Record modular into Reaper.Best way to sync modular to bpm?

when im done building my Eurorack i want to record the modular into Reaper.what is a good way to sync the modular to Reapers BPM?is there any cheap modules that will let me do that?

I never ever sync to the computer or my recorder - I use Presonus Capture which does not even have a sync option I am aware of - because why?!

It is more trouble than it is worth unless you plan on working in the time domain in Reaper after you have recorded!

Usamo by Expert Sleepers should give you sample accurate sync, check it out, costs 100 euros.

Usamo by Expert Sleepers should give you sample accurate sync, check it out, costs 100 euros.
-- GunnarWaage

I am probably being really slow here, would you be so kind as to explain the setup please because I just don't see it.

How does the MIDI output from Usamo get into the modular?

Thank you :)

I am thinking back to when I used to use MIDI gear with my modular and I remembered the only setup I ever managed to get together that worked properly and kept everything in proper time. I don't know if it was sale accurate, but it sounded right.

It's a bit leftfield, it was connecting several setups together for live jam sessions with multiple people, iOS devices, so might be overkill and finally it is from memory so I might not remember all the steps, oh and it is based on Mac, but here goes:

1) Setup Ableton with Ableton LINK - the LINK part is crucial - this is the magic sauce that ties everything together!

2) Your computer needs WIFI - I always created an 'ad hoc' network from my Apple Mac computer - better than a router it seemed!? YMMV and it might be bette through a dedicated router. In which case I would recommend manually configuring your network rather than relying on DHCP.

3) A module that can convert MIDI to a clock pulse - I used Mutable Instruments Yarns

4) an iPhone with a CCK and a USB > MIDI converter (the M-Audio UNO I think) connected to Yarns (you will need to work out the config for Yarns)

5) The wonderful free MIDI LINK SYNC APP > https://apps.apple.com/us/app/midi-link-sync/id1071048493

6) WIFI on on your iPhone connected to the MAC synced using MIDI LINK SYNC via the iOS app to Ableton!

7) Enjoy centralised STOP/START/RESET and rock solid SYNC on as many devices and setups as you like.

It was excellent - unfortunately it's a lot of work to set up and configure correctly - but because of the compensation and decoupling of the clocks and the reliance on LINK it really did work very well indeed.

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Alternative approach using audio out:

This Make Noise video explains it perfectly and provides a modular pulse sample:

I wish I'd remembered about this before I typed all that out above but hey ho - both there now :)))

Stumbled over this too, might be helpful:

https://www.ableton.com/en/blog/midi-cv-link-sync-many-ways-connecting-modular-gear-live/

Good luck!!

Let us know how you get on and what you decide to do in the end and how it works :))

USAMO is excellent. MIDI generated by PC or even most MIDI sequencers is too jittery. I guess depends on what kind of music you make but after a while things will sound "off" compared to analog sequencers or built in sequencers etc.

You need to utilize an audio out for this. The USAMO box has a MIDI out and an audio in. It has a VST plugin too. You drop the VST plugin on a channel, and set its output (or in case of Ableton, use the "external audio effect" thing) to the audio out which goes into the USAMO box. Now you can add MIDI channels inside Ableton which can output to the Ableton channel with the USAMO plugin.

With the box, hook up the MIDI out to any MIDI to CV converter. I'm using a Mutant Brain and a Tram8, both are very good, I prefer the Tram 8 actually (8 gate outs, 8 MIDI CC outs) because of the MIDI CC options. There is 0 jitter this way, its really good, much tighter beats.

That's cool!!

Thank you for the explanation :)

So... given this, the biggest issue for me trying to integrate computers and modular was that I would have something playing in the DAW, I would gave something else playing on the modular, the clock sync would be fine, but the recording of the audio would be off and on playback I would hear everything falling apart and would have to manually realign everything - not fun!

I tried the hardware latency compensation thing, but could never really get it to work properly, as you say it would be early at one point and then late at another point - a nightmare basically.

Does the Usamo resolve this problem?

Yes it should resolve the latency, so you record a track to Live or Protools and when you want to add a track it does not line up with the first track. With Usamo, you actually have a plugin on a spare instrument track converting midi to audo and sending the audio to the usamo box. There the audio is converted to midi which is sample accurate. From there you hook up a beatstep or some other sequencer. Note that the DAW will be the master. Beatstep for example jitters alot. I am only going to use Usamo to send clock.

https://schneidersladen.de/en/expert-sleepers-usamo?number=150172

I am waiting for mine and I should receive it in a few days. There is another solution if you are using more midi channels which uses 3 modules from Expert Sleepers:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/expert-sleepers-es-3-mk4

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/expert-sleepers-es-5-mk3

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/expert-sleepers-esx-8md-mk2

This is more expensive but this is the solution recommended by Expert Sleepers. Usamo actually uses the technique from the ESX 8MD MK2

EDITED May 8th 2020, 04:22

Excellent - thank you to everyone again!!

I have no use for this at the current time, I am working 100% in modular and always recording live performances, but I know some people who might be very interested, especially at that price point - very cool!!