Loosing Connection if MIDI-Clock enabled

[Gekko]

Hey!

I’m having problems running the H9 with MIDI-Clock-IN enabled. As soon as an MDI-clock signal is received, i get an bluetooth connection error (sm_response_timeout) on an iPad Air. The Pad runs no other application than your control app.

Clock master is an Elektron Octatrack providing the signal to an Opcode 128x, which provides it to several devices (all connected by DIN cable, every device having its own cable, no THRU is used anywhere) including the H9 being the only device on a single DIN cable.

Connection runs flawlessly without clock signal going in. As soon as it goes in, the iPad connection is lost, the H9 devices freezes (but the chosen algorithm still works).

Performed a factory reset, no changes.

[Gekko]

Does nobody at eventide care?

I still can return the H9 with full money back at this time…it’s my first eventide product, so i don’t know if it’s normal here that nobody takes any notice of my concern.

[gkellum]

I'll forward this on to one of my colleagues to see what he says.  

[gkellum]

I haven't been able to reproduce this using a 4th gen iPad and using the latest release of the H9 software.  I could try it with an Air though.  Which generation of iPad Air were you using?  Do you have iOS 8.3 installed on it?  Apple fixed some problems with Bluetooth connectivity in their 8.3 release.

[Gekko]

Using an iPad Air (5th gen) with iOs 8.3 on it.

Without exception: connectivity breaks with MIDI signals going into the H9…no other MIDI signals than clock were used. Changing H9 MIDI channel from omni to 1 – 16 doesn’t stop this. Firmware on H9 is 5.013

[nickrose]

This is a new one for us, so we don't have much to offer, except suggesting that you send it in.

 

My concern here would be that it may be influenced by something at your end, so we might not find anything.

 

Two obvious questions

1) what tempo does your MIDIclock represent ?

2) Have you tried sending the same MIDclock to anything else ?

 

[gkellum]

I just tried to reproduce this again using an iPad Air and an H9 running v5.1.0.3, but unfortunately, I never saw the problem.  

[Gekko]

Can’t help: the device keeps freezing. After replacing all cables and connections involved i can cicrle down the behavior.

Unlike i stated, the H9 freezes on preset change while getting MIDI clock continuously. It happens randomly, but within a minute of playing around. The H9 simply does not switch to the new preset, the bluetooth connection breaks and it keeps processing the preset chosen before the crash. At this time, no elements/knobs on the H9 are responding anymore.

My MIDI clock setup works flawlessly with a dozen devices connected. As long as there’s no MIDI-in used on the H9 the device works with a charme.

[nickrose]

Our suspicion is that your problem is caused by some interaction between your rather sophisticated setup and some possible incipient weakness in the H9. As mentioned above, you should certainly consider sending your unit in to be checked, but it is likely that without access to your other equipment we will find nothing wrong with it.

 

My guess is that you are unknowingly sending it a lot more than just MIDI clock, and that this is overflowing the H9's internal storage while the unit is otherwise occupied loading a preset. I'm inclined not to believe that just MIDIclock would do this, unless you are running at 1000 BPM.

Because the H9 is, at the end of the day, just a guitar pedal, there is a limit to the amount of MIDI it can handle. Obviously we intend to increase this as much as possible, but …

 

I would suggest three options:

1) Send the unit in for us to have a look (see above comments)

2) Find another way to generate a more limited MIDIclock.

3) Return the unit to your dealer.

[Gekko]

There must be something wrong with the device itself.

I tried everything, even if i connect the H9 to the Elektron Octatrack directly for getting only its MIDI clock (and surely no other signal). The H9 has not been flooded by signals by any means. On the iPad itself there is nothing running beside your H9 control app.

The H9 crashes (freeze with chosen algorithm, the effect is being performed, but no changes possible):

1. if ANY sort of MIDI signal goes into it and an algorithm change is performed (“shimmer” to anything else, in my case “resonator”)
2. if MIDI clock is enabeld OR disabled in the H9 control app
3. if the control app runs…without app no crashes

I know, it’s difficult to say remotely…but do you think, this is can be an issue of some hardware failure of any sort? I absolutely trust you saying this is not happening with the devices in your hands…despite of that: in the net i found reports of freezing through MIDI not often…but reports of it CAN be found.

I really love the sound of the H9, i really, really don’t want to return it. But i need some workaround for the MIDI clock. I use it both with my guitars and my analog gear, clock is absolutely essential to me. I’m not sure if the problem may lay inside the app and not in the H9 itself.

[nickrose]

I'm sorry that you are having problems, but there is nothing more I can add. Please follow one of the options above.

 

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