IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:17 am

I have no good answers for you on the sync issue, except that it's sometimes best to go with what you know works, things like re-triggering the event you want synced with the sequencer (Live) if it's possible instead of beating your head against what seems like a cross platform issue?

Also, if the latency is set at some hard number like 200ms or something, use the track offset feature to sync it,

Beyond that, I've used badly recorded one offs I did that were not in perfect time in live, but weren't repeatable for some reason or another, or were using an LFO that couldn't be synced to Live etc. by using this cool elastic audio feature in Live! You should try it! It's pretty neat!! :)
3dot... wrote:you didn't photograph anything... you just saved and bookmarked them... fucking sick
... grow the fuck up... this world is far from perfect...

war has casualties... there are terrible human beings living on this planet...
always have been....

ain't sayin' you don't need to help make a change...
just saying I would not have liked my children being exposed to those...
and I didn't need to see those images...
I've seen enough horrible pictures...

war is ugly...
love is lovely...

back to the real issue..sync outboard to live..
So you think that by ignoring the consequences of war anything will change? Odd logic to me anyway. Personally coming from the other major war mongering nation, (Russia can count too), I'm not so sure my populaces apathy about Iraq etc. has worked out so well for us? 2nd term GWB anyone?
Maybe it's time we started looking even closer at the consequences IMO? In the last 50 years people have I believe become less capable of stomaching the glorifying of war, and a lot of that I believe has to do with the documentation of war, and public access to that documentation.

3dot...
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Post by 3dot... » Fri Sep 26, 2008 12:32 pm

no... I didn't say ignoring was the answer...
if that's what you understand by what I've said then you've missed the point...
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Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:02 pm

3dot... wrote:no... I didn't say ignoring was the answer...
if that's what you understand by what I've said then you've missed the point...
Hey 3dot, let's get back on track here. Exactly what are you trying to sync that's not working so hot? I'm looking at a great trade for a Poly Evolver, and definitely would like to be able to sync Live to it. I seem to recall you using a DSI desktop?
If it's broken it's looks like I'll be dual booting DAWs for live performance. Guess I'm lucky I'm versed in more than just Live. :?

3dot...
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Post by 3dot... » Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:47 pm

Machinesworking wrote:
3dot... wrote:no... I didn't say ignoring was the answer...
if that's what you understand by what I've said then you've missed the point...
Hey 3dot, let's get back on track here. Exactly what are you trying to sync that's not working so hot? I'm looking at a great trade for a Poly Evolver, and definitely would like to be able to sync Live to it. I seem to recall you using a DSI desktop?
If it's broken it's looks like I'll be dual booting DAWs for live performance. Guess I'm lucky I'm versed in more than just Live. :?
yep..
well...
I've already given up on the midi clock sync...
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Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:50 pm

3dot... wrote:I've already given up on the midi clock sync...
Guess it's time to load up Digital Performer on this laptop and start using it as a a performance tool too.
Not to trash on Live too hard, but like all the rest the one MAJOR gripe I have with the built in plug ins and FX is in a very distinct way it provides distraction from the poor third party plug in handling, and little snags like external sync being busted. :?
You'll inevitably run into replies about how somebody's completely in the box etc. when you ask about this sort of thing. Which is sad, because now that I've rediscovered the joys of analog, I'll never be 100% in the box. :?

monair
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by monair » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:57 pm

I've noticed that this is a kind of an old thread, but I think some of you might still have the sync problem. As Live 8 also fails when it comes to midi sync, obviously. We had the problem since the Release 7 of Ableton Live. We weren't able to sync the Machinedrum by Midi Clock to our MacBook Pro nor the other way around. If the Machinedrum was the Master, let's say at 120bpm, Live was running in sync for less than four bars. The BPM Display in Live showed weird fluctuations from 115 to approx. 125bpm. There was absolutely no way to go on stage with this. We tried it the other way around, Live as Master and the Machinedrum as Slave. Same conclusion. So we thought it might be the Machinedrum and tried to sync two identical MacBook Pros running the same Version of Live. But it didn't work neither. We even disabled all third party Plugins. And made some Bios Updates on all our involved machines. And we tried not to use the Midi connections from the Audio Interface. We used several different Midi Controllers instead for the Sync. And we tried other Hardware Sequencers as Midi Master. Nothing worked.
We had several gigs playing live without any sync. We started in sync and removed the cable, as soon as Ableton and the Machinedrum were running. Then we used a headphone with the Metronome click and used the toggle control in Ableton to sync manually to the Machinedrum. Thanks God we're both DJs as well. But enough with all the frustrating crap that didn't work. Here's our solution:

The EDIROL UM-3EX USB Midi Interface.

Yep. It works. Since we use this for our Midi Sync with Live as Master and the Machinedrum as Slave, we can play for hours without any fluctuations or running out of sync. It's hard to tell why exactly THIS interface works. But I've noticed that I had to install a special Midi Driver for OSX, which uncommon these days. I think Edirol (Roland) uses a kind of special Midi Protocol. So guys, call your friends, find someone who's got an UM-3EX, borrow it and test it out. I'm wondering if all this is helpful to you. Let me know.

Cheers.

Oh, and just for your information, this was all the hardware we used for our tests:
Apple MacBook Pro 2.2GHz with 2GB RAM, Motu Ultralite, Motu Traveller, Elektron Machinedrum, Akai MPD24, Korg Padkontrol, Akai MPC1000, MAM SQ16. During all those tests, we figured out that the size of the Ableton Project has a huge influence to Midi timing. The bigger the Live set, the bigger the problems...
Even the Universe is curved, my friend. If you run far enough and fast enough, you'll end up right where you began....

b0unce
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by b0unce » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:15 pm

it's been discontinued :(
and replaced by the UM-3G :)
I wonder if it uses the same 'fast processing technology' as the UM-3EX :?:
spreader of butter

Joost
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by Joost » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:49 pm

I have a workaround solution which works for me

I use an mungo sync2 so i can start and stop midiclock while the Ableton sequenser is running as the master, when i start ableton and restart thru the mungo sync its usable, even my tb303 thru the sync24 out of the mungo. Only a tr909 wont sync as tight as my other gear but i gues thats a fault of the TR.

i use an motu828mk2 FW as midi out with the midisyncsetting set to pattern

funky shit
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by funky shit » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:11 pm

Gona just skip most of the thread as its a flame feast.
but have you enabled "sync" on the preferences?
Installed latest drivers?
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b0unce
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by b0unce » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:27 pm

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spreader of butter

robotsound
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by robotsound » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:57 pm

i sync 2 synths (microkorg and k2000) via the midi on my external soundcard, a kp3 over USB and an actual live drummer (click track) through live, the trick is using the sync adjustment on each piece of gear in the MIDI prefrences, you can nudge or push the sync. i set up clicks on all things and nudge them together until they line up. also having a powerbook or a macbook pro or whatever they are called now seems to help.

knotkranky
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by knotkranky » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:32 am

this thread is funny :D

doc holiday
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by doc holiday » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:43 am

knotkranky wrote:this thread is funny :D
you would not laugh if you have seen the shit i see every time i try to sync with live


:(

you can watch the tempo change values up and down like a train wreak coming head on.

adventurepants_
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by adventurepants_ » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:38 am

robotsound wrote:i sync 2 synths (microkorg and k2000) via the midi on my external soundcard, a kp3 over USB and an actual live drummer (click track) through live, the trick is using the sync adjustment on each piece of gear in the MIDI prefrences, you can nudge or push the sync. i set up clicks on all things and nudge them together until they line up. also having a powerbook or a macbook pro or whatever they are called now seems to help.
the problem is that those individual midi delays are useless, when the clock itself starts to drift, under changing CPU load. throwing more cpu power at the problem helped me to a certain extent (going from a P4 2.4 to a Quad 2.4), as did a better interface (from a 2496 to a Firebox), but the problem is still there, albeit less. Its the unpredictability that drives you mad.
nathannn wrote:i will block everyone on this forum if i have to.

knotkranky
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Re: IMPOSSIBLE TO SYNC OUTBOARD TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by knotkranky » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:03 am

doc holiday wrote:
knotkranky wrote:this thread is funny :D
you would not laugh if you have seen the shit i see every time i try to sync with live


:(

you can watch the tempo change values up and down like a train wreak coming head on.
Naw, I feel ya, last time i tried was with live5 and it wouldn't sync properly then.

It's really a terrible thing.

And they'll never do a thing about it.

The shit with 3dot and b0unce at the first pages and abes, are funny.

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