Starsky Carr’s Gridlock II Review: MIDI Mayhem, Sorted

Here’s where things get spicy. The Gridlock II doesn’t bother with your DAW’s flaky MIDI clock—instead, it generates its own clock from a stereo audio signal, courtesy of a plug-in. The result? Jitter as low as 20 microseconds. That’s not just tight, it’s surgical. Starsky’s jaw drops at the numbers: port-to-port skew below five microseconds, CV/gate triggers under 50 nanoseconds. If it got any faster, you’d need a DeLorean to keep up.

This audio-based approach means every hit, swing, and flam lands exactly where you want it. No more hi-hats drifting off like they’re on a night bus. The difference is so obvious, even your 909 will start behaving. It’s the kind of timing that makes you want to dig out every crusty drum machine you own just to see what it can really do. Watching the video, you can practically feel the groove snapping into place—something words can’t quite capture.

Starsky’s studio is a graveyard of synth legends—ARP Odyssey, Minimoog, Prodigy, Juno-60—all non-MIDI, all now playing ball thanks to the Gridlock II. He shows how you can name every device, patch them in via MIDI, DIN Sync, USB, or CV/gate, and have them show up in Logic as if they were fresh-off-the-line MIDI workstations. It’s like giving your old gear a new passport and a first-class ticket to the modern world.

The real kicker? You can mix and match: USB synths, MIDI modules, and crusty analogs all locked together, no drama. The video is a masterclass in integration, but the real magic is in how responsive everything feels. Starsky’s not just showing off—he’s grinning like a kid in a sweet shop, and you can tell this isn’t just theory. If you want to see a studio actually working as a single instrument, this is your blueprint.

Starsky doesn’t just talk the talk—he lines up a proper timing shootout. With the TR-909 running its own pattern, he compares DAW clocking to the Gridlock II. The DAW’s timing drifts in and out like a dodgy Wi-Fi signal, while the Gridlock II keeps every hit locked, tight, and relentless. The difference isn’t subtle—it’s the kind of thing you feel in your chest, not just your ears. If you’ve ever wondered whether all this clock fuss actually matters, the video’s side-by-side demo will make you a believer. Some things you just have to see (and hear) to believe.

So, who’s this for? Starsky is blunt: Gridlock II is a pro tool, priced way out of Behringer territory. If you’re running a sprawling setup with vintage and modern gear, or you need bulletproof timing for live shows, it’s a no-brainer. The standalone mode means you can leave the laptop at home and trust your rig won’t fall apart mid-set. For the rest of us, it’s aspirational—like a Ferrari for your MIDI.

But it’s not all roses. If you’re firing off loads of SysEx or using complex MIDI controllers, the Gridlock II can get a bit clogged (at least until a future firmware update). And at over two grand, you’ll need to really care about timing to justify it. Still, compared to cobbling together a mess of converters and interfaces, it starts to look like a bargain. Starsky’s verdict? If you’ve got a studio full of unruly gear, this is the street weapon you’ve been waiting for.