External Midi Sync with Mainstage

Hello Readers, when I connect my BB to Mainstage for external tempo, the BB tempo sets to 300 BPM. I’ve got it set on an appropriate channel to match my External MIDI channel strip in MainStage. I’m sending tempo from MainStage and am sending tempo updates for each patch in MainStage. My other MIDI devices are syncing but the BB just seems to go nuts. Any thoughts on configuration?

Hey there, are there multiple clocks other than the mainstage on this chain?

Also, are you on the latest firmware v3.9.9.4?

In my experience this behaviour mainly occurs if both BB midi in and BB midi out are connected to the same device that is sending/receiving the clock signal. May be the Midi chain has been looped??

Great question BrennanSingularSound. There are multiple clocks on the board however I currently have them set to sync externally since I want Mainstage to be the master. For troubleshooting purposes I have disconnected them from the MIDI chain. I’m currently running firmware v3.9.9.9 and waiting for 4.0 to come out of Beta. I will be doing further testing today but am beginning to think that the MIDI interface on my Focusrite 4i4 or the MIDI cable for the BB are suspect. There are so many possibilities as I am running Big Sur on my Mac - that could be an issue as well.

Hey Nepali, no MIDI loop in this situation. Running from Mac to Focusrite 4i4 via USB > MIDI Out to BB in (channel 10) > Out of BB to in on HX Stomp on (channel 1) > Out of HX Stomp to in on RC-500 (channel 2). Currently all of the devices are disconnected for troubleshooting. Once I get these talking I’ll setup a controller for foot controlled patch changes in Mainstage. Just want to get everything responding to tempo changes first.

i would try different midi cable and see.
all the best mate.

Thank you sir. Tried that and no change but I did just figure it out. I was sending MIDI sync on 3 channel strips in Mainstage to 3 devices (on different channels) which was essentially tripling my clock to the devices. I created a new channel strip in Mainstage to send Clock to all channels and turned off clock for my individual devices in Mainstage - Kept the channels so I can send program changes to each device separately on a patch change.

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Seemed like a doubled/tripled clock! Glad you sorted!