When you realize that you may be in the market for a master MIDI Clock device, the choice can be very simple at first. A way to set BPM and press "play" are only the most obvious features. That may be okay for the simplest of setups, but you may also later learn that there are a few important things missing.
If you are new to selecting a MIDI Clock device, I hope this article gives you a few things to think about and perhaps even saves you from making a choice that ultimately cannot grow with your needs.
Independent Control of Clock and Transport
Devices lacking independent control over Clock and Transport end up making 1 of 2 choices for you automatically: Either pressing play begins running the clock and sends the "Start" command all at once, or the device leaves the clock running always and only ever sends the "Start" command.
But running the Clock and starting the Transport in MIDI are not the same, they are just closely related. They can be combined in one action, but there are also situations where a musician wants to decide at what point the clock runs and at what point the "Start" command is sent. It's always nice to have that control.
Pause
Overlooked by many clock devices with Transport controls is a "Pause" action so that you can have all of your gear resume where it stopped instead of returning to the starting point. That can be a very crucial feature during a performance.
Quantize Commands
When the clock is running, do you always want pressing "Start" to happen instantaneously, or sometimes is it better for the Start command to be sent on time at the top of the next bar, no matter when you pressed it? The later enables you to perform several actions at anytime leading up to the next bar, and have all those actions execute perfectly on time. To that end, it's also important that this feature recognize the musical concept of Time Signatures.
Of course, a clock device should also send commands instantaneously as well. Quantize can't be the only mode.
Decimal BPM Values
There's discernible space between whole values when it comes to BPM, especially if you are attempting to match as close as possible to some external BPM.
Storing Presets
You won't have to remember that song A is 120 BPM and song B is 134.5 BPM and so on. Organizing your song clock settings into Presets is vital for live performance.
MIDI INPUT Command Structure
You are obviously using MIDI if you are interested in a MIDI Clock, and most MIDI gear you own can react to incoming MIDI Commands to change their settings. Do you want a MIDI Clock device that can't be integrated completely into a MIDI system in a similar way? Just the ability to recall clock Presets from an external controller can be a huge win, but also being able to do discrete things like "press" Start externally, change BPM, change Time Signature and many other performance tasks in real-time without having to interface physically with the device can become important to you.
Audio Metronome
Do you need to monitor a click? Yes, you can add a second device to any MIDI Clock, such as a drum machine, which will generate audio to serve as a click for monitoring. If you want one less piece of gear to manage and you do need to monitor a click, it's nice to have a MIDI Clock device that has the capability to send an audio click of its own.
Fine control over Metronome Click
It's true that many songs are in 4/4 and just need a Quarter Note click to monitor. However, it's not ALWAYS true. Having the ability to use 8th, 16th and even triplet notes in your click can be extremely important for the material being performed. Likewise, the ability to adjust an independent audio level for these intervals is what can really help the click settle you into a groove. Also, don't forget that Time Signatures are not just always divided into Quarter Notes, especially if you want to play anything more "progressive". Finally, the ability to mute the audio click without having to stop the clock signal can also be very important. You don't always need to have the click heard.
Locking onto an External Clock signal
This is probably the least obvious feature you'd think to be looking for in a MIDI Clock device that you want to use to GENERATE the clock signal. However, there are situations where you may want to use some aspect of the Clock device, whether it be the Metronome, Quantize Commands or following a DAW recording (sample accurate clock). Having the capability for your Clock device to be a "follower" will provide better integration options in a studio or live setup as the need arises.
If you've made it this far and you think some of these features will have value in what you are going to be doing in your setup, then check out CLOCKstep:MULTI.
