Sync with MIDI or FSK or SMPTE

Skid

Is there a way to send a midi sync clock?

Is there a way to control ST3 with a midi clock sync?

SMPTE?

FSK?

Damir

Skid hi Skid, i am curious to why you need a drum machine synced up to ST3, as far as i know ST3 is a simple audio backing track player with lots of power to manipulate audio, why not record your devices and play them through ST3 as it was intended, why is everyone wanting to convert ST3 in to a DAW , thats not what i wanted when i was looking for a simple backing track player, yes i would like it to do certain basic replay things but i dont want a full on daw, i already have plenty of them and none are designed to meet my needs on stage.
Midi has its place in the studio ST3 is suppose to be a simple backing track player with very powerfun on stage needs.
Now it can even midi change your effect pedals as it plays which is more than it should do why would you want it syncing up to hardware instruments to complicate your setup when you can just record it and play it?
I am just curious because years ago i use to have a ton of equipment on stage all midi controled and was looking for a simpler way, ST3 has delivered it perfectly , why would i want to go backwards, i am very curious as there seems to be more and more people pushing for midi control. I just need to know why incase i am missing out on something recent developed.
Cheers Damir

Skid

This is to sync an old drum machine with midi sync AND an OLDER drum machine with FSK.

I have readers for both but don't know how to embed or generate this kind of code...

SignalProducer

Skid

Damir I agree, this is a special program in its ease of use and great sound.

I could use a laptop to run a full on show but as you say, simplicity is best. Peter came back and mentioned that ST3 can generate midi sync. That is good enough.

The idea is programing a set filled with techno-dance music. Not what I initially thought would happen. Setting up a solo loop with sync, the synths can use arpeggiators. I will look into what Peter was talking about. This should work perfectly.

(I was not sure if I should sync ST3 or generate from ST3...)

peter

ST3 can send midi clock but not receive it. I would not advice to use multiple devices to run backing tracks. If you just want to see lyrics in ST3 you could use a midi command to start and stop ST3. No need for midi clock then.

Skid

peter Yes Peter, this is what I am now looking for. Is there an instruction online?

Damir

Skid The idea is programing a set filled with techno-dance music. Not what I initially thought would happen. Setting up a solo loop with sync, the synths can use arpeggiators. I will look into what Peter was talking about. This should work perfectly.

Just a thought Skid, as i am not sure how you run your show but it sounds like you like layering live external gear with a basic backing track, now thats giving yourself a lot of work that might be avoided if you perhaps use ST3 audio regions which are actually loops, you have 24 or 25 loops in one song capability not sure the exact number as theres no mention of it in the online manual, but that will give you plenty loops to bounce around your techno bracket, and you can seamlessly go to any loop you want with foot or finger control you can permanently loop a section or move on to another when you feel the mood, now this gives you a lot of power to program everything for a reasonably long techno session, you can then have multiple song sessions and put them in a playlist and continue the show by mixing to another song and continue with another new 25 loops and keep going all night if needed without a stop.
This means all your arpeggiated stuff can be placed in a loop so you can manipulate the mood but not have to drag all the external stuff with you, the audience would not know any difference and you could easily layer live stuff on top not having to worry about the extra external tack ons, Just a thought, as i did it the hard way years ago and the audience has not given a rats arse in actual fact i have more fun with them now as i don't have to worry about any sync cable issues and levels and program changes etc etc,
If you do it too well the way you do it they will think you are using backing tracks only anyway, so why bother.
Just some things to think about.
And Peter if you read this i think the manual really needs the audio regions number count ST3 is capable of in the beginning of that section in the online manual, this might prompt new ways this function can be used for new users.
Cheers Damir

peter

Skid Yes Peter, this is what I am now looking for. Is there an instruction online?

What exactly are you looking for? Just assign start and stop actions in settings and to the midi commands you want to use for this purpose. It is in the remote control section.

Skid

Damir Hello Damir, the more I progress with setting up the show, the more I can see how to easily have things happen.

First, I am using the ST3 like it should be used normally for a few songs then progressing into extended arrangements. Perhaps the easiest (KISS-keep it simple...) is to move off ST3 and onto a looper or something like that. Just smoothly began the live instruments performance.

More on this later. I guess there is always a way out of the box.

I have a more pressing question. It's the same as mentioned before with using ST3 and AUM but AUM only sees the app and not the outputs for routing into different apps. My way out of this is to simply make a Y cable and plug my headphone into both the headphone out and the main out as I need to hear my cues and send at least 2 separate outputs to the mains. AUM could route this if outputs were identified. This may be an AUM issue because if I use Rogue Amoeba Audio Hijack on a Mac, I can route the targeted outputs but on IOS, AUM does not have this ability.

If there is a way to do this routing, please describe it.

The reason for the mixing headphone with main output is that I am using the iPad as a virtual guitar amp with Amplitube on the left channel so I need to hear the final mix (guitar on left/ST3 on right along with Cues out of the actual headphone)

Any thoughts on this?

Damir

Skid The reason for the mixing headphone with main output is that I am using the iPad as a virtual guitar amp with Amplitube on the left channel so I need to hear the final mix (guitar on left/ST3 on right along with Cues out of the actual headphone)

Any thoughts on this?

Hi Skid, firstly i would never put all my eggs in to one basket that is a continually updating device like Ipad, it took me a while to trust it to be a simple stereo audio player using ST3, trying to also play my guitar through it and also to have a third click out would make me very nervous on stage knowing how easy these devices spit the dummy.
So i use a dedicated foot pedal device that my microphone goes in to and my guitar this output then goes in to a small mixer where i can mix the ST3 output from ipad, i also have my iphone going in to another channel of the mixer which is an identical setup to ipad and mounted below my ipad, this is my backup if my ipad fails and it also serves as my background music while I'm on a break, the little mixer gives me easy knob control of the three levels.
The foot pedal has all my guitar effects and a harmonizer on board, its also got looper capability if needed but i never use that as it gives me more work to do for no audience gain ST3 does it easier and better without stress.
I also feed an aux out St3 audio only from my little mixer in to my HELICON aux in so if i am not playing my guitar the backing track controls the harmonizer, this works great, i dont program any guitar program changes as i want freedom to choose my guitar sounds on the run as i only have a few favourites i dont want to be forced to always use pre programed presets, its less work and gives you freedom to create on the run,
Click track i dont need as i have a visual click and when i start a song my backing audio and my synced lyrics are good enough and if i pause the visual click kicks in again to guide me back in to the new loop.
So basically i run the show, and the click is an aid to pull me in to shape when no audio is present.

Sorry i did not help in your audio out question but Peter is the expert with the digital routing , i feel as though running everything through the ipad is asking for trouble, i dont even like running multiple programs on desktops if the work is very important.
Computers are getting more powerfull but they need a few more years to get to a point i would get up on stage and rely totally on one device to do everything.

peter

My advice would be to use a multichannel audio interface then route amplitube to channel 1 and use the rest of the channels for Stage Traxx. Then build your monitor mix on your mixer. This will greatly reduce error potential and keep things simple.

Skid

This is good information. I have changed the setup half dozen times and it is refined now to a stereo ST3 track with cues and click on left and backing up the middle in case I use only one in-ear. (nice to actually hear stuff on stage).

Im having a little operational things to work thru like playlists not updating with iCloud. (Fix was to completely close ST3 and reopen. It resumes updating)

There are more details to describe which I will as soon as I can get it into a rehearsal room to bug out.

My last show (30 yrs ago) took 8 solid months of programing before I could even start rehearsals. 2 Midi DJ's and rack of Casios...