Moving from Octatrack to Push 2

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

Let me start by saying that I will NEVER sell my octatrack. It’s my baby and I’d never get rid of it. That being said, with overbridge and with Push2 I’ve decided I’d like to have the computer more involved in my set up. Also I recently discovered the OT does colour the sound slightly and I prefer the RYTM without that colour.

So my question is what would be a good way to set it up?

For those that don’t know my set up

15156962_1133071530147396_1936490214437467168_o.jpg1080×1080 118 KB

Macbook pro 15 has 2 usb in. Mayeb over hub and most things on USB for sync?
A midi router?
What do you gals and guys suggest?

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(Finally fixed!) Syncing a DAW with Overbridge & other external Midi gear
#2

I only can tell you that your setup is awesome :slight_smile:
And I’m also a big OT fan, but for my trackmaking process I enjoy the push2 much more these days. It’s really great.

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#3

Save yourself some pennies and get something like this:

instead of overhub. I have it jammed with external HDD, AK, AR and other things and it works fine for me.

Some arent happy with Live for syncing but I’ve never had any problems with it. Or, at least, nothing that annoys me enough! I can handle things being a few miliseconds off beat.

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#4

Can you run your OT audio into rytm before it gets to the computer?

1 Like
#5

I wouldn’t do that as the RYTM audio in is pretty awful. Audio mixing isn’t really the issue it’s more midi sync and push being the controller for everything including modular

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#6

I would connect it independently with no MIDI sync and would use small mixer.

#7

How would I play the nord with no midi?

I should add I kinda like my machines to all run at once that’s why I’ve been so heavily reliant on the octatrack

#8

Why cant you run all your gear through a mixer, which in turn audio interfaces to your computer. Then use a midi interface to keep your computer software clocked with said gear. Seems standard approach with these things.

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#9

audio isn’t an issue as I have a mixer and soundcard set up already. I’m wondering if I should mix midi out of my card or use overbridge and have that sync the non overbridge stuff.

#10

I don’t have that many gear, but for me it works best when I clock the Analog four via Overbridge and the rest as slave to the A4. It’s better in sync then as if I go straight midi out of the Soundcard.

2 Likes
#11

thats been my approach too. overbridge as master device

#12

You have a fine setup … and many devices … Here are my few cents :wink:

To listen to the audio during composing or performing I would completely stay outside the box as far as it makes sense for you, why …

  1. All audio mixed in your mixer will keep your analog signals analog (of cause, if you use an anaolog mixer :wink: AND I see you are already happy owner of the AH). You can receive and mix audio coming from the computer at any time too.

  2. Syncing outside the box works best for me, midi jitter will be at a minimum. For me a computer is not a reliable master clock. OB is software only and can not overcome the shortcomings of the OS be it Mac or PC.

  3. Recording or controlling using the DAW can also be clocked from outside the box. I would try to make the AR or OT clock-master. AFAIK the Elektron boxes can send out Midi by USB and Din connectors simultaneously. And I think that providing the master-clock and sending Midi MMCs have not to be done by the same machine. You could use your Elektrons for timing and Push to control start/stop/record, if Ableton sends out MMCs and the others are ready to receive MMCs.

#13

What would you use Push for? I don’t get it. If you want to record into a DAW then o.k as you already have a Mac and Ableton right? But it seems to me that what is really missing from your setup is a mixer.

1 Like
#14

Hello @nedavine

consider buying an ERM multiclock, and set your daw as master for clock.
overbridge should be fine to distrubute clock to non elektron devices but not as accurate, and you won’t be able to compensate for device latencies.

1st you could go for it slowly and use push 2 and ableton only for sequencing midi for your external gear + internal synth or devices of ableton.
don’t get the audio back in ableton via your audio interface for now, but keep using your analog mixer + effect pedals.

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#15

It’s probably not clear in the picture but I have a 16 channel line mixer and an 8 in/4 out audio interface (clarett 4pre). Audio routing isn’t an issue. Add to that the very usable analog keys inputs and the inputs on the octa and I have loads of audio routing options.

The point of push is to make ableton the main sequencer / clock for the non elektron boxes (nord / tempest and occasionally modular with midi sent via A4). Until now ableton has just been purely for recording audio when running it with my synths. All sequencing was done with the elektrons. But I really like push and I like the scale modes etc. I’d like to have push be the core controller but I am worried about sync. Now in my set up when I hit play everything runs tight as a ducks butt. Back when I first switched to using a all hardware set up ableton would not follow an external clock. However, overbridge seems pretty stable and tight so I am thinking some kinda hybrid overbridge master might work.

#16

If it were me, I’d grab an Expert Sleepers solution to keep everything synced, or something similar.

Why?

You already have a modular system going, so an Expert Sleepers setup would probably be within your scope of experience and budget.

You have a lot of nice gear with sequencers - at least 4 in view here, not counting modular and Ableton itself. You like all machines playing at once. Ableton is not known for good sync with external gear. If it was just a single device like an Analog Four, and not used for beats, you might could get away with just OB or MIDI sync to Ableton and not mind it slightly out of sync. But, if you’re using all those sequencers and have beat-based machines like Rytm and Tempest, might as well pony up for a third party solution like Expert Sleepers or SyncGen Innerclock, etc…

I have a Rytm, Ableton, and Push 2. I still have not found a way to get the Rytm reliably in sync with extra beats I have made in Ableton (I use Microtonic, Simpler, etc.). If I were just using Ableton for beats, or just using Rytm for beats, then it might not matter. But yeah, the lack of sync between Ableton beats and Rytm beats is noticeable and irritating. Ultimately, I have to put up with things out of sync while composing, then record Rytm to audio, chop it to sync to get things sounding right. It’s a pain, but cheaper than sync systems.

If you find a solution that works for you, please come back and update this post!

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#17

I keep hearing people say Ableton and A4/Ak/Rytm are fine/solid for sync via OB, is that still a grey area then? Planning to try OB for first time this wknd between ableton and AK.

#18

hello Bwax, you mean you have sync issues with overbridge?

for me beats are made only with the rytm (no hybrid AR+plugin) so maybe i didn’t noticed, but i think it behaves “OK”

#19

Anyway. a separate sync box is still highly recommanded to sync non-elektron devices!

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#20

I think if people are just using AK/A4 for synth parts, or Rytm-only beats, then OB would be sufficient. I pair the Rytm with Ableton for beat duties (Simpler, Microtonic, etc.). Things don’t sync perfectly in my setup. I have tried multiple ways of doing things. I have settled for putting up with the out of sync beats while composing and then record audio, chop as needed, then move on the timeline to get it in sync. Mostly I have relegated Rytm to a couch jamming machine though. :disappointed:

I would love to be proven wrong or shown a better way! This is just my experience so far. I wish others better luck than I have had.