Synchronizing a hardware sequencer with an ADAT

There are a ton of ADAT machines in the field, and tons of people using them with many different types of equipment and sequencers. A surprisingly common question we get is from users who need to synchronize a hardware based sequencer (such as those built into many keyboards) to an ADAT.There are a few ways to do this. The BRC makes a great synchronizer and doubles as a fantastic remote. Many of the new breed of computer MIDI interfaces include ADAT sync, but if you just want a simple way to sync your keyboard’s sequencer to an ADAT those methods are probably overkill. Since most hardware sequencers do not receive MTC (MIDI Time Code) you need a device that will take the ADAT 9-pin sync and convert it into MIDI Song Position Pointer and MIDI clock commands. Such a device has to have the ability to set the tempo for the sequencer because when you slave a sequencer to external clock you are, by definition, using that external MIDI clock as the time base (or tempo) for the sequence. There are several devices on the market that do this effectively, and you can talk to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer about the best choice for your system.

Knowledge Base