Comments on: how to sync a linndrum without additional hardware

By: CL

CL — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:51:49 +0000

It works!! Super tight sync!! Genius!!! Thank you so much. I had to raise the gain on the sample a bit first though.

By: ron

ron — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:11:20 +0000

yeah, the drumulator should work alike.
just record one bar from main out & sync out into seperate channels and examine the ’spikes’ of the sync channel in relation to the beat measure.

BTW, the idea isn’t so great since i treat my DAW/computer just as a tape machine substitute - and the sync out was meant to be recorded to the reels ;)

By: djsynchro

djsynchro — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:12:15 +0000

Hey Nice one, was just wondering what shape frequency etcetera the sync pulse needs to be for my Drumulator (24 PPQN) great idea to just sample the Sync out and then play it back!

:-)

By: ron

ron — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:56:06 +0000

allright. however i’d rather get rid of the PC at all than just MIDI if i were you :D

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:31:32 +0000

Obviously, i’d have to use a drum machine that syncs to FSK and then spits out SYNC 24.

I wouldn’t be sending FSK audio directly to a SYNC 24 device of course. (before anyone asks…)

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:26:39 +0000

Cheers Ron,

Have read all these articles before- think i’m gonna try something with FSK tape sync to drive SYNC 24 gear. (ie sample the FSK pulse and sequence in the computer) I’m trying to avoid MIDI like the plague.

I think the Roland MC-4 will sync to a clock pulse as will the CSQ600. As to whether they spit out SYNC 24 at the same time remains to be seen. Either way, i have neither device so the experiments continue…

By: ron

ron — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:26:45 +0000

@dan: since afaik sync24 is quite pitty about proper wave shapes too the only thing that comes to my mind is using some audio to trigger circuit. probably two of them to convert the sync trigger and start/stop as well [see sync specs] or something similar...

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:38:59 +0000

LCD sound system’s new album has been made with a Korg SQ10 synced to PC via audio. - no timing problems, super tight sequencing. (See Future Music Sept ‘07)

I Managed to sync the arpegiator clock of my Juno 60 to my PC the same way (via audio and without MIDI)

I started by sampling a ‘Gate’ pulse output from a Roland string machine and then sequencing the waveform as ‘16th’s’.

I then sent this audio to the Juno and the arpegiator synced perfectly.

What i REALLY REALLY want though is a way of syncronising my TR-606 to PC audio. Audio>DIN sync!! any ideas other than the SBX 80??

I hate MIDI

By: ron

ron — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:32:12 +0000

works with the BOSS DR-220e, too ;)

By: ron

ron — Fri, 25 May 2007 18:22:49 +0000

oops - i forgot: can’t offer you any samples but the LinnDrumSync.zip from the article above, recording quality isn’t that good though..

By: ron

ron — Fri, 25 May 2007 17:56:38 +0000

from my little experience: when working with “clock sync” (like the sync input of your drumulator) the pulse signal must stay exactly in shape. tape-sync (like the linndrum) isn’t that particular, for it is meant to be recorded to tape machines anyways.. even modern digital recording equipment is tending to distort pulses trapezoidly.

another issue: aren’t audio signals AC while trigger signals are DC?
i never thought about this but maybe it’s suitable just adding a diode & capacitor to form a DC pulse… or utlilize a schmitt trigger…

By: JB

JB — Fri, 25 May 2007 14:49:46 +0000

Hi!
Thanks for the tip.
Following a similar idea, I was able to sync my DR-220e using an audio out as well : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVGfen1xtXc
Now i want to sync my Drumulator, i’ve tried a few things without success, i was wondering if you could send me an audio loop of your sync track so i could try again, first at half speed, as the Drumulator is 24ppqn, then using the sync loop to feed my Garfield FSK converter. I’m kind of out of ideas if those two don’t work so : suggestions welcome!
cheers
JB

By: mayo

mayo — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:30:06 +0000

@ donnacha costello and ron: thank you but yeah I was hoping to send the trigger signal via audio out because I need to step advance with patterns with my sequencer, i.e. triggering 3×16ths steps, resting 5, etc. than changing pattern and have a different sequence of triggering steps, can’t do that with a midi clock divisor to trigger.

I’ll try anyway but in case this fail, too, I’ll stick to my actual setup:
drummachine sound -> MS-20 signal processor audio-to-trigger -> SQ-10 step advance

thank you again

By: ron

ron — Thu, 03 May 2007 09:30:13 +0000

@ mayo: i don’t find any “sync to tape” regarding the SQ10 so the trick doesn’t work, you’ll rather need some midi2clock device mentioned above :(

By: ron

ron — Thu, 03 May 2007 09:20:23 +0000

certainly there’re lotsa sync boxes to buy, but this post is all about “without additional sync hardware” ;) and - yeah- the MSY2 is a fantastic clock interface…