MIDI clock output

[janicon]

Hi all. Hope Xmas and New year were enjoyable.

 

I have been trying to sync Mainstage via midi clock from external sources but it seems to behave erratically with the tempo jumping about all over the place. Ultrabeat pattern sequencer flicks back and forth appearing to play randomly. I tried 2 different input devices with no joy. This may not be a problem if I can get mainstage to transmit midi clock and spp to an external device thus achieving sync the other way round. I read the post on midi0 but I am guessing this wont help unless mainstage can actually output the clock in the first place. Anyone know of a way to either solve the erratic tempo problem or get a midi clock out?

 

Just for info I have mainstage on both the Imac running Tiger and Macbook running Leopard. Both have the latest updates. The 2 devices were a Roland PCR 300 with a control assigned to tempo (Midi Cock) and a Roland Juno-G set to transmit as master. I tried all possible combinations via both Midi and USB with the same result each time. If I hook up the 2 keyboards with a midi cable they sync beautifully and syncing the Juno with Logic's midi clock output works a treat via either midi or USB.

[mmm42]

I have been trying to sync Mainstage via midi clock from external sources but it seems to behave erratically with the tempo jumping about all over the place. Ultrabeat pattern sequencer flicks back and forth appearing to play randomly.

 

MIDI clock is strictly a form of a sync, not of a real clock. Therefore MainStage can only get sort of a lazy tempo from the clock, which will never be 100% accurate and jump if you change the speed of the MIDI clock on an external controller e.g. via a knob. This is a limitation of MIDI.

 

Also: Ultrabeat can't handle a changing tempo and 100% sync to it.

[janicon]

The Ultrabeat thing was really more of an explanation of what is happening. It will do this without me changing the tempo. It doesn't just vary a little bit, it literally plays random points in the sequence at a tempo which sounds as if it is at least double the set tempo. (Played with a drummer like that once ). I want to be able to sync mainstage to a pulsating sound on the external synth rather than change tempo on the fly. If I select 'Get tempo from MIDI input' and set my controller to a value, (say 130 bpm), the tempo display above the checkbox will flicker and vary randomly within say 129.04 and 130.73 (They are not the actual numbers but you get the idea). I guess this is just the Lazy tempo thing you described but if I then activate an ultrabeat sequence it will play correctly sometimes and even allow me to switch sequences 2 or 3 times. Then, suddenly, for no apparent reason, it goes into hyperdrive (Just like the previously mentioned drummer). As you can imagine this is somewhat frustrating. As I said initially, it doesn't happen when I sync to the ext synth with Logic's midi clock. Why does it do this in mainstage and is there a fix?

[janicon]

Ha ha. Solved it with analog technology. Set synth to same tempo as mainstage and hit the right keys at the right time. Trickiest bit is using PB/mod lever with the teeth.