problem to syncronise 2 computers with live

electromachin · Post by **electromachin** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 8:51 am

we are working on a live with a friend. Here is our config :

1/ Apple G3 / midi master with Live 4
2/ PC labtop / midi slave with Live4

our computers have both audio & midi interfaces.

so the first idea was to sync with midi clock : the sync works correctly at the beginning, but maybe 10 minutes later, we are desyncronised. And because the "play" button is locked on the slave computer, we can't re-syncronise... it is very hard to imagine playing a live performance and having problems like that....

What do you think the problem is ?

The second idea we had is to syncronise with Midi TimeCode. We saw in the options that Live can be slaved to MTC sync, but we don't know how to generate it with the master computer using Live....

So... how can we have a "sure" syncronisation between computer ? as sure as it is when you connect some hardware drum machines or groove machines.... ?

electromachin · Post by **electromachin** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:21 am

any idea ?

Jalebee · Post by **Jalebee** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 5:31 am

hi ... i'm trying to do the same thing , except both r on PCs /... if you get any info on this wold apreciate if u can msg me or mail me
thanx

Post by **Alex** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:05 pm

Hi electromachin,

have you tried how it behaves in reverse, so the PC as master with the Mac as slave?
Which MIDI interface do you use on which computer with which operating system?

regards,
Alex

electromachin · Post by **electromachin** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:55 am

we don't have tried the pc as master but we're going to try. I think there'll be the same problem.

config :
- pc : récent labtop with M-Audio fw-410
- mac : g3 with tascam US-224

I've always made live with 1 computer as master and only drum machines & groovebox as slaves. but never could have a computer as slave and keep the syncronisation.....

Do you know if the midi time code MTC mode would be a solution to this problem ?

segue · Post by **segue** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:35 am

Midi Clock = "tick tick tick tick"

MTC = "and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and..."

Pretty simplistic way to sum it up but for those who havent worked with the protocols before, id say go for MTC. If worse comes to worse youve always got SMPTE

electromachin · Post by **electromachin** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:46 am

so the MTC with smpte time code would help us to keep syncronised ?

do you know how to generate MTC from ableton ? because live seem to accept MTC in slave mode but not in master...

electromachin · Post by **electromachin** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:59 am

seen in the live manual :

With respect to MIDI Timecode, Live can only act as a MIDI sync slave, not a master.

so we need to find a machine that can generate MTC to be master for the 2 computers...

nobbystylus · Post by **nobbystylus** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 11:49 pm

I don't understand why ableton have made it that Live CAN'T send MTC? It doesn't make sense to me.. surely it should be simple enough...?!?

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 1:19 am

FWIW, I run Live on 2 Tibooks both chasing midi clock from my controller keyboard (a roland A-37). You could pick up the cheapest of cheap old drum machine etc that will send midi clock as your tempo master. (it might give you a nice big knob for tempo control into the bargain) Another advantage is that should one computer crash/freeze the other won't stop.