Pyramid & Ableton syncing over usb

Hi, Does anybody know how to sync ableton (as slave) to the Pyramid over usb? Let me explain the setup. Pyramid is the master, sequencing all my hardware, and clocks a beatstep pro, keystep and my friends ableton over midi. Now we want to record all audio (32 tracks over usb from the Behringer X32) in to ableton on an other computer. I want the recordings to start if I push start on the Pyramid. So I connected the recording computer over usb with the Pyramid and set the MIDI settings from the Pyramid to MIDI OUT sync and start/stop usb to SEND. But now I can’t find the Pyramid clock in ableton … wat am I doing wrong?

1st of all - Ableton does not receive transport via MIDI. :slight_smile:

In any case, if you are recording into Ableton from external instruments, you really want to use Ableton as your clock master and have all your instruments receive clock+transport from it. Or you can clock your Pyramid from Ableton, and clock all your instruments from Pyramid. But Ableton does not midi-slave well when you are recording audio into it. It makes a mess out of your tracks’ tempo. In this case, you can map the transport controls of Ableton to one of your midi controllers and that is how it’s done.

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Ok, got it to work, connected my beatstep pro (witch is synced over midi with the Pyramid) to my computer, put the sync & remote for the beatstep on in ableton. Arm tracks, arm ableton and tadaa recording starts if the squarp starts … So it looks it just can’t be done from the Pyramid usb … Maybe check in to that dear Pyamid developers…

I use the iCM4+ for all my MIDI and I have no issues with Ableton. Gets its start/stop and sync from Pyramid. Just works!

Fortunately, that’s not right.
Live can basically be synced externally and it reacts to remote transport commands.

Sorry, it is right. If you configure Ableton for EXT sync, it starts its transport when it starts receiving midi clock from whatever you have established as your clock master. If you send a transport Start/Stop message to Ableton without midi clock, it will not start its transport.

You can control Ableton’s transport with midi if you want to use Ableton’s clock to sync your external instruments which, if you are recording audio into Ableton, you will want to do.

This is probably because starting the transport from outside without clocking it wouldn’t make sense for them (ableton). By using Max for Live, btw, this behavior can be override.
Why would we want to start the transport without syncing Live? BUT indeed, you could want to do that.

See OP. I was simply pointing out what messages Ableton responds to, and the best way to record into Ableton from external instruments.

One usual / useful way to record is indeed to sync both.
I still don’t have any PYRAMID in my studio for testing, but I know we can record on it, store patterns to the card and then to use patterns as MIDI data for other sequencer. This is what I want to test, too…

I wonder:
once one has got PC and Ableton, does it have any sense using Pyramid?

If you have Ableton does it make sense having any instruments? Sequencers, synths, drummachines, pianos etc…

I use this setup, Pyramid as sequencer and master clock. I use Ableton as my main mixer, effects rack, multitrack recorder, USB midi controller pass-through and for the odd sample or virtual instrument.

I prefer the tactile nature of the Pyramid when making music. I often just turn my laptop screen off.

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lol. The cycle continues

I finally gonna try Ableton as well :frowning: … thought would never need it , but naaaah… I was even going to sell pyramid few days ago , but I am sure is gonna be cool and I gonna give a serious trial !
After recording the tracks I have made ( but never done ) I wish I can record them first in to Ableton for then writting them back in the sequencer

this weekend I gonna start that job and hopefully more inspiration !

I have changed my mind

Do you have issues with latency? Everytime I route MIDI into Ableton and back out to my synths, the audio that comes back into Ableton is always late.

While you may be able to get it to start and stop, Ableton will not accept external clock very well for long. Mark my words. Either get your clock from Ableton, or a Link enabled device, like The Missing Link. I would suggest the latter.

Yes you can try to sync Ableton to an external midi clock, but it will not work out well, especially if there is any warping of audio happening. To warp correctly and maintain even moderate timing stability, Ableton really needs an audio-rate clock, which Midi cannot possibly provide. Normally this clock is provided by the CPU of the machine Live is running on. That’s why Link was developed. Argue the technicalities all you want, tell us how you’re running Live with something else as the master clock, then tell me how your gig went when your set crashed and burned because Ableton had its inevitable externally clocked timing fart. I’ll put money on it.

Or trust in the fact that even though you read you can clock it externally, and there’s a button for it, it is NOT recommended.

Personally, I got a Pyramid because Ableton’s timing goes to such sh*t when it has to handle processing audio and sending midi at the same time. If I want to use a VST, I’ll fire up Mainstage and host it there. WWWAAAYYY better timing than Live when receiving external commands via midi. Just sayin’.