Help: Midi tempo synch setup

[Laurence]

Hi everyone

I just got myself a Virus C, running OS 5.5

: )

I have a simple setup:

Digital multitrack recorder (Roland VS1680) > Keyboard (JP8000) > Virus C

I set the midi tempo on the multitrack recorder, which is set to MIDImaster and transmitting via MIDIclock. Midi is running out of there, into the keyboard, then out of the keyboard and into the Virus.

If I use the JP8000's own sounds and arpeggiator,
everything plays in synch with the tempo set on the multitrack recorder.
but when I use the JP8000 to trigger notes and arpeggios from the virus C, the virus still runs in synch with the tempo set on it's own bpm - it's not reading the midiclock information from the multitrack recorder.

The little 'c' on the Virus display, indicating external midiclock information, only lights up if I take the MIDI out directly from my multitrack recording desk into the Virus MIDI in - but then of course I have no way to trigger notes!


Anyone know -
how can I get the virus to read the tempo set in the multitrack recorder, via the JP8000?

I can match the virus tempo up manually, of course,
and shunt everything along if it's not in synch - but I want the same beating heart running through everything ~

Help much appreciated, cheers.

[Narcissus]

you shouldn't put the keyboard in the middle of the chain . why ?
because if you want the NOTES of the keyboard to be sent to the VIRUS, you must use the MIDI OUT on the keyboard, as notes won't be sent by the MIDI THRU but the MIDI OUT. But if you use the OUT you won`t get the data and clock from the Roland to pass to the VIRUS

I always choose keyboards to be on the top of the chain

[Laurence]

Thanks for the reply -

So I just adjusted the chain, now it runs:

Keyboard: midi out > into digital multitrack desk

Multitrack desk: midi out/thru > into Virus

The desk I'm using has one socket on the back labelled midi out/thru, and there's a 'soft switch' in the internal software to toggle between the two. I still have the desk set to MIDImaster.

If I set the soft switch to 'thru', then I get key/note information coming into the virus (but no tempo from the desk)
If I set it to 'out', then I get midi clock information coming into the virus (but no keyboard notes)


This is better than the chain I described in my first post
because I don't have to switch cables any more, just the soft switch
(so thanks very much, Narcissus - I'll put Keys at the top of the chain form now on).

but I'd still like the virus to receive note information and midi clock information simultaneously, without having to toggle the midi out/thru soft switch in the desk every time I want to synch up beats and notes -

surely possible, no?

[Narcissus]

I'd still like the virus to receive note information and midi clock information simultaneously, without having to toggle the midi out/thru soft switch in the desk every time I want to synch up beats and notes -

surely possible, no?

1) The first and easiest trick is to set the clock on the JP-8000 on the same bpm as the Multitrack, and use the JP-8000 clock instead. This is not a problem except in one case : if you want to program tempo changes in your sequences.

But in most of the cases, if you just want your LFOs and Arpeggiators to keep in sync with your Mutitrack project tempo, there's no problem. If you set them both @ 120 bpm, the differences between the JP's clock and the VS's is nimious, even if not connected by a MIDI cable !!

For example when i record some live chops and chords in Ableton Live 8, i do not always sync everything MIDI. I set both clocks equal manually, and that´s it. You should hold a note for like 48 bars to start noticing de-syncing.



2) check if your VS has not the option of MERGING incoming MIDI data with that being generated by the VS itself. It SHOULD have that option.

I have this scheme :

OXYGEN 49 ------> EMU MP-7 ------> VIRUS and BLOFELD

For example in my EMU MP7, it gives you that option of merging, so i use an Oxygen 49 as the notes input, and the MP7 to trigger the patterns towards the VIRUS. But i can play the VIRUS or the BLOFELD while the patterns are running.

In any case, if your syncing needs are solely for the purpose of recording a live take, option (1) is by far the best and easiest.
If you want to record Control Changes in your VS (i'm not even sure if it's able to record MIDI CC#) or any type of special MIDI messages, then option (2) would be my choice.