I just ordered a Squarp Mk3 today was hoping to get some advice on how to best use it with my setup.
I have a hardware drum machine, a couple of hardware synths, a small modular system (not really looking to multitrack) and an audio / midi interface.
What is the best way to get this synced to the Ableton grid for recording purposes and to minimise latency and jitter? Is it better to have Ableton as the master or the Squarp?
Is there a way of syncing via MIDI rather than USB? And would using an eternal clock (ERM?) be useful in getting the tightest setup or is this overkill?
Regarding your main query, the ‘best’ way to use the Pyramid depends on your setup, your workflow, and your hardware and only you can answer these things. Hopefully others who have similar experiences will chime in and offer their insights.
Latency is usually easier to compensate for, since it is regular and predictable. However, jitter can be a frustrating mess.
In practice, I believe the general consensus is that Ableton prefers to be the Master Clock in a hybrid setup.
Syncing via MIDI rather than USB - do you mean using a DIN MIDI cable as opposed to USB MIDI? This would depend on your MIDI Interface, which translates the DIN signal to USB. I find USB MIDI to be better in my rig if I’m not interfacing with the computer.
However, USB in a generalised OS like Windows does not prioritise MIDI communications as it would audio in my shallow understanding. I’m under the impression that people who rely on a tight sync between a computer and hardware rig use something like a USAMO from Expert Sleepers, which syncs via audio, which is bril but another device to purchase.
Finally: When I record into Ableton for mix/master purposes or to record vocals, my hardware rig is self contained and Im just recording audio which is sync’d to itself. I experience latency, but have minimised jitter by not relying on sync via the computer. Therefore, when I record something that is set to 140bpm on my Pyramid, and everything is a touch later once I record it, it’s a minor edit to slide it to the “1” in Ableton because it is all set for 140bpm. You can minimise this with adjusting your buffers in Ableton.