Protools- using midi beat clock without getting catastrophic midi feedback loop

[Howard Gray]

I have Been trying three days to make this work and I have been doing this sort of thing for 25 years. Keystep syncs very well with the midi "Beat Clock" in protools.

However, if you try to record a sequence or arpeggiation back into Protools while keystep is synced to tools it will lock up in a nasty loop necessitating the disconnection of the midi output from the keystep to stop it. This lock up happens when you hit play in Protools even if there are no midi tracks in the session.

 I have gone down every Protools trouble shooting path I can find.  I believe what I need is a way to filter the 24ppq sync signal coming from tools so that it does not pass through the Keystep back to protools. And yes midi through is turned off in Keystep

I am hoping this is simply a misunderstanding on my part of the midi control center settings?

 

[polyana]

No, I think you are doing everything right.

I had the same problem, luckily my midi interface has filters available, so I was able to remove the midi clock from the keystep input.

I think it's a definite feature request for an updated firmware, is the ability in MCC to turn off transmission of midi clock.

What midi interface do you use?

[Howard Gray]

I am using an Opcode Studio4 midi interface, so it looks like I will probobly need to get a 3rd party midi filter, at twice the cost of the Keystep 

[polyana]

Are you using the opcode driver and setup program? Page 43 of the manual gives info on muting beat clock on an input.

That's all presuming you're using oms? If not, are there no filters within Pro Tools?

[Howard Gray]

I am using OMS. I am going to try bringing the input back in on another midi input and filter everything time code related on that channel. I am already filtering all time code on the currently assigned in/out, perhaps bringing back back in on a separate channel will do the trick?

[Howard Gray]

Are you using the opcode driver and setup program? Page 43 of the manual gives info on muting beat clock on an input.

That's all presuming you're using oms? If not, are there no filters within Pro Tools?

And by the way thank you for the reply. 

BTW I have three different OMS guides. The main Opcode guide for the studio4 I have has 48 pages. The only mention of beat clock is on page 25 and that says the following

MIDI Synchronization check boxes
Check the MIDI Time Code check boxes only if: 1) your MIDI device
sends or receives MIDI Time Code, and 2) you intend to use it to synchronize
that MIDI device to your OMS-compatible MIDI sequencer.
Check the MIDI Beat Clock check boxes only if: 1) your MIDI device
sends or receives MIDI Beat Clock, and 2) you intend to use it to synchronize
that MIDI device to your OMS-compatible MIDI sequencer.
Many drum machines and synthesizers with built-in sequencers are
able to send and receive MIDI Beat Clock.
Check the MIDI Machine Control check boxes only if: 1) your MIDI
device sends or receives MIDI Machine Control, and 2) you intend to
use it to synchronize that MIDI device to your OMS-compatible
MIDI sequencer.
See your MIDI device manuals to learn whether or not they support
any of these synchronization methods.

[Howard Gray]

I just setup OMS so that the Keystep midi out comes into a different channel on the Studio4, that channel I have unchecked both of the Midi Beat Clock boxes. I even unchecked all the midi receive channels, the controller and multi timbrel boxes so nothing should be getting through. 
BUT NO!
The keystep still goes into a midi feed back loop! What the heck! That shouldn't even be possible when connected this way?

I have also been trying to figure out if there is a way to use the IAC bus for this purpose.

[Howard Gray]

Are you using the opcode driver and setup program? Page 43 of the manual gives info on muting beat clock on an input.

That's all presuming you're using oms? If not, are there no filters within Pro Tools?

I just found the manual with the correct page 43 you were talking about and will go through the steps to see if this resolves the beat step issue

Thanks again

[Howard Gray]

Oh happy day that worked!

Thanks for the tip  polyana I had the muting backwards, I had the output muted rather than the input.

 

[polyana]

I'm glad you got it sorted, you're lucky your interface has the options. Most of the modern ones don't.
I'm sort of in the same boat, using an emagic unitor8 on the serial port. Thankfully that has filters too.

[Howard Gray]

I'm glad you got it sorted, you're lucky your interface has the options. Most of the modern ones don't.
I'm sort of in the same boat, using an emagic unitor8 on the serial port. Thankfully that has filters too.

I am old school here. G4 OS9.2.2 Protools Mix 24 5.1.3 with a 7 X mix card outboard chassis.

Thanks again for saving my bacon