MIDI configuration - advice sought please

[01caca97@opayq.com]

Hello

Short version: please can someone show me how to achieve clock sync between all of the devices in the attached diagram? MB probably set to be the master clock "source"  and the LPP3 driving/driven by the SL, and with the VB in time.

Long version: I am getting slower and slower with my ability to understand what to do. The attached diagram shows

MB = MatrixBrute which has MIDI in out and thru and also USB and sync in and sync out
VB = Volca Beats which has MIDI in and sync in
LPP3 = LaunchPad Pro 3 used as a sequencer which has MIDI in out and thru
SL = StudioLogic SLedge which has MIDI in and out (but *not* thru) and USB

I want the LPP3 to drive the SL and have its sequences programmed from the SL keybed
I want the VB to be in time with the MB and the SL/LPP3 combo
I want the MB to be in time with the VB and the SL/LPP3 combo

In other words, I would like to get a common clock fed to all devices, originating ideally from the MB but the SL or the LPP3 could be the master. At the moment I can sync the VB and the MB (using the sync in/out connections)  and with the LPP3 via MIDI - but, critically,  NOT with the SL acting as the keyboard entry for the LPP3. The SL merely receives MIDI commands from the LPP3 whose grid input is used to program the sequences, not what I want.  It is all in time, but the order in which things are started becomes important. The LPP3 MIDI out goes to SL MIDI in and SL MIDI out goes to LPP3 MIDI in, which gives me that LPP3/SL "pairing" I want.

I cannot see how to do it whereby the LPP3 and Sl become an intimate "pairing" whilst also receiving clock data from the MB (or from anywhere).

I know that "MIDI thru" is a mirror of "MIDI in" but I don't understand how to plumb in the MIDI cabling. I can probably do something using my DAW (BitWig) and USB connections but that's yet another level of complexity which I would prefer to avoid at the moment.

Please can anyone show me how to wire it all up?

[thark]

There are probably several ways to do it so here’s one. SL midi out to LPP3 midi in. LPP3 midi through to MB midi in. MB midi through to VB midi in.

Personally, I don’t do serial connections via midi through as I’m a bit leery of lag time introduced at each instrument. I do more of a parallel connection to my synths where my DAW is connected to each synth through a MOTU MidiExpress and controls clock timing that way. No chance of lag that way.

Keith

[01caca97@opayq.com]

Ahh yes - I see how to do it now! Thanks. MIDI thru being an "echo" of MIDI in makes things clearer for me. Also, I had missed the fact that the LPP3 can do tricks whereby its MIDI out can be duplicated to come out of the MIDI thru instead of the usual MIDI in.

I agree that the inherent delays might mess things up so I shall experiment with different configs to try to minimise it.

Thanks for your help, Keith; I'm on the right road now.