Midi drivers

According to http://www.cakewalk.com/support/kb/kb20090210.asp

All versions of Windows NT, 2000 and XP maintain an internal list of 32-bit MIDI and wave drivers. Windows only allows for a maximum entry of 10 devices on each list. Once the maximum of 10 devices is hit the list will not reset or allow adittional device drivers to be added. Unfortunatley this is a limitation of Windows and not something that can be fixed by the driver installation. V-Studio users are at a higher risk of experiencing this issue if MIDI device drivers we're installed on the computer prior to V-Studio as the V-Studio driver has a total of 7 MIDI ports.

(my emphasis)

So I'm using XP (& for the forseeable future), I'm already approaching the 10 midi driver limit - how many driver "slots" does the VStudio want to use?

TIA

Total MIDI Driver count = 7


What I ran into on one of our XP machines is that many of driver entries in the registry we're duplicates for devices on the system. This can happen if you're using a USB-MIDI interface and plug it into different ports.

It's not the most elegant solution but you can likely free up some by either:

a) Using M-Audio's handy tool

b) Removing all of the Midi entries from the registry.

You will have to re-install after doing either of the above. (but it sure beats losing a MIDI device due to that pesky GS Wavetable Synth!)

First, thanks for the info.

Second, YIKES - greedy modular Roland driver model.
I got that there were 7 devices:

CONSOLE (VS-700)
DV-7 (VS-700)
V-LINK (VS-700)
FANTOM VS (VS-700)
IO MIDI (VS-700)
ARX MIDI (VS-700)
IO (VS-700) (do not enable in Sonar)

but had hoped that they were 7 ports on the same driver (or 2) - coz they're all doing the same thing (passing midi data) to the one box/package.

I'd hope that the optional ports (DV7 - video edit & VLINK multimedia projector control ports) are optional at the install??

The reason that I'm approaching the 10 midi limit is I have 8 midi devices attached for a total of 11 drivers (trust me there's no usb port swapping or duplicates on this DAW :) )

The number of midi drivers required for the VStudio is a definite dealbeaker for me.
Possible maxed out XP midi port configs:-
VStudio & Korg PadKontrol or
VStudio & midisport & 1 other Roland synth.

Its way too expensive for me - in midi ports & foregone/lost capabilities.

PS the Korg PadKontrol unistaller is another handy util - it will display & let you unistall individual/duplicate drivers singley - might be handy if you dont want those non-DAW DV7 & VLINK ports taking up driver slots. But its the internet - there's no guarantees, try at your own risk :)

Roland : All Your Midi Are Belong To Us


Thanks again Willie!

How many slots does the PadKNotrol take up?

I am having this issue as well.

Currently I have a Motu 5in 5 out Midid interface.
Korg PadKnotrol

I have just added teh Axon Midi Guitar thingy, and only 3 out ofthe 5 midi inputs are showing, so I am guessing I have maxed out somethign somewhere along the line.

So I am probably gonna put the Lorg through the midi inputs on the MOTU and just have to lose the USB functionality.

G

The PadKontrol says it uses 1 driver slot - but I've found that enabling the Midi In & Midi Out in Sonar will cause problems (lockups etc) when you're at the limit.

I suspect that the Midi Ports A & B (in) & Midi Ctrl (out) use the Korg driver & the others use the windows WDM midi driver.

As the Midi In & Out ports are the external midi ports on the Korg you don't need these ports enabled in Sonar (unless you want to use the PadKontrol as a midi interface) when using the USB connection.

HTH

Patient: Doc, it hurts when I do that.
Doc: Don't do that.

Vista doesn't have the MIDI limit. Vista SP1 works fine today. Vista SP2 has been released and will be available shortly as a public download.

When Windows 95 first came out people complained because it really needed at least 4MB of RAM. Features eat up resources.

Vista is a catch 22 for me - some of the software for my midi gear doesnt work under Vista. If I get rid of that gear then I dont have the midi limit problem :)

I'm hoping with Win7's reported better support for old software I may get around the problem. The RC is on my "to download" list.