I’m really not a midi expert, but I’ve finally decided to get everything synced up so that it all plays at the same tempo. I’m choosing midi for the most part to do this (not everything I own has cv gate)
Ok so… Right now if I send midi out to a few devices using chaining. They are all getting note information as well as clock. But really I only want to send clock.
Is there a setting to make this happen? Is there a special channel for sending clock?
My final ideal will be to make the (coming in April) Beatstep Pro my clock device, it will send midi clock out, din sync clock out and cv gate (and actual cv sequencing of one or two devices) to everything through a midi quadra (4way splitter) and maybe some stuff by midi usb through the iConnect.
But I figure I need to learn the basics now and using the sub 37 which I find pretty intuitive might be the best way to discover if I can just send clock to some things, not note messages etc…
Sorry long email to ask a simple thing.
Eg right now I’m experimenting with sending midi out to the volca beats and the microkorg. The volca feats no problem, it ignores note messages. But the microkorg doesn’t…
I’ve been reading the manuals for most of my gear and while I think I know how to change my microkorg to take only clock, the sub 37 manual isn’t that specific.
If sending it midi from say the beatstep pro, how do I get it to only take the clock? Not the notes?
You are correct, the clock is not channel specific.
If you are connecting many MIDI devices you may want to consider getting a MIDI interface. I use a MOTU MIDI Express XT. It has 8 ports and you can route anything to anything. You can remap channels and apply MIDI filters as needed for each device.
Thanks @baldeagle it’s funny how much is assumed. I’ve read so much about midi today and manuals for gear and learnt next to nothing new because of assumed knowledge!
Looks like that interface is a step up from where I am mentally, at the moment my acceptance of midi into my life is a huge step which I have resisted for 16 years, all I want is to clock most things… Then sequencing something’s is the next step…
IConnect is pretty handy at routing though for now, it manages up to 8usb devices and has another two din port sets.
It does most of the problem solving automatically which is nice.
Ok I’ll play with channels and come up with a plan
Thanks HEAPS for the advice, I know it’s not a pure sub 37 query.
I recommend the Iconnectmidi4+ for this kind of stuff!
It is a fantstic central midi breakout box that does advanced routing, filtering, merging, transforming and can operate over USB, PC/MAC/iOS, DIN,Ethernet…standalone operation too. If your using multiple midi devices together and want full control over what gets sent where its a pretty neat solution.
Yeah I bought the original iconnect midi when I got sick of waiting for the 4 to come out. It has most of the same functionality, I figure I’ll upgrade when I need to which might be a while yet. The advantage of the original is the price is significantly lower.
Haha , yeah, tight sync, but frankly I’ve got more gear that uses triggers, so Ive been playing the sub37 freehand while sequencing the trigger stuff. Just looking for the best ways around problems at the moment!
Once the beatstep pro comes that will change my life with din sync, cv and midi clocked all out of the one device! I don’t even need it to be a sequencer!
Look forwards to hearing how the Beatstep Pro performs for you - using it as a master clocking device sounds interesting - like those 8 CV outs too!
I’m actually curious to see if Arturia come up with an analogue drum machine to pair with it. There has been rumours of something coming this Musikmesse, hmm!
Yeah I don’t have a drum kit with separate outs, so no need yet. It’s one of those things, if I find a need, great, I’ll be able to sequence it!
As long as arturia do a better job than Akai, who are so bad they actually give me a good laugh. The 606 is my ideal, perfect sequencing, perfect sound, I just wish it were midi and had a bpm clock display! Lol.
Jammed with 606, sub37 and microbrute last night, comparing the little phatty and sub 37 tonight.
I’m definitely going to use the beatstep pro to sequence my little phatty, I can’t wait to get into that!!
We both have years of frustration and $$$ spending ahead.
This last couple of weeks I’ve bitten the bullet and bought stuff that will make things connect. Spent a few hundred on cables alone. Splitters, joiners, blah, it never ever ends.
And then musikmesse comes in April and I have to replan everything, I’m thinking the new jd-xa from roland will become my poly go to.
Which might mean selling off some old gear. If I can part with it!
I hear you on the cables and essential accessories, little stingers, lol!
My focus at the moment has been mainly logistic rather than musical tbh, just integrating the 37 and a Minibrute into my little setup. Before those two came along I was mostly ITB apart from an MPC. The last year or so I have made moves to expand away from the computer towards a more “live jamming, hands on” approach. The PC has become pretty much a recorder. So its been new interface, synths and a couple other bits and bobs keeping me constantly busy what with connecting them up and making templates which can support this workflow.
The last couple of hours at the end of each day when the kiddies are asleep I might get a chance to mess around a bit. Get a little drum sequence and some synth lines going - play a little piano over the top. Its more just getting to grips with how these new bits work and what they can do though ATM.
My taste runs the gamut from Jazz to Techno via Dub, Disco, Electronica, Funk, Soul and Reggae so anything goes - I prefer to just start jamming from scratch in a more experimental way and see what comes out. I never seem to approach music making in a conventional planned bar chorus and verse way, i’m certainly not proffesional. How about you?
Have you heard any demos of the Roland JD-XA yet? I have only seen what it looks like so far.
Im told the xa does sound good, but that was a prototype so who knows.
Yeah I’m just forcing myself to turn things on and just make noise, sometimes it’s really enjoyable and I learn something, mostly I find a new problem and try and fail tackling it.
I’m staying away from the daw completely for now. But with my new set up I will have to create a new template with named tracks and experiment… And probably discover latency issues or crackles from bad cables… I’m avoiding it!
I’m really trying to get to know the gear I’ve accumulated, some of it I know really well, but for example I don’t know how my poly 61 sounds with the sub 37 or microbrute… What are the limitations and strengths of each, what kinds of patches do I want for each different synth. That kind of hurts my head to think about.
So I might just stick with jamming and saving sounds as I go.
I’m into “I don’t play keys very well” indie electronic. And some real avant garde electronic too. I do love to write songs but that’s usually guitar, on keys I like to just see what happens! I’m definitely getting the hang of basic synthesis. Might even start to master LFO next! We will see! Gotta keep it fun right?
Usually I’m so tired I get to play my synths about 4 times a year, and the other weekends are sleeping or chasing gear.. God I wish I worked part time.
I also just want to send clock from my sub 37 to tempo sync volca beats to the 37. That’s all. It works when ARP is on. But not when ARP is off. I am an old school dude. Do I need to explore the 37s midi parameters or the volca.
I can sync the Delay Timeof my tc electronic m350 to the ARP SPEED without any menu digging. BTW.
I’ll be getting a used Microkorg too and will want to sync tempo of that too all the gear.
Yeah, i’m interested to hear what it can do. Wasn’t too struck by the little JD-Xi and I wish Roland would revise their “futuristic from an 80’s perspective” aesthetic they seem to have adopted since the Aira stuff - just a personal taste thing though.
Ha, yep, they say we learn alot from tackling problems - I should be a master by now then.
Don’t blame you - I went straight into the integration aspect and it has been a slow headscratching experience. Too much time akwardly reaching behind the “stupidly placed by me” interfaces trying to read the upside down labels get the right cables in the right holes only to realise that they were in the right places I just hadn’t known to activate the channel or turn up the level in all the 3 different software utilities.
Seems like we both noticed how much the bass dissapears when adding resonance on the 37? I noticed the Minibrute doesn’t have this behaviour on the filter - i’m going to try feeding the 37’s output through the input of the Brute to see how she sounds with high resonance AND low frequencies present, maybe deep and squelchy is possible after all, hmmm!?
Well said, luckily the 37 and Brute are nothing but. Never going back to all ITB that’s for sure, precisely because of the fun factor.
I’m back at Uni and wishing I could work full time so I could afford the gear i’m lusting for. Your probably right though, time and energy would likely become scarce instead of cash. Always a price..
What gear are you chasing now apart from maybe the XA?
I think it’s to do with the fact that Japan’s hey day was in the eighties, they were the leaders in technology and the economy was at its peak.
I prefer “futuristic from a 50s/60s perspective” either the big chrome knobs, or the minimalism of space odyssey 2001.
My next piece of gear… Yep Nup, I’m prett happy, jd-xa and beatstep pro, those will fill big gaps.
In a dream world, I’d love the White arp odyssey, but I don’t need it, same goes for the pretty coloured microbrutes. I’m avoiding modular with all my strength. But things like MS-20s or MonoPolys well, they’re hard to resist.
It seems like synth heaven these days, I’m sure something else I MUST HAVE will appear at musikmesse. Like this behringer synth… Sounds interesting Midas… It’s all about polyphonic analogue now and who can do it well. Frankly I think moog are the best at analogue.
I’d love to see more volcas come out though. CHIPTUNES volca, glitch volca, granular volca, …triple tiered pipe organ volca?
