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Subject: more than 16 midi channels?

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Original Message 1/11 05-Aug-98 @ 03:57 AM - more than 16 midi channels?

weasel

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Jeez, I thought I'd know this by now...anyhow.. I've got a CS1x hooked to a PC via the "to-host" port, so that gives me 16 midi channels in cakewalk ...I also have a Tx81z which I'd`like to set up on channels 17-20 through the CS1x midi ports... but it seems I can only assign channels to 1-16... Any help would be much appreciated...

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Message 2/11 05-Aug-98 @ 04:53 PM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

Richie

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I don't know about the "to-host" port you mentioned but if you have two soundcards in your pc cakewalk will see them as two separate output devices.
So for example you have the cs1x going to device1 (channels 1-16) which could be a soundblaster16 and the tx81z going to device2 (channels 1-16) which could be a awe32 or something.
A soundblaster 16 will do for one of the cards so it's going to cost you about 15 quid (ukp) for your extra card.
A friend of mine does this and it seems to work ok.

Have I got the wrong end of the stick completely on this question?

Anyway it's 5.00pm and time to leave work, See Yah.

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Message 3/11 05-Aug-98 @ 11:22 PM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

weasel

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Well I'm using a laptop so I can't add anything internally... but the whole point of the to-host connection is that it liberates the MIDI ports... but most of the synths with the 'to host' are 16part multitimbral already, so any external modules will eat up some of the 16 channels? or am I missing something?

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Message 4/11 06-Aug-98 @ 01:02 PM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

Richie

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Am I getting this right? The midi output of your pc is going into the cs1x (ch 1-16), then you are using the thru output to chain the midi to your tx81z input. The cs1x will only accept midi on channels 1-16 (I think), so therefore you can only output midi on these channels from the cs1x's thru connection. Hmmm, so where does that leave us?
You could try dropping the volume of channels 13 to 16 on the cs1x which will stop it from playing at the same time as the tx81z, but you will lose polyphony from the cs1x because it is still playing but you just can't hear it.
Another method is to get a midi port that can support 32 channels. I don't know of any for laptops but you can bet that they will be bloody expensive.

What is a tx81z anyway? And can it recieve on channels 17-20?

Richie (not being very helpfull I know)..

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Message 5/11 06-Aug-98 @ 01:10 PM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

bill

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there are only ever 16 midi channels.

so you either need to:

a) use less than 16 on the cs1x - say 12 - and then use 13-16 for the tx

or

b) use one midi port for the cs1x and one for the tx81z. but as most soundcards only have 1 midi port, like as not you'd need an extra soundcard.

or have i missed the point too?

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Message 6/11 06-Aug-98 @ 02:01 PM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

Richie

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Another thought..

If you can set up keyboard ranges on the cs1x then you could try this.

Setup a sound that has a keyboard range of c0 to c0 (ie, will only play a note if you hit key c0) , assign this sound to channels 13-16 on the cs1x. So if you play a note from your sequencer above c0 on these channels the cs1x won't actually play anything because they will be out of range for the preset. Call the preset something like "channel mute" so you know what it's for later on.

The notes from the sequencer will still be sent out of the cs1x's thru port to your tx81z. Also you will not lose polyphony from the cs1x.

Of course if you can't setup keyboard ranges then this won't work...

Richie.....

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Message 7/11 06-Aug-98 @ 02:20 PM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

99devils

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I think you all missed the point!

If you have a MIDI port on your laptop, you should be able to have Cakewalk address those channels seperately from the TO HOST adapter. If you don't have a MIDI port on your laptop, you're going to need to invest in a PC card or USB device which provides MIDI I/O facilities.

-Craig

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Message 8/11 06-Aug-98 @ 03:57 PM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

bill

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admittedly, its this TO HOST thing that's confusing me.....what is it?

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Message 9/11 06-Aug-98 @ 06:05 PM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

99devils

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It's a cable which connects from a special port o the synth to the parallel or serial port on your computer. Alesis and Yamaha have begun including them in most of their synths recently

-Craig

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Message 10/11 07-Aug-98 @ 12:01 AM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

weasel

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Yep, the to host port is just so that you don't need to purchase a MIDI interface to connect to the keyboard At this point what I'm doing is sending Sysex to the CS1x to mute the channels I want to use the TX81z on... but unfortunately this still counts as polyphony usage for the CS1x.... I thought there'd be an easy way to do this better, but seems like not....thanks for the replies though... I guess MIDI was developed way before 16 part multitimbral became standard...

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Message 11/11 29-Aug-98 @ 09:58 AM - RE: more than 16 midi channels?

Billy

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It sounds like you need a midi patch bay. I use a Mac and Opcode Studio 4, this gives me acess to 128,(yes 128) midi tracks. The Studio 4 enables 8 midi sources to be addressed, each source can use 16 channels (providing your sequencing software will allow this).

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