Clocking the Buchla 252e (with a 225e)

 

 The Buchla 252e has no midi or analog clock input as it was designed to be THE master clock.

 

 The 252e manual says it supports MIDI clock, sync receive and sync transmit.

Transmit is straightforward, but syncing and receiving MIDI from something like a DAW,

needs a module like a 225e.

There may be other modules which could do the same job but I think the 225e module is a great pairing for the 252e. They communicate with each other using i2c.

 

The 225e has 16 busses, but the last 6

are impt in syncing things. These are busses J to P.

These handle controller and clock messages. They are translated into 0-10V CVs

Each controller Bus is divided into 2 groups: (a) or (b).....(two controllers for each of six busses).

Controller output bus P(b) is actually not a controller, but is a dedicated MIDI Clock output.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Channel is set to “Clock” (after 16 and before 0) a different interface is displayed:

 

The Div fields allow the 225e to generate 10 volt pulses based on rhythmic divisions of an incoming MIDI clock. The numerator represents a count; valid values are 1-8. The denominator represents a note length.

1: Whole note                                                     8: Eighth note
2: Half note                                                        12: Eighth note triplet
3: Half note triplet                                               16: Sixteenth note
4: Quarter note                                                   24: Sixteenth note triplet
6: Quarter note triplet                                          32: Thirty-second note

 

 

Str = Sync Transmit

Src = Sync Receive

So if you wish the 252e to receive and be controlled by external midi clock follow these steps:
1. On the 252e, press and hold the Master BPM knob until the display reads Off.
2. Turn the Master BPM knob on the 252e until it reads Src (Sync receive).

 ----------------------------------

 

If you are trying to clock a larger modular system from the 252e  (without a 225e) use Cell1 output.

This will supply a pulse every time  the cells return to step 1.

 

Use a clock multiplier like the  Northern Light Modular 2TT.

Set an output to be a multiple of 2, 4, 8, 16 etc and you have a master clock while retaining the pulse outs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can also use the 256e  as a clock multiplier

 Buchla Quad voltage processor

You can of course  use any of the pulse outputs on the 252e as a clock.

Personally, I just think the 225e is the easiest module to use. It allows you to add a midi clock input

to the 252e, is a perfect and flexible clock multiplier/divider and is a preset manager to boot.

Here, bus P is supplying the clock.

P(b) is your unmodified clock.

P(a) is the clock multiplied by 2.

I'm using abelton as the clock source.

Remember to set it up to transmit midi.

Options/ preferences/ midi

+ 252e

      * Notes on the 252e

      * 252e & Synthstrom Deluge 1 

      * Buchla 252e & 266r

 *My notes re the 225e