Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

Hi

I have been experimenting with the clock mod seqencer	destination lately, a
truly incredible feature, but came across a few things which I just do not
understand. I would appreciate it very much if some of you experts might take a
minute or so to look at my problem. 

It is basically about syncing evolver's step sequencer to the outgoing midi
clock. What I do is this: I connect the evolver to clavia's nord modular (a
synthesizer that has sequencing modules onboard also), use the evolver as
master and run sequenced patterns on both synths. Now when I hit evolver's start
button both sequences run at the same speed, but they do not start at exactly
the same time. So to get them really synced I have to hit the reset button
at precicely the moment, where the nord modular's patten starts, which affords
some skill. But what I really want, obviously, is to trigger them both with
the start button. A way around this problem is to program the sequence in the
nord modular in such a way, that it is started by an incoming midi start
command. This works perfect for the moment, BUT whenever I swich to another
program (sound) in the nord modular, while the midimaster keeps running, the nord
modular has to resync itself to the ongoing midi clock stream, for which it
needs a pulse every fourth quaternote (e.g.). The strange thing now is, that
the evolver obviously provides this impulse (I can monitor that in the nord
modular), but this impulse is never (or only by chance) in sync with the
evolver's step sequencer. I tried to solve this problem by programming a midi
event on the first step of the evolver sequence, which then triggers the
beginning of the sequence of the nord sequence, but then the internal synchronisation
of multiple sequences within the nord modular does not work when switched to
internal sync. So this drives me really crazy!

And, at last, by chance I came across this very strange behaviour indeed:
normally the evolver sends midiclock when the start button is hit, and stops
when you hit it again. But when I sync the Nord Modular to the evolver,
start the sequence by hitting the start button, then, while the sequence is
running, switch to intenal sync mode within the nord modular - the sequence now
running according to the nord modular time - then stop the evolver (which
means: no outgoing midi clock anymore), and then swich the sync mode back to
external, the sequence still runs (!). And it runs according to the time given by
the evolver. I can even plug the midi cable - sequence stops - plug it in
again, and the sequence runs again. 

But still: the clock mod sequencer destination is absolutely fantastic: my
nord modular rhythmic patterns driven by this feature produce such weird and
amazing results!

Stefan W.

-- 
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i have also some problems with getting exact timings when i run the 
evo-sequencer with a cubase song. 

-when i set evo midiclock to "in" the sequence stops playing - i 
guess no external midiclock is received... maybee it has something to 
do with cubase and the second midiport evo is connected ?

-other option is to leave evo sync mode to "out" or "off" and running 
evo sequences next to a cubase song. but i noticed there is a 
slightly difference between 120bpm in cubase and 120bpm in evo ... 
after a while evo and cubase running sepperated... anyone experienced 
that too ?

-so far i get the best result by sending midi notes to evolver and 
trigger sequences by "N5r" 

-phono

> The evolver's sequencer is a slightly different beast though: it's not
> (usually) used to play whole songs, but rather as one an element, and
> hitting the start/stop button is not really the same thing as
> starting/stopping a whole song -- you might very well do this many times
> within a `song', and interrupting the clock sync doesn't seem all that
> good idea then!
> 

that makes sense, but the funny thing is that my nord modular sequences
start playing, when I hit evolver's start button, and stops playing, when I hit
the button again, despite the fact that, obviously, the midi clock is still
streaming into the nord modular. 

What I am really trying to achieve is to sync evolver's outgoing midi
clockwith it's internal step sequencer (I know they are synced in respect of tempo,
but they do not necessarily have the same first beat in a 4/4 bar). 
Slaved to the evolver is a drum computer, that produces a click for the
drummer I want to play along with. At the first quater of a bar I want to start
my 16-step-sequence. Since the smallest unit of the midi clock stream seems to
be 24 messages per quater note, I have to be skilled enough to hit the start
button at the very first of these 24 messages. If I am a bit too late, the
notes of the sequence are always one or more messages behind the click. Now
this is theory, because in practise there is also some amount of latency
involved so that really I have to start a little in advance to compensate for this.

Any idea how to handle this?

stefan w.

-- 
+++ NEU bei GMX und erstmalig in Deutschland: T\ufffdV-gepr\ufffdfter Virenschutz +++
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On Thu, Mar 04, 2004 at 08:36:03PM +0100, Stefan Weber wrote:
> > The evolver's sequencer is a slightly different beast though: it's not
> > (usually) used to play whole songs, but rather as one an element, and
> > hitting the start/stop button is not really the same thing as
> > starting/stopping a whole song -- you might very well do this many times
> > within a `song', and interrupting the clock sync doesn't seem all that
> > good idea then!
> 
> that makes sense, but the funny thing is that my nord modular sequences
> start playing, when I hit evolver's start button, and stops playing, when I
> hit the button again, despite the fact that, obviously, the midi clock is
> still streaming into the nord modular.

I have no idea about the NM (I'd _like_ to own one, but can't take the
windows requirement), but I assume this is because the NM is obeying the midi
start (continue?) and stop messages.  The evolver does send those regardless
of what it does with the midi clock.

I've occasionally run into this issue with multiple evolvers, and what I did
there was make the 2nd evolver just ignore midi control messages (I forget
exactly, but I think I just set the midi-recv parameter to `none').

Similarly, maybe you there's some way to make the NM ignore these incoming
messages.  My vague recollection is that the NL3 has a midi-recv parameter
similar to the evolver, so maybe the NM does too.  At worst, I suppose, you
could use some sort of midi filter to get rid of start/stop.

Also, try setting the evolver's midi-xmit parameter to `none' or `pro'
(program changes only); I think this parameter doesn't effect midi-clock
output (since that has its own control), so it might suffice to turn off the
start/stop messages.

-Miles
-- 
"1971 pickup truck; will trade for guns"

> I have no idea about the NM (I'd _like_ to own one, but can't 
take the
> windows requirement), 

There's no Windows requirement. I use Mac for the Editor.

"dhamaryder" <dhamaryder@...> writes:
> > I have no idea about the NM (I'd _like_ to own one, but can't take
> > the windows requirement),
> 
> There's no Windows requirement. I use Mac for the Editor.

Ok, let me rephrase that:

   I have no idea about the NM (I'd _like_ to own one, but can't take
   the proprietary OS requirement)

Also, mac support is looking a iffy with the G2, which is a shame,
because if some day I decided to splurge and get G2 and a dedicated
computer just for it, mac-os is merely annoying, rather than completely
unacceptable like windows.

One possible saving grace is that the NM editor (incl. the G2 editor)
does run, somewhat glitchily, using wine on linux.  However I don't
known if that extends to midi/usb I/O (wine does support midi I/O, but
I'm not sure how well).

-Miles
-- 
o The existentialist, not having a pillow, goes everywhere with the book by
  Sullivan, _I am going to spit on your graves_.