EZDrummer triggering wrong notes on new computer

[Anthony]

Hi,

I’m moving from an older Snow Leopard to a new El Capitan Macbook. I have Logic 9 and EZDrummer1 installed on both and I’m in the process of recalling my projects before decommissioning my old computer. On the new Mac I’m having a problem where EZDrummer is triggering different notes than on my older Mac. For example, Bell Rides on the older Mac triggering as crashes on the newer Mac.

These are the exact same Logic projects between the two computers and everything else on these projects is recalling fine. I’m at a loss.

Anthony

Topic

[John]

Hi,

since you cannot reassign notes in EZdrummer, I suspect that something is different within Logic on your 2 computers.
If you have the same version of EZdrummer installed, the same EZX loaded and 2 exact copies of the same Project, there can’t be much else, right?

BR,
John

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Anthony]

I’m remembering now that I installed Superior Drummer and Toontrack Solo on the older computer. It was years ago and I used it only once or twice while testing some e-drums. Superior Drummer was a bit complex for my needs so I returned to EZDrummer. BTW, I’m using EXDrummer inside Logic.

I vaguely remember I had to do some kind of mapping of the e-drums – I think by selecting an e-drums present in Toontrack Solo. Hard to remember the details now.

Is is possible that whatever tweaks I made through Toontrack Solo or Superior Drummer would have changed some mappings that now affect EZDrummer in Logic?

..ant

[John]

Hi,

if you were selecting the ‘E-drums’ MIDI controller type in Toontrack solo, it would only transform/wrap the incoming MIDI notes to other note values to the currently loaded plugin, not alter something permanently with the plugin.

If you on the other hand were, say loading EZdrummer EZX:s in Superior 2 in Logic, then there is the possibility to actually change an instrument/articulation’s note value. But from what you are describing it doesn’t sound like this is the case?

The only plausible explanation that I can think of right now is that you had some kind of Input Transformer active in Logic on your old system but it isn’t active on your new. If it isn’t too much work, I’d simply select all notes that are triggering the wrong instrument and transposes them to the correct note.

BR,
John

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Anthony]

Thank you. I can’t find an Input Transformer in the Environment on my old or new system in Logic. So before I start transposing, I want to make sure I’m moving them to the “correct” location and not messing things up further. The most obvious issue is with G#2 (as Logic reports it). It’s triggering what sounds like a bell-ride sound on the old computer and a crash on the new computer. I’m unable to find a way to get Logic to show what actual MIDI number G#2 is.

I found this mapping online. Do you know which MIDI note below is equal to G#2 in Logic?

Looking at the list, I’m wondering now if I have an octave transposition problem as Ab/G2 can trigger Crash at lower octave and Bell and Ride at higher octaves.

MIDI EZX Nashville
Ab 116 [Ride] Ride
Ab 104 [Ride] Ride
Ab 92 [Ride] Ride
Ab 80 [Racktom 2] Rimshot
Ab 68 [Snare] *Thumb
Ab 56 [Hats] Open Bell 2
Ab 44 [Hats] Closed Pedal
Ab 32 [Crash B] Crash
Ab 20 [Hats] hatsBellTrig
Ab 8 [Hats] hatsTipTrig

..ant

MORE INFO:

I tried transposing and that’s not the problem.

The G#2 behavior is consistent across all projects. It’s always a bell-ride on the old computer and always a crash on the new computer, no matter what projects I load. So looking at the environment – which is project level as I understand – wouldn’t be where the problem is.

Is there somewhere I can look at in Logic for global MIDI transposition mapping that would affect all projects?

[Anthony]

OK, I found a MIDI mapping. Looks like G#2 is MIDI 56. The Note Maps spreadsheet says that MIDI 56 maps to an Open Bell 2. Looks like my old computer is doing the right thing, so I’m glad I didn’t start transposing notes.

So the problem is on my new computer, which is all a fresh install of EZDrummer and the Nashville EZX on El Capitan. I’m back to where I was. Any idea why a recalled project on a newly installed computer would be incorrectly triggering a Crash instead of Open Bell 2?

..ant

[Ilja Körrer]

Hi!
Okay, I guess you really want to find a solution to your problem by searching the real reason that causes the problem.
But if you just want to get working as you used to in a quick way, why don’t you just make a backup of your old computer via timemachine and reinstall it on your new mac? If it still doesn’t work than, it’s definately a Systembug. 😉
Or was this the way you set up your new macbook?
Cheers Ilja

[Anthony]

I’ve taken Logic out of the equation. I also did a full re-install of EZDrummer and Nashville. Using only Toontrack software. Problem still is here.

I ran Toontrack Solo and loaded the Nashville library. Then I used a MIDI keyboard to trigger hits. G#2 on the old computer triggers an Open Bell (correctly). The same G#2 triggers a Crash on the new computer (incorrect). I’m not sure how many notes are impacted by this apparent bug, so transposing the G#2 notes is not a great option. And it will destroy portability of my projects to other computers.

Any ideas what could be going on? The only differences I can find between the setups is the older computer is running EZD 1.2.1 while I installed the latest 1.4.0 on my new computer.

Anthony

[John]

Hi,

the Nashville EZX has got a Cymbal Mute on note #56 and I *believe* that’s the standard for EZX:s that hasn’t got Open Bell samples.
The EZdrummer 2 Modern EZX has got a Cymbal Mute, the old EZdrummer 1 Pop/Rock Base kit has got Cowbell, IIRC.

BR,
John

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Anthony]

@John said:
Hi,

the Nashville EZX has got a Cymbal Mute on note #56 and I *believe* that’s the standard for EZX:s that hasn’t got Open Bell samples.
The EZdrummer 2 Modern EZX has got a Cymbal Mute, the old EZdrummer 1 Pop/Rock Base kit has got Cowbell, IIRC.

BR,
John  

In no case should I be getting a big cymbal crash with #56, correct? That’s what I’m getting.

..ant

[Anthony]

I think I figured out what’s going on. It’s quite problematic for me, unfortunately. I was using Nashville version 1.1.3 on the old computer. I installed the lasted Nashville 1.5.3 on the new computer. Sure enough, when I opened the MIDI Layout file for each, MIDI note 56 was changed from “[Hats] Bell” in 1.1.3 to “[Cymbal 2] Muted”. I also don’t see any equivalent to “[Hats] Bell” in the new library.

I’m completely floored that an update to Nashville would change mappings. I have almost an entire album completed using the 1.1.3 library and I’m stopped dead in my tracks.

Is there any way to go back to the older 1.1.3 version of Nashville? Only the 1.5.3 version is listed in my account and I used up my last activation to install in on my new Mac.

..ant

[John]

Well,

that’s tricky, I *think* using Nashville EZX 1.1.3 will require an older version of EZdrummer 1 as well and I am not sure how to fix that.
There were of course valid reasons behind updating both the Nashville EZX (library conformity being one) and the EZdrummer 1 plugin, so AFAIK, there are no old versions ready to be activated in your account. Giving you old versions could potentially open a can of worms.
I really would recommend transposing the notes to the correct note values. I am not a Logic wiz but in Pro Tools I would transpose all #56 to, say, #121 in 3 mouse clicks.

BR,
John

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Anthony]

I found my Nashville 1.1.3 installer and successfully installed it over 1.5.3. Works fine with the latest EZDrummer 1 plugin and no re-activation was needed. I’m breathing a lot easier now.

Recall is so important. I get that updating libraries needs to happen from time to time, but when you change the MIDI mapping and the sound of a drum library, that’s when you need to call it Nashville 2, clearly document it in release notes and support legacy downloads in your site. Scenarios like this make it harder to trust using plugins. Transposing a few notes is the easy part. Having the sound change is a whole other thing. If I hadn’t found a path to recovery, I’d have been seriously reconsidering my use of EZDrummer, which I love BTW.

..ant

[Author]

Replies