External Clock Sync // very unstable and wonky behaviour
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:25 pm
Hej folks
Elektron dropped a new update "Song Mode" on their boxes, which I'd like to use to orchestrate my external synths with whatever Ableton has to offer in my hybrid-setup, since Ableton also has problems with PC messages in session view (when a clip shall send it).
The problem:
I can't get the Ableton clock to be stable. All the time, every time.
If I start from external, the first notes of any track will be very unstable since the clock is unstable. I send 120 bpm and Ableton registers 94.8 or 132.5 sometimes and it takes roughly 2 bars until it is synced. Absolute nightmare for playing live.
And so far I tried every trick in the book, the options.txt to adjust the clock behaviour, follow track, midi-usb or 5din etc. maybe there is something I haven't found and I'd be grateful if someone performing live with Live and syncing Ableton with an external clock (especially Elektron) could help
Fist solution I found with the help of a friend:
USE BITWIG! not kidding, Bitwig has absolutely no problem syncing from Elektron, getting the clock stable all the time and even sending midi to outboard synths and getting audio in-sync all the time, no problems!
ofc, this isn't really a solution for me as I don't want to switch and yet buy and learn another daw and since I am not the only one with syncing problems and wanting to play Live live, I hope for some help here on how to approach this. Because right now this is really unusable.
two screen captures of the problem:
first one is just starting a midi clip which sends out to a synth and returns audio and you can see the unstable clock and hear the syncing
https://imgur.com/a/h3lrTEx
and secondly a clip of the piano roll with also quick restarts any you can see the transport jump and not behave like it should do
https://imgur.com/a/kvE6NVv
I also wrote to support, but mbe someone already solved this issue
cheers,
Cat
Elektron dropped a new update "Song Mode" on their boxes, which I'd like to use to orchestrate my external synths with whatever Ableton has to offer in my hybrid-setup, since Ableton also has problems with PC messages in session view (when a clip shall send it).
The problem:
I can't get the Ableton clock to be stable. All the time, every time.
If I start from external, the first notes of any track will be very unstable since the clock is unstable. I send 120 bpm and Ableton registers 94.8 or 132.5 sometimes and it takes roughly 2 bars until it is synced. Absolute nightmare for playing live.
And so far I tried every trick in the book, the options.txt to adjust the clock behaviour, follow track, midi-usb or 5din etc. maybe there is something I haven't found and I'd be grateful if someone performing live with Live and syncing Ableton with an external clock (especially Elektron) could help
Fist solution I found with the help of a friend:
USE BITWIG! not kidding, Bitwig has absolutely no problem syncing from Elektron, getting the clock stable all the time and even sending midi to outboard synths and getting audio in-sync all the time, no problems!
ofc, this isn't really a solution for me as I don't want to switch and yet buy and learn another daw and since I am not the only one with syncing problems and wanting to play Live live, I hope for some help here on how to approach this. Because right now this is really unusable.
two screen captures of the problem:
first one is just starting a midi clip which sends out to a synth and returns audio and you can see the unstable clock and hear the syncing
https://imgur.com/a/h3lrTEx
and secondly a clip of the piano roll with also quick restarts any you can see the transport jump and not behave like it should do
https://imgur.com/a/kvE6NVv
I also wrote to support, but mbe someone already solved this issue
cheers,
Cat