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I recently grabbed the Lightfoot Goatkeeper for sale on the marketplace here.

At the moment I'm controlling all of my gear with a Voodoo Lab GCP+GCX, a Source Audio Reflex, and a Disaster Area SmartCLOCK.

So I have midi clock sync (which can control/sync almost all of my externally controllable tempo-based effects), but no "click track" to speak of (required to externally control/sync the Goatkeeper). I was just wondering, what's the cheapest way of going about adding a click track that syncs with the Midi Clock?

I have googled and discovered units like this for sale - http://www.electrongate.com/dmxfiles/mcc3.html

I'm sure the price is reasonable otherwise, but at $150USD + shipping to NZ, it's just not worth it to add click track sync to just one piece of gear. There are DIY options available with full instructions, but while I'd like to get into that at some point, at the moment it goes over my head (although I could probably get a local builder to make it).

I'm a little unsure on how these pulse triggers work so maybe some synthy guy here could school me a little. The audio "pulse" trigger required to sync the Goatkeeper is just a 5V CV signal, right? Does that mean I could use the GCP to tell the Source Audio Reflex to do a simple square-wave CV LFO that is synced to the midi clock by the Disaster Area SmartCLOCK - and the resulting midi clock synced 5V squarewave oscillation as an audio pulse trigger to sync the Goatkeeper? If so, will the trigger happen when it goes up to 5V, or when it goes back down to 0V (I forget the technical terms for the rise and fall of a square-wave).

Know anyone with a cheap & small drum machine? Just run a pattern with whatever time frame you need. Getting a logic high ~5 volt signal out of a closed HH sound should be easy. Disclaimer: I have not used the Goatkeeper, so this would be a try before you buy type situation.

Yeah I figured a used + cheap drum machine may be a cheap option. Don't know how big these come though, and have no other use for one, so would rather something that just provides a dedicated click from the midi clock. It may be impose an unwanted footprint to my pedalboard, which I'd rather avoid. It may very well be an option I might take if the Reflex doesn't work.

Here's what the v2 manual has to say (haven't found a v3 manual).

"SYNC IN: Input and audio click track from a sequencer/metronome/drum machine/etc to sync Goatkeeper. The source should be a short "click" type sound. Sounds with long decay or reverb will not work reliably. Adjust the source's volume so that Goatkeeper is locked in Sync (Sync In should over-ride tap empo and Expression/CV control"

Being that the LFO from the Reflex will be up at 5v for half of the tempo, I dunno if this will make it unsuitable. WHEN the decay happens, it is immediate in a square-wave, but doesn't happen for a while. So don't know if that counds as a long decay. I'll shoot Lightfoot an email and hopefully he can provide clarification. I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that all audio triggers are created equal though, so if someone here can chime in, that would also help.

In case anybody's interested, I emailed the Lightfoot guy. He tested it out, and apparently a falling sawtooth CV signal works, even with a period of a few seconds. So my Reflex should work as a means of converting the midi clock into a trigger.

^^^ oh nice. That price is somewhat stomachable (even though I wish I had more stuff to use it with), and is nice and small. Thanks for linking me that.

Sounds like the Reflex will work though. However, if there are some practical issues, or I require a clock period that makes the sawtooth unusable, I'll grab one of those.

I don't know what other stuff ypu use, but I'm pretty sure the korg SQ-1 can do midi and click track. I base this on the assumption that click track is what syncs the teenage engineering PO-series and Volca-series, because it sounds like a click. Plus you get a pretty sweet sequencer, and it does CV so maybe you can use it with other gear too

Not really interested in that Korg. I'm likely going to get an 80tape CV Sequencer when it comes out. So that will work to sync it as well. MORE than enough sequencing for my needs.

Would be cool if they could work independently of each other though i.e. use the Goatkeeper to sequence one effect, while using the 80tape to sequence another, while they're both synced to the same midi-clock. I suppose the 80tape will 2 independent CV outs, so I'll still be able to use one of them, and doubt I'll need 3 lol. 2 is already plenty. If I need 3 whatever stupid reason, I can still use 3 by syncing with the Reflex, as long as the LFO/click period isn't too long.