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"Rhythm is both the song's manacle and its demonic charge.
It is the original breath.
It is the whisper of unremitting demand."
I. Penman, The Annihilation of Rhythm.
Available in Europe through
http://www.schneidersladen.com/
And in North America through
http://analoguehaven.com/
" Feel is a very subjective thing. Let's define feel as the "relative placement in time of rhythmic elements".
The character of each element will make its placement in time more or less a factor in the overall feel. Snare drum has a large contribution to overall feel in your average pop mix. The only data we have on this at present is empirical. At one time Roger Nichols (Engineer for Steely Dan, Donald Fagan) is said to have defined the limit of feel perception at around 250 microseconds for key elements.
My own experience watching how certain producers place elements in time on digital audio workstations brings me to the conclusion that this perception limit is more like 100 microseconds.
In any case, people who are very "feel conscious" will agree that we are looking at timing shifts well under a millisecond as important and affecting feel."
- quoted from 'Delay in Large Format Digital Music Consoles' by John Klett
Sync-Shift MKII Review: DE:BUG - Issue 129 Jan/Feb 2009
http://www.de-bug.de/mag/6041.html
"The Mark II Sync-Shift really works! It's great to have so much control over the
timing. It's definitely a secret weapon and I'm reluctant to tell anybody
lest the secret gets out. For years I have heard the debates about hardware
versus software and they never really seem to go anywhere. With the
Sync-Shift the unique qualities of each hardware device can be fully
exploited in real-time without fear of latency. Any hardware device (or
software synth/drum machine), midi or din-sync, can be shifted against
another to create infinite shades of timing. Put the snares EXACTLY where
you want them, use one drum machine for hihats and percussion, the other for
snare and bass drum and create the the nastiest shuffles you've EVER heard.
The possibilities are limitless. It's great to have a device that brings
hardware devices into their own again without the latency issues that
plagued them in the past. I was really reluctant to write this review and if
you're anything like me you'll want to keep your mouth shut too once you
realise the power of the Sync-Shift. "
Pere - Sydney, Nov 2006
"Ok, onto using this little wonder - I didn't get nearly as much time as I had hoped over the weekend with this, as my wife and kids knew I was taking off for the week and had lots of family time planned for me. Hard to complain about that really! But I had a few hours on Friday and Saturday night to play around, and I have to say this is a magic little box! I was curious how good it actually was. The funny thing is, I think you have spoiled me! Adding the slightest bit of push-ahead to the ER1's clock signal made what to my ears was a pretty large difference - when I wasn't really expecting one. What was 'fine' before, was able to be nudged into some 'deep in the pocket' beats, and I don't think I can go back now.
After playing for a couple of hours and then bypassing the Mark-II, the normal level of sync, which I always happily accepted without concern, seemed sloppy and just off-time enough to just be not quite so stompin' and dancey and solid."
MM - USA 26/06/08
"GREAT PIECE OF GEAR!!!!! Hey, Dave - yeah the Mark II is great! I use it mostly with my 303 dialing in the sync to get the sweet spot, its amazing! And I love to change the quarter notes/sixteenths - you get some very cool off patterns. Everybody that owns midi gear needs a Mark-II!! You made an awesome piece of gear! I never have to worry about out-of-sync acid lines!!.
Best regards mate.....
MS - USA - 26/08/08
Hi David, this box rocks. I believe the Sync-Shift MK II is an essential piece of pro-kit for anyone that owns a Roland DINsync box or uses MIDI clock.I am so happy with its functionality that I feel I can't produce electro without it.This device makes oldschool newschool again. I now have the ability to shift time on DIN sync and MIDI clock and there is no excuse for sloppy tracks from my studio anymore.I can now synchronize my computers live sound abilities with my DIN sync and MIDIclock hardware and find it hard to believe people get by without it. I really like the design youv'e done and the bulid quality is great.This blue box is a pleasure to use. Thanks heaps for making the MK II it truly is awsome. Can't wait for your future Innerclock products. Cheers.
A.T.R. - Sydney - Jan 2007
The amazing Sync-Shift device from Innerclock Systems allows you to make subtle adjustments to the sync between two devices in real-time. Since there is always a micro-delay whenever you are syncing two pieces of gear, the Sync-Shift allows you to make subtle adjustments resulting in rock-solid sync unattainable in any other way. This is an excellent device and I highly recommend it!
I've been using the Sync-Shift to sync up my Linn LM-1, which is a very difficult drum machine to sync to MIDI or the MC-4. The problem is that the machine requires a very accurate square pulse, which most sync boxes don't put out. As a result, while in chain mode, the LM-1 patterns end up with micro delays over time between them when triggered from a Garfield MiniDoc. I've wrestled with this issue for some time, and finally bought a Roland SBX-10, which my friend discovered was the only machine he's been able to get to sync up the LM-1 in chain mode. However, I immediately noticed that the LM-1 noticeably lagged behind the SBX-10. The Sync-Shift was the answer, and allowed me to sync the LM-1 to my sequences perfectly. In addition, the full-bar delay function on the Sync-Shift allowed me to work with my LM-1 sequences along with my MPC-3000 MIDI sequences in record mode. It's turned out to be a really good solution.
Rod M - 31/05/05
“I’m using it all the time David! This is how I use it: I have a Philip Rees two input and five output with switches, so I can decide what midi device is master for the 5 slaves, the Sync-Shift Mark II gets it’s clock from my MPC, and then Shift out to the Philip Rees number one input, the other input on Philip Rees also gets clock and midi from my MPC. This way I can decide what device or devices are to be handled with clock Sync-Shift with one of the Philip Rees 5 switches. As I said before, I use it as a "loopsurfer" device and it’s super for that! (And of course one of a kind!) Before I had to sit and search loop-points in a sampler or software!
Peace out!”
PS - 28/08/08
"I have had time now to play with the Sync-Shift for a whole day. My first impressions were correct - an invaluable piece of gear for me. It just amazes me, what a great idea and device. I have used it to fine tune the sync between my MIDI gear, which is hardware triggered (FR777, MPC2000), software controlled, and a TR-808 and TB-303. The results: new tight, tight, tight feel and lots of cool new phrasing from the TB-303.
I really had no idea how easily I could hear the difference in the sync - but when it is gone you really notice. It also makes the two drum machines sound right together. When I hooked it up to the TB-303 and had the different phrases start on the 3rd or 2nd beat I was impressed at that use but when I synchronized the TR-808 and the AKAI drum machines, the result was even more dramatic.
Skin tight, David!! So it really makes a difference." TK - USA
"Hi David, I'm just testing it now, I've got .257 .259 .257 .259 etc. alternating readings from the mpc2000 recorded into soundforge @ 44.1khz and the TR-808 varies from perfectly locked to the sample to fractionally over .001 later than the sample.
It's very impressive! "
GH - Australia 15/07/08
"Hi David, I had a set up using your SBX-10 driving the Mark II Sync-Shift and then taking the output of the Mark II into the other SBX-10 board. I turned up the clicks and stuck my head between the 2 SBX-10s. I could hear when the clicks lined up perfectly - it suddenly sounded like the click was coming from inside my head. As I moved the Shift knob, you could hear the separation start.
Very interesting." TM - USA 01/07/08
"Ah David, sorry for the delay, I got tied up with this deal I was working on. Boy man, sync shift is wicked.
I got the two machines going, and I got both snares lined up, same place on each step sequence. You're right, you can hear the difference. Being able to fine tune that shift is wicked, what an amzing concept!!! Its amazing when you have the snares lined up in the step sequence, and you bypass them to see what they would sound like normal, then you sync shift them. It almost feels like your mixing records in a way, having real time control over your machines with the ability to move it a hair. You know how if your holding a long mix on the turntables, and the records get slightly out of sync, the fine tune allows you to pull it back or push it out a hair, just enough, and when you get it right oh man........
You have out done yourself, well worth the wait!!!" TW - USA 25.05.07
"Hi David, I just got back into town last night after a 2-week road-trip and was delighted to find it had arrived, congratulations on your superb workmanship and I'm sure it'll function like a dream once I get it plugged in!
Thanks again." 01.06.07
"Cool David, arrived Friday. Build quality is amazing!!! What a little machine. Still gettin' my head around it. But the laptop is FINALLY locked to the MPC - and I can actually control the level of 'funk' by shifting the offset - suddenlly doing proper house doesn't seem so impossible!
Worth the wait in the end. Cheers - Thomas." 17.06.07
"All good Dave, the few cats I have shown the Mark II Shifter to are very impressed...
You really made something unique here man, be proud. peace, John." 03.07.07
The sounds that we create, play and record are our colours and brush strokes but without a solid canvas the very best we can ever do is blur and smudge.
In geometry, precision is critical. Plane division, complex perspectives and optical illusions only become possible when the geometric grid is accurate. The same principle applies to music only two dimensional graphic art becomes three dimensional sound evolving over time. Over the last 20 years with the introduction of Midi Clock, MTC, badly written code and overdriven, multi-tasking CPUs we have seen a gradual slackening of the electronic musician's canvas.
The Sync-Shift Mark II is now shipping.
To find out more about why, when and how click on the Mark II button at the top of this page.
info@innerclocksystems.com
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