Syncing a TR-8 with a DJM-900nxs

I have a TR-8, trying to get it in sync with the djm-900nxs.  Would love to be able to have the TR-8 sync up to music I am playing so that I can use the TR-8 to create buildups, and add extra sounds to a song real time.

I have a midi cable going from the djm-900nxs to the input of the TR-8, and then the output of the TR-8 routed through audio cables back into an empty channel of the mixer.  Using CDJ2000nxs, with music processed in rekordbox.

When I have the midi button on for the 900, the bpm doesn't show up on the TR-8, so I'm guessing it's showing up.  When I press the start/stop button on the mixer, it does start and stop the tr-8, although about a half beat after I press it.  At which point, I have to manually slow down the song on the CDJ to get it to sync up again, at which point the bpm counter on the mixer changes, so it slows down the tr-8 even more, making it forever out of sync.  I can get closer by not using the start/stop button on the mixer, but rather hitting the start button on the tr-8.  But then I still have to sync.

So I seem to have the best results when I don't even use a midi cable, and do it all manually, keeping the song I'm playing on a solid bpm number (ie, 126.0 and not 126.2) and then manually setting the TR-8 to that BPM, and then manually starting the TR-8 on the 1st beat, and then adjusting the song as needed until it lines up, and remembering to not change the tempo slider for that track when cueing up the next track.

So in other words, not having it manually synced at all.

But I'd love to be able to manually have it sync, as I don't want to be spending all my time performing by making sure it's lined up, I'd rather be spending that time/energy into changing the beats/sounds/effects on the tr-8.

Any suggestions?  Maybe it's better to sync to the CDJ2000 some how?  Or maybe there's no real way to do it, in which case, tell me so I can stop killing myself trying to figure it out!

Thanks!