Instead of strict Master/Slave distinction, allow Aeros+BB to be a single combo, switching roles on the fly

[RockDebris]

@dimonomid

Hardware does allow bi-directional communication: BB with its MIDI breakout cable has both MIDI IN and OUT, and Aeros has two separate jacks for MIDI IN and OUT.

So again, I don’t mean to speak out of ignorance of the BB so I really hope someone will step in here if I’m wrong, but a device that has MIDI IN and OUT does not make me think it has bi-directional communication, that’s still a serial topology, meaning something can come before the BB and send it commands, and something can come after the BB which it can send commands to (or forward commands on via a THRU setting). Everything flows downstream. If you try to hook up the BB MIDI OUT to the Aeros MIDI IN and the Aeros MIDI OUT to the BB MIDI IN, a MIDI feedback loop is the expected result unless both devices have been programmed in some special (unusual) way that goes against MIDI DIN transport specs.

@dimonomid

That’s right, but the problem is that even though the clock keeps going while stopped, that clock gets reset when I hit the start button on BB! That really sucks, I want intro fill to be sort of like just a regular fill (don’t know what’s the right term for it), I mean, no matter when I hit the start button on BB, the intro fill only continues until the end of the current measure, it can be almost full measure or some very short time, doesn’t matter: the clock shouldn’t be reset.

Unfortunately for your needs, it is common for a device that is functioning as a Master clock to also reset the start time. This is not the only device I’ve run across that behaves this way when configured as Master; I believe it is because when configured as Master, the loop start command is also the MIDI Transport Start command. The MIDI Transport Start Command and the MIDI Clock are tied together for instant execution.

A Slave device that is stopped, but which has been listening to the Master Clock the whole time, can typically queue up it’s Start command to sync to the running clock’s first down beat of a measure. They can also queue their Stop commands for the end of the measure, or like in many cases stop immediately with a double tap.

All of this is precisely why I use an external Master Clock for complete control. You may not have even got to Stopping yet. That’s another area where it is nice to have an external Master Clock. Stop the Master Clock, everything stops (full stop), but with the Master Clock running you can stop either of the loop devices without effecting the other in any way (selective stop). Ultimately an external Clock will sever any dependency that exists between how two devices function.

It’s great that devices implement the ability to be a Master Clock, not all do. It works for a narrow path of execution. And I’m sure there may be some special designs going forward how BB and Aeros can work together, but its a common situation to get two looping devices and come up short with your desired goals until you have an external clock.