Thanks for replying.

Yes, 3 instrument tracks: 1 for kick, 1 for snare, 1 for hihats. That’s all I want/need in this session.

So, here’s what happens: In Pro Tools (tried in both 2025 and 2024) I record the kick (to a click track) on my midi keyboard. Then the snare, then the hihats. On playback, they are all in sync. I save the session. Then on playback after saving, the kick is out of sync, it plays a second before the visual midi note. This only happens with the kick. If I record any other SD3 drum, it stays in time. And it’s only in this particular session. Weird, yes?

And of course the samples aren’t on my system. They are on a 4TB SDD.

BB

When you save the session are the tracks still MIDI or have you rendered them to audio?

YES.

Do you record the snare and hats using the click track like you do the kick?

YES.

What’s your audio buffer setting? Usually 256, but been advised to reduce to 64 when tracking.

I have never seen what you’re describing even on a relatively low-powered system like in my sig file.

Me neither! I’m using a Mac Mini M4 Pro (64GB unified memory, 1TB SSD), and UAD Apollo 8 DAW. All sessions etc. are on external Samsung SSDs.

Try this: manually enter using PT’s MIDI editor a string of notes for the kick – something like 4 notes per measure at whatever tempo you like. Then do a second line for snare and a third line for the hats. Then hit play and see what happens. Do this first with everything MIDI and if that’s okay then render the MIDI to audio and try again. If this passes then the problem is not specifically with SD3. What I’m trying to do here is take the human (you) out of the loop and give SD3 the best possible input.

Will do, I’ll report back. Thanks.

Are you using any effects in SD3? Multi-out or 2 channel stereo? What SDX? Do you have the problem with every kick drum in the library?

No effects, 2 channel stereo. No SDX. And I’ll check the other kicks…

cheers,

BB.