10.1.1 and Mackie Control

[Kingery]

I have no idea if this is a Logic issue or a Mackie issue. I have sent the following email to Mackie support. Hopefully, I have been clear in my explanation. Please bear with me and if you have experienced problems with logic and the Mackie Controls units, I hope you can give me some advice.

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

In my ongoing battle with my MCU Pro and Extender and Logic, I have to ask a question. First, let me explain how I HAVE to turn them.

 

I have to open Logic first without the MCU and Extender turned on. Logic loads and tells me the control units are missing (DUH). I hit continue.

 

Next I turn on the control units. If they don’t immediately crash, I then close the Logic Project (but I don’t quit Logic).

 

I now reopen the Logic Project and, if the control units don’t crash, it works.

 

(For awhile I could turn on the control units and then open logic and it worked fine. But that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore)

 

I have the MCU Pro plugged-in via USB and I have the extender Midi daisy-chained. The only way I can get them to work with Logic 10.1.1 is to put the MCU Pro on Port 1 and the Extender on Port 2. I assume this is the correct way to do it?

 

 

Once again today, I went through my aforementioned process and as occasionally happens, the MCU Pro fires up just fine as does the extender EXCEPT the display on the EXTENDER is either gibberish or some readout display that doesn’t have any basis in reality. All of the controls work, but you can’t use the read-out.

 

If I go to the control setup, the icon for the extender has switched to being the same as the MCU Pro. Why does this happen? Both Icons are for the MCU PRO!!!

 

I then have to reinstall the extender, assign it to Port 2 and then start all over again — I have to turn the units off, quit Logic, and go through all of the previously mentioned steps. Today I had to go through the steps close to 10 times before everything was up and running again.

 

In the scope of the life, this is a minor thing. But when you’re trying to get work down it’s very frustrating.

 

Does ANYBODY have any clues? (By the way, I used to run the units completely on Midi, but that stopped working for some reason).

 

One more thing, if I turn on a midi powered keyboard AFTER doing all this, the Mackie units crash and I have to start all over again. Sometimes they crash if the keyboard is already turned on. I have figured out the best order for powering up with the keyboard involved.

[des99]

There seems to be some issues with using the MCU Pro over USB with LPX 10.1.x.

 

I suggest you install them via MIDI (ie, give both their own complete MIDI I/O port) and try again - this should work.

[Kingery]

I used to have the units plugged in with midi. If I started the Units first and then opened Logic, it worked 75% of the time. The other 25% was spent trying to figure out a startup procedure that would work or I just did things without the Units.

 

Somewhere along the line, Logic quit communicating with the midi hub and I had to switch to USB. I haven't had time to diagnose that issue. The audio/midi application reads the iConnectMidi4 quite nicely but Logic refuses to acknowledge its existence OR the input and outputs are all messed up.

[des99]

I used to have the units plugged in with midi. If I started the Units first and then opened Logic, it worked 75% of the time. The other 25% was spent trying to figure out a startup procedure that would work or I just did things without the Units.

 

The startup procedure is tweaked so Logic should reliably detect MCU units now - it's certainly much better than it used to be, where from time to time Logic wouldn't talk to a device even though it was sitting their on the correct port (I think this was to do with MIDI port ID's - where Logic would still try to connect to the port with the same ID as it used before, but if the port had a new ID but same name, if wouldn't see it until you refreshed the port list.)

 

Anyway, given the issues that people have reported with running MCUPros over USB with 10.1 (I don't think anyone has reported here so far that it works for them) I'd go MIDI - people who have done this have been successful.

 

Somewhere along the line, Logic quit communicating with the midi hub and I had to switch to USB. I haven't had time to diagnose that issue. The audio/midi application reads the iConnectMidi4 quite nicely but Logic refuses to acknowledge its existence OR the input and outputs are all messed up.

 

I don't know what MIDI stuff you are using, but I've never had any issues connected the MCU over MIDI, whether it's via an AMT8, audio interfaces with built-in MIDI ports, keyboards with a built-in MIDI I/O etc, and also over the USB hubs I've had. If your device creates standard MIDI ports in OSX, Logic will see them. It might be worth trying to troubleshoot this issue (here) as it might be quite minor compared to running MCU's over USB with 10.1, which seems flaky and no one has any idea of a resolution yet...

[Kingery]

Here's the troubleshoot. All other programs read my midi interface (it is the iConnectMidi4). All the other programs recognize the ports without issue.

Logic X.1.1 refuses to either A) acknowledge the existence of the interface or B) recognizes it, but it drops ports, won't let in and out be on the same pair, etc. I've for the moment given up on that BUT, I had many of the same issues when I used midi instead of USB. I had to find a start up routine that didn't cause the MCU and extender to crash. If I plugged in a MIDI keyboard, they crashed. Very unstable.

[Kingery]

I unplugged everything and started anew.

 

Reconfigured the midi interface and hooked everything up and tested via the Audio/Midi application.

 

The computer recognizes the two Mackie Units VIA Midi. The mackies are no longer connected via USB. USB Midi keyboard not connected to anything.

 

1. With units on, I open project. Units immediately crash. I turn off units and quit logic.

 

2. Start logic and turn on units. Both immediately crash. While they are crashed, Igo to the control setup and put in MCU Pro goes to and receives from MIDI 1. The extender goes to and receives from MIDI 2

 

3. I turn off units and quit logic. Start logic and turn on units. Both immediately crash.

 

Restart computer.

 

1. Both units on. Open logic. So far so good. Open project from inside logic. Still no crash. Logic does not recognize units.

 

I go to the control surface setup. Settings are as previously stated. But now, for the very first time I have two new choices. I have an out put named Mackie Pro and one output named Mackie Ext.

 

I make Midi 1 out the Mackie Pro and select midi 1 IN

 

I make Midi 2 out the ext. as labeled and select midi 2 IN

 

Both units crash. I turn them off and quit Logic.

 

2. I start Logic and open a program. Units are still off. No prompt appears to tell me the control units are missing. I turn on the units. They both crash.

 

I restart the computer.

 

Logic opens, both units crash. I go to the control setup and now where I should have midi out, I have a question mark!!!! Midi 1 and Midi 2 are gone.

 

Thoughts?

[des99]

Ok, let's take a look at some of this stuff to see if we can't get you up and running. It looks like you've got a bunch of issues here so we'll take it slow. I'll be asking questions, so please bear with me and help me out.

 

Logic X.1.1 refuses to either A) acknowledge the existence of the interface

 

If OSX sees it, Logic should see it. How do you know that Logic "refuses to acknowledge the existence"? What steps are you taking to determine this?

 

B) recognizes it, but it drops ports, won't let in and out be on the same pair, etc.

 

Can you describe what you are doing here, and what you are seeing? If ports are going away (not just from Logic, but OSX as well) then I'd be looking at the MIDI interface hardware, drivers or cables. If ports are being dropped from Logic but *not* OSX, then this is very strange behaviour and we can try and troubleshoot this as well.

 

I had to find a start up routine that didn't cause the MCU and extender to crash. If I plugged in a MIDI keyboard, they crashed. Very unstable.

 

Ok, you say the MCU "crashes" a lot. What does this mean? What firmware version are you running, and is it the latest? Are you in Logic mode on the MCUs?

 

The computer recognizes the two Mackie Units VIA Midi. The mackies are no longer connected via USB. USB Midi keyboard not connected to anything.

 

Ok.

 

1. With units on, I open project. Units immediately crash. I turn off units and quit logic.

 

Thoughts?

 

So can you clarify what you mean when you say the units "crash"?

 

For now, we'll try to simplify things by only using the main MCU unit - please disconnect the XT and leave it off for now. We'll come back to this when we can get one MCU stable for you - adding a second at this stage just complicates the troubleshooting.

 

So, you should have the main MCU connected via MIDI from both MIDI in and MIDI out. What ports on your system are they connected to? (ie, what does OSX see the port names as?)

 

Does your MIDI interface have any MIDI patchbay or routing functions that may be interfering or rerouting the MIDI streams?

 

Also, for now, quit Logic and trash the control surface prefs file (/Users/*yourusername*/Library/Preferences/Logic/com.apple.logic.cs)

[Kingery]

1. I go to the controller setup and the midi interface nor any of the ports are listed. That's my first clue. Secondly, I reset all midi drivers. Nothing changes. No, the ports ONLY go away from Logic. never the OSX or any other midi program.

 

2. I keep reseting all midi drivers, quoting and reopening Logic, restarting machine, etc. until the ports appear. Or at least some of them. The next time I turn on the computer. logic and the units to work, the ports have disappeared again.

 

3. When they crash there is a readout the MCU Pro display and the extender display that says "SECURITY UNLOCK FAILED!!!" Falscher Sicherheits Code. The faders fly up to the top of the channel., fly back to the bottom and the display goes off.

 

4. A small correction. I still have "midi Port" in the controller setup display, but the ALL is gone and is now a question mark.

 

5. no patch bays or routing functions to interfere

 

6. ?, Sync, Midi port, Mackie Control, Mackie Control XT, and when it recognized the midi interface once upon a time, DINN 1 (midi 1) DINN 2 (Midi 2) DINN 3 (Midi 3) DINN 4 (Midi 4)

7. V 4.0.3 In Logic Mode

 

9. I unplugged from midi, went back to USB and everything is working again

 

8. I'll return to this tomorrow. I've had enough for one day. Thanks for your help so far.

[des99]

1. I go to the controller setup and the midi interface nor any of the ports are listed. That's my first clue.

 

Listed where? You mean if you select one of the installed control surfaces icons, and then in it's inspector window, click-hold on an input and/or output port and the connected MIDI port isn't listed? Or something else?

 

 

No, the ports ONLY go away from Logic. never the OSX or any other midi program.

 

Ok, we'll try some tests on this to see if e can find out what's going on.

 

 

 

3. When they crash there is a readout the MCU Pro display and the extender display that says "SECURITY UNLOCK FAILED!!!" Falscher Sicherheits Code. The faders fly up to the top of the channel., fly back to the bottom and the display goes off.

 

Ok. This usually happens because of some MIDI communications error which suggests that perhaps your MIDI interface is not behaving properly. Do you have any other MIDI interface, or device with an independent MIDI In/Out that you can use instead of the iConnect to try and rule it out?

 

I'm not sure exactly what triggers this error as I've never had it on mine (even after extensive MIDI hacking ), but from past troubleshooting and other peoples reports, it mostly happens when some weird flaky MIDI communications is going on - poor MIDI drivers and so on.

 

 

5. no patch bays or routing functions to interfere

 

Ok, good.

 

 

 

6. ?, Sync, Midi port, Mackie Control, Mackie Control XT, and when it recognized the midi interface once upon a time, DINN 1 (midi 1) DINN 2 (Midi 2) DINN 3 (Midi 3) DINN 4 (Midi 4)

 

I don't understand. Presumably the MIDI ports called "Mackie Control" and "Mackie Control XT" are virtual MIDI ports that are created when the MCUs are connected via USB. Ignore these for now (at least while troubleshooting connected to MIDI).

 

So, I assume you've connected the main MCU from MIDI interface OUT 1 to MCU MIDI in, and MCU MIDI Out to MIDI interface IN 1?

What are the names of these MIDI ports as referred to by your system?

 

Use the Audio/MIDI Setup Utility to verify that your MIDI interface is connected and online (this should also give you the port names as well). Does the iConnect thing require drivers? Are they the latest versions?

 

 

 

7. V 4.0.3 In Logic Mode

 

Can you check that the MCU is definitely in "Logic Control" mode...

(Hold down chan 1 and 2 Select buttons on power up to check).

 

This solved the security unlock thing for someone else, so if you can just verify that and confirm.

 

 

 

I'll return to this tomorrow. I've had enough for one day. Thanks for your help so far.

 

Yeah I know it's a pain...

[Kingery]

Ok, good news. Everything is behaving as it should.

 

I started all over. I double-checked and the MCU was in Logic Control mode but the XT was not — don't know why as that's something I did when I first took them out of the boxes. I set the XT to Logic Control Mode.

 

the main unit worked perfectly via midi of course, the XT wouldn't do anything. Just sat there with the Apple Pro Logic message on the read out.

With the main unit plugged into the midi interface, I gave up on the XT and, just for fun, plugged it into the midi ports on my MOTU 828. BINGO!

The two units could not be plugged into the same interface even though they were on completely different midi ports. With fingers, toes, legs and eyes crossed I will hope this solves the problem permanently. Thank you for your patient help. ARRRGH! Technology! It teaches you how to curse!

A thousand blessings!

[des99]

Ok, good news. Everything is behaving as it should.

 

Great! I hope it stays being reliable for you!

 

Like I say, over MIDI, there were a few MCU teething troubles in 10.1.0 which were fixed in 10.1.1, there still seems to be an outstanding issue we don't understand with USB connections - but as long as your MIDI communication is routed properly and nothing funky is going on, it *should* be possible to the MCU's to be solid.

[cocoroman]

O.K. I had the same problem, and found out that. LPX 10.1.1 and Yosemite is not 100%. Either MCU or LPX has problem with USB. My salvation was, I dropped the USB,used Midi connections. And it is working like Swiss watch.. You should use The Extender on midi port 1 and the MCO PRO on 2.. Normally it should work this way. This USB problem was already known I guess. So don't use USB, just Midi connection. Cheers,