Re: Ideas - Support for multiple MIDI devices on a single interface

["Andrew \"Silver Blade\" Greenwood" <reactos@silverblade.co.uk>]

Well I'm glad I asked now! Rather than waste (more) time I can move on 
to something else instead.

Personally I only use MIDI for input (and use soft-synths), but I do 
know of people who have loads of MIDI gear. Thus it would be quite 
difficult for me to test.

I guess it's one of those ideas I've had where I think "wow, this would 
be cool", when in fact it's just me wanting to be over-complicated ;)

-Andrew


Michael Gerdau wrote:
> [snipped]
>> And if it's a completely pointless idea, let me know also ;)
> 
> Ok, you asked for it... ;)
> 
> I'm sorry to say that but I personally think it's a completely
> pointless idea.
> 
> - the raw count of external MIDI equipment used in professional
>   music productions has passed its high watermark years ago. Most
>   external gear is replaced by softsynths these days [this is to
>   say the requirement for large racks of external gear which needs
>   to be controlled via MIDI is diminishing]
> - IMO if you are interested in tight MIDI timing you use a multiport
>   MIDI interface and won't chain snyths on a single port. Cost is not
>   an issue because multiport interfaces are cheap these days (or at
>   least WAY cheaper than decent external synths or other gear).
> - why would there be demand to switch channels dynamically in the
>   first place anyway ?
>   Ignoring the additional delays (and the resulting timing issues)
>   introduced by the suggested switching procedure I don't see why
>   you'd need to dynamically reallocate ports and channels.
>   A single port gives you 16 channel, 2-/4-/8-port interfaces give
>   you 32/64/128 channel for external MIDI.
>   How much equipment are you going to connect ?
>   And how complex will your music be that this isn't sufficient ?
>   Last not least why don't you daisychain two or more of the better
>   8-port interfaces ? -- w/r to tight timing a better idea anyway !
> 
> Last not least I never used the Windows MIDI mapper and to the day
> I think it is useful only for very special cases.
> 
> Best,
> Michael