Metronomes out of sync

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skim

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The metronone playing on my keyboard (Korg SP-100) doesn't keep time in pace with the metronome on my computer (via Cakewalke Home Studio 9).

Which is off?

FYI, I want to know because I plan on recording certain pieces of my project at home, and certain pieces in the studio (drums & bass). I'd hate to have to go and re-sync time when doing mix & master.

Thanks for your input.
 
They will if you synch them together. What are you doing, manually starting them both at the same time? Of course they won't stay together...
 
When I mean out of sync, I mean one actually goes faster than the other - this is pretty easy to just eyeball and notice.

I'm not worried so much about the fact that they're out of sync - I just want to know which is probably the correct one to follow on my home recordings.

Thanks again.
 
I think I understand what the first post is about.

I use Cakewalk Home Studio 2002. I can set the metronome on Home Studio at 80, and then I will set the rythm speed on my synth at 80. The metronome starts on Home Studio when you start recording, and then when I come in with the synth, the beats of the synth will not match the speed of the synth even if I do start in exactly on the beat at the same time as the metronome on Home Studio. Even if I started the synth late, the synth and Cakewalk do not stay evenly apart, the synth rythm will eventually catch up to the metronome and then pass it. It might take a few minutes for all this to happen, but it never seems like the two stay together.

Keep in mind this is with audio recording, I have not tried this with MIDI yet.
 
No two metronomes are going to be precisely the same. Even electronic devices will vary (very slightly, but vary) one from the other, and the precision of the tempo will have some (minuet, perhaps, but some) jitter and variation. Add human reaction time and it's pretty much assured that they will diverge from each other rather noticeably.

Try this -- get two of the same metronomes, or drum machines. (The same to assure that the clock signal is produced the same way, by the same crystal on the same chip). Set them both to 80 and then try and hit START at the same instant on both. See how long they sound like Sly and Robbie.
 
You need to have the different devices synced to each other via midi. Dont worry about recording on different devices and synching them because the midi file will playback at any tempo it is told.
 
uh.. that was supposed to be "minute," not "minuet," in my last post...
 
Skim - To me it seems, I would have the drums (or whatever drives the tempo of your song) recorded first, then take that home and do the rest of your recording. Regardless of your set "tempo" all your tracks should be at the same groove, because you will be using your drums (or whatever) to provide clock for you...


Vice
 
If I may elaborate and add on to what AlChuck said:

Both clocks are correct more or less. The difference you hear is two different timing ocillators (sp). Or quite simply you are unable to hit the start on both pieces of equipment at a precise enough time.

K= Keyboard
C=Computer

--------{---K-------C-----}-------

The line represents clock and the timing standards would be between the brackets. They are both within the same standard. An example would be something llike Clock Stratum Level 1 - Cesium Beam, Rubidium, Hydrogen Maser, GPS and Loran-C; it's specs are one clock error every 28 days (most accurate). Level 3 is what you find at your local telephone company in their DACS and their specs allow for 256 errors every 24 hours. Even timing your system with two different Startum 1 sources will yield different clock scenarios - out of sync, just extremely accurate out of sync :-). I digress... That's why it is a good idea to one timing source and have everything else slave timing from it. If that is still not good enough Then instead of trying to figure out which clock is more correct, (because both clocks meet the specs they were designed for) the question you might want to ask where can I get a more accurate clock from? Then you might want an external clock timing your set up and have all equipment sync to that. It has been my experience though, that your soundcard usually wants to provide the clock. So, I let it and slave everything from that. Everything stays in sync, and I stay happy!


Vice
 
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