MIDI Patching Question

[Reqs]

Here's something I can't understand, please help. When you have several MIDI devices, and want to avoid having to unplu and replug all the time, what do you do? Nobody's ever heard of a MIDI patch bay, although I understand they exist. Here's my setup:
Roland JV-80: MIDI IN, OUT, and THRU
DD-50 Drum Pads: MIDI IN and OUT
POD: MIDI IN and OUT
Computer: MIDI IN and OUT

Since only the JV-80 has a THRU, right now I have to plug and unplug constantly as I use the MIDI functions of these devices to input into my sequencer and Sound Diver s/w (POD). Do I just have to live with it? What about all you guys with tons of MIDI equipment.

Thanks in advance!

[BLISS]

Reqs -- from your JV-80 and everything else
is it going through a (midi interface ?)if so
go into your computer and set it up (midi in & out) and you should be able to make changes from there.

[Reqs]

Yes, Bliss, I guess I should be more specific. Everything I do is done on the computer, i.e., I don't need these devices to talk to each other. I use the JV-80 and DD-50 simply as controllers, I don't even really use the internal synth in the JV-80. So whenever I need to use one or the other as the controller I have to physically unplug from whatever device is currently plugged into the computer IN and OUT and plug in the desired device. Make sense?]

Thanks.

[drstawl]

Sounds like a USB multi-port MIDI interface is what you need, if only to simplify the operation. That way you get multiple MIDI IN lines and multiple MIDI OUT lines without having to reinvent the wheel or chain anything together.

[Reqs]

Now that might be a thought. The reason that I've held off getting a multiport card is that I rely pretty heavily on sound fonts and don't know of a multiport card that supports them. If I had two MIDI interfaces though....

Now the question would be will Cakewalk let recognize both the SB LIVE for soundfonts and a USB interface simultaneously?

[drstawl]

I don't see why not. CW just adds any physical audio or MIDI port to a list of available ports and you assign them as needed to each track. You're only doing soundfonts through the SB card so your MIDI interface doesn't need to know about this. The soundfont defines what sound will be triggered by a MIDI signal, but the MIDI signal is an entirely separate code that tells the synth what notes to play and when and how.