Overbridge makes a great MIDI clock source

This might be obvious, but it took me a while to realise it so just thought I’d share!

Recently been trying to hook up all my gear properly to my computer, so I can use a hybrid of hardware plus DAW for effects, recording, etc, and I encountered the “fun” of trying to get MIDI clock in sync between a DAW and hardware with sequencers (eg for my Machinedrum) - for various reasons, computers don’t make a good stable clock source and I could detect the 1-3ms of jitter it caused when I used Ableton as the clock master, especially on eg 1/16 hi hats.

Using the MD (for example) as master and Ableton as slave is a bit better, because then the drums are tight and it doesn’t matter so much for my use if Ableton is a little out of sync, but I found it a bit annoying to have to use the MD as my transport controls rather than the play button on Ableton/Push.

Started looking into Expert Sleepers USAMO etc. then it occurred to me that maybe an Elektron device (I am using the Digitakt) synced to the DAW with Overbridge could also output MIDI clock - and lo and behold, it can! In my testing so far it seems to give a really stable clock, and with a bit of latency adjustments for my hardware, everything is now super tight (it does seem to take maybe one bar for everything to lock in), using the clock from the Digitakt and MIDI thru to share it with all my gear.

One caveat is that unfortunately you can’t output MIDI notes etc from the Overbridge device as far as I can tell, so if you want to send note data to any connected gear you’ll need some way to merge the clock MIDI with the note MIDI. I’ve done this using an iConnectAudio interface, set to route the DIN In (from the DT) back out of DIN out, then when I send note data to the iConnectAudio they end up merged. There are obviously other ways to achieve this too.

Just thought I’d share in case anyone else is in the same boat! Wasn’t that excited about OB initially but it actually seems super cool and stable, and being low level, doesn’t seem to suffer from the timing issues computer MIDI does. I think it does add a little latency? But with the buffer size set low I can’t tell (I’m not a keyboard player or anything though). Impressive work by Elektron.

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I’m curious: Digitakt is then the master? As in, uiu have to press play on the Digitakt? Or does it just send clock?

I personally settled with sending MIDI clock from Digitakt to Ableton Live and other machines and am happy with that, I love that the Digitakt is the master of the transport as well.

I’m just curious about what you do, I didn’t get that last bit.

Thanks for sharing!

In Overbridge Ableton is the master clock. You’ll have to launch from your space bar. I just recently moved everything to Overbridge, I’m not using any sound card or midi interface other than Overbridge devices. I use the Digitakt, Digitone and Analog Heat with the two external synths and a drum machine going into each input. Everything is tight and readable on a MBP 2018 and Ableton 10.

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Digitakt just sends clock. Ableton is the master. Personally I prefer that as I have a Push