Elektron Musical Instruments

MIDI Clock is a very bad syncronization medium, honestly.  The source device
can obviously have an effect on the timing, but so can the reciever, and the
cable in between.  The density of the data being sent can also delay clock
(remember, MIDI can actually only send one message at a time over a single
cable).  A single device, therefore, can never trigger two events and expect
those two events to be received and processed simultaneously by separate
cables along the same signal chain.  

How this applies to the MD is simply that while elektron CAN make sure their
internal timing is as accurate as possible, AND they can make sure that the
data is sent in as accurate and stable a fashion as possible, the CAN NOT
eliminate variables beyond that point.  One cable to one device should be
good, but if that 'cable' is routed through a PC or patchbay - all bets are
off, because there is other software involved that is going effect a delay
in transmission.  With a hardware device, this clock delay should be
relatively stable.  With a PC, or a devce that is doing other MIDI
processing or merging its internal data with the data received before
output...then I'd bet MIDI clock would suffer terribly (and I have
experienced just that with my MonoMachine controlling my PolyEvolver).  

Midi is really a 'send the data and hope for the best'  protocol.  At some
point, it needs to be replaced with something more robust.  When will that
happen?  Who knows...maybe never.

In the meantime, you find work arounds, or live with its inadequacies. 

tony


________________________________

	From: elektron-users@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:elektron-users@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Niall Munnelly
	Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2007 9:07 AM
	To: elektron-users@yahoogroups.com
	Subject: Re: [elektron] Re: THE MD SPS-1 timing debate issue
	
	

	On Sun, Apr 15, 2007 at 07:56:28AM -0500, Tarekith wrote:
	> 
	> Until that huge thread on the Elektron forums, the only timing
	> complaints I remember reading about were people trying to sync the
MD
	> to Ableton Live. Admittedly I've only had my MD for a year and a
	> half, but I did go through ALL of this lists archives and all of
the
	> Elektron forums archives when compiling my tips and tricks
document.
	> Never saw this huge out cry over the 'terrible' timing the MD has.
:)
	
	For my own part, I'd always chalked it up to my imagination,
	because I'd already proven to my satisfaction that the clock
	was rock solid. It never occurred to me that playback and
	clock might be different until that thread on the forum.
	
	Anyway, if you don't hear it, cool. If it's not a big deal
	to you, okay. I think I've added to the noise in three
	different threads, counting this one, and can't add much
	more, so I'll just await Elektron's response.
	
	-- 
	Yours,
	Niall.
	.. . . . . . . . . .
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