How to sync TE Pocket operators with other gear?

I am looking at getting a few of the Teenage Engineering pocket operators but cannot find anything on how to get them to play with other gear like audio interface, synthesizers or sequencers like Octatrack and so forth. How would I feed these into a sequencer to run them from it and also how would I hookup these to monitors or PA system for live performances?

They sync through pulse signal. They easily hook up with the volca series. There is also the midi box from bastl that turns a midi to a sync signal. The use a 1/8 trs for audio signal

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Arturia Keystep is an affordable option that has pulse sync out and midi in. Personally, I’ve used a Volca receiving midi clock and sending sync to the POs. I use a Rolls passive mixer to, then, distribute the sync to multiple units. Then audio out into my mixer to the PA.

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I never even thought of the rolls mixer to split a sync signal, I’m using one of those belkin rockstar things.

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That works too! I just happened to get a Rolls MX41b for free :grinning:

If you throw the volume on one of the channels down does it mess with the sync signal? Like a start/stop effect?

yup! Which can be kinda cool. I never really went too deep with it though.

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yeah that makes sense get the keystep and a couple of pocket operators plus can sync modular stuff into it

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If you can split the left and right channels, you can daisychain the sync signals across several PO’s, no need to use a splitter…

You can also create a click track on a OT track and send that to a different output. If you get the pulse right, you can drive the TE units with that as the clock signal.

Hey ya’ll, I’m syncing the tonic to midi via a key step. My clock is generated out of logic->key step(via midi)->tonic(via sync out). The clock is doubling up to the tonic(120 ppm is 240, 80 is 160, etc) so things are much faster than wanted. I know there’s a simple way to get the sync right but I’m scratching my head. I figured I’d check here first. Thanks!

Does the Keystep have a clock divider built in?
It may be set at 2 x clock

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I’ve been thinking of getting the new sampler one, would an impulse machine from the RYTM sync it?

I just ordered the PO14 and PO32. Hoping to add the PO33 and PO35 next month as well. Great hear these can be synced to midi using the Keystep!

Huh, I have a Keystep and I never thought of using it to sync POs…I’ll have to test this out.

There is a hidden setting on the keystep you must config via the software to get the pulse sync to clock divide properly IIRC. Be sure to update to the latest software/firmware versions as well.

I am quite sure an indiout from a rytm with the impulse machine should also do it - this way you can do nasty timing tricks! :diddly:

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C.V. signals like gates and envelopes work too, i’ve had lots of fun syncing my PO-32 with the Mother 32.

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Thanks! I figured it’s something like that I didn’t realize there were hidden parameters. I’ve only used the keystep as a standalone midi controller for outboard synths (never even ran the software) so I’ll have to fool around with it tonight.

Bastl midi converts midi to sync signal.

I have the exact same problem. We seem to be the only ones. I’ve checked the keystep software and I don’t see anything that helps. It’s perfectly syncing out the midi to my Digitone though.