Hi – after 25+ years as a midi-less electric/electronic musician, I’ve gotten the wonderful Digitone Keys, and would like to sync it to my modular. At some point I will get a Hexinverter Mutant Brain (probably) but as I’m just learning digital synthesis with the DK, I’d like to concentrate on that right now rather than also learning midi simultaneously.
I’ve thought about using my Doepfer A119 Ext Input/Env Follower and sending a 4/4 kick out of one hard-panned track, but I’d rather not a) lose one DK track or b) have to have a 4/4 kick in every DK piece.
What about the control inputs on the DK? Is there any way to sync the DK to a clock on the modular with these? Not that I can tell.
Thanks for any other suggestions, 'nauts!
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Ha! Looking back I see that one of my previous posts here was during the turbulent two years when I was trying to figure out my bloody OT, and I asked about midi. Arrrgh, I hated that machine! Never figured it out, let alone got midi-ing with it. Sold it on and went back to my modular and pedals. Nine years later I give thanks to the engineers for the reasonably intuitive Digitone!
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You will need to use MIDI if you don’t want to sacrifice one of your Digitone tracks to generate a clock signal. MIDI clock sync is really about as basic as it gets, I don’t think it’ll be a huge mental barrier to overcome.
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DIN sync from the 2nd MIDI out port, with some kind of DIN sync converter?
MIDI OUT/SYNC A, MIDI data output. Can also be configured to send DIN sync to legacy instruments
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You do not have to sacrifice a midi track to do this. I use the OCD.CV device which can send various clock outputs that you can setup in the webapp that flashes the firmware. It also gives you 4 midi CCS to CV, and 12 gates to play with.
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Fucking hell man. 9 year hiatus. Welcome back!
Already said, but the OCD.CV is a good shout. Versatile, and cheap too.
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I have the best midi-less solution for you. Set one of the DIN-5 outputs to DinSync24 instead of MIDI (Settings > MIDI Config > Port Config > Out (or Thru) Port Func = DIN24)
And use one of these to have an eurorack clock : Triglostek
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If you have Pam’s, then ALM sells an inexpensive cable that takes 5-pin DIN sync to the clock and run/stop inputs on the module (I have used this successfully with Elektron boxes, though not the Models). Otherwise Mutant Brain / OCD.CV [same thing, one in rack, one out] works well for this purpose in its default configuration, so no need to delve into the messier aspects right away.
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Thanks folks, about what I figured: if I don’t want to sacrifice an audio track then I’ve gotta add more tech. Our local retailer has the Mutant Brain (eurorackable OCD.CV) so I’ll just have to do it!
And come back here once it’s installed and ask for more advice 
Be mindful that using DIN Sync instead of MIDI proper means you don’t have to worry about the headaches particular to MIDI: worrying about how much data is coming down the pipe, meaning your clock signal has to share bandwidth with notes etc. This can all be tuned in the settings of course, but it sounds like these are the kinds of headaches you are looking to avoid by avoiding MIDI.
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I have no issues whilst running all outputs on the OCD.CV from digitone keys. Solid clock, and I’ve setup 8 of the gate outputs as 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 along with their T variants.
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