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Hardware Sequencers => BeatStep Pro => BeatStep Pro - Technical Issues => Topic started by: othernode on October 05, 2020, 12:28:57 pm

Title: Clock syncing BSP to Korg & Moog
Post by: othernode on October 05, 2020, 12:28:57 pm
Hi guys,

(How) can I use the BSP as the master clock in a system consisting of both Korg and Moog devices?

I just got the Moog Mother 32 and I'm having some issues integrating it in my setup, consisting of:
Beatstep Bro / Keystep / Drumbrute / Microfreak / Minibrute / Korg Minilogue / Korg Monologue / Korg volca drum / Korg volca modular.

I use the BSP as the master clock, which works fine as I have the clock on all the arturia devices set to "pulse (korg)", which works fine, but the mother 32 wants a 24ppq, which also works fine if I set the arturias to that, but then the Korgs wonk out.
Any ideas on how to solve this?

Can I for example:
-send different kind of clocks via midi/sync so simultaniously synk both the korgs & the moog? (do I need some midi through device for this?)
-or could I maybe use 1 (or 2) drum channel as clock? (how would I do this? where would I send it?)

Or are there better solutions?
-is there some sort of converter I can use?
-is there some not too expensive device that I can use as a master clock that sends both?

All ideas are welcome!

Thanks!
Title: Clock syncing BSP to Korg & Moog
Post by: megamarkd on October 06, 2020, 03:43:27 am
Why not use MIDI and Clock?  You can send the MIDI from the BSP to the KeyStep (with its MIDI OUT set to THRU ON), then on to the MicroFreak (again with it set to MIDI THRU ON).  Now this solution relies on the Korg Minilogue and Monologue having a soft-THRU function for you to be able to sequence them with the BSP and KeyStep.  I'm not sure on whether the Mini/Monologues have a THRU function.  I've browsed the Minilogue manual and it mentions Echo, but I can't test to see if that is what I usually interpret MIDI Echo to be (echoing received MIDI data on the MIDI OUT).  Assuming that they do indeed pass MIDI appearing at the IN to the OUT, can plug them into your MIDI chain after the MicroFreak and end your chain with the DrumBrute.  Using MIDI to sync all your clock on those devices, you can set the Clock Outs on your Arturia devices to differing PPQ rates, so you can have one running a Korg Pulse to your Volcas and another running the 24PPQ the Moog is expecting.

Now for the "throw money at the issue" solution.  You can feed MIDI to all your devices from your master via a MIDI THRU box such as a Kenton MIDI THRU 5.  Run the BSP to the IN on it the the OUTs to the devices you want to to sync and be sequenced by it.  Again this will allow you to set your Clock Out rates on the Arturia devices individually so you can address the Volcas and the Moog at the PPQ they are expecting.
An example of this method would be to run the BSP to the MIDI THRU 5 in and then connect the KeyStep, MicroFreak, Minilogue, Monologue and DrumBrute to the MIDI THRU 5 OUTs.  From there you can either run the Volcas off the Korg synths' Sync Outs and the Moog off one of the Arturias.  All the devices will be running at the same tempo set on the BSP.  If you were thinking you want to sequence the Minilogue with the KeyStep (a logical thing to do), you can then connect it to the MIDI out on the KeyStep.  If you were thinking you wanted to sync the Volca Drum with the DrumBrute, then set the DrumBrute Clock Out to send Korg Pulse without effecting how anything else is clocked.

I hope this has helped in someway.  I don't know if my first suggest is feasible, but I'm hoping it will give you food for thought on how to route things so it will work.