Midi clock in stand alone mode

[pauls999]

I'm trying to run VM in stand alone mode on a separate computer and sync it up to cubase on my main computer but i can't find away to get VM to accept a midi clock in stand alone mode, it doesn't seem to respond to a midi clock an any of the selected midi inputs.
The reason why i dont wnat to run it in with cubase as the host on the same computer is that cubase cant handle VM without tripping out the audio performance and clipping the audio all the time and yes the PC has plenty of power but the issue is cubase, running VM in stand alone on the separate computer works fine apart from sync.

Any ideas please?

[ColinP]

Maybe this is what you are looking for...

https://docs.cherryaudio.com/cherry-aud ... ck-divider

[pauls999]

Thanks ColinP, but that only works in host mode , in standalone i still cant get a midi clock to register in VM

[Steve W]

I'm trying to run VM in stand alone mode on a separate computer and sync it up to cubase on my main computer but i can't find away to get VM to accept a midi clock in stand alone mode, it doesn't seem to respond to a midi clock an any of the selected midi inputs.

Assuming you have midi out with clock coming from computer 1 going through an interface of some sort to computer 2, are you using the VM MIDI IN module (https://docs.cherryaudio.com/cherry-audio/midi-input) with the correct midi device selected? I just tested this with a hardware sequencer, but it should work for your set up, since computer 1 is in essence acting as an external clock source.

In my test, I then used ColinP's suggestion (MIDI IN --> MIDI CLOCK DIVIDER), sent clock to the VM 8-step sequencer (EXT CLK) and then varied the clock rate on my external sequencer. VM's Sequencer kept pace with the changes coming from my external clock source. Hope you can get similar results.

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Thanks for posing this problem!! As long as I explored it, I went a few steps further and used VM (standalone) to pass the clock out to a hardware module (not the clock source external sequencer) and at the same time to send non-clock midi data (notes, CCs, PB, etc.) from my usb keyboard to the same hardware module. VM's 8-step sequence can also control the external sound module's pitch while tracking the tempo of the hardware sequencer as modified by the MIDI Clock Divider. I have not yet attempted to wire up start, stop, etc.

[pauls999]

Assuming you have midi out with clock coming from computer 1 going through an interface of some sort to computer 2, are you using the VM MIDI IN module (https://docs.cherryaudio.com/cherry-audio/midi-input) with the correct midi device selected? I just tested this with a hardware sequencer, but it should work for your set up, since computer 1 is in essence acting as an external clock source.

voltage-sync.jpg (135.3 KiB) Viewed 2199 times

I have added the Midi input module, connected it to various devices, Polybrute, Keystep Pro, computer and all of them show its connected correctly but nothing is coming thru to the midi clock divider, the tempo display just shows the same as the host with no flashing leds in the divider showing it is working. The reset is connected to the play output on the transport.

[Steve W]

I have added the Midi input module, connected it to various devices, Polybrute, Keystep Pro, computer and all of them show its connected correctly but nothing is coming thru to the midi clock divider, the tempo display just shows the same as the host with no flashing leds in the divider showing it is working. The reset is connected to the play output on the transport.

I have those VM modules and could try to reconstruct what you have done later on. But, I don't see where you have an external clock coming in, unless the PolyBrute VST is sending midi clock from your other computer to the computer with VM. (I don't have the PolyBrute VST.)

OK. I took a very quick look at the PolyBrute Manual. I am guessing that maybe you are using the PolyBrute Connect software. Not sure. I have no idea if that's showing up as the PolyBrute VST in VM's MIDI IN module or if it is set to transmit the midi clock. Maybe there's an arturia expert around to help sort this out.

For comparison, here's what I had:

VM Ext Clock In.png (143.83 KiB) Viewed 2191 times

The led on the VM Clock Divider blinks. If yours doesn't, perhaps there is a way you can test to see if the PolyBrute VST is transmitting midi clock.

NEW INFO: I added Andrew Macauley's Tempo Display and took it from the VM Clock Divider. That works, too. I get the non-host clock tempo, the led blinks, and it responds to my external clock. Can you verify that the MIDI IN module is actually getting the clock from the PolyBrute VST?

[pauls999]

Thanks, I got it working becuase i had not connected the midi-in to the host, Doh!. I had assumed that selecting the device was all that was required.
The upshot from this is that i'm looking at using reaper to run VM as a VST because on that it was just a few % running compared to just 1 instance on cubase pushing 30% and peaking over 50% even when doing nothing. So even if i run it on a separate computer, reaper will give me the whole environment even if it is not my first choice of daws.

[Steve W]

Glad you found the missing link in the midi data chain. Exploring this was good for me. It gave me an opportunity to take a look at MIDI I/O to connect VM with external gear. Its been on the back of my mind for a while. I have also been mindful of CPU usage on single PCs trying to run everything and have been exploring a networked approach.

[AndreasFranke]

Fun fact. Try to get VST plugins inside of a Plugin Host module in sync to anything inside of the standalone. Will not work at all, because they only can sync to the global tempo which is given by the standalone it self and this can not be synced from any external source.

[Steve W]

Fun fact. Try to get VST plugins inside of a Plugin Host module in sync to anything inside of the standalone. Will not work at all, because they only can sync to the global tempo which is given by the standalone it self and this can not be synced from any external source.

What VM clock are you trying to use and what parameter you are trying to use in the VST Host? I have just started to test using the VM Arpeggiator clock routed to the DCO-106's Arpeggiator Sync parameter [vst3 version]. The DCO-106's arpeggiator seems to be responding to the VM Arpeggiator's clock, but I haven't yet wired in a second source directly to the VM Arpeggiator.

That doesn't work because it just seems to be modulating the rate of the DCO-106's internal arpeggiator.