Re: RC-50 weirdness: conclusion

[Richard Sales <richard@glasswing.com>]

This is worrisome!  Glad you guys are down in the trenches. 

I did solve my 'guide track out of the sub' problem.  I THOUGHT I'd set it in the system settings but either it changed itself or I didn't set it.  I'm STRONGLY suspecting that I read it in the manual and forgot that you actually had to physically do it!  I do manual reading late at night sometimes when the veil between reality and dreams is porous indeed. 

When will these frigging infernal machines be able to read our minds and have wireless ports installed so we think it and they just make the change?  It's probably a good thing they CAN'T read my mind, though.  It would probably crash and self combust, as Charles Dickens would say.  

But the sync issue could be a death cap for the RC50.  If this is true, it's only good for live in my book.  That's too bad.  I know Roland knows how to do sync.  Sheesh!  I used to sync my TR 808 & Jupiter 8 back before there was real sync - when synths were made of mud and dinosaur bones.  

richard sales
glassWing farm and studio
vancouver island, b.c.
800.545.6846
250.752.4816
www.glassWing.com
www.richardsales.com
www.hayleysales.com
www.blueberryfieldsfarm.com
On 13-Feb-07, at 9:31 AM, kkissinger@kevinkissinger.com wrote:

> Regarding the use of the RC50 as a slave device I am not conviced that it really syncs as a slave.
>
> It appears that when the RC50 recieves a MIDI-START message, it attempts to extract the tempo from the incoming MIDI-CLOCK treating it like a "tap" tempo then otherwise continue in "free run" mode.
>
> I would find the RC50 more useful it they dropped the requirement for a MIDI-CLOCK signal and provided settings for "Internal" or "External" sync.  (Instead they have "internal" and "both").  I don't see a need for "both".  With External sync, the RC50 would simply sync in real time with the incoming clock.    Then one would start/stop the loops with foot pedals or CC events (same as when using internal sync).
>
> My hunch (not knowing the software internals) is that the RC50 is designed to run with its internal clock in free-run mode and doesn't continuously sync with the incoming clock source.  The reason I say this is because when I do an accelerando or retard on the master tempo the RC50 doesn't track it.  It requires a MIDI start message for the RC50 to sample the incoming tempo and set its internal clock to the tempo that it detects.  As noted, the problem with this arrangement is that the tempo detection is innaccurate and it doesn't track in sync with the master.
>
> Now, in all fairness, I have only tried syncing to me computer (Firepod) interface and haven't tried it with other sources.  However, from the posts I am reading I am getting the impression that the issue is with the RC50 rather than the Firepod.  Incidentally, I can easily sync my K2600's internal clock to the Firepod.
>
> So, my question is: Has ANYONE successfully synced the RC50 to an external clock?  If there is a definate "yes" then I'll go back to the drawing board, though I am running out of options here.
>
> In the meantime, I am using some VST delays that are part of Cubase SX3 to accomplish my looping -- I am about 5 1/2 minutes into a new composition and the first in which I will incorporate live loops.  The info on this mailing list and on the links from this list have been very valuable to me and I appreciate the contributions of one and all.
>
> -- Kevin
>
>
> Quoting Teddy <teddybutter@mac.com>:
>
> > call them once a week to complain about this stuff. If they don't  hear
> > from us it will never get fixed.
> >
> > squeaky wheels unite
> >
> > Teddy