Syncronisation

So one of the underdeveloped areas is sync. Although not exclusive to Eurorack it has to be said that sample accurate syncronisation of a DAW to USB Devices such as Arturia's Beat Step, remains an ongoing source of frustration.

Some time ago I had this solved. I bought a relatively cheap box from Expert Sleepers called USAMO. This box enabled me to install a plugin on a audio or instrument channel. The plugin then produced a time code that was sent through an audio output on my interface, from there over a jack cable to the USAMO box.

On the other side of the box a midi output to Beatstep Pro. And uallah I my DAW was in sample accurate syncronisation with my Eurorack.

Some time has passed, Operating systems come and go, I switch from PC to MAC and to make a long story short nothing is working at the moment.

I would apreciate a healthy discussion on this topic, do you have sync problems or is your system working.

Now I have 2 x Presonus Quantum 2626 running at 192 khz sampling rate and each connected via thunderbolt lll cables. They are synced between them by Word Clock BNC. Those then are set as one agregate device in the Apple Mini M1.

Here's the article I wrote and now seems to not be valid anymore, atleast it needs complete revision.

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/8644

This may not be anything to do with what you are talking about but I have Pams as my main clock and the Midi out controlling my Beatstep pro, while playing i see the BPM change on the beatstep and can hear the slowdown in tempo. As far as i can see i do not have any Swing or probability set on the beatstep and I never have an issue with Pams swaying about as its rock solid.

...I would apreciate a healthy discussion on this topic, do you have sync problems or is your system working...
-- GunnarWaage

Maybe a bit off topic because i dont use "sample accurate sync" but here is my synchronisation experience:
We have a lot of jam sessions with all kind of electronic music equipment (dozens or close to 100 different syncable devices within the last years).
Everything is synced via MIDI clock and in some subsystems this MIDI clock gets converted to CV-clock/reset via Arturia devices (Keystep PRO, Beatstep PRO) or PAMs.
In those hardware based setups sync accuracy has never been an issue.

As soon as a laptop or tablet (windows, mac, ios, android) needs to be synced as slave things start to get inaccurate.
But every better software has the possibility to adjust the clock-sync-offset in milliseconds.
Strange thing i experienced is that the needed offset value is often very different compared to former jam sessions with the same equipment.

There are indeed a few syncable eurorack modules that are always a single CV-clock-tick ahead.
To solve this issue i have built an arduino that holds back the very first clock tick after start.
Now i have 2 different master clocks in my eurorack to get everything in perfect sync
https://github.com/othmar52/blazing-baton-eurorack

Exactly, the problem has to do with usb and unprecise midi code. I wish there was a solution that doesnt require you to go through all this headache again and again. I have my modular and then I have my polysynths and softsynths. I multitrack ewerything, record a voice and then stack up more voices. Pretty typical working method, nothing new there. So therefore I am surpriced that there isn't a working hassle-free solution to this already.

EDITED Jan 26th, 14:54

what are you using as the master MIDI clock? the DAW? if so, the 'inaccuracy' of the clock is almost definitely a product of OS prioritisation..

MIDI in computer operating systems is low priority... so other things wich are higher priority, such as audio, usb mouse and keyboard signals and internet, for example, cause interrupts and hence can disrupt MIDI processing, to the point that it can be noticeable...

things that you can do to get round this are - sync to audio - ie use an audio track/loop to sync from the DAW at 24ppqn... or find something that can be used as an external MIDI clock and sync everything to that, including your DAW...

otherwise, turning off wifi and bluetooth etc may help to some extent...

yes that has been my solution, generating new time code with a plugin on an audio track, sending it to bsp and from there to my other sequencers, worked flawlessly until I ran some updates to pro tools. Now nothing works

EDITED Jan 26th, 20:12

yes that has been my solution, generating new time code with a plugin on an audio track, sending it to bsp and from there to my other sequencers, worked flawlessly until I ran some updates to pro tools. Now nothing works
-- GunnarWaage

sounds like a protools issue tbh

is pro tools working correctly otherwise?

what was in the updates? do you need them, can you roll back the updates?

does everything else sync to the BSP ok?

is the output from the channel to the audio interface still set up correctly?

is volume of the output still the same?

Yes that is my next step, install Pro tools again and go with an older version and see what happens. Try other DAW's also. But I have been using Pro Tools for more than 20 years so I would like to keep using it. Who knows how this will go

EDITED Jan 26th, 22:04