Syncing DFAM with OT & MPC

Hi all,

So I bought a Moog DFAM and I now want to integrate it in my live setup consisting so far of an OT MK2 and an MPC Live.
I need your help with choosing the right cables and maybe a MIDI to CV solution to send the DFAM audio to the OT inputs and send some clock into the DFAM.

THE PLAN

Use a simple combination of THRU and FLEX machines :
• prepare a patch by listening to the incoming audio from the DFAM coming in the THRU using the CUE outputs.
• once I’m happy with the patch, send the audio to Master OUT of the OT for the public to hear.
• use the crossfader to move to a recorded loop version of what I was playing (or something else, or nothing) once I want to repatch stuff on the DFAM
• bringing the live audio from DFAM back in when I have a new patch ready, rinse & repeat.

CAPTURING AUDIO

So far, I only plugged my headphones into the DFAM for some solo sessions, but what do I need to get its sound into the OT ? The manual of the DFAM says that the output is 1/4" TRS Headphone or 1/4" TS Instrument, and I have to admit that I’m unsure about what that means.

SYNCING UP

The DFAM has an ADV/CLOCK that “allows the DFAM to be synchronized to an external clock source […]. When the input of a clock’s rising edge is detected, the sequencer pattern is advanced by one step. In this mode, the Tempo knob is ignored. INPUT: 0V to +5V Clock Signal (+10V tolerant)”. How do I take advantage of that ?
My first idea was this: since you can normally sync 2 DFAM’s together by plugging the TRIGGER output of one into the ADV/CLOCK input of the other, I could probably record the audio output of TRIGGER and replay that very short sample on the correct intervals. If that is an option, which audio cable would I need to send this from the OT or the MPC to the DFAM ?
If not possible, do I need something like a Doepfer Dark Link ? I don’t want to go the DIY route, but I’d like to avoid spending €130 for a device if not absolutely necessary :money_with_wings: :money_with_wings:

BONUS TRACK

I already foresee some spending will happen to introduce some sort of USB-MIDI based mixer for the OT (I have an old KORG Nanokontrol lying around), which would maybe need something like the Miditech USB MIDI host.
To avoid that, I believe I could plug the controller into the MPC, and use a MIDI program to output that MIDI data to the OT, making it a slave of the MPC.
If anyone has comments or advice on this last point, I’ll take it !

As always, thank you all for the valuable input and such. Sorry for the long post :confused:

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I would recommend to buy a little Korg Sq1 for the DFAM! It gives you quantizied cv and it´s much more fun then from the OT2 AND you can sync the SQ1 via MIDI with the OT. Not sure about the dark link …

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I know some people (including Surgeon when he used an OT) sync their modular (exactly the same thing for the DFAM) with an audio click. I guess any form of audio click/rimshot will work. As for cable I’m not so sure but a simple 1/4 to 1/8 patch cable would probably work just fine.

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Looks pretty cool :slight_smile:

I see no MIDI in, though, so how is the sync happening ? I’m really just interested in syncing the DFAM with the rest by receiving a clock from OT or MPC but I would not do any external sequencing, the immediacy and freedom of live knob turning is what is working for me right now :wink:

hm yeah man you can give it a try! you can download a “click” from makenoise website. would be good to know if this works

but can you imagine with a Korg SQ1 you can have 2 rows more (and also different play directions) and different gates (you can send Gate A to adv and Gate B to trigger). so you can use the DFAM sequencer just for modulations AND it can be polyrytmic modulations source … just imagine you programm a rythm on the SQ 1 with only 7 out of 8 steps. So when the SQ1 plays trig 1 again, the DFAM seq plays trig 8 … and so on and so on :slight_smile: #whenthemagichappens

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Something like this then ?

Looks like what I need both for sync and getting audio back into the OT is TS cables and not TRS, correct ?

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Yes, I get a glimpse of what would be possible with the SQ1. And I see how it would just suck the time out of reality so easily :slight_smile:
One of the reasons I bought the DFAM is precisely to work on something more “limited” than what I’m used to. I will not bring another sequencer into this setup unless a gun was pointed at my head to force me into it, or if I was certain it would bring peace to the world. #simplethingsforsimpleminds

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Yes not TRS. It is specified in the manual that TRS will not work. For sync the Hosa cable would work perfectly. If you want to route back the audio into the OT I guess any instrument (guitar) cable will work. I use regular modular patch cables with mine.

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Finally had a chance to give this a try, routing back the audio of the DFAM to the OT was easy, just had to find a 1/4 cable and voilà. I couldn’t make the clock work with incoming audio click on the DFAM, though.

I’m surprised because I’ve seen this video where the Make Noise Math is synced to the click coming from Ableton so it further confirms my belief that this should work just fine on the DFAM as well.

Yet, I used a regular modular cable and a 1/8 to 1/4 mono adapter to record the click from the DFAM into my MPC, normalized the sample and played it back from a mono track on the MPC to the ADV/CLOCK input of the DFAM patchbay, it simply didn’t have any effect, the sequencer didn’t move on the DFAM. Plugged my earphones into that same MPC output and I could hear the click in one ear so at least I know sound was coming out.
Am I missing something here ?

Got it working so I’ll explain in case it could be of some use to other DFAM users.

  1. Send audio click to TRIGGER input on the DFAM
  2. Send TRIGGER output to RUN/STOP input on the DFAM’s patchbay.

The manual indicates the ADV/CLOCK input is expecting 0V to +5V Clock Signal, and TRIGGER takes 0 to +5V Pulse or Gate signal, maybe that explains it… I don’t know, I just know I got it working and I’m a happy camper :smiley:

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yes the dfam seq advances only when in run mode. you have to press run or send a 5v signal to run cv in.

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Hi guys.
Looking at a DFAM as the next addition to my setup.
Got Octatracks and thinking of getting a Beatstep as well as the DFAM. Would sequencing the DFAM from the Beatstep be straightforward?
And thanks to previous posters for insight into syncing; that’s my other concern.
Adam

The Dfam work well with the sq1 so it should also work well with the beatstep

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Cool. I’ll go down that route then.
Cheers

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Retrokits RK-002 + generic DIN female / Jack cable


Seb

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Hi toodee,
Your solution worked for me, so thanks! But FYI, instead of sending the TRIGGER output to RUN/STOP in your step 2, you can send it to ADV/CLOCK. This way you can avoid having the Run/Stop light flash over and over. But note before you press play on the OT, you’ll need to Advance the DFAM to step 8 and light up the RUN/STOP light.

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The easiest with just an OT is to have a short sound of CUE out and convert from 1/4 to 1/8 and then send that to ADV/Clock.

I sync two DFAMs this way and use their internal sequencers. Makes for great fun with conditional trigs and whatnot.

Here is a track with some good rythm changes:

The trigger outs from the DFAMs are going back into separate THRU tracks for extra processing.

No need for an SQ-1 or Beatstep Pro unless you want to control pitch

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with such a device, it would be possible to build sequences from the octatrack using all the power of its sequencer. including trigs condition, velocity, pitch. I want to get myself this

CV.OCD

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I’m gonna get myself the beatstep pro to hook up my DFAm to the Digitakkt, the BSP has a ton of cv’s

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