I sent a support request a couple weeks ago and have received no response. I am sending a clock out over USB to my keylab essential mk3, and I configured the arp to use the ext clock. However, when I press a key, it indicates there is “no clock detected”. I am using MIDI fire to route midi signals so I can see that the clock is present and I have it routed to all 4 midi devices for the keylab essential. I also have it routed to other devices which do respond to the clock. I see no additional settings in midi control center. I also assume it should work over USB rather than the 5-pin din since the 5-pin din is an output where as USB is both input and output. Also the manual makes no such indication so I assume it is supposed to work over USB. Has anyone else got this to work?
Hi, it should work over USB — the KeyLab Mk3 does accept MIDI clock via its USB-MIDI input — but the arp will show “No Clock Detected” if the incoming clock isn’t hitting the correct port or isn’t sending a full MIDI Clock + Start/Continue stream.
- Make sure the clock is routed only to the correct port:
The Mk3 exposes multiple USB-MIDI ports:
• KeyLab Essential Mk3 ← this is the only port that accepts clock
• KeyLab Essential Mk3 DAW
• KeyLab Essential Mk3 MCU
• KeyLab Essential Mk3 HUI
If you send clock to all four, the device may be listening to the wrong one.
In MIDIFire, send the clock only to: KeyLab Essential Mk3 (MIDI IN)
The DAW ports ignore timing clock entirely.
- The arp needs Clock and Start/Continue
The “clock detected” message only appears when the keyboard receives:
• MIDI Clock (F8)
• and MIDI Start (FA) or Continue (FB)
Some routing apps forward clock pulses but not Start/Continue, which leads to exactly the symptom you described: plugin shows pulses → KeyLab says “no clock detected”.
Double-check that your clock source is sending both.
- Clock Source must be set to External on the keyboard
Just confirm the front-panel setting: ARP → Clock Source → External
⸻
- If Ableton is involved, turn off Sync on all unnecessary ports
Ableton can override or filter clock if multiple sync outputs are active. Leave sync on only for the port feeding MIDIFire.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for the reply. I originally just sent to the “MIDI” port but then added the rest once I could not get any output.
It looks like the missing component is the MIDI start. Nowhere in the manual does it indicate that a MIDI start is required and the error message is misleading because it states “not clock detected” rather than something like “stopped”. Hopefully this can be addressed in future updates to the firmware and documentation.
After some playing around I think I want to use “auto”. I use a freerunning clock provided by my drum machine. “Start” is only sent when the drum pattern starts and “stop” is sent when the pattern stops. On the Keylab Essential MK3, if it is set to “Ext” then the ARP can only be used when the drum machine is playing. “Auto” does appear to still use the drum machines clock even when stopped so that is an acceptable workaround. Unfortunately the manual has not been updated in a while and does not even mention the “Auto” option.