Can Logic Pro for iPad receive MIDI clock from external gear?

skdeish

I’ve got the Roland Aira S-1 and T-8 and can’t get the routing set up the way I want. I have the Airas daisy chained via TRS MIDI cables and the last one in the chain plugged into the iPad via USB C. I want to send the clock from the Airas to Logic to get it all synced up but seem to only be able to send MIDI clock from Logic rather than to it.

Without receiving clock, I can only get the first Aira in the chain to start playing when I hit play in Logic and use Logic’s clock out. Anyone have tips?

animalelder

Possible idea: Can you use Ableton Link? Most modern devices and software have it built in.

MadGav

@skdeish said:
I’ve got the Roland Aira S-1 and T-8 and can’t get the routing set up the way I want. I have the Airas daisy chained via TRS MIDI cables and the last one in the chain plugged into the iPad via USB C. I want to send the clock from the Airas to Logic to get it all synced up but seem to only be able to send MIDI clock from Logic rather than to it.

Without receiving clock, I can only get the first Aira in the chain to start playing when I hit play in Logic and use Logic’s clock out. Anyone have tips?

It’s kind of “normal” that a DAW will only send MIDI clock, not follow it. IIRC it became like this when audio tracks were added to sequencers. If clock out isn’t steady enough there are various hardware devices around that will generate a super-stable MIDI clock from audio - but these rely on a plug-in and I’m not aware myself of any supporting iOS.

Edit: I think @animalelder has the solution I’m sure someone has received a clock generator which will follow Link but not cheap iirc.

animalelder

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/link-to-midi/id106621659
Link to Midi might be helpful. I own it so I can’t say the price. But it’s cheap or free IIRC

zzrwood

Might not be very elegant, but couldn’t you connect both devices via USB and midi sync out to both from Logic?

Mountain_Hamlet

@MadGav said:

@skdeish said:
I’ve got the Roland Aira S-1 and T-8 and can’t get the routing set up the way I want. I have the Airas daisy chained via TRS MIDI cables and the last one in the chain plugged into the iPad via USB C. I want to send the clock from the Airas to Logic to get it all synced up but seem to only be able to send MIDI clock from Logic rather than to it.

Without receiving clock, I can only get the first Aira in the chain to start playing when I hit play in Logic and use Logic’s clock out. Anyone have tips?

It’s kind of “normal” that a DAW will only send MIDI clock, not follow it. IIRC it became like this when audio tracks were added to sequencers. If clock out isn’t steady enough there are various hardware devices around that will generate a super-stable MIDI clock from audio - but these rely on a plug-in and I’m not aware myself of any supporting iOS.

Edit: I think @animalelder has the solution I’m sure someone has received a clock generator which will follow Link but not cheap iirc.

I know in iOS land BM3 does receive MIDI clock and so does Loopy Pro to name a couple off the top of my head. As far as MIDI receiving options go Audiobus can be helpful in linking between MIDI and Ableton Link.

skdeish

@animalelder said:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/link-to-midi/id106621659
Link to Midi might be helpful. I own it so I can’t say the price. But it’s cheap or free IIRC

Link to MIDI does seem useful but can it go in the opposite direction? I want to turn my MIDI clock from the S-1 into a Link signal. If I could just reverse the direction in the app I’d be good to go.

animalelder

Yeah it seems like Ableton Link is the only way to start play in Logic…else it currently only sends MIDI clock.

But can you use Link in Logic and connect the Link to MIDI app…to send start and stop commands to your Roland boxes?

Sorry, seems like a frustrating situation.

Mountain_Hamlet

@skdeish said:

@animalelder said:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/link-to-midi/id106621659
Link to Midi might be helpful. I own it so I can’t say the price. But it’s cheap or free IIRC

Link to MIDI does seem useful but can it go in the opposite direction? I want to turn my MIDI clock from the S-1 into a Link signal. If I could just reverse the direction in the app I’d be good to go.

Honestly, have a look at Audiobus. If what you are wanting to do is convert MIDI from the machines to Ableton Link for Logic this might be the perfect solution. It can work as a patchbay for all this sort of stuff. You can use it as a central play/stop controller.

zzrwood

@skdeish said:
I’ve got the Roland Aira S-1 and T-8 and can’t get the routing set up the way I want. I have the Airas daisy chained via TRS MIDI cables and the last one in the chain plugged into the iPad via USB C. I want to send the clock from the Airas to Logic to get it all synced up but seem to only be able to send MIDI clock from Logic rather than to it.

Without receiving clock, I can only get the first Aira in the chain to start playing when I hit play in Logic and use Logic’s clock out. Anyone have tips?

Maybe I’m misunderstanding your use case, but I’m sure you can get both S-1 and T-8 to sync to Logic midi out via USB - with no midi cable connections.

While I don’t have two Aira compact devices, I do have a J-6 and an MC-101 and it works fine to sync them both over USB via sync in Logic. Below are pictures of the setup and the sync setup in Logic… I am also running audio in to the MC-101 out of Logic and then looping audio from the headphones out into the J-6. Would this work for you?

skdeish

Thanks a ton for setting this up and sending a photo, it is much appreciated! The issue on my end is that I’m trying to daisy chain the Aria units without using a second USB port on my iPad. I was under the impression that I could get the clocks working just using the TRS cables in the MIDI inputs. Perhaps Aira Link allows this, but I haven’t figured out what that feature actually does and am probably going to ask that question in a separate post.

zzrwood

Pretty sure you won’t be able to bridge between the midi sync via the midi ports chained between the Aira compact devices - and the midi sync over USB between the last Aira device in the chain and the iPad.
On the other hand, the setup I posted only requires the addition of a cheap USB adapter on the iPad and another USB cable, in the place of the 3.5mm midi cable.
The Aira devices are great with an iPad 👍

rs2000

Audiobus is worth a try.
There was a better app out there, called MIDI Link Sync but it seems that it's gone from the Appstore. It's able to convert between Link and MIDI clock in both directions, including offset correction.

But first of all I would double check why your Arias don't follow MIDI Clock.
Check these steps:
https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/how-to-sync-roland-aira-compact-devices/
and make sure the intermediate box in a Clock chain actually forwards Clock messages.

zzrwood

@rs2000 said:

But first of all I would double check why your Arias don't follow MIDI Clock.

The Arias follow midi sync perfectly, however you have to choose whether it’s via the midi ports or USB.
As I understand it, the OPs issue is they want to flow midi sync between the Arias over midi, and then between one of the Arias and the iPad over USB.
Pretty sure the Aria cannot deal with bridging the sync over USB with sync over midi.

rs2000

@zzrwood said:

@rs2000 said:

But first of all I would double check why your Arias don't follow MIDI Clock.

The Arias follow midi sync perfectly, however you have to choose whether it’s via the midi ports or USB.
ASI understand it, the OPs issue is they want to flow midi sync between the Arias over midi, and then between one of the Arias and the iPad over USB.
Pretty sure the Aria cannot deal with bridging the sync over USB with sync over midi.

Yep, a common issue with hardware and software.
There's always something in the fine print, right? 😉