How To
Sync Your
MIDI
Devices?
AKARSH SHEKHAR
Here are the basic steps for syncing a
device to a DAW through a MIDI clock
What Is MIDI Clock?
MIDI clock is a signal that is sent over MIDI. The signal allows the user to sync several devices together so they stay in
synchronization. In lay man’s terms it’s a way to set two or more MIDI devices to one tempo.
This can be done with devices like MIDI controllers, drum machines, synthesizers, software/apps, or sequencers (a.k.a.
DAWs). It runs at a rate of 24 ppqn (pulses per quarter note). The actual speed of the MIDI clock varies with the tempo of the
clock generator (as contrasted with SMPTE time code, which runs at a constant rate).
Syncing a device to a DAW via clock is achieved the
same way, across the board, but various combinations of
DAWs and devices will inevitably have slight differences
in procedure. Listed below, the goal is to get a DAW to
send clock through its MIDI output and for a MIDI device
to receive that clock. For instance, a synthesizer with
an arpeggiator would have its arpeggiator rate or tempo
synced with the DAW project tempo. Here’s how:
1. Connect your MIDI device via MIDI cable/USB.
For USB, make sure your device can send/receive
MIDI data over USB (MIDI over USB method).
2. You may need to install a USB driver from
the manufacturer’s website to get your DAW’s
permission to recognize your MIDI instrument.
3. Find your DAW’s MIDI setting in the
preferences or settings menu.
4. Set the DAW’s output settings to send the clock to
your MIDI instrument. In Ableton, for instance, you
do this by finding the output port for your instrument
in the MIDI Ports list and switching Sync to On.
5. After that, set your MIDI device to receive the MIDI clock.
Be sure to check your device’s manual or tutorial videos for
specific instructions on how to navigate the clock settings.
6. Many MIDI devices and DAWs have some type
of indicator that shows the clock being sent and/
or received. On the Nord Electro 6D 61, for example,
there is an LED indicator simply called MIDI.
7. Now when you start playback in your DAW,
your device should start simultaneously
and be synced to your DAW’s clock.
Moreover, you can also sync your DAW to another
device. What you want to do in this case is see if your
device sends the clock and your DAW receives that
clock. If you have a MIDI controller with master clock/
tempo, every change you make to your keyboard’s
clock setting will also bring a change in your DAW. For
this case, the setup is similar to the previous step-by-
step process, but the clock is sent the opposite way.
Note that many devices and DAWs can both send and
receive MIDI simultaneously. This could be useful if you
wanted to receive MIDI clock from your DAW to your
digital piano while sending MIDI back to your DAW to
record your performance. In other words, the DAW is
sending clock and receiving MIDI note data, whereas the
keyboard is receiving clock and sending MIDI note data.
Want to sync multiple devices to a DAW? Use a MIDI
interface with enough I/O to handle all your devices,
USB connectivity, and the speed to provide extremely low
latency. An interface also changes your signal path without
switching cables, as you would have to do with daisy
chaining. If you have a hardware synth, drum machine,
and MIDI controller all synced with your DAW, easily
arrange your synth to send clock to your DAW and other
devices, or the DAW to send clock to all three devices.
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
33