MIDI clock sync problem and suggestion

buzzcock · Post by **buzzcock** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 2:21 pm

I like to use Numerology as a MIDI source for creating patterns in Live.

By connecting via MIDI Clock Sync I can get the two programs to start and stop and hold the same BPM. Inevitably, there is a bit of offset which can be corrected in Live's MIDI/Sync Preference (Sync Delay).

HOWEVER- Because this offset is in milliseconds, as soon as you change the BPM, the two programs fall out of sync again.

Wouldn't it be useful if the Sync Delay could also be expressed as a beat ratio (i.e.: +61/64), thereby keeping both programs in sync regardless of Tempo?

Does this type of problem affect you folks syncing hardware sequencers, or rewire software?

dasz · Post by **dasz** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:03 am

I agree. I suffer the same problem with RS7000 as my master clock, ableton live synced to it as well as 2 Nord G2's.

/Dasz

eamoon · Post by **eamoon** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:39 am

I doubt that the cause of the problem is what you think. There's generally going to be a fixed amount of latency between the MIDI source and Live, and that's what the Sync Delay setting is meant to compensate for. Why would there be twice as much latency when the source is running at 60bpm compared to 120bpm?

My guess is that Live's external sync mode doesn't deal with tempo changes very well, period. You could test this by getting the two programs in perfect sync, changing the tempo of the master, and then changing it back -- are they in perfect sync again?

Working with hardware devices (Roland sync box, Evolver, etc.) I make Live the master, and once I've got the sync delay set right it still stays on time during tempo changes. I haven't experimented much with external sync.