What hardware is needed to get 128 midi channels?

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soundchaser59

Reluctant Commander
I've been out of the midi sequencer loop for quite some time. In a nutshell, my old Atari 1040 sequencer died. With the software and hardware on the Atari, I had 64 midi channels, four banks A-D of 16 channels in each bank. It used a black box connected to a parallel port, and the box had 4 midi out jacks on it A thru D.

Now I have a new Windows XP machine, E-Mu 1212M soundcard with one midi in/out. I can get sequencer software that claims it will handle 128 midi channels, some even claim 256 midi channels.

What am I missing? It's not possible to get 128 midi channels with just one midi out port. So how do I get more ports for my new sequencer software to use?? What kind of hardware do I need so that I can continue to enjoy the 64 midi channel diet that I am so used to?? Do I need to look at midi interfaces? Is the USB port involved?? I can see how the software would be able to designate "banks" of midi channels, 16 channels in each bank......but how does that get translated via hardware so that I have one bank controlling my mixer, one bank controlling my Roland synths, one bank controlling my fx rack, etc....???? Is a USB device the only answer? Is there a PCI card I can install that has multiple midi out jacks on it? or.........what??

Thanks for any tips here to get my research started!! - SC
 
I take it I can install something like a MOTU Micro Lite (just as an example) install the drivers for the USB 2.0 connection, and I'm ready to connect all my midi stuff and make the sequencer talk to the ports??

Am I on the right track here?
 
Something like this ought to do the trick: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MIDISPORT4x4-main.html

While there are some theoretical problems with MIDI via USB, it works very well in practice. It seems to have driven off the market essentially all the PCI-based solutions.

(You posted your second message while I was typing this.)

Yes, all you have to do is plug the USB cable in, power up, and install the drivers. It Just Works(TM).

Don
 
Thanks.

Just researching what you've said, I think I'm getting a good handle on it. It is starting to look a lot easier than I thought when my Atari died a couple of days ago.

Is one brand more reliable than the others? Is MOTU better than Roland's Edirol? Reliability is the main question there, since I assume they all handle the ports and the data stream pretty much the same way? No serial latency issues to worry about with a USB interface?

Also, is it better to connect my KX88 controller directly to the E-Mu soundcard midi in? Should I use the soundcard midi out as an extra port? Or will the sequencer software work better if I run everything thru the usb midi interface and skip the (PCI) soundcard ports entirely?

Thanks again for the tips.
 
As far as USB MIDI devices go, I have an Edirol UM-1X, and an M-Audio Oxygen 49. Both perform well, without any problems. I have used MOTU gear in the (distant) past, and don't remember ever being dissatisfied with it. USB can add a millisecond or two to your latency. If this bothers you, you should definitely try using the soundcard MIDI port for keyboard input.
 
Last edited:
an 8x8 midi interface will give you 128 midi channels
 
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