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IDProjectCategoryView StatusDate SubmittedLast Update
0008750ardourbugspublic2021-06-19 17:002023-02-23 20:20
Reporterccr5-delta32 Assigned Tox42  
PrioritynormalSeverityminorReproducibilityalways
Status feedbackResolutionopen 
PlatformMicrosoftOSWindowsOS Version10
Product Version6.7 
Summary0008750: Transport malfunction when synced to continuous external midi clock
DescriptionI am experiencing a bug where Ardour will not run properly when synced to external midi clock. Although I am reporting for Win10, the same happens in the Linux(Debian) version.

In my case the incoming midi clock signal is continuous rather than only on after a midi start until a midi stop, something I require for my boxes with internal sequencers. The clock source is an E-RM MIDIclock+ through an simple midi - USB converter, but not a cheap one with all kinds of design compromises. I have made the necessary "MIDI Connections" to route the incoming midi clock.

When Ardour is not running, as soon as I switch Ardour to external sync using the button below the transport buttons Ardour immediately starts to run from some seemingly arbitrary point in the song. Note that this does not require a midi start. I did set up the Transport Master "Active Commands" to accept start/stop. In fact, Ardour does not react to midi start/stop/reset commands at all when synced to my external midi clock.

In Edit>Preferences>Transport>Chase>Transport Masters I notice that the "Sync Position + Delta" is continuously increasing regardless of whether Ardour is running. This value is determining where Ardour will start playback when external sync is activated.

Now, if I press start on the midiclock+ followed by stop, while Ardour was running due to the above, Ardour does not stop. But the "Sync Position + Delta" in the "Transport Masters" resets and starts incrementing from 0 again.

I am not sure if the following is part of the problem because it seems sensible. If the song position pointer is stopped at a timepoint in the track that is greater than the "Sync Position + Delta", Ardour does not immediately start playback as soon as external sync is activated. But when "Sync Position + Delta" catches up to the song position pointer it Ardour will start to run. But in any case midi start and stop commands do nothing.

Only in Linux using Jack and a2jmidid the above behavior is associated with glitches such as tooltip balloons flickering rather than being displayed properly. I have also had crashes to desktop in Linux while experiencing the issue described above but cannot provide more details now.
Steps To Reproduce(1) Connect an external midi clock source that sends continuous midi clock data.
(2) Make the necessary connections in "MIDI Connections"
(3) Setup or verify "Edit>Preferences>Transport>Chase>Transport" to select 'MIDI Clock' from the respective source, and select "Accept start/stop commands" and "Accept locate commands" in "Active Commands".
(4) Note how "Sync Position + Delta" in "Edit>Preferences>Transport>Chase>Transport" is continuously increasing according to the continuous incoming midi clock.
(5) Move the song position pointer to the start of the session.
(6) Select 'M-Clk' by pressing the 'Int.' button near the transport buttons.
(7) Watch Ardour immediately start playback from whatever the value of "Sync Position + Delta" in "Edit>Preferences>Transport>Chase>Transport Masters" was.
(8) Press start/stop/reset on the midi master
(9) See Ardour do nothing while other slaves do start/stop/reset. But the "Sync Position + Delta" in "Edit>Preferences>Transport>Chase>Transport Masters" does reset upon receiving midi stop.
TagsNo tags attached.

Activities

TatriX

2023-02-18 09:03

reporter   ~0027394

I have a similar issue with Squarep Pyramid ;(

x42

2023-02-20 12:53

administrator   ~0027398

This should be fixed since 7.3-23-g78c89fcbae. Except I no longer have a hardware MIDI Clock source so I cannot test it myself.

It would be great if you could check with a https://nightly.ardour.org build of Ardour 7.3.23 or later.

TatriX

2023-02-20 14:00

reporter   ~0027399

Lovely, thank you! I'll do the check sometime soon.

TatriX

2023-02-20 16:53

reporter   ~0027400

I've compiled 78c89fcbae
It doesn't crash, but behaves very weirdly.
After Pyramid sends "START" Ardour does nothing for a few seconds, then transport starts going, and then it get stuck. It's a bit hard to explain.
Are you still on irc or there is something like discord?
2023-02-20-175139_2940x1649_scrot.png (354,539 bytes)

TatriX

2023-02-20 17:33

reporter   ~0027401

2023-02-20-183318_1192x110_scrot.png (17,521 bytes)   
2023-02-20-183318_1192x110_scrot.png (17,521 bytes)   

TatriX

2023-02-20 17:50

reporter   ~0027402

ar-01.mp4 (284,574 bytes)   
ar-01.mp4 (284,574 bytes)   

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2021-06-19 17:00 ccr5-delta32 New Issue
2023-02-18 09:03 TatriX Note Added: 0027394
2023-02-20 12:53 x42 Note Added: 0027398
2023-02-20 12:53 x42 Assigned To => x42
2023-02-20 12:53 x42 Status new => feedback
2023-02-20 14:00 TatriX Note Added: 0027399
2023-02-20 16:53 TatriX Note Added: 0027400
2023-02-20 16:53 TatriX File Added: 2023-02-20-175139_2940x1649_scrot.png
2023-02-20 17:33 TatriX Note Added: 0027401
2023-02-20 17:33 TatriX File Added: 2023-02-20-183318_1192x110_scrot.png
2023-02-20 17:50 TatriX Note Added: 0027402
2023-02-20 17:50 TatriX File Added: ar-01.mp4