Overbridge audio not lining up with external synths (sequenced by Digitakt)

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Hello,

This is how I currently have things setup: Ableton is clocking Digitakt (via Overbridge), and Digitakt is in turn clocking and sequencing my Access Virus (both clock send and receive are on in Digitakt). The problem is I’ll sequence the virus in tandem with a Digitakt drum pattern, but they play out of sync. Messing with Ableton settings doesn’t help, since it seems to drift in and out. One moment the Virus and drums will be smack on, the next time I hit play they’re totally off. Any idea how to fix this? Thank you!

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#2

Why have you got clock send and receive? should just send just in case. doesn’t need to receive
also how are you hearing the virus ? might be some audio latency

#3

I figured I would need to send clock out of the Digitakt and in to the Virus (clock goes from Ableton to Digitakt, then from Digitakt to Virus via MIDI). It’s possible I’m misunderstanding that part.

I’m monitoring both the Virus and Digitakt through Ableton. That said the Digitakt audio is coming from Overbridge USB and the Virus audio is coming from an audio interface. Could that be it?

#4

Oh ok, you would only need it set to send clock from the digitakt to the virus, doesn’t need receive that could cause problems, also there could be a difference In latency from overbridge and your soundcard… you could try plugging the virus into the digitakt inputs so all audio is through overbridge to test…

#5

Got it - I’ll adjust the clock settings and see if that helps. Thanks! And yes, I actually tried the Digitakt input thing and that fixed the issue (which makes sense - all audio is being fed through the same USB cable). Normally I would just fiddle with delay compensation (all delay comp stuff is currently turned on in Ableton) to fix this, but that doesn’t seem to work and yeah one moment it will be in sync and the next the Virus is noticeably behind the Digitakt audio.

#6

Yeah must be audio latency difference… better to try have the same audio latency with both and use digitakt input if possible
In options at the top You can turn off delay compensation and reduced latency when monitoring and it should fix it when using your soundcard but then it won’t compensate delays in plugins…
so you could switch it off and on when needed

#7

Got it. I’ll keep messing about - thanks!

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#8

Hi,

Not expecting a solution or answer here, but just wanted to let any future readers know I’m guessing the issue is software related (either with Ableton 10 or Overbridge).

In short, no amount of latency compensation or fiddling with buffers fixes the issue, because the amount of latency varies from moment to moment. For example even with all of Ableton’s delay compensation off I can get a pretty decent line up. At least enough where I can jam and manually drag things in to place later (note: Model D is running through Overbridge/Digitakt Input, Virus through my Behringer Audio interface):

On
On2126×592 67.6 KB

However, I pressed stopped on Digitakt, goofed around with effects and patterns for a minute, then tried recording again. Now it’s way off:

Off
Off2392×684 95.9 KB

Literally haven’t changed any latency settings. I then restarted Ableton, it went back to normal, and eventually fell off again. It has since been going in and out. If anyone knows what could be causing this I would forever be indebted, but for now I’m stumped : /

#9

So the digitakt is good just the other non overbridge synths are out?..
Don’t think it’s overbridge… the problem is overbridge is better than regular midi soundcard way.
I’ve got Rytm,A4,digitone and digitakt running with overbridge and it’s bang on every time… I’m taking clock from those 4 so it’s all the same overbridge clock for my other gear and it’s working

are you sending midi from ableton? Ableton doesn’t compensate for midi going out to other synths.
but overbridge does with elektron gear… Is everything getting clock from the digitakt?

could be computer related it’s not running low on space? not overheating etc…
got to be something to get it to work

#10

Yeah, I’ve got Ableton as the master clock. If you open the Overbridge app you can set it to slave to Ableton - so if I change the BPM in Ableton it automatically changes in the Digitakt. I would think this wouldn’t cause an issue, though I could be wrong.

Computer is a 2015 Macbook Pro that’s running Ableton 10 nice and speedy. I do get the occasional drop out/slow down if something crazy happens in the background, so maybe that throw things “off?”. I don’t know…thanks for sticking this out with me.

#11

All good…
There is a video where Cenk explains overbridge is using its own custom sync technology
that is not normal midi and is designed by elektron for overbridge…
so if you have set in the digitakt plugin transport and clock you are using the overbridge custom sync it’s not the same as the clock in preferences in ableton… that is why you don’t need sync on in those preferences
so make sure you only use the digitakt to send midi out by using the midi out on the back of the digitakt to your other synths to keep it all the same source…

If you use USB clock from ableton to the model D and virus it could be different
and then you have audio latency as well to deal with From using different soundcard also.

This is how I do it anyhow and it’s working for me… I don’t have sync on at all in my ableton preferences … it’s all I can suggest, good luck

#12

I have a similar issue with the Digitakt, Minilogue XD and logic Pro X.

I’m using ‘sync + transport’ in Overbridge and sending clock from the Digitakt to the Minilogue, recording the DT via USB and ML via audio interface. It kind of works but it drifts a lot, I’m always live-tweaking a “sample delay” in logic to nudge the synth around. After recording I line them up and it’s fine but it’s a less than wonderful jamming/recording experience.

I’m considering ditching OB from my workflow and sending clock to everything via a through box and recording both devices into my Clarett 8pre. Being forced to make mix decisions in the DT rather than endlessly DAW tweaking would be good for me!

G

#13

I’m using DT with a USB cable (clocked from OB) and my other Synths with MIDI cables from the DT. Everything is Synced perfectly.

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#15

I’m jealous! What DAW are you using?

#16

He must be using Ableton 16.8

#17

I was suggesting a cabling method. After that, we can check sources of latencies, computer specs, …

#18

Nevermind

#19

I have a very similar problem here, i’m using the DT via OB and at the same time sequence the nord drum 3p from the DT via midi, audio from ND goes to a RME Fireface 800 ( known as a low latency sound card), but the audio from the nord drum is always about 30ms late which is a big value tbh. Audio buffer in ableton is set to 128.

Does anyone solved this problem meanwhile?

#20

Tried but didnt crack it, see OB plugin + audio interface recording sync in Ableton

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#21

When starting up OB app Elektron does give us an explicit warning to not use OB and an audio interface in parallel. For good reason apparently.

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