Ableton sends two midi messages with a very short delay between these two messages:
- with a Mac Intel computer, our software receives and handles the two midi messages.
- with a Mac M1 computer, our software receives and handles only the first midi message. And our software does not receive the second midi message.

We think that there may be a problem with "Apple Rosetta2" regarding fast midi messages transmission.

FYI, Rosetta2 is the emulator which allows communication between Mac Intel software and Mac ARM hardware.
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3 ... -macs.html

There may be a chance that Apple improves the Rosetta2 midi part in the future, but we do not know when.

So for optimum midi results now, yes we suggest to use a Mac Intel.

[wheatleyb]

I understand. Thanks for looking into this for me.

[astralbody888]

Hey there - I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure this out and use a similar setup, I use Ableton Live 10 to transmit midi to the native Mac OS IAC Controller, and then use that as the midi input device in ShowXpress 9.2.23. This was working previously and after a ton of time debugging - I was able to narrow it down to the ShowXpress not able to interpret more than one or two midi notes at a time - it would get the midi signal from the IAC driver and activate each scene/button individually if I triggered them in Ableton, however running the show with 3+ notes at a time would cause certain notes to intermittently stop working, or wouldn't receive the off event so buttons would get stuck. So I knew at least that the signal path was completing and activating the lights. I also used the midi logger in ShowXpress and noticed it was only getting certain notes from the IAC Driver when running, so I thought maybe it was an issue with the IAC driver. I then tested the IAC Driver by running Ableton midi through the Driver to Reaper and then I realized I wasn't losing any midi there - it was an exact match (see the attached image).

I am on Mac Big Sur 11.2.3, but this is a 2017 macbook pro with an Intel Core i7 CPU - not the M1. I don't believe the M1 is the cause.

Edit - I've tried with ShowXpress 9.2.27 it hasn't resolved the issue. I have a gig I need to do so I may have to try rolling back to Mac OS Catalina.