Cool. I guess I could also sequence like a Digitakt note from the MPC sequencer in quarter notes and record it in to the MPC and see how it lines up on the grid or something. But that would probably just show how jittery the midi clock is… hmm…
maybe like what T&M did with the model 12 test etc…
1 Like
So it works!
What I found using the method in the YouTube video above:
Started with Link over WiFi, MPC outs, about 2ms latency on the Ableton grid recording into my Focusrite interface.
Tried with SSL as interface for MPC using WiFi link, SSL outputs into Focusrite into Ableton, about 16-18ms of latency… looking bad.
Then I used an Ethernet cable for Link on the MPC instead of WiFi and for whatever reason that put it at like 3ms of latency… which seems suspicious. I assumed WiFi Link and ethernet Link would be time corrected the same?
The files in the pic are in the order described above. Just sequenced a 4 on the floor kick with the MPC drum synth.
2 Likes
intersting and thank you
Have been hearing some dropouts too, not sure how to remedy that.
1 Like
Thanks for the interesting infos!
My dream setup would be the Big Six with my MPC Live 2, where I could combine internal sample programs going out into the Big Six via USB and external hardware synths via regular line inputs.
In this case, there shouldn’t be any noticeable latency, right?
Can you try recording into the mpc through USB? So audio from mpc to ssl, then USB to mpc to record it on audio channels?
But you’re going through 2 audio interfaces ad/da though right?
2 Likes
The MPC doesn’t allow you to have different input and output audio interfaces unfortunately.
1 Like
You would think, but I’m not sure how everything would line up with midi sync and all.
Yeah, I was just repeating homedude’s test from the video to see how much sync delay there would be between the MPC and the MPC plus usb interface. What I took away the most is that there was less sync latency via Link using an Ethernet cable than using WiFi, which I wasn’t expecting.
It wasn’t showing standalone round trip audio latency or anything.
1 Like
Why is the pan pot removed from channel 3 in the pic?!
Haha, I was doing a lot of patching and I think it got hung up on my shirt or a cable or something and popped off. It’s all good.
True dedication! 
I’m testing one of these right now and I’ve run into what seems to be an issue. I am getting some noise on five of the channels. They are mostly between -60 to -70, but it accumulates to around -54 on the master. Granted, this is lower-level noise, but If I am tracking through them, summing through them, and sometimes signal processing, then that will add up. None of my other interfaces have exhibited this issue, and the manual for the Big Six goes on about how the components used are low noise.
I usually only see this type of noise on a noisy instrument like a guitar running through pedals, or maybe one or two synths I have. These readings were taken with no cables plugged in at all, with the gain/trim pot and fader all the way down on these channels, and no eq or compression engaged. I don’t even remember this issue when I had my old small Six running into another interface.
Anyway, I have to think there is an issue here, and it isn’t happening on all of the channels. Could be an interior issue, or maybe a power supply issue. I will do some more troubleshooting today. I contacted SSL yesterday and am waiting for a response. I know there aren’t many of these out there, but has anyone else had this noise issue?
Here is a screenshot of those channels:
And on a different note, I did the Ableton round trip latency test with the buffer set to 64 samples and the latency was around 9.3ms. This was on a 2019 Macbook Pro.
6 Likes
Could it be a ground loop issue? That can turn up on everything and add up. If you have monitors plugged in the mixer removing those cables will tell.
And are the noise levels peak or rms? I’ve been measuring noise on my setup and noticed that peak is not a good way to measure the noise as when removing stuff that where really noisy just lowered the peak by 2 db. But rms shoved much larger difference and more in line with what I was hearing.
1 Like
It’s one of the things I am going to troubleshoot today. I want to move the Big Six and my computer to another room away from everything and put them on their own outlet.
1 Like
I believe Ableton meters are just peak, but If you click on the number it resets the value, so I’ve been doing that to each channel a few times to get a steady number.
Same with Cubase. Had a noise at -67 peak in Cubase, and -85 rms in Rme’s software. But this was on the master out of the mixer. Individual channels where at -107 rms. And this is with an older mixer. The new SSL should be better than the numbers show, so something is definitely off.
1 Like
Yeah, I think so as well. I tested it in another room, with nothing else plugged in, and all my equipment in the other room turned off so there were not gamma rays trying to get me, and the results are similar. I also pulled out my ID44 and tried that USB cable, and it was the same.
I decided to take readings from each channel, not just the ones that are noticeable. All with their gain/trim pots and faders down. I am getting a range of -64.8 to -101. That seems rather inconsistent.
Here are the numbers:
- -69.8
- -64.8
- -77.4
- -98.1
- -68.9
- -101
- -87.4
- -74.4
- -69.4
- -97.3
- -71.2
- -80.9
- -75.9
- -70.2
- -67.5
- -69.7
Master -50
Just for reference, since I had the Audient ID44 out, I tried the same test, gain down, nothing plugged in, to see if there is any noise coming through.
Here are the numbers for the ID44:
- -104
- -104
- -103
- -103
Master -97
This is closer to the types of numbers I would expect from SSL.
2 Likes