Octatrack Clock Problem

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hello,

i got the following problem:

i got a Hypersynth Xenophone, which has a small internal sequencer, which i want to use.

Now i want to trigger it via longer notes from the Octatrack. But this is not possible without stuttering or
sometimes there seems to be no more note message coming to the Xenophone.

I also tried to run the Xenophone just synced, but also hicups, drop outs.

i cross tested the Xenophone on my Tempest and Ableton - fine.
i cross tested the Octatrack hooking up the Tempest as slave: fine.

But the Xenophone can neither be triggered (i also have to send clock when doing this,
as otherwise the Xenophones LFO’s etc cannot be temposynced) nor just synced.

Could it be there is something wrong with the Octatracks clock?

thank you

#2

Notes that are “longer” than what? Does it work as expected with notes of short duration?

Does it sync as expected under any circumstances?

Does it work when clock messages are NOT sent?

It could, but I don’t know of any generic problem with the OT like this.

Do you have other MIDI gear connected?

Have you checked your MIDI cables?

#3

“longer notes”:

the internal sequencer of the Xenophone has up to 16 steps. so for a 16 step pattern, i have to trigger it with a 4/4 note on the octatrack. if i only play a 1/2 on the octatrack then only the first 8 steps of the Xenophone’s sequence are played.

no matter if i try via notes or “just synced” there are hiccups and drop outs

without sending clock from the Octatrack, it makes no sense, as the sequencer of the Xenophone needs the tempo information a) for the sequence to be playd in the correct timing and b) to sync the Xenophones modulations like LFOs

i checked everything, the Xenophone works fine with Tempest or Ableton, also the cables are ok, and if i hook the Tempest instead of the Xenophone to the Octatrack, then also no problems.

But i need the Octatrack because a) only the Octatrack ( and maybe Pyramid or Cirklon) are able to shift tracks left/right
(and by this i can shift the Xenophone’s sequence so it fits better to the rest) and b) i don’t want to use a laptop live (and i just talked to the music shop here in Berlin: Abelton seems also not to be able to shift tracks left/right in clip view (= NOTABLETON :wink: )

i don’t understand, that the Xenophone seems to have problems with the Ocatracks clock. and yes, if i just play notes into the Xenophone, everything works fine. it is a clock problem

#4

So you use the OT MIDI clock to slave the timing of the other device and you also use notes to generate ‘trigger’ events in the external device to start an envelope or set teh phase of an LFO or suchlike

I cannot see that there’s an issue with the OT clock if the clock is working anyway and presuming it’s set to receive ‘regular’ clock

Then you may have to look at all your settings/connections or programming of the MIDI track, it’s all very doable sounding imho

I’m not sure why you think it is a clock problem - what can go wrong (plus you tested it anyway) ?

#5

as i said, i tested

  • Xenophone hooked up to Ablton and Tempest - works
  • Tempest hooked up to Octatrack - works
  • Xenophone SLAVE hooked up to Octatrack MASTER - nada

we are talking bout the internal sequencer of the Xenophone

if i just send notes to the Xenophone, then i do not even have to send a clock
and still the Xenophone’s LFO’s are synced correctly to the Octatrack’s tempo
(which is also weird, that this works without sending clock from the Octatrack)

but as soon as i want to trigger the Xenophone’s internal sequencer with notes from the Octatrack (and i have to send midiclock for this, otherwise it does not event start to play the internal sequence) , the Xenophone starts to get odd.

it’s like they cannot “communicate” properly that way.

#6

Not sure if it’s related but I have a Meeblip Anode and I’m not able to sequence it with the OT unless I disable midi clock send on the OT. As long as the Meeblip doesn’t get a midi clock signal from the OT I can trigger notes just fine, as soon as I enable midi clock the Meeblip stops making any sound.

Obviously that won’t work for you, since you need that for the Xenophone’s sequencer.

It’s made me wonder if the OT isn’t doing something odd with midi clock that some devices have trouble with. There’s an old thread about it here: Octatrack Sequencing a MeeBlip Issues

1 Like
#7

i’m no way an expert for midi, but maybe it’s the amount of data coming from the OT?
On the other side, the Xenophone is running tight with other sequencers.
it’s weird…

#8

mmh… can you just disable PRG change… maybe here the weird data comes from OT.

otherwise if i understand you right, you send an audioclick to trigger each notes in the xeno-sequence… if so, why do you need the clock?
if you need the clock, why do you trigger the notes? is it to be more flexible in using the pattern?

do you use a very short sound with a fast transient? this could be the issue… otherwise it maybe the output of the OT is not loud enough (sometimes thats the case with “analog triggering”… maybe if you raise the overall volume or put a compressor in the OTchannel and raise gain? the clicksound also shouldnt have to much bass and be more like a short noise clip

addition: oh, i see… you use the midi-seq in OT? the OT doesnt send note-off… also you shouldnt use the master-midichannel as send… better use a different, free midichannel… maybe the OT is sending strange stuff for syncing electrons on the master channel… i had my prophet reacting weird when its receiving on masterchannel…

#9

prg change is disabled of course :wink:

i send normal notes from midi track 1, not short pulses, but notes as long as i want the ARP or the SEQ of the Xenophone to run

the Xenophone has an ARP and a SEQ i want to trigger those with notes so i can do more than let the run parallel
always on the same pitch. And of course, they NEED the clock, or they run in wrong tempo. Also, the Xenophone
has great modulations options, so for syncing some of them, the clock is needed.

But as i said two posts bfore: the weird thing is: the LFO#s of the Xenophone for example seem to be synced NO MATTER IF I SEND MIDI CLOCK OR NOT. so if i just send notes to the Xenophone, without using it’s internal SEQ or ARP, then everything seems to be fine EVEN WIHTOUT SENDING MIDICLOCK.

But as soon as i use the internal SEQ or ARP: timing issues, note drops etc
NO MATTER IF I SEND MIDI CLOCK THEN OR NOT

but the thing with the “no note off” is sended could be interesting… but as said, i’m no midi expert.
there are not issues with other machines, neither on Xenophone, nor on Octatrack.
Just those two communicating is difficult