"Hiccup" in playback test

[johnahedges]

Hello everybody. I'm new to Notation Composer and have very much enjoyed learning and creating music with it. This is my first post in the forum and I'm looking for a reason and solution to a problem with the initial start of the playback test as well as the start of the playback of a notation file. I use external synths with Composer and when I conduct a playback test from the MIDI device setup panel, the first note is delayed, consequently making the first two quarter note tones sound like a hiccup, for lack of a better description. The rest of the 12 tones are fine. Also, often when a notation file starts, one of the staves does not play the right rhythm or instrument for the initial note(s). Instead, it plays a very very short and abrupt version of the note and then nothing until the next note(s), from which point it plays the correct notation and instrument.
This is not always the case but it is most often. Sometimes, the playback test works perfectly, without the initial hiccup. When that happens, the notation file also plays correctly, which leads me to believe the two problem instances are related. I have looked and looked for the cause and solution but to no avail, hence this post. I also experience the "hiccup" when beginning a new MIDI recording. It doesn't render my recording impossible; I just have to ignore the first beat of the two-bar count-off. Help, anyone?

[dj]

Hi, John:

Welcome to the forum.

What midi interface are you using? Older interfaces can sometimes be a little slow on initial playback. A good place to start would be to make sure the device driver for your midi interface is the latest version.

This doesn't apply to the internal test, of course, but, as an experiment, try placing an empty measure at the beginning of your file, so that there is a measure of silence before your file begins playback. Sometimes a recording or midi file can actually have the first Note On event(s) happen before the actual start of the file, leaving the first note (or notes) "hiccuped", as you say.

Several versions back (like Notation Composer 2.0), there was an occasional glitch where midi events sent to an external port would "hang" and then all garble forth at once, especially if the music was very dense. However, I haven't run into that for some time.

If you can attach a file that you're having trouble with to a post, I'll have a look at it and see if I can spot anything that might be suspect.

David

[johnahedges]

Hello David, and thank you for your response. I have recently purchased Composer and have experienced this "hiccup" issue over a few configurations. The current config I'm using is a Tbox M3 USB MIDI interface by MIDIPlus with an older Alesis QS6.1. No driver is required. I have the same problem regardless of the Notation file I'm using, i.e. I don't believe it to be caused by the .not file, especially since I've also had this problem with the sample files and other .mid files.

However, the first "Note On event" that you mention could part of the issue since I notice a switch from Program mode to Mix mode on my Alesis synthesizer before a playback begins if I have the synth in Program mode at the initial start of playback, so I will try your suggestion of "recording" a blank measure although I believe I have done a similar thing by starting with an incomplete measure via pickup notes. Anyway, I'll be back. Until then, thanks again.

[johnahedges]

David, I tried you suggestion about recording an "empty" measure to hopefully prevent the "hiccup" but it didn't work entirely. The second bar, which was where the actual MIDI notes started in the recording, sounded fine, but when I listened with the metronome active on playback the hiccup was still present in the "empty" initial measure. Then when I deleted the "empty" first bar, the same problem was present in the music recorded.
I believe it may have more to do with my old Alesis synthesizer than my interface. I have a new Roland V-Combo VR-09 synthesizer and I am able to get a recording without the hiccup although it hasn't been consistent. I have to be careful about how I initialize my setup, i.e. the order in which I turn things on.
I had said the interface was by MIDIPlus but that's just the name of the Amazon store where I bought it. After investigating further I found out it's also sold by Midtech (https://miditech.de/en/portfolio/midiface-ii-thru-1x1/). I like it since I use my laptop and Composer at two different locations and have the Alesis at one location and the Roland at another but I use the same interface so when I change locations I don't have to change the configuration in the MIDI setup window since the interface is recognized as the same device. I just stick with the General MIDI bank, which both synthesizers have.
Anyway, I'm hoping there is some way of solving the hiccup problem instead of doing a workaround.

[johnahedges]

David, I have good news! A solution to the "hiccup", or so it appears. When I originally set up my MIDI device configuration the options regarding System exclusive events were on by default. I didn't change them at the time but it turns out I should have because when I uncheck the option to "send SysEx (events) to this device", the hiccup is cured!
I also unchecked the option to record SysEx from this since I would only use that if I wanted to record MIDI patch changes or effects changes, which I don't plan on doing. If I did, then I would of course need to send those SysEx events upon playback.
Anyway, I thought I'd share this. Thanks for being there!