A preset or manual tap tempo generator..does it exist?

[drc]

First off, I want to apologize if you have run across this post in another forum. I wanted to reach as many people as possible who may have found something like this. Or perhaps, a builder might come across this post and propose making something like this.

I dig my rack effects. I really do. But after having a Nova Delay, after trying out an El Capistan, a Diamond and with EHX making my beloved DMM with tap tempo I realize I can have a lot more tonal options with a pedal tray taking up two spaces than my rack effects can provide. That, and I'd actually like to get my effects in a larger pedalboard as opposed to hauling a small pedalboard and a 10 space rack.

The thing is, when I jam with new people I love having tap tempo available. But for songs where I know the set tempo, having the BPM stored in a preset and MIDI accessible is the shit. The thing I wish the Nova Delay had was MIDI just to store delay times more so that subdivisions or modulations. It's what kinda makes the Eventide Timefactor such a cool unit and the upcoming Strymon Timeline desirable. Even though I'm sonically satisfied with my Nova Delay, I'm actually thinking of selling it to get funds for one of these units.

What would be the best of both worlds would be to have a device that can generate tap tempo to all these devices. You can either use it as a manual tap or have it generate tap from preset BPM/ms. You could mount the thing in a rack or on a pedalboard. It could have a series of master outputs and secondary or slave outputs/tap switch in case you want to adjust say tremolo mid song but leave your delay tempo alone. It could have jacks for latching switches as well as momentary.

Jack Vaughn is making me a master/slave tap switch right now. Just from talking to the guy and feeling his enthusiasm I can tell it is going to work well. But it is only a manual tap. If someone made a unit with stored presets now that would be the answer to a lot of my problems.

[drbob1]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, but let me try. If you mean, can you have a pedal that sends an external tap message to any pedal that can receive it, and can store a BPM tap then I think the Moog CP201 will do what you ask for at least 4 pedals.

That said, delays like the ML that generate their own internal tap, but vary the delay from an external control pedal, won't work with the CP201. The problem is that there's no universal standard for what voltage translates to what BPM. Not even a constant agreement on how much voltage is longest delay, or where the "hot" on a control voltage cable goes. So the bottom line is you can't control multiple pedals with CV and get them to sync...

[ERGExplorer]

So, you're looking for something which will close and then reopen a switch (like tapping a pedal) in response to a midi message happening at specified intervals?

http://www.midisolutions.com/prodrel.htm

I seem to remember this being used by at least two people to keep Echoplex Digital Pro units in synch with MIDI tracks.

[drc]

What I mean is something like this in manual mode:

http://jhv3.***********.com/master-tap-1-3-active/

But in a box that would have presets where I could call up say 120bpm for song one and it would set the quarter note tap for all my delays. And for the next song it would be 165bpm. Then the third song the tap would just be manual and I could tap the quarter notes in my self. Then the fourth song.....

You get the picture.

MIDI clock is fine if all the effects are MIDI capable, but analog delays with tap tempo like the new DMM or the Memory Lane or even the digital Nova Delay does not have MIDI. But they can all be modded for external tap tempo. I guess what I am looking for is a way to sync up non-MIDI devices with not only a manual tap but also send a tempo pulse to these devices before each song to set them to an exact tempo.

Perhaps I'm the only guy who thinks this is a good idea as opposed to a way too cumbersome way to do the same thing with three or four D-two's?

[drc]

Originally Posted by ERGExplorer

So, you're looking for something which will close and then reopen a switch (like tapping a pedal) in response to a midi message happening at specified intervals?

http://www.midisolutions.com/prodrel.htm

I seem to remember this being used by at least two people to keep Echoplex Digital Pro units in synch with MIDI tracks.

Closer but not really. Actually, now that I think about it, the imaginary device I have in my head doesn't really need MIDI. It just needs programmable presets. I, for some reason just always think MIDI when I think presets. I'm thinking more of something where either you can tap the tempo to your effects, or you can call up a preset to tap it for you. Pretty much a box with a bunch of 1/4" jacks that send out tap tempo, but the user can let the box set the exact pulse or do it manually.

[justjeff]

Visual Sound's forthcoming Dual Delay can receive tempo via midi and set the tap accordingly.

I think that's what you're asking for.

The TimeFactor is midi controllable and should fit the bill as well.

[drbob1]

No, I think he wants to sync his non-MIDI effects, not just the few that accept midi... Again, if you want to output a tap tempo pulse and you're OK modding your effects to accept external tap tempo (which, for example, the EHX pedals don't support and would need modding) the MP201 would do it. 4 outputs sync'd to one tap and accept midi clock input.

The other thing you might look into is Analogman's Amazeo, it can set clock values and I think save them, you'd have to find a way to mult the output (the Moog CP251 perhaps).

[drc]

Originally Posted by drbob1

No, I think he wants to sync his non-MIDI effects, not just the few that accept midi... Again, if you want to output a tap tempo pulse and you're OK modding your effects to accept external tap tempo (which, for example, the EHX pedals don't support and would need modding) the MP201 would do it. 4 outputs sync'd to one tap and accept midi clock input.

The other thing you might look into is Analogman's Amazeo, it can set clock values and I think save them, you'd have to find a way to mult the output (the Moog CP251 perhaps).

The Amazeo is very much what I was getting at!!! I was thinking more than 8 presets and the ability to use it with an pedal that has external tap, but you pretty much hit it on the head. Thanks a bunch for the heads up.