You are one of a few UA-camrs who can publish a 34 minute video and I *will watch the whole thing* without skipping parts. You have a rare skill for pacing and I love it.
I can't agree with you any more enthusiastically about about PNW and the Keystep Pro. Both have been incredible problem solvers for me, but if I had to choose only one, it would be PNW. I have the mini expander for PNW, and it's 2U that gives you a 24ppqn out, a RUN signal, and a MIDI OUT - Totally worth it for 2U of space. I send the MIDI OUT to the keystep, so PNW is still the master. The real value in the expander is in having both the RUN out and the 24PPQN - they are always useful to mult around, and you don't lose any of the multi-purpose outs on PNW. Once you get past all the different clock speeds, where things can get weird in my setup is with the reset signals -- some sequencers will reset on a pulse, some are configurable to reset when a gate goes low - and they all handle it in slightly different ways. Some of these are very sensitive to timing, the reset pulse width needs to be as small as possible - if the reset runs at the same speed or for longer than the clocking pulse, some sequencers will skip the first note in the sequence, as they won't run until reset goes low. Pulse width is another great thing that PNW lets you configure. Any of the Varigates are great sequencers as well as problem solvers, since each channel can act as a clock multiplier/div. While it's great that it can handle any clock speed you throw at it, it isn't just useful for adjusting to the incoming clock -- In a pinch, you can throw probability to 100% and use the multiplier/dividers on one channel to drive other sequencers. It doesn't really make a lot of sense to dedicate it as an 8 channel clocking device, but I've found I can usually spare a channel- and like any step sequencer, they can play a role similar to how you use the drum channel on the keystep. The Varigates are in general just super flexible with either incoming or outgoing timing. I also will often use the t2 output on Marbles as a clock divider/multiplier, it has a very flexible range, and usually there's something I'll want to clock at the same speed I want to send random gates/modulation. The jitter can also make timing more interesting (or just chaotic) for some sequencers, but some of them get REALLY unpredictable when you have a fluctuating signal. I feel like a lot of people neglect t2 since it isn't really random, but it's super useful. Since every manufacturer seems to have a different philosophy for clocking, sequencers than can do a div/multiply on the incoming signal internally tend to get my attention - and ideally they will have a clock out that you can also div/mult onboard, making things easy to daisy chain. The eloquencer was nice and flexible here if I'm not mistaken. The noise engineering Bin Seq is a simple and very direct hands on step sequencer that I've pushed into strange clocking duties before. Finally, regarding mults: I don't think you specifically talked about this, but the stackable / pigtail cables are lifesavers here, and often make a lot more sense than dedicating an active mult or two to clocking duties, since you can mult clock signals several times with a passive splitter before the strength of the signal ever becomes an issue -- likely many more times than you will have sequencers, and it's often easier and cleaner to route things around this way as opposed to having everything in a central mult.
When i first got Tempi, i was BIG frustrated, but i loved how performable it was, not only as a clock but as a gate sequencer. As far as run/stop mode goes i have it working flawlessly, however it does require either clever patching, or the correct setting on your midi to CV. At least on my FH-2, i have a reset out that i have to reset off and on. So it sends a pulse at both start and stop. This works way better than a 100 high. Not sure if any of your devices have this as an opinion though. As far as the catch-up with 2 pulses, this seems pretty common with anything that doesn't do 48 or 24, so i just run my clock for a few seconds before i start so that those modules get the 2 pulses. Mine retains those even after it stops. If yours doesn't then maybe something is wrong. I do get annoyed with it if i want to change up the master clock, but i generally don't. Enjoyed the video though!
I've picked up way too many volcas and always wondered how to have beats with nice fills without having to run my clock at like 120bpm. I didnt know things like clock dividers/multipliers are a thing! You've blown my mind with this tutorial!
Good video - one thing I wish were a bit more common in euro is -/+ Volt and PPQN ranges stated in the documentations. I think the reason Tempi has the issue you describe is because the tap tempo calculations need at least 2 pulses to measure over time (and is mainly meant as a performance - based master clock). Pams can be a bit sniffy about taking an ext sync, too - one tip I’ll share is that the gate voltage has to actually drop below 0 before Pam’s will recognize a rising edge. Give it a try! :)
As a noob here, I feel I may be missing something. I don’t understand how *any* bit of kit that is taking a PPQN pulse is able to accurately generate their own pulses without knowing what the tempo is. And until you get that second pulse, you’ll never know. Like, how was noodlebox able to do its 4x steps in time right from the start, if all it has to go in is a single pulse?
This was brilliant, as always. I personally cheated when it comes to clocking, I just got the Pexp-1 expander for Pam's and used MIDI to synch my main rack with my Digitakt, my M32 and my Subharmonicon. Multing the fixed outs from Pexp-1 does most of what I need whithin the rack as far as sequencers go.
Great work. Not to many of these basic eurorack tutorials here on YT. I use a Mordax Data for my clocks. Bought it for reading envelopes and other waves but I don't have Pam's yet so..
good video! I learned that I should experiment more with drum triggers as clock sources. I think the Ade is very underrated!. I totally agree with your comments about tempi the other issue I have found using your described method is that the pulses coming out the tempi are randomly out of phase when the module starts. I drove me nuts till looked at the outputs on a scope. I am back to using this method. another method I also use is to mute all the outputs on tempi and give it a clock let it run up to tempo till it is stable and then I unmute. sigh
4 роки тому+2
nice, clock in eurorack is both hassle and fun. the restart thing could be such a problem especially when working also with non eurorack gear ( my tip : work with gear that all pause or stuff that all stop / restart at step 1) fun things to do : use a mod matrix ( like tesseract 8*8), feed it with various clock divisions, steady or not, and change the outputs destinations. trick n°2 use a synced cv controllable square lfo as a clock divider, and modulate it with a slower lfo , then change lfos rate and slow lfo shape. ( 2 channels of MI stages could do the job for ex)
That was a very long ad for the keystep pro...kidding, but damn my head hurt a bit while trying to understand the ppqn configurations between modules. I had the same head pain while watching the tech for the band chrvches talk about the midi rigs. So far, I've only been doing drums and samples in my rack. Thanks to you, I just ordered the 4ms ensemble. We shall see if I can make sense and enjoy having a synth voice in the mix. Also ordered the Vermona Melodicer. I'm a keyboard player and really dislike programming steps and notes values.
Great video! (As always). I also love using a square LFO as clock, and modulating that LFO’s rate can yield very interesting results. Often side by side with another more steady clock to drive drums for example. Another interesting tip to to have some random gate or trigger signal (for example said varying square LFO) and use that and a steady clock (for example 16s) with a logic AND to make clock-quantized random gates/tiggers.
i own tempi and would agree with your complaints. but as others have mentioned, clocking modules have to calculate the tempo if they are being clocked externally. you just need to pick one clocking module as your master and if you need more clocks in your system, then use a gate sequencer that advances one step per clock, like steppy, varigate, etc here’s another fun fact about tempi, it’s clock outputs are not necessarily sample accurate with each other.
So I have a clock tip i think is lesser known; the analog clock out on the beat step pro is in fact a TRS jack where the ring outputs a run signal, im not sure if the keystep is the same in this regard, however. I send that run signal through a logic inverter and then to the reset on the varigate 8+ but if you dont have an inverter a NOR gate will work here too if you leave the other NOR gate input empty.
@@rhialto39 sure, my initial problem was that my varigate 8+ sequencer would become out of sync with my beatstep pro (master clock source) after i would press stop and then play again as it (vari 8+) would just continue where it left of in its sequence when i had pressed stop rather than starting from the beginning after pressing play again. The above is my solution but ill explain further why the solution works; the reset function on the varigate will only trigger after it receives a high signal and then a subsequent low signal. A run signal, like the one from the ring of the beatstep's analog clock out jack, goes high when you press play and low when you press stop - so by plugging it directly into the reset jack of the varigate and pressing play we should expect that the varigate will not play at all since the reset only happens after both a high THEN low signal, but this isn't what actually happens - it does start playing after a brief period but that still leaves us out of sync. however if we invert the run signal using a logic inverter it remains high while stopped and goes low when you press play, keeping them in sync ~ which exactly what we need. a few notes: you'll need a tip and ring "Y" cable that separates tip and ring so you can use the tip output for clock and ring output for 'run' (now your reset after inversion). I use a module by Adventure Audio called 'ORX', it has OR and NOR logic outputs. I patch the tip output from the Y-cable into the clock input of the varigate. I then patch the ring of the Y-cable to one of the inputs on the ORX and subsequently patch the NOR output to the reset jack of the varigate. I chose this module because it was a very easy DIY kit that only set me back $50 and takes up only 2hp, but they come preassembled too if you dont own an iron. Just be sure that the run signal is the only thing patched into this module's inputs and the NOR gate will act as an inverter. another good tip: if you also own the Voltage Block by malekko be sure to power it from the same power distribution board as the varigate 8+ and set the clock setting switch on the VB's faceplate to 'slave' and it will do exactly what the varigate does - no need to use another set of cables to clock and reset it! I know a few other modular people that had no idea that the last 3(x2) rails on the 16 pin headers are for +5v, CV, and clock. it seems some manufacturers are unaware of this too as I've seen an increasing number if modules using a voltage regulator to convert 12v down to 5v, like... why? that's just needlessly generating excess heat, but i digress... I know this was a wall of text so if there's anything that wasn't clear, lemme know!
This sounds so sick. Especially with the clocked delay. Lately I've been playing with the Op Lab module on the OP Zed. It sends cv as well as gate. Seems to function pretty performatively.
Have you taken a look at the Shakmat Time Wizard? Clock divide/multiply + logic. 6 interrelated outputs with knobs and switches to play with. I'm a big fan of all of the Shakmat trigger stuff. They make dialing in rhythms fun.
Excellent tutorial on clocks! I've seen people use the 'Ochd' for various clocking times throughout their entire Modular System since it's an oscillator with 8 different LFO's pulsing at 8 individual times- have you used that trick? You saved me, as well as many others I'm sure, from much frustration + a big waste of money by letting everyone know about the timing issues inside Make Noise Tempi module. I was saving up to purchase that...not now. If a clock has problems keeping time that's absolutely ridiculous- why hasn't anyone else brought that up about it not starting on the 1 of a beat so it screws your entire timing! Also that it's just an electricity sucker cuz it's forever ON and has so many blinking/moving LIGHTS....I used to think wow, that Tempi module will look great in my case with all those dancing,blinking shades of beautiful Blue. Yeah, as it drains all the energy and sucks up every bit of electricity in my case!!! Then it refuses to come into the already timed Soundscape I've spent hours creating so I get extremely frustrated thinking it's me because I'm still learning all this when actually, it's just how that Module was built! Why would a company like Make Noise create a Clock that acts as the Tempi? Have you called them to let them know what your Tempi is doing? Perhaps you were sent a broken module? Anyway, great video. Do more on another module. 👌💡🌌🎥
Speaking on clocked delays you should look up Sarajevo from Xaos new syncable analogue delay module. Also would love to see a video from you on the Generate 3. My next two modules are those - And I have a keystep pro coming tomorrow.
Wow at 10:00 already really confused, just trying to find out why i need a clock module at all, i thought thats what sequencers are for, and here you are with a rack with three clocks and several sequencers ???
Dig the QX expander for Quadrax. Highly recommend. Bunch of rhythmic gates (eor,eoc-derived from the envelopes you triggered with clocked triggers). And yeah, PNW = MVP. Every musician, not even eurorack fan, should have one. By the way, how do you feel about the stereo dipole vs. any other euro filters you are familiar with?
Tempi needs two pulses to figure out the frequency of the clock pulses. One clock pulse by itself says nothing about the pulse frequency. I'm not saying that makes Tempi less unhelpful, but it does allegedly remember that frequency once it's learnt it.
Have you tried the new(ish) step advance mode on Hermod? It an interesting mix between of tempo based sequencer ( steady clock based) and ‘step’ sequencing ( ie where a trig advances one step)
@@ModernDevotion technically : set clock transport to A : Trig. then a TRIG on CV A, will 'run' the clock tempo for CLOCK IN DIV. - musically: say you have notes on 1/4 and IN DIV = 1/4, then it acting like a conventional sequencer, just advancing when you TRIG it. however, whats interesting, is if you zoom in, then put notes on 1/16... your single TRIG will fire a sequence of notes. so you can have shorts 'patterns' that are fired every time you send in a trig. ... lots of creative uses, especially given the FX that hermod has.
Do you typically use the key step pro in internal mode as the master and then click the external button on ableton to record, or the other way around with ableton as master? How do you deal with the USB jitter?
I now need a Mimeophon. Thank you- I think… Re Steppy however- I recently bought Steppy, partly based on one of your other vids, and I’m not terribly impressed tbh. Aside from being furiously complex and not very user-friendly, it doesn’t sync properly to Pam’s, which is the master clock in my system too. If I feed Steppy 96bpm from Pam, it plays at 24bpm. If I feed it 300bpm, it plays at 75bpm. Obvious there is a workaround (simply multiply the Pam’s output by 4), but surely it shouldn’t be necessary? Every other sequencer I have, fed 96bpm, plays 96bpm. Steppy doesn’t. It may prove too useful to sell on, but currently my opinion of it is about as high as yours of Tempi…
I think, when you start the Eurorack journey, you don't see the importance of clock (and other seemingly meaningless utilities), gates and triggers. But they are important... and tricky. You get this, when you are looking for triggers or gates, and don't find them...
Hey Jeremy, I love your videos and I've been having a huge problem with Varigate 8 that I don't see discussed here, which is: how do you get it to start and stop with pams as master or even KSP as master? My Varigate will not start and stop if it's taking tempo and reset externally. I have to manually start it and leave it on, which in a live performance is embarrassing to start your sequence, only to have to simultaneously start pams (or whatever my master is). Am I missing something? I'm also getting little inconsistent glitches upon starting where it plays note sixteen before note 1 and sort of makes a glitchy skip when the varigate starts, not every time though. I really need help to know if the Varigate can be slaved and started or stopped externally because if not, I have no idea why anyone even uses this sequencer since it's buggy AF also.
Doesn't any clock that is not MIDI clock sync'd need two pulses to establish tempo? You need to know the time difference between pulse 1 and 2 to know what the tempo is. What do Steppy or 2hp Div do differently that they're able to be in sync without a 2nd pulse? Or, is it more that Tempi doesn't hold tempo when hitting start/stop on Pam's?
Not sure but they respond faster. I likely has something to do with the fact that tempi wants tempo which is a slow pulse compared to the 16th notes i feed Steppy or the 48 or 24 ppq clock Pam's likes. I've upped my resolution clock out of Pam's to tempi and it picks up faster but now I need to divide all my clocks down on it.
No. with analog clocks nothing is 'figuring out' what the tempo is as the signal itself is just a quick jump from 0 volts to 5 volts which tells your clock destination circuitry to advance in whatever way it's designed to. there are some exceptions to this as some modules are digital and it wouldnt surprise me to see that the 2hp div has an ARM chip on its circuit board which you can think of as a fancy micro controller, however, it's still likely that one of the pins on the chip is routed to the clock on the circuit and from there the code on that chip determines when to 'advance'. dividing a clock is easy as you can just ignore every other pulse for /2 clock, every other pulse +1 for /3 etc...
Clocks and resets can get goofy between different manufacturers and devices. Does it reset on the leading edge of the square wave or the falling edge? There are no standards and sometimes no documentation. But it's a bi..h when you're trying to sync and things end up one step behind.
Howdy. I'm revisiting because I just got some desktop synths and want to manage clock. I'd like to have a clock that can work for eurorack / desktop synths, plus can work in the studio and when performing. Ever use any standalone gear for this?
Great overview! When recording multiple tracks, is it possible to record a clock track that can be used to sync with when recording/editing other tracks?
If the Tempi (sp?) only has a clock input, that is indeed dumb, because with just that input, there's no way to divide or multiply a signal without at least one cycle (positive and negative parts of a sine, leading edge of one pulse to leading edge of another). _That_ is what defines a frequency. The only way to do such a thing with just a clock input is to have that fundamental input a _really_ high clock. Like 1 MHz (That would give a 1 microsecond delay).
I watched this all the way through and didn’t seem to catch how you send reset out to stuff from PNW? I have a Maestro and Data Bender that could use reset. Help and thanks :)
With data bender I have a gate channel out of Pam's that's set to around /16. That resets my data bender. For other things you might want a longer time frame between reset gates.
@@RedMeansRecording Ah, ok. I just learned about needing to use reset and clock. After patching those out from a Trigger Riot into a Varigate 4+, I still have to mess around with hitting the play/stop button on the Varigate to get the sync to happen.
hey jeremy there is a thing, if i send clock out from the keytep pro to a certain sequencer, the cklock is all over the place. no matter how i set the ppq is doesnt change shit. if i send clock from my grandmother or from pams to the same sequncer, it works normal. any idea why is that??
I have no idea, it is all very specific to the devices and settings you're using. There is no generalizations with this stuff, you have to be very directed and specific and read the manuals.
oscillators without a gate or trig in are always running. you have to subtract volume from them to form an envelope. run the oscillator output into a vca and a trig into the trig input of an envelope generator, and patch the output of the envelope generator into the cv input of the vca. then take the output of the vca, which is now being shaped by the envelope.
@@RedMeansRecording also...thank you for taking the time to respond to me. Been playing synths for awhile but only just now getting into the modular world
Patch a clock pulse into the *Tempo* input (south west of the knob, the lower of the group of 3 jacks), Tempi will sync to that signal after 2 pulses. Looking at the manual, Tempi seems to be a module you're not meant to use unless you have the manual in front of you. It's trying to do too much with too little user interface.
"All I Need" melody. Lovely.
You are one of a few UA-camrs who can publish a 34 minute video and I *will watch the whole thing* without skipping parts. You have a rare skill for pacing and I love it.
I can't agree with you any more enthusiastically about about PNW and the Keystep Pro. Both have been incredible problem solvers for me, but if I had to choose only one, it would be PNW. I have the mini expander for PNW, and it's 2U that gives you a 24ppqn out, a RUN signal, and a MIDI OUT - Totally worth it for 2U of space. I send the MIDI OUT to the keystep, so PNW is still the master. The real value in the expander is in having both the RUN out and the 24PPQN - they are always useful to mult around, and you don't lose any of the multi-purpose outs on PNW.
Once you get past all the different clock speeds, where things can get weird in my setup is with the reset signals -- some sequencers will reset on a pulse, some are configurable to reset when a gate goes low - and they all handle it in slightly different ways. Some of these are very sensitive to timing, the reset pulse width needs to be as small as possible - if the reset runs at the same speed or for longer than the clocking pulse, some sequencers will skip the first note in the sequence, as they won't run until reset goes low. Pulse width is another great thing that PNW lets you configure.
Any of the Varigates are great sequencers as well as problem solvers, since each channel can act as a clock multiplier/div. While it's great that it can handle any clock speed you throw at it, it isn't just useful for adjusting to the incoming clock -- In a pinch, you can throw probability to 100% and use the multiplier/dividers on one channel to drive other sequencers. It doesn't really make a lot of sense to dedicate it as an 8 channel clocking device, but I've found I can usually spare a channel- and like any step sequencer, they can play a role similar to how you use the drum channel on the keystep. The Varigates are in general just super flexible with either incoming or outgoing timing.
I also will often use the t2 output on Marbles as a clock divider/multiplier, it has a very flexible range, and usually there's something I'll want to clock at the same speed I want to send random gates/modulation. The jitter can also make timing more interesting (or just chaotic) for some sequencers, but some of them get REALLY unpredictable when you have a fluctuating signal. I feel like a lot of people neglect t2 since it isn't really random, but it's super useful.
Since every manufacturer seems to have a different philosophy for clocking, sequencers than can do a div/multiply on the incoming signal internally tend to get my attention - and ideally they will have a clock out that you can also div/mult onboard, making things easy to daisy chain. The eloquencer was nice and flexible here if I'm not mistaken.
The noise engineering Bin Seq is a simple and very direct hands on step sequencer that I've pushed into strange clocking duties before.
Finally, regarding mults: I don't think you specifically talked about this, but the stackable / pigtail cables are lifesavers here, and often make a lot more sense than dedicating an active mult or two to clocking duties, since you can mult clock signals several times with a passive splitter before the strength of the signal ever becomes an issue -- likely many more times than you will have sequencers, and it's often easier and cleaner to route things around this way as opposed to having everything in a central mult.
Great insight
As a beginner in eurorack this was very helpful. Thank you.
I patched my clock to a mirror. It was time for reflection.
Thanks. Really thanks, this is the best and easiest to understand source of information about clock on eurorack.
The 1st sequence Radiohead - All i need i was ....no way! Brilliant video1
Gosh dang it, Jeremy. My playlist is beginning to overflow with all your helpful and awesomw content.
Roland DIN Sync is the One True Clock. No one will ever convince me otherwise. ALL HAIL THE 909!
Great video. Love the tone, energy and no nonsense. Thanks Jeremy, you're ACE!
When i first got Tempi, i was BIG frustrated, but i loved how performable it was, not only as a clock but as a gate sequencer.
As far as run/stop mode goes i have it working flawlessly, however it does require either clever patching, or the correct setting on your midi to CV. At least on my FH-2, i have a reset out that i have to reset off and on. So it sends a pulse at both start and stop. This works way better than a 100 high. Not sure if any of your devices have this as an opinion though.
As far as the catch-up with 2 pulses, this seems pretty common with anything that doesn't do 48 or 24, so i just run my clock for a few seconds before i start so that those modules get the 2 pulses.
Mine retains those even after it stops. If yours doesn't then maybe something is wrong.
I do get annoyed with it if i want to change up the master clock, but i generally don't.
Enjoyed the video though!
I've picked up way too many volcas and always wondered how to have beats with nice fills without having to run my clock at like 120bpm. I didnt know things like clock dividers/multipliers are a thing! You've blown my mind with this tutorial!
Now go watch +MylarMelodies video where he discussed dividers and multipliers...
@@symbiat0 Any videos in specific you'd recommend I check out? I took a look and didn't see any specifically focused on clocks.
@@xephon3000 Actually he recorded a video for Future Music magazine so my memory was off ua-cam.com/video/ilo52K8Oje8/v-deo.html
@@symbiat0 Oh, awesome! I'll check it out, thanks for sharing the link!
@@xephon3000 I just bought my third Volca :-)
Good video - one thing I wish were a bit more common in euro is -/+ Volt and PPQN ranges stated in the documentations. I think the reason Tempi has the issue you describe is because the tap tempo calculations need at least 2 pulses to measure over time (and is mainly meant as a performance - based master clock). Pams can be a bit sniffy about taking an ext sync, too - one tip I’ll share is that the gate voltage has to actually drop below 0 before Pam’s will recognize a rising edge. Give it a try! :)
As a noob here, I feel I may be missing something. I don’t understand how *any* bit of kit that is taking a PPQN pulse is able to accurately generate their own pulses without knowing what the tempo is. And until you get that second pulse, you’ll never know. Like, how was noodlebox able to do its 4x steps in time right from the start, if all it has to go in is a single pulse?
As the video got more complex, I started to really empathize with the clocks in Dali’s The Persistence of Memory
This was brilliant, as always. I personally cheated when it comes to clocking, I just got the Pexp-1 expander for Pam's and used MIDI to synch my main rack with my Digitakt, my M32 and my Subharmonicon. Multing the fixed outs from Pexp-1 does most of what I need whithin the rack as far as sequencers go.
I’m a big fan of sending Marbles t1 and t3 gate outputs on the green or orange mode to clock Rene’s X/Y clock inputs.
I never thought about using clock this way, i will test this on VCV Rack for sure!
Great work. Not to many of these basic eurorack tutorials here on YT. I use a Mordax Data for my clocks. Bought it for reading envelopes and other waves but I don't have Pam's yet so..
Great video thank you. It took me ages to sync my Varigate with the rest of my system and it was only when I got Pam it all finally works together.
good video! I learned that I should experiment more with drum triggers as clock sources. I think the Ade is very underrated!.
I totally agree with your comments about tempi the other issue I have found using your described method is that the pulses coming out the tempi are randomly out of phase when the module starts. I drove me nuts till looked at the outputs on a scope. I am back to using this method. another method I also use is to mute all the outputs on tempi and give it a clock let it run up to tempo till it is stable and then I unmute. sigh
nice, clock in eurorack is both hassle and fun. the restart thing could be such a problem especially when working also with non eurorack gear ( my tip : work with gear that all pause or stuff that all stop / restart at step 1)
fun things to do : use a mod matrix ( like tesseract 8*8), feed it with various clock divisions, steady or not, and change the outputs destinations. trick n°2 use a synced cv controllable square lfo as a clock divider, and modulate it with a slower lfo , then change lfos rate and slow lfo shape. ( 2 channels of MI stages could do the job for ex)
Late to the game, but awesome video. Made me think about my rack in a different way I hadn't considered. Thank you!
That was a very long ad for the keystep pro...kidding, but damn my head hurt a bit while trying to understand the ppqn configurations between modules. I had the same head pain while watching the tech for the band chrvches talk about the midi rigs. So far, I've only been doing drums and samples in my rack. Thanks to you, I just ordered the 4ms ensemble. We shall see if I can make sense and enjoy having a synth voice in the mix. Also ordered the Vermona Melodicer. I'm a keyboard player and really dislike programming steps and notes values.
Great video! (As always). I also love using a square LFO as clock, and modulating that LFO’s rate can yield very interesting results. Often side by side with another more steady clock to drive drums for example. Another interesting tip to to have some random gate or trigger signal (for example said varying square LFO) and use that and a steady clock (for example 16s) with a logic AND to make clock-quantized random gates/tiggers.
Nice!
It's about time you made this video..
The rangoons
@@RedMeansRecording !urban rangoons
i own tempi and would agree with your complaints. but as others have mentioned, clocking modules have to calculate the tempo if they are being clocked externally. you just need to pick one clocking module as your master and if you need more clocks in your system, then use a gate sequencer that advances one step per clock, like steppy, varigate, etc
here’s another fun fact about tempi, it’s clock outputs are not necessarily sample accurate with each other.
Thank you for saving me $200 on a Tempi! I was already planning on sync’ing it from PNW.
"Tempi is stupid' - haha, refreshing to hear it take a pasting, really did my head in so I sold it.
So I have a clock tip i think is lesser known; the analog clock out on the beat step pro is in fact a TRS jack where the ring outputs a run signal, im not sure if the keystep is the same in this regard, however. I send that run signal through a logic inverter and then to the reset on the varigate 8+ but if you dont have an inverter a NOR gate will work here too if you leave the other NOR gate input empty.
Oh!!
Can you explain a bit more what this accomplishes? Not sure I'm following what the trick you're describing does but it sounds interesting.
@@rhialto39 sure, my initial problem was that my varigate 8+ sequencer would become out of sync with my beatstep pro (master clock source) after i would press stop and then play again as it (vari 8+) would just continue where it left of in its sequence when i had pressed stop rather than starting from the beginning after pressing play again. The above is my solution but ill explain further why the solution works; the reset function on the varigate will only trigger after it receives a high signal and then a subsequent low signal. A run signal, like the one from the ring of the beatstep's analog clock out jack, goes high when you press play and low when you press stop - so by plugging it directly into the reset jack of the varigate and pressing play we should expect that the varigate will not play at all since the reset only happens after both a high THEN low signal, but this isn't what actually happens - it does start playing after a brief period but that still leaves us out of sync. however if we invert the run signal using a logic inverter it remains high while stopped and goes low when you press play, keeping them in sync ~ which exactly what we need.
a few notes: you'll need a tip and ring "Y" cable that separates tip and ring so you can use the tip output for clock and ring output for 'run' (now your reset after inversion). I use a module by Adventure Audio called 'ORX', it has OR and NOR logic outputs. I patch the tip output from the Y-cable into the clock input of the varigate. I then patch the ring of the Y-cable to one of the inputs on the ORX and subsequently patch the NOR output to the reset jack of the varigate. I chose this module because it was a very easy DIY kit that only set me back $50 and takes up only 2hp, but they come preassembled too if you dont own an iron. Just be sure that the run signal is the only thing patched into this module's inputs and the NOR gate will act as an inverter.
another good tip: if you also own the Voltage Block by malekko be sure to power it from the same power distribution board as the varigate 8+ and set the clock setting switch on the VB's faceplate to 'slave' and it will do exactly what the varigate does - no need to use another set of cables to clock and reset it! I know a few other modular people that had no idea that the last 3(x2) rails on the 16 pin headers are for +5v, CV, and clock. it seems some manufacturers are unaware of this too as I've seen an increasing number if modules using a voltage regulator to convert 12v down to 5v, like... why? that's just needlessly generating excess heat, but i digress... I know this was a wall of text so if there's anything that wasn't clear, lemme know!
@@MDJ5 Ahh, got it. Thank you for the in-depth explanation, super helpful.
Nice. Thx for this. I recently put the re-issued noise engineering horologic solum and uter to work .
This sounds so sick. Especially with the clocked delay. Lately I've been playing with the Op Lab module on the OP Zed. It sends cv as well as gate. Seems to function pretty performatively.
Did I already say you're a national treasure, Jeremy? Cuz you are. 🥰
You should try Qu-Bit Pulsar. It’s so much fun to turn the knob and find new rhythms on the fly.
A god-tier thumbnail, Jeremy, holy shit
I like Pamela's New Workout and Mordax Systems Data modules for clock as they do a lot.
Have you taken a look at the Shakmat Time Wizard? Clock divide/multiply + logic. 6 interrelated outputs with knobs and switches to play with. I'm a big fan of all of the Shakmat trigger stuff. They make dialing in rhythms fun.
Ooh I'll check it out!
I have two of them, they are a pretty solid choice imo
Yeah Shakmat are on top of the clocks and logic game.
I liked this even before I watched the excellent educational content because Flavor Flav thumbnail.
Excellent tutorial on clocks! I've seen people use the 'Ochd' for various clocking times throughout their entire Modular System since it's an oscillator with 8 different LFO's pulsing at
8 individual times- have you used
that trick? You saved me, as well as many others I'm sure, from much frustration + a big waste of money by letting everyone know about the timing issues inside Make Noise Tempi module. I was saving up to purchase that...not now. If a clock has problems keeping time
that's absolutely ridiculous- why
hasn't anyone else brought that up about it not starting on the 1 of a beat so it screws your entire
timing! Also that it's just an electricity sucker cuz it's forever
ON and has so many blinking/moving LIGHTS....I used to think wow, that Tempi module will look great in my case with all those dancing,blinking shades of beautiful Blue. Yeah, as it drains all the energy and sucks up every
bit of electricity in my case!!! Then it refuses to come into the already timed Soundscape I've spent hours creating so I get extremely frustrated thinking it's me because I'm still learning all this when actually, it's just how that Module was built! Why would a company like Make Noise create a Clock that acts as the Tempi? Have you called them
to let them know what your Tempi is doing? Perhaps you were sent a broken module?
Anyway, great video. Do more on
another module. 👌💡🌌🎥
I need to revisit the tempi manual to see if I've missed anything!
There is a lot of threads on Muffwigler about Tempi and issues
"Thirsty for clock" has to be the name of a Synth Jam event some day
Speaking on clocked delays you should look up Sarajevo from Xaos new syncable analogue delay module. Also would love to see a video from you on the Generate 3. My next two modules are those - And I have a keystep pro coming tomorrow.
I have had a generate 3 for a while now and don't love it as much as I would have hoped. Looking to part with it actually.
@@RedMeansRecordingreally? What is it about it you don't like?
You're reading my mind Jeremy
Tempi takes two pulses before it picks up clock? So, it's like the guitarist of the eurorack world? Great video by the way. Very helpful.
This is so helpful
Wow at 10:00 already really confused, just trying to find out why i need a clock module at all, i thought thats what sequencers are for, and here you are with a rack with three clocks and several sequencers ???
Dig the QX expander for Quadrax. Highly recommend. Bunch of rhythmic gates (eor,eoc-derived from the envelopes you triggered with clocked triggers). And yeah, PNW = MVP. Every musician, not even eurorack fan, should have one.
By the way, how do you feel about the stereo dipole vs. any other euro filters you are familiar with?
Upgrade the firmware on Pams! They’ve added quantization! It’s magical!!!!!
Tempi needs two pulses to figure out the frequency of the clock pulses.
One clock pulse by itself says nothing about the pulse frequency.
I'm not saying that makes Tempi less unhelpful, but it does allegedly remember that frequency once it's learnt it.
18:33 ears perk up. The big rig didn't look so big to me until the shot included the Keystep Pro. 🦍
Wow, this is pretty much the only system I've seen without MATHS. Not a problem, just interesting.
I have one maths and it's a smaller rack. I love!!
innocent viewer: don't skip part of this video, don't fast forward this video, don't mute this video.
damn this vid made me thirsty for clock too
You’re ace.
Have you tried the new(ish) step advance mode on Hermod?
It an interesting mix between of tempo based sequencer ( steady clock based) and ‘step’ sequencing ( ie where a trig advances one step)
Could you elaborate on that? I’m new to hermod and that sounds pretty interesting
@@ModernDevotion
technically : set clock transport to A : Trig. then a TRIG on CV A, will 'run' the clock tempo for CLOCK IN DIV. - musically: say you have notes on 1/4 and IN DIV = 1/4, then it acting like a conventional sequencer, just advancing when you TRIG it.
however, whats interesting, is if you zoom in, then put notes on 1/16... your single TRIG will fire a sequence of notes.
so you can have shorts 'patterns' that are fired every time you send in a trig.
... lots of creative uses, especially given the FX that hermod has.
@@TheTechnobear oh wow. I’m gonna have to try that out! 🙏
Do you typically use the key step pro in internal mode as the master and then click the external button on ableton to record, or the other way around with ableton as master? How do you deal with the USB jitter?
I now need a Mimeophon. Thank you- I think…
Re Steppy however- I recently bought Steppy, partly based on one of your other vids, and I’m not terribly impressed tbh. Aside from being furiously complex and not very user-friendly, it doesn’t sync properly to Pam’s, which is the master clock in my system too. If I feed Steppy 96bpm from Pam, it plays at 24bpm. If I feed it 300bpm, it plays at 75bpm. Obvious there is a workaround (simply multiply the Pam’s output by 4), but surely it shouldn’t be necessary? Every other sequencer I have, fed 96bpm, plays 96bpm. Steppy doesn’t. It may prove too useful to sell on, but currently my opinion of it is about as high as yours of Tempi…
Steppy needs a clock at the ppqn you want it to advance, not some massively insane clock
I think, when you start the Eurorack journey, you don't see the importance of clock (and other seemingly meaningless utilities), gates and triggers. But they are important... and tricky. You get this, when you are looking for triggers or gates, and don't find them...
Yeaaahhhh Boiiiiii!!!
Did you already thought about a partner channel with the name "Green Means Playback"? :)
Thx for the tut by the way
Hey Jeremy, I love your videos and I've been having a huge problem with Varigate 8 that I don't see discussed here, which is: how do you get it to start and stop with pams as master or even KSP as master? My Varigate will not start and stop if it's taking tempo and reset externally. I have to manually start it and leave it on, which in a live performance is embarrassing to start your sequence, only to have to simultaneously start pams (or whatever my master is). Am I missing something? I'm also getting little inconsistent glitches upon starting where it plays note sixteen before note 1 and sort of makes a glitchy skip when the varigate starts, not every time though. I really need help to know if the Varigate can be slaved and started or stopped externally because if not, I have no idea why anyone even uses this sequencer since it's buggy AF also.
Doesn't any clock that is not MIDI clock sync'd need two pulses to establish tempo? You need to know the time difference between pulse 1 and 2 to know what the tempo is. What do Steppy or 2hp Div do differently that they're able to be in sync without a 2nd pulse? Or, is it more that Tempi doesn't hold tempo when hitting start/stop on Pam's?
Not sure but they respond faster. I likely has something to do with the fact that tempi wants tempo which is a slow pulse compared to the 16th notes i feed Steppy or the 48 or 24 ppq clock Pam's likes. I've upped my resolution clock out of Pam's to tempi and it picks up faster but now I need to divide all my clocks down on it.
No. with analog clocks nothing is 'figuring out' what the tempo is as the signal itself is just a quick jump from 0 volts to 5 volts which tells your clock destination circuitry to advance in whatever way it's designed to. there are some exceptions to this as some modules are digital and it wouldnt surprise me to see that the 2hp div has an ARM chip on its circuit board which you can think of as a fancy micro controller, however, it's still likely that one of the pins on the chip is routed to the clock on the circuit and from there the code on that chip determines when to 'advance'. dividing a clock is easy as you can just ignore every other pulse for /2 clock, every other pulse +1 for /3 etc...
Clocks and resets can get goofy between different manufacturers and devices. Does it reset on the leading edge of the square wave or the falling edge? There are no standards and sometimes no documentation. But it's a bi..h when you're trying to sync and things end up one step behind.
Yeah ugh it's frustrating
DJ Porpoise P4lses 💕
Howdy. I'm revisiting because I just got some desktop synths and want to manage clock. I'd like to have a clock that can work for eurorack / desktop synths, plus can work in the studio and when performing. Ever use any standalone gear for this?
Yeah there one. Check out erm
RACKS VS FREE VSTS: LOL WHEN YOU A STARVING ARTIST
Great overview! When recording multiple tracks, is it possible to record a clock track that can be used to sync with when recording/editing other tracks?
Technically yes. That's like the concept of tape striping back in the day.
Red Means Recording interesting, is there a modern equivalent? I suppose it’s a matter of somehow recording the cv to an audio track?
I fell in love with Pamela
If the Tempi (sp?) only has a clock input, that is indeed dumb, because with just that input, there's no way to divide or multiply a signal without at least one cycle (positive and negative parts of a sine, leading edge of one pulse to leading edge of another). _That_ is what defines a frequency. The only way to do such a thing with just a clock input is to have that fundamental input a _really_ high clock. Like 1 MHz (That would give a 1 microsecond delay).
I watched this all the way through and didn’t seem to catch how you send reset out to stuff from PNW? I have a Maestro and Data Bender that could use reset. Help and thanks :)
With data bender I have a gate channel out of Pam's that's set to around /16. That resets my data bender. For other things you might want a longer time frame between reset gates.
I’m gonna start saying “thirsty for clock”
You mentioned changing the Varigate PPQN. I need to do that but not seeing where to do it. Is it marked on the board?
I changed what was going into it, not a setting on it
@@RedMeansRecording Ah, ok. I just learned about needing to use reset and clock. After patching those out from a Trigger Riot into a Varigate 4+, I still have to mess around with hitting the play/stop button on the Varigate to get the sync to happen.
16:12 T R I G G E R E D
Buuuuuuuuuuuull shit just got you a subscriber 🤣
For the varigate 8+ clock, couldnt you just use a the PNW to clock it? Thanks
And waste a possible modulation channel on Pam's? NO :)
@@RedMeansRecording do you not have the expansion module for Pam's?
hey jeremy there is a thing, if i send clock out from the keytep pro to a certain sequencer, the cklock is all over the place. no matter how i set the ppq is doesnt change shit. if i send clock from my grandmother or from pams to the same sequncer, it works normal. any idea why is that??
I have no idea, it is all very specific to the devices and settings you're using. There is no generalizations with this stuff, you have to be very directed and specific and read the manuals.
To get out of a tongue-twister loop, just say: Irish wristwatch.
four porpoises per quarter note
Damn i was gonna buy a tempi but now lol.
What do you do if your oscillator doesn’t have a gate in? Do you run said oscillator into a vca and the gate to the cv input of vca?
oscillators without a gate or trig in are always running. you have to subtract volume from them to form an envelope. run the oscillator output into a vca and a trig into the trig input of an envelope generator, and patch the output of the envelope generator into the cv input of the vca. then take the output of the vca, which is now being shaped by the envelope.
@@RedMeansRecording modular is crazy. Really makes me respect the synth creators out thar
@@RedMeansRecording also...thank you for taking the time to respond to me. Been playing synths for awhile but only just now getting into the modular world
yes yes ALM
E porpoise pluribus unum.
Damn Jeremy, I wanna marry you. LOL
doesn't sound like anything to me.
"Big Honking Rack", yet no Big Honking Button. Hmmmmmmmm.
You're right. I will fix this.
🐬🐬🐬🐬
ok.. humm.. can you please come round to my house and help me
that sounded weird, I mean to help me set up my clocks..
First!
OMG i READ EUROTRASH...OHHHHHHHHHHHH YAH LOL
Can you point a sad person to the point where he shows how to FINALLY sync Tempi to … anything else? :/
Patch a clock pulse into the *Tempo* input (south west of the knob, the lower of the group of 3 jacks), Tempi will sync to that signal after 2 pulses.
Looking at the manual, Tempi seems to be a module you're not meant to use unless you have the manual in front of you.
It's trying to do too much with too little user interface.
are you wearing blackface in the yt thumbnail?
that is an image of flava flav