User guide

Tracktion 4 Reference Manual
142
6.6 : Synchronising Tracktion With External MIDI Devices
Working With MIDI Clock
MIDI clock is the most simple form of synchronisation between two MIDI devices. It carries no time
information, just a pulse that effectively stamps out a metronome for other equipment to keep time to.
One disadvantage of MIDI clock is that there is no facility for error correction, so it is possible for de-
vices to drift out of time. If you need very accurate synchronisation you should, if at all possible, instead
use MIDI timecode.
Tracktion cannot chase MIDI clock, but it can transmit it to any, or all of your MIDI output devices.
To enable MIDI clock on an output:
• Switch to the settings page.
• Select the MIDI group.
• Select the MIDI out device to which you wish to send MIDI clock data (Fig. 6.6.1).
• Enable the
send midi clock option.
Working With MIDI Timecode
MIDI timecode is a very powerful synchronisation tool that shares much in common with SMPTE.
Where MIDI clock is just a simple metronome, MIDI timecode carries time-of-day information that al-
lows for a degree of error recovery if timing messages are lost. MIDI timecode can even be used to cue
actions at certain times.
Tracktion can both send and chase MIDI timecode.
To transmit timecode on a given MIDI output:
• Switch to the settings page.
• Select the MIDI group.
• Select the MIDI out device to which you wish to send MIDI timecode data..
• Enable the
send midi timecode option (Fig. 6.6.2).
Figure 6.6.1
Figure 6.6.2