BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

Hi Guys,

I'm still stubbornly refusing to allow a PC into my live rig.  Now, PC based MIDI patching is pretty easy, but I want to be able to do this in hardware ideally.  I have a feeling if I start plugging-unplugging MIDI patchcables between songs it's going to get a bit boring, and there is bound to be an occasion where I forget how a certain song is patched.

Ideally I'd love a rack which I can just save a load of presets too, one for each song for example.

I'm aware of the MOTU MTP AV, which seems to do all I want, but they're damn expensive even second hand.  The only other one I've seen is the MID Patchbay from MIDITool, but that doesn't support MIDI Merge (which I assume means I can't have one port as a MIDI Thru)

SO!  What other solutions are there?  Searching ebay for "MIDI Patchbay" comes back with zero results >_<

BLEO
Offline
Geneva, NY

Midisport 8x8. 

I got one used for $75, but I had to wait a bit to find one that cheap.  I think the average price for one is about $125 or so.  Everything has to be programmed via USB but after that, you can rock it PC-free, baby!

Also, there's a cable-test function or something that simply merges all the ins and sends that merged signal to all the outs.  So if you have everything isolated by channel, this will work for you out of the box.

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

Oh really? I had no idea it could do that!   I had my eye out for one a while ago, but never managed to find on (I'm rocking a Midisport 2x2 right now)

Thanks for that!

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

I had a good read through the Midisport8x8  manual this weekend, although it does work as a patchbay and has presets, it doesn't do any kind of midi filtering or channelling, which I need.    Probably should have specified that :s

So for example,

I have an input on Input 1, I want to redirect that to Output 1, but also just channel 10 to Output 2.  I can see that the MTP AV can do this, just wondering if there's any cheaper options as the cheapest one I can find is £250 off ebay sad

herr_prof
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whoa so you need more than one device per 8x8 channel? If not, you can just have output one send midi channel 10 to all 8 inputs, and just have the device on output 2 set to respond to ch 10..the other non ch 10 devices should jsut ignore that...

e.s.c.
Offline
IL, US
herr_prof wrote:

whoa so you need more than one device per 8x8 channel? If not, you can just have output one send midi channel 10 to all 8 inputs, and just have the device on output 2 set to respond to ch 10..the other non ch 10 devices should jsut ignore that...

yeah, i have a pretty intense midi setup, but i just set my recieve channels carefully on all my gear and its no problem
do you have some gear that is basically stuck in omni mode?

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

Hi Prof

Yeah, I think we're saying the same thing smile

I've had a look at the Midisport 8x8 docs and unless I'm reading it wrong, it just seems to patch input-x to output-y.  Whereas I'd ideally like to filter one input out to several outputs based on the incoming channel. 

One reason for this is that my DD55 listens on all channels, not just channel 10.....which means I can't use a MIDI thru without lots of lovely GM noises coming out of it.  >_<

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire
e.s.c. wrote:

i just set my recieve channels carefully on all my gear and its no problem
do you have some gear that is basically stuck in omni mode?

Yes, this exactly >_<

I just figured if I'm thinking of a patchbay anyway, then I may as get one with MIDI filtering/channeling which can fix this problem for me at the same time smile

Last edited by BitPop (Jan 10, 2011 1:26 pm)

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

Managed to get myself a MOTU Midi Express XT USB - should do the job nicely!  big_smile

Last edited by BitPop (Jan 23, 2011 9:58 pm)

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

It's just arrived smile

Bit dusty, but otherwise in good nick!  Can't wait to get the wee beastie in my rig! cool

CMDR
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brighton, uk

while on the subject, can anyone reccomend a decent 4 in/ 4 out firewire interface for £150-200?

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardware/ … ace--24170

smile

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

I realised too late : Moving from a thru chain to a proper in/out solution means I need more cables >_<

Problem solved!

Last edited by BitPop (Jan 28, 2011 12:23 pm)

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

*MINT*!!  So, I couldn't get the midi channel mapping (rechanneling) to work on the output section of the unit.  After a few emails backwards and forwards with MOTU they've confirmed this is a genuine issue and the control panel software (Clockworks) will have to be patched.

FFS!  This isn't exactly a new piece of kit.  I can't believe no one else has ever reported this problem.  Maybe I'm unique?

Ah well, I'll just have to abuse them on Twitter daily until it's fixed smile