Timing Issues?

That is very useful - thank you! It might explain some behaviour I have been seeing elsewhere - not with O|D stuff!

And this is microseconds not milliseconds right? Out of interest, what you are using to measure such small units of time please?

Yes, microseconds. Iā€™m using a 100MHz oscilloscope to make my measurements.

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Hi Brian, this is very interesting :slight_smile:

Iā€™m actually using the x24 output from the Pexp2 expander to drive my ER101s (so that I donā€™t waste one of the eight outputs from PNW) - would you be able to run the same analysis to see where that x24 expander output sits in relation to the other outputs?

Pexp2: ALM - ALM017-EX PNW Expanders

The expander pins of interest for the x24 & run signal on the back of PNW are:

2nd from top (denoted by the ā€˜0ā€™) = Run
3rd from top = x24
Bottom = ground

Final comment: in my current setup Iā€™m using the x24 expander output from clocking the ER101s and using output 5 as the reset signal from the ER101s

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As I understand things Pamelaā€™s New Workout sends out its clock using 24ppqn. The ER-101 manual says we should send it a 4ppqn signal so my confusion comes from the fact that I set the PNW at 120bpm and send that signal to the ER-101 but itā€™s not running at 120bpm until I multiply the clock signal by 4 from inside the ER-101. Maybe Iā€™ve already answered my question, but does this sound right?

Where does the manual say that?

The ER-101 doesnā€™t care about the PPQN of the incoming clock. It is left totally up to the user and how you want to think about your step and gate durations. For example, if you want a step duration of 16 to last one quarternote then you would send the ER-101 16PPQN.

This is not correct AFAIK. The PPQN is set per output channel. If you want 24PPQN then set that channel to x24.

Quickstart: ā€œthe ER-101 should receive a clock that pulses at 4ppqn x 120BPM = 480BPM.ā€

And I double checked and setting PPQN on the PNW is system wide via the BPM clock, not per channel.

That setting is adjusting how the PNW interprets the external clock only AFAIK. Are you syncing the PNW to an external clock?

No, I am using the internal clock. Somewhere along the way I had read that itā€™s outputs were at 24ppqn regarding other clocked devices that will be receiving a signal from it and as where I send a signal out to another sequencer and itā€™s reading the clock at 120bpm, the ER-101 is running considerably slower until I multiply the clock by 4. As I graduate from playing and learning individual modules to tying them together I feel like Iā€™m missing something about the voodoo that is clocks.

You took the statement out of context :nerd_face: It is running you through a specific example where I ask the user to clock the ER-101 at 4ppqn. Then I connect that to a specific tempo like 120BPM but it could be any tempo. The point is to define how many clock pulses should a quarter-note duration last.

  1. Clock the ER-101 with a 4ppqn pulse or similar. So for a 120BPM tempo and assuming 4/4 time, the ER-101 should receive a clock that pulses at 4ppqn x 120BPM = 480BPM. If you want to run the ER-101 from a slower clock but keep the same time signature then please see the section entitled Clock Multiplication.

Hint: The channel LEDs on the PNW are showing you exactly what is going out of that jack.

Assuming internal clocking, if the channel multiplier is set to x1 then that channel jack is outputting 1PPQN. Tempo doesnā€™t matter. If you want a step of duration 24 on the ER-101 to last one quarter-note (at whatever tempo) then you should set the channel multiplier in the PNW (or the ER-101 but not both!) to x24.

The agony of learning all of this is compounded by the momentary lapse in any semblance of rational or critical thinking that gets clouded by frustrations and feeling defeated by the perceived complexity of the task at hand. That is until the obviousness of the correct and only way to do something right is finally understood. The sense of accomplishment is slightly tarnished when instead of celebrating victory we also have to recognize a bit of shame in that we may have aired our ignorance in public. Thank you for your continued patience.

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We have ALL been there and felt the same thing. Enjoy your victory untarnished! :vulcan_salute:

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He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. :heart_eyes_cat:

There is no shame!

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