Midi Lock-Ups 100% of the time

kamakiriad · Post by **kamakiriad** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:10 pm

Since upgrading my computer 6 weeks ago, I have not been able to input midi data into the card without having a complete freeze occur everytime (ie no error message, just total lock-up). I have a Powersampler card and Scope4 home...Since finding out about this site and the all the helpful people here, I have tried almost everything that has been suggested here to me save for checking PCI latency of my Radeon card (as i dont know alot about this) and the re-installation of Windows XP in order to disable ACPI (i am honestly quite daunted by the spectre of doing this, perhaps based upon my inexperience with working with operating systems) ---> still the system locks up.... BUT!! I did have an interesting occurrence tonight. I left the Scope running with my midi controller still connected while i got on the internet to post here and the system locked-up while i wasn't even sending any data-- which it has NEVER done --
so I am really curious about why this would happen (NOTE that the midi contoller was still hooked up). Could this be that 'active sensing' issue that Valis pointed out?

My midi controller is a Roland GI-10 (guitar-to-midi converter).

I have been using this for over 5 years and never experienced a problem. My question: what is a midi filter??

Also:
1) Does anyone know of a place to get info on re-installing windows xp? (i have looked unsuccessfully).
2) Is updating your BIOS a tricky thing? There appears to regular updates to this on the ASUS website, but (AGAIN) I don't know alot about this...
3) I have disabled the multimedia audio controller, but it still shows up as taking an IRQ, whereas after i disabled the communication ports IRQ 3 and 4 opened up.
4) Is it a bad thing that the card is on IRQ 23?? as a person who thinks sequentially, i can't help but think that IRQ 23 is alot less smashing than IRQ 3 ...... is my concern here unfounded?

Here are the IRQ's:
IRQ 0 System timer OK
IRQ 1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard OK
IRQ 6 Standard floppy disk controller OK
IRQ 8 System CMOS/real time clock OK
IRQ 9 Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System OK
IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801EB SMBus Controller - 24D3 OK
IRQ 12 Microsoft PS/2 Mouse OK
IRQ 13 Numeric data processor OK
IRQ 14 Primary IDE Channel OK
IRQ 15 Secondary IDE Channel OK
IRQ 16 RADEON 9200 SE OK
IRQ 18 Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers OK
IRQ 20 Intel(R) 537EP Modem OK
IRQ 23 Creamware DSP-Board OK

I am definitely learning about the guts of a computer on the fly these days, so i hope i am not coming off as a guy who is not trying my best to get this card working --> as noted, I have used Creamware for years AND before that I used a Turtle Beach Pinnacle card for 2 years quite happily....

Thanks in advance for any further assistance.

Post by **garyb** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:30 pm

if you live in the usa, pm or email me and we can arrange a time to go over this stuff.

DO update your bios if an update is available. follow the directions on the manufacturer's website carefully, it's easy. i don't think you want to disable the multimedia audio controller, just the onboard sound and you should disable that in the bios, not the device manager. the bios is also the correct place to disable all ports and accessories that are not used/needed. you should probably also disable hyperthreading in the bios(not always nessessary, but it helps with some combinations, i do it as a matter of course as ht really gives only a slight performance increase).

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2004-09-16 12:25 ]</font>

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 6:30 am

http://www.planetz.com/forums/viewtopic ... orum=1&219

Try switching to Standard PC...

samplaire · Post by **samplaire** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 4:11 pm

a MIDI filter is supposed to block/allow any kind of midi data flow. Ie. using a MIDI filter you can filter out unwanted MIDI channels, unwanted things like aftertouch and so on. But in most cases (in my case) it is used to filterout the Active Sensing data and other system messages that may interrupt the dataflow. Active sensing is something that your master keybord (or any controller) is sending all the time (you can watch this using the midi monitor module from within tour Scope soft) to say "I'm connected in the MIDI chain". In my case it caused problems with lockups etc. so you may just put it between your hw midi input (midi a source) and the sequencer dest module.

This data is useless (correct me if I'm wrong) in our Scope world and additionaly gives more room for other important data (Midi flow is serial so the less data is flowing at a time the more exact timing you get)

kamakiriad · Post by **kamakiriad** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 10:50 am

Thanks for the help Gary and Samplaire.... does anyone know if there is a midi filter device that exists within SFP that i can activate, or is this an external piece?

Post by **garyb** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 12:24 pm

sure there's a midifilter in the midi menu. an external one might be better. i'd try updating the bios first. i don't have ANY midi lockip issues with ANY controller...

samplaire · Post by **samplaire** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:50 pm

There is one more thing that came to my mind: perhaps there is a MIDI data loop in your Scope project? I mean something like a connected sequencer dest module to sequencer source module - and not exactly directly, perhaps there is a device/module in the chain in between?

kamakiriad · Post by **kamakiriad** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 9:53 pm

Thanks Gary and Samplaire again ..... i accessed the midi filter and still had the lock-ups ---> i find this quite discouraging as i think i am trying to utilize this system in a very basic way (at this point a Roland GI-10 accessing a very cool multi-sampled 73 fender rhodes soundfont in the STS-3000)...

Could you give me some advice on how to update my BIOS? i have what i think is an ASUS P4P800 motherboard, although at the ASUS website there seems to be alot more there for P4P800 Deluxe or P4P800SE...

Relative to BIOS, my confusion stems from the very premise of 'updating', which in my canadian mind presupposes that it ever worked at all... am i missing a basic tenet here?

As opposed to alot of you guys that clearly can manipulate the creamware products in a cool fashion, i'm starting to think that i should consider taking a loss and just buy something else? I really feel that i am trying to do smoething really, really basic, AND i cannot get it to work --> i have changed every part of the BIOS suggested here (except that windowsXP is still in ACPI), i have gone through and enacted all suggesations from three seperate 'tweaking' documents, and i actually was excited about the potential that the midi filter was going to do the trick, BUT EVERY SINGLE TIME i enter midi data, the system freezes ...

Should the basic utilization of a creamware product now presuppose that you need to have an advanced knowledge of the inner architecture of a computer system??

Sorry to sound nihilistic, but i have honestly tried my best (with all of the help here) to make this work....

In conclusion, Steely Dan is God.

Post by **garyb** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 3:37 am

check your private messages...

valis · Post by **valis** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:12 am

I'm sorry you're having problems kamakiriad. I just wanted to add a post to say please don't give up just yet. Since the SFP midi filter didn't work it suggests that there's something occuring before it in the datapath. An external filter is probably cheaper than selling your hardware and certainly less timne consuming...

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 8:35 am

I tried the MIDI filter thing to no avail. It is beyong d that I should have to buy an external MIDI filter when I have 2 soundcards worth 2 grand each! Ralf@Creamware replied to my emails and confirmed that Standard PC mode works best with SFP so I switched to that(with at0mic's guidance) and I have NO lock-ups since. I don't give a Hoot in Hades that I have to hold the power button for 5 seconds to switch my PC off, IT WORKS and that's all that counts when you have to get bread on the table.

I am very happy that most of you have no lock-ups(eh, Dave?

) Kamakiriad, if you want to stop banging your head against the wall and get some work done check out the above link I gave. I did all the footwork around my BIOS and Standard PC mode is the only thing that got rid of the same problem you're having.

Geez, I sound like Lifechanger..., sorry about that

AndreD · Post by **AndreD** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 9:16 am

hi,
also, try to connect the midi-cable after scope was started..

Ralf · Post by **Ralf** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 6:09 pm

Hello Andre,

which mobo(s) work in ACPI-mode and react positively to your solution ?

Is here still someone,which tested this possibility and can confirm, that this solution is helpful ?

cheers
ralf

cheers
ralf

On 2004-09-18 10:16, AndreD wrote:
hi,
also, try to connect the midi-cable after scope was started..

kamakiriad · Post by **kamakiriad** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 9:24 pm

Paulrmartin .... i went to the link you sent to another thread, BUT i didn't realize it went for so many pages (i only read the first one...)---> i am only at page 5 by this point,but i must say that i marvel at the saga as laid out by you, as well as all of the assistance afforded by the very helpful people who post here ...

I will keep reading ..(and thanks)

also, i notice you are from Montreal... i will be burning down the 401 in a few weeks to see Bruce Cockburn at the Spectrum --> i suspect the awesome thumb on his picking hand could put the fear of god into all of these unruly motherboards...

Ricardo · Post by **Ricardo** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 8:25 am

Two other things....
1) I use a 9200 SE with no problems
2) Re installing XP is self explanatory and easy, just make sure everything is backed up as it's not like W98 and media in that it creates a new registry. Clean re install is much better.
3) Don't be afraid to do things, as GaryB says, read the instructions carefully first. And because...
4) Re installing XP really is easy!!

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 8:27 am

On 2004-09-18 22:24, kamakiriad wrote:

... i will be burning down the 401 in a few weeks to see Bruce Cockburn at the Spectrum --> i suspect the awesome thumb on his picking hand could put the fear of god into all of these unruly motherboards...

Either that or simply put them to sleep...

kamakiriad · Post by **kamakiriad** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 3:13 pm

Thanks again, everyone.

Ricardo, as i am not sure if i still have some of my original installation disks, should XP be able to locate various drivers on my system without these disks?

Post by **garyb** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 10:29 pm

maybe...
a better solution would be to download the latest versions first and burn them to cd, especially the motherboard drivers.....