MIDI Syncing MPC3000 & SP-1200 issues

These machines won't seem to sync properly

I have tried using both machines as the master, and they "sync" but they are always a bit off-beat from each other.

The SP-1200 seems to always lag behind the MPC no matter who is the slave and who is the master.

Is this a known issue?

I have tried messing with SMPTE, but it seems a bit more complicated than midi...

What method are you using to sync them via MIDI (MIDI beat clock/MIDI Timecode/MIDI Machine Control)?

MIDI beat clock (MIDI clock) syncs the tempos of the two machines, it can also sometimes use a song position pointer, for locating to a set number of MIDI clock signals from the start (I think).

MIDI Timecode (MTC) sends a time position, it doesn't sync tempos of the two machines, you have to manually set the tempo to be the same in both machines.

MIDI Machine Control (MMC) sends start/stop/etc. commands from one machine to another, it just starts them at the same time, it doesn't sync tempo or time position (but I think it sometimes can sync a starting time position, if it implements the locate/goto command).

SMPTE Timecode, or linear timecode (LTC) is pretty much the same as MIDI Timecode, but through an audio cable instead of a MIDI cable.


Does it play along at exactly the same tempo, just delayed slightly?

MIDI Clock.

I'm not sure what I did, but I just fixed it with either machine being the master.

I think I needed to turn off the MPC's MIDI Time Code. Even though it wasn't being used, I think that it was turned on was messing stuff up.

THANKS!

b_side wrote:MIDI Clock...I think I needed to turn off the MPC's MIDI Time Code. Even though it wasn't being used, I think that it was turned on was messing stuff up.

I think you're right. Too much and conflicting MIDI data/sync signals will affect accuracy. If you can, always dedicate one MIDI cable/port exclusively for sync purposes and go with MIDI clock over MIDI timecode for tempo sync purposes.