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MP-201 midi clock sync...

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 10:27 pm
by Pantherairsoft
A question I have been unable to answer for myself for the last 18 months - I've been able to 'deal' with this, but if someone has an answer then great!

My MP-201 is sync'd to receive midi clock data from an alesis SR-16 drum machine, which also produced the metronome that myself any my drummer play to. This is so the LFO's the MP generates and feeds to my LPF are in perfect time with our click.

This same midi clock is sent to a few bits of gear, and all look in with the click perfect. If the metronome/click is stopped then restarted everything locks straight back in with it - except the MP-201!

The MP always locks in with the tempo of the midi clock, but not always on the beat (I can hear the beat as the metronome ticks in time with the midi clock). It seems a little random... Sometimes on the beat, sometimes on the of beat, sometimes between the two. We set up a triangle wave at whole notes at 120bpm to test it and are struggling to tell what the MP-201 takes as beat 1.
Is it supposed to be when the clock starts? When you turn the MP's knob to the patch you are using? When you engage a footswitch?

Common sense seems to say it should run in accordance to the incoming clock, but it seems a 50/50 chance of it being right on the beat when it starts receiving the clock. It seems to be dictated more by the exact moment you dial up the patch... So, in quad mode, to make the MP sync up on the beat you'd turn from preset 1 (for example) to preset 2 exactly on the beat. Though again - this is not always accurate either...!?

Shep

Re: MP-201 midi clock sync...

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 11:20 pm
by EMwhite
That's a tough one. And when I say tough, I'll say that I've been there and it's very frustrating. Better off SENDING clock from the MP-201 and using a footswitch to start and stop, slave your drum box to it. You're better off having you clock source and LFOs FROM a clock that is as close as possible anyway, not on the other side of a 31 kbaud DIN cable (unless you are using USB).

I've had a whole heap of trouble with my MP-201 while trying to do things of this nature, except in my case, I'm using MASCHINE and my Clock source. Try syncing an analog sequencer with that and it's even worse and when I say WORSE, I mean that it's more difficult to have the "1" beat be the first beat in a bar as opposed just some random beat which may be time synched alright but not positioned properly.

I'll have to get back to what I was doing (this was over December holiday) to see if what I'm suggesting is the answer but if you already have your gear setup, give it a try.

I have a 'request' out there to tighten up this piece of code; not sure if an enhancement to MP-201 code is in the cards considering all of the work going on in products which are still shipping but I have my fingers crossed.

Re: MP-201 midi clock sync...

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:37 am
by Pantherairsoft
Thanks for that bud...

Annoyingly I also have my Cluster Flux and an Eventide Pitchfactor off the same clock source and to my ear try appear to be bang on all the time. The MP-201 jut seems to decide on a daily basis if it wants to be super accurate or play on Reggae half beats! :)

How would I use the MP-201 as the clock source? Just via the tap? I couldn't use that live... It needs to be a precise BPM dial in...

Re: MP-201 midi clock sync...

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:14 am
by EMwhite
You could do tap or you could do expression pedal limited to some range.

Unfortunately, there is no BPM display but I've asked for this as enhancement request.

But your Alesis will show BPM of the MP-201 driven clock source.

So you could have 'heel' set to 96 BPM and 'toe' of the pedal at 120 if that was the range you wanted.

Alternatively, you could have 24 presets each with a locked in BPM.

This is the Digital side of the pedal so assuming your pedal is calibrated once, you should have solid clock.

But first thing is first, see if everything is locked.

(please let me know how it turns out)

Re: MP-201 midi clock sync...

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:16 am
by Pantherairsoft
The concept worked. The application didn't.

To control our tempo's via the MP-201 and then have the metronome sync' off it works... But changing between tracks is far more difficult and awkward plus I need to have loads more presets set with extra tempos available.

I wasn't comfortable sorting it as I have lots of pedal changes to make between tracks (so my drummer controls tempo) and my drummer wasn't comfortable not being able to make fine adjustments at the press of a button...

As such - Moog - please increase the MP-201's midi sync accuracy!!!