Q: With the DAW now acting as the sync master via your Sync-Lock will this somehow compromise or change the MPC timing/groove/feel especially with unquantized sequences?

A: Have no fear regarding the MPC feel being compromised in any way using the Sync-Lock. We have both MPC-3000 and original MPC-60 MK I units in our studio facility and we have tested this extensively.

There are three things to consider:-

1: The MPC Internal Timing Engine and Tempo Event Scheduler are ultra-precise.

2: Unquantized sequencing feel is always played back faithfully on top of this precise internal timing grid. The unquantized feel you hear has nothing to do with a change in the MPC timing engine at all.

3: Applying a sloppy external sync signal to the MPC will affect the core stability of the internal timing engine and tempo event scheduler and therefore compromise the feel of both quantized and unquantized feels in equal measure.

By driving your MPC from the Sync-Lock you get precision external sync which means it always sounds 100% faithful to how it sounds under internal sync.

Q: I recently purchased a new Sync Lock. When I connected it to my system and got it running, I did not notice a substantial improvement in sync, and I'm wondering if I've made a mistake or missed some key detail.

My configuration is:

Mac Pro 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
OS 10.5.8
8 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM
Ableton Live 8.1.3 > Apogee Rosetta 800 via a Symphony 64 PCI card >
Sync Lock (via Din Sync) > Roland TR-808

I set up the unit exactly as described in the manual and got it working fairly quickly. Using both the Plug-In and the "manual method" (as described in the manual), I set up my sync track, then my start/stop track, and was able to control the TR-808.

When I recorded a test pattern, however, I noticed that the TR-808 transients were quite late in relation to Live's grid. I had to delay the sync track and the start/stop track by -180 samples each to get even a semblance of accuracy.

A: Every External Hardware Sync Device takes a certain amount of time to start playback after receiving external Sync. Even the best hardware like an AKAI MPC-3000 takes 1.5 ms to start up. This is the same with the Sync-Lock or any other type of synchronisation method.

To get true perfect sync you must always calculate and compensate for each devices start up lag time.

Once you have calculated this for each device and set the correct negative start offset - playback from your DAW and external Hardware via Sync-Lock will be accurate.

You can test this by using another external recorder or application to capture two channels- Left from the DAW and Right from your synchronised hardware – you will find they are spot on.

There are two primary ways to use the Sync-Lock and setting up your DAW correctly is critical for both

1:Live Performance:

For Live Performance applications you need only adjust the DAW Audio playback to compensate for the External Hardware Start Lag as I have just described.

2: Recording/Overdubbing:

For Recording Applications you must also take into account your Computer/Soundcard-Driver Input Processing Latency. This is exactly the same as if you were recording acoustic instruments into your DAW.

First, check your Sync-Lock and external hardware sync accuracy by recording identical multiple passes of your external hardware audio onto separate tracks into your DAW Application and then zoom in and have a look at the audio waveform. The recordings will all be lined up perfectly with each other.

Next, measure the time distance in samples between the internal DAW Tempo Grid and the recorded Sync-Lock passes and you will know your Computer/Soundcard–Driver Input Processing Latency.

Check your DAW Manual on how to set the Audio Preferences to compensate for this.

Remember too that all TR-808s are a little wobbly - both on initial start up (they settle down after a few beats) and in overall tempo precision even under very tight external Din Sync.

Q: Hi Guys, we just took delivery of a sync lock from Berlin the other day, great box!

I'm still slightly confused as to how the supplied pedal interfaces with the unit. I understand its function but where does this plug in?

Thanks in advance ... sync by the way has been soooooo solid !!

A: The Ring Input on the supplied Y-Split Adapter is the right spot for the F/Switch and it must be connected for correct Sync-Lock operation.Remember that its function is STOP/Hard Reset ONLY!

The Sync-Lock generates accurate, real-time tempo-sync from audio. When DAW playback is stopped and the audio pulses feeding the Sync-Lock are no longer playing it means the Midi Clock and Din Sync outputs are left 'hanging'.

You need a Hard Reset - thus the F/Switch.

Manual Footswitch Restart is another issue.

The reason there is none on the Sync-Lock is simple. At 24 ppq there are six pulses for every 16th note interval. Only the first of these six pulses are in rhythmic time with your tempo grid.

If you were to apply a manual F/Switch Restart there are five chances in six that you will restart out of time which is not ideal in a live performance situation.

By ensuring the Start Command for the Sync-Lock has to come from the DAW it will
always be quantized and in time – EVERYTIME.

Q: I have a Roland TR-909 that I am synchronising to my DAW via the Sync-Lock. Some recording passes are perfectly in sync with each other, whereas others contain variations of a few milliseconds. In some cases, subsequent passes aren't even close. Is there an explanation for this?

A: All TR-909 units with OS Eproms earlier than Revision 4 had a known Midi Clock Sync bug.

Check your version number and update if required for correct operation.

http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2008/06/roland-tr-909-with-ver-4-eprom.html

http://www.synthfool.com/docs/Roland/TR_Series/TR909_Service_manual.pdf

Q: Is the Sync-Shift Mk II a totally different device or does it do all that the Sync-Lock does and more?

A: The Sync-Shift MKII and Sync-Lock are very different devices but they have applications where they work very well together. The Sync-Shift MKII is a Real-Time Sync Delay/Slave Start Offset device.

It does not self-generate or correct incoming external sync. It is a passive device in terms of I/O sync stability.

It was designed so that between two devices - Midi or Din Sync - you can correct the start time offset and line up sync perfectly.

It also allows for sophisticated, programmable Master-Slave syncopation.

The Sync-Lock is a very different beast.

It has no internal sync offset/real-time sync-shifting feature at all.

The Sync-Lock takes pulses at its input and converts them to sample accurate and DAW
Tempo-Grid referenced Midi Clock/Din-Sync and Voltage Pulses to drive Analogue Sequencers.

Using them together lets you generate precision Sync from any DAW (rather than sloppy
software Midi Clock and poorly converted Din Sync) and then Sync-Shift and creatively syncopate the slaves via the MKII.

Q: The Sync-Gen II Plugin you provide, what format does it come in?

A: Sync-Gen II is provided in VST/AU and RTAS versions in both 32 and 64 bit for Windows and OS-X. We are currently working on Sync-Gen II AAX for Pro-Tools 10.