Ableton Forum

It receives MTC but can't transmit it.

Why not?

My mixer [a Soundtracs Solo Logic 32] has onboard VCA automation which requires MTC to synchronise. As it stands, I have to transfer to Nuendo to mix if I want to use my automation.

Which I do.

Surely it is a simple task to allow Live to transmit MTC?

you could sync both live and your board to an external source. obviously that will limit what you are trying to do a little bit. but it would get the job done.

popslut wrote:It receives MTC but can't transmit it.

Why not?

My mixer [a Soundtracs Solo Logic 32] has onboard VCA automation which requires MTC to synchronise. As it stands, I have to transfer to Nuendo to mix if I want to use my automation.

Which I do.

Surely it is a simple task to allow Live to transmit MTC?

no matter what request it is, everyone always says in a nutshell "this should be easy to impliment" that never stops coming up whenever someone wants live to do something that it doesn't do.

I reckon there must be an app somewhere that generates MTC for both live and your mixing desk, right?

How about just running Cubase to clock things?

Machinate wrote:I reckon there must be an app somewhere that generates MTC for both live and your mixing desk, right?

How about just running Cubase to clock things?

Tried that - Live sucks as a slave.

As soon as I hit that "ext" button all the groove vanishes from my track and Live sounds like it's having a really hard time keeping up. There are enough threads about this on here for me not to have to elaborate further.

My mixing desk outputs rock solid MTC but Live just can't follow it, regardless of any system tweaks. As a control, i tried the same setup with Nuendo on my PC and Logic Pro on a friend's Macbook and both sync up beautifully.

It isn't even an option to Rewire Live to Nuendo and use the sync facilities from Nuendo to handle MTC, because if I do that I can't use any VST fx or instruments in Live...

I worry when I read threads like the Camp Ableton 2007 thread and I discover that the ten or so people chosen to get flown over and brainstormed are more concerned with adding esoteric dummy clip functions and arcane automation modes than fixing what I consider to be one or two enormously glaring omissions - the ability to synchronise accurately, either way, with the outside world surely being one of them?

I can't understand the logic behind devoting resources to enabling Ableton to handle video, but having it unable to function as an MTC master....


I know everyone thinks their requirements are the most obvious, but surely I'm not the only one with the desire to slave external gear via MTC?

In answer to Johnisfaster, the point I was making was that surely it is a lot more complex designing a sequencer to slave to MTC [however badly] than it is to design it to transmit MTC?

At what point did the developers, after equipping Live to slave to Midi Clock [slaving digital audio to midi clock? What on earth were they thinking?] and to receive MTC, decide "Nah - they won't need to transmit MTC..." and all go home?

I think Live is a wonderful invention, and when it's finished it'll be really fucking good.

Lets just hope they don't go down the Steinberg path and let it bloat into an unwieldy mess before fixing what is basically broken.

I've done master/slave with combinations of Live 5, Live 6, Mac, PC, mpc and other outboard gear. Start and stop work as does the shuttle on my mpc. I could help you but you're generally an asshole to me.

Tone Deft wrote:blah...

Your post count just went up by one.

Well done you.

popslut wrote:

Tone Deft wrote:blah...

Your post count just went up by one.

Well done you.

goddamnit... yeah, I hate this shit. I really am trying to post less, really. That means stop helping people (err trying to help) and no more being obnoxious. My will power is slipping as the work day goes on.


Fuck it!!! You make me laugh.


MIDI clocking with Live isn't rock solid, Ableton knows that.

One thing to look for are the blinky midi lights in the upper left, they should stay in lock step and only get a little off during LARGE bpm changes.

It can screw up with midi timing to have too many ports enabled, I don't mean just loops, just too much going on.

Check your midi clock settings by hitting the triangle next to the port where the external device is connected.

My sound card was broken with the initial release of Live 6 (was fine in 5) try the latest version, or Live 5 if you have it.

I assume you know to enable SYNC and all that since you know the EXT button.

TWO more posts... <shoots self in the head>

Tone Deft wrote: You make me laugh.

Likewise.

MIDI clocking with Live isn't rock solid, Ableton knows that.

I can't see how it ever will be. Midi clock is never going to be of a fine enough resolution or "intelligent" enough to provide a reliable sync source for digital audio. That's one of the reasons MTC came about.


Steinberg know that, Emagic knew that, Soundscape know that, Digidesign know that. Ableton is the only DAW/audio sequencer/call it what you like that attempts to sync digital audio to midi clock and guess what? It doesn't work.

Not unless you have absolutely no ear for rhythm anyway...

It can screw up with midi timing to have too many ports enabled, I don't mean just loops, just too much going on.

Good point, but I've been doing this with one input and one output port enabled [Midiman USB 4x4 thing] and tried various different midi devices [BCR2000, Edirol PCR-A 30] with no difference.

I assume you know to enable SYNC and all that since you know the EXT button.

Yeah all that. I've been synchronising studio equipment since before midi was invented and I think I'd come to the rather complacent conclusion that the science of making two computers share a common clock had been largely conquered.

Obviously not.

Thanks for taking the time to try to help - I'll try to be less of an arsehole in future.