As this device only has midi out and i dont want it to be syncmaster is there a way that the motu midi express XT could provide a sync pulse to one of the sq1’s sync ins?
The SQ-1 can receive MIDI messages using its USB port. You could connect the SQ-1 to your computer and sync the SQ-1 to Ableton Live or anything that sends MIDI clock messages to the computer via the MIDI Express XT.
The SQ-1’s Sync In jack requires a pulse signal that the MIDI Express XT does not generate. Your Electribe 2 does generate a suitable sync signal.
with a device - i intend to make something soon based on an arduino or maybe just bare ICs - but @void shared his code for midi to pulse via a raspberry Pi recently and @darenager has one for sync24 to divide up clock (may work with midi, not sure tho) - then there’s lots of official stuff in modular land - you could also do it easily if you had a spare nord micro sitting around (or similar)
1 Like
rimshot or other sharp audio signal from a dedicated audio output via your computer or some other device should do the trick. send it a steady pulse or have fun with various patterns of pulses.
I had forgotten it had a usb connection itself which I can trigger then from ableton, Its a shame the Motu cannot do it, I suspect at some point a decent standalone usb device will come along to do the job when the usb midi ports are standardised and not vendor specific.
anyway thanks as usual for the interesting and useful suggestions.
I am getting much better now at connecting to the Motu without those midi loops forming, and that again is down to you all.
Hello,
Does the SQ1 translate incoming sync signal to midi clock, or does it only send midi notes out if clocked externally?
You can also sync via pulse from a Keystep, for example, and have that synced by DIN MIDI too.
Setup my SQ1 and played a bit with it today. Sync came over USB from the das, then cv out to the sub phatty. My first impression was “techno beast”. Coming up with techno lines was fast easy and fun. Then switching playback styles brought a lot of nice variations.
Working with this is so different than with midi alone. One has to know though, that syncing it to the das and sending midi back to the daw doesn’t work as far as I know. But synths that have cv ins (doesn’t have to modular) can really profit from this.
I wasn’t sure what this thing would bring, but I’m really pleased.
4 Likes
Coming as a surprise to me, Korg can do CV clock to MIDI clock conversion. An absolute package, this thing.
BUT it doesn’t play well with irregular clock. Turning up the Jitter on Marbles would stop the OT dead in its tracks 
Ah well. Guess it’s expecting too much.
Still. Just a phenomenal value.
Edit: Actually, by changing the Speed knob, irregularity is fine, but it stops if I go below 9 oclock. Interesting…
1 Like
I couldn’t find an answer for this:
Can you set the number of step on this device?
For example 11 steps
Yes. You need to choose a sequencer mode that uses both A and B lanes and then set it to 11 (8+3).
1 Like
Thanks for that quick answer man
1 Like
FWIW, Gary Hayes has a video where he goes into depth on the SQ-1, changing sequence lengths, disabling steps in the sequence (shortening it for polyrythms/polymeter whatever). This video has a text commentary picking out some of these techniques, though it’s not the one I was 1st thinking of.
EDIT: Ah this is the one.
3 Likes
As long as the thread is bumped I thought I’d share how I use the SQ-1 as the bridge between my digitakt and my modular. Its a highly underrrated IMO.
Digitakt and the SQ-1 both connect to an Iphone via a lightning to USB hub. On the iphone I run the app midimittr which bridges the USB devices. On the digitakt I set up a midi track to the SQ-1’s channel and boom I can sequence CV/gate. Go one midi channel up for the second CV/gate pair.
Feels good to have precise 2 voice control of a modular with all the goodness of the elektron sequencer. The ability to change my whole modular rhythm + melody with a digitakt pattern change is huge. Plus I can use it to feed my modular CV/gate in any nontraditional way I come up with - for example, sample one CV/gate pair with Marbles which controls two voices at once, then use the other CV/gate pair to sequence Clouds which I have as the send effect on my mixer.
Sometimes things get funky specifically when I try to use midimittr and voice memos at the same time and I have to hard reset, but I’m able to use it at the same time i’m recording video or to bandlab. It works remarkably well in most cases and means my whole midi setup is USB only which I quite like. If you’ve got the kit sitting around give it a go, it’s real fun.
1 Like
Are you using a USB hub with external power? I’m trying this, but my iPhone/iPad just says that the external hardware draws too much power when I turn on the Sq-1 (using fresh batteries in the Sq-1). Seems to connect fine to my laptop.