CLOCK BOX - A DIY clock generator for synths, drum machines or sequencers 

Enjoy !

​@@YMNKmusicI've just noticed the update on your site, so order the displays, but am just building without for now. I'm following your schematic and images, but could I just ask you two things (no more, honest)? On the schematic is the wiring for just one Midi out. Is the other one wired in parallel with the first? The other thing is, which pin of the potentiometer is the wire from A0 connected to? I had to check the image, but there's tape over the connections. I'm sorry I'm inept. But, you're a life saver. I cannot for the life of me, sync my synths and drum machine, sampler etc. Some are Midi, some gate/trig, some sync and the others CV. This should do the trick. Thanks for sharing your expertise!

Hello@@simoncardie9371 ! For more about pin numbers just take a look at this link cellularnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/which-pin-on-a-midi-connector-connects-to-ground-1691128623.png

@@simoncardie9371 About wiring the MIDI out, yes I wired it in parallel, but I figured out after that this is not a good solution (that might not work perfectly with some synths). I recommend to use a MIDI dispatcher (such as a MIDI Quad Thru from MIDI Solutions) or to build it yourself (there's some nice schematic available but you will need some specific chips : m.bareille.free.fr/midithrubox/midithrubox.htm )

@@YMNKmusic Thank you! I've got an 8 out Midi thru box I can use, so the one output is enough. I'm fine with the wiring on the output, it was the speed control control potentiometer where I couldn't work it out, but trial and error should be ok. Thanks again!

Interesting question. A switch and some code to convert time between two taps into a tempo.

Hi! Thanks! You can do a clock divider with an arduino yes, but there's a chip dedicated to it called CD4024BE ! It will be cheaper and smarter to use it! Check this : familjenronnberg.se/~niklas/diy/eurorack/divider/

Thanks. Actually I never tried to sync the Boss Delay with an analog clock ... I always set it up by ear.

that would be real cool feature. i'm thinking about adding this when building my clock. irealy like your project. it just misses a display for my liking, but iguess this is also doable @@YMNKmusic

Please check my MIDI Looper project. It has a MIDI Slave feature, and it works perfectly (I use it on stage!). I use uClock for this, and it is perfect for listening to MIDI Clock events.

@@YMNKmusic Thanks for the reply!!! I will go back to trying uClock. I had uClock working easily for syncing other devices but could not get it to work as it should as a slave. The stop function worked. I was trying to get it to work with my random midi sequence generator which has a tempo pot. I think that is throwing it off as far as getting tempo from the master. I want to find a consistent way to sync all my homemade projects. Like you, some of my projects use midi clock,cv, and gate as ways of syncing together devices. I plan on experimenting with using yesnomaybe to make choices for me on my random midi sequence generator. Currently I choose how many notes in a sequence(from 1 to 32) how many repeats, tempo, and note duration(whole note,half,quarter,etc.) by using a rotary potentiometer and switches. Using yesnomaybe to make choices would make it interesting without any human involvement. Thanks again!!

You mean a CV clock input ? It will require a bit of code to make it work since converting clock input to MIDI clock is not that easy at all.

Hi Lorenzo! Unfortunately I don’t have the time and the energy for this BUT this project is a good startup project for electronic and arduino newbie so I recommend you to try it out by yourself. And if you have any issues I’ll be pleased to help you !

Hi. Did you add the uClock library using the library manager of Arduino?

never mind, downloaded a sourcecode package from the time you last updated your code, worked flawlessly, thank you so much

@@YMNKmusic it seems it didnt add the cpp file for some reason, it uploaded just fine when i copied the cpp and .h file from the github download, however, the actual device doesnt seem to be working, i'm getting a really rough, low voltage 50hz sinewave out of all three digital pins and the power light goes out when i twiddle the knob so i'm banging my head against the wall right now... i'm running it off a 12v supply so i added a 5v power transistor to the input so that might be screwing me up, i'm seeing 4.8 on the input voltage and only 3.6 on the output rail of the nano but thats the same if i power it by usb...

@@jamesmorrall I suggest you only start with USB right now! Are you sure the code is correctly uploaded? Do you use a Arduino Nano or a cheap version from an other constructor? The code is not so complicated (just basic input, output management + midi) so nothing strange should happens here.

@@YMNKmusic hahaha. cheap version... i've got one running a LMNC sequencer but thats buggy too, so i think it might be my boards... i'll run it off usb for testing but the same problem persists, i'm using a 5k pot but i've tested it with a 100k too, no luck. your code is great and very clear, i cant see any problems with it, i'll try flashing another board and see if that makes a difference. thanks so much for you help and hard work.

Ahah sorry I can’t ! But this project is not very difficult. I will be glad to help you to make one ;)

@@YMNKmusic Ok! It's a great new years project. I'll hit you up if I need help :). Love your vids by the way. Very similar to the setup I have.

Hi Toby. Can you precise a little bit? Is it the MIDI or the CV output or both who are not steady? And by not steady, do you mean that the tempo is moving itself?

@@YMNKmusic Hey thanks for responding! I haven't tested the MIDI out yet. The analog outputs are the same as the LED. Its blinking in like dot dot dot then holds for a bit and then goes faster then holds. Does that make sense?

@@YMNKmusic PS. I'm. very new to arduino coding. The circuit looks to be working as I can start and stop with the button and can speed up and slow down the tempo with the potentiometer. Just not sure why the timing is out.

@@M4ST_ That's indeed very very strange. Do you use an official Arduino Nano ? Is this happening at every tempo (fast and slow) ? Try removing the line 80 of the code to see if there's something wrong with the potentiometer.

@@YMNKmusic Its an official nano. I tried removing the potentiometer code and behavior is the same. Maybe the uClock library?

Hi. Yeah that diagram is a bit old now, I should make a better one. About the power supply, you can either power the Arduino with USB or provide between 7V & 12V at the VIN pin of the Arduino (I use standard guitar pedal power supply for this purpose). About the MIDI connection, you can look at this schematic in order to understand how to connect a MIDI out connector to the Arduino : www.arduino.cc/en/pmwiki.php?n=tutorial/midi

@@YMNKmusic Thank you for the answer...I appreciated... I was looking the link suggested for the MIDI connection and compared to your diagram one ground pin is different ..2 or 3 but I guess is the same isn't it? To have multiple DIN out ( you have two ) I should use a different board pins ? If yes how many midi out I can create? Jacks outputs have only the hot pins bringing the signals and they are also connecter to the common ground ?..I'm going to use a universal PCB and a metal box so I need to be sure ..sorry. How do you suggest to link the midi outputs?? My devices have in/ out and not the through. Should I use some midi's splitter ? Last question....All my devices provide an USB connection so, if I use all the midi in for the sync I supposed that for MIDI/AUDIO send /receive I must use the USB connection to my MAC.. Can you confirm that ?? At last I ask you if you think would be possible to add a display showing the BPM ( very useful ) and if is yes, what to you suggest for this purpose.. Thank you su much Andrea

@@YMNKmusic I'm trying to explain better...The jack out are mono and with two contacts ? How to get the second MIDI out? Do I have to put them in parallel or I must use a different pin on the PCB? Thank you very much Andrea

@@andreafabri5480 Hi & thanks for your questions. * ) For the second MIDI output, I connected 2 output in parallel. But it is not a good idea I think, It's better to use a MIDI Splitter, like a MIDI Solution Quadra Thru *) Yes, the jack output are mono, their ground pin are connected to the GND of the Arduino nano. If you connect just one jack output the the ground, the other will be connected to if you use a metal box. *) About the display, you could add a OLED screen or a 7 segment digital display. There is plenty of tutorials all around. But it will need a bit of code to make it work.

@@YMNKmusic Hello. Thank you !! If I need to have a code to make it works ( the display ) to see the BPM I prefer to give up.....to complicate for me ..I confess...thank you anyway. Regards. Andrea