MIDI multiple same-pitch notes / Re: [linux-audio-user] VST plugins and linux

[Larry Troxler]

Steve Harris wrote:
> XAP doesn't ignore MIDI, its totaly midi compatible (for input), but it
> can do things that MIDI can't (eg. playing overlapping notes at the same
> pitch).
> 

MIDI can't play overlapping notes at the same pitch? I was wondering
myself, what the defined behavior was if you have two sucessive note
on's on the same pitch (with two matching note-off's later, of course).
Is this really illegal in MIDI? And what about this common situation:
Sustain-on, note-on, note-off note-on (same pitch), note-off,
Sustain-off>? 

I had always assumed that, since I have never read anything in the MIDI
spec concerning this, that it was up to the device how to interpret such
things. I would be mildly surprised however, if the common behavior was
to turn off the last note and then immediately start the new one (when
the second note-on is received). I've always assumed that every box I
have would start a new note at the same pitch (but then I'm not sure if
the note-off's are handled last-note-first or last-note-last). 

Does anybody know what the most common behavior is, or if indeed this is
addressed in the MIDI spec?

Larry Troxler