Re: Real-time category

[Stefan Tiedje <Stefan-Tiedje@addcom.de>]

Jeff Larson wrote:
> There is one notable thing in the looping world that is impossible for
> a PC to do, and that is "brother sync" on the EDP, synchronizing two
> different hardware devices with sample accuracy.  You can use MIDI
> sync and retrigger periodically but it isn't as good.  Another point
> for RTOS.

No RTOS required, there is a thing called 'word clock', any proffesional 
audio hardware will have it. Its dead simple to syncronize two different 
hardware devices via wordclock. All DAW's could not live without it. I 
use a TC Fireworx as reverb, and simply connect it with RCA cables. The 
clock is perfectly in sync.

> I've been giving this some thought recently, and something that may
> improve the situation is to connect PCs in a network using MIDI or a
> MIDI/ethernet bridge, then let the PC who defines the first cycle send
> a short sysex to the others telling them exactly how many samples are
> in the cycle, thereafter they synchronize using MIDI clocks.  You will
> still need to retrigger periodically to keep them in sync, but since
> the loops all have exactly the same cycle length this will hopefully
> happen less often.

You can use a better technique already with OSC instead of Midi. Every 
event has a timestamp. Even if it comes in late, you know how to deal 
with it...

> You would not get the phase accuracy required for a stereo mix of the
> same signal, but for independent signals from different musicians it
> may be enough.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

You would even get the phase accuracy if you link your hardware via word 
clock. Don't wait, just see...

Stefan

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         Stefan Tiedje
         Klanggestalter
     Electronic Composition
               &
         Improvisation

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