Ableton & Nerdseq Clock Setup Question

[sak-rwsd]

Hi All,

I'm hoping some of you might chime in from your own experience, syncing Ableton and the NERDSEQ.  I would like to see what approach has worked best for you.

For my setup, I have Ableton as master and using CV tools, I'm sending a signal for "clock" and "transport" through my d/c coupled interface (MOTU ULTRALITE MKIII) to a few eurorack modules using the 24 ppqn setting.  I've been able to clock Pamela's and also Voltage Block just fine using this approach.

With the NERDSEQ, which came in a few days back, I've set it to receive clock via "Dinsync" (guided there by Thomas).  When I mult the outputs from my MOTU to clock and reset on NERDSEQ, nothing happens.  Starting Ableton starts PNW and Voltage Block and the sequencer on VB progresses at the expected rate.

Now, if I take an output of PNW, set it to gate and x24, then run this instead to the clock in on the NERDSEQ (keeping the reset from Ableton via MOTU), it works just fine.  I'm not quite sure why I have to do the x 24 here, and not with the VB, and also not sure why the direct mult (i.e. from Ableton via MOTU) works fine with Pamelas and Voltage Block, but not the NERDSEQ.  I would rather not spend one of my 8 Pamela's outputs doing, versus multing those outputs from Ableton and the MOTU audio interface.  

I hope this makes sense.  What am I missing, or what approach might be better?  I would love to hear what you guys are doing.  

For the studio setup, I want Ableton to be the Master.  Once I get material for a gig, I would like to go DAW-less, but that will be further down the road.

Thanks!

[mewraz]

Hi!
I'm using nerdseq and ableton, normally I clock ableton from nerdseq but I now tried clocking nerdseq from ableton and it works really well.

Try this to sync nerdseq via dc coupled outputs 24 ppqn. from Ableton Live: 
Set nerdseq Tempo to EXT BPM and  Clock IN to MOD.CLOCK24.
I use a dc coupled audio interface from expert sleepers called es-9 but the functionality in this case is the same as your motu.
I send the clock via ableton CV tools/CV Clock Out on output 15 and the reset trigger on output 16.so for me: 
out15 -> nerdseq clock in
out16 -> nerdseq reset in

note that transport should be "trigger" and not "gate". This will send a pulse to reset the nerdseq sequencer everytime you stop your ableton sequencer.

The attached images show settings for nerdseq and Ableton Live CV Tools/CV Clock Out.

   
   

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Dinsync should be for sync via MIDI cable.
So if you have the nerdseq midi expander and midi outputs on you motu audio interface, you could use that. MOTU midi out -> nerdseq midi expander midi in.
See clarification from admin below.

[mvdirty]

Now, if I take an output of PNW, set it to gate and x24, then run this instead to the clock in on the NERDSEQ (keeping the reset from Ableton via MOTU), it works just fine.  I'm not quite sure why I have to do the x 24 here, and not with the VB, and also not sure why the direct mult (i.e. from Ableton via MOTU) works fine with Pamelas and Voltage Block, but not the NERDSEQ.

I don’t have Ableton in my setup (though I do clock a NerdSEQ from another NerdSEQ, using the DYN SYNC style (AKA 24 PPQN and run)) but in reading the above I thought to ask:

Do you have a scope where you can compare the two signals, the one from Ableton via your interface and the other from Pam’s? I wonder if the one from Ableton is somehow misshapen or perhaps not crossing the right voltage thresholds?

[XORadmin]

Just to clarify:

The Dinsync uses also the Clock and Reset lines, except that the reste line is used for the Dinsync start/stop signals.
Dinsync and MOD24 work both on 24ppqn.

[sak-rwsd]

Hi!
I'm using nerdseq and ableton, normally I clock ableton from nerdseq but I now tried clocking nerdseq from ableton and it works really well.

Try this to sync nerdseq via dc coupled outputs 24 ppqn. from Ableton Live: 
Set nerdseq Tempo to EXT BPM and  Clock IN to MOD.CLOCK24.
I use a dc coupled audio interface from expert sleepers called es-9 but the functionality in this case is the same as your motu.
I send the clock via ableton CV tools/CV Clock Out on output 15 and the reset trigger on output 16.so for me: 
out15 -> nerdseq clock in
out16 -> nerdseq reset in

note that transport should be "trigger" and not "gate". This will send a pulse to reset the nerdseq sequencer everytime you stop your ableton sequencer.

The attached images show settings for nerdseq and Ableton Live CV Tools/CV Clock Out.

---

Dinsync should be for sync via MIDI cable.
So if you have the nerdseq midi expander and midi outputs on you motu audio interface, you could use that. MOTU midi out -> nerdseq midi expander midi in.
See clarification from admin below.

Thanks (really appreciate your taking the time to take screenshots as well)!  I had it set the same, with the exception of "trigger" versus "gate."  Changing the transport to "trigger" versus "gate" seems to work the necessary magic for the NERDSEQ, but when I do this, Pamela's doesn't start (unless I change it back to "gate").  Have to look into that next!  

At this point I have a stacking cable coming out of each of two MOTU outputs, into PNW (clock and run), and from here to the NERDSEQ (clock and reset).  In Ableton, when I change the transport to "trigger," the NERDSEQ starts/stops with Ableton and when I change it to "gate," PNW starts/stops with Ableton!

SOLVED:
I had to go into the PNW menus and change the setting such that the Run input isn't used to start the clock ("Run"), rather, to "Trigger in Resets."  Now the presence of clock starts the transport and the Trigger resets the sequence. I think that should work for me.  Whew!

[marcora]

Hi!
I'm using nerdseq and ableton, normally I clock ableton from nerdseq but I now tried clocking nerdseq from ableton and it works really well.

May I ask you to illustrate how do you clock ableton from nerdseq? I am trying using the CV Clock In device in Ableton, but can't figure out how to make start/stop behave correctly.
Thanks a lot and happy holidays!