[LAU] slightly OT: MIDI management for physical synths

[Ralf Mardorf]

My PCIe RME sound card has got a MIDI IO and in addition I use 2
TerraTec EWX 24/96 Envy24 cards, each one has got a single IO too. I
bought one of those Envy24 cards at Ebay for around 30 EUR.

For SysEx only I use an elCheapo swissonic USB device, this can't be
used for MIDI notes, since it does cause too much jitter for my taste.

For MIDI out I in addition use a MIDI thru box, 1 input, 4 outputs. This
is a do it ourself product. Assumed you don't have the knowledge how to
build such devices, there are likely many howtos in the Internet or
perhaps http://www.doepfer.de/home_e.htm provides a assembly kit.

JFTR to my ATARI ST I added an extra MIDI in, by simply using a toggle
switch and I used it with 4 additional outs provided by a Steinberg
SMPTE interface.

You should avoid MIDI thru chains from one synth to the other. The delay
might not be an issue, but there is a limit for the data you can send
using just one output. A MIDI thru box won't help either. You need
several individual outputs, especially for real-time SysEx data.

JFTR PC MIDI is disgusting, don't expect the "relatively painless" MIDI
usage you know from working with synth only, or old stand alone gear,
the C64 or Atari ST.