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Short answer: Bento can receive MIDI Clock and transport from another device, or send clock and Start/Stop messages from both of its MIDI outputs. Its External tracks can play an external instrument and mix that instrument’s audio return through Bento’s mixer and effects. Bento also accepts MIDI CC messages for controlling Bento parameters and can record some parameter changes as sequence automation. However, the current v1.3.17b manual does not document arbitrary MIDI CC automation output to an external synthesizer or native sidechain compression. Classic kick-triggered ducking therefore requires a separately routed compressor or DAW.
What Bento can—and cannot—do
The 1010music bento v1.3.17b User Manual, dated December 19, 2025, describes Bento as a MIDI-synchronizable sampler and sequencer. Its central statement is: “Bento can synchronize with other instruments over MIDI by receiving and sending MIDI System Real-Time messages.” In practical terms, that gives you four distinct capabilities:
- Follow an external clock: Bento receives MIDI Clock and transport messages, then starts and follows the incoming tempo.
- Clock other devices: Bento sends MIDI Clock from both MIDI output ports and sends Start/Stop when you operate its transport.
- Play external instruments: An External track sends notes from Bento to a selected MIDI output port and channel, while the instrument’s audio can return to Bento for mixing and effects.
- Control Bento itself: Incoming MIDI CC messages can adjust Bento track parameters, and some changes can be recorded as sequence automation.
Those functions are easy to conflate. MIDI notes sent to a synthesizer are not the same as continuous CC automation sent to that synthesizer. Bento’s documented CC mapping controls Bento tracks; it is not proof that Bento can transmit every controller lane to an external synth. Likewise, the current manual has no “sidechain” entry and does not document native sidechain compression.
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A reliable setup starts with one device responsible for tempo and transport. Decide whether Bento, a DAW, or another hardware sequencer should be the master. A second device may receive clock, but two independent masters commonly produce unstable tempo, duplicate transport commands, or devices that start at different times.
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| Clock-master choice | Connect | What happens | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| External hardware or DAW is master | Master MIDI OUT to Bento MIDI IN | Bento starts after receiving MIDI Start followed by MIDI Clock and follows the master tempo. Bento forwards received clock to both MIDI output ports. | Your DAW or another sequencer contains the arrangement and should determine playback. |
| Bento is master | Bento MIDI OUT 1 or 2 to the target device’s MIDI IN | Bento sends MIDI Clock from both outputs and sends Start/Stop with transport operation. | Bento is the performance hub or the device whose scenes and sequences determine tempo. |
| Daisy-chained destinations | Master into Bento, then Bento outputs to downstream MIDI inputs | Received clock is forwarded to both Bento MIDI outputs, allowing downstream devices to follow the same timing. | Several instruments need the same clock and the cable path is short and reliable. |
Bento has no documented setting to disable MIDI clock output. Transport operation generates clock messages, so do not connect a Bento output to a device that must run independently unless that device can ignore external clock or you isolate the connection with suitable MIDI routing hardware.
Make Bento follow another device
Hardware clock source
- Identify the clock source’s actual MIDI output connector and Bento’s MIDI input connector. Use a cable or adapter that matches those connectors and the direction of the signal; do not choose a cable solely from the word “MIDI.”
- Connect the external device’s MIDI OUT to Bento’s MIDI IN. If the source offers multiple MIDI ports, use the port configured to transmit System Real-Time Clock and transport.
- Set the external device to send MIDI Clock. Enable its Start/Stop or transport transmission if those are separate options.
- Load or arm the Bento tracks you want to run. Set each track’s MIDI input channel only if you also plan to play or control that track from incoming notes or CC messages.
- Start playback on the external device. Bento should begin when it receives MIDI Start followed by MIDI Clock and should follow the source tempo while the source runs.
Bento forwards received clock messages to both MIDI output ports. That means a drum machine or synth connected to either output can follow the same master without requiring a separate clock splitter, provided the downstream devices accept the transmitted message format and the physical connections are correct.
DAW as the master
- In the DAW’s MIDI or synchronization preferences, enable MIDI Clock output to the port physically connected to Bento’s MIDI IN.
- Choose whether the DAW should send transport, clock, or both. Bento needs the clock stream for tempo and MIDI Start for automatic start behavior.
- Configure Bento track MIDI input channels as required. Channel selection affects which incoming note and controller messages address a track; it does not replace the clock connection.
- Press Play in the DAW. Bento should synchronize automatically and can record or play its sequences while synchronized.
- If an external instrument is also connected to a Bento MIDI output, verify whether it should receive the forwarded DAW clock. Bento passes received clock to both outputs, so downstream devices may start whenever the DAW starts Bento.
For a DAW-centered arrangement, keep only one clock path active. If the DAW sends clock to Bento while another sequencer also sends clock into the same MIDI network, remove the second source or use a MIDI router that explicitly selects one master.
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Make other gear follow Bento
- Connect a Bento MIDI output to the receiving instrument’s MIDI input. Select either output; Bento sends MIDI Clock from both ports.
- Set the receiving instrument to external MIDI Clock or Auto synchronization. Some instruments call this “MIDI Sync,” “Clock Source,” or “External.” The exact label depends on the instrument.
- Load the Bento project and set its tempo. Bento’s tempo becomes the tempo distributed to connected devices.
- Press Play or Stop on Bento. Bento sends Start/Stop messages along with its clock while the transport operates.
- Check that the receiving device is not simultaneously configured as a clock master. If it is, switch it to external clock or disable its outgoing clock.
Because Bento does not document a clock-output disable control, plan the network around that behavior. A device that must run on its own internal tempo should be left off the Bento MIDI output path, configured to ignore external clock, or separated with dedicated MIDI routing.
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Play an external instrument from an External track
An External track combines MIDI note output with an audio return. Bento generates or receives the notes, sends them to a hardware instrument, then mixes the instrument’s audio through Bento.
Wire the MIDI and audio paths
- Create an External track in Bento.
- Set that track’s MIDI output port and channel to match the receiving instrument. The instrument must be listening on the same MIDI channel Bento transmits.
- Connect the selected Bento MIDI output to the instrument’s MIDI input. Confirm that the physical connector type and signal direction match; MIDI OUT must feed MIDI IN.
- Connect the instrument’s audio output to a Bento audio input. Use the correct input format and channel count for the instrument’s output: a mono source needs one input, while a stereo source needs the appropriate left and right inputs.
- Configure the External track’s audio input routing so it listens to the input carrying the instrument’s return.
- Play the track from Bento pads, from an incoming MIDI controller, or from a sequence. The External track sends note data while Bento’s mixer handles the returned audio.
Verify the signal in the right order
- Strike a Bento pad or play a sequence note.
- Watch the track’s MIDI Signal indicator. Activity confirms that Bento is transmitting or receiving MIDI activity on the expected path.
- Listen for the external instrument’s audio. If the MIDI indicator moves but no sound returns, inspect the instrument’s patch, volume, audio cable, and Bento input routing.
- Watch the audio level in Bento. A visible level with no audible output points to monitoring, mixer level, mute, or output routing rather than MIDI.
- Apply Bento mixer effects only after the dry return is working. Reverb and delay sends process the returned audio; they do not create a sidechain detector.
A MIDI controller or external sequencer can also send notes into Bento tracks. Bento can pass those notes through an External track to the connected instrument, allowing the controller to play hardware while Bento supplies routing, sequencing, mixing, and effects.
Understand Bento’s automation terminology
“Automation” can mean four different things in this setup. Keeping them separate prevents a configuration that appears correct but never changes the external synth.
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| Data type | Direction | What it does | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIDI notes | Bento to an external instrument | Plays notes, rhythms, and sequences on the instrument selected by an External track. | It does not change filter cutoff, resonance, or another synth parameter unless the synth maps note behavior to that result. |
| Incoming MIDI CC | Controller or sequencer to Bento | Controls Bento track parameters according to Bento’s MIDI mapping. | It does not mean Bento forwards arbitrary CC numbers to an external synth. |
| Sequence parameter automation | Recorded inside Bento | Stores supported Bento parameter changes as part of a sequence. | It is not automatically a DAW-style automation lane for every external device. |
| Outbound synth CC automation | Bento to an external synth | Would require documented MIDI CC transmission for the target parameter. | The v1.3.17b manual does not establish arbitrary outbound CC automation. |
Documented External-track CC mappings
The manual lists a narrow CC set for External tracks. These mappings control Bento’s track behavior and mix parameters:
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| MIDI CC | Mapped Bento parameter |
|---|---|
| CC 6 | Mute |
| CC 7 | Level |
| CC 10 | Pan |
| CC 91 | Reverb send |
| CC 92 | Delay send |
For example, sending CC 7 to the correct Bento track can change that track’s level, but the documented mapping does not say that the same message is forwarded to the external synth. If your goal is a filter sweep or wavetable change on the synth, use a controller, sequencer, DAW, or MIDI processor that explicitly sends the synth’s required CC or proprietary message.
Loop tracks add another control method: MIDI notes can trigger and stop loops, and MIDI velocity or controller data can affect loop parameters. That is useful for arrangement control, but it should not be described as continuous external-synth automation.
Can Bento do sidechain compression?
The current v1.3.17b manual does not document native sidechain compression; it contains no “sidechain” match. Its mixer documentation covers level, pan, mute, and reverb/delay sends, but does not establish a compressor with a separate detector input.
That does not prevent a sidechain-style result in a larger rig. It means the ducking must happen elsewhere and depends on your equipment.
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External compressor workaround
- Route the audio you want to duck—such as the returned External-track instrument—to a compressor with a sidechain or key input.
- Route the kick or other trigger source to the compressor’s key input. The trigger must be available as a separate audio path; a MIDI note alone is not an audio sidechain signal.
- Set the compressor’s threshold, ratio, attack, and release for the desired amount and timing of ducking.
- Return the compressed signal to Bento or to the final mixer, depending on where you want effects and level control.
- Monitor for feedback loops and excessive gain. The exact cabling, auxiliary sends, and input/output count vary by compressor and mixer.
DAW workaround
A DAW can provide a software compressor with a key input: send Bento’s instrument return to the DAW, place the compressor on the pad or synth bus, and feed the kick track to the compressor’s sidechain input. Return the processed audio to your monitoring chain. This requires an audio interface path with enough inputs and outputs, plus a stable clock arrangement; Bento’s MIDI synchronization alone does not create the audio sidechain.
Connector and routing checklist
Before troubleshooting software settings, verify the physical path. MIDI and audio use different connectors and directions, and the exact hardware determines what is possible.
- MIDI direction: connect OUT to IN. A MIDI IN cannot transmit clock, and connecting two outputs together does not create a valid clock path.
- Connector type: check whether each device uses a 5-pin DIN connection, TRS MIDI, USB MIDI, or another implementation. TRS wiring standards can differ, so use an adapter known to match both devices.
- Audio direction: connect the instrument’s audio OUT to a Bento audio IN. Confirm mono versus stereo and use the required number of channels.
- Channel assignment: match the External track’s MIDI channel to the instrument’s receive channel.
- Clock ownership: enable one master and configure all other devices to follow or ignore external clock as appropriate.
- Monitoring: check Bento track mute, level, pan, output routing, and monitoring after MIDI and audio indicators show activity.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
Bento does not start with the external sequencer
- Confirm the source sends MIDI Start, not only Clock. Bento starts when MIDI Start is followed by MIDI Clock.
- Check that the source’s MIDI OUT is connected to Bento’s MIDI IN and that the cable is directional where required.
- Remove competing clock sources. Two devices transmitting clock can prevent predictable transport.
- Start the source after the connection and settings are active; then watch for Bento response.
Bento starts, but the external synth does not follow tempo
- Verify that the synth is set to external MIDI Clock or Auto.
- Check that Bento’s output is connected to the synth’s MIDI input and that the synth is not filtering System Real-Time messages.
- If Bento is following another master, remember that it forwards received clock to both MIDI outputs. Test the direct output path and remove unnecessary MIDI mergers or thru connections.
The External track shows MIDI activity but produces no sound
- Match the External track’s output channel to the instrument’s receive channel.
- Check the instrument’s patch, volume, local mute, and MIDI receive settings.
- Trace the audio cable from the instrument’s output to the Bento input and select that input in the External track’s audio routing.
- Raise Bento’s track level and unmute it only after confirming that the returned input shows a level.
CC messages change Bento but not the synth
This is expected when the message is addressed to Bento’s documented track mapping. Use a controller or sequencer that explicitly transmits the synth’s CC numbers, or place a MIDI processor between the source and synth. Do not assume that Bento’s inbound CC support becomes outbound synth automation.
The rig drifts or devices start independently
- Choose one clock master and disable clock transmission on other devices where possible.
- Keep the clock route short and remove unnecessary conversion or wireless links while testing.
- Check that every downstream device is set either to external clock or to internal clock intentionally; “Auto” can change behavior when a clock signal appears or disappears.
- Remember that Bento’s clock output cannot be disabled in its documented settings, so isolate devices that must remain independent.
Practical setup patterns
Bento-centered hardware rig
Use Bento as the master: connect Bento MIDI OUT to an external synth, create an External track for the synth, return the synth’s audio to Bento, and mix the return there. Bento sends notes, clock, and transport while the returned audio receives Bento’s mixer treatment. This is the simplest arrangement when Bento’s sequences and pads are the performance source.
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DAW-centered production rig
Use the DAW as master: send DAW MIDI Clock and transport to Bento, let Bento run synchronized sequences, and connect Bento’s MIDI outputs to any downstream instrument that should follow the DAW. Keep the External track’s audio return in Bento if you want Bento effects, or route the audio to the DAW when the DAW will handle compression and sidechain ducking.
External sequencer controlling Bento and a synth
Send the external sequencer’s notes and clock to Bento. Bento can receive notes or CC messages on configured track channels, synchronize to the sequencer, and forward notes from an External track to the synth. This separates timing control from audio mixing, but you must still decide whether the sequencer or Bento is responsible for each parameter change.
What to verify before buying cables or changing software
- Which device is the clock master?
- Does that device transmit both MIDI Clock and Start/Stop?
- Which physical connector does each MIDI port use?
- Does the External track’s MIDI output channel match the instrument’s receive channel?
- Does the instrument provide the audio output format and channel count Bento’s input can accept?
- Do you need Bento to control its own mixer parameters, or do you specifically need CC automation inside the external synth?
- Does your ducking device have a real audio sidechain/key input, and can your interface or mixer provide a separate trigger path?
Answering those questions first prevents the most expensive misunderstanding: Bento is a capable MIDI clock hub, note sequencer, and audio-return mixer, but the documented features do not turn it into a universal external-synth automation engine or a built-in sidechain compressor.
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