OB plugin + audio interface recording sync in Ableton

[dtr]

Hey, I’ve been trying out some OB stuff to see if it can add something to my workflow. Currently I’m running my instruments and FX into a Xone:96 mixer. I record both the main bus and separate channels via its USB audio interface in Ableton. In principle I mix and perform all tracks manually while recording the main bus. The extra recorded channels are for possible future remixes or edits.

My instruments are AR2, MD and Circuit Mono Station, each ran into a stereo channel. The other 3 mixer channels have my FX on them. I’ve been testing using OB for recording my individual AR2 tracks in Ableton alongside the main mix and individual channels of the Xone:96. This would give me more material for future reworking than just the stereo main out recording from the AR2.

Technically I can set all this up in Ableton and record the X:96 USB channels and the AR2 OB tracks. What I’m struggling with is to get them recorded perfectly in sync. It seems OB has a a larger latency than the X:96, also when it is set to a lower buffer (and to highest speed mode). When latency compensation is enabled in Live while recording, the OB channels record pretty much exactly in sync with Ableton tempo, but the X:96 tracks are early. So I have to go into the 6 audio clips and nudge them back a bit to have them align with the OB clips.

I’ve been toying with different buffer sizes in the X:96 and OB settings, with and without delay compensation. I get close but not on a perfect sync.

I also tried aligning the audio inputs with track delays in Ableton but it seems only a negative delay has an effect. With that I can move the X:96 audio further early, but that’s the opposite of what I need. Interestingly, setting negative delay on the OB tracks has the same effect: X:96 is pushed more early.

Any tips/methods/ideas to get a perfect sync between OB and audio interface recordings? Or is it a pipe dream that I should let go?

[dtr]

Bump. No one tried something similar?

[hausland]

what sort of system are you on? On a Mac you’d set up an aggregate device in the Audio/Midi Setup application to deal with the differences. not sure if/how that’s can be done on a PC.

[dtr]

Win 10… so using the OB plugin to get AR2 channels in along with the X:96 as audio interface.

[hausland]

Not versed with Win 10, quick search returned this:

SOS Forum • Aggregate audio device on Windows 10 64 bit?

[dtr]

That s people saying you can t aggregate on windows

I never thought that d be the solution here. With this thread i m probing who found sync’ing methods other than aggregating on osx.

[hausland]

In the thread it is suggested that if you use Windows’ own drivers rather than ASIO drivers, it could be possible, hence the link. But I have no idea if that actually works or not.

I don’t see how else you would do this other than with some form of aggregation and drift correction but then I’m not an expert on this.

Will keep watching this thread, would be interesting to learn about possible solutions

[Kusho]

Did you make sure the AR2 has MIDI input and output disabled in Ableton MIDI device settings?
The Overbridge plugin should handle all connections to the AR2, MIDI and Audio. In this way I found it syncs up perfectly with Reaper DAW clock.
I have all sync with the Elektron device turned off in the DAW, and actually in the Overbridge plugin I have sync and transport turned off also.

I am running Windows 10 with a Steinberg USB audio interface handling other audio inputs and monitoring DAW main audio output, and I have other USB MIDI devices receiving MIDI from the DAW too. All seems to be going well.

It seems to me Overbridge actually works amazingly well but people aren’t setting it up correctly.

Overbridge handles all ins and outs to/from the Elektron device via a single plugin in a single track in the DAW. Overbridge settings are made using Overbridge Control Panel application.

This is from the Overbridge manual:

[dtr]

This thread is about OB recording sync with other audio inputs via another audio interface, say a MOTU or whatever. Is that the scenario you are referring to?

With only OB, no MOTU involved, I get perfect sync indeed.

[Kusho]

Oh I thought you were sending MIDI from Ableton but I guess not, I guess you are using the sequencer in AR2?

It seems to be a clock sync issue? Can you use Ableton as the master clock, does that improve things? If everything is running on the same master clock then it’s easier to get things perfectly in sync with sync offset in Ableton, adjusting different clock syncs to different devices delays by milliseconds or samples, which can in turn compensate for misaligned audio on the return. This is a precise measurement as opposed to trying to match up different audio buffers which may be variable.
Don’t know if this is any help. good luck.

[dtr]

Opening post of this thread…

@dtr

I also tried aligning the audio inputs with track delays in Ableton but it seems only a negative delay has an effect. With that I can move the X:96 audio further early, but that’s the opposite of what I need. Interestingly, setting negative delay on the OB tracks has the same effect: X:96 is pushed more early.

[Kusho]

Another thing to try: For AR Mk1 in the manual it says:

I wonder if this may help remove the lateness of your incoming OB audio so it aligns with the other interface?

[Zac_Kyoti]

Have you tried using an External Instrument device on the Xone tracks, dialing in the correct latency on that, then adding OB to the mix?

[dtr]

No didn’t do that. Worth a try I guess. It 's been a while since I did this stuff. Need to update to the current OB version and do some testing again.