Ableton Link wired: send clock via ethernet and adapt to USB, is it possible?

Hi,

I have the Primer GO, and I want to sync it with an external device (Teenage Engineering OP-Z) that doesn’t have WiFi nor ethernet… but it has a USB-C input. This input can be used as a midi i/o, and it can receive clock in signal to sync via usb.

I was wondering if is it possible to use an ethernet to usb adaptor, to sync the two devices. I am completely new to this kind of topics and I don’t know anything about MIDI nor clock signals, and I suppose that I need to change some midi parameters in the OP-Z to make it work… but… does the Ableton Link protocol send a “plain” clock signal over one of the wires of the ethernet cable?

Do you think this is even possible, or I am completely wrong?

Thanks!

Midi clock and ableton link are completely different protocols. Check in the manual if OP-Z accepts ableton link via usb or midi. Also check if OP-Z accepts usb to ethernet dongles. If not You will still need a computer with ableton running between the prime go and op-z to translate from ethernet ableton link to usb midi.

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This might solve your problem :slight_smile:

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I thought that a midi clock signal was simply a short rectangular pulse (with an amplitude a little over 5V in the case of OP-Z) sent at every step (16th of a bar), so I assumed (maybe I am completely wrong) that the Ableton Link protocol was the responsible to convert signals from the Prime GO to a midi clock output, sent to one of the pins of the ethernet cable (I don’t know which pin). Therefore, my idea is to send this kind of signal to the OP-Z in one of the pins of the USB-C (still need to investigate which is the appropriate pin) to try to sync to it. Maybe I could try to do it with a function generator and an osciloscope, I will try to get access to them.

No, it doesn’t.

I have no idea, I think I should try to sync the OP-Z with this “custom-generated” clock signal first, and only if I suceed, then try to investigate the following procedures…

Thanks, but I don’t own any apple device. There is a device called “The missing Link” that should work, but if I could make it work with this kind of “ethernet-to-usb” solution, it would be great… …

Also no MIDI via USB?

Yes, Midi over USB yes, but no mention to Ableton Link capability.

EDIT: The prime GO does not send any midi clock information over ethernet (unless an Ableton Link capable system is connected). Therefore, currently it’s not possible to send a clock signal over ethernet to any external device. What I did to sync the Prime GO with the OP-Z is to connect the op-z to a smartphone with the G-Stomper Rhythm app via a usb-otg cable. The app is connected to Ableton Link via wifi and sends the midi signals to the op-z via the usb cable.

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Get yourself a smart phone, download an app called Link to Midi bridge (which you have to buy at a modest cost) enable Ableton Link buy an amazing device called Widi Jack. Enable Bluetooth, on your mobile, power on Widi Jack (do the research) and off you go! A sync pulse to sync external devices using conventional 5 pin midi or jack plug.

Experimenting with the App,(Link to midi bridge) as well as the players sending Ableton link tempo to the app and hence to a Bluetooth to mid device, the app can also control the tempo of the player(s)!!

Miss D