Walrus Audio Canvas MIDI Clock

The Lounge Other Gear
1

Does anyone have experience with this? I’m looking for a good MIDI clock solution for syncing my drum machine with a DAW. I’m curious if this will work just as good as Kenton, E-RM, or Interclock devices.

2

Is there a reason you don’t want to send clock straight from the DAW to the drum machine? Which drum machine are you using?

3

The only hardware I have right now is the MKSCREC1—here’s the rear view:

It doesn’t have USB Midi. I was thinking I could maybe use the Walrus Audio Canvas MIDI Clock synced to the DAW’s clock and use the clock out of the pedal hooked up to the clock in of the MKSREC1.

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4

This comes in handy for me with other machines that have no USB connection…
https://www.roland.com/global/products/um-one_mk2/

5

Does your audio interface have 5 pin MIDI? I’m assuming of course that you have some sort of interface to get audio into the computer and many of them have 5 pin out.

If not, I have a recommendation for an extremely nice clock solution;

I use a Retrokits RK-006 to clock everything I own, it can be configured to use any kind of sync type you like: MIDI, Din Sync, and analog sync. You can also set each clock output to subdivisions of the primary clock.

6

Unfortunately, no.

7

I was hoping that using the clock out sync might avoid latency and drift issues when recording audio to DAW.

8

Yeah I’m sure it will work fine but I don’t think the pedal is the best solution, it’s extremely expensive and it’s really meant for a guitar pedalboard. Might as well spend less money on something with more I/O and more flexibility. No knock on Walrus, I love their drive pedals.

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9

I’m tempted to just buy another synth/machine that has USB midi, sync it up to that, and just deal with any latency when recording by manually editing the WAV files. This is how I go from looking for a midi clock to buying a Moog Messenger.

10

Here’s a couple of devices that are reasonably priced and solve your issue

The ClockStep Multi may be preferable if you’re US based (US supplier), while Nome II might be the way to go if your in the EU

I can attest for the ClockStep – works great and excellent support from the developer.

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11

+1 for the ClockStep Multi, great bit of kit that makes synchronising a DAW with hardware (especially drum machines) pretty much flawless.

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12

The Teenage Engineering KO II is also a perfectly good MIDI/CV/USB clock, and for the same price as this single pedal.

13

Before buying anything, do you have an interface connected to the DAW?

If so, and you have a spare out, try sending audio sync directly from your DAW.

It’s simple and easy, will cost nothing, and avoids crappy MIDI clock etc.

You’ll just need to know the ppqn of your drum machines Clock input.

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14

I only have a pair of high quality DACs I need to use for mastering, but I was also thinking this would be the best way to get the tightest sync. I could figure out a way to get an audio signal from the DAW to send something to the clock sync input of the MKSREC1.

15

I do this from Ableton to my Hapax.

It’s good for getting stuff hitting exactly on the grid. You may have to make your own ‘pre-roll’ of a bar or two, if you need to have your clock starting before the bar.

The best way to align it (once you have it all working), record a simple 4-on-the-floor kick drum back in to the DAW, have it directly underneath the clocking track.

Then drag and select over both the recorded audio and the clock signal.

Then zoom in to the recorded audio and get those kicks in the right place. Due to jitter some will be early and some late etc. You have to average it out and get most of them as close as possible to the grid.

Then because you dragged over the clock signal as well, it’ll move the clock signal to the correct place so your drum machine hits the grid.

Sounds complicated but it’s quite easy!

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