EDP - MIDI sync quick tutorial

[Matthias Grob <matthias@grob.org>]

Since I had to explain the basic MIDIclock settings recently to a 
percussionist who did not know anything about it. So about the 
following explanation was needed:
(sorry, I dont have the fluent language of Kims, and I tried to keep it 
short)

You got used to the basic functions of the EDP and now want to use it 
with a drum machine or sequencer (I refer to the HR16 here, the 
others are similar):

Connect the MIDI Out of the EDP to the MIDI In of the drum machine.
If you never used the Timing parameters of the EDP, they should be 
set correctly, otherwhise set 8th/cycle = 8 and Sync = Out (how? read 
next paragraph)
Set the drums pattern length to 4 and program a simple one bar rhythm.
Set the drums to "MIDI slave" or similar (the HR16 does it autmatically).
Press Record, play one bar, press Record again. The drum should start 
playing and keep the timing of the loop.

[ How to change parameters:
Press Parameter until the green LED lights on the row you want 
(Tempo, in this case, so just press once) and then look at the 
parameter by pressing the button in the column you want (Multiply for 
8th/cycle or Insert for Sync in this case) and change it by pressing 
the button again until the value you want appears. In case of 
8th/cycle you can also use the FeedBack knob to regulate. A long 
press takes you to the default value which is 8 for 8th/cycle and Out 
for Sync. Then go back to playing by pressing Parameter longly ]

Note:
- The parameter name 8th/beat is confusing and is renamed to 
8th/cycle in the EDP+
- To simplify operation, the sequence of the 8th/cycle values is irregular
- If the cycle is too short, the Timing LED does not blink and the 
drum does not start

Now a main question: the length of the loop in relation to the drum 
pattern.
Roughly, the following names correspond:
   Pattern = Cycle
   Song (several patterns) = Loop (seveal cycles)
We synchronize the Cycle to the Pattern
The length of the pattern in the drum machine is usually defined by 
beats (quarter notes) while the lenght of the cycle in the EDP is 
defined by 8th = half beats.
So if the parameter 8th/beat is set to 8 and the pattern lenth to 4 
beats, the pattern and the cycle are of the same length.
But often either your basic cycle or the drum pattern contains 
several bars, so we need to deal with this correctly to avoid 
surprises where the drums suddenly plays at double or half speed. So 
these are the typical variations:

You want to play a 4 bar loop and use the same one bar drum pattern. 2 
ways:
1)  you create a one bar cycle first without playing, so the drum 
starts and guides you while using Multiply to play your 4 bar theme
2)  you set 8th/cycle = 32 and record the 4 bar loop (=cycle) in one go

You use a 2 bar drum pattern (still with the settings as in the beginning):
1)  you record a 2 bar cycle so the drums come in right
2)  you set the 8th/cycle = 4 and record a 1 bar cycle

You change pattern length to 16 and program a 4 bar pattern:
1) leave 8th/cycle = 8 and record a 1 bar cycle
2) change the 8th/cycle = 32 and record a 4 bar cycle

Similar for odd rhythms:
Set the 8th/cycle = twice the Pattern length for equal number of 
bars. To reach the odd 8th/cycle values, press 10 times to pass the 
even values, then it starts to count every number starting at 1...


The benefit of the Sync parameter:
So far it was set to Out which is the most acurate and automatic method.

If you set Sync = OuS, the drum will not start and stop automatically any 
more.
Once the loop is running, you can start it manually at the drum 
itself, but you have to hit the Start button exactly, otherwise its 
off. So you better start from the EDP at the next beat one by 
pressing: Mute-Multiply (or the DirectMIDIcmd QuantizedStartSong if 
you have a MIDI pedal and Loop4)

If you set Sync = In, you can reverse the Master - Slave order, so 
the EDP joins into and keeps with :
You have to reconect the MIDI cable from the drum Out to EDP IN
Set the drum to "internal clock" or similar
Set the tempo at the drum
Start the drum first
Record as long as you want. Watch the green MULTIPLE numbers count the 
cycles.
The loop will be rounded to a multiple of the length defined by the 
pattern length and 8th/cycle, just as explained above.

In general: Its interesting to keep the drum simple, especially if 
you can loop percussion sounds, too, so you keep the drum for a 
constant base and add (changing) live stuff in the loop.

Hope this helps, at least to write this better :-)

For more info there is Kims FAQ: 
http://www.loopers-delight.com/tools/echoplex/FAQ3.html
and the manual...
-- 


          ---> http://Matthias.Grob.org