Set Tempo with MIDI

UKMark

UKMark

Member
Hi there Frackers,

I am using Ableton Live with MIDI PC msgs (set patch) and CC msgs (set scene) with my FM3 and it works great.
I would like to be able to set the tap tempo setting via MIDI for each song as it gets loaded up by Ableton, along with the Patch etc.
Does anybody know how to set the tempo via MIDI pls?
Many thanks
Mark
 
You can assign a CC to Tap Tempo but you would probably get better results by having Ableton send Midi Beat Clock. The Fractal will follow that automatically.

Tap Tempo is usually assigned my tapping - not sure how the would be done from Ableton...
 
UKMark said:
Hi there Frackers,

I am using Ableton Live with MIDI PC msgs (set patch) and CC msgs (set scene) with my FM3 and it works great.
I would like to be able to set the tap tempo setting via MIDI for each song as it gets loaded up by Ableton, along with the Patch etc.
Does anybody know how to set the tempo via MIDI pls?
Many thanks
Mark
Click to expand...
On my AX3 I used Sysex to do this as shown here
https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/set-tempo-via-midi.162904/post-1952340

For FM3 you would need to change the ''10" to "11" for FM3 and update checksum - thats above my paygrade I'm afraid
Incredible WIKI... https://wiki.fractalaudio.com/wiki/index.php?title=MIDI_SysEx#SET_TARGET_BLOCK
 
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unix-guy said:
You can assign a CC to Tap Tempo but you would probably get better results by having Ableton send Midi Beat Clock. The Fractal will follow that automatically.

Tap Tempo is usually assigned my tapping - not sure how the would be done from Ableton...
Click to expand...
I do it with MIDI CC's, which requires much less overhead than continuous MIDI Beat Clock (maybe not an issue with the others, but I'm using the FM3 with a Axe II as backup). Everything syncs tighter with this method vs MBC (Scene and Channel changes, level changes etc).

I use Ableton LIVE as well, and just send a bar of quarter or eighth notes at the head, and when ever a tempo change happens, works great wild syncing in up to ten minute tracks, certainly close enough for FX etc.

I set the FM3 to average the CC's to extrapolate the tempo.
 
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I was going to start a thread about this. I’ve been wanting to sync my FM3 with Ableton’s time clock. I use the looper in the FM3 and I’m trying to keep my Ableton loops in sync with the FM3 loops. As well as change scenes thru Ableton via midi.
I’m aware the FM3 doesn’t send or receive midi over USB, so how is this done? I have a MOTU Fastlink Midi interface which is now obsolete, so I was looking at the iConnect USB to Midi adapter. Will this help sync to Ableton’s tempo and change scenes, or have you found another work around?
Thanks.
 
Digitalman said:
I was going to start a thread about this. I’ve been wanting to sync my FM3 with Ableton’s time clock. I use the looper in the FM3 and I’m trying to keep my Ableton loops in sync with the FM3 loops. As well as change scenes thru Ableton via midi.
I’m aware the FM3 doesn’t send or receive midi over USB, so how is this done? I have a MOTU Fastlink Midi interface which is now obsolete, so I was looking at the iConnect USB to Midi adapter. Will this help sync to Ableton’s tempo and change scenes, or have you found another work around?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
We use the Ableton Looper plugin for live guitar looping, much better featured than the Axe's looper.
 
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UKMark said:
Hi there Frackers,

I am using Ableton Live with MIDI PC msgs (set patch) and CC msgs (set scene) with my FM3 and it works great.
I would like to be able to set the tap tempo setting via MIDI for each song as it gets loaded up by Ableton, along with the Patch etc.
Does anybody know how to set the tempo via MIDI pls?
Many thanks
Mark
Click to expand...

Simply use a usb-to-midi-din cable to connect your computer to your FM3 (readily available, see link for one such cable below), then go to preferences in Live and turn on the "Sync" button for the FM3 in your midi preferences. Done.

Amazon product ASIN B0824LG53J
 
DJD100 said:
We use the Ableton Looper plugin for live guitar looping live, much better featured than the Axe's looper.
Click to expand...
Ah thanks. Already doing that! I’ve kind of backed out of the Ableton rig and gotten more guitar centric with the FM3. I got looping down within the FM3 finally, but integrating them with Ableton was still a gap for me.
I was using an UMI-3 mapped to Ableton’s looper, or recording clip slots to trigger. I guess I’ll just stick with that then. Thanks for the insight man.
 
DJD100 said:
I do it with MIDI CC's, which requires much less overhead than continuous MIDI Beat Clock (maybe not an issue with the others, but I'm using the FM3 with a Axe II as backup). Everything syncs tighter with this method vs MBC (Scene and Channel changes, level changes etc).
Click to expand...
I actually did the same when I was using Handhelper, and I agree...
 
unix-guy said:
If he already has CC and PC working, why would he need additional hardware?
Click to expand...
True, but I was providing general instructions for how to sync an FM3 to Live. Anybody who already has a midi interface, like the OP seems to have, can skip that step and proceed to the instructions I offered for setting the preferences, which seem to be the part he's unaware of.
 
Digitalman said:
Ah thanks. Already doing that! I’ve kind of backed out of the Ableton rig and gotten more guitar centric with the FM3. I got looping down within the FM3 finally, but integrating them with Ableton was still a gap for me.
I was using an UMI-3 mapped to Ableton’s looper, or recording clip slots to trigger. I guess I’ll just stick with that then. Thanks for the insight man.
Click to expand...
Welcome. I automate the Ableton Looper plugin so the ins and outs are quantized perfect, and then manually control the Record/Play/Undo and Ableton Session Loop from the FM3.

Works great!
 
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Hi all. Thanks for all the great advice. I went the CC route in the end as we have a lot of midi flying around throughout our shows; my fractal, the vocals effects unit, the mixer (X32), dmx lighting (using Luminair) and more. So I was a bit concerned about constants streams of midi from the clock out from Ableton. It is pretty unusual for song to have much in the way of tempo changes so a handful of CCs at the start of each song and it’s sorted.
works like a charm.
thanks again
Mark
 
UKMark said:
Hi all. Thanks for all the great advice. I went the CC route in the end as we have a lot of midi flying around throughout our shows; my fractal, the vocals effects unit, the mixer (X32), dmx lighting (using Luminair) and more. So I was a bit concerned about constants streams of midi from the clock out from Ableton. It is pretty unusual for song to have much in the way of tempo changes so a handful of CCs at the start of each song and it’s sorted.
works like a charm.
thanks again
Mark
Click to expand...
We do as well (DMX, vocal FX via Ableton LIVE plugins and external TC multi-FX, guitar FX via the FM3, bass FX via Line 6, drum samples via Slate, Ableton LIVE automation and external control via the FM3 etc...), though just put a bar of CC's where ever a tempo or meter change happens and the Axe will follow along no problem.

We have several tracks with multiple tempo and/or meter changes, works great!

Glad it's working out!
 
DJD100 said:
We do as well (DMX, vocal FX via Ableton LIVE plugins and external TC multi-FX, guitar FX via the FM3, bass FX via Line 6, drum samples via Slate, Ableton LIVE automation and external control via the FM3 etc...), though just put a bar of CC's where ever a tempo or meter change happens and the Axe will follow along no problem.

We have several tracks with multiple tempo and/or meter changes, works great!

Glad it's working out!
Click to expand...
Hey DJ
That sounds a lot like our setup, although we don’t use drum samples, we use a studio recorded drum track and an in-ear click.
Yeah I am loving the FM3. Been through pretty much all the others before finally jumping in to a Fractal. Wish I had done it sooner. It just ’works’. So may others are buggy, flaky or just sound ‘digital’. Fractal have nailed it.
And the help here is awesome 😎
Thanks to all for helping
Mark
 
UKMark said:
Hi all. Thanks for all the great advice. I went the CC route in the end as we have a lot of midi flying around throughout our shows; my fractal, the vocals effects unit, the mixer (X32), dmx lighting (using Luminair) and more. So I was a bit concerned about constants streams of midi from the clock out from Ableton. It is pretty unusual for song to have much in the way of tempo changes so a handful of CCs at the start of each song and it’s sorted.
works like a charm.
thanks again
Mark
Click to expand...

My band also uses MIDI data for two guitar rigs, multiple light instances via DMX/MIDI and MIDI clock - no problems at all.
The guitar rigs are even using WIDI (wireless MIDI) :)
 
GlennO said:
Simply use a usb-to-midi-din cable to connect your computer to your FM3 (readily available, see link for one such cable below), then go to preferences in Live and turn on the "Sync" button for the FM3 in your midi preferences. Done.

Amazon product ASIN B0824LG53J
Click to expand...
Hi
Just browsing this subject and wanted to clarify - I have the FM3 connected through usb to my iMac running Logic Pro, and when using an additional usb to midi cable like the one you’ve linked to, the FM3 can then follow the tempo of whatever session you’re running in logic including tempo changes? Thanks in advance
 
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