Connecting RYTM to Ableton using MIDI

Deeper · 2015-04-12T11:53:16.000Z

Hello all,

Got myself a RYTM. Been using it with my headphones and it rocks.

I have the following kit -

RYTM
Midiman Midi Sport 2x2 Link -
ZMX 862 mixer -
Audio 8 DJ soundcard -
Ableton 9

I’m looking for some guidance regarding connecting my RYTM to my MAC and using it with Ableton.

I tried using the device using the audio out ports to the sound card and had some serious distortion problems (checked the FX on the RYTM and all were level). Plus there was a serious amount of recording lag. I decided to get the Midiman and go down the MIDI route.

How do I connect this to get the optimum sound from my kit? Midi cable from RYTM’s MIDI out (‘sync out A’) into the midiman’s MIDI in (A), then MIDI out on the MIDI man to the mixer (MIDI cable to one the mixer’s RCA channels, left and right). So I will need two midi to midi cables and one midi to RCA cable?

Thanks in advance, really looking forward to getting this hooked up to my sound system!

invisible_acropolis · 2015-04-12T12:52:51.000Z

?? …

midi isnt audio dude, its only control data… you wont be able to hear it thru a midi cable

Deeper · 2015-04-12T15:58:55.000Z

Ok cool. So what’s the best way to connect up the RYTM with the kit above? I connected the RYTM to directly to the sound card but had major delay problems. I checked and modified the buffer settings in Ableton but this did not make any difference. Sorry for the newbie question, this is my first step into hardware so it’s a steep learning curve!

VanillaSun · 2015-04-12T21:14:51.000Z

Did you try going into the preferences in Ableton and change the delay compensation to get rid of lag? Seems like the distortion could be coming from a sample rate issue in the DAW. Are you running your session as 16 bit 48kHz?

Deeper · 2015-04-19T12:22:14.000Z

Hi mate,

Screen_Shot_2015_04_19_at_13_13_09.png1004×1208 149 KB

Ive attached a screen shot of my DAW settings - does this look ok?

I have binned off the idea of MIDI and all I’m looking to do is play the audio (without distortion) through my DAW. So… I’ve got a simple set up of -

RYTM - AUDIO DJ sound card (two RCA jacks to two RCA in on the sound card)

Selected the track in Ableton (attached) and started to play. The sound is fine on the headphones direct from the RYTM so I don’t understand why it sounds distorted when I notch up the volume a little. The bass sounds terrible when the level is turned up on the loudspeaker. Also,overdrive is set to 0 on all tracks on RYTM

Thanks for your help!!

nfim · 2015-04-19T13:39:41.000Z

To remove latency, reduce the “buffer size” in ableton. If you set it too low for your CPU, you’ll hear clicks and pops which is bad. The more processor intensive the project, the higher you’ll have to set this. Aim for 10ms latency.

Distortion: you’re clipping on the way in. Meaning the rytm volume is too high, or your input gain on the soundcard is too high. Reduce either of these. Watch the input level in ableton: it should always be green.

hereiamhere75 · 2015-04-19T13:56:31.000Z

""Deeper"":

Hi mate,

Screen_Shot_2015_04_19_at_13_13_09.png1004×1208 149 KB

Ive attached a screen shot of my DAW settings - does this look ok?

Screen_Shot_2015_04_19_at_13_18_21.png588×176 22.4 KB

I have binned off the idea of MIDI and all I’m looking to do is play the audio (without distortion) through my DAW. So… I’ve got a simple set up of -

RYTM - AUDIO DJ sound card (two RCA jacks to two RCA in on the sound card)

Selected the track in Ableton (attached) and started to play. The sound is fine on the headphones direct from the RYTM so I don’t understand why it sounds distorted when I notch up the volume a little. The bass sounds terrible when the level is turned up on the loudspeaker. Also,overdrive is set to 0 on all tracks on RYTM

Thanks for your help!!

first of all, get your levels right to avoid distortion. i don´t know your equipment, but try to decrease input level of your soundcard and/or output level of the rytm to get rid of that. just experiment with that and try to get more information in books or internet. also take care that you don´t get distortion/clipping inside live (levels of different tracks sum up to the master level, that should not clip in digital machines normally)
unfortunatley it can happen that you can´t get the optimal sound with certain analog gear/soundcard combinations.
don´t know what it´s like with your gear. many analog machines do not sound as good with too low levels compared too higher levels. some soundcards (even good ones) can´t handle that. that would mean you need a mixer …

try to decrease the buffer size in ableton. it seems very high. try to get at least 10ms or less. if you use a lot of vsts that
need a lot of cpu power and your computer is weak it might be not possible…

to get rid of that last mseconds latency there should be an option in live to compensate that.
something like midi/sync options…

good luck

hereiamhere75 · 2015-04-19T14:03:06.000Z

don´t use ableton that much anymore, but i remember there have been very good tutorials in their forum how to get the optimum out of your specific machines, including how to do test runs etc…

AMinor7th · 2015-04-19T14:13:37.000Z

AR Audio OUT > Audio IN Soundcard
AR USB Midi > Computer

You don’t need your midi interface as AR working perfectly with USB to established Midi. (In may or June you should be able to do that with only your computer, AR and Overbridge.)

Set you computer as low Buffer as possible without any clic when your record audio from your AR and set to 1024 or 2048 when you are in all other scenario… (Playback etc…)

Sync Hardware with Ableton :

Pay attention to Distortion, Compressor, Eq on the AR… and Level you have a real chain in AR with more than one Level knob there’s more than one stage for level. So Level + Level + Level + Level… you can get real problems at the final main outputs if you not learn to deal with circuitry of the AR.

By memory it’s around -30ms to sync depend of your computer so you need to send a transcient kind of sample in the AR like a noise, pulse, rimshot but cut the release to get something short and RUN in SYNC with Ableton Metronome.

When you have a Tight Sync try to record and see how is it to the GRID. Also the more you put effect chain and the more this SYNC should be drifted… So you sometimes need to readjust it.

OR/ Don’t SYNC at all and use Sequencer of Live and midi protocol to drive your AR but you loose Sequencer Tools of the AR and p-Locks etc… which i not choose for that reason.

Deeper · 2015-04-19T17:20:01.000Z

Lads, I’m delighted. I set the buffer size in Ableton to 32 samples and like magic the sound came out clear without distortion. To sort the latency issue, I set the driver error compensation to -90.00 and it was bang on the 1st beat. I have a fairly powerful iMac (3.5GHZ and 16GB of RAM), how much can I push each setting?

Thanks for all the replies, it’s fantastic to get this sorted.

nfim · 2015-04-19T19:58:19.000Z

Nice one, glad that worked. Keep in mind that even on a powerful computer 32 samples is really really low, and as soon as you start using a few more tracks and plugins you’ll probably start to get unpleasant clicks and pops. If this happens just increase the buffer rate a bit more until the problem disappears.

Also now that you’ve reduced the buffer size, a driver error compensation value of -90 is too far in the other direction. Have a look at the “total latency” value underneath, and set the error compensation at whatever it takes to make “total latency” 0.

To understand what this is doing: the latency is still present, but Ableton compensates by shifting the recording by the compensation amount so it always ends up on the beat.

Deeper · 2015-06-15T19:10:39.000Z

Affirm, thanks for that extra info, really helpful. I adjusted the total latency to 0.4 ms and I’m not getting any problems. Thanks again.