does anyone else think it’d be handy to get some extra mileage out of the MIDI thru/Sync B jack at virtually no effort on the part of Elektron
The Sync options available on either MIDI Out/Thru port allow for sending DinSync 24 or Din Sync 48
Taking the more common Roland Sync 24 that’s 24 5v pulses per quarter note from one of the pins. That’s 6 per trig !
Now, if Elektron would clock divide that output by 3/6/12/24/48/96 you would be able to tap a clock sync for your monotribe/volca/arp/modular/etc that would give you
32/16/8/4/2/1 trigs per bar
Handy, yes, well we can do this via cv out i hear you say, yes, but at the expense of a cv track that can do a whole lot more than send out clicks !
I don’t use the Thru port at all - this ability to sync monotribes etc quickly and easily would be so handy in my opinion ! ? Anyone agree, voice your thoughts below and it might happen, what’s not to like, it would be really simple for Elektron to implement
You’d need soldering chops or one of these btw (note you’d also need a dinsync male>male cable for those particular adapters or a fully wired midi cable)
This signal can also be a handy ‘free’ timed gate as well as a clock source !
++++++++++++++
Anyone made themselves a diy clock divider, i’m thinking of doing one either from cmos4040chip 'n breadboard or an arduino project - i’m thinking it might be a pain in the nuts getting the divided pulse output synced exactly on the first of six pulses put out by the A4 (piece of cake for Elektron to do this !)
while we’re at it, and I realize this might be a fringe use-case, but it would be great imo if there was a multiplying factor for the MIDI clock output too, i don’t know if this could be technically difficult wrt MIDI bitrate, but would be very useful imo… the A4 sequencer has a higher resolution than 24ppqn for gate events internally (microtiming, note lengths, quantization amount…)… it would be amazeballs to get like 24 MIDI clocks per trig instead of 6…
I was preparing for this even before the A4 even came out. I searched the net for schematics for dinsync-to-pulse dividers (to interface with my modular stuff) and came to the conclusion that it was more trouble than it was worth; I just use one CV out, now.
If you ask me, using a CV output/track to send pulses to your gear is way more flexible (and interesting!) than a static tempo, but that’s not at issue here.
Yes, if they added more divisions, it would eliminate the need for an intermediary clock divider and put the sync jack to good use.
Making a cable would be negligible for many; it only requires two connections (+5v and GND).
If you want to make your own divider, it’s probably easiest (and most flexible) to go with an Arduino sketch. There is at least one out there.
cheers, yeah, more flexible to use the cv track, but that’s there already, this’ll just add a bit of further flexibility for folks with lots of cv gear - i’ll have a look for the arduino solutions, good to know the demand is there too because this’d be an easy thing for Elektron to do - i’ll diy some midi in for my monotribes to give me back the full cv out potential for other gear
if elektron were serious, they should of course offer further divisions (2/4/8 etc) so that sync24 devices can be driven at half speed etc relative to A4
i’ve had a very brief non-commital response from Elektron on this, it does seem like it’s not outta the question, and indeed they may even have had similar thoughts already, encouraging enough but i’m not holding my breath given all the other important stuff yet be sorted out, fingers crossed … needless to say, the more discussion/demand the better !
if we can eventually get this then we can ask for variable rate/density random pulses from the 24ppqn stream ! I love that module on the Nord Modular
+1 YES!!!
And why should anyone be left with a rather CRAP-TASTIC user manual? Please do not tell me to read through ALL of BOTH forums to learn all the work-arounds as if that’s acceptable for a musical instrument!
Seeing a steady amount of listings on ebay for the A4 used and for good reason.
Am thinking I really should have pre-ordered and waited a good year for a Cirklon Sequencer instead as it does exactly what the A4 should be able to do.
No proper midi out is not “full midi specs supported” as Elektron currently states. Hoping this “new machine” is simply the A4 being brought to where it should be and if not, why yet another update for the OT recently but not the newest machine, A4?
A4 now lives in its box until know whether the aforementioned will be addressed.
Meanwhile, doing what I thought I could do on A4 on Polymorph and Spectralis, as well as step sequencer on Waldorf Q.
guys as you’ve hijacked this specific thread about clock dividing maybe you could say whether it’s appealing to have Elektron do that fix ?
@namnibor - blimey, if your A4 is in its box you are missing out on a whole lotta fun my friend, midi out is potentially a lot of extra fun, no arguments there, but this is seriously the best bit of gear i have ever had for depth and power, you just have to make peace with the fact that it takes an investment of time, trust me when you get there, you won’t look back - it does things which blow my mind - lots of time in = lots of joy out, i now doubt whether a manual could ever convey the depth, but it sure could be a better document for noobs, just to make sure they get in the door !
don’t see the bad and miss the good ! this thing is genius and it will get better, especially now that the dev team are done with there new thang …
yes please ! clock division on the din sync out for use as standard analog clock ! just add DINSYNC 4 to din sync 24 and din sync 48 . totally useful and non-obstrusive . of course i’m not against other divisions
i did the test with a clock divider in my modular using the "divided by 6 output " and it worked .
@avantronica : btw i think the Thread title can be misinterpreted as : opinions that drives us apart . i think a clearer and more focused title would attract more views and support . maybe something catchy like :
use dinsync out as standard analog clock or something like that .
anyway if were lucky maybe this will be included in the upcoming OS
Heh, I asked for this as a feature request a while back, yep it would be trivial to have the A4 do it, and better than doing it externally. I am working on some dinsync and other clock type boxes and things, hopefully these will be available in the new year…
But yeah I really would like to have other divisions for the dinsync too.
EDIT - I hate posting on this forum using iOS, painful.
I quite often output DIN24 from the MIDI Thru port while outputting MIDI clock to sync two different drum machines from the rock solid A4 clock. I love that the Thru port is configurable (more companies should do this). I’d rather have an internal clock divider/multiplier option for the CV outs. Thanks to @avantronica for pointing me to this thread, though.
but i’m not holding my breath given all the other important stuff yet be sorted out, fingers crossed … needless to say, the more discussion/demand the better !