Syncing Multiple Elektron Boxes with Multiple Turbo Midis?

So, I have a setup with three elektron boxes (3rd incoming)
I have two turbo midi units…
1: mduw mkii
2: mnm mkii
3: octatrack

My query is, can the turbo midi be used for syncing between elektron boxes ? I think I saw suggestion of this somewhere, but doesn’t the Turbo Midi draw power from usb ? or is there enough current in the midi connections to sync with turbo between the units ?

other than that … if they can be synced like this, using turbo without needing usb power, is it limited to the silver boxes (mnm + mduw) ? or can the octatrack benefit from this too ?

finally… assuming all this can be done, and there are gains … how many turbo midi units would be needed for my three elektron box setup ? I’m assuming two (if the octatrack an also use it)…

cheers

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You can use the Turbo protocol between any two Elektron units. Just make a bi-directional DIN-MIDI connection. To link an MD with an MM, just make the DIN-MIDI connections.

The TM-1 hardware is a USB-to-MIDI interface that allows Turbo protocol connections between a Turbo-protocol-capable instrument and a computer. The TM-1 is mostly useful for transferring files to and from a computer (samples, SysEx dumps etc).

I have never tried making a Turbo connection between two Elektron instruments because timing is just fine for me using regular MIDI clock and I don’t need to send large files between any two of my MD, MM, OT.

So the answer to your question is that you need zero TM-1s unless you have problems with standard MIDI clock sync.

a-ha … very interesting … so you can use standard midi cables then, and just activate the turbo protocol. do you know, or have you heard if there is any gains to this ?

i know the octatrack timing, both internal and external, is super tight - significantly more so than either mnm/mduw … which is why I use it as the master anyway, well one reason.

it just remains to be seen if there is any gains to be had using turbo protocol …i guess there must be ? or why include it ?

thanks Peter, informative as always.

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Like I said, the potential gains are for:
[ul]
[li]speed improvements when transmitting large amounts of MIDI data, like sending SysEx between instruments (which you will not do if you only have one each of MM, MD, OT), or[/li]
[li]improving the time-resolution of MIDI data transmission (which I have not needed because standard MIDI clock sync is fine for me).[/li]
[/ul]

Elektron puts typical use-cases for Turbo protocol in the manuals for the instruments, but how many people dump an OS update file from one MD to another?

ok then … what I’m taking from this is the turbo protocol is for data transmission, like you say, and sync is not improved.

if someone thinks or knows otherwise, speak up! ; )

until then I’ll just assume there’s no sync gains.

which leaves me wondering one last thing … in the scenario where I may be using the midi CC sequencing functions to their max… mduw midi lfos CC sequencing mnm parameters, mnm CC sequencing octatrack parameters, octatrack CC sequencing mduw params … I wonder if turbo protocol proves useful then…

Sorry to be so repetitive - you must be sick of me by now.

But like I said, the Turbo protocol does improve timing resolution. But then, how much is it needed if it improves timing from already-good-enough to better-than-good-enough?

Yup. That’s the potential scenario for usefulness of improved timing resolution.

I forgot to mention before, although I mentioned it in another thread recently, how does it work with making bi-directional connections between three Elektron instruments?

Time for somebody else to chime in…

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not at all - on the contrary, very appreciative of the info you’re providing here.

anyway, i’ll take any improvements I can get if the cost is nil; same midi cables used - you just need to activate the turbo protocol in a setup menu ?

sold.

: )

seriously though, knowing how tight the timing is on the octatrack i’ll take any minor improvements when syncing it with the mduw/mnm… timing and pereption are a funny thing… not the end of the world one way or the other, but like i said…if the cost is nil - why not do what you can ?

i’m assuming turbo protocol isn’t going to ruin the midi outputs or something, or burn up some dsp chip. a sensible assumption i hope : )

Did anyone try to connect three Elektron machines in Turbo MIDI?
Would something like OT -> AR -> A4 -> OT (-> : MIDI DIN connection) work?

I too would like to know the answer to this. Is it possible to have a trinity threeway?
Can turbo perform a ‘reach-around’ ie OT to MnM thru to MD and out to OT.

(Apologies for the crappy inuendo: being a Brit I just can’t help myself…matron)

I have never tried but since Turbo MIDI usually needs a bi-directional MIDI connection then it seems unlikely that it could work in practice. I also doubt whether it would have any practical use.

Well I have completely dumped the MD sequencer in favour of OT midi seq. This includes multiple parameter locked CCs, and the timing on those is critical. I have settled on this: OT out - MD in, MD out - OT in, MD thru - MnM in (MnM sequences itself). HOWEVER at the end of the thru chain is a Yamaha mixer (MnM thru - Yamaha in…obviously non-turbo compliant). Am I going to do the mixer any harm by through-putting turbo data?

Have you experienced any timing problems?

You will not cause any harm to the mixer. However, it may not receive MIDI messages intended for it - you will have to try it and see.

Yeah, unfortunately many of the P-locks intended to affect the timbre of the hits in real time are slightly off (ie different when compared to direct MD P-locks), especially when using trigged LFOs. The lag is minimal, but to an OCD autist like myself, every little bit of lag reduction helps.

It seems the Yamaha is responding as normal, so full steam ahead!

Thanks for the advice

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