My question is: why is the guidance to rely on USB to buffer MIDI (or some sort of propietary clock) and multiple channels of audio the when conventional approach to clock/sync is to have a single source of the truth. They’re more than mildly disconnected. The inherent issues in relying on USB for syncronization are why devices like the ERM Multiclock exist.
I’m possibly expecting more from OB than it is capable of. I will likely use it only for onscreen editing if at all. To record from the AR2 I’ll likely just sync it externally to my MIDI Clock and record through audio interface.
Oooh I see what you mean. Yea I think we’re on the same page. It’s why I don’t use the usb sync and rely on my sync box thing instead. To be clear you can go against those guidelines I screenshot and use external sync while recording via overbridge if you want an easy way to multi-track. I’m not sure if my glitch issues were due to using it that way or some other malfunction though, since my whole unit is now broken lol…It does seem to be an almost all-or-nothing approach to the process though. Like you either completely tether your elektron gear to the computer or you have more than a few pieces of hardware and are forced to sync through other means.
Trying out a couple of things today with OB and the ERM. I think what you’ve described can be made to work - I just need to think through the workflow and setup. Maybe for programming I use the default OB setup with sync and audio over USB then when committing it to ‘tape’ (so to speak…) I lock it using the ERM and only use USB for audio.
Almost all my recordings are song based with 2-4-8-16 measure sections so having the USB facility in OB does make that a lot easier.
Awesome hope it works! There are so many options within the DAW plugin I think you’ll find it flexible enough. My guess is that elektron can’t guarantee using it that way will be entirely glitchless, so they put a disclaimer. I basically have “no sync” selected within the DAW plugin, and then the Rytm is in Overbridge mode, with midi sync enabled or something like that. All the overbridge functionality is still there (I think) I just clock the unit from a USAMO.
I’ve been experimenting with OB for several years now and been reporting on some of the threads here. I use OB with No Sync for all my OB devices (AR II, A4 II, DT, DN) and sync everything with MIDI cables and a MIDI Thru box. For me, this is the perfect hybrid setup. I also use the Inputs of my OB devices with my other synths the ensure the sync tightness.
You’re not using “USB Sync” though with overbridge. you’re using a kernel extension that syncs closer to the processor level to not have the jitter that normal PC clock is prone to. There is NO need to use Midi clock with overbridge devices. Getting reliable clock to other devices is up to you but your elektrons should be fine syncing through the vst.
You can explain how it works all you want but that doesn’t negate how, in practice, timing irregularities still exist, and incorporating other non-elektron gear into a larger setup is even more of a headache. I should make clear I monitor my DAW’s playback not any direct input though, which may be why every elektron fanboy in here keeps telling me it should work when it doesn’t?? lol idk
edit: I also want to say that the overbridge sync really does work much better than regular PC midi sync, but it is not perfect to the point that there are no problems.
Well thanks for telling us there’s no need to use something we obviously need to use, as if that’s any help. The level of gaslighting is off the charts in here sometimes! My god
Thanks. I’m curious about the approach taken here. Is there anywhere I can read more about how Elektron have implemented this? If this solution does solve for jitter while simultaneously streaming multichannel audio given the limitations of USB I’m interested in learning more about it.
I have some time tomorrow so might try a few tests.
No I didn’t notice this behavior. You are using each OB plugin with the No Sync option and all your devices are synced with MIDI cables? You have one device as the Master sending Clock and Transport to the others?
Indeed. 1 track with the OB plugin for Analog Four, another one with OB for the Rytm. Both with No Sync. Then a MIDI cable from my Motu Midi Express Out to Rytm In. Didn’t connect the Four yet since I have issues with setting up the Rytm.
My Motu is connected through a (powered) USB hub. Could that be the issue?
Yesterday I tried to automate MIDI CC by sending MIDI from Ableton to my other synths and that was very buggy too. It wouldn’t register the MIDI CC half of the times and sometimes audio from the synth was just not audible at all. Didn’t try sending CC for a long time but sending the clock was never an issue.
The difference between your setup and mine is that I’m using 5-pin MIDI cables between all my Machines. DT is the Master sending Clock, Transport and Program Change to all my other Machines via a Kenton Thru box. So, I’m not using the Clock from my Computer or any USB device.
I can vouch that this works in my Windows 10 / Studio One 5 machine as well. AR MkII synced via Overbridge, my other synths via E-RM Multiclock. Sync is very tight.
Now, I had to roll back Overbridge and Rytm OS because I was having the tempo variation/random sequencer pausing issue with (OS 1.61B / Overbridge 2.0.60.2), but with (OS 1.60A / Overbridge 2.0.44.3), now Rytm II is working really well in Overbridge standalone and In Studio One 5 vst. But that’s a whole 'nother issue.
Thanks for comments all. I finally figured out what was going on. Ableton was sending midi clock, which was confusing the OB sync. What made it more confusing, was after switching Live Midi clock off, DN still wasn’t clocking. Until I power cycled my system and it all clocked.
Now to just establish why I can play A4 tracks via Live, but not DN. But that’s for another thread. DN OB is nowhere near as bug free for me as A4.
