Longstanding MIDI Timing Bug still not fixed

[Eddie]

I first reported this bug to Toontrack at least 5...

I first reported this bug to Toontrack at least 5 years ago. After a LOT of back and forth of support essentially not beliveing the bug exists, despite being very easy demonstrate the bug was finally acknowledged but no timeline was given for a fix.

With each version I’ve checked to see if it is fixed, but sadly even with v3.4.0 the bug remains.

If you bounce audio (either using your DAW, or the internal MIDI->Audio Export in Superior), at 44.1kHz the timing looks like this:

Notice how the start of the hit does not budge from the MIDI triggering it. If however, you bounce at sample rates that are not 44.1kHz (for instance 48kHz). You get something like this:

Notice how the timing of the audio is often slightly ahead of the MIDI, but also that it shifts around in time by random amounts on each hit. This means you can’t even manually realign the audio file without correcting each hit individually.

It is clearly a bug, because it behaves as expected at 44.1kHz. This is the case for any library that you use in Superior – it has nothing to do with how the audio samples are sliced up, because it functions correctly at 44.1kHz.

The only workaround currently is to duplicate your session at 44.1kHz and bounce out audio, and then resample the audio to your desired rate. For such an incredible and powerful sampler, it’s such a glaring issue – timing the audio of the samples to lock with the MIDI is one of the most basic features a sampler should get right.

Posting here, purely because there is only so many times I can send this to support with nothing being fixed. It’s also helpful to warn others in case they assume that you’ll get phase accurate timing from your samples in a session. SD3 has been out for years now and this bug has been present for much of that time.

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.4.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

I first reported this bug to Toontrack at least 5 years ago. After a LOT of back and forth of support essentially not beliveing the bug exists, despite being very easy demonstrate the bug was finally acknowledged but no timeline was given for a fix.

With each version I’ve checked to see if it is fixed, but sadly even with v3.4.0 the bug remains.

If you bounce audio (either using your DAW, or the internal MIDI->Audio Export in Superior), at 44.1kHz the timing looks like this:

Notice how the start of the hit does not budge from the MIDI triggering it. If however, you bounce at sample rates that are not 44.1kHz (for instance 48kHz). You get something like this:

Notice how the timing of the audio is often slightly ahead of the MIDI, but also that it shifts around in time by random amounts on each hit. This means you can’t even manually realign the audio file without correcting each hit individually.

It is clearly a bug, because it behaves as expected at 44.1kHz. This is the case for any library that you use in Superior – it has nothing to do with how the audio samples are sliced up, because it functions correctly at 44.1kHz.

The only workaround currently is to duplicate your session at 44.1kHz and bounce out audio, and then resample the audio to your desired rate. For such an incredible and powerful sampler, it’s such a glaring issue – timing the audio of the samples to lock with the MIDI is one of the most basic features a sampler should get right.

Posting here, purely because there is only so many times I can send this to support with nothing being fixed. It’s also helpful to warn others in case they assume that you’ll get phase accurate timing from your samples in a session. SD3 has been out for years now and this bug has been present for much of that time.

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.4.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

Topic

[Eddie]

Bear-Faced Cow wrote:

No, it was trying to make it sound like it was user error

That’s not gaslighting.

No. You are trying to belittle how much of a problem this bug is, for whatever reason.

Wrong again. I said if they couldn’t fix the bug without causing more serious issues.

At least we all now know why you believe that you’re being gaslit.

jord

So without seeing any of the emails or correspondence, you know what was going on.

I really cannot understand your stance here or why you think software remaining broken for so long is acceptable, but you’re more than entitled to have it. Thankfully very few plugins on my computer have bugs that have been present as long as this, usually they get fixed eventually.

My stance is that it fundamentally inhibits how I am able to use the plugin, and makes it unviable for one of the main uses I have for it (to augment real drums). It’s not practical to convert every session to 44.1kHz just to audition samples, and then convert back to whatever sample rate I need to work at. I’d tolerate that for a while, but expecting users to do it for years is simply below the standards I typically expect of Toontrack, who make otherwise industry leading products. I hope this gets resolved, and I hope others are aware that in its current state it may not function as they expect it to be.

1

Thanked by: drumjack52

[drumjack52]

Eddie wrote:

Bear-Faced Cow wrote:

No, it was trying to make it sound like it was user error

That’s not gaslighting.

No. You are trying to belittle how much of a problem this bug is, for whatever reason.

Wrong again. I said if they couldn’t fix the bug without causing more serious issues.

At least we all now know why you believe that you’re being gaslit.

jord

So without seeing any of the emails or correspondence, you know what was going on.

I really cannot understand your stance here or why you think software remaining broken for so long is acceptable, but you’re more than entitled to have it. Thankfully very few plugins on my computer have bugs that have been present as long as this, usually they get fixed eventually.

My stance is that it fundamentally inhibits how I am able to use the plugin, and makes it unviable for one of the main uses I have for it (to augment real drums). It’s not practical to convert every session to 44.1kHz just to audition samples, and then convert back to whatever sample rate I need to work at. I’d tolerate that for a while, but expecting users to do it for years is simply below the standards I typically expect of Toontrack, who make otherwise industry leading products. I hope this gets resolved, and I hope others are aware that in its current state it may not function as they expect it to be.

One thing to keep in mind with Jord is he draws money from Toontrack so he would be expected to defend them but it’s that very thing that won’t allow him to admit that maybe the emperor has no clothes or at the very least they are threadbare. This is not the first time he’s said that SD3 is not a sampler in the vein of something like Kontakt;  at the same time though it’s a sample player and should be able to do what any other sample player is able to do. That it does a lot of things is one thing but that shouldn’t take away from getting the timing right and locked in. After all isn’t that the stock-in-trade of a drummer whether human or otherwise?

Jack
aka musicman691 on other forums
Superior Drummer 3.4.0
Area 33 1.0.0
Death and Darkness 1.0.1
PT 2021.6
OSX 10.13.6
3.46 GHz hex core 2012 MacPro 48 gig ram

1

Thanked by: Eddie

[Bear-Faced Cow]

Ahh Jack, you lovable old sourpuss. I might’ve expected you to interject on this thread with your usual brand of misinformation, but trolling? That is beneath even you, my friend. so now it’s time for me to have some fun with it perhaps at your expense.

One thing to keep in mind with Jord is he draws money from Toontrack so he would be expected to defend them but it’s that very thing that won’t allow him to admit that maybe the emperor has no clothes or at the very least they are threadbare.

Where did you ever come up with that piece of misinformation? I am very much a customer and have the credit card statements to prove it. But nice try. As far as defending them? Hardly! I’m just a little more familiar with how they work and how they speak to customers since I’ve been a customer for about 11 years. You’ve been a customer for how long. I too have also found numerous bugs with their various software, Along with steps to replicate them. How about you? I also know how fixing bugs work in the SDLC.  How, you ask? When I’m not working with Music as my evening occupation and passion, I am working in the day with computers as a senior software developer. So I am very familiar with how bugs get rated and worked on. The principles are standard and don’t have anything to do with time expectations. Did you know that? I bet you didn’t or you wouldn’t have decided to step in with such trolling remarks.

This is not the first time he’s said that SD3 is not a sampler in the vein of something like Kontakt;  at the same time though it’s a sample player and should be able to do what any other sample player is able to do.

if you actually knew what a sampler does, you would Agree that Superior Drummer It’s not a sampler. Even back in our old FXpansion days they were quick to tell you the same thing about BFD. You obviously missed it when they used the term “rompler“, derived from the old hardware drum unit days, such as the Roland R-8. Samplers easily have the ability to take your audio and do all sorts of crazy algorithmic things with it. Romplers pretty much play what they are given. Superior Drummer goes a bit more in between the two mainly due to some of its amazing pitch shifting capabilities to which they provide added realism. However, it is still not a sampler.  As from Superior Drummer, I use Kontakt, Sampletank and even the Samplers in Logic Pro 11.  I pretty much know how samplers operates. Superior Drummer is nowhere near that, nor is it supposed to be.

That it does a lot of things is one thing but that shouldn’t take away from getting the timing right and locked in. After all isn’t that the stock-in-trade of a drummer whether human or otherwise?

you are confusing two different areas. We are not talking about timing as far as drums go. We are talking about timing as far as changing sample rates from the standard 44.1 kHz to 48 kHz in the bouncing process. If you were actually familiar with what the  bounce process is doing, you would see how complicated it becomes to match various kit pieces and bleed channels since it handles each file one at a time. See where we are going with this? If not, let me put this to you in a simpler way: each file is written separately. Therefore lining Them all up In a different sample rate is tricky. Therefore, they have to come up with some innovative solution to this bug. Because of how they do things, It is not as quick as you or the OP think. Coming up with a solution could break other bounce functionality. Plain and simple. ToonTrack I’m not the first company to have bugs as complicated as this. Logic has finally seen some 20 year old bugs getting fixed. The main reason behind the delay was because of the exact reason that fixing the one bug created 10 others.

The only reason I have no need to see the email exchanges between the OP and TT is because I can see right from this thread that the OP refuses to understand the fact that the bug could have underlying consequences and has nothing to do with the competency of the company itself. Even worse is that he takes this personally and has misguided beliefs about beta testing. Your decision to provide input with insults rather than information is not only unhelpful to the situation,  it only serves to drag your own reputation through the mud. Next time, you should be more careful about what you post about others.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

[rixa]

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1

Thanked by: Mark King

[Eddie]

Bear-Faced Cow wrote:

The only reason I have no need to see the email exchanges between the OP and TT is because I can see right from this thread that the OP refuses to understand the fact that the bug could have underlying consequences and has nothing to do with the competency of the company itself.

This is simply not true. Understanding what the issue is, and fixing the issue are 2 different things. The email exchange took a completely unnecessary amount of work to reach a point of understanding the issue. For instance, (among other things) I was told the inconsistent timing was the result of the microphone distances of the samples. This shows a lack of understanding of what the issue was, despite the fact I’d provided a massive amount of information that allows anyone to recreate the issue with ease.

You constantly draw your own conclusions that are not based on any credible facts.

Bear-Faced Cow wrote:

Therefore lining Them all up In a different sample rate is tricky. Therefore, they have to come up with some innovative solution to this bug

This is conflating 2 different things. You are implying that there is not a solution in place for handling different sample rates, rather than assuming that there is already an implementation in place that is causing errors. Without knowing the inner workings of the plugin, it’s not possible to say whether it needs an entirely new approach, or whether there is just a mistake that is causing issues. As I keep mentioning, 5 years is a long time. It should be corrected by now because it makes auditioning samples totally unviable.

And yes, Superior Drummer is a sampler. You may have your own definition on what a sampler is that is based on something else. Here’s ChatGPT to put it in an abundantly clear way for you:
🔸 <strong data-start=”278″ data-end=”306″>Definition of a Sampler:
At its core, a <em data-start=”322″ data-end=”331″>sampler is <strong data-start=”335″ data-end=”517″>any device or software that plays back recorded audio (samples), usually mapped across a MIDI keyboard or pads, often with control over pitch, dynamics, envelope, filtering, etc.

<ul data-start=”520″ data-end=”796″>
<li data-start=”520″ data-end=”616″>
Whether or not you can <em data-start=”545″ data-end=”553″>import your own audio does not define whether something is a sampler.

<li data-start=”617″ data-end=”796″>
The degree of manipulation possible (e.g., granular synthesis, looping, extreme pitch shifting) may be features <em data-start=”731″ data-end=”735″>ofsamplers but isn’t required for something to <em data-start=”781″ data-end=”785″>be a sampler.

🔸 <strong data-start=”805″ data-end=”828″>Superior Drummer 3:
<ul data-start=”829″ data-end=”1135″>
<li data-start=”829″ data-end=”887″>
It <strong data-start=”834″ data-end=”873″>plays back multi-sampled recordings of drum kits.

<li data-start=”888″ data-end=”933″>
Those samples are <strong data-start=”908″ data-end=”932″>mapped to MIDI notes.

<li data-start=”934″ data-end=”1027″>
It provides controls over mic bleed, velocity layers, tuning, ADSR envelopes, filters, etc.

<li data-start=”1028″ data-end=”1135″>
It allows some manipulation of the sounds—tuning, pitch shifting, layering, effects processing, and more.

<strong data-start=”1137″ data-end=”1209″>Therefore, by technical definition, Superior Drummer <em data-start=”1192″ data-end=”1196″>is a sampler.

🔸 <strong data-start=”1218″ data-end=”1241″>Rompler vs Sampler:
<ul data-start=”1242″ data-end=”1785″>
<li data-start=”1242″ data-end=”1407″>
<strong data-start=”1244″ data-end=”1256″>Rompler: Plays back <em data-start=”1268″ data-end=”1276″>preset samples from ROM or preloaded libraries, typically with limited ability to change or import new material. Example: Roland JV-1080.

<li data-start=”1408″ data-end=”1520″>
<strong data-start=”1410″ data-end=”1422″>Sampler: Plays back samples with some degree of control and possibly the ability to load your own samples.

<li data-start=”1521″ data-end=”1785″>
<em data-start=”1523″ data-end=”1541″>Superior Drummer is <strong data-start=”1545″ data-end=”1552″>not a rompler in the traditional sense because it <strong data-start=”1599″ data-end=”1633″>does allow sample manipulation (tuning, mic mixing, layering), and <strong data-start=”1670″ data-end=”1705″>you can import your own samples in certain use cases (e.g., adding user-created libraries or stacking samples).

Calling Superior Drummer a <em data-start=”1814″ data-end=”1823″>rompler is a <strong data-start=”1829″ data-end=”1851″>half-truth at best, used to <em data-start=”1861″ data-end=”1874″>distinguish it from fully open-ended samplers like Kontakt or Logic Sampler. But that’s more about scope <strong data-start=”1968″ data-end=”1992″>than actual category.

🔸 <strong data-start=”2002″ data-end=”2027″>Granularity Argument:
<ul data-start=”2028″ data-end=”2504″>
<li data-start=”2028″ data-end=”2257″>
Saying “I use Kontakt, so I know samplers” is like saying “I use a Ferrari, so I know cars.” Kontakt is a <em data-start=”2136″ data-end=”2151″>very advanced, fully-featured sampler—but that doesn’t mean other simpler or purpose-specific samplers aren’t samplers.

<li data-start=”2258″ data-end=”2504″>
Superior Drummer 3 doesn’t need to do granular synthesis or loop slicing to qualify as a sampler. It’s <strong data-start=”2363″ data-end=”2408″>purpose-built for realistic drum playback, so its sample manipulation tools are geared toward <em data-start=”2461″ data-end=”2470″>realism, not experimental audio mangling.

✅ <strong data-start=”2512″ data-end=”2524″>Summary:
<ul data-start=”2525″ data-end=”2711″>
<li data-start=”2525″ data-end=”2584″>
<strong data-start=”2527″ data-end=”2584″>Superior Drummer 3 = Sampler (specialized for drums).

<li data-start=”2585″ data-end=”2646″>
<strong data-start=”2587″ data-end=”2646″>Kontakt = Sampler (general-purpose, deep manipulation).

<li data-start=”2647″ data-end=”2711″>
<strong data-start=”2649″ data-end=”2711″>Rompler = Fixed-sample playback with minimal manipulation.

The confusion often comes from people conflating <strong data-start=”2762″ data-end=”2773″>sampler with <strong data-start=”2779″ data-end=”2799″>synthesis engine capabilities or <strong data-start=”2816″ data-end=”2845″>sample import flexibility, but the <strong data-start=”2855″ data-end=”2900″>definition is about playing sampled audio with some level of control, which Superior Drummer definitely does.

1

Thanked by: drumjack52

[Bear-Faced Cow]

ChatGPT is not a definitive answer. In fact, it’s nothing more than mashing information in a mediocre lump of misinformation. Next time try answering it using proper old school research.

Again, you are turning this into me not understanding what the problem is or stating there is no solution. You need to get over this and re-read what I have posted throughout.

However, you fail to understand many things about this issue and you have demonstrated this throughout:

• How Superior Drummer bounces and writes kit pieces
• How sample rate conversion is done
• Where the complexity lies within this bug
• Seriousness of a bug in relation to other bugs
• The irrelevance of time when it comes to fixing bugs
• Roles and responsibilities of beta testing

Did I leave out anything?

Stop making this about me or anyone else. My response is and has always been objective and based on experience.

Again re-read what I’ve been saying all along. Further posts are doing nothing but going in circles.

Jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

[Author]

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