Logic Pro 9 Why is my MIDI clipping?

[David51]

Hello all, I have finally got the Akai Breath Controller set up and now it clips and distorts very quickly when a note is blown louder-its' too much at the moment.
It is while using the EXS it clips on inferior acoustic sounding Bassoon, and in WIVI it REALLY clips a lot. I use an Edirol ua-25 so I just turn down the signal in, but then I have virtually no dynamic range left that would be audible. So the range is there, but not in the place I want it.
Any one feel they know what I am doing wrong?
Any knowledge out there about not clipping while getting more dynamic range?
I'm only going to post here; seems to be a crime on other forums if I do double posting.EDIT: I will post this on the wind controller forum.
This is all in MIDI. I am not trying to record until the solo instrument has a non clipping fairly wide dynamic range. Please help if you can, others no wise cracks please, and yes I have RTFM's.

 

[Colin Shapiro]

It doesn't make sense to me that MIDI can "clip". It has a range from 1 to 127 and cannot "overload", so I suspect that there is a setting on your breath controller (bc) that is currently too sensitive. In other words, it's pumping out 127's all the time, which would trigger the loudest samples and volumes from your EXS 24 instruments.

Try a recording and look at the Event list - what values are you getting? You should see a large range when you blow soft to loud. (Never mind the sound - just the numbers).

If there is no setting on the bc, try reducing the Velocity parameter on your track to see if that helps. (Though this will just reduce the input and reduce your dynamic range)

 

[David51]

Thanks Colin, I have a suspicion that its' the analoge output thats clipping, but I will try all the ideas you have again so kindly share and re post with the results. Its certainly true that Akai ewi's have very sensitive breath control adjustment pots[knobs].

 

[David51]

Hi all, I promised Colin I would let him know if I found the answer. I haven't yet, but I am deeply suspious of the Breath settings which are on the EWI under a protective cover and even Akai admits that the settings need to be corrected more often than not. The gradual up and back down when I play a mezza di voce[hairpin cresc.-decresc.] is not to be seen [the volume value in the event List stays at 55 as if I had set the instrument to use that for all notes in the Event List or in MIDI Monitor, I can hear the hairpin but why would it not show up in the event List? I will try some more and re post here,thanks again. At the advice of some one on a wind controller forum the CC2 goes to both velocity and Relative volume(auto adjust) I am not certain the auto adjust should be used, what do you think? Just plain Volume?

 

[Colin Shapiro]

...the volume value in the event List stays at 55 as if I had set the instrument to use that for all notes in the Event List or in MIDI Monitor, I can hear the hairpin but why would it not show up in the event List?

If you're only getting MIDI volumes of 55, then you're probably getting CC data for Expression (CC 11) which is effecting your volume changes. If this is the case, then you'll be getting "apparent" volume control, but you'll only be triggering the samples in EXS24 that are set to play at that particular range - not any samples or groups that trigger at high or low velocities for example. The CC11 data is simply lowering and raising the output level of EXS24.

I can't really advise on what to do as I'm not familiar with your controller.

Regards - Colin