Midi Timecode from old drum computer

J

Jan

New member
Hi friends, Here’s a difficult question: About twenty years ago I made several recordings with Fostex 4 and 8 track audio tape. I often used a Roland TR626 drum computer synchronized to the recording through an audio synch track.

I recently bought all this old equipment in order to save my old master tapes and transfer them into Cubase before it’s to late. Subsequently I would like to make nice remixes. This time using the latest digital enhancement techniques.

My problem has to do with the time synchronization of the midi information from my TR626 drum computer, to the tempo track in Cubase.

Ideally Cubase should recognize the time information that is embedded in the Midi out signal of the TR626 and use it to create a new tempo track. This way all midi notes would be perfectly ‘snap on beat’, making it possible to do substantial midi editing of the original drum track before assigning new drum samples to it.

Unfortunately my midi knowledge is insufficient to make Cubase recognize the midi time information of the TR626 (or perhaps Cubase is just not capable?).

I really would like the find a solution and would appreciate expert help. Thus far the only thing I could invent was:

1) Recording all Fostex audio tracks in Cubase
2) Using the audio synch track also recorded in Cubase to play back the TR626
3) Make an audio recording of the TR626 in Cubase (together with the other tracks)
4) Make a Tap Track in Cubase, following the audio recording.
5) Play back again the TR626 by means of the recorded synch track but this time record only Midi.

However, even this technique is extremely complicated because Cubase easily flips out completely with the tap tempo method.

Are there hardware interfaces that I might considerate, capable of ‘reading’ the Midi Time Information of the TR626, and forward it in a Cubase understandable way?

Expert help is more than welcome.

Thanks, Jan
 
I would try recording everything slaved off of the fostex (including the 626) and just record the incoming midi notes on a separate midi track along with the audio. Then you will have a good time reference to adjust the tempo track to
 
Thanks for the reply. This does however leave me with a new problem: How do I slave Cubase to the Fostex?

One of the Fostex audio tracks is a TR626 synch track, but I would not know how to synch Cubase to that.
 
Unfortunately the Fostex has no midi features. My hope was however, to use the Midi Timecode feature in order to synch (slave) Cubase SX to the TR626. It is my impression that Cubase only transmits MTC and is not capable of slaving to a non specific midi time format like what's transmitted by the TR626.

Question: Is it at all possible to slave Cubase SX to an ordinary midi divice through MTC?
 
Well, I dont think you need to.

Riddle me this: Can you slave to fostex to SMTPE? Look at the sync features on that thing cause it may be easier to send sync from cubase to the fostex. Does the 626 tell you the bpm when receiving sync? If not, guess then adjust it. That way you can get everything at once. The problem is that you have no time code to work with and if you just record from the 8 track, every thing will be messed up since regardless of how fast its playing, cubase will base everything on its own tempo track. I supposed you could record everything and just figure it out by playing with the tempo but its probably better do it right from the start

Is it at all possible to slave Cubase SX to an ordinary midi divice through MTC?
Click to expand...

No. VST32 Had it, but no more. it like to be the boss (it will take a wordclock though)
 
Thanks once again. Your info is very helpful. What I already feared is that Cubase SX can’t be slaved to an ordinary Midi time format. Jet it seems like this would be the easiest solution considering that ‘Fostex to TR626’ synch is rock solid and the TR626 provides relatively up to date midi time output data.

I understand your solution of slaving the Fostex to Cubase on a tempo track that corresponds with the bpm value of the original drum synch track. However I do not think that the Fostex provides this feature and as such I’m considering two alternative solutions:

-Install an old VST32 copy and synch to that.
-Install another (non Cubase) software, capable of slaving to ordinary Midi time input.

The subsequent questions are:

1) Is it really possible to slave under VST32 or did it suck in this version as well?
2) Do you know of another (simple) recording program capable of slaving time to ordinary midi?
 
1) Is it really possible to slave under VST32 or did it suck in this version as well?
2) Do you know of another (simple) recording program capable of slaving time to ordinary midi?
Click to expand...

1> Never tried it
2> Ableton live
 
I’m experimenting with Ableton Live and it actually immediately recognized the external midi time code of the TR626.

Besides that, the program is invitingly simple and appears to be stable.

I do however have one problem and that’s the VST instruments under Ableton Live. All of them play back stuttering regardless of the buffer size I choose. Under Cubase SX everything runs smooth, but outside Cubase or Ableton (running as a stand alone application) my VST’s have similar playback problems.

Did anybody experience similar problems (and maybe know the solution)?

Thanks, Jan
 
Jan,
Glad to hear it. I am a huge fan of Live!. For the stuttering problem, which driver are u using (and what sound card)? That may be your problem
 
Hi, I'm currently using an RME DIGI96/8 PST with the 2.10 version Plug and Play driver for Win 2000/XP (unified driver for DIGI32, 96 and Hammerfall series) running on an Athlon XP 2500 with 512MB RAM

Within Live I'm using the ASIO driver

Thanks, Jan
 
Hmm.

That sounds right. Which version of live? I really cant help that much with VSTi's in live since i dont use them but the midi is real stable on mine and I can run 10 midi tracks no problem
 
I'm using Live 5.0.3.

Question: suppose that I'm not capable of fixing the VSI issue; would it be possible to copy Live multi track recordings to Cubase SX (audio + midi tracks) and maintain the original Live tempo track?
 
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