This article has been long overdue. The subject of MIDI sync is generally misrepresented. Use of wireless is pushed as a solution and not a liability to the masses. This is wrong.

Of all the questions I get MIDI sync “how-to” is by far the one common thread.  Ableton offers a standard solution that relies on technology that is over 25 years old. The protocol is NOT perfect and you need to think before you incorporate MIDI synch in your live set. (note the lower case “l”)

First the APC and other controllers

The APC is a USB class compliant MIDI device. There is a proprietary handshake that “syncs” – NOT the same as MMC/MTC/SMTPE by a long shot.

The APC sync is orientated mostly towards the “handshake” where there is a “sync” with the GUI in Ableton and the hardware (what and why LEDS light up).

If you want to MIDI sync generally you use a MIDI cable or SMPTE type of clocks (often BNC connection)

Now for the bad news

Professionally MIDI sync does not work well. When you DO see this live understand that there is a ton of work invested in making this work reliably.

Using MIDI to sync 2 laptops is flaky at best.  The success depends on  where your tolerance stands. Personally my set is disrupted at 10ms or greater lag/error.

This problem is, in short, because Ableton and most MIDI apps  operate in master/slave mode.n other words there is  a leader and follower of time. The follower will “resync” (re-orientate) at every defined interval (sync 2 machines and watch the BPM – it is in constant flux. I have seen +/- 5bpm).

It gets worse –

To sync 2 boxes you will need an audio or MIDI break out box.  If you go cheap you will have even more issues. (crappy timing crystals and bad electronics are par for the course)

Sometimes this stuff works well or well enough for certain apps.  I have jammed with people via and it is okay for me at times.  I usually lead because my sh!t is so tight (insert bad  joke here).

Okay, now it gets even worse –

If you want to do it right start saving your lunch money.  To sync live for a large gig using a Master / Slave can be suicide (not enough interest in going through the why). So the way you should do it is via a central time code generator and slave all machines. This practice is the agreed standard.   The least expensive unit is over $1.5k and that still needs more hardware to generate MIDI time.   (Big Ben)

And then it gets worse again –

Wireless MIDI = suicide live.

Midi over Wireless (any format) = suicide live .

Why ?

Simple – any script kitty can crush you with a smart-phone in a few minutes (so bad you will not be able to reconnect for the rest of the evening).

You will never find out who.

I am a programmer by day, I HAVE to be aware of how networking operates.  Any use of wireless LIVE is suicide – I may sound alarmist but there is no joke here.

Opening the door a little :

I can crack the  best wireless encryption in under 5 minutes period. From there you are destroyed (that is an understatement).

DoS (denial of service) type blasts will shut your set down.

Despite today’s 802.11i robust security network (RSN) advances, WLANs remain very vulnerable to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. While you may not be able to prevent DoS attacks, a wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPSWIPS) can help you detect when DoS attacks occur and where they come from… source and other stuff here

Packet sniffing will allow me to take control of Ableton remotely with a little work (injection – not my specialty – but give me a few hours…). A malicious script kitty will do something like drop 10hz blast to blow the sound system or 17k @ +20 db and make everyone deaf. You are not getting any gigs after that issue…

One solution lies in OSC via MIDI over ethernet (not wireless).  But Ableton does not natively support OSC and the middle ware leaves lag. I have not bench marked this protocol, but I hear good stuff.

Sorry to kill any ideas but I am a firm advocate of professionalism and any wireless connection is a HUGE liability. (There is a sub-conversation on whitespace/4g and the dynamic mapping for interference that is slowing down the release of this awesome spectrum for data communication and how this can crush your sync ideas)

Apparently Moldover was hacked in a show via similar methods.  If you leave wireless on during your set you are opening up to problems (Apple remote script is something I saw on the radar – I don’t care because I kill wireless when performing).

Many people may disagree with me, and I accept this fact.  When they get crushed by this type of method they will not know how, what, or why this happened. So my argument is usually going to fall on deaf ears.

How much of a risk is this?

Not sure, but there is more than enough risk out there to NOT do it.  As your show scales your rick increases – more people leaves a greater chance of someone messing with you.  Wireless can have a 1/4 mile + range. In any city that puts a few thousand people minimum in range of messing with you.  Using a Pringles can I have pulled in wireless connections over a mile away up in the mountains.

There are a few wireless methods you can use that are more secure, I have a friend who IS all IT security and knows this stuff inside and out – he agrees with me 100% and the safe ways to do wireless in a performance are out of my scope (and I work on this stuff all day everyday).

So who the hell am I?

I have been doing this ‘stuff’ for well over a decade. I was teaching MIDI and synthesis professionally in the 1990′s.  I started programming in the 1980′s (I am old). MIDI sync is fine in the studio, risky live, and a bad idea as the central part of your set.  If you must use it live you need to refactor your set and hardware for reliability and use only high end equipment.

I have not mentioned EM blasts, interference, or jamming. Each is pretty easy and will shut you down.

There is a long list of DO-NOTs – too many to even begin discussing.

For the record – MIDI sync has GREAT results when you are syncing 2 hardware units. As soon as software comes into play you increase your potential problems. There is a huge spectrum  of possibilities between success and failure with a billion variables. There is no “one” answer, only best practices.

I  advocate the tightest rig, best security, and absolute professionalism when playing live.

All you people using hacked copied of software stand to hurt the whole community.

However in the basement – do what ever you want!

Why the alarmist view?

Working in the programming and development environment for many years now I HAVE to know how to hack. I am a “white hat” hacker and this is part of the job description.  White hat is all about hacking your applications looking for problems.  I am NOT an “black hat” hacker – I do not hack out of malicious intent or to hurt people.  Please be clear on this item!

Again, back to my professional experience – buy me some good scotch (not single malt please) and I will indulge you on things I know and stuff I have seen that will scare the mortal crap out of a anyone. From Facebook exploits, XSS craziness, how to sniff wireless, and a long list of weird stuff I would only talk about in person and leave out of print period.

Please allow this article to be a reference form the conservative side of technology.