Cakewalk doesn't stop the Clock - Trouble.

[Denis Cherep]

Hello, dear colleagues. 
Can't solve a problem that doesn't allow me to use DAW with my Eurorack. 
I have a SONAR, but my friend has the same problem on CbB. The problem is that the DAW is constantly sending out a clock and we think it is wrong. My Eurorack connects via a MIDI-CV interface, one output of which is set to Clock and the other to Play/Stop to run my drum-modules and other sequencers. I use Play/Stop to reset loops and sequences to the starting point, and a clock to synchronize modules and other synthesizers. So, even when I don't run the DAW, the clock is still sending to the modules and they react - play. When I start the DAW, Play/Stop syncs the clock, everything works well, but after 'Stop' the clock keeps running and the modules keep playing. The same problem with synths and sequencers that run on the clock without Play/Stop (for example, Pro-1 in Repeat-mode). 
My friend is a serious expert in Cakewalk and he says that this is an error. 
What do you think about it? 
Can you check youselves whether your DAW is transmitting the clock during Stop or not?

PS: the Play/Stop command works correctly - i checked it on an oscilloscope. Play - high voltage, Stop - zero.

Thanks
With respect, 
Denis

[Elena Kolpakova]

I can confirm the same problem in the latest CbB. When cakewalk is set as master it transmits clock and some other MIDI CC garbage without stopping. Here it is step by step on my machine. I used LoopBe1 to output the MIDI events generated by Cakewalk to monitor them in MIDI-Ox.

1. Start CbB

 

2. Create a new project

 

3. Enable CbB as master with MIDI Sync and MTC

 

4. Project is stopped, but clock is already running and ch.16 is flooded with CC Bank MSB for whatever reason. Sometimes it's only the Timing Clock that's present till I start the playback.

 

5. Start the playback - essentially the same picture with an exception of MTC messages kicking in.

 

6. Stop the playback and rewind - now there's even more CC Bank MSB events and the clock keeps running.

Edited December 17, 2020 by Helene Kolpakova

[Elena Kolpakova]

It just occurred to me that Timing Clock messages running when the project playback is stopped is a feature - allows to respond to project tempo changes without having to start the playback. But the extra CC messages on ch. 16 or sometimes on other channels is definitely a bug.

[scook]

I can't read the images but Zero Controllers When Play Stops is one potential source of CC data when the transport stops.

[User 905133]

looks like two sets of BF 00 00 for each F8

[Elena Kolpakova]

2 hours ago, User 905133 said:

looks like two sets of BF 00 00 for each F8

Yes, on channel 16. In fact sometimes there's one BF 00 00 for each F8, sometimes two, and very rarely, mostly after the system reboot, none which gets broken after the first play/stop sequence. I have also occasionally seen other messages hanging instead of BF0000 and not necessarily on ch. 16. I've even seen SPP messages being sent like this. And it's not MIDI-Ox as I also got the same in Reaktor MIDI monitor.

I also did some googling regarding the clock. Apparently some sequencers always generate the clock, others connect it to start|stop messages. This is likely not standardised. What would be cool if there were an option in CbB to stop the clock generation together with MIDI Stop and start it again together with Start (not sure about Continue).

tl;dr That's essentially two major points of this topic:

1. Bug with extra MIDI garbage being sent with every clock message
2. Feature request to allow Cakewalk start/stop clock generation when it sends MIDI Start/Stop

[Glenn Stanton]

Expanded MIDI 1.0 Messages List (Status Bytes)

https://www.midi.org/specifications-old/item/table-2-expanded-messages-list-status-bytes

MIDI 1.0 Control Change Messages (Data Bytes)

https://www.midi.org/specifications-old/item/table-3-control-change-messages-data-bytes-2

[Denis Cherep]

The problem is solved.
The watch is connected via a switch that is controlled by a play/stop signal.
It was very successful