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Keeping Loopy Pro and Modular Clock in sync

I am using loopy pro with modular via an es-8 interface. It works great. Im not that pleased with how I am keeping things in sync, however, which is via ableton link and a Circuit Happy ML:2 module. It works, but its not super tight.

What are other people doing to maintain sync?

It would be amazing if Loopy Pro could watch for transients on a channel to ‘tap tempo’, but wont put that on the roadmap if anyone else has a good workaround.

Comments

  • What is the issue with the link sync? Consistent latency or variability?

    Are you using it via WiFi? If so, that’s the issue. WiFi is subject to jitter. If you have a stable clock signal that you could bring into the iPad via the ES-8, you might be able to use something like FAC envolver or Drambo to turn them into midi events that you could use for tap tempo or convert to midi clock events.

  • @rens said:
    I am using loopy pro with modular via an es-8 interface. It works great. Im not that pleased with how I am keeping things in sync, however, which is via ableton link and a Circuit Happy ML:2 module. It works, but its not super tight.

    What are other people doing to maintain sync?

    It would be amazing if Loopy Pro could watch for transients on a channel to ‘tap tempo’, but wont put that on the roadmap if anyone else has a good workaround.

    Do you have anything in the modular that can sync to a trigger signal? That would be the tightest way.

  • @espiegel123 said:
    What is the issue with the link sync? Consistent latency or variability?

    The real issue with link sync is delay in tempo change propagation, which causes things to go pear-shaped. I’ve had a little bit of drift over time, but only if I leave things running a long time I could do a video to demonstrate this, but I syspect you understand?

    Are you using it via WiFi? If so, that’s the issue. WiFi is subject to jitter.

    I’m not aware of Ableton link operating other than over Wi-Fi?

    If you have a stable clock signal that you could bring into the iPad via the ES-8, you might be able to use something like FAC envolver or Drambo to turn them into midi events that you could use for tap tempo or convert to midi clock events.

    Yes, my modular clock is very stable and I can generate pulses of any frequency, amplitude and pulse width… How would you turn that into something that would drive Loopy Pro ‘s clock? Are you suggesting hosting Drambo inside of a Loopy Pro? That would be interesting. Any tips?

    @BroCoast sai
    Do you have anything in the modular that can sync to a trigger signal? That would be the tightest way.

    Yes, pretty much everything, and I could of course dedicate an output to sending a 24poqn signal, But I don’t trust the iPad to be the clock master. I want that to come from the modular…the other way. Hence the q.

  • edited January 2023

    @rens said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    What is the issue with the link sync? Consistent latency or variability?

    The real issue with link sync is delay in tempo change propagation, which causes things to go pear-shaped. I’ve had a little bit of drift over time, but only if I leave things running a long time I could do a video to demonstrate this, but I syspect you understand?

    Are you using it via WiFi? If so, that’s the issue. WiFi is subject to jitter.

    I’m not aware of Ableton link operating other than over Wi-Fi?

    If you have a stable clock signal that you could bring into the iPad via the ES-8, you might be able to use something like FAC envolver or Drambo to turn them into midi events that you could use for tap tempo or convert to midi clock events.

    Yes, my modular clock is very stable and I can generate pulses of any frequency, amplitude and pulse width… How would you turn that into something that would drive Loopy Pro ‘s clock? Are you suggesting hosting Drambo inside of a Loopy Pro? That would be interesting. Any tips?

    @BroCoast sai
    Do you have anything in the modular that can sync to a trigger signal? That would be the tightest way.

    Yes, pretty much everything, and I could of course dedicate an output to sending a 24poqn signal, But I don’t trust the iPad to be the clock master. I want that to come from the modular…the other way. Hence the q.

    The problem you will find from the modular being the master is nothing in iOS can sync to a clock pulse, only midi clock which inevitably has jitter and latency. You could use FAC envolver to convert the clock pulse to MIDI but I don’t know how you’d convert that to MIDI clock. I do sometimes use that method with Rozeta Cells that can advance a step from a midi note.

    When I was using modular, I would just use an audio clip as a pulse and send that out to the modular via the ES-8. You still have latency but it’s not that perceptible at low buffer settings.

    I still use the same method for my SH-101.

  • @BroCoast said:

    The problem you will find from the modular being the master is nothing in iOS can sync to a clock pulse, only midi clock which inevitably has jitter and latency.

    That doesn’t sound like too difficult a thing to write as an audio unit. There’s really nothing existing that can set clock from a pulse? Anything that handles tap tempo could be trivially modified.

  • edited January 2023

    @rens said:

    @BroCoast said:

    The problem you will find from the modular being the master is nothing in iOS can sync to a clock pulse, only midi clock which inevitably has jitter and latency.

    That doesn’t sound like too difficult a thing to write as an audio unit. There’s really nothing existing that can set clock from a pulse? Anything that handles tap tempo could be trivially modified.

    I don’t think it’s as trivial as you think. :)

  • @BroCoast said:
    … You could use FAC envolver to convert the clock pulse to MIDI but I don’t know how you’d convert that to MIDI clock.

    Streambyter . You can construct and send any midi you want. It could convert cc’s to clock messages. You could do pulse to MIDI conversion in Audulus, but it’s midi might be jittery.

    @rens : link is not a WiFi only thing. It can work over wired connections. But maybe your module doesn’t do that?

  • There is a post from 2017 suggesting a korg sq-1 as a pulse to midi clock device:
    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/comment/395454/#Comment_395454

  • With modular, I prefer iPad to be the clock always, pretty much for the reasons that BroCoast mentioned. Easier to sync out than sync in, with Link as master clock.

  • @espiegel123 said:

    @BroCoast said:
    … You could use FAC envolver to convert the clock pulse to MIDI but I don’t know how you’d convert that to MIDI clock.

    Streambyter . You can construct and send any midi you want. It could convert cc’s to clock messages. You could do pulse to MIDI conversion in Audulus, but it’s midi might be jittery.

    @rens : link is not a WiFi only thing. It can work over wired connections. But maybe your module doesn’t do that?

    Yeah, the module doesnt have an ethernet port. Thanks for the tips. this all sounds incredibly fragile and annoying, just what I do not like about IOS music!!!!

    I already have several modules that will output both modular clock (pulses, i use 24 ppqn a lot between various hardware) and MIDI clock (for example; pams new workout, five12 vector) but as the ES-8 does not supply a MIDI interface I would have to put a MIDI interface into the hub as well. All in order to get much-less-tight MIDI clock as opposed to just syncing with the modular

    I will keep looking.

    @auxmux said:
    With modular, I prefer iPad to be the clock always, pretty much for the reasons that BroCoast mentioned. Easier to sync out than sync in, with Link as master clock.

    Easier, but alas not tighter. The crazy tightness of modular is a lot of what I like about it.

  • Yeah, I don't use clocks or sequencers in hardware, which helps but can understand the annoyance of stuff not syncing properly.

  • @espiegel123 said:
    There is a post from 2017 suggesting a korg sq-1 as a pulse to midi clock device:
    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/comment/395454/#Comment_395454

    Woah I didn’t know that was possible and I have an SQ-1!

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