Sync to Midi tempo

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Linuxmusician01
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Sync to Midi tempo

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

Don't ask me why but I like to go "old school" and DAW-less once in a while. I then synchronize synths and drum machines with a 'Sync In/Out' signal via audio (click) track.

I recorded the audio signal that my Korg Monologue synthesizer outputs via the 'sync out'. The Monologue can also convert incoming (audio) synch signals to Midi Tempo (beats per minute, BPM) somehow. I know that because it also has a DIN Midi output and I can use that to send the tempo to my drumcomputer when the synth receives a synch in signal that determines the tempo.

Do you know of a method to - on the fly - convert a Sync audio signal to Midi on Linux? I thought that if my cheap little synth can do it then a computer (read: Raspberry Pi) can do it too.
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Re: Sync to Midi tempo

Post by j_e_f_f_g »

Why are you using an analog sync signal at all???

Doesn't all your gear sync to MIDI clock? If so, use that. It's a lot more efficient and accurate than analog sync. (But MIDI Time Code, or MTC, is better. Essentially MTC is SMPTE over a MIDI connection. And "word clock" is the best. You may be able to get that via an ADAT connection.)

Good lord. I can't believe that, circa 2021, folks are using technology than belongs back in the 1970's! Analog sync is hideously inaccurate, inefficient, and prone to failure. It was used back in the 70's and early 80's only because digital sync wasn't available. I still get a nervous twitch at the mere mention of it, because I have some old analog magnetic tapes that contain recorded analog sync tracks, and it was a nightmare to get it working.

Man, these music companies are really milking this "analog is groovy" fashion trend to sell folks dated, obsolete, inferior technology. People are buying vinyl acetane "records" and being brainwashed into actually believing that those have better signal-to-noise ratio, frequency response, and dynamic range than Compact Disc. Not even close. Vacuum tubes better than solid state?? Not quality solid state products. Not even close. It's all Jedi mind trick marketing. Like 192KHz sample rate. And 32-bit DACs.

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Re: Sync to Midi tempo

Post by rncbc »

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Re: Sync to Midi tempo

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

@j_e_f_f_g: Ha ha. :wink: I get what you mean. I hate LP's too, I thank the dear Lord almighty for CD's and dig. audio. I'm not going DAW-less (every once in a while) because it's trendy or "better". Not at all. Working w/ a DAW is unavoidable and good practice. However, I like to go DAW-less sometimes. Why? Well, some people simply do not like making musing w/ a computer (DAW). It just ain't no fun to some of us. For you it's a nightmare to go DAW-less, for others it relaxing.

I've got one of those tiny little Tascam follow-ups to the Portastudio (Tascam DP-004, link). Because it is so small and battery operated it's super handy to throw in a rucksack and to record at a friends house. Wouldn't do that w/ a laptop + audio device. I love it dearly: take it with me anywhere. Can record synths, vocals and even directly guitar in. When you're back home you can import your stuff into a DAW if you want.

So if you haven't got a computer handy then, to me, it's nice that you can (if need be in an "emergency") sync stuff w/ a multi-track analog device. The old fashioned way. Midi was invented to overcome this ancient horrible practice, I agree. Of course Midi is better. No question about it.

So why do some of the Korg Volca devices (and some others) still have sync in- and out next to Midi? I don't know. Maybe for people like me, maybe because it's cheap and they hope that we all will start using it again. I don't know. All I know is that it's handy for me.

Handy that is, until you'd like to sync with a Midi only device. So that's why I was wondering if it's possible to easily convert click sync to Midi with someting like a Raspberry Pi (another hobby machine of mine). Don't hold it against me, I'm most certainly not recommending it to anyone. :wink:

@rncbc: Thanks for the links I'll have a look into it. I understand why one would advise to use against it. At a first glance it seems like a bit of an overkill for what I'd like to do (which is what I think you wanted to make clear to me). I might be better off throwing my Korg Monologue into my rucksack too to convert sync to Midi if need be.
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