cool.  thanks for the info.  I will look into all that.
 
I just got the 4x4 and so far that is pretty simple and works.  I just need more imputs and out puts so a 8x8 might be my final solution.  have to see.  I'll check ebay too, not to worried about used devices from ebay like this.

cool.  thanks for the info.  I will look into all that.
 
I just got the 4x4 and so far that is pretty simple and works.  I just need more imputs and out puts so a 8x8 might be my final solution.  have to see.  I'll check ebay too, not to worried about used devices from ebay like this.

I will say this once again. Synths should go by ID number, that should be able to be set on the Synth. I have Rolands so I know it can be done. Each Synth would have a different ID number so when you send MIDI you also send the ID number of the synth. Whether it takes MIDI Through connections or not I am not sure, it may. But 16 synths can be hooked up with the ID numbers they can use from 17 to 32 for each synth, each synth able to send 16 channels of MIDI out, for a total of 256 MIDI channels that should be abled to be handled by MIDI. Of course if you have System Exclusive messages being sent also then there probably be a problem with too much info sent at first and data has to be staggered in for all of that, but just regular MIDI notes should  be fine but patch data or a lot of data at once may not work. Of course that is not USB, just the regular MIDI In and MIDI Through and MIDI Out connections.
 
I have used it before but I do not use MIDI for quite awhile now, but any synth I had hooked up had its own ID number (because coming back out the playback would go to the synth that had the ID number that matched.) Now I just use audio and record how the synth sounds out of the line out audio connections.
 

ID numbers have nothing to with the correct synths responding to midi channels. They are only for SYSEX dumps and things.
 
If you have got any more than about 5 or 6 hardware synths then you have got too many. Trust me I have been there. At one stage I has something like 60 or more hardware devices.
 
Now it is just down to a Kurzweil K2000R, a Kurzweil PC3K (which sounds better than most other synths out there, period!) an EMU E5000 with a huge library (it can read Akai and Roland and Ensoniq libraries so that sort of triples its capacity) a Roland JD800 and a Roland JV30. That is it plus over 100 virtual instruments. Practically every hardware synth (old analog beasts as well) have been modelled so perfectly it is a waste of time owning the real thing. Unnecessary!
 
With just 5 hardware devices I can get 80 channels of midi data playing back at once.

5 or 6 devices is reasonable.
 
I currently have 7 devices and not all need to be in the setup at the same time.
 
I think eventually a 8x8 device would be fine for what I need and my setup.  currently the 4x4 is getting me by but every so often I have to play with midi cables and reroute devices.  kindo a pain.

I don't know anyone who would not send an System Exclusive message in the first bar of the midi track (which can be silence) to tell what manufacturer the synth is from and the Device ID of the synth sending the messages incase you have more than one synth from the same manufacturer.
 
Afterwards, everything goes on that track back to the synth that created the track, and one bar of silence is not that much nor neither is the System Exclusive message sending that data.
It ain't the entire synth setup, it is one midi channel data setup.
??
Each their own, but everything that way works.
But then I do not have that many synths to tie up the midi data and send it haywire because of speed.
 
But then there is the Performance setup also, so the song as all that data which it can sent easily.
 
 

Hmmm...
 
I think the ID's come in handy when you're using more than one synth (from the same MFR) on the same port. This would be when you're not using all 16 channels, and your synths can be made to ignore channels. My old MU80 (yamaha) does this. But it does seem to be a moot point if you have the units on separate ports, since there's no possibility of a collision on either sysex data nor channel messages.
 
Hey,
 
We do have to several ways to send sysex data: you can embed directly within a track, which will be sent at the appropriate time, you can use a bank in auto mode (sent on project open), or you can embed a referece to a bank to send at the appropriate time. Personally, I love using banks.
 
I usually stick to sysex bank auto's, because if sysex data is sent before starting a song, you don't really have to worry about having an empty measure to ensure that all processing is complete before the first notes go out. It's also of note that some MFRs, yamaha at least, don't recommend sending a lot of sysex data during a song, the want you to consider sysex data as more setup, than performance oriented.
 

Each manufacturer has their own ID number, and then a Device ID can be sent for the particular synth.
It is not very many bits at all.
 

If two synths (even different models but same manufacturer) are on the same midi port and they are set to the same channel then they will both respond, end of story. As I have said only midi channels will separate any number of instruments (same maker or not) that are on the same midi port. 
 
But where ID numbers and device ID's are good though is you can just send s SYSEX dump of say a memory bank to all of them and only the relevant machines will respond which does make it easier in that regard only.
 
Its not that great though to have too many synths on a single midi port. Even though in theory 16 different instruments/parts can operate on a single port, as midi is a serial protocol the delay is longer for each synth. eg approx 1ms per channel so if 16 instruments share one port and you want them all to play at once the last one will be 16 ms late. Noticeable.
 
The ideal situation is to have only 8 or less instruments and put them all on their own port (8 x8 interface) and get them to do a max of 1 or 2 parts at once. That way you will get super timing everywhere. Even with only two parts per port 16 tracks of music is a pretty big sound in any case. At some point you are going to need to transfer midi parts to audio anyway leaving them free to do either nothing or another one or two parts max.
 
 

all my devices are on separate MIDI channels.  I don't have problems with midi channels or program id's or sending SYSEX to the synths or boxes.
 
I have a physical limitation of the cables and ports available.  I currently have 7 synth/synth rack MIDI boxes.  that's 7 MIDI ins/ 7 MIDI outs and 14 mono L/R 1/4" audio.  That's a lot of cabling and rewiring and getting under desks etc.
 
I don't use every box or synth each time.  I have seen pictures of professional studios with racks and rack s of synth boxes and have no clue how they handle 16 MIDI INs/OUTs let alone even more.
 
I certainly do not need a huge array.  but I do plan on getting a few more MIDI synths and some more racks that I have my eye on.  I need more cables and more connections.
 
a MIDI 8x8 seems like a good start.  USB nice.   but if I want more say 16x16 I don't see a solution out there.  Maybe a 8x8   times 2 but that's 2 usb ports and drivers conflicting etc to deal with.
 
I will get a 8x8 and should be fine for a while.  but I KNOW I am going to need more and just want to save money and plan ahead.