With a claimed average jitter of 0.1 µs and a maximum deviation of 0.46 µs, this is a seriously stable foundation for anyone trying to sync MIDI gear. The key feature of the Midiclock is that the timing of the clock signal is rock solid. You might not be impressed by perfect timing, per se, but if you’ve experienced the frustration of imprecise timing you’ll know how important it is. The ability to start, stop and adjust the tempo of a MIDI clock signal isn’t going to win any award for innovation, but that’s not really the point. The Midiclock is a product that makes life very easy for reviewers: you can sum up its purpose in a sentence and it works exactly as promised. A flashing LED gives visual feedback for an additional €30, ERM will also offer a modified version with a headphone jack providing a metronome click. Effectively this means that any devices which have slipped out of sync are immediately and seamlessly restarted without interrupting playback. Hitting it during playback works to resynchronise all devices by resetting the song position pointer at the start of the next bar. The resync/reset button is an interesting feature which makes a lot of sense in a live context. The former works like any other play/pause button, resuming playback from the same point it was paused. The only other controls on the unit are play/pause and resync/reset buttons. Double-clicking the tempo knob switches the unit to Live mode, in which the tempo of the master clock varies in real time as you adjust the knob. In Normal mode turning the knob doesn’t immediately adjust the tempo but allows you to dial in a new setting which is activated immediately by pushing the tempo knob once. The tempo range extends from 60 to 200 bpm. The tempo of the clock signal is set using a rotary control which dials in your chosen clock speed in 0.1 bpm increments. It’s a smart move which we’re surprised more manufacturers haven’t adopted. This doesn’t necessarily need to be a computer connection the Midiclock isn’t a USB device, but a standard USB type B connector is used so the unit can be powered by any computer or USB charger. The unit is powered via a USB connection. The rotary control for tempo is reassuringly solid.ĮRM claims that the Midiclock is 50,000 times more accurate than the average DAW.
The LCD screen is high quality and clear. The powder-coated steel case is solid and well finished, with neat rubber pads on the base. It’s made by hand in Berlin, but it certainly doesn’t feel like a DIY project. Too many products in the boutique hardware market feel distinctly home-made. ERM claims that the Midiclock is 50,000 times more accurate than the average DAW (a technical report, The Impact of Clock Jitter on MIDI Syncable DAWs, is available on the company’s website). The Midiclock allows all your equipment to be slaved to a rock solid clock signal, which is output over a pair of DIN sockets.
Best multiclock software#
Older drum machines in particular are notoriously imprecise, but even the clocks on newer hardware and software can suffer from jitter – tiny deviations from perfectly even timing.
Whether working in the studio or a live setting, accurate MIDI clock is the key to precise timing.
Greg Scarth checks out a neat new solution for live and studio use.ĮRM’s Midiclock is an incredibly simple device: a tiny box which generates a rock solid MIDI clock signal. When working with MIDI hardware, a stable clock signal is the key to accurate timing.
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