Hi there,
I’m currently trying the demo of Playbeat 4, and I absolutely love it!
I’m interested in purchasing it, but before doing so, I want to ensure it works perfectly with Ableton.
However, I’ve encountered a strange synchronization issue. When I select a pattern (e.g., PB4 House Blaze) and start Ableton with PB4 synced to Ableton (using the play icon), everything works perfectly.
But when I switch to the triggering option (keyboard icon) and create a clip with the key C2 ALL, the beat synchronizes on the first clip but not on the subsequent ones.
Everything is well-quantized, so I’m unsure if I’m doing something wrong or if this is a compatibility issue with Ableton.
For context, I use other drum machines like Triaz and have never experienced this kind of sync issue.
Could you please assist me with this?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks for reaching out. We’re unable to replicate this issue, everything should work smoothly with MIDI clips and MIDI input. Could you share a screenshot of your setup and your project’s sample rate?
I’m working on a MacBook Pro under macOS 12.7.4.
Ableton Live 12 Suite.
Here are the screenshots as requested.
This project is a test to evaluate PB4’s timing and synchronization capabilities.
Details:
- First PB4 Track :
- Configured as a preset with the trigger option, using MIDI set to C2 ALL.
- Observations:
- The first Triaz clip with a rimshot is well-synchronized with PB4.
- Starting from the second clip, there is a noticeable gap, and the beat is no longer aligned with the rimshot.
- Second PB4 Track :
- MIDI is not used; PB4 is set to play mode instead of triggering mode.
- Observations:
- When Ableton is started, PB4 plays automatically and remains perfectly synchronized with the rimshot.
- Additional Test:
- Comparing the Triaz rimshot with the Ableton metronome.
- Observations:
- Synchronization is flawless.
Issue:
PB4 performs perfectly in play mode, consistently staying on time with the rimshot. However, in trigger mode, synchronization issues arise starting from the second clip.
Question:
Why is PB4 perfectly synchronized in play mode but fails to remain on time in trigger mode?
Thanks for the details, but we’re unable to replicate this issue. Could you check if the same behavior occurs at a 48kHz sample rate?
You’re welcome.
I’ve just tried with 48khz sample rate and the same issue occurs 
The triggering option is the function that is for me important because it’s what I would like to use in my productions, not only with C2 key but also with individual tracks triggering for progression in the structure, so unfortunately if it doesn’t work well I won’t buy PB4.
I hope we will find a fix for that 
I’ve just made another test and created a clip with a kick. This time, instead of using the triggering keys, I played a kick on the C1 key. Unfortunately, the same issue persists—the kick is not played on time. 
This makes the situation completely incomprehensible.
As mentioned, we haven’t been able to replicate this issue, nor have we received similar reports. We’d love to learn more about it, would it be possible to send us the Live project file so we can open it locally? You can upload it anywhere and share the link via PM. Thanks
I’ve just sent you the Ableton project file 
Thanks for sharing this. The project loaded without any issues, and all three tracks play perfectly in sync. We tested it on both macOS and Windows 10 using Live 12.1.10, and everything works as expected.
Unfortunately, we’re not sure why you’re experiencing this playback issue, assuming ‘sync’ is enabled in Playbeat. Have you noticed the same issue in a different DAW, if you use one?
You’re welcome. If everything is working as expected on your side, then I don’t understand why it’s happening on mine. I’m really sad because I found PB4 amazing and was about to buy it. 
To answer your question: Yes, I have tried with Studio One, which I no longer use since purchasing Ableton. I conducted the same test and got the same results.
Is there a way to completely uninstall the demo and perform a clean install to see if the issue persists afterward?
Thank you!
I don’t have Ableton but I do use Ableton Link on my iPad, and I’ve encountered issues where another application was apparently running in the background and affecting the Link behavior and conflicting. I just wanted to toss that possibility out there. Could there be something else running or communicating with Ableton and interfering with Playbeat? Maybe try the most possible stripped down configuration (if not done already).
Thank you for your suggestion and for sharing your experience! That’s a great idea to check if any background applications might be interfering with Ableton Link. I’ll try disabling all non-essential apps and setting up Playbeat in the most stripped-down environment possible, as you suggested. If the issue persists, at least I can rule out this possibility. Thanks again for your valuable input!
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Hello,
I recently conducted some additional tests with PB4, but unfortunately, the issue persists. 
Here are the steps I’ve taken to troubleshoot the problem:
- I deactivated the internet and ensured no other applications were running in the background.
- I installed and tested the demo on two other MacBook Pros, and the same issue occurred in both Ableton and Studio One.
Here are the details of my setup:
- I have three different MacBook Pros (two with Intel i7 processors and one with an M1 MAX processor).
- All three devices are running macOS 12.7.
Given this, I suspect the issue may be related to PB4 itself or possibly an incompatibility with macOS 12.7.
I feel really disappointed because I truly love PB4, but unfortunately, I won’t be able to purchase it due to this recurring problem on all three of my MacBook Pros—it makes it impossible to work effectively.
I hope that future updates will resolve this issue, as I would really like to use PB4.
Cheers
May I please ask for a video showing this issue? Or and audio file export.
Yes of course, I will bounce an audio track with a rimshot played by Triaz (which is always synced with Ableton click) and PB4 for which I will put the kick in solo, this way you will hear that when I put PB4 in triggering mode the kick is not perfectly on time with the rimshot, and I will also prepare another audio track for which the kick in PB4 is played on C1.
A couple of presets with Live’s click will be enough, if possible.
How can I include the Live’s click into the bounce ?
It’s activated but when I bounce the track it’s not there.
I’ve sent you several audio files with different presets. For each preset:
- Full Version : Complete audio track.
- Kick Only Version : Featuring only the kick for clarity.
This allows you to hear that PB4 does not always align perfectly with Live’s metronome.
