Overbidge plus another sequencer in sync

I’ve recently bought a SQ1 to sequence my MS20 but I can’t sync it with my overbridged Rytm.
Before that, I was using the Live’s “external instrument” with a bit of audio delay to compensate the latency of my soundcard to sync everything with overbridge. Like that I can have the same timing if I send a Live’s midi sequence to the MS20 and a Rytm’s internal sequence.

The transport to the SQ1 is done trought USB and I’ve activated the overbidge sync.
But now, because I’m adding a sequencer USB synced with live in the equation, I’m out of sync.

I’ve checked on the forum to see if this kind of problem was already discussed before but I didn’t find somebody with the same setup, so, how do you sync your other sequencer with overbidge to have everything to play in time ?

Why do you try to sync the SQ1 via OB? I would recommend to use your DAW as the master clock and go from there.

Maybe this might help …

https://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=152863&sid=6e3aba5a90ce613413b9ac9ffbaf1b27

https://www.ableton.com/answers/korg-sq-1-sync-with-ableton-live-9-possible-or-not-possible

OB isn’t imho able to sync anything. As a VST it is embedded and passive, reacts on DAW’s internal sync. You can choose several modes, but that’s all.

In other words: It’s your DAW that is responsible in first line and that’s a well known common problem of USB chaining and clock jitter.

There are quite a lot workarounds for LIVE but imo not really satisfying, such as adjust the tracks individual timings. Most of the time you start from the beginning adjusting the timing on evey single DAW boot. Sometimes it works, too often not.

The only chance to get rid of this ‘system-immanent’ DAW-external-equipment-sync-problem is an external clock. It’s an expensive solution but the only you can rely on. The idea is simple but effective: a sync-VST triggers the clock which ensures a reliable clock to external synths, sequencers and anything else.

At least: Syncing a DAW from external clock is most of the times the worst solution.

Oh sorry but my post wasn’t that clear.
I don’t try to sync the SQ1 to overbridge, I’m trying to have both my Rytm (and others OB ready devices) and the SQ1 to start at the same time.

Overbridge compensate the latency so every sound coming out the Rytm is thight recorded on the Ableton grid, but it’s not the case of the other synth sequenced by the SQ1.

I think Overbidge is messing the Ableton’s clock in order to record properly the Elektrons.

I guess I should buy an innerclock system, but even with that, I’m not sure I can sync my SQ1 which don’t have a midi IN.

Do you have experience with OB + an innerclock ?

ah ok :slight_smile:

I’m on ERM multiclock. If I didn’t had this one, the innerclock would have been my choice. Their function are almost identical afaik and it’s a bit cheaper. That’s for the syncgen2. Good decision!

AFAIK the SQ1 has USB midi in and can be synced via an analogue sync in too.

USB sync causes this problem.

Yep, USB midi in, but not Dyn midi in. I’ve also try the analogue sync wich is pretty good but it only understand the tempo and the start/stop, the sequence will not trigger from the 1st step at a new start from Live but will continue from the previous step.

I’ve checked several clock solution but damn, it’s pretty expensive !

Yes, absolutely! :cry:

But imagine all this wasted hours for searching and fixing sync problems. I paid >500€ over two years ago and I didn’t regeret it one moment.

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Yeah of course, if you do the math I always lost hours trying to fix this kind of problem. I’ll think about it, but I’ll continue to search for another way to have a reliable sync (ok, not as tight as one’s with a clock).

Yes anyway that’s the key. If Overbridge is tight with your computer you rock, if Overbridge next update is more tight you will rock… if Apple sucks or OS Update… Damn you stuck…

I really think the best if to have at least 2 Sync possibilities, so when one of them is broken or not as tight as you want … you always have one solution to RELY ON…
And to me SYNC solution is expensive but it will save you a lot of time, free up some STRESS… You plug, you offset ! DONE recording on the beat… Multiple Sequencer in sync if needed… All your hardware and DAW in perfect sync.

Period. and you probably could find a 500 € Sync solution, second hand at 250/300 € MINT

The best ARE :
SyncGen 2 Pro (not anymore produce but Drivers still in dev and support)
ERM Multiclock (The best Solution to me regarding price and options)
ACME 4 (Very popular at the PRO performers… but the most expensive one)

it’s just so nice to type the space bar and everything starting to play in sync… and then focus on the machine you want, and midi clock shuffle one machine if needed etc… there’s a lot of things on this sync box. ACME4 is also a midi interface in adjunction to the SYNC capability.

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This one has two outputs for 195€

http://www.schneidersladen.de/de/erm-midiclock.html

I think it would be no problem to daisy chain max. 2-3 synths on one port.

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Someone from here don’t recommend this one… but instead the ERM Multiclock don’t remember why and if it’s specifically related to the specifics of the thread itself. Anyway, you can start with this one, but at thomann with their return & money back deal… so you can take the ERM Multiclock if the simple one not suit your needs.

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Can’t recommended the multiclock enough. The headaches it solves with sync and not messing with daw settings all the time. The time it has saved me and allowed me to make music rather than troubleshoot. Wouldn’t be without it now. Love it and really don’t see it as expensive now. Worth every penny.

Thx guys for all you responses !

One last thing, the SQ1 doesn’t have a midi in port (only a usb), so if I go the ERM Multiclock (or any other clock system) way, how can I connect a SQ1 ?

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The output of channel 1 has Analog dual midi and analog clock out which I think you can use to sync to sq-1. Not sure as I don’t use it this way though.

Maybe this could work … https://www.thomann.de/gb/iconnectivity_iconnectaudio4.htm

Seems to have USB midi for connected gear.

Honestly - I’ve got an brandnew mio10 in my rig and it causes a lot of (setup-)trouble.

One of these problems is that the mio doesn’t show every connected device on USB. And I supsect additive midi latency on this bus. Actually I asked support.

For loa I would recommend another option wtith the ERM:

Sync the SQ via USB from DAW, use the ERM-VST for clock trigger and connect every other synth to the multiclock.

Yeah this Multiclock seems to be the best way to keep everyhting in sync. I’ve read a bit about it around the internet and it seems to cover everything you can plug in your studio.

I need to try something else prior to decide if I go the clock way or simply sell my SQ1 :slight_smile:

Been using an mio10 for a couple of months now, I use USB host extensively with a hub (actually just use my Overhub for this) …but… When using the micro USB 3 cable it would not pick up a lot of devices, I switched to a USB 2 micro and it is now flawless.

Edit: for the record I’m using both usb device ports, one to PC and one to iPad, a fully loaded (powered!) hub on the host port and most of the DINs. My master sync is my Octatrack since I mostly work outside of DAW.