MP 201 timing issues

[Han Solo]

I've recently purchased an MP 201. One function which I assumed it would be able to do it appears it does not (unless someone can tell me otherwise). As a bass guitarist what I really wanted to be able to do was to have my murf rate at 1/16 notes, my ring mod at 1/4 notes and my phaser rate at whole notes (or something to that effect), all synced to a BPM that could be set by the MP 201. I'm starting to get the feeling this can be achieved with a midi clock in, but in the absence of a midi clock I would have thought the MP 201 to have a clock of its own. Can this be achieved?

Also, which setting is best suited to giving me an even tempo, that is a static tempo not ascending or descending at any point but remaining constant.

Cheers

[Klopfgeist]

The MP-201 does not have an independent clock, but it can put out LFOs on each channel, each running at different rates. MIDI clock is your best bet.

[DontBelievetheHype]

Hey Han Solo, I think I sold you that bass murf on talkbass under the username 'fightthepower', you're located in australia right? Nice to see your Moog collection growing

Yeah I just double checked and when not synced to MIDI clock, you can sync LFO's to other channels so they're in sync, but unable to set the tempo of say channel 1, and then sync other channels to it with specific subdivisions.. The best you could do would probably be to tap the different subdivisions on the fly, but that would be quite a feat to keep it all in time.

A simple MIDI clock option may be a cheap metronome with MIDI-- I think there was a thread here recently regarding syncing to a metronome; you could set the tempo with the metronome, slave the MP201 to it via MIDI, and then easily set each channel/effect with different subdivisions via the menu(instead of the 0 - 4095 LFO amount option when in free running or tap tempo modes). I haven't looked myself, but if they have MIDI'd metronomes, they might even have one with MIDI and a tap input... Anyway, hopefully you can figure something out that works for you!

In 'free running' or 'tap tempo' modes, the tempo will remain constant unless the foot pedal is controlling rate and is moved-- to prevent this, have the foot pedal controlling something other than the rate function.

[Han Solo]

Yeah that was me on talkbass. It's taken since back then for me to get my head around all this stuff in order to be able to ask questions, but understanding the MP 201 has had my hands full. Tapping in the tempo has not proved reliable, especially with the murf given that I often need to tap in 1/8 or 1/16 notes to get the desired effect. Looks like I'm just gonna have to sort out a midi clock. Anyone know of any good open source midi software capable of sending out a midi clock that would work on a brand new macbook?

[illum]

try pure data, or max/msp runtime and i'll make you one

[Han Solo]

pure data eh? I went to the website but was baffled by what the program actually does. Does any of the mac propriety software have a midi clock that can be sent to a device (garage band, or that audio midi setup utility)?

[illum]

the iac driver won't send clock and i'm not sure about garageband since i deleted it a while ago (good chance it does, though).

I'd be happy to write you a nice little clock multiplier patch with selectable rhythm values. you can open it up in max/msp runtime (free). really is the most elegant solution if your needs are that simple.

[illum]

bleep it, i went ahead and made one:

download max runtime: http://cycling74.com/downloads/

download the patch: http://www.mediafire.com/?xmnqmmyltii (just delete the.txt after the file).

the patch isn't the best realmtime performance instrument, but it'll hold a steady clock and let you change divisions and multiplications of it. just wiggle the tempo range if it sticks a bit when switching back and forth between divisions a lot.

let me know if you have any problems if you try it out.

[Han Solo]

bleep it, i went ahead and made one:

download max runtime: http://cycling74.com/downloads/

download the patch: http://www.mediafire.com/?xmnqmmyltii (just delete the.txt after the file).

the patch isn't the best realmtime performance instrument, but it'll hold a steady clock and let you change divisions and multiplications of it. just wiggle the tempo range if it sticks a bit when switching back and forth between divisions a lot.

let me know if you have any problems if you try it out.

I appreciate you putting that together for me. Just tried downloading max runtime but their seems to be some difficulty with the site so I'll try again later

Thanks again and i'll let you know if I need any help.

[Han Solo]

cheers, that patch did what I needed.

[illum]

yus! my first foray into coding worked!