Ok. this was rather amusing, tried first time to sync ableton and OT. i thought it would either work or not at all but it’s so weird
OT starts in 93 bpm and ableton picks up a 72 bpm tempo and then within a couple of seconds comes pretty close to the OT.
it sounds so bad i think i might keep it just because it becomes as a tape recorder with flutter. (the ableton looper pitches the audio with different tempi 
but is there a way to improve this? better midi card for computer? settings?
Use Live as the clock master. You’ll get much better results that way.
but i thought octatrack had to be master?or is that just when using pickup machines?
what’s the proper setting for octa to receive? turn off send?
Turn on receive !
You can turn off send if you don’t kneed to send sync to another machine.
Ot can be slave if you want to record it into a DAW.
When you record audio on it, I’d say it is better to be master, but it can record if slave. For Pickup overdub, it has to be master.
this midi clock do not work for me!
Hello I don’t know your configuration and what you have to sync exactly so … Do you contacted E-RM for a ticket support and help …
You should be able to get better sync with it in the scenario : sync ableton and OT
The bigger one worked for me but every configuration is different…
https://www.e-rm.de/multiclock/
I try all scenario OT master,Ableton master, E-RM midi clock master and is not stable…I bought small version E-RM midiclock https://www.e-rm.de/midiclock/ . I can not understand why i need it to buy midi clock only to use OT. I hope Elektron will fix this problem because i can not use OT properly ! if you search in google will see a lot of people have this problem with OT so Elektron need to fix this!
I use my OT with Ableton and clocking is stable without an external clock. I have Ableton as master and OT as slave.
I make the same and do not work for me and for a lot of people
What exactly is the problem?
The OT has rock solid midi so if something is wrong it’s going to be related to your specific configuration.
Same. Ableton master. My delay is set to -3.5
Pretty rock solid.
I usually only use 1 or 2 tracks on the OT. I just swap the samples. Record into session view and jam out my ideas.
Ok i use apple mac mini my audio interface is RME fireface ufx and i have AR,A4,Digitakt,Analog Heat and all elektron device work solid only octatrack is the problem and if you search in google that not only i have this problem!
Even if googling gives you results that reinforce people are having an issue, if people here are telling you they have it working, there is likely a solution.
This is probably the largest and most knowledgeable OT community online
This isn’t Elektron’s fault. Their gear syncs perfectly with other Hardware.
Computer MIDI is the issue and always has been.
You should have unfortunately bought the more expensive “Multiclock”. Multiclock allows you to use a plugin which outputs an Audio pulse on a spare audio channel on your Audio interface. You plug the audio channel into the Multiclock and use the audio pulse to sync your hardware to your computer through the Multiclock.
Audio sync is the only reliable way to get perfectly solid sync between a computer DAW and a bunch of hardware.
I fought this for years and now I don’t even have to think about it anymore using the Multiclock.
Ok but why my all other synths and modular work perfectly with midi only OT can not sync?
Why my x0b0x Mode Machines, Bass Bot 303,Moog Mother 32,MFB Tanzbar lite also my modular work very good with midi . I have a lot of other synths sync via usb and all working perfect Korg monoloc,DSI prophet 6,Moog Sub37,Arturia Microbrute and all my elektron gear,AR,A4,Digitakt,AH. When i try to sync Arturia Microbrute,Moog Sub37,DSI Prophet 6,Elektron A4,AR,Digitakt via midi they work perfect. Only OT can not sync with the system. Can you explain why all my other gear work perfect only OT can not sync.
Some of those you mentioned don’t have sequencers. You are lucky if all those others sync well, many people have complained about those others that you have syncing “perfectly”. MIDI notes will play fine and in sync but trying to sync another sequencer to your DAW is where you will usually run into problems. I’ve had some work okay but never perfect with a DAW. They usually drift over time or go out of sync suddenly when something changes in the DAW.
The point is… they aren’t going to fix the Octatrack because it’s not broken. What I posted is a guaranteed solution. It’s not as glamorous as all your synths but obviously you can afford it (or you could sell almost any one of those instruments you listed to pay for it) and it will make EVERYTHING sync perfectly with your DAW.
If you remove the DAW from the equation I would guarantee the OT syncs nicely with your other gear. As mentioned above sync issues are almost always introduced by a computer.
You have not mentioned the type of sync issues you are having. Is it just late? There is a little drop down menu below where you set up track, sync, and remote. There you can send clock pulses a little early to pull it back in line.
@electricfish electricfish, how about instead of doubling down on your claim that “everything else works” (we believe you!), you give us more info on how your OT is connected to your DAW exactly?!
you list a ton of devices that are “synced”, but HOW?
is it just MIDI to the ERM Clock and then to the devices?
How do you split/pass on the sync to more devices? that ERM clock only has 2 MIDI ports… are you using any sort of “MIDI Splitter” aka MIDI Thru Box, or (worse) are you Daisy Chaining a lot of devices through their own “MIDI THROUGH” ports?
Some alternatives:
Can’t comment on this yet, waiting on a few parts before I can build mine. Hopefully this will let me slave the OT to a DAW without getting clicks at the loop point on free-running track recorders. The original MIDIpal has a really solid master clock so I expect this will work very well, too.
I think Elektron discontinued the TM-1 and I’ve never tried one so I can’t vouch for it, but it was designed specifically to address this sort of issue, and the Octatrack supports it. I opted for the MidiGAL over a used TM-1 because it’s more flexible and I already know and trust the clock that it is based on.
Get an old sequencer or drum machine known t have decent timing that can understand SMPTE time code, have your DAW geneerate SMPTE, slave the hardware that can accept SMPTE to that, and have it send MIDI clock to all of your other hardware. It probably isn’t a cheaper route than the E-RM hardware anymore (although it was until the last couple years, and there are still some older sequencers out there that are under $100 and might do the job) but the up side is that depending on what route you take you might end up with a nice older drum machine also. I can’t recommend any specific models, though.Not the simplest option but one to consider. I used SMPTE to slave my MPC to Reaper for a long time and the timing was much better than MIDI from the same computer.