Roland TR909 sync with ProTools - ARRGH!

[Sir Issac Waveski III]

I have written a track using a Roland TR 909 - chained patterns in a track.

The tempo is 125bpm.

I recorded a small section of the 909 track (a four bar loop) as an audio guide into ProTools and set up the rest of my MIDI tracks alongside that at 125bpm.

This is how I make my tracks - program the MIDI notes into PT from external hardware, tweak, then record to audio.

When I record the final audio from the 909 as a complete rhythm track into Pro Tools it seems to be out of whack time-wise, even though both things are 125bpm.

I could record one bar loops of each pattern and cut and paste them as audio loops in ProTools but that's not going too well either as the timing is out on the 909.


What do recommend is the best way to get everything synced up at the same tempo.

Can I push the ProTools sequencer a bit further in timing to make up for the small time delay?
ie. nudge the MIDI by xxx milliseconds?

I don't want to program the notes from the 909 in the ProTools piano roll editior as that will take the feeling out of using the 909.

Otherwise I will have to record four-bar loops as audio but that is a pain beacuse I have to shift stuff around.

The TR909 can sync up as MIDI slave - so in theory if I hit play in PT the 909 should start and lock in time?

Has anyone sucessfully made these two things work?


There must be simple way!

The TR909 sounds wicked - I just need it to be locked in time!

Cheers,
Andy


PS: I'm using:

PT 6.4.4 LE
G4 (Sawtooth) with 1.4ghz upgrade card
1.25 GB RAM
Digi 001
External 80GB Firewire Drive

Various external hardware synths:
Yamaha DX7 IIFD
Yamaha TX802
Yamaha RX5
Roland Juno 106 (x2)
Roland TR909
Roland Super Jupiter MKS80 + MPG80
Roland SPD-20
Korg Triton 61
Nord Lead 3
Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 rev 3.3 MIDI

[technician]

put the 909 in external sync mode. set the midi output running into the 909 from protools to send clock. the 909 will sync to protools start/stop commands. 'continue' will throw the 909 out of proper sync. you will need to start protools from beat #1 of any bar, but before you start protools hit the 'start' button on your 909. that will send it back to beat #1 also, so the two will be back in time.
complicated, but works fine.