How to sync axe tempo with drummer?

Mr.RangoTango

Mr.RangoTango

Experienced
Hi there!
I'm looking for a way to sync my axe fx with the drummer's click ? He has a roland spd-sx is it possible to use the metronome of that unit and sync it to my axe? I'm using the looper so this is a must! :)
 
What are you using to generate the click? If you are using something like Ableton Live then this is very easy. You simply connect your Axe FX to the Laptop running Ableton via USB and the sync is pretty much automatic. There are some simple steps that need to be enabled inside of Ableton but you can google this no problem. I ran this very setup when I was playing in a Rammstein tribute band. The great part was that all of my patch changes where automated as well. It was awesome! I also setup one of the buttons on my MFC-101 that would start the next song

EDIT: Sorry, I just read that you are using the Roland. I know nothing about that Roland but I would just google to see if you could use USB or something to connect to the AxeFX. Otherwise, I would suspect that you will need to output from the Roland to some sort of in-between interface that the AxeFX could talk to.
 
midi out on the roland to midi in on the axe

turn on midi clock in the roland

make sure it's on a different midi channel than the axe!

if you want all your delays etc to sync, make sure each preset is set to use global tempo, rather than preset tempo
 
What do you mean by in sync ?
Same tempo. If your Roland send a midi clock, it's ok.
But if you want to be on the click, the Axefx can't. You have to use an other way.
I use Ableton for that. It send CC to a screen of my pedalboard (MMGT) through the Axefx
 
simeon said:
midi out on the roland to midi in on the axe

turn on midi clock in the roland

make sure it's on a different midi channel than the axe!

if you want all your delays etc to sync, make sure each preset is set to use global tempo, rather than preset tempo
Click to expand...

Thanks! But can I use this for syncing my loop tempo with the click that the roland is sending?
 
simeon said:
i mean make sure the roland and the axe are on different midi channels...just in case the drummer changes patches or something and it sends some random data to the axe. you don't want that!
Click to expand...
Thanks Simeon!
The axe experience wouldnt be the same without you!
 
simeon said:
midi out on the roland to midi in on the axe

turn on midi clock in the roland

make sure it's on a different midi channel than the axe!

if you want all your delays etc to sync, make sure each preset is set to use global tempo, rather than preset tempo
Click to expand...
Are you sure this is Possible? We are having quite a bit of trouble getting it to work
 
Bubule said:
What do you mean by in sync?
Same tempo. If your Roland send a midi clock, it's ok.
But if you want to be on the click, the Axefx can't.
Click to expand...

Not to derail but I want to address this post. Although a "click" from a drummer won't be sufficient to do so, the above is not technically true. There are ways to sync many cycles of the Axe-Fx II, AX8, or FX8 to a sequencer. For instance, assigning an external controller to START the sequencer, LFOs, and some effects at a precise point. I cycle this off and on every four measures or so. You can also use the ENVELOPE so these cycles track your playing.

I've done some pretty cool stuff with live drummers who DON'T send anything electronic using just a footswitch to start arpeggiators, sequences, etc.
 
In case there's some reason the midi clock thing doesn't work out: Selah effects Quartz v2 can translate a standard metronome audio signal into a BPM that it can use to generate Midi and Tap signals (amongst other bits and pieces of goodness.) It could be complete overkill. Just a thought. I am not affiliated with them :)
 
I am definitely not very familiar with the midi-realm. I just know that I have immense trouble tapping the tempo so that I'm perfectly synced with the drummer and his roland click.
Can someone help me out here? :) How should the roland be set up (and the same with the axe fx) ? Do I really need a converter? The roland has midi in and out I just don't know how to use it
 
btw - if you use specific patches for specific songs, you could always save the tempo as part of the patch (tempo to use = preset)
 
Hello,
Admin M@ said:
Not to derail but I want to address this post. Although a "click" from a drummer won't be sufficient to do so, the above is not technically true. There are ways to sync many cycles of the Axe-Fx II, AX8, or FX8 to a sequencer. For instance, assigning an external controller to START the sequencer, LFOs, and some effects at a precise point. I cycle this off and on every four measures or so. You can also use the ENVELOPE so these cycles track your playing.

I've done some pretty cool stuff with live drummers who DON'T send anything electronic using just a footswitch to start arpeggiators, sequences, etc.
Click to expand...

Probably I was too evasive when I said we can't be in sync with.
Jakobscortum seems to need only to be on the right BPM, but if he needs to be 'on the beat' it's not so easy, so I explain what I would say.

Our drummer uses the click on his ears, and this click comes from the computer of our keyboard player. He uses Ableton.
We tried to sync directly my AxeFx with Ableton. Like this, we're able to sync the tempo (same BPM) but we can't be on the right beat. (It's probably enough for Jakobscortum).
In some intros, I need to be on the strong beat before our drummer starts, when he starts after me.
The only way I found is to have a light on my pedalboard which flash with a CC# from Ableton, throught my AxeFx.

Franck
 
thank you guys! So it sounds like it's impossible to sync the roland with my axe. :(

Admin M@ said:
What effect are you trying to sync? Tremolo?
Click to expand...

I am trying to sync the looper with my drummer's click which he receives from his Roland! I have already set the correct bpm in each preset but (!!) that doesn't mean that we are "starting" at the same time which makes my loops land on the off-beat.
 
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