H9 Harpeggiator sync with external midi clock

[AuralBee]

Hey guys,

Besides reading the posts touching upon this subject on this forum, I spent some time this afternoon testing why Harpeggiator does not seem to sync very well to external midi clock.

I hope somebody can test my findings below, or tell me I oversaw something.

I tried syncing through a usb-cable while controlling H9 Harpeggiator through an iPad, and had the same result using Ableton, Bitwig and Reason:

When sync is on in the H9 Control software, the BPM value of my daw is correctly reflected in H9 Control (that is, if I give the BPM a little nudge in my daw)

What I found out today is that, while leaving sync on, additionally tapping double tempo in H9 Control

(so 8th notes instead of 4th) of course doubles the reflected BPM in H9, and behold: Harpeggiator

presets start to sound like intended, at least to my ears.

So: in order to sync Harpeggiator correctly, H9 apparently needs a midi clock with a factor x2 in order to properly function.

This is only the case with Harpeggiator, other algos (e.g: delays) work as expected when hooked up as described above.

Hope this makes sense…could anybody pls verify if I am correct, or tell me if I am just missing something? I love the algo, but want to have this sync thing working 😉

[aviavi]

I’ve had similar problems with synching Harpeggiator (and other H9 pattern/time algorhithms) with MIDI clock.  When you change presets with clock running, the presets sound scrambled.  You have to stop whatever is sending sync, wait a couple of seconds and restart with the preseet you want selected.  This is a real bummer.

A workaround in software:  Disable MIDI clock in the H9 and set the H9 to receive tap tempo info on a MIDI CC number (via MIDI Settings>Assign MIDI CC to pedal functions>Tap Tempo).  I used CC 50. Then in Ableton Live I made a 1 bar MIDI clip with 4 CC 50 pulses drawn in that sends tap tempo pulses out to the H9.  This seems to work flawlessly.  The only thing is that some presets to do not start at the beginning of the pattern. But this can be fixed with either a “restart” command or calling up the preset again (via a MIDI button or MIDI command mapped to that preset.)

 

[AuralBee]

@aviavi: Ah, thanks, I did not think of this! It seems to be the only reliable way to get sync working.. To get the proper tempo though, I found that I have to draw in the CC events in 16ths in Ableton, but never mind that, this works!

Thanks again!

[aviavi]

AuralBee:  My sync issue was resolved once I turned on Global Tempo (duh!).  Not sure if this will help you too.  But if you didn’t have it turned on, try turning it on (from the manual):

Turning GLOBAL TEMPO ON or OFF. The factory default is OFF.

1) Press and hold the HOTKNOB button and Right Footswitch simultaneously for a few

seconds to enter System Mode.

2) Turn the Knob until [GLOBAL] is displayed.

3) Momentarily press the HOTKNOB button.

4) Turn the Knob until [TEMPO] is displayed.

5) Momentarily press the HOTKNOB button.

6) Turn the Knob to select [ON] or [OFF].

7) Press and hold the HOTKNOB button and Right Footswitch simultaneously for a few

seconds to exit System Mode.

Keep us posted!

 

[AuralBee]

Ok, adding that to the mix, I seem to establish steady sync (in Bitwig this time) by:

) indeed activating global tempo in the H9, after which I can leave ‘tempo on’ in each preset activated

) disabling H9 MIDI input clock

) sending the CC pulse, strange enough in 8th note pulses now. This results a in a correct BPM tempo (above H9 ‘tempo on’ button in H9 control)

This is all established through USB connection form PC to H9.

Strange workaround, I keep hoping for a more normal MIDI clock sync one day…

Will see if above method also works in Ableton..

Thanks for the tips! 

[AuralBee]

Harpeggiator sync in Ableton: same steps as described for Bitwig, but CC pulse in 4th notes for same result

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