Notes being stuck once key is pressed (IOS 14.0.1 Update)

Trouble with Synthesia, your keyboard, or adapter? Think you found a bug?
When describing problems, always mention your OS and game version (shown at the bottom of the title screen).

If your keyboard has USB or MIDI ports, there is a tremendously high chance (>99%) it will work with Synthesia. See what you'll need on the keyboards page.
Snujac
Posts: 4

Post by Snujac »

Hi,

I updated my iPad to the new software IOS 14.0.1 yesterday and when trying to play on Free Play and Play Song mode, I've noticed when pressing on my piano keys the note will get stuck and continue to play that sound. It does that with single notes and chords. I'm not sure if it was the update that made it happen because it didn't happen with the previous IOS versions. Any ideas?

Thanks!

https://imgur.com/a/WUmpkfj


Current Equipment:
iPad Pro (1st Gen)
Piano: Yamaha P-125
Cable: https://www.amazon.com/MeloAudio-Compat ... ast_sto_dp

Update:
12/16/20 23:17 (IOS 14.0.3) - I updated to IOS 14.0.3 hopefully the problem would be fixed and it still persists. Although it's not happening quite as
frequent as 14.0.1 which made a noticeable difference (for me at least can't speak for anyone else).
Last edited by Snujac on 12-17-20 12:17 am, edited 2 times in total.
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Hmm, it's starting to look like something in the OS update; you're the second person that has described exactly the same problem, immediately after updating to iPadOS 14. :?

I updated one of our test devices to 14 but wasn't able to see the problem myself. How consistent do the notes stick? Maybe I just need to mash the keys some more until it happens...
Snujac
Posts: 4

Post by Snujac »

It's very random honestly sometimes I can play and it won't happen after a while, and other times it's from the very start. I tried using the app with an old Alesis Recital piano I have just to see if it was the Yamaha, but I'm still getting the same results. So I think it actually might be the new update that's messing with the app.
Sonnet
Posts: 3

Post by Sonnet »

Hi,
I have exactly the same problem like it was described by Snujac. I own two iPad Pro (1st Gen) and the Synthesis app is installed on both in the same version. As I have updated one iPad to iOS 14.0.1 the second on is still on iOS 13.7. the result of the direct comparison looks like this:
  • iPad Pro with iOS 13.7: all fine, no issues, no keys / notes being randomly stuck or not recognized
  • iPad Pro with iOS 14.0.1: the app is not usable any more as pressed keys are randomly not recognized with brings Synthesis to stop in the melody learning section where the app is supposed to wait for you until you press the right key. Secondly you can see from time to time that already pressed keys stay active in the app (stay colored on the keyboard) but you can't hear any sound of this notes
I enjoy learn to play piano with synthesia and try to practice every day since a year.

As my main iPad Pro where I have played on most of the time and where my progress on most songs are stored in the app has been unfortunately updated to 14.0.1 I really hope that the developer provide an update which brings this app back to life soon.

Best,
Sonnet

Current Equipment:
iPad Pro (1st Gen): iOS 13.7
iPad Pro (1st Gen): iOS 14.0.1
Piano: Yamaha YDP S54 Black
Adapter: Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit
Attachments
Synthesia iOS 14 issue.jpg
Synthesia iOS 14 issue.jpg (5.24 MiB) Viewed 6643 times
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

This is frustrating to hear that it seems pretty widespread. An hour ago I was trying to reproduce this again on an iPad Pro (1st gen, 12.9") that's running 14.0.1 and I absolutely railed on the keys for something like ten minutes straight (until my arms started getting tired :lol: ) and didn't see a single stuck note.

Have you noticed if there is any behavior that causes it to happen more (like notes that are held longer or are very short)? Snujac mentioned it was pretty inconsistent. Have you had more or less luck in making it happen more consistently?

Is it better or worse right after fully powering down and turning the iPad back on? I wonder if background apps have anything to do with it.
Sonnet
Posts: 3

Post by Sonnet »

As I said it is quite randomly and occurs straight after I've started to play. I did a restart of the iPad several times and did a piano reset as well. No change of the behavior. I assume that the app is not fully supporting iOS 14 as this was a major release and the last update of the app has been published about 8 month ago.

I've also checked it with single notes and massive chords. From time to time some key pressings are not recognized and this is really annoying as the progress stuck.
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Sonnet wrote: 10-04-20 12:41 pmI assume that the app is not fully supporting iOS 14...
Looking at the list of things Apple has deprecated this time around, it's most of the MIDI functions we've been using for eight years now.

So we'll have to do the thing where we write two separate ways of doing everything: one for iOS 13 and lower and the other for iOS 14 and later. :?

Maybe that will fix the stuck key problem.

EDIT: Curiously, during my Bluetooth testing just now, I was able to get several stuck keys in Melody practice on iOS 14 over just a few dozen measures. Hmm. I haven't seen that with a wired device at all.
Sonnet
Posts: 3

Post by Sonnet »

@Nicholas:

Any news on this? Will there be an update of the app which provides full support of iOS 14?
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

One week isn't a very long time for more news! :lol:

I'm mostly finished with down stems in the sheet music. Then I get to click the "dev preview" button to make a new one for the first time in seven months. Previews don't go out to the iPad version, so I generally use that time while people are checking out the new stuff on the other platforms to make any left-over iPad changes. That's when I plan to rewrite the MIDI communication code using the new APIs and see if that fixes anything.

And that's the last thing on the 10.7 task list, which means iPad users should get it just afterward. We'll see if it actually fixes the problem or if it really is a bug in iOS 14.

Apple just went GM beta for 14.1, so maybe there will be an automatic fix in a week or two? Apple's point-zero releases have been rocky for a few years now. (They're already on beta 3 of 14.2, too!)
revilo2
Posts: 135

Post by revilo2 »

Hummm, i think i've see a little bit the same thing on my ANDROID tablet... (Synthesia 10.6)

Melody practice

One note stucked : you can see from time to time that already pressed key stay active in the app (stay colored on the keyboard with the highligt on the top of the key) but you can't hear any sound of this note

The rest of the app work fine : pressed keys are recognized.

it seems less serious than on Ipad but still visually disturbing....
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Hmm, there aren't any known issues like that on Android (besides the usual "Android is terrible and has random trouble almost constantly" that always applies). There are a few (unrelated) issues with MIDI on Android—devices showing up in the list twice if you unplug/replug, or return to the home screen and then re-open the app—but stuck notes isn't one of them that I've seen. That would bring it back to the realm of a funky adapter or bad cable connection.
PilouLeo
Posts: 2

Post by PilouLeo »

Hi,

I've the same issue on my iPad ( v14.1)
any news of a fix?
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Hmm, that's unfortunate to hear that it's still in 14.1.

The plan is to make an attempt at a fix in the Synthesia 10.7 update by including side-by-side MIDI implementations with the current version for iOS <14 and the new stuff for anyone running iOS 14 or later. With any luck, that should fix it.

As for when 10.7 will go out the door, it's kind of silly to mention the task list progress tracker because the 10.7 release is only fifteen lines from the top, but it's been moving at a glacial pace lately. (That said, these last two months have seen more progress than the five before it combined, even if they were new bugs or imposed work that had come up in the meantime--which is why the list doesn't look like it has moved. I'm caught up on all of that now and am back to working on the list items again.)
superyorch
Posts: 3

Post by superyorch »

I just came here to report the same issue. iOS 14.1 on iPad 5th generation. I hope you nail this issue down soon so we can go back to enjoy this wonderful app.
Thanks!!
revilo2
Posts: 135

Post by revilo2 »

Nicholas wrote: 10-19-20 10:17 am Hmm, there aren't any known issues like that on Android (besides the usual "Android is terrible and has random trouble almost constantly" that always applies). There are a few (unrelated) issues with MIDI on Android—devices showing up in the list twice if you unplug/replug, or return to the home screen and then re-open the app—but stuck notes isn't one of them that I've seen. That would bring it back to the realm of a funky adapter or bad cable connection.
which midi usb interface do you recommend ? :
CREATIVE EMU XMIDI 1X1 USB MIDI Interface is not available in Europe...

Thanks
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Any brand where audio products are the company's core competency should be fine. M-Audio, Roland, E-MU, Yamaha, etc.

The stuff to avoid are the white-label products that are sold in bulk with random names stamped on the side.
superyorch
Posts: 3

Post by superyorch »

I just updated my iPad to iOS 14.2, and the issue is still there. Any word on fixing the issue any time soon? The app is almost useless at this point.
Thanks
revilo2
Posts: 135

Post by revilo2 »

I Have a similar problem on ANDROID 8 (Synthesia 10.6):


Melody practice

One note stucked : you can see from time to time that already pressed key stay active in the app (stay colored on the keyboard with the highligt on the top of the key) but you can't hear any sound of this note

The rest of the app work fine : pressed keys are recognized.

it seems less serious than on Ipad but still visually disturbing....



I already have alert about this problem but Nicholas answered me thaht is was propably due to my cheap midi/usb adapter.
I then changed it to a Yamaha one : SAME THING (i also tried a M-audio one).

It only happens when i use the pedal : you can see from time to time that already pressed key stay active in the app (stay colored on the keyboard with the highligt on the top of the key) but you can't hear any sound of this note

Hope it would help....
Salino
Posts: 6

Post by Salino »

I have the same problem using i-pad 5 mini with iOS 14.2 connected to Yamaha SHS-500.
With this keytar I can transfer midi in 3 different ways: Bluetooth, usb-host and standaard 5-pin.
When i connect wireless Bluetooth or wired usb-host notes hang or are not recognized.
Altough when I connect to the standaard midi 5-pin using a Roland UM-ONE midi to usb and the Apple lightning camera adapter.
There are no problems at all, everything works fine with this configuration.
I can still use Synthesia this way but since I use a keytar I prefer to play wireless.
Hope this info helps to find a solution soon.
StevenD
Posts: 1

Post by StevenD »

Any update on this?
I'm running it on IPadOS 14.3 and the app basically becomes unusable. I can barely make it through low paced songs without having issues, trying something like Hanon at normal speed results in something like 80% of the keys to remain stuck.
Considering it's basically USB-C>USB-A>USB>B and that it ran perfectly until now I don't really understand what the holdup is.
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