I bought the Minibrute about a month ago and even though I love the way it sounds working with its arpeggiator has been quite frustrating. Like many users on the forum I just could not get it to sync properly using MIDI clock. The arpeggiator is a crucial function of a mono synth - as you can't play chords obviously - so I hope Arturia listens and improves the midi implementation soon.
Before I talk about syncing Minibrute to Maschine (standalone), let me say that I also use Logic X for arranging and recording. They have different strengths and weaknesses so it's important for me to be able to use Minibrute in both platforms. As another user has mentioned in another post on sync issues, with the latest update in Logic it is now possible to get Minibrute sync properly, albeit in a non elegant way. You have to select "pattern loop" mode in midi sync preferences in Logic and enter the start/end points of the loop, you can't just go to any bar in your song and expect Minibrute to sync.
The problem is worse with Maschine and partly NI is to be blamed here - Maschine does not send MIDI clock "start" messages, it just sends "continue". As a result the Minibrute arpeggiator is running freely and whether it locks in with your patterns in the sequencer depends on whether you hit play on the transport at the "right" time. Once you happen to get it in time it stays in sync until you hit stop so at least the clock is solid, however the fact that the Maschine sequencer and the Minibrute arp not starting together is a major workflow killer.
So, I have one simple feature request that would solve this issue and potentially would work with any sequencer. As you know when the Minibrute clock is set to internal the arpeggiator starts when you hit a key. When the clock is set to external however this behavior changes. The arp is now independent from your playing. I guess this is what most people expect because we can't always play perfectly and we still want our arpeggiators in sync. But with all these sync issues with the Minibrute I think this behavior is actually counterproductive. If there was a way for the arpeggiator to start with a note on message while still being clocked externally I think it would solve many of the problems. I could just enter the notes on the piano roll in the sequencer (Logic, Maschine, or any DAW really) and the arp would be in sync. And if I was playing in the MIDI notes and my timing was off I could always quantize after the fact. Some people may even prefer this behavior because it would allow you to create off-kilter sequences as well.
Basically, give us an option in the BruteConnection software to make the arpeggiator trigger with note on. A similar feature for the LFO exists so this can't be too hard.
Umut
