Synchronize Ableton with Waldorf Blofeld 49 Keyboard

[Stromberg]

Hello,
I’m new here, hope for your advice ..

I have replaced my Midi-USB-Keyboard a couple of days ago with a „Waldorf Blofeld 49 Keyboard“. With the Blofeld I (also) trigger the internal sounds of Ableton now. It works, that’s not the problem. But: I don’t find out how to synchronize my Blofeld with Ableton (to use the internal sounds of the Blofeld of course - Ableton just works as sequencer than). Have tried to find out in the Ableton Tutorial and of course in the Blofeld tutorial – still nothing runs sync!

My settings:
- Live 8.05, Midi Track In/Out both "On", remote In/Out both "On"
- Macbook Pro 2,41, 4GB
- Audio-Interface: Phonic Helix Board 12 Firewire MKII: This one runs via the build-in Firewire Interface with Ableton and Macbook Pro, no problem.
- Waldorf Blofeld 49 Keyboard, connected to my Macbook via USB, internal Midi-Settings are: Midi Chain CH1, Midi-Clock "Auto" (the Blofeld only offers two Midi-Clock options,"Auto" and "Intern")

Tried lots of modulations, for example with Abletons "External Instrument", but Live and Blofeld still do not run synchronized.

My latest idea: Do I need an extra Midi-Interface and connect it via USB to my Mac, while connecting the Midi OUT of that Midi-Interface to Midi IN of the Blofeld??? Is that the solution?

Thanks for an answer! I know, probably it’s a bagatelle - but I can't find the solution
Marco

[Stromberg]

Nobody an idea? Or is it just to simple?

[UNISONDETUNE]

I am a Waldorf Blofeld Desktop owner; I've been trying to put together a clock-synced sound, with synced LFO and clock-delay.
In a word, a nightmare: the unit keeps losing time while repeating a single Ableton midi loop, in addition the clocked delay effect sounds really bad and has mostly no useful editing.

I've tried this out with the usb connection. Sending midi out with a different peripheral may actually work the problem out, but obviously one wants to use all the features the unit should have.

The Blofeld has very distinctive, wonderful sounds and a very nice patch structure, but having tested it intensively for three days I just found out quite an amount of little bugs. I'm totally satisified with the features the final unit should have (and the price!) yet a bit doubtful about the fact all the bugs pointed out will be resolved in a relatively short time (the Blofeld came out more than a year ago).

I honestly hope they release a serious OS update; I'm thinking of writing a bug list - missing feature list paper. Very basic options are missing: I'm actually playing remotely from different master keyboards a desktop synthesizer (i.e. with no keyboard) and get no option in velocity curve midi filtering (which in terms of maths is writing down a piecewise linear function which maps one value to the other, for a total of 128 "points")...

Cheers.

[UNISONDETUNE]

EDIT: I was wrong. There is a quite functional velocity curve selector the same page where the clock can be set. The velocity selector works ok, the clock has the same exact issues you and I are reporting. I suppose Waldorf is working out the "external" mode or a better definition for "auto"

The filter overdrive algorithms are wonderul though!

[Stromberg]

Hey UNISONDETUNE,,
thanks for your answers and your detailed raiting! Even though there are the problems you listed (would be a great idea to mail that buglist to the support of Waldorf!), the Blo still is a really great synth to me - just because of the ass kicking sounds it provides in combination with all the filter and so on!

By the way I described the "sync problem" to the support of W in the meantime, fast answer: problem is known and will be solved by next OS, which will be realeased in early december this year.
So let's wait and hope
Bye!

[UNISONDETUNE]

Hey,
yes, I've heard. Let's hope for the best. It's early december right now