Message 4/4
Date: 12-Apr-98 @ 12:11 PM -
RE: DIN sync; snycing tb303 to midi clock
I have never used the MSQ-100, but I have the old Roland magazines from that era, and I've worked with MIDI and Sync-24. Volume 2 Number 4 (1984) of the Roland User's Group magazine shows a picture of the MSQ-100. Based on that picture, you have a switch that lets you select your Master Clock. It can be either of three things: internal, external, or sync. You would set this switch to "external" and allow your other MIDI sequencer to be the master clock. The MSQ-100 would then be a midi slave, but it should still translate the MIDI timing into sync-24 for your tb303.
As for your question about STOP and START versus merely matching the tempo, which is probably the real meat and potatoes of your question, I don't really know the answer. There were some differences in the way manufacturers (Roland, Yamaha, Korg) would trigger MIDI START or STOP messages signals, but your tb303 is not directly responding to these MIDI messages. Instead it's the MSQ-100 doing the direct responding. And (I may be wrong about this), but I don't think there's such a thing as a sync-24 START or STOP message. There's just a "flutter" that tells a sync-24 device when to go the next increment in time.
Anyhow, until someone comes along that really knows the answer, this may be the best you'll get. But you know what they say about a person armed with only a little knowledge . . .